Beautiful White, Grey & Black - Thoughts from an airplane

Well, during December 2008 I was on 12 flights in about 3 weeks and by the time February 2nd arrives I will have been on an additional 8 flights... So, 20 flights in less than 2 months, that's just not right! Anyway, I'm not asking for sympathy, I know where I can find it, in the dictionary... it's between... Oops can't write that, this is a 'G' rated blog.

My latest sortie got changed from Bismarck, ND to Salt Lake City, UT... One of the guys that was in Bismarck this week told me that it was only -20F ambient and that I would have been disapointed with the weather since it was -56F last year with the wind chill but, I digress...

I have flown commercially so much in my 19 year career that I find it a real drag. To me it's like being on a Greyhound bus, it is a way to get from point to point. The upside to flying is that I can work, read or sleep... I mostly work but sometimes catch up on the latest mountain bike magazine or the occassional book. I always try to get an isle seat and avoid the dreaded middle and rarely find myself on the window.

Tuesdays flight to Salt Lake on Frontier Airlines was something different, the flight departed into a piercing blue sky, CAVU (Clear And Visually Unrestricted ) weather. We took off heading directly west... the flight was only about 30% full, I had an exit row to myself. With no MTN bike mag to read and not being able to use the computer until after take off I found myself in the window seat gazing out at the countryside which quickly slipped beneath us as we climbed to ~32,000'.

The flight path from DEN to SLC takes us just south of Longs Peak... I can see the City of Boulder, Fort Collins, Devils Back Bone and other prominent landmarks. I am now truly captivated by the topography, I'm staring down at Longs Peak, recalling a wildly cold night that my friend Sean and I spent in the Boulder Field at about 12,000' before doing the final winter assent of the Dove route in double boots, crampons & mittens... I recall an early Christmas day morning with my friend Chad when we attempted to climb Longs and the wind was blowing so hard that we couldn't stand up above tree line... that was cold too.

Further west I see Grand Lake which is close to where I usually ski and to the north Walden and the huge expanse of cold flat ground to the west of Walden all the way to Rabbit Ears Pass. Next I see Steamboat Springs, Hayden Station & Craig Station with their cooling tower plumes giving away their locations like light houses on a clear night.

A bit further west I spot the Colorado River where it heads down into the Flat Tops where Chad and I hunt elk... I think how funny it is that I can spot these things and am able to orientate myself so easily even with everything covered in ice and snow. I feel strangely and strongly attached to Colorado and the west not just for the tremendous views and rugged unforgiving landscape but also because of the people and characters that it attracts. I think how lucky I am to be here, to have a real sense of belonging and a sense of direction and purpose for my life.

My mind wanders, I remember that I am supposed to tell Chad if I can join him on a climb up Greys and Torries on Saturday this week. I also get a flood of memories of Denali, Aconcagua in the Andes, motorcycles rides, skiing, ice climbing and just hanging out in various cool places around the state and in the west. I feel the mental draggons of work & life trying to claw their way back into my thoughts I am able to stave them off and force myself to continue enjoying the scenery.

I finally realize just how much I'm enjoying the views from this flight and how the flight is a metaphoric parallel to my life. I've been on a laser straight trajectory of work, a bit of play here and there and for the past 10 years almost no time where I allowed myself to just soak in the sights and sounds on a regular basis. Sure, I've stopped to smell the roses but those quick stops have not been long enough to replenish the heart and soul, I am realizing that there is a void inside that needs to be refilled.

I think that it is interesting to know as humans our most acute sense is smell, I think that mine is sight. I realize that as I study the terrain below that the bitter cold and pristine white snow & ice that blankets the ground prompts me to think about the things that bring me warmth... my friends, family and business associates.... It seems that what was supposed to be another 'typical flight' has been a catalyst... the decision to climb Greys & Torries this weekend has been made for me.

BreckEpic, Mountain Bike Stage Race

It was very late late a few nights ago and after much soul searching and contemplation that I finally talked myself into signing up for the BreckEpic Mountain Bike Stage Race. I submitted my deposit to hold a spot on the start line of the first ever mountain bike stage race to be held in the Good Old USA. The race is scheduled for July 5 - 10, that's right 6 days of back-to-back races out of the ski town of Breckenridge Colorado.


The race promoter promises a mostly single track event which will be truly amazing to put together even in Breck which boasts great trails and picturesque, percipitous terrain. I suspect that this race will attract the best of the best so I'm not sure what I was thinking when I signed up for this 'soul crusher'.


Anyhow, for those unfamilar with stage racing, as I am, these are the basics of the game; Ride each stage (one per day) and get a time for each one, add the 6 times for the week and that's where you place relative to your competition. The interesting thing about stage races seems to be that you can have good days and bad and still have an overall good (or bad) race. I have no idea how my body will respond to this kind of abuse but I am now destined find out.

My racing experience so far has been a single hard race of 50 - 100 miles or 24 hours solo followed by about a week of 'active' recovery and rest. I'll have to rethink my stage racing strategy so that I don't 'blow up' from too much exertion too soon and not be recovered for the next day.


I've got some good mentors who will be able to help me understand what I need to do and what I need to avoid.

Reprieve, Verification & Vindication

Well, we here on the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains have gotten a reprieve from winter. It's mid January and it is 55F during the day which means that I can get in a ride on the road. This leads me to the verification that I am definately in the base building stage of training and am not anywhere close to where I will need to be in 3 months.

My road ride on Sunday on the cyclocross bike was fantastic but I had to stop and pull the toe caps off of my shoes and remove my arm warmers because I was over heated. The ride that I did would normally take about 1hr 45 min during the regular season took me right at 2 hrs to do. Granted I wasn't trying to break any records but I was 'getting after it'.

I really felt great which means leads me to the vindication that I am, in fact, building strength and endurance and that my body is finally adapting to the training stresses that I'm placing on it. Training inside is one thing but getting onto the bike outside where I can accurately compare times from one work out to another is key and not always do-able in the middle of January.

It looks like I've got about 11 weeks until the 12 hrs of Gallup NM... I've got a lot of long hours in the saddle if I'm going to survive that race.

Colorado, Oh! Winter in January

Yesterday I got out on my 575 mountain bike... I was on the road but outside and it's mid January in Colorado. It was about 50F, I wore below the knee bibs, jersey, arm warmers, gloves & a wind vest...that's it. Today, more of the same with the same kit. Everyone takes advantage of the weather when it's like this at this time of year. There were walkers, runners, motorcycles, kids playing & people hanging out in lawn chairs drinking beer! We should have a few more days of this before we are slammed back into the reality of winter but I'm sure going to enjoy it while it's here.

I'm going to have to spend some quality maintenance time with the 575. I need to change all the pivot bearings which is a yearly deal. Also I need to have the shock and fork services as well.

I pulled the Shimano XTR shifters and rear derailer off of the Carbon Yeti and sold them on Ebay. I'll replace those with Sram XO components... lighter and perform better... hey it's my blog and my opinion!

Windshield time, flights, hotels & not enough sleep

Well, this week has been a tough but good work week and a terrible training week... I flew to Columbus, OH on Sunday night, got to the hotel at ~ 0100 Monday, got up at 0600 to work out on an elliptical trainer that had to have 150,000 miles on it. Oh well at least I got a bit of cardio done. All day in meetings, then all evening on email. Tuesday started with 3 hrs of sleep an hour drive to the airport a 2hr 45min flt to Denver.

I met two guys at the airport and drove 2.5 hrs to Wheatland WY for 4 hrs of meetings. We headed out of town towards Laramie WY @ about 1600 ultimately headed for Steamboat Springs. I like this drive but could do without the wind. I enjoy showing my work colleagues the antelope, mule deer, elk & hawks along the way... they haven't seen these beautiful animals before or this part of the country so it's even more fun for me to show them the sights.

Arriving in SB at 1900, we grab a quick dinner and I'm off to bed by 2130 absolutely beat. I'm up at 0400 Wednesday, not to exercise but to get some very critical emails done before hitting the road at 0630. Meetings in Hayden and Craig, the 4 hour drive to Denver, quick dinner and drop the guys at the airport and then another 1 hour home... no exercise today or yesterday, they were 'rest days'.

More Indoor Trainer Work

This time of year is difficult, I want to be outside on the bike but there is Ice & Snow everywhere so it isn't possible to safely ride on the road. I bought a used cyclocross bike a few years ago to use on the trainer and on the road when there is gravel everywhere etc. I got a great deal on it with excellent components. For those who may not know a cyclocross bike is simply a road bike that is made to be used both on and off road. The frame is sturdier and is meant to take a beating and tires are wider and have nobs on them like a mountain bike tire & the gearing is a combination between a mountain bike and a road bike.

Cyclocross racing was developed in Europe by road racers who wanted to extend their season and do some more challenging and very different courses. These courses are typically short, the races are short at about 45 minutes but the difficulty is tremendous. The course will have both natural and man made obstacles on it which require the rider to dismount, carry & run with the bike. I haven't tried a cyclocross race yet but may in 2009, it looks fun!

Anyhow, I bought the cyclocross bike because I knew with an aluminum frame that I couldn't (or likely wouldn't) be able to break the frame while it was on the trainer. This peace of mind allows me to really hammer on the trainer without worrying about wrecking my nice carbon road bike... I learned from my friend that you can break carbon frames on trainers.

For the last few days, I've been on the trainer over an hour each day with one day off the bike. I'm also lifting, light weights, high reps and working on core strength as well. I'm trying to build a decent base fitness level before I start ramping up the time on the bike and/or the intensity.

On The Road - Typical Trainer Day

This morning started at 0430 in Wheatland Wyoming at the Super 8 Motel. I had worked all day and then driven the 3 hours to be here for an early AM breakfast meeting on Tuesday followed by a series of additional meetings the rest of the day.

These training days are really difficult because I have to load the bike, trainer & gear along with my work stuff into my truck, make the drive, unload, drag it all into the hotel, set everything up and get to bed, only to wake up a few short hours later.

I climb onto the trainer and start my workout at about 0445. Thankfuly, this morning I'm only on the bike for 1 hour and 10 minutes.... just enough time to clean up, pack up and get to my breakfast meeting.

I spend the day with the customer, had my meetings which I think went well and then head home at about 1700... 3 more hours in the truck and reverse the process of unloading etc at home. Sometimes these days make it really challenging to stay motivated.

I feel much better after I've ridden, even though this is a short workout.

First Ride of 2009

I can't believe that 2008 has already come and gone. It all seems like a blur now but it has been an exciting and eventful year for me.

Today I finally got to ride my new Carbon Yeti. I hadn't been able to ride it since I brought it home December 23rd. Today seemed like the only window to ride outside for a while so I jumped at the chance. The new bike weighs 22.8# with UST (tubeless) tires & all XTR components! This will be a serious upgrade from my original Yeti 575 which at race weight was ~27#.

It was about 25F when I left the house and snowing very lightly, I could tell that the snow would be flying in earnest in a few hours so my timing was good. With AC-DC's - Hells Bells playing on the Ipod in the background, it was a fitting maiden voyage for my new race rig.

My legs felt heavy from my first 4 days of telemark skiing this season but I was stoked to be on the bike. The similarities are many between the 2005 - 575 Yeti and the new 2008 Yeti ASR Carbon. They fit the same but that is where the similarities end. The Carbon rig handles far better than the 575, it turns tighter, is extreemly stiff laterally and compliant up and down. There is a steering geometry difference that seems to inspire my confidence on the downhills and turns... I'm hopeful of seeing if that pans out in the real world.

The trail close to the house is in great shape with a bit of ice & snow on it in the shady spots. Now with Joe Satriani in the background I was inspired to kick up my pace and see what the bike would do... I am nothing short of astounded with the ride and how light it is. I will have no excuses during my next race(s), it is now all about the engine and I've got a bunch of work to do!

Despite my wanting to go for much longer my hands are cold and I can tell that the snow will start at any time. I had met another rider on my way over, we didn't speak just nodded and grinned at each other, I'm sure that we had the same thoughts... what a great day for a ride!! We meet again on my way back and offer a similar acknowledgement, though my grin was now about the size of Texas.

One last burst of speed, a few undulating pseudo jumps I am able to log some flight time. The Eagles were belting out their classic 'Take it to the Limit' tune just as I entered the jump section... how cool was that?

At the end of the dirt trail and back onto the pavement the snow has now started to come down steadily and is sticking to the road which is now completely white. While I'm glad to be home to warm up my hands I hate to hang the bike up to wait for more favorable weather.

I'm convinced that I've made the right decision to buy this bike, it was a hugh financial commitment but should allow me to go to the next level in my racing pursuits!