A picture of my brother just cruising with me on a recovery ride. I think those shoes are from the 80’s!

I was in one of the local natural foods stores today and there was this young hippie kid, probably in his early 20’s walking around with no shoes on. His feet were dirty, he had knappy dreads, and a scraggly beard that only grew in patches on his face. He caught my attention as he danced around the store, that’s right, danced to the chill vibe music. The guy was wearing a pair of cut off carhartt shorts and a hiar bag for his dreads (I hate those hairbags!) with a ratty t-button down shirt.

What cracked me was this image that he was portraying the whole time. Mr. Natural, not a care in the world, just living one with nature. My body is a temple. I am one with the environment kind of guy. Well I finished packing up my stuff in my bag and as I went to jump on my towny outside, look who’s driving the $40,000 gas guzzling SUV, the Trsutifarian! He was rolling in a Brand new Toyota 4 Runner. What a clown. I rode off on my townie just shaking my head.

I am off to Greenville, SC for US Pro Road Nationals tomorrow. I am excited to get the racing underway. This week has been allot of build up. I hope I can perform well and have a good finish. I am feeling pretty good. I looked at the forecast and it looks like rain! Going out with a rain soaked race. Next day is the Atlanta 10k, another possible rain race. Booked my ticket for my month long stint of Cyclocross racing in the East, getting pumped for a little offy after US Pro, then the cross training. WIsh me luck

I rolled off on my

I had an awesome time today in the mountain bike race. I have done two mountain bike races now this summer and it is a great change of pace. The vibe from all the riders was awesome and the competion is never lacking here in D-Town. The trails were a blast and are so much different when you are racing on them and not just out cruising.

The legs felt really good today considering I did the just under five hours as hard as I could go in the passes yesterday. I still felt strong today and was able to hang with the leaders for most of the race. Todd Wells took off from the start and it was a bit to fast to early for me. I let the group go there knowing that I would be a bit tired. About halfway through the race my legs came around and I was going good on the climbs. I caught Ned Overend and a new German racer, Ben, and cruised with them for most of the race. Ned attacked and I followed. We were together at the top of the last climb and my descending just came apart. Ned got me by 10 seconds and I think we were still within a minute of Todd.

I think the form is coming on good just in time for Greenville. I hope so as it would be a great ending to a super fun season. I am looking foreword to this weekend. That’s all for now,

I forgot to go buy my Power Ball Lottery ticket today. I don’t play the lottery ever, but when the jackpot is 300 million dollars, man that is a ton of money. There is about a one in 300 million chance that I would win (probably even less), but the things I would do with that coin. Probably just race bikes some more and travel a bit.

I went up into the passes for my last big ride before US Pro road in Greenville, South Carolina a week from Sunday. It was a perfect day in the mountains and I actually went the fastest I have ever gone up Colbank and Molass Pass in a training ride. I hope that means I will be able to hang onto someone’s wheel going over the top of Paris Mountain next weekend. It is a long climb and steep at the top. I am looking foreword to it though.

Just to make the weekend even better I am going to do a classic mountain bike race here in Durango tomorrow. I have only done the one race a few weeks ago in the past two years, but how can you not attend a race when the starting line is only two minutes ride from your door? The Durango Dirt Lovers Rally is tomorrow morning. I am sure it will be the standard World Cup field as I know Todd Wells, Travis Brown, Ned Overend, my brother Zach, and a handfull of other fast riders will be out in force. I am just hoping to hang in there for a top 5. The mountain bike skills are a bit rusty. It should be a good time though.

The cross stuff has come together and is right around the corner. I am going to be racing cyclocrss for Jittery Joe’s this year under the management of Greg Becker who I have ridden with since I started. The season is going to be intense with lots of racing and I am planning on heading back East in October to do some races.

I am a bit tired, sorry for the lame post, just not much to report, trianing and resting, getting ready for Greenville and Atlanta 10k. That will end my road season, then it is time for a break before cross is in full swing!

I headed up North today with the ambition of going to Silverton and back. It is a great ride and the weather was perfect and the scenery in the San Juans is gorgeous. I knew as soon as I took the first few pedal strokes that my legs were thinking otherwise. At about 9,000 feet I was cracking already with two huge climbs left. I threw in the towel and bowed out for 4.5 hours of good training. I need a little rest!

No positive tests that I saw while I was out on my ride today! Things are coming around in cycling. Short post…more later

Well after a 20 hour day of traveling I made it home to Durango on Monday night, late, almost Tuesday morning.  The flight that was oversold had one spot left and I was able to snag it before any other stranded Durango-tangs could.  It is great to be home and the weather here in South West Colorado couldn’t be nicer.  There wasn’t a cloud in the sky yesterday.  All bluebird and not to hot. 

I am doing a short hard block of training before the US Pro Road race in Greenville at the beginning of September.  The course in Greenville is very hard.  Last year within the first lap half of the field was gone and on the second lap of five up the famous Paris mountain climb the selection was made and the race was over.  It is a very long and tough day with lots of climbing.  I ran 15th last season and would like to go in the top 20 again if not a little better.  It is going to be a tough one with lots of fast dudes this year and some new faces on the scene that didn’t attend last year so we will see.

The training is going well and I actually feel pretty good having come back from a sea level stint of racing.  I went out and roosted the mountain bike in Horse Gulch in the morning and then hit up the Tuesday worlds ride.  The trails are getting a bit loose and we could use some rain.  The worlds ride was a classic one and my favorite loop.  There was no shortage of pros last night with five or six domestic US pro teams represented and of course Ned and Todd Wells. 

Today I am going to head to Silverton and back with Dan Bowman from Kelly Benefits team.  It is 100 + miles and has two passes Colbank and Mollas that you go over and back, all up at about 9,000 to 10,000 plus feet.  I will be breathing through a straw and going cross eyed following Bowman as he is riding very strong now. It should be a good day.  Seems like the good days are when you come back from a ride and check the cycling news, if no one has gone positive in the 5 hours you have been out training, it is a good day.