HoTtEsTsUmMeReVer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know if its global warming.
I don't know if its the spin of this rocket ship we call earth in conjunction to the universe.
But this....This has been the Hottest summer ever.
Day in and out I work in the Sun.
In the sun, for a living, Is where I work.
Not even fun work, Like pedaling for miles,
But Work Work, which you really have to be an existentialist and a reality transgressor to find the fun.
You know your acclimating when you find the shade as cool. When a cloud covering the sun gives you a chill.
When the cold breeze that signals the impending pleasure of a wet thunderous storm paints a grin on your face.
a camouflage Boonie hat, filled with water placed on head, is how I manage to stay ahead on the hottest of day.
SPF 1000 if and plenty of bug repellent is how I stay safe from the cancerous damage that the sun is sponsoring on a daily basis.
Emancipation comes in the early mornings and the late nights.
Cant wait till October.

ORAMM 2007 The Official Blow by Blow version!

We had spent the past two evenings in the mountains. Everything so far had been fantastic and real good times. It’s such a nice place to go too and the riding and the vistas are so epic that it is truly worth the time and effort you spend making the event. The morning was cool and the day was clear. The race conditions could not have been better and they just announced that the race would start at 830am thirty minutes later then expected. Well, I still got to the line around eight and thank god I did, cause as soon as I got there at 810am, they decide its time to roll a full 20 minutes earlier then the previous announced time.

Well here we are an enormous Peloton of mountain bikers rolling along at a pretty good clip. The first couple of miles, and I was counting them down all day, were on a road with a slight uphill. The group is moving at a good speed, not too fast, not too slow and I managed to get myself somewhere in the middle to the front of the pack with the intention of starting off as fast as I could.

A caravan of spectators and support vehicles is coming by the group which in its current size inhabits the entire lane of traffic and reaches up as far as my eye can see. As they complete their pass I start experiencing problems with my brakes, which I had switched pads the day before and thought I had done a great job of adjusting them. Things quickly proved otherwise as the brakes start squawking and squealing like wounded ducks and I Immediately pull over to try and analyze the problem. It is at that very moment that I realize I had left my saddle pack with my tool and my tube in my truck with my wife. Well fantastic, I dial the red pads all the way out cause I figure its going to be uphill for a minute and I won’t need brakes anyway. Just as I start to remount my bike, a car pulls over and a nice lady with a bike jersey and a cowboy hat ask me if I need help. I say I sure do, and she hands me a tool and I do my best to adjust the brakes once again. I thought I did an OK job of it, the best I could, and got back on the bike. Well with one problem remedied as much as it could be and another on my mind, I pull out my cell phone and call Paloma to tell her about my issue with the tube. Well, with all the noise and the commotion of the race beginning, she couldn't hear the phone, especially as she drove by and the cowbell was really in effect. I texted her a message and resolved to ride all the way to rest stop 2 if I had too without tools and a tube, knowing full well that If I flatted I may have to resort to walking.

I Started making my way up the first climb and after climbing up the road making time on riders I see a man pointing away from the road up another much steeper road. Well this steep detour only got steeper as we rounded the final double track portion that shot you into marvelous hike a bike that seemed to go on forever. The brief mountain climbing stint did lead to an awesome downhill trail that shot me past even more riders. It dumped us thru a wooden scrap heap right back onto mill creek rd where the climb had started earlier. I pushed my self hard when I hit the road and kept my speed up in the 18 to 23mph range taking full advantage of the road and the rolling terrain. I catch up at the bottom of Kitsuma to another group of riders and we start trudging to the top of the mountain. Kitsuma is hard to climb. So walking is sometimes a reality. I managed to climb a good portion of it because it was faster then walking, but it was tough and it seemed to last forever and I still had to get off and push my way thru some of the switchbacks.

I crested Kitsuma and made my way down, passing everyone I had started the mountain with and even more people who were up the trail. I took advantage of every downhill regardless of my brake problem. White knuckles and forearm fires was the meal for the moment, since I had no choice but to keep moving forward as fast as I could.

Paloma showed up at rest stop 1, I got my kit and kept rolling. Not long after that stop I made it to the starting double track road that goes over the rail road tracks and leads to star gap. I have no Idea how many switchbacks or how long the ascent is once you get to the single-track. But I can tell you this; I walked almost all of it to the top. At that point I really did n’t see the benefit of granny grannying it all the way to the top. I figured I would save my energy and enjoy the walk. So did about 20 other people. But, while I made my way up, riders did come thru. And again once I crested it, I bombed it, caught up to most of the other riders before I got to the bottom. The descent on the other side is spectacular and has many hairpin switchbacks that have you using all your skills to navigate them. You immediately get dumped into this grassy double track that masquerades as single track. And it rolls at some points, and then climbs for a long time, rolls again, climbs again, and then finally dumps out for like the last half mile all downhill. It actually proved to be a section for me where I could make a lot of time. I was able to reel in the rest of the people I had seen going up star gap and bridge my way to new people that I simply flew by while I was descending at nearly 30 plus miles an hour.

When I got to rest stop two I took about a eight to ten minute break knowing full well that the 9 mile climb was up ahead and I would need to be in my completely prepared for what layed ahead.

I started the climb strong; I even did the first mile or two in the Big Big combo. I was really in a good rhythm, the trail got steeper and I dropped to the middle and again spun the biggest, strongest gear I could till I had to eventually drop down to the smallest of gear combinations that I could muster. Spun it for 3 miles when I just got tired of the effort and resorted to walking. I must have walked for about 2 miles or so when I thought I had saved up enough energy to get back on the bike. I rode the rest of it and when I got to the top I was elated. I had finally conquered the monster and I still felt good. I was having a strange issue with the very top and back of my thigh muscle that was alleviated by a shorts change.

Now I started the undiscovered portion of the ride for me. The previous year I had surrendered at stop 3. I started making my way up the Blue Ridge parkway. And this thing just went up and up. The reward was the mountain tunnel I got to ride thru and the spectacular vistas to your left off the mountain. I had the fastest speed that day on the part of the road that went downhill. I must have hit close to 43 MPH and I never touched the brakes. I needed every single bit of complimentary forward movement and I was not about to compromise it by using brakes on a roadie style downhill.

Eventually there was the welcoming sign of orange tape leading you into an even steeper hike a bike climb then the one from the start of the race. I haul myself to the top and start ascending the ridge. It got pretty wild, but there were some spots you could do with no brakes and not be concerned about losing your life. And I did my best to stay as fast as I could and get down as quickly as possible. Eventually, after descending for several miles I started catching people again and recognizing that I was now descending the part of star gap I had walked earlier. Because of my brake problems I had a couple of scary moments on the switchbacks and ended up having to climb up to the side of the trail from the mountain. I had two crashes that were like that and was not hurt in either one. I made it to five and had the mechanic from liberty bikes adjust my rear brake and I took off again as fast as I could towards the mill creek road climb which sucked again, and then down the mountain towards Kitsuma. I rode by myself pretty much till the Kitsuma descent when I passed about four or five riders.

On the road heading towards the finish, three riders had got organized and passed me and left me behind. Shortly thereafter we were greeted by a downhill which allowed me to reel them back in, pass them and launch a counter attack in the high 20mph range that gave them no opportunity to respond. Crossed the line, hungry, but cramp free, in good spirits and ready to party.

As I sit here now a couple of days later, I’m sore. It’s officially the longest I have ridden my bike ten plus hours. The longest off road ride I have ever done and the most climbing I have ever done in succession. A lot of personal records were shattered for me on Sunday and I could not be happier. I’m looking now to the next race. Just don't know if which one will it be. The Trail to Trail or Fools Gold?

ORAMM 2007

Quick summary for those who don’t want to read the whole thing:

I finished it and had tons of fun.

Credits:

First and Foremost I have to thank Paloma for taking such good care of me during the race.

Next is my sponsor Bikeworks Orlando, especially Brian for all the countless hours of technical support he provided to me.

Next are all the people from the Forum (Luis, Lima, Ron, Jamie, Greg, Ted, Nuccio, Harvey, and the Texas crew, JJ, Brad, Ben, Brad and Steve) for just being so super cool, nice and genuine over the weekend. It’s good to know people that are so sincere.

Enormous thanks to Bob and Sarah from the Friendship Lodge. They do a spectacular job and making you feel at home and welcome.

Honorable Mentions:

That 29er I.F. Dude Harlan crushes the record and doesn’t get the extra payout? Ridiculous…4:50 something minutes.

Harvey, smokes his entire class, knew he would, less than six hours I believe.

Osias (fellow Bikeworks trail tech) smoked it his first time under 6 hours.

Chad (fellow Bikeworks trail tech) smoked it under 7. Quite an achievement considering last year he did in 10 plus hours.

Luis beats Ron by twenty minutes, both under 8 hours.

Everyone else finished as well. Don’t remember there exact times but they all finished faster then I did.

Overall: It’s an easy ride; I thought it was a piece of cake. And if last year I would have know what I had left, I would have finished it single speed. However, this course will definitely teach you a lesson in hardcore skills if you step up with the intent of riding it as fast as you can. The climbs and course are all doable, obviously, but doing it at race effort or attempted race effort is what elevates the difficulty to the epic proportions it possesses.

Well folks that’s it, that’s the short version. The blow by blow will be up tomorrow.

Daddy Day weekend 2007

Daddy day 2007 was the best I have had in years. I decided in this post to give a lil introduction to the rest of my clan as well as tell the tale of my Daddy day weekend.
First is a pic of the love of my life. Paloma, which translates into dove in english, is a beautiful soul that I had the chance to meet in 05. As quick as we met we fell for one another and have literally been together ever since.
Were part Brady bunch but the my three sons version. I have my two boys Kain and Kailan which are pictured above with my arms around and then my beautiful bronze baby that she brought to our family named Gabriel.
It goes without saying that we have a lot of fun around the house. As well, we have our fair share of headaches, anyone who has brothers can immediately understand.
Paloma is the Hub of the family that keeps the wheel turning. For five years I was a single dad. Try training, working full time and running a house and you quickly discover somethings got to give. And often the bike time was the time I had to sacrifice as well as it should have been. But, with my girls assistance I am able to finally breathe, among other things.
Kain, my oldest son is 13 and a real firecracker. As a youngin he used to race the Goneriding circuit and was even the state champion in his division. A genius in school that was spared the benefit of having common sense, my only hope is that he turns out to be the best he can be. He doesn't ride his bike anymore which is a tiny Lil heart break, but he rides his skateboard an awful lot, which I don't mind, considering I didn't touch a bicycle till I was 27.
Kailan, is seven years old, and truly an old soul. The only kid I know that will ask for hot sauce with his eggs, wants to drink my coffee and if I turn my head will steal my beer. As I kid, I never had a taste for any of those things. When I see him, I am reminded about the beauty of humanity and the blessing we have in our individuality. Truly a fun loving guy, out of all my kids he is voted most likely to be a hardcore roadie. He has been known to knock out 30 plus miles on his modified single speed bmx, the kid is no joke when it comes to the long haul. I have a route in Deltona that we ride with seven big climbs and he sticks every one, dancing on the pedals like Lance Armstrong.
Gabriel, is my Lil powerhouse. Smart, tough, reliant and very independent, he is going to be a forced to be reckoned with once I get him in the trails. The kid is almost as big as my seven year old and is half his age. I cant wait to see him grow up and blossom cause he is truly a talent in more ways then one.
Daddy day, was typical, with dinner and a viewing of fantastic four, which I liked. The day before my wife and I went for a ride thru some back country dirt roads and we had a total blast. I am finally able to share the first official pic of the "bitch" which already, at the current set up, weighs less then my 05 season MTB fetish bike. Its riding like a dream and I cant wait to crush the ORAAM in July.
Well, I hope all the daddies out there enjoyed their days as much as I did. What can I say, I'm a lucky and blessed man in more ways then one.
Enjoy!

The Lower 48

2007 at the Croom 50 Osias and I are slicing through some choice Central Florida single track. Most of the team had made the event. HtH, Shaun and "The Chad" had taken off a considerable amount of time ahead of us. That early morning was proving to be interesting. A Lil delay, a Lil rain, a Lil unpredictable mishap. I had forgotten either the bladder for my camel back or I had the bladder and not the pack, but one or the other was going on. And I had to prepare to do something that I had not ever considered doing. I have done numerous long rides, but never an off road ride with just a bottle.
Well as luck would have it I came across a guy I know from around the way and he had a bottle he could spare so I was able to ride with two at least.
In spite of it all, I didn't let it bother me. I just, you know, dealt with it like a pro would. I made a nutrition plan and Hydration plan and figured I would just have to stop to re water at every stop instead of just once. And it worked, but not with out mechanical problems slowing first Osias, then Me, when my wheel went out of true instantaneously after floating a berm a little too fast and a Lil too high.
Back then, I was still riding my cross bike, I hadn't upgraded to the "bitch" as of yet. And you can jump a cross bike, heck you can do anything on a cross bike, you just got to know what your doing. Its no secret that it was a cheap ass wheel set I was Rollin, OEM with the O.G. purchase of the bike. And I had already had it for three years, raced it hard several times, rode it thousands of road miles and done already 100 plus off road miles on the set in the past month, I was pretty sure I could of used a new one.
But Osias is the Man in more ways then one. I am starting to wonder if he is Human. Regardless, He took the wheel, with Trevor Buzz assisting he was able to man handle it back into ride able form. He did the physical work and Trevor twisted the spoke wrench and presto jumbo I was back on the bike.
So...
I'm in front, and Osias is behind on his single speed. His busted ass single speed that every time we do a ride on spend just as much time fixing it as we do riding it.
And I figure, this cross bike, has a 48 big ring, I'm going to slam it in that lower four eight and stand up and hammer and see if super human O can hang.
You can ask O yourself if he was able to hang or not for the length of my ten second effort.
But I was reminded by one important thing and it all came back to me this year at Tsali.
When O told me he had just done the entire course in the big ring; it sparked a rebirth of information I had let become dormant. That is what MTB racing is all about. Its about the BIG RING. Heck that is what bike racing is about, period. Check them time trial bikes, ain't no granny gear. Before I found out he was a doper, I have an image engraved in my mind of Jan Ullrich, doing that time trial at Alpe d' Huez in the big ring up hill.
Every time I'm scoping a race course I'm thinking, "OK, this section or this downhill, I could totally mash the big ring." But my boy O brought it into 2007 and kept it simple. Big Ring the whole course!
Amen brotha!
AMen.
So to my fellow country men and women, team mates, single track warriors and samurai. If you ain't big ringing it, then what are you waiting for?

Sunday Secret trail ride

Yesterday, Sunday, June 10th I decided to go for a solo ride. Circumstance and thunderstorms led me to riding by myself ignoring my training schedule which clearly said off road or on road group ride. Regardless, I decided to go to the secret trail since almost half of the 6 mile trail is technically uphill and I had to test the newest set up that I had put together and I need to climb as much as possible before July 22nd.
Well, I had originally purchased a complete raleigh XXI + G a bad ass black and red machine made of steel and hardcore raw unadultarated energy. And in Tsali and my other previous rides, I did enjoy its descending ability. However, the bike left something to be desired in the uphill department. Mainly, cause, although it is bulletproof, this feature does not come without some weight penalties.
Eventually, after some long internal discussions with the self, I searched and found a 29er frame that boasted a 3 lb weight, for my size 16in, with carbon fiber seat stays and scandium. Long story short, I purchased the Salsa Mamasita and it now sits firmly planted under my backside. From now on and for the purpose of future referance it will be called Da Bitch.
So just as recent as yesterday I swapped the tires from the 2.3 exiwolfs it came with to my old Panaracer 45c cyclocross tire. It made the bike considerablly lighter, and I was eager to test it.
Well I went to the secret trail and the first three miles were pretty nauseating. I think Ramen noodles is not a good pre ride food. The last 9 miles were great and I really started banking the turns and cutting up the single track. The second lap, I decided to do some strength training and ride the entire loop in one gear. But it was not all work on this sunday, I did decide to take a lil pic of one of the vistas from the trail.
Overall, I think the tires will work till I buy something a lil bigger before the ORAAM in July. It held good in the corners, hard to pedal in the soft dirt, but held up while climbing in the standing position.
Ok, stay posted.

laters,
LOS

Dangerous words and the Tsali 12 hour recap

Just recently the team took a trip up to North Carolina to participate for the third year in a row in the Tsali 12 hour Mountain bike race.
The warriors of Bikeworks lined up and fought a hard 12 hour battle. As one of the reporters of the team, I can tell you first hand that each team member and participating rider put their heart and soul into the race. Unfortunately, this year did not bring us a three peat with a victory. However, it should be noted, that there were successes.
The Sport team turned out some of the fastest laps that any of those riders have ever done at that race. Tony turned out more miles off road that day then he probably ever has in his life. He completed 4 laps in the 12 hour period for his team. Personally I turned out the fastest laps I have ever had in comparison to the previous year’s times.
Our sport team turned out 14 laps, that is a little over 140 miles in the 12 hour time period good enough for 5th place. Bikeworks Orlando one completed 12 laps in the allotted time scoring a 6th place finish, successfully defeating 19 other teams that showed up to do battle. Our only 3 man beginner team did eleven laps and finished 12th beating out 13 other teams that day.
I guess the gauntlet has been thrown and the challenge is for next year for team Bikeworks to regain a Tsali 12 hour title. My confidence is high that the team will deliver a win in 2008. The team is stronger then ever, faster then ever and smarter then ever, the Florida state championship series should really shape up to be a dramatic one.
Big thanks to our sponsors and supporters for all the spiritual, physical and financial support and encouragement. The fun and the opportunities our team has are surely appreciated.

On another note, the Sunday after the race, as I watched the team leave camp, I stayed an extra day to enjoy the area. I uncovered a 5 mile downhill run that is right next to the parking lot that I had to poach and conquer. My top speed was 33 mph. The scary part is that’s only 3 mph faster than my single-track max downhill speed from the race the previous day!! We were also invited to a hike that started from the camp to the Appalachian Trail (aka the A.T.). Well, of course I went with the intention of going there taking a picture and hiking back to camp. Well, after several creek crossing and some light mountain climbing we reached the A.T. 6 miles later. That’s when I was informed that it was only one more mile to the Natahala Outdoor center, were we could have lunch and plenty of drinks. Needless to say, feeling a little deceived, I completed the 7 mile hike with much pride and accomplishment. The entire time, all I could think about was how challenging it would be to do the entire A.T. by mountain bike. I brought it up at lunch, and I was quickly explained, that not only would it be difficult, it’s illegal. Wow, The ultimate trail poaching of the century, the A.T. by Mountain bike. Dangerous words indeed considering that it’s a federal crime.

O well, till next time, stay smooth, stay fast and wash…

single track samurai

Lately my inkling has been leaning towards a feeling that’s hard to put into words. I have gone rogue. I have gone Samurai. I have gone Cimarron. I have gone Lone wolf. I have gone solo.
When it comes to cycling there is nothing truly new under the sun. Sure new technology and fabrication methods are introduced, but long story short, no matter what; it’s still a person on a bike. All the first riders of the tour de France where the original off road century single speed riders. Because back in those days, there were no gears and some of the mountains they ascended and descended were yet to be paved.
And like the tires that we cyclist ride upon, the challenges that we seek seem to come in cycles. Off road Endurance cycling has grown beyond any ones imaginations. 24 hour mountain bike races are more popular now then ever and with the addition of 12 and 6 hour formats, even novices are braving the temptations of the long haul.
That’s where my focus and shift has been averted. I desire the punishment, suffering and rewards that are obtained from the long ride. Ultimately I desire to participate and qualify for overall awards in the NUE, the National ultra endurance mountain bike series. 100 mile, mostly off road races, that draws my attention and desire to compete.
These types of events are going to require a different level of preparation then I have done in the past. Currently I’m in my “Base Miles” phase of my training. And I think the most effective thing I could do to prepare is off road base miles. Sure its easy to take off on the road and ride a long distance, but its entirely different and a lot tougher to put together long off road rides.
January of this year presented and excellent opportunity to do several long off road distance events in succession. It started the 13th with the Tour de san Felasco, followed by the Ididaride on the 20th, then the six hours of carter road on the 28th, preceded by the croom 50 February 3rd, finishing with the 12 hours of razorback on the 17th.
Now I have done the “Tree Fiddy” before; which is the 3 off road challenges that mostly always equal out to more then fifty miles and offer a level of suffering for the unprepared. In the past I have taken frequent breaks during the ride, and ridden hard and suffered cramps. This year, I wanted it to be different so I took a different approach. In order to be able to ride a bike off road for a very long time, you have to find a pace that is easy and sustainable. Instead of riding at 90 percent, I chose to ride at 70 to 80 percent. And what I discovered was the ability to stop only once during the entire ride duration and not suffer any cramps, a complete, total and amazing break through.
This all led to my first 6 hour solo racing event at Carter Road park in Lakeland Florida. The goal was to do as many laps as possible in 6 hours. The person who did the most laps wins. Pretty straight forward, but still something I had never done before. The start was interesting enough with a potato sack 50 yard dash to the bikes. The day was chilly and wet. The first mile was on a dirt road, that had become a mud road, due to the resistance of the mud, it gave the feeling of pedaling up hill even though it was completely flat.
The loop was six miles long, and after three laps, I must admit that I was tired. I felt beat up, riding a cylcocross bike through rooty trails, tends to be a bit punishing, especially after several laps. Right around the three hour mark, I had totally lost count of the laps I had done and I had totally grown tired of the event. And that is when I discovered something amazing. Endurance racing, is about Enduring. As silly as it may sound. The key to being successful is to ride, until the pain stops and the body becomes numb and the effort seems effortless. I discovered that the longer I rode, the faster I went. There were a couple of laps in the middle that I was going slow, but moving nonetheless. While my competitors rested, I rode, pedaled and rode some more. In the end I turned out 10 laps on a six mile course, which was good for 12th place.
A couple of weeks later Trevor and I, headed up to Razorback to practice the 12 hour course. After one lap on my cross bike, I was beat up and tired and dreading the prospect of racing a week later. But come race day, I swallowed my fears and lined up to battle. The course was tough and had lots of climbing. After two laps, I was smoked, but I kept going. After lap three, I started number four and had the chance, if I made the cutoff to do lap 5. Early in lap one; I had problems with wheel rub on my frame since I was running the fattest tires I could to help absorb some of the trail impact. On lap three my headset came loose and I tightened it. Towards the end of lap 4 I had to do the same. Racing to make the cut off was a hard but fun effort, but I made the cut off and sat in the transition area for a good ten minutes tinkering with my bike. I had the headset as tight as I could and it was still a little loose, and it was making a very scary popping sound when I turned it left to right. I guess a fully rigid cyclocross bike was not the best choice for the course that razorback offered that day. I walked off the course at that point, abandoning the fifth lap for safety reasons. The last thing I wanted was to be going downhill and have my top tube separate from my frame. 52nd place out of 75 people and one more lap would have only netted me a 6 spot improvement.
My journey is not done, the battles have just begun. As I continue to prepare, I have had my cross bike repaired and purchased a new bike to help in my samurai warrior battle against the single tracks of this planet. Keep your eyes open for more stories as I keep striving toward my goal. Till then, stay smooth, stay fast and wash that ass!

The,The,The, that's all Folks!!!!!

Well, the season ended not quite the way I would of wanted and I didn't ever get first place in a race, but I still did better then I have ever done before.
After Gainesville, we raced in Alafia, which is near lakeland. It was a tough race, I got real stressed out due to the pressure of having an entire field of riders chasing me down. Man I was truly the man in the middle with people in front that I cant catch and people in back that are trying to catch me. I ended up in fifth place and I was happy about it, cause like I said, I was stressed and I didn't feel well.
After that race we went on down to believe Florida which is near Ocala. A course that suited my ability to ride tight twisty terrain. But a bad wreck early left me with only one rear brake and I did the best I could finishing 5th again, which I was not terribly unhappy about. The race after that was Oleta River state park in miami. Now there is a trail that I always seem to do great on practice day and then the day of the race, I bonk and fall apart. Well history repeated itself and I fell completely apart race day. Manage to salvage a ninth place. What I didn't realize was that at one point I was in 3rd place. But when no one tells you what's happening and your having a bad race. You just hang in there and do your best.
The last race was a chance to redeem myself. I went into it feeling better then ever and feeling good refreshed and ready to kick butt and take some names. I wanted some retribution. There was one rider I had to beat by three places to get in front of him in the overall standings and one guy that had to beat me by two places to take my spot. Well I went out as hard as I could, got right behind the one dude I needed to beat, but another rider from another class caused me to crash and I was never able to catch him again. I spent a good 8 miles fighting back and forth with one rider that I wanted to beat from the Alafia race. He was some guy who had just started showing up to the last couple of races and really got my goat cause he flew by me like I was standing still in Alafia. Well I say it was that guys lucky day, cause he managed to get some serious lucky breaks. Everytime I would shake him, I would have a slip or a fall or a mechanical and he would end up closing the gap. He then shook me and I was never able to catch him again, I was amazed. I almost think he cheated cause I cant see how we could of been fighting tooth and nail the entire race and then he just disappears in the end. I was baffled by the whole thing. All in all I felt great after the race and finished 5th again that day and finished fifth overall in the standings and got the prizes that I well deserved as well as a plaque. My team mate Jason managed 2nd place overall of which I was very proud of and truly felt I had a hand in helping him achieve his spot, by giving him opportunities and putting the pressure on the other riders. Awesome season, my best ever, cant wait to do it again in 06. I have already made plans to race more races and stay fit over the course of the year versus waiting till July to start preparing for the fall series. An added bonus I have included a pic of me and my new girlfriend the love of my life, my heart and soul. She is part of the reason my legs were so on fire, she shared so much with me and really gave me the motivation to spark a fire in my racing.

The NaKeD InDiaN ChrOniCleS

The NaKeD InDiaN ChrOniCleS

Ok, I aint going to lie, I have been away for much too long. But I am so proud of that last blog, that I have not blogged since 05. Well its 06 and I am going to finish off the season plus tell you more chillin tales. Hang in there and check back in a day or two cause the shop is open for business.

The Gainesville Gun down!!!

First of all, props to Chriss Redd Photography for taking the pics you saw in my last blog and this blog. This has to be one of the best pictures that I have ever seen of myself racing. It was taken in Gainesville this past weekend and it just has so much emotion and raw energy. If you look carefully, you can see my middle finger in my right hand dripping with blood. Just one of the wounds I acquired this weekend while racing to a third place finish and finally getting an even better taste of what it feels like to be a champion.

I have had a budget crunch around my house. Quickly approaching the years end, I got to tighten the dollars to make sure I can have a fantastic holiday. That being said, just like last race, I didn't come up the day before to ride the track, yet I still knew what to expect, cause the way the course is laid out, there are only two ways to run it. Well the way they chose to run it, was backwards from last year and it made it so that you basically had a flat run for 2 miles before you dove into an extreme rocky downhill into a pit and then a rocky climb out of the pit.

Before the race started I consulted with my team captain to get some advice on what I should do. His recommendation was to hit the track second behind someone, let them do the work thru the flats and draft off their wheel. If I have to make any passes, he added, make them on the up hills to really break the spirit of your competitors.

As the race began and I paced myself behind the rider who eventually won, heading into field two, My team mate asked for a pass and I obliged. As he continued to chase the lead rider, I did my best to keep them in sight. Just as we were entering the second of two short single tracks in the flat, I was passed by a rider, who has been gunning for me for weeks. I stayed with him and kept him close. I decided to wait till the first uphill to make my move to shatter his spirit. And my plan worked like a charm, as we started making our ascent up the steep rocky 300 ft climb, I would intentionally smack his bike with my front tire to throw off his rhythm, then I made my move next to him and past him. He jumped on my bike tire and start rubbing my rear tire with his front, I continued to put on a faster pace, crested, geared up and started to escape him. Soon thereafter another rider came up behind me. As we made ourselves down a small twisty hill that quickly led to an uphill switch back climb, I heard the rider that I just passed on the climb screaming, I looked in time to see him rolling and screamed to him to see if he was ok. Well just then BAM another rider plows right into him, crashing horrificly. Feeling the pressure to defend my third place spot, I continued the race.

Well the guy behind me, quickly makes a move and passes me, and tries to escape, but before he can mount a serious attack, I reel him in pushing my big ring, pulling him close and keeping him close till the last mile of the first lap, when I countered attack on a 50 foot steep climb to pass him. I could tell by the look on his face, he didn't have a chance to beat me and as long as I kept my pace steady, I would get third place. I made my way thru the second lap and as I approached a 500 foot climb, I geared down and lost my chain. The chain became trapped between my smallest front ring and the frame, after wrestling with it for a minute and gaining a huge ring bite on my finger, I yank it out, after being passed by the previous rider that I had battled with 30 seconds ago.

I immediately jump back on and start hammering the pedals, and in less then 25 seconds I reel him back in to put the final nail in the coffin. I spend the rest of the race riding smooth and fast and finish, victorious with a third place podium placing. I beat that guy by 30 seconds and beat all the other head hunters that are dying to see me slow down by no less then 2 minutes. As I make myself even more prepared thru this week and the next, half way thru the season I am looking to finish with the very least number 4 in the state. But in order to insure this victory for myself, I have to continue to crush the competition, stay on task, work even Harder and make every single last race count. Cause I aint lying when I say, I WANT TO WIN, FIRST PLACE before the season is done....

The Rumble @ Reddick!

There I am, proving once again, that I am bad enough to escape the pack and ride alone. All be it I made have only ridden alone for a couple of minutes I heard the silence and wondered, where did they all go.
The morning was humid, the track was slick, technical and backwards. To top it all off, I was riding into the unknown cause I didn't know what to expect since I didn't practice it the day before. All week other riders spent the best of their time talking smack to me on a MTB forum on the internet. Although I enjoyed it, I got several riders gunning for me, wanting to defeat me, wanting to beat me. What do I think about that, I think its great. I love the press and I love playing with their minds and getting them to believe who is faster, just with my words.
As I made my way to the line, I made sure to keep a straight face. I don't want to show any emotion, I want to show a poker face. Make them see how focused and intense I am. As we lined up, seconds before the horn went off, I heard a rider, making that stereotypical Indian sound you can make by smacking your lips and going OOoooooo oooO. Instead of angering me, it got me fired up to smoke up the track. As we launched from the start line, I quickly made work of 15 other people and got into second place as we hit the tight twisty track. I kept the pressure on the rider infront of me, Not bothering or worrying about the people behind me. I would intentionally run his rear tire with my front tire, putting on the pressure. As we made our way to a 12 foot tall clay climb, he didn't have enough speed to crest it, and neither did I, anticipating his dismount, I dismounted quicker, ran passed him, and made my first attempt at an escape from the group.
Well, I had a couple of over the handle bar leaps to escape the bike that was falling from under me in the off camber terrain that I was riding in, slick, rocky dangerous downs and ups, it was an adventure to continue my escape and it was not long, before three riders caught and passed me.
Soon thereafter, two more passed me, One right after I smashed my right pedal. I didn't even notice that I had damaged it beyond repair and kept riding. Shortly after the second of the most recent two had passed, we approached a muddy hill that could not be ridden and while he walked, he slipped and feel on his chest and I ran right pass him with bike in hand. Shortly after that, I caught the other guy that had passed me and ran right passed him as he faltered on a muddy climb. From that point on, I rode my hardest, and ran when I had too, eventually finishing in fourth place. The best finish of my career. What can I say. The whole thing was a sheer pleasure and the competition was exciting. But, I want more, I'm hungry to make my move to the number one spot. So we will see if before the season ends I can wind up at the front, all alone, finishing alone... Now that would be Super Sweet. One more pic, the second one, shows my team mate in the feed zone handing me a bottle. Its hard to tell from the picture, but I was going super fast!!!!

I Love the TASTE and It TASTE GOOD!!

Take a good look at my face. Do you see that, that is the face of a determined Beast of a man on the attack. What you see right there is ME, In the lead of my race for the first time ever. Behind me, you see one of my fellow team mates Jason. For the first time ever in my life, I got to taste and feel what it felt like to be number one. What it felt like to be the TOP DOG. And I tell you what I love the taste and it felt good, so good. Good enough to leave me wanting more. What was different you ask? Well, a very important person in my life lent me a book to read. And after reading that book I discovered something extremely powerful. The power of putting your words into action. I made a mental and verbal plan that day and I stuck to it to a very successful performance. The second best performance of my racing career and the best performance I have had in 2005. From the start of the race I jumped out in front and did a super tight moto x move to snake the competition and box them out right before the beginning of the tight and twisty single track. From there we had one man ahead of us that I literally started talking smack to, in an effort to move him out of the way. And right as rain, it worked. Soon we were all alone my team mate and I, when he took off to chase down a first place finish and he got it and I was happy about it. I was doing well myself, but had a little handlebar tangle that left me dismounted off my bike, and then a lil scrub of the front tire and an overshot turn put me in the same spot two more times. But in the end at the very end, I caught two more people and sprinted to a very nice 6th place finish. Now that I have tasted it, I am addicted and I want to do it again. Till next race, let the racers beware, cause I'm hunting for that number one spot.

I'm going back to Tally, Tally, Tally, I'm going back to Tally, I don't think so....

Man o man what can I say but boy was it hot and dusty this past Sunday at the season opener race in Tallahassee. The Florida state championships is something that the team spends all year discussing. Its something that we spend a good part of spring and all of summer preparing for. And its finally upon us. On Saturday I arrived at Tom brown park where the race was to be held and burned out one 7 mile lap to get a feeler for the course. Well I can truly say after 7 miles I quickly learned that the course was not my friend and I had to understand why. Right around mile 6 I underestimated my front tire navigation between two trees and ended up face first in the dirt. Twisted my stem and bars in one direction and my front tire in another. The force of the impact was so significant that it put a kink in my brake cable housing. Well, I got back to the lot and spent some time adjusting the seat height and fixing the housing. After I got it all fixed I decided that I had to find some understanding on the course. And low and behold I found what I was looking for. The course became my friend and I found poetry in the ride. The trail in tally is a humbling one. 7 miles of either uphills or downhills with some rolling terrain thrown in. You gots to be on your best game to excel at this course. I had a rest less Saturday night as I slept in the hotel with my two sons. Nerves are a funny thing. I spend the morning preparing and warming up and eating right and taking my supplements. Once I hit the line the nerves where in full effect, but I had my game face on. I was determined to keep a neutral look in my eye to see what effect it would have on the competition. When the horn went off and we took off the line I chose to be patient and hung in the back. The first 4 miles are tough and I wanted to conserve my energy. And it paid off, 6 miles in I had worked myself from last to 9th place and I maintained that ninth place. In fact I felt pretty comfortable a lil too comfortable. As I approach the last quarter mile which was all uphill, I was gearing up for a nice little sprint to the finish, something I usually do. Well, low and behold a man I passed more then 10 minutes ago snuck up behind me and made for a pass. As I attempted to defend my spot by standing up to hammer the pedals, my legs locked up something fierce in a double thigh splitting cramp that forced me to sit down just as fast as I stood up. Anger filled my heart as I could do nothing but watch as this man shoplifted my ninth place spot. I cursed a lot that day and afternoon, I'm not going to lie, I was mad as hell. But when I took a moment to reflect on the day, it was my best season opener finish EVER. So, I will have my revenge on the shoplifter, I will Lay down the law and I will have my chance. Race two is this Sunday the 25th and I plan to really show him what I am made off. Some other take aways, my son Kain had an excellent day and finished 9th in his class. It was 14 miles of some of the second most toughest course in the series and I was surely impressed. Till then, keep your eyes on the blogs as I will keep on reporting.

And then there were 3

It was Never my Intention to be come part of the large statistic of failed marriages and failed relationships and failed romances that seem to happen and happen in this great revolving sphere that we know as planet earth. But like the tide or the spin or the forces of nature, like destiny what was meant to happen, did happen and what can I do, but go with the flow. Lord Knows I tried to stop the flow and interrupt and fight the tide and fight the spin of the planet and the forces that happened between her and I, but in the end the romance we had, well the romance we had, Died. And Damn did I curse and try to place blame, and you know who I blamed, hell I blamed her. Cause, each individual whether we are wrong or we are right are the center of their own universe and I have never met a person who was guilty. But the one who wins is the one who writes the history, the one who tells the story the one who paints with a broad brush is the one who scored the most points and its the one in this case that has all the treasures and all the prizes which are my two suns. Like the center of my milky, these kids are my way, they light up my day, they give me insight into ME. They help me understand the limits of being a human or a man, or a part of the great scheme an element of everything between life and death and all in between. My pride and my joy, these two boys are all mine. And when people ask I tell them all the time, yes I am married, Married to my two sons. Although I currently have no wife, Man I got crazy style and lots of game, and yes I meet ladies, yes ladies all the time, but no credit to these ladies, cause I have not met one yet that couldnt handle being number three in my life, cause you know these two boys are number one and you know number two is me. But just like the spin, just like the flow, just like the tide, there is no use to fight the power of destiny. And some day soon, maybe I will then write about how I finally found a lady that could light up my life. And although I fought and each day is a struggle, my life is truly charmed and each day I walk the steps of a man that is truly humble. And what started as four was blessed by destiny, and know its just me, them two that makes three.

Just getting started....

Hey every body.