sweet moves

A friend just emailed this too me. I thought that it was worth putting out there for you to view. This airforce guys got some moves, trust me you will laugh. here is the link: http://glumbert.com/media/dancewhiteboy.html

This is a movie worth seeing. Mind you it is not a happy feel good movie, but on that makes a statement about our president, and what he is really like. It is about the book the Fortunate Son. I am not a huge fan of the bush man at all, in fact I think that he is some sort of antichrist put in power to motivate society to change the path it is on. www.hornandhalos.com 

These are Ibex wool undershirts call woolies. THey rock. Never stinky and they dont irritate my skin at all. www.ibexwear.com Check it out 

Todays quote:

"the only true wisdom'lives far from mankind, out in the great loneliness, and can be reached only thruogh suffering. Provation and suffering alone open the mind to all tha is hidden to others." Taken from The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell.
I thought this realted to my journey and probably the collective journey of all us endurance athletes. It is while suffering that we see the light, sometimes, it is in suffering that I have some of my best and obviously worst moments as well. It highlights times, people and experiences. When I am alone out in the wilderness I am at times overwhelmed by the grandness of it all, I am also weary as I know that if it all goes wrong I am a long way from help. This can be a great time of growth. My experience as of late has been one of learning through not listening to signs and signals and know that I must start to pay attention, for the last weeks have been dark and stormy inside my mind and I am simplfiying all that I do. I am sleeping more, worrying less and through it all staying present and aware. Taking care of myself is what I am learnig to do through not taking care of myself. Randomness. Here is another quote that I liked taken from the same book:
"People say taht what we're all seeking is a meaning for life. I don't think that's what we're seeking. I think that what we're seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances within our own innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive."
Again not to sound like a broken record but this is what cycling and endrance racing in general have brought to me. I find that I feel more alive while suffering, and more connected with what I call the Human Condition, read being alive, real. At the end of the day we are all just trying to make it through another day feeling alive and valid. Why do you think that drug abuse is so prevalent? It melts thing away and provides an outlet. Emotions come out, that is where the " I love you man" thing comes from. Natural highs take more than sitting in a crowded bar. Cycling, running what ever it is that helps you to feel more alive do it, it is the best high going. It is also the most connection that you will feel. The vibe at a 24 hr race of 100 mile race is so good, everyone is there to see what they are made of, win or lose, everyone wins and connects due to the respect of just being part of these races, the comraderie is amazing, from the winner on down. So here comes one of those hippy says "love thy neighbor" because to reitterate a point we are all just here trying to make it through the day, feeling alive and validated, "treat others as you wish to be treated" If you made it this far thanks. Keep pedaling it is a way to feel good and connected.

I got this tattoo last winter, it is not finished yet as color needs to be added. It is my challnage for this year, to Believe, not in god but just to believe in myself and what I do.
I think that being a bike racer, and especially an endurance racer forces you to confront demons and vices and at times can lead to self doubt and exahustion. It has forced me to, or persuaded me to define boundaries and limits. I had a very interesting conversation with my mother the other day, and one phrase that stuck with me was:" moderation has always been your challange." I live with the throttle wide open most of the time, constantly in motion, constantly engaged in some form of time constraint, rushing from here to there, and always with a list of chores, activities and events to do. If the throttle is not wide open it usually means that I am the exact opposite, hibernating so to speak. While being in hibernation may sound like a good thing a time of reflection more often than not for me it is a dark hole of self doubt and punishment. I am learning through racing and living and talking and reflecting how to relax, but it is not easy for me. All the time on the bike is my meditaion time to get in touch with me and to work through my mental matrix. Usually after a 24 hr race or an endurance race my mind is at ease and the craziness subsides for awhile, always returning. I am proud of myself recently because I was able to set a limit and stick with it. The real problem is I seem to be prone to over training and overworking myself, and being an endurance racer we have to train for riding while tired, even exhausted so walking that fine line between healthy and over worked/train is difficult, hopefully I will listen next time so that I can catch it a little sooner.
I wonder who won the Trans Iowa. Fassbinder, Curiak, someone else? I am sure we will know soon. Thats all for now.

Thought on the upcoming weekend....

In a way I wish that I were on my way to the 24hrs of Temecula or even the Trans Iowa, but given the condition of by body and mind I am glad that I am at home and not riding. This year has been about overtraining or gettin sick or just learning some skills in ways to relax. My body and mind have been in a hole of some sort and I wish I werent this way but I am. Maybe I trained with too much intensity, or just tried to get too much done. Since my last bout with what I called the sickness at that time, I have not stopped and not taken much time to recover. Endurance racing takes a lot of mind over matter and walking that fine line can be a dance with the devil. It appears that I need to take time to see what has caused this. So now I am back to working 5 days a week and maybe at times less, I will take a day a week to just relax and not think about all that needs to get done, watch movies and put my feet up, and I am going to simplify, how I am not sure, but I will. As for the last days I have spent them putting in tile in my bathroom, and not much else, that has taken a lot of time and energy. I am working on getting some articles in magazines and sleeping. The next two days will be spent doing as little as I can except going to work, and reading. I also got a new camera and was so excited that after downloading my pictures to my computer I got up and walked away with it pluged in and it hit floor with authurity so now it is off to Canon to get fixed. An expensive lesson, and no fun, I was soooooo bummed but what can you do these things happen. So I will have to use old pictures until I hear about the camera from Canon. Send good thoughts, I need them. Thats all for now, off to work I go for the first time in a week, I can not say that i am too excited about this, can you blame me?

Me at the Cool race, one of the muddiest crazyiest times in the rin, at one time it was hailing on us. 

This is some unfinished work on my left leg. What do ya think?, notice the tan line, and to think this was taken in early march and it has been a grey year. 

Happy man!!!!
This is my first attempt at posting a picture. Me a few days after my crash. Two days to be exact.

Well its been a long time.....

since I have posted and all. I got back from Sea Otter where I did not do nearly as well as I would have liked. I ended up not being able to kick the sickness, laying in bed and hoping it would all go away. However I did enjoy being in Monteray, I know I just spelled that wrong but what can you do. So I ended up 11th overall. On a high note my friend Dave won. He was flying I think I saw him for all of a couple mins off the start...
So I went down on Thursday to get away from it all. I needed to go in to the city to pick up some WTB product from Chris Cosentino. He has a sweet new 29er Jericho frame that Josh custom built for him and plans to put in to production called the Cupcake, one of Chris' nicknames that he picked up from Mike Curicak awhile back. I believe that they were in England and Chris was complaining about it being cold or something and Curiak said "ok cupcake" and it just stuck. So if you see Chris out there "cupcake" it is. And believe it or not he is getting a geared bike which will be the Cupcake with Frosting. The bike is beautiful. Josh also made a custom bar stem combo that looks similar to an H bar, except it will accomodate thumb shifters. It is awsome. Man I wish I could have taken pics of it all. Maybe in a couple of weeks or in the near future when I get down there to ride for a couple days. Chris is a dad so I met his newborn son Easton, soo mellow. So after leaving there it was on to Monteray. I arrived in Monteray checked in with my teamates on the Ritchey team and got some shut eye.
Friday I ran around pre rode the course with my friend Dusty, and cheered his girlfriend on. That night I went to the Off Road to Athens premier. www.offroadtoathens.com and it was an amazing documentary about the points chase to get in to the Olympics. Gripped films did an awsome job. I breifly talked to the producer flimer, one of the two who made it happen, it was basically filmed with one camera. When you see it think about that. This movie is soooo worth seeing even if you are a non cyclist the drama and just the whole thing is awsome. Saturday I went and watched the Short Track events and thne just hung out at the hotel or the beach trying to get better.
So the story goes. I didnt feel great and my seatpost kept slipping so what can you do when you seat keeps sliding to the height of Slalom bike, not much push on and try to maintain with lots of standing. I persevered and made it to the end. Then the long drive home. Good times and now it is snowing here so I am laying low and watching movies.

Sea otter

Sea otter is just around the corner now. It actually starts on Thursday the XC race is not until Sunday afternoon though. I plan to get down there on Friday afternoon to hang out and have a good time. I plan to go see the Off Road to Athens www.offroadtoathens.com movie premier. It looks to be a good one. So now I am resting and packing all my stuff for the weekend in Monteray. The celebration of the bicycle. That all for now, not much to report. It looks as though the weather is supposed to be good for the race. Keep pedlin.

Finally.....

The weather is sunny still a little chilly but 100% better than it has been. Since I have not been riding much in the last couple days I had some time to surf the web and came across some site that I like. www.trackstarnyc.com has some really good fixed gear riding. Along with links to the messenger worlds and other such events of the culture. www.cinecycle.com has a documentary coming out at the bicycle film festival, www.bicyclefilmfestival.com titled messenger which looks to be very interesting. Check it out.
That and I have been thinking about ways to carry water and supplies and what filter or tablets to get for the Kokopelli. Well even though I am not feeling a 100% I am going to go stretch the legs out on the local trails then maybe spin on the road bike and of course off to work after that. Last night was a definate increase in business since about two weeks ago, what a relief, I needed the money. My birthday is coming up 2 days before the Koko actually, my mom has already informed me that I have a digital camera. Excitment. I hope I get it sooner than later.
Steve Fassbinder raced in Texas this weekend I wonder how it went for him. Youll know as soon as I do. Well out the door I go.

Snow and other random thoughts

Yes that is right it is snowing like mad today, earlier it looked as though I would be able to get out for a quick ride, but mother nature has given me another day of rest. In someways I am thankful, as I have been fighting a low grade infection of some sort for about a week and it only seemed to be getting worse. Thanks to the teacher that made Airborne, www.airbornehealth.com which i have been pumping in to my sytem I seem to be on the up and up. This stuff just works, it has stopped what ever it was in its tracks and hopefully it will be gone by tommarrow. I am thinking about doing, as I wrote this I recieved a call from Steve Fassbinder, funny thing is I was about to write about thinking about the Kokopelli and that is just what we talked about, among other things. He makes great custom rain gear. I wish I had a camera so I could post pictures of them right here. The last of the garments that I ordered are about to be made. The rain pants sure would help me out right now, so would fenders on my bike but now we are splitting hairs. So it looks like I will be doing the Koko, with his encouragement and all, now there will be at least 3 single speeders at this race, Curiak, Steve and myself, maybe more. I also found out that Steve is racing the Trans Iowa, looks like it is going to be the Steve and Mike show there, throwing hammers at one another. I am excited to see the outcome.
As far as the Koko goes water is my biggest worry, how to carry enough or filter it along the way. That and what gear to run, how big or how small, I have heard that there is alot of rolling terrian towards the end but then again I havent ridden the course so who knows what to expect.
Well time to do some research to see what might be the best option for lights and water etc.

Day of rest

Today was a day of rest, well it was really a day of household chores and hopefully a night of rest to come. Sorry for the wrong address to Kents site here it is for real this time http://www.mile43.com/peterson/MonoLog/MonocogLog.html check it out. Last year I helped promote the e100 endurance race, www.thee100.com by putting up posters and getting people involved this year Boris, the man behind the suffering, has come up with some great postcards and large posters, I am on one of featured riders on a postcard. I am very excited about this, these will be unvailed at Sea Otter. All you endurance riders this is a must do. Besides the course which speaks for itself, boris is such a great person, so passionate about what he does and an amazing artist to boot. www.borisart.com check it out. Thats all for now. I had something come up so I will not be at Granny gears Temecula race but will be at the Moab race. I also had a long talk with work and have some time in may off I believe that I will be participating in the Kokopelli race. I am a little intimidated by the whole thing, but think that it will be such a learning experience. Happy trails.

ONe tuff cookie

check this site out. http://www.mile43.com/peterson/Monolog/Monocoglog.html Kent is doing the great divide on a single. The site has pictures of his bike and lots of great info about him. What an inspiration. Tuff to sum it up. That and he hasnt had a license since 1986. Awsome, commitment and dedication. Check out this website, www.carfree.com more of us should not drive and push for better bike routes and give public transportation a good name, not the I'm too poor to have a car,or its been taken away name that it seems to have in our society now. I challange more of us to drive less and ride more. Just imagine what our society might become if we all did this. Think about it.
As far as me I have been riding, did another epic ride in Auburn the other day with Roger. Auburn is a mecca of single track and steep I mean steep climbs all of them I dont think that we did one moderate climb all day. Great for the power training. And even the weather held out for us. However it was overly humid for the desert rat I have become as of late. That and the weather breaks momentrily and then hammers us again with cold gail force winds and grey ness. This was a grey bird kind of year.
Other than that just settleing in and getting ready for Sea otter and then the 24 hrs of Temecula. Too Bad for granny gear there is so little interest in this race, whats the deal. I think right now there are 17 team signed up, one solo female and 3 solo men. What up? They put on great races and seem to have a dwindling turnout, while adrenalin thrives. Why? Any thoughts let me know.

The weather has finally.....

broken and the sun is out. The wind is no longer gail force and that is a good thing. I had jsut tried to post a huge entry and it didnt happen so I dont have the time to re post the whole thing. Man can computers and things make me crazy, so now it will have to be the condensed version of all that has gone down as I have run out of time to post at this time. It never seems that there is enough time in the day for all that must happen. go go go, if only I had another two hours a day to get all the little things and some of the big things done.
So Thursday, my one day off this week had to be filled to the brim with activity. Woke up ate the usual, a banana and grape nuts with a coffee back and emergen c shooter. Ha ha. Then off to yoga, which I havent seen really improve my flexibilty but has through staying in touch with the breath brought me more in touch with the breath, which is a good thing for any cyclist. Get out there and do yoga yalll. Then off to eat lunch at my favorite modern mexican joint Buenos grill and then home to work on my bike before a little ride. Well the little ride turned in to not so little a ride as my friend mark and I were enjoying the dirt and the conversation. After that it was home for some tasty recovery drinks and what I thought would be the end of the day. Mark had other plans and he took my roomate and I to the climbing gym, Rocksport here in reno, this is awsome, man my forearms kill me now.
Yesterday was aday of recover watching the movie PRO, a documentary about the uspro road championships, awsome more people should watch this it is great. more later. later

The weather has finally.....

shaped up here and the wind has died down to a dull roar, not the blazing 30 plus that it had been there for a while. I looks as though a minor disturbance is coming through within the next couple of days and then I and alot of other cyclists and even some of the skiers are ready for the winter weather to be over and for summer to be here. In Reno and Tahoe for that matter there really are two seasons snow removal and construction, well I am ready for the construction season to begin. That means trail riding and lots of it. Tommarrow I am going to drive, oh how I hate to be a fossil fool, to Auburn to ride with Roger. He has a nasty route planned with much suffering. I cant wait.
The last couple of days have been action packed with new and old experiences alike. On Thursday, my one day off, I did yoga, I havent noticed much of a flexiblity difference but I have noticed a more clam feeling and I am more in touch with my breath, a good thing for a cyclist since i have started this practice. After yoga it was home to work on my bike a little, after a bite to eat at my favorite new age mexican joint Buenos Grill. After that I did a blaster of loop up Keystone Canyon and back to the house to meet my friend Mark. Mark is a little ray of sunshine and I always have a good time with him. This was however our first ride together so off we went with a series of loops out in Evans canyon, gotta love the little short bermed section it is always my favorite. After some more climbing it was back to the house to enjoy some tasty recovery drinks, and then we were going to eat. Well isnt it funny how plans can change quickly as he invited my roomate and I to go to the climbing gym with him. Mind you I have never done climbing of this nature. So on my bike and off to the climbing gym I went. This is an activity that all should try. WE started with a little bouldering, man were the shoes tight. I did some of the easier ones but it was not easy. My forarms got worked so quickly. They hurt today in fact. The whole activity helps with line selection and calming your mind in tough situations. I really dug it. Then it was off to get some pizza, back on the bike to chase the others in cars down. Then finally on to Mark and his wife Amandas place to enjoy some good company and eat some food. One large pizza didnt even slow us down so we ate a bunch of pasta after that and then some heath bar crunch. That was a good day. THen is was back to the grind for me. But tommarrow should be another epic day in the saddle. Today I will probably just go for a little spin if at all. I may do some yard work instead. oh the joys of home ownership. late

wind, weather and a foul mood

Well it has been a little bit since I have posted I have just not been in a great mood and work has been bogging me down. 14 hrs on easter is not exactly good for the body or mind, alright on the pocketbook, but not so good on my feet and legs. The balls of my feet were destroyed after that day. My superfeet footbeds did help to ease the pain though. www.superfeet.com These things are great.
The weather has been less than cooperative for riding. The wind has literally been gail force out there, tumbleweeds, dirt and debris of all sort flying around. I did yoga today, my muscles, hips etc are do tight that this is a great training tool. That and the breathing, with the concentrated breath and the focus on the breath it helps with the on the bike breathing and that is the most imporatant compliment to me.
I watched the movie The Hard Way, a documentary about the Net Zero team and their trials and triblations to make it on the american road scenc. www.prothemovie.com has a link and is the next movie that I plan to watch. This was a great movie. Although it did cut in to my sleep time which was not the best. 2:00 am bedtimes are not the greatest.
Lack of sleep and weather and crashing and racing my first really hard effort and working overtime have all contributed to my foul mood, which I feel lifting and am sorry to blog you down with. I am going to take the single speed out for a short power effort on the local trails in the howling wind, good for the mental side of training. Hopefully tommarrow it is supposed to be sunny and 60 degrees so I can get in a long ride on Wednesday and Thursday. Thursday is my only day off this week, but I have a good vactation coming up when I go to Sea Otter and then on down to the 24hrs of Temecula. I hope the course is recovered after all the fires and floods. Speaking of 24 hr races what was the deal with Granny GEar and Adrenalin fighting as suing each other over who had the idea and could do what where. Craziness, I want to say cant we all just get along, after all we are all cyclist and should be honored just to meet one another, we are part of the choosen, those that get it so to speak, if only more people got it and rode just a little bit we as a society would be in a much better place. I am so glad that I have found cycling it is just the best thing going. It is my me time, my time to socialize, reflect, contemplate, decide and meditate, Thank you cycling and thank you for reading if you made it this far, I know that at times this can be long and boring and for me it is a place to get it all out in the world. Tiime to go suffer in the relentless wind.

you stupic f--k

There I am riding along enjoying the moon and clouds as well as paying attention to the speeding cars beside me and this is what I here, "you stupid f--k!!!!" Me the stupid f out on the bike enjoying myself and minding my own business. How bout you the stupid fu-k behind the wheel of tons of steel, you Bush loving priasing stupid fuck. tHere I wrote it. As of late I have been very angry, I have been having those vigilante fantasies where I chase them down and its a show down where they get beat up by the stupid fuck on a bike. Whose stupid now asshole. Sorry for the nasty rant but I have to release it somewhere or it leaks out in the world when I really dont want it to, and karmically speaking that would be a no good. I really think that we could all benefit from a little fight club in our lives the realease of angry and frustration but bonding in the same light. Call me crazy that has been my mood lately. I have just been raging and peoples stupidity is baffling at times and my fuse is a little short lately. If we were all a little more commpassionate and not so judjemental it would be a lot easier. I just get so upset with the way in which people chose to live and be and it all seems so hopeless at times and why bother, and I can relate. Dont stay there and it does all matter and we are all interconnected and we all should honor and love one another. There I go from fight club to loving one another all that hippy shit, thanks mom, thanks dad. Ying Yang and we all go full circle. All is good I just needed to get that out there. I challange you to Choose something each day that matters to you and do it, however small and honor yourself for doing so. Look at things from anothers perspective so that you can relate, this doesnt mean you agree but you can see how they may see things that way even if you dont and honor them and yourself just the way you are. Well this rant needs to end because it probably is too much, but it matters to me and cycling matters and damit i am going to ride at night because I want to, because it saves me money on gas, which is so high it is astounding, but we are not entitiled to dirve the biggest most gas gussling cars because they feel safe or what ever the reason my be. Be less car dependent, be more independent. Thanks for reading if you made it this far. Out. I am still fired up about stupid drivers and people that get upset with me for riding my bike, but less so because I have left it here. Thanks agian

The Cool Mtb race

Last night after a long night in the restaurant I was greeted by a white out for the lovely dirve over Mt Rose. One hundred mile an hour winds and the snow combine to make for a rather sluggish drive home. I began to wonder if it would continue how would the drive over Donner Summit be, and was it worth taking my newly wounded body out for a full on race pace effort. I imagined crashing again, was the crash in seattle just a warning, and all fashion of other things. So after a short 6 hr sleep maybe less I awoke to snow, here in Reno, and for a moment stayed thinking why bother with all the travel and possible not being at my best because of the injuries.
After tearing myself from the warm embrace of my bed I started through the morning routine of coffee and running through the pre race checklist for the 10th time so as not to forget any key ingredients or items for the day. "wouldnt it suck to get to the race just in time and not have my shoes or my helmet?" I kept asking myself what else I might need. Finally the checklist complete, I loaded up and headed out in to the nasty weather. If my drive was precursor to the day I was in for a real treat, even if the sun miracuriously came out it had been raining cats and dogs in the Auburn, Ca area for the better part of 36 hrs. The Cool race has a way of bringing bad weather and since they moved the date from February to March the gods obliged and opened up the heavens for our racing and driving delight. Well the drive over was filled with bad drivers and on the lighter side a deep talk with my mother. I was worried about getting there on time, not worried enough to leave early, but certainly worried. I arrived with a few moments to spare, dressed got my number plate and prepared to suffer, mental I felt relaxed and ready to go, I wondered just how my body would respond. After the crusier class full of inebreated cyclist took off in the opposite direction, we were ready to race and the skies were just about to open up.
The mega phone told said go and we were off at a sprint, the course quickly funnels in to singletrack and it reallly helps to be out front with all the mud we were to encounter. I got a great start but that was not the case for everyone, a woman was cut off by a rabid back of the packer and sent to the pavement, it turns out she broke her collarbone, all so someone could get ahead. The start is important but not the end of the world. Those who want to start fast should get up front to begin with.
Soon I was out front with the leaders of the pro expert, me and my pal Roger and Rich Maylay? one fast older fellow on a single. We diced it up for awhile, and when we hit the first real climb Roger seemed to be struggling a little with the mud, he looked to be carrying a massive gear, Rich and I got away and that is the way it stayed. For the next two laps we traded back and forth and tried to keep our eyes from sealing shut. Half the time I could not see a thing. Toward the end of the second lap I was able to get a slight advantage on the last of the steep climbs and thought I had sealed it up, that is until my eyes crusted over and I had to stop for fear of crashing hard in the deep puddels. Rich caught me and we were once again locked in a battle of which he ended the victor, by a couple seconds. I thought for a second I was gonna catch him, but he got me. I ended up 2nd but first because he was in the older age group. On the whole this is a great race. It goes to benefit trail work in the area. Big props to Auburn bike works www.auburnbikeworks.com and fatrac www.fatrac.org on this one. My teammate Monty ended up second in my class and Roger ended up 3rd. So it was a podium shot. Unfortunately I thought I had to work and didnt get to stand up there with them. However I didi end up with the evening off and oh how sweet it is to put my feet up and relax. I plan on watching the Tripplets of Belleville, and having a tasty malt beverage. Ciao