Training in Santa Fe, NM

I am now hanging out with Todd's family in Santa Fe, NM. Todd is working somewhere in the Northeast, Connecticut then Maryland.

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Connecticut

He made some new friends who gave him lessons in downhill/free-ride, his Vassago wasn't cutting it so he has been borrowing a big travel bike. Something about a 4' drop, forgot to pull up and crashed the first time but made it on the second attempt... I need pictures, or better yet a video.

edit: here is one of Javier

I have been watching races, riding new areas and doing clinics. The following includes a ride review of sorts for the Santa Fe area.

The first thing I did when I hit town was hang out with Tina and watch Henry and Little Henry race the La Tierra Torture. After the race I rode the trails and had a blast, no big climbs, just fast trails. If you head out there bring a gps file, the trails are not signed.

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Little Henry racing what I believe is his first MTB race, finished 3rd in Cat 2 Jr!

Henry

Henry is the one responsible for getting Todd into mountain biking and has been kicking our butts for years. Although he doesn't seem to ride much any more, he still has it. At 65 he finished 3rd of 17 Cat2 50+ (18 seconds out of 2nd, 2 minutes off 1st; both of which are 15 years younger).

Little Henry, me, Henry post race

I also watched an Active Knowledge race in the mountains east of Albuquerque. Active Knowledge has a race program aimed at school-age racers, but membership is open to adults as well. It was great to see the kids out racing in a very relaxed, positive setting. Having the adults involved is something different from the NorCal/SoCal high school program and is especially great for adult beginner riders and families with kids. The racers really looked out for each other. One racer stopped to tell us that another racer wasn't feeling very well, a volunteer rode out to help and found that she was still wearing her jacket (it was warm out); it is all about teaching and encouragement. After the Active Knowledge race I rode the Otero Canyon trails east of Albuquerque. I had skipped these before because I didn't realize how much trail was out there, there are more trails than appear on the maps. I got in a 3 hour ride without much trail overlap and there were still some off-shoots I didn't take. As long as you pay attention to which canyon you are in you can't get lost. It has just enough technical to make things interesting, but wasn't too techy to ride alone on a hardtail. Dale Ball trails in Santa Fe are still my favorite, they are split into three sections (North, Central and South). The signage is the best I have ever seen, a full map at each intersection (see link) with a number on the post to show you where you are on the trail, there is no need to carry a map. I ride from the "house" and typically ride the North and Central sections. The ski hill (paved) road runs between the two sections and trails like Windsor are accessible from further up the ski hill road. Since we are in a great location most of my rides leave from the "house". The Santa Fe 2009 Bikeways & Trail Map is great for getting around town, I rode a 50 mile circle around Santa Fe without any issues by following the map. There are also some good routes heading out of town with only a few lights, the Santa Fe Century covers most of these routes. My usual road ride is out-and-back from Santa Fe to Galisteo via Hwy 285. I also hit Tramway in Albuquerque (parked at the Sandia Casino at 1-25 and Tramway and lost $30, don't tell Todd). I saw more cyclists than I have ever seen on one stretch of road for a typical weekday afternoon. I was doing all the passing and feeling pretty good about myself, then was passed rather quickly by a friendly Geoff Kabush; he flew up the hill passing everyone like they were sitting still. Oh well.

Santa Fe Century

Today Henry and I rode two blocks from the "house" to the start of the Santa Fe Century, we did the 50 mile version that included some dirt road. The start and finish were the same as the full century but a dirt road cut the loop in half. There were also 25, 50 and 75 mile out-and-back routes that started backwards on the course. This was very smart as it split the field in two and sent riders in different directions, there were so many riders that had we all gone in the same direction, even with separate start times, it would have been crazy. It was so cool to be out with cyclists everywhere. I heard there were over 2000 riders expected.

Singlespeeds, a Treatment for Cancer?

The best part of racing and traveling full-time is meeting new people. Sometimes we meet cyclists who have overcome a lot, for them riding and racing is a true accomplishment (Grace for example).

Last September I met Jay at a Santa Fe, NM trailhead, he was friendly and gave me local riding info. As I got to know Jay a little more I learned his inspirational story. I ran into Jay again last week, he is as happy and positive as anyone I know.

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4/26/09

Here is part of Jay's story (5/03/09): "Almost exactly one year ago to the day my wife, Sarah, admitted me into the local hospital in Santa Fe. I was 80 pounds lighter and cancer had taken all but my determination. The docs had pretty much given up on me - but I had other ideas. Frankly, I don't remember much about the three week hospital stay but I prevailed and have stymied my doctors even though I was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer - mets in the liver, lungs, and lymphs. I had three major surgeries last year including a colon resection and a small intestinal bypass (tumors had totally blocked both my small and large intestines). Today I have regained over 50 pounds and though my chemo treatments will likely continue for a long time, I am extremely active... and in need of a cure. . I rode 17 miles of high-country singletrack including 18 cold, hub-deep stream crossings along with 2,800 feet of gain (the Winsor Trail) [see picture above]. I now ride a singlespeed which my wife bought me this year for Valentine's Day. Every other week I ride with a chemo pump in my rear jersey pocket, ignoring the pleas of the nurses who treat me. I ride 4 - 5 times a week. BTW, I am now 50 years young... Lance might be impressed. . I tell you this because miracles really do happen. The last year of my life was, in an ironic way, the best year of my life. I was granted a reprieve and I grabbed it and held on. Cancer changed me in a very positive way and riding has been an integral part of my recovery." Jay also has an online site GeoManGear which sells GPS Units, Lights, Helmet Cams, First Aid Kits, etc.

Reviews: Bike Rack, Brakes, Grips.

Raxter Bike Rack: Old non-Raxter hitchmount 4-bike rack problems: 1) It held bikes by frame - with three carbon bikes, I didn't use the rack any more and loaded all bikes inside the van or coach. 2) Once all bikes were loaded on the rack, it was a pain to unload all the bikes if I wanted to ride the first one I put on. 3) It was a puzzle to actually get 4 bikes on the rack without having to loosen and turn the bars. Towels were needed to keep the bikes from scratching each other. New Rack Solution: 1) Holds bikes by the wheels 2) Easy on/off of individual bikes. 3) Allows for bkes to be shifted around so bars don't interfear with each other. 29rs, downhill, road, and MTBs all fit easily (witout any towels). 4) It is quick to assemble, I think it took us longer to figure out where to put the sticker than to assemble the rack (had we read the directions this too would have been a quick task). 5) The swing up version is great for stowing it (see picture) and takes just one second. 6) Mix and Match to get a personal rack. We have an extra hitch piece so the swing up 4-bike rack can be turned into two 2-bike racks. This is what you call versatile! Usually Todd and I are together and share the van and bike rack, we then need the 4-bike rack. However, this month we are each in different places. Todd took the van with a 2-bike swing-up rack and I have a 2-bike non-swing up rack. It takes only a few minutes to swap back and forth. 7) Support from Raxter is by far better than any other brand I have found. . . Magura Mag SL and SL Brakes: I love the way these brakes work, everything is quickly adjustable which makes it easy to swap wheels. The lever is easily adjustable and when the reach is adjusted in, it doesn't then pull in so far as to hit the grip. The brakes are powerful, solid, and have a great feel to them. I haven't had to bleed the brakes (any of the three sets), just cut the cable, don't let the fluid flow out, put it back together and it works perfectly, so easy, good directions. I have never had brakes whose cables I can cut (as often as I want) and turn around and race it, no bleeding required and without worrying about the cables pulling out. It is awesome to have that much confidence in a set of brakes. Again, the absolute best support of any brake/fork manufacturer I have ever used. (I'll review the forks in the next review post I do). . Ergon Grips and Carbon Bar Ends: These are my favorite grips and bar ends for both looks and comfort. I did run non-Ergon light foam grips and the lightest bar ends trying to save every last gram. Bottom line: for total of 88 grams more I can run some bling and be more comfortable . At this time I won't go back on the bar ends, I think I am faster with these. I thought I would get used to the non-Ergon super light ones, instead I found I wasn't using them simply because I didn't care for the shape/feel (so what was the point of having them?).

Heat Exhaustion Recovery Week & US West Cup #5

Monday - Felt horrible didn't do anything. Tuesday - Had to move the "house" to Los Olivos, CA. Got sick when I went outside to put water bottles away, was worthless, especially outside (in the sun or heat). Todd created the video which got ~400 blog hits. Wednesday - AM: Started to worry that I would never recover from the heat exhaustion episode. PM: The temperature dropped, I tried a one hour road ride with Todd and felt great, still a headache, but no dizziness or nausea and legs felt great. Thursday - Felt good, visited Pedal Power to work on the bike (best shop in the area!!!), put on new Red and White Magura Mag Brakes and White Ergon Grips & Bar Ends. (pictures and review in next post) Friday - Pre-rode the course once. Saturday - Felt good, first day without a headache, washed all the cow poo off the bike and got ready to race, although still worried that I would have to pull out. Sunday - Raced, felt good. All the plans to get enough hydration, calories and electrolytes went out the window when I only finished a half bottle on the first lap and my 2nd lap bottle (with gel) bounced out right after the feedzone and I didn't notice. Chad told Todd who freaked out and forgot to feed Joy (again). When I went for a drink and realized what had happened, I thought, "no way, you have to be kidding" I was not going to repeat last weekend and just slowed up a bit. At the top of the first climb I was hot, I had goosebumps and decided to quit. I found a couple swallows in a discarded Gatorade bottle nearby and after ~ 30 seconds I had cooled off, felt good and realized I had only lost one spot so decided to keep going. It worked out well I got that spot back and finished in 4th ~ 2:13, ~5 minutes off Amanda (1st). Amanda had a great race!

US West Cup #5 Podium: left to right: Krista, Kathy, Amanda, Allison, Natasha

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I was very happy after the race because I knew I had recovered, I was able to race and even race without enough water. I am sure the only reason I was able to race and race well today was because of the ice bath I got at the Sea Otter finish line. The doctors told me that the ice shoved in my jersey and dumped all over me got my core body temperature down quickly enough that it didn't do much damage. The Dr.s base this on the heatstroke symptoms I was getting followed by the blood test results which showed no organ damage. So if someone has heat exhaustion or heatstroke symptoms, get the core body temp down ASAP.

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The cross over from heat exhaustion to heat stoke seems to be the internal damage.

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heat exhaustion symptoms

heavy sweating

dizziness

nausea

pale, clammy skin

sometimes vomiting

sometimes headache

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heatstroke symptoms

very high body temperature (above 103degrees by mouth)

red, hot, dry skin (no sweating)

rapid, strong pulse

throbbing headache

dizziness

nausea

confusion

unconsciousness

Sea Otter Classic 2009, Rolling Out

Remember my words "I am not sure how we will ever get out, but I was tired of trying to figure things out and just wanted my house back" from the Life on the Road post below? ("house" as in put the slideouts out and plug into 50Amps, not as in wanting a non-movable home.) Well, here is the video:

Sea Otter XC

Heat exhaustion? But I was preparing for heat, heat was going to be my friend! Somehow I ended up at the hospital and received 3 liters if IV fluids. See cyclingnews note. OK so it was hot, hotter than expected. 93 degrees was one reading, I swear it was even hotter than that. Standing at the starting line on the black pavement was hot, at the start line they cut our race in half (one lap instead of two). About 10 minutes into the race I saw Wendy Simms pull over and throw up. I started the race with a small drink mix and 30 minutes into the race took a large drink mix and a water at the feedzone. My skin was so hot I poured the water all over myself, 30 minutes later I finished off my drink mix, sometime in the next 10 minutes I quit sweating and what leg power I had disappeared. I remember really, really wanting to crawl into a little bush and take a nap in the little bit of shade it provided. Apparently someone behind me did just that and Joy D stopped to help, like the incredible person she is. It was my mistake in not getting enough to drink in the feedzone and I suffered for it, dropping ~10 positions and landing in the ER, lesson learned. The only frustrating thing was watching other racers take handups at the start of the last climb out, the rules say you are not allowed handups anywhere else on the course but due to the extreme heat not all racers stuck to the rules. Can't really say I blame them... The best perks of being a pro cyclist is meeting great people! I am VERY grateful to our friends Brian and Bri, Nick and Cass and Chris Magerl (Kenda team Mechanic) for all the help when I was a little out of it! Todd really appreciated the help, I was a little less aware at the time. But I heard what everyone did for us last night as Bri cooked us dinner (twice, their BBQ cooks quickly). Thank you so much! Today I slept for 12 hours and am still sluggish with a headache and don't feel like eating much, but my legs feel good and that's what is important, right? Check out Kathy's description of the race/heat. Way to race Kathy!

Getting Ready for Sea Otter XC

Sea Otter Weather, forecast keeps climbing...

Latest start list for Sunday's XC race, not a huge field but a lot of super fast racers. Notice only 2 USA racers will be called up in the top 10, 10 USA racers in the top 20 (I am 19th).

Sea Otter is so much fun, I love seeing friends and visiting the booths. Last year I was just trying to get my bike to work (I had brake, shifting and fork issues), this year my bike is flawless and I am booth hopping in search of extra bike bling. My best find yesterday: White Ergon grips with carbon bar ends!

The Race Weather Trend

Sea Otter forecast: I am happy to say it looks like the rain is staying away again this year! I rode in the high 40s a couple days ago, 50s yesterday and look at the forecast for this weekend, crazy. I have all my winter gear out but am preparing to race in 80 degree weather (and we haven't moved). This is how it went for most of the races last year and the same thing seems to be happening this year.

Our idea of following 72 degrees around isn't working quite right, for some reason it is either in the 50s or 80s.

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Luckily it looks like the wind speeds will be returning to normal now. The wind the last two days was pretty bad, the road to Sea Otter was even closed due to a huge downed tree that landed on a car. News article. We visited the venue yesterday, the wind was brutal so the vendors really couldn't do much more than drop off their trailers, some were trying to set up and it wasn't going well. But it looks like good weather for the next few days.

Life on the road

This week we left SoCal and headed up to Sea Otter (Monterey, CA area). I drove the RV and pulled the pickup; Todd drove the van and scouted out spots where I could go without getting stuck. The RV cannot backup when the truck is attached because the tow bar or truck mount will be damaged. So, I am as big as a semi and cannot back up. Todd crashed in Oceanside while I got a late night start so I could avoid all traffic in LA, that backfired as they decided to close I-5 in the middle of the night and re-route traffic on side streets; I was so afraid I was going to make a wrong turn and get stuck. After getting through that there was a typical LA car chase and I ended up being in the front row of the slow rolling LA style road block (a police officer goes back and forth cross all interstate lanes doing ~ 15mph, so traffic doesn't stop but stays out of the way). I finally got through LA and stopped at the last good spot I knew of~ 3:00am, I slept in and Todd caught up with me in the morning. We always run into problems when we head to Sea Otter, the area is NOT big-rig friendly. We cannot find a place to park anywhere overnight while traveling, we are way too big for the campgrounds and the old-school RV "resort" spaces are too narrow and tight to get into for just a night. This time we figured we would make life easy while traveling to Sea Otter, forget the impossible campgrounds and just pull into a rest area or Wal-Mart overnight. Well, all the rest areas on 101 are still closed down, Wal-Mart kicked us out and sent us to the Pilot truck stop. It was the tiniest truck stop I’ve been to, no pull-through spots and what few back-in spots they had were full. I parked on the side of the road while Todd scouted for anything; usually we can find empty parking lots where the tuckers park overnight, but all we found were “no overnight parking” signs. Todd finally found a motel with a big parking lot, he went in to ask if we could park there for the night (it was already ~11:00pm) they said not unless we had a motel room. We paid for a motel room. It is amazing that there is no place for the tired traveler to pull over if they need some rest. We made sure to leave the motel at "checkout" so we wouldn't be charged another night. Once we get to the Sea Otter area, things don’t really improve. Last year we stayed at an RV resort that was crazy to get to. We had to disconnect the truck a few miles away then climb a steep narrow winding road complete with a bridge ~ 4 inches wider than our rig, and rated much lower than our 32,000 lbs, I am not sure how many low hanging trees we hit, but any on-coming traffic had to backup to the nearest driveway. Once we got there it took a few K turns to back into the spot with long term residents close on either side, we had inches to spare when we extended our slide-outs which means the doors to our storage areas could not be opened, either the hookups or trees were in the way. For this we paid the cheap rate of $60/night (full-hookup, only 30amp and no amenities). Needless to say we looked for other arrangements this year. The Sea Otter Venue is not an option as they charge $90/night (3 night minimum) to park in the paved parking lot with no electricity, water or sewer and dogs are not allowed. This year Todd found a Craig’s list advertisement, someone who had space next to their home and wanted to make a few bucks by renting it out at a very affordable rate. While this is working out well, they are very cool people, it was another steep drive up a narrow road and a very tight fit to get it. I am not sure how we will ever get out, but I was tired of trying to figure things out and just wanted my house back. Now that we are in the spot, it is great; a private, nice backyard and view. When we first arrived only 20amps was available, this is like running everything in your house, microwave, coffee maker, air conditioner, hot water heater, vacuum, washer/dryer, dishwasher, TVs, computers, etc. off of one plug. The fridge and hot water heater can also run off of propane and the stove is propane so that helps. We can run the generator and have all the power we need (50 amps), although it is really quiet we only do that when we are using an appliance and not when/where it will bother someone. Today the owner pulled a 30amp line, with our cheater box we can connect the 20 and 30 (different phases) together to get a 240V 50amp connection. For most of the day we hardly use any power but it is really nice to have it. And for those of you who don’t like the idea of running off of the diesel generator: It is much more efficient and cleaner for the environment to run the high standard generator than it is to be plugged in to shore power. The RV transmission lines are ~20 feet long and come from a high-efficiency generator that meets all kinds of emission standards. The typical home is receiving power from an out-dated, air polluting (does not meet current emission standards) coal plant located hundreds of miles away, which is neither clean nor efficient. Besides everything in the RV was designed to be small and super efficient, so we are using far less power (and water) than any home, even if you count driving the diesel rig around. just in case you wanted to know that... Not much bike stuff happening yet, things should start getting exciting on Wednesday as everyone starts arriving. Luckily we didn’t have to wait to Wednesday to see friends; we now have friends in the area. We were lucky to meet Bri and Brian at Sea Otter last year; they have given us a lot of local info. It is really nice to meet locals wherever we go and these two are awesome. Todd has already joined them for a “race”, we are using their house as our mail stop and they taught us how to play a Wii dance game. Invaluable, thanks guys!

US West Cup #3

See MTBRaceNews.com for write up and results. While this was not an important race for me I did expect to be a lot faster. I was not feeling it for sure, come around legs, come around by SeaOtter please. I had a good workout and the downhills were a blast.