Hello 2011

2010 has been a great year. I feel fortunate to be able to say that and I will work hard to be able to say the same thing about 2011 in a year.

I just got home from a trip to North Dakota where I spent some quality time with friends and family, including my parents, grandparents, and my 100-year old great grandmother. For me, it was a nice way to unwind after a month of traveling in sensory-overloading countries, (which was a crazy amount of fun!) Driving through the plains was exactly what I needed...



The next few months look to be filled with a lot of work and training. I just built up my new Trek Madone road bike and I'm excited to hit my favorite, yet steep and painful, rides around here.


(mine is a test model, which is completely white)

Speaking of painful, my winter training program has been going well and I'm seeing some pretty significant gains. It's crazy to say this, but I love how humbled I am by this program. Some of these workouts leave me sore for days, and some leave me nauseous for a few minutes! My good friend Jason Donald said it best; 'People look at you funny in the gym because you are absolutely thrashing yourself!'

As the new year begins, the racing schedules will be announced and I'll be able to plan out my 2011. I'm looking forward to making this the best year yet - and hopefully putting on a certain jersey I've been working toward for a while.

Happy New Year!

A little catching up

I recently was interviewed by a gent named Ben Welnak for the magazine, 303 Cycling - as well as XXC Magazine. Ben is a stellar fellow who is possionate about riding, racing, and spreading the word on what goes through the minds of us crazy endurance racers. I feel humbled by the kind words and I look forward to reading some more of his features. I meant to post this before I left the country.

Here is one that I was really looking forward to reading as he and I have had some epic battles...
Josh Tostado

Home. Sweet. Home.

I absolutely love traveling, but coming home after an epic journey - and knowing that you're home for a while - is a great feeling. I'm in my own bed, I can use a washing machine instead of my hands to clean my clothes, I get to mountain bike, and eating healthy is easy again.
(however, with all that said I still miss being on the road!)

Jacob, our host for Music Voyager, took a ton of photos and posted them on the show's facebook page. He and Farook did a great job of posting updates and looking at them now is pretty fun.






I'm happy to be home again. I literally felt my world align as soon as I sat on my bike today. I rode my favorite trails today with Josh and the experience was much needed after being away for a couple weeks.

A little pick-me-up

We are nearing the end. After 16 days, a few sicknesses, and 90 hours of footage later, we will be heading to Bogotá and then back to the States. I'm really hoping our overnight stop in Bogotá includes some quality time with our new friends from 10 Music - Laura, Felipe, Carlos, and Maria. A well-deserved celebration is in order...

A shout-out of sorts is in order for everyone on the crew, including the producers, ground team, Dave and Dax. Each of us had to hold one another up through some rough moments on this trip. Whether it was lack of sleep or being sick, all of us had our turn, but we were held up by one another.



I can safely say this trip was a success and I'm looking forward to getting home for the holidays before post-production begins on these Colombian episodes. The funny thing is that I'm sitting in another hotel lobby beside the Old City part of Cartegena (google image this place - 'Cartegana Old City' - truly unbelievable) and I'm hearing Christmas music and seeing a full-on celebration as the holiday approaches... but I'm in tropic weather and sweating through the days!

Colombia is beautiful - and so are its people. I'm lucky to have experienced this trip and I believe the episodes will show that.

Best view in the venue

Yep, this is for real. We shot on top of the highest building in bogotá - and we had the whole heli-pad to ourselves.



Currently, I'm sitting in the Cali airport after just finding out our flight to Medellín has been cancelled due to rough weather. Not sure what the plan is, but it's a great time to update the blog...

Bogotá to Cali

It's been a very fun run here in the beautiful city of Bogotá and we have some great footage to show for it as well. Tomorrow we board a plane bound for Cali where another Colombian adventure awaits. In the meantime, I need to get some rest and fight this nasty cold I have...

Colombia's finest

One of the scenes I was really looking forward to shooting was in Bogotá's velodrome with a kid named Edwin. Seeing is believing and inspirational. Edwin lost his left hand when an old land mine he had seen on the ground exploded. Although he has some unique challenges now, Edwin is poised to make the 2012 Paralympic games in London racing on the velodrome. I was able to get a smile out of Edwin when I gave him one of my Trek team jerseys, but his gift of inspiration in return pretty much made my gift to him pale in comparison.

Day 2

This phot was taken by Jacob, our host, in a roll-reversal inside downtown Bogotá just after shooting with some very cool musicians and a great crew. (and yes, that is Colombian coffee!)



It's only been 24 hours, but we've managed to shoot several, solid scenes. The local ground team here is unblelievably sharp. Felipe, Laura and Maria - thank you for keeping us on track.

Up in the air

I'm not big on ripping off film titles for my blog, but I couldn't resist as I'm literally on a flight to Bogota, Colombia right now. This is right on the heels of a trip to Belgium and France that took me to some of the world famous cycling staples such as Ghent, Wevelgem, and the famed cobble stone stretch in Paris - Roubaix ... The Arenberg Forest. I'm sitting next to Dave G as we prepare to shoot some new episodes of music voyager over the next two and a half weeks. We're meeting the whole crew on the ground and it looks like cameras start rolling immediately. I'll do my best to keep this updated as the journey unfolds. I've got some training to incorporate while I'm down there as well so I'm pretty sure I'll stay busy.

Photos to come. I hope.

Adding up the miles

I'm currently in a hotel room in Kortrijk, Belgium getting ready for a couple full days of shooting. I'm getting a little disoriented as I just went to NY and saw Libby absolutely shine in her show, The Libertine, just before crossing the pond into the beautiful country loaded with historic structures, mussels, beer, waffles, chocolate and much more. I'll post some photos when I get a chance, but for now I should get some sleep. (I think it's been 28 hours or so since I got any real sleep!) I'll need to rest as a 2 and a half week trip to Colombia is on the schedule just two days after I get home... I feel very fortunate to do these things and it's certainly exciting. Exhausting, but exciting.

A Red Carpet of sorts

Tonight is the first semi-public screening of our film, Red Rocks Territory. Chris, who works at Filament, and I are excited to show the finished product to the several talented individuals involved in the production. (and the few 'outsiders' that we were able to sneak in...) Although there are targeted outlets for this film, I believe the final home(s) where this project will live is yet to be determined. As they say in television, stay tuned.

The Balance

What can I do to improve? It's something I ask often when it comes to different aspects of my life, such as cycling and work. And beleive me, there's ALWAYS a list...

As a gift, my roommate got me into a training program at the Athletic Improvement Center, a program which will help train my big weaknesses. An example would be core strength. I've always worked on my core, but even after the assessment test a few days ago, I'm still struggling to walk! This is going to be very good. The people involved are really positive and it's one of the most important qualities for me - and these guys exemplify just that.

This program is happening at the perfect time as well. I leave for nearly a month when I go to Europe and Colombia. I'll have some good workouts to focus on at the end of the day.

I'm really looking forward to these trips as we're striving to make Music Voyager (and the other non-disclosed projects on tap) the best they can be - and better than before.

Looks to be a good, and busy, Winter.

It's a good sign

I've struggled over the last few weeks in my post-Moab down time. If you (the reader of my ramblings) take training and racing to a scientific and analytical level - you may want to skip the rest of this paragraph... I couldn't wait to get back on my bike after nationals. As soon as my hands were healed enough to grab onto the handlebars, I was out on the trails doing what I love. I'm not one to burn out on riding my bike. It's always been a funny concept to me when people cringe at the thought of training. This isn't to say I don't have times where I'm tired, but I don't blame the bike. I just take a day and when I walk by the bikes in the basement, I always want to feel good enough to get back on - and usually can't wait until I'm rested. This happens to me during the season as well, and I'm sure I've entered a plethora of races where I was a little tired. Oh well. Needless to say, I'm back on the trails and feel right at home!

I just read this article written by a Boulder, CO friend, Judy Freeman. I'd say this is the shortest, most comprehensive explanation of what it's like to be a pro mountain biker today.

In other news, it looks like Music Voyager will be hitting the road in about a month. Although I can't confirm plans just yet, I can say that our producer of the show, Farook, has been traveling the world putting all of the puzzle pieces in place to make season 2 a good one. I also just found out the show is now airing in my home state of North Dakota.

We're staying busy over here at the Taxi II building - and that's a good sign for sure.

The Badger State

I'm home from a whirlwind trip that took me to a few fully-packed days in Waterloo, WI and San Diego, CA. Although I'm unable to mention (or post photos from...) the cool things I was doing for another couple months, I can say that I was able to visit with some of the good people from Trek.

I met Trek's president, John Burke, when he invited a group of people to his home for a soiree. My introduction to him was made extra-special due to some kind words from Paul Rogers (creative extraordinaire at Trek) and Michael Browne (marketing extraordinaire and the reason I was on the Trek team in 2010). I felt at home being in the company of these guys and a few others in the room. As I looked around I realized how lucky I am to have been on such a great team for the last 3 years. (wow - it's been 3 years?!)

I don't know what next year holds for me, but I can say that the last 3 years have helped shape my cycling career into an experience that I would have never dreamed of - not to mention the teams and people that helped me during the years previous. The task of getting into the Trek organization wasn't easy. It took the right people and the right timing to happen. I just knew that when it did happen, the hard work was just beginning, and not because I was told this, but because I wanted the relationship to last and be successful. It's easy to work hard when you look down at the logo on your jersey and you get a feeling of pride. I've pedaled harder in the last few years than I ever have and will continue to do so for the next - however many - years.

The 2010 cycling season is over for me and I'm satisfied with the results. Not only the placings, but how I trained back in January and how I raced through October.

I've had some down time (along with cheeseburgers, pizza, desserts...) and now I'm ready to start shaping my plans for 2011. It's not just about racing, but about riding. As I've said before, I race so that I can ride my bike - not the other way around.

24 Hour Nationals

To be honest, I lost some sleep on the days leading up to the race. I knew the form I had to be in leading up to it, I knew the competition was going to be insanely fast, and I knew what I was about to put my body, mind, and crew through. I was losing sleep because I knew everything was in place and I had a shot...

I become a little overwhelmed when I think about the generosity of the people on my crew. Their undying support and willingness to suffer along with me is totally crazy. We had some familiar faces in the camp as well as a few new ones. Bethany and Chris R came back for round 2 of nationals while Matt came out to wrench for me for the first time this year. I also had good friends Jen G, Chris S (aka Showtime), Dave G, Dave O, Justin (who shot these photos), Amy and Chelsea lending helping hands. We were also posted up next to good friends, Wes and Ann. Wes knocked out 9 laps before his knees called it an early (actually late) night on his solo attempt.



From the gun at noon on Saturday, I knew I wanted to create some separation from the other soloists. I feel confident about my cross country race pace and the ability to 'settle in', so I kind of went with that plan. I also knew that Josh Tostado (yep - the head to head battle continued again this year!) was going to be there no matter what and I just prepared for that. The first few laps were pretty crazy. Josh and I were actually attacking one another pretty much until it got dark. We're friends, but we love to have a good race going on so we're usually putting it on the line. I think the decisive move for him - from my point of view - was the effort he put in on our first night lap. I just remember him going so hard at times and thinking to myself - 'he's gotta pay for that at some point.' I decided to back off a little, but try and keep the pace consistent. I truly believed I would be able to reel him in later in the race if I saved a little. The reality is that Josh didn't slow down - at all! I just kept telling myself to keep pushing and not give up. I came to this race to win it and I was tearing myself inside out to do just that.

When morning rolled around, Josh had put some more time into me and it was looking like I would finish 2nd - again - to Josh. I really can't think of a better guy to see in that stars and stripes jersey. Did I want it? Yes. Did I do everything I could to try and win it? Yes. Josh just rode out of his mind and earned it.



As one of my crew members said to me, 'You brought your A game, but Josh brought his A+ game.' I couldn't agree more. Every time I race against Josh, I have more respect for him and the fact he pushed me to 18 laps was remarkable. I was told only one other rider has ever done that in the 16 year history of the race! I think we both like racing one another, because we know that neither one of us will ever give up - which is frightening - and means you better bring your A+ game if you want to win.

Congrats Josh, Cary, Ben, Ernesto - and all the other riders out there. It was one hell of a way to spend 24 hours!

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Paying some moral bills

A little pre-Moab shout-out:

Mom and Gary (and the rest of my family) - Thanks for the continued support, which without, I wouldn't have the gusto to stay motivated to do everything I love.

Libby - Many kisses. I'm going to miss you out in the desert.

Trek and Bontrager - What can I say? I still think it's crazy that I get to ride with your logo on my back, chest, and other various placements...

Ay-Up - You light up my nights. Thank you.

Human body - I'm sorry, but bear with me on this one. We're in it together.


Hope everyone is enjoying their Fall.
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'Exorcism via shredding'

Thank you, Mr. Chorlton, for the kind words in your article about the CB Classic 100. It was certainly a great way to spend a day; riding in the beautiful fall colors in and around Crested Butte beside some of the best people I know.

The lead-up to the end of my 2010 cycling season has been a ton of fun. I've been doing some new races and spending time with new, as wells as familiar, friends.

A couple weeks ago I traveled to Sundance, WY to race the Bear Lodge Mountain Classic with friends, Dave and Kevin. (both from the Sturgis/Spearfish area) With extremely steep and loose climbs and a pretty unnerving descent, this race was hard! Making it harder was Dave Olson looming right around me! In the end, I escaped with some scrapes from what must have been a humorous scene of me hitting the deck - hard. Dave rolled in 2nd and we thought we'd pull our fast Chilean friend, Christian, onto the 'podium' for a quick pic.



Last weekend was the CB Classic - a race I look forward to every year because of the trails, weather, and most of all, people. Dave Ochs, ride organizer and team director of Team Alpine Orthopaedics, makes this event. His good natured vibe and general passion for putting this event on makes it worth the trip alone. Every time I see Dave at races, you know you can expect to see a smile.




The route takes you out on 3 monster laps on the trails outside of Crested Butte, with the home-base being the Brick Oven in downtown CB. Each loop is different and the total elevation gain is roughly 13,000 feet - over nearly 100 miles. Ouch. The race went well sans a few 'foggy' areas on the last lap. Brian Smith was knocking on my door near the end, making it a pretty close race!


(Thanks for the photo Fred!)

Brian is a good friend of mine and ex-teammate, and I know how fast he is. He just came back from a major injury, with the Classic being his first race this year. Man, you were flyin'!



One of the coolest parts of the weekend was hanging with my friend, Wes, who was essential in getting me into bike racing. Wes taught me many lessons as he would drop me up climbs - and down descents - when I got into riding. My first 24 hour mountain bike races were spent trying to hold up my end of the deal in our duo category attempts. Those were the days Wes!

Next up is Moab. I'm humbled by the support from my family, Libby, friends, sponsors, and the crew who are making the trip out to the desert to help me out. Next weekend is also a big weekend for a few friends...

Chris Lieto and Julie Dibens (as well as a few other Trek K•Swiss athletes) are gunning for the Ironman world championships in Kona Hawaii. Chris and Julie - good luck out there! I'll be getting reports Saturday afternoon.

Eszter Horyani (US solo 24-hour champ) is in Australia aiming to win the solo 24-hour world championships. Keep on pushing E! I'm bummed I won't see you in Moab, but you'll be flying in OZ.

A nod to some generous people (part 1)

It wasn't that long ago that I was on a $200(US) Specialized Rock Hopper. With no suspension and low-end components, this bike - in all its purple glory - was my ride. I took pride in keeping it clean and safe from bike thieves. Well, technically it probably was a while ago, but I'll never forget the humble beginnings of a rider who considers himself very lucky to have world-class support today.

Since turning pro in 2006, (and previous to that) I've had plenty of help along the way in the form of people and products. Today, my core support is made up of the people and products I've sought out. Financial and gear support comes from the likes of Trek, my parents, Bontrager and Ay-Up lights.

This post technically isn't my 'official duty' as a sponsored athlete, but rather my official duty as a thankful athlete. I owe it to these companies who spend time, money and ample resources to develop world-class products, in addition to sending out salt-of-the-earth people to represent their gear. One person in a cast of several generous characters is Andy Fellows from Ay-Up Lights.

Last year, an article came out in cyclingnews that mentioned a lighting failure I had in the middle of the night in Moab. The writer of this article threw me a bone by mentioning I needed a light sponsor. Well, after another Ay-Up athlete, Travis Macy, put me in contact with Andy, I found myself on their list of athletes. Being a solo 24-hour racer, this was one of the best sponsorships I could have asked for. Those of you who have looked into buying a lighting setup understand how difficult it is to pick the right product for the right price for the right application. Let me do you a favor... read on.

I'm the very proud owner of the Adventure V4 Kit.



As a mountain biker who struggles riding with a camelback, much less a bunch of other heavy and cumbersome items, I was looking for a lighting kit that didn't A) have batteries that break water bottle cages B) have unreliable and flimsy lights and C) burn out in an hour and a half - leaving a rider guessing whether or not he or she will be riding to the finish line in darkness.

I've been aware of Ay-Up for quite some time - and pretty much from the beginning just over 3 years ago. I saw these light and well-designed lights in Monterey, CA when I raced the Solo 24-Hour Worlds and they caught my eye. As an owner of a film/video production company, I have to be honest and say that - yes - design and looks play an important role in products I buy. So there's the first A+.

The lights themselves are the lightest on the market. (2nd A+)





In the V4 kit, I have two sets of lights - one placed on my handlebar and the other on my helmet, making the night 'come alive' as they say. However, remember my dislike for heavy batteries? Ay Up's got my back!




Lightweight (as light as an iphone) and lasting around 6hrs each (A+++!), the Epic battery blows away anything I've seen and WAY out-performs the several lighting kits I've raced with.



I'd like to re-iterate that I'm a huge fan of design, function, and a company's beliefs and people. Ay-Up has impressed me so much that I truly believe I'm doing someone a favor when I recommending these lights. In fact, if there are any front-rangers out there who want to do a night ride with me and try them out - give me a shout. I'll let you use mine. I encourage people to spend some time on their website as they have several products and kits that work in any application from adventure sports, climbing, skiing, and pretty much anything you'd ever need light for. A huge selling point for me as well, is that the pricing isn't outrageous. These guys just do it right - plain and simple.

Moab is right around the corner and I'm looking forward to lighting it up at night - thanks to Travis and Andy. Thanks for helping me out boys!

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If only you could see lactic acid

This is pre-implosion. Congrats to Brad, Dave, Josh and Ben for riding great at the Five O.




In other news, Josh is in Guatemala and he's been documenting his journey thus far in his blog. I dropped him off at the airport and all he had was a backpack, passport and no idea when he was coming home. Enjoy the journey Tribeca... (my new nickname for the guy who tripods around corners he finds himself going into a little too fast...)

Also, Jonathan Davis from the Trek Store team finished third overall at the Vapor Trail 125. Again, the race is called, 'The Vapor Trail 125'... Need I say more?

Way to break through those dark moments my friend.

I've been racing a bunch lately and aside from a little bad luck, I'm feeling good and having a lot of fun. The Fall Classic was this last weekend and friends Dave and Kevin came down from South Dakota for it. We've developed somewhat of a routine, (if you can call doing something twice a routine) of hitting Denny's for a pre-race breakfast. Both times proved to be a successful endeavor for us. There's just something about wheat pancakes, eggs and coffee that make a person feel good...

With October approaching, my internal clock knows it's time for Moab. Not in the normal sense of a leisurely trip with friends to do some fall riding, but something more along the lines of one last race to say goodbye to the 2010 season and my 4th year as a pro. Moab is tough - mentally, physically and everything in between. Last year was a success and I hope to show up to the line just as prepared this year. I've always believed that, win or lose, the one thing you can do is make sure you've done what you could leading up to start.

What it's really about

Some called it crazy. Some called it bad planning. Some thought it was going to be the death of me. Well, I thought it would be the best weekend of riding I could have!

I am fresh off of a whirlwind trip from Colorado to Park City to Spearfish, SD and back to CO. Earlier this year, back when there was snow on the ground, Shannon from the Park City Point to Point bike race asked me to join in the fun of this epic, 75 mile, 14,000 feet of climbing, epic adventure. The only catch was that it was the day before the Dakota Five-O in Spearfish. Both of these races are a mountain biker's dream. Mainly singletrack and a lot of climbing, the trails that make up these races are destination trails in their own right. Well, I found a way to partake in both races via a late flight Saturday night into Rapid City. Of course I knew I would have a pair of sore legs and a tired body, but I wasn't going to let it ruin the weekend.

However, there were a few snags to work out. which bike goes where? How? What about food? Support? And so on... Dave from the Trek Store in Boulder gave me a few leads and I ended up befriending a gent named John Davis. This pretty much changed the destiny of the weekend as John and his crew (including wife and kids) took me into their group. If I could describe a total professional program of preparation, support and just good times - these guys fit the bill. I was in good hands - and so was my bike as it rode with John in his RV while I hit the friendly skies.

I was introduced to new friends when I reached Park City and we all had a nice little pre-ride the day before the race to scout the start. After the ride I was treated to a fantastic pre-race dinner and interesting conversation. Shortly after, it was time to hit the hay and gear up for some major time in the saddle.

The PCPP started at 7AM and a lead group of four quickly formed. I found myself riding with strongmen Josh Tostado, Alex Grant, and a young buck - all of 16 - named Keagan.



Keagan was riding the duo category with another 16 year-old stomper so he was blazing that first leg with the 3 of us solo guys. About 2 hours in I ran into some bad luck and suffered a mechanical. As the group rode away from me I just had to remember that it was a long day and anything could happen. Plus - I was riding some great trails and I knew I was going to enjoy that. As the day wore on I had some more tough luck, but managed to hold onto 3rd overall. Alex ended up putting a little time into Tostado (who I'll be seeing in Moab in about a month) and pulled off the win. I was happy to finish the race and feel solid the whole time. After the race, the podium was set up and I had about 5 minutes to spare after getting the paycheck for the day.



Off to the airport I went. John and crew were all in after killing it out on the course and they wished me well in my next adventure of the weekend.

Bike and bags with my new Trek brethren, I flew nice and light to Rapid City where my parents, uncle and cousin were waiting with open arms at the airport. I pretty much had my whole family welcome me when I made it to the vacation house we had in the Black Hills. I ate as much food as I could and stumbled upstairs to bed. 5am came way too quick and I was suiting up again! More food and Josh B and I headed down to the start for the warm up. We ran into local legend, Dave Olson, who joined us for the short, bursty climbs that were to get the legs and lungs opened up. The second I stomped on those pedals I knew I was in for a looong day. With Josh, Dave and fast Colorado pro guy, Brad Bingham, taking the start - I knew it was going to be a painful day.

My family, (aka 'Team Kelly') along with Dave had mapped out every feasible route to the aid stations so they could hand us bottles and food throughout the 50 miles. As the gun went off, I was immediately in a world of hurt. The big guys headed to the front and immediately put me against the ropes. I'm friends with the guys who were in the lead and who were about to do battle, so I was excited to see who would do what. All 3 had a great day and it was Brad taking the win, with Dave (who I witnessed tear himself apart to reel Brad in) getting 2nd and Josh (who rode through a set of bad legs in the beginning to come back strong) getting 3rd.

Team Kelly has been an integral part of any success I may have had in my cycling. The amount of support, love, and fun atmosphere they provide is unparalleled. Saying thank you just isn't enough, but that's all I can do in this blog - so, Thank You. My mom even treated Josh and me to a massage at the post-race party where couple gals had a table set up. I couldn't have needed it more!

The weekend was great, although it went by way too fast. I blinked and, sadly, I was saying goodbye to my family. All said and done, I realized that while racing is something I love to do and I spend a lot of time working at it - it's really the people who you surround yourself with that make the experience.

To my new friends I met in Park City - thank you for defining what the mountain bike racing scene should be.


Leslie Handy, Jonathon Davis, Curt Wilhelm, Brandon Newcomer, Yours Truly, Anthony Thornton, and Bill Wheeler

To my family - I love you all and feel blessed to be surrounded by the best people I know.

(More photos to come)

Happy 100th Birthday Great Grandma

My King of the Rockies win is for you.

Red Rocks Territory

Coming Soon.





There are lots of fun projects coming up over at Filament. Lots of riding... and shooting...

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They're not called the 'Goodlands'

The Maah Daah Hey trail is truly one of the most rugged trails there is. The fact that North America's longest continuous singletrack trail lies in the Badlands of North Dakota should, alone, let you know that you will be in the middle of nowhere. A friend of mine, Nick Ybarra, invited a group of riders to ride the 111-mile trail from end to end in hopes of having someone set a new trail record - which I believe stands at 15 and a half hours. I coaxed training partner and friend, Josh, into making the trip back home with me. (which nearly coincided with my great grandmother's 100th birthday!) The catch: Josh had to work until 3pm the day before the ride, meaning we would be pushing it to make the start time of the ride - 4:30AM.

I need to mention that a few days before we headed out, another North Dakota native, Ryan Levander, passed through Colorado to do a half Ironman and do some more riding. He came out to Golden and I loaned him my training bike so he could get a taste of some front range riding. As Josh, Ryan and I made it up Chimney Gulch and over towards Apex, we came upon a sharp right-hander. Josh and I have ridden this several times so we knew what was up. However, Ryan has not and when we heard how fast he was going we knew he was in trouble. Just as we looked back we saw Ryan fly through the air and land smack dab on the side of his face. After a few seconds of unconsciousness he became aware of what happened. When he asked me for the 3rd straight time if my bike was okay - and after he told us we didn't take the photo that we just took 10 minutes earlier - we knew it was time for me to get the car... I felt comforted knowing that Josh has been working in emergency rooms for the past couple months. He got Ryan to the hospital and the CT scan proved that it was a concussion and nothing more. Nothin' like gettin' your bell rung...

Fast-forward to 2AM Friday morning. Josh and I pulled into my parents' driveway and within 15 minutes we were eating a breakfast feast that my mom whipped up. It was a weird feeling eating such a huge breakfast at 2:30AM... My mom had also prepared, labeled, and packed all of our food for the ride. I can honestly say that no ProTour cycling team in the world has the support I get from my mom. After slamming the food, it was off to the trail head - another hour and a half from where we were.



We ran a few minutes late, but made it before the scheduled departure time. I was surprised that Nick and crew were already gone, but then found out why they had already left... look closely.



Nick had left directions on how to navigate around Theodore Roosevelt National Park. This re-route is pretty short, but it's local knowledge. Josh and I spent an hour and 45 minutes roaming around the tall grass and the rugged ridges of the Badlands. Josh was super positive and would crack jokes whenever we would find ourselves completely turned around. I'd be saying things like, 'I think we should be about three ridges over.' and he'd be singing 'Piano Man' (or something like that...) This map shows you how lost we actually got. Keep in mind that this does NOT show you the time we spent off the bike roaming around as my gps was attached to my handlebar.



Back on the trail and hauling, I noticed Josh started to get a little quiet. I could see he was getting really hungry and he kept mentioning food. When we finally reached the cooler that Nick's dad had left for us just shy of halfway, Josh attacked it like he was about to eat his last meal. 1500 calories later (I'm probably exaggerating... maybe not) He asked me, 'Should I have another Ensure?' 'NO!! You're going to be in a coma if you eat any more...'

Well, 30 minutes later, Josh had the most colossal physical and mental collapse I've ever seen him have. We're talking about a seasoned professional mountain biker here. Even as we're back in Colorado, we're still unclear of exactly what happened out there. As it became clear we weren't going to make it back to Medora - the end of the trail - we decided it was time to pull the plug. The dangerous thing about this trail is that you can't just call it quits and walk off the trail. We were in the middle of nowhere. Luckily we stumbled upon a rancher working on a random cattle water well. Even though Red (what a great name!) was hesitant at first, he not only gave us a ride back to Medora (35 miles away) he also gave us a tour of the ranch where he worked, Elkhorn Ranch. Turns out that Elkhorn has an account with my family's business. How's that for a small town connection!

We were greeted with smiles and hugs from my mom, aunt, cousin and grandma. We had some good food and shared our story - all in all a great time considering the circumstances.

Josh and I hung out with my family all day the next day and enjoyed the beautiful summer weather. It seems every time I go home, I never have enough energy to enjoy the small town bar scene. (I'm not really a bar guy, but hey - when in Rome...) Josh and I headed to the local bar where we ran into all sorts of fun. We got heckled by a group from a bachelorette party, ran into some of my old friends, and we just about got caught in the middle of a bar fight between a couple big cowboys from Texas and some 'dudes' from the local college.



I can never really thank my family enough for their generosity and hospitality. It made for a truly unforgettable trip.

The air up there

I called up my sizzling fast good friend, Jen Gersbach, (who also happens to know the Vail Valley inside and out) to order up an epic high country mountain bike ride. As she drove up to Keystone for the CO state championships, she offered a few good trails and 'off-the-top-of-my-head' directions for me to write down.



Josh and I headed up and had a great day in the high country of Colorado. Unfortunately, I guess my camera was jealous and in an act of aggression, deleted all of my photos so I wouldn't be able to share any visuals of our trip. Let me just say that sweet singletrack, good company, fresh air, and wild raspberries equals a heluva good time. These high altitude rides are great for fitness levels, which is great for me as the big races of my season are approaching.

I've thrown my hat in with the other riders who will ride the Maah Daah Hey trail in Medora, ND next weekend. While this isn't a race as much as a personal test, the idea is to see what sort of times can be posted over the 111-mile long haul. I've never done the whole trail so this should be a fun, epic adventure. I believe the goal of this ride is to raise awareness of this trail in hopes an official race will take place in the near future.

Plenty more racing coming up...

Kudos to mtbracenews.com

Shannon Boffeli and his crew from mtbracenews.com have been remarkably impressive in their coverage of mountain bike racing. I say this for a couple of reasons: 1 - The fact that they cover East coast to West coast racing is great for the sport. 2 - They race these events along with the racers they're reporting on. Based out of Utah, I know it's not an easy task to get to these races, race, and then write up an article about it - all while having a 'real' job. (in addition to putting on the Park City Point to Point race this September)

Here's a report from the Laramie Enduro. Note the 8th placed rider in this pretty tough pro field...

'You WILL be attacked by eagles'

There's nothing like being on the start line of a mountain bike race. As the event director looks at his stop watch and yells, '2 minutes!' the nerves in the group begin to elevate. My nerves are exceptionally elevated when I know I'll have to push my body and mind to the limit for the next 5 hours, as was the case in the Laramie Enduro this weekend.

Now on top of that, our race director added two little pieces of information before the gun went off. The first was a reminder that last year, a particular section of the race course had claimed, 'a set of broken ribs, a couple broken legs, a few collar bones and a broken back - in addition to the countless cases of road rash. So be careful on that descent.'

'Also, be aware that you will be attacked by eagles about a mile after that descent. There is an eagle's nest that you will ride past. That's just the way it is.'

I'm really pleased to report that I didn't really crash and I did not get attacked by the threatening eagles.

The Laramie Enduro is one of my favorite races and I didn't know I was going to race it up until 3 days before the start when Rich, the director, invited me in. With the winners of the last three editions of this race toeing the line, I knew it was going to be a real hard day in the saddle.

The last time I raced this event(07) I was fortunate enough to go home with the win. The same was true for Jay Henry(08) and Barkley Robinson(09). This trio of riders would ultimately make up the front group and we would end up riding with one another for three and a half hours. The pace was ridiculous at times and it seemed that each one of us could make it to the line first. I was feeling really good, but had a few 'spot of bother' moments. In one of those moments, I totally smashed into a rock with my drive train and destroyed my brand new chain. My mistake on that part of the trail eventually cost me a chance to see the last climb with Jay and Barkley. I did a little trail side maintenance and began my journey to the finish line with my bike stuck in the big ring. (I now have even more respect for you single speeders!) In reality, it wasn't so bad and save for a flat tire on the way, I made it back in decent time and ended up 3rd. Jay ended up putting a little time into Barkley and grabbed the win - even after he flatted early on in the race. I felt proud to be racing in that group of guys. They're some of the nicest fellas in the peleton and at the end of the day, it was fun to re-hash our time riding together in the race. Jay's wife, Cynthia, saved my day by handing me bottles at a few points along the course.



Overall it was a great, albeit short, trip. Rob and I drove up and I crashed with friends, Ward and Bobby. Ward, being a man of preparation, handed me a nifty little map with aid station, elevation and mileage markings.



Five hours will do ya in. Today is a day for cleaning, resting and eating. Until the next time - ciao.

Where do I start?

I've gotta say, in the craziness of the life I somehow managed to create for myself, I often look back and realize it's pretty fun - and I'm fortunate to experience such an exciting, albeit tiring, lifestyle.

I was in NY for Libby's show and as usual, I was very impressed with the way this woman shines in front of a crowd (or camera for that matter). The show was great and getting to spend time with the girlfriend was needed.

Upon returning home I was pleased to see that the commercial we shot for Trek was released along with the actual product. Dave and Jeremiah, thanks again for putting in those 25 straight grueling hours to get this spot in the can.

The Fuel EX 9.9



I've returned to racing my bike a little more and the ramp-up to Moab is beginning. The Summit Mountain Challenge is a great mid-week race series that offers genuine cross country mountain bike racing in the trails around Breckenridge. I thought it would be good to start doing these middle-of-the-week tune ups. Josh and I drove up together as the forecast was teetering in that non-committal zone, telling us there was a 50% chance of (severe) thunderstorms. We arrived in great weather. The race started and a huge dark cloud decided to cross paths with the race course. The beginning of the race was dry and fast. A young gun named Kevin Kane drew first blood and threw down an attack that hurt every rider in the field. I did, however, manage to muster up some fight and get on his wheel. I decided to go a little harder and see how he was feeling, which proved to be a sweet move... for a while anyway.

Kevin caught me at the top of the big singletrack climb and proceeded to put time into me on the descent. As we hit the famous and painful Pennsylvania Gulch climb, the rain came. That's where the wheels came off a little bit. I did damage control, but fell back to 3rd by the last mile. As I saw the finish line approach, I heard someone coming up behind me... it was Josh! In an all-out sprint to the line, I had enough fight in me to get him at the line. (I would not have lived that down for an entire year had I let him beat me)

Well, it's off to the Laramie Enduro this weekend for one of the funnest races in the country. 72 miles of varied terrain, a lot of climbing, and a lot of fast guys should make this weekend a fun one.

The Tour of the Front Range

My good friend, Jeff Carter, and I set out on a fun front range adventure this weekend. When you plan on riding with Jeff, you should plan on being out for a while... Every time I ride with him we end up on an epic adventure that could last all day. Jeff is very strong and consistent so I always have to make sure I'm not getting behind in calories and hydration. So with a coca cola stop scheduled halfway through the ride, I knew I was going to enjoy the day.

One of the main reasons for our front range epic is that he's expecting a little one to enter the world in just a couple of days! As we made our way to the top of Mt. Falcon (the furthest point away from his car in Golden), he told me to 'be prepared for the time-trial of your life to get my car if Liz calls me and tells me she's in labor.'

Well, there was no need to bury myself back to the car - which was great because I already had my hands full with our current situation! In fact, we met up with Liz and another friend for a great lunch and I headed home to watch the Tour de France and take a nap... Good day for sure.

Almost a wrap...

We are days away from the first three episodes of season 2 being completed.



It's been busy on both ends of production. Our producer on the show is doing what he does best - which means Colombia is probably approaching fast...

There's another group of folks that have been busy as well. Libby is in a show that opened this last Thursday at the Red Room in NY City. 'Six by Tenn' has been Libby's focus for quite some time and now she's on stage Thursdays through Sundays (twice on Saturdays!) showing off a talent that I'm in awe of.

Playhouse Creatures website.