This is the start of it

There's something I love about November. I'm a big fan of the Fall, the thought of nordic skiing, and the fact I start my preparation for the next cycling season. Now some athletes get all hussy about hearing other athletes starting so early, but for me it's a great way to keep relatively fit and my weight down throughout the Winter months. I also have my methods for preventing burnout.

For starters, I DO NOT COMPETE in the off season. I like watching cyclocross, but you won't find me toeing the line at the beginning of a 1-hour sufferfest. I actually don't do much intensity in my training in the winter, but I usually learn a new sport - or focus on getting better at another sport outside of cycling - which is intensely hard in another way. Last year I started skate skiing, which turned into one of my favorite activities. This year I started swimming, which is turning into another favorite activity. I think the main reason I love doing these other sports is that it challenges you as an athlete in a way you don't often get challenged when all you do is the sport that you're professional in. Nordic skiing and swimming have completely humbled me, (as cycling often does) and they kick my ass every time I go. For that reason alone, I love the those sports.

I also love the fact that when I do switch into high gear, I'm not starting from such a hole. I can often get right into intervals and the harder riding without the amount of pain I used to feel coming off 3 months of rest. Add the fact that I had to sit out - and by that I mean, lay down on the ground - for 3 months of the season this year, I'd say I'm ready to hit the physical activity again.

With that said, everyone is different and prepares differently. I know people do what works for them and that's what they should stick to. For me, I'll be working on my freestyle swimming technique as well as learning how to go down hill on xc skis - not something a long-time snowboarded knows a lot about.

The best time to be in Colorado. (and Hawaii)

Words can't describe what it feels like to be back on the bike, training and racing. Add in the fact that it's Fall in Colorado and that's a recipe for a good couple months.

Fall has been busy with all the good stuff. Mountains, bikes, weddings, friends, working in Hawaii, etc. Putting a tumultuous Summer of 2012 behind me feels good as I look forward to a fun Fall and Winter. As far as my motivation for racing bikes in 2013, it's never been this high. I have a good feeling for next year and if I can stay injury-free, I'll be making up for a rough 2012 season.

To sum up the lengthy amount of time between the last time I logged into this thing, I'll post up some photos. 

Training partner, Julie D, and I ran into a car fire out near Lyons a while back. I was expecting a full-on Jason Bourne-style car explosion. It didn't happen. (everyone was okay)

In Crested Butte there is a festival called, Vinotok - which is a celebration of the Harvest Mother - which means all types of crazies come out of the woodwork - which means it's pretty much awesome. They 'burn the grump' after putting him on trial on main street. As you can see by our reactions, it's pretty amazing.

I'd say Red Mountain Pass may be the most beautiful Fall drive in Colorado. Standing between Durango and a little town called, Ridgeway, the landscape is littered with remnants of old mines.

And speaking of Ridgeway our friend, John Billings, is responsible for every single GRAMMY trophy made and delivered for the last 35-40 years. That right there is a 'stunt' GRAMMY - one of 8 that are handed out during the broadcast.

And finally, we helped shoot the NBC broadcast of the Ironman World Championships which is going to be aired on Saturday, October 27th. (4PM EST) The trip was chaotic, but great all in the same. A huge congrats goes out to Leanda Cave and Pete Jacobs for bringing home the titles.

The Cutting Edge

I found out some great news a couple days ago. My cousin, Kayla, got off crutches. This is especialy huge because she and her sister, Hayley, are super athletes. Both of these girls have a schedule that would rival anyone's, and their talent on the ice is humbling. Involved in several sports, including figure skating, Kayla was sidelined for a couple months due to possible hairline fractures in her foot. This is tough on anyone, but I think it's a bit more difficult the younger you are.

When I went back home to ND for the annual Race to Sunset, I wasn't able to race due to the injury I have so it was nice to be able to sit with the family and enjoy some much needed time with them - and dish with Kayla about being injured. It was a bit tough not being able to be the guy they're used to seeing out on the course, racing my heart out, but at the end of the day we were able to crack jokes about limping around.

 

Hayley and Kayla are my biggest fans and I couldn't be prouder to have them as my cousins. From the first time I saw each of them sleeping in my jerseys, (which became a 'good luck' ritual for a couple years) to present-day where, as young women, they still cheer me on - there hasn't been a single race that I've won where part of it wasn't for them.

I'm big on family and I feel I have the best from the top down. We all feel it when someone else is at a tough spot. When I heard the news that the crutches were out of the picture and Kayla was back on the ice, I felt a sense of relief. Maybe the tables are turning a bit and I'm becoming the super fan of the girls now, watching videos of their performances and feeling nervous for them.

When I went out for my ride today I decided I would try and add some climbing into the picture and see how I felt. It's hard for me to imagine, but I haven't ridden up a mountain in over two months - which is one of my favorite things in the world. I headed up Golden Gate Canyon which is where I cut my teeth as a professional cyclist. I felt good at the bottom and by the top I was feeling great. This was a huge feat for me today and on the way down I thought to myself, 'This was a personal victory'. Being forced away from anything you love is painful, and when you get it back the feeling is unexplainable. Congrats, Kayla, on getting back on the ice.

As for my personal victory on the road today - that's for you Hayley and Kayla.

If Heaven Were a Place on Earth

It would have been on 44th Ave, just East of Golden, CO yesterday morning. More on that in a second.

It's remarkable to think about the sheer amount of love and support you have from friends and family. It's even more shocking when you realize you've (not purposely) taken that for granted. These things come to light when you hit a low point. And to save everyone from a long, drawn-out typical story about being an injured athlete, I'll keep it short and get to the real point.

As I've mentioned in posts below, I'm out for the season. I've never been injured, never had to miss a race because of injury, and have certainly never been laid up for an entire summer! This is new - and obviously devastating - to me. What I've come to realize is that it's devastating for everyone who cares for you, too. Mainly people are bummed because they don't like seeing you in pain, missing your favorite activity and seeing you not feel like yourself. However, after a while it becomes more of a pain for them when you mope around and constantly talk about how your world is ending in a slow and horrible death. (I'm, of course, talking bout me. Not you.)

I owe a lot of people, more than I can write in here, for keeping me going through the dark times. For starters, Rachel has gone above and beyond, and even beyond that to cheer me up and make me feel better. I cannot believe the patience this woman has. I'm not inherently a negative person by nature - nor do I believe I've been super negative, but there comes a time when you just can't conjure up the energy to be positive - and Rach has given me some slack.

My family and friends have lifted me up, carried me over some rough patches, and now it's time to start walking with them. The lesson here is that yes, we will no doubt fall, have a low point, hit rock bottom - whatever you want to call it - but no matter what, always show the people around you that you love them. I'm still trying to figure out how to do this for everyone who helped me, made me laugh, and told me their own stories about being injured.

With all that to say, let's get back to heaven on earth. I got the green light to start doing very small rides - and let me tell you, a 25min super easy ride with no left leg strength was one of the best things that I've done in the last two months! I've worked my way up to 1:20 with a ride out to Golden and back. On that stretch of road on 44th Ave just East of Golden, I remember thinking, I have a major headwind and it's about 95 degrees - and I can't imagine anything better at this moment.

The Injured Reserve List

For the past several years, in the month of June I've written about the Race to Sunset, how great it was to be suffering for 10 hours and how I would sneak out to the Badlands to do some riding while visiting my parents in North Dakota. I did visit them again, but this time I spent time in an MRI machine instead of on some sweet singletrack.

To make a long story short. I developed some significant pain in my lower back a few weeks ago that began radiating down my left hamstring and ultimately into my calf. I thought I'd tough it out and see where it went from there. Well, it went South. The pain became debilitating and pretty much put me into a place where I could only lie on a hardwood floor for two days. Rachel was a total angel and basically had to do everything for me for that time.

Judging from my experiences as a young child, I decided to make the trip to ND to see my family - as they've always provided that magical healing touch. My Aunt Sandy (who is the manager at an MRI center) ran an MRI on me and it was clear as day. I have two trouble discs - one herniated and one with a tear. This was probably the hardest moment I've had in a long time. I knew my season was over - and I knew it was going to be a long road to recovery. I don't know what caused it, but I know how I'm going to prevent it in the future.

I did stop by the Race to Sunset and saw all my friends out there. Although it was tough to see everyone racing while I was on the sidelines in pain, it was important to see everyone. My family had already posted up out on course to ring cowbells and cheer. I think seeing that made me realize how great it's been for me to come back and take part in this event. I've received an outpouring of support from the community up there and it has meant a lot. It is amazing when you realize just how many people have faced a similar situation with an injury. It does seem like it's the end of your athletic career, but I know I'll make progress and come back stronger. 2013 will be my strongest and fastest season. This I believe.

In the 'good news' column, I did hit up some North Dakota staple attractions.

Salem Sue. (She's only the world's LARGEST Holstein cow)

Ahhh, the Badlands...

I owe my parents more than I could ever repay. We left ND with a recharged feeling. (until we hit rush hour getting back into Denver, that is)

To all my sponsors and family - I will work harder than ever to get back in action as soon as I can. The amount of support you've shown me has taught me a lot - and getting back to riding and racing is the closest thing I can find to paying you back. Until then, I'll have some extra time to watch the Tour de France this July...

Living to fight another day

And hopefully sooner than later. This year has been an up and down ride for me. Travel and work have been getting in the way of feeling like I have a consistent base of great fitness, but nothing compares to the last two weeks. I've been lucky to not have had any major injuries in my cycling career, sans some broken teeth and a bruised kidney. However, I've learned just how lucky I've been when I found myself struggling to walk from one end of the house to the other last week. I have some serious issues in my back right now that have caused more pain than I've felt before. Not really knowing what it is may be the worst part, although the preliminary diagnosis is somewhere between a pelvic rotation causing sciatica and a herniated disc. It's hard to believe that my big workout for the day has become stretching for 10 minutes. I would wish this on no one. Here's hoping for a quick recovery so I can get back to doing what I love outside. Until then, I'll be on velonews.com catching up on all the dirt.

1 Part Suffering, 1 Part Inspiration.

I've been racing and working and not doing much else. I cannot tell you how great it feels to have some races under the belt and a full calendar of them ahead. For me, I fear the first race of the year more than any other. Even worlds or national championships. I believe that it's the unknown, the fact I've trained all winter and I have no idea where my fitness lies. Until the first lap of the first race and the first burning of the legs and lungs sets in. The season started off well with a good run of events along the front range. A 7th in Pueblo was not what I hoped for, but with a mechanical that took some time to repair, I'd say it was a pretty successful day. I lined up at the Ridgeline Rampage in Castle Rock a couple weeks later with a super group of pro riders including Chris Baddick, Bryan Alders, Mike West, and a handful of other fast guys. This was one of the tougher, yet enjoyable races so far as Bryan, Chris and I battled it out for all 3, 10-mile laps of the race. I faltered a little at the very end which was my demise, but 3rd was solid enough for me. I'm not sure if it's a part of getting older or what, but it takes me forever to recover from a hard crash these days!

I also decided to take in a short track race in Golden to work on some speed. Some people will read that and chuckle since I've been known as the 'Ultra Endurance' guy the past few years. The truth is I love all distances - and honestly, it's nice to finish a race in 30 minutes! One of the funnest races of the year so far was certainly the 12 Hours of Mesa Verde. I was on a coed relay team with ultra fast riders Colin Osborn and Jen Gersbach. We ended winning and Jen set the course record! Needless to say, I was in good company. I'll always take any excuse to head to the Durango area.

Another opportunity that shouldn't be missed is the legendary - and sometimes creepy - Tiny Town! I'll let the photos do the 'splainin'. It started off cute.

We even had a laugh.

Then, upon closer look inside those Tiny windows... It got creepy. Fast.

In other news, I just got back from shooting a project for Ironman down in Texas. Those of you who have hounded me about becoming an Ironman athlete, (Nick Howe, Scott Fliegelman) your wish may be closer to coming true after the experience I had. We met several great people and had a truly inspiring experience - captured in THIS VIDEO. I'd like to say a special thanks to Caitlin Snow for letting me tag along with her from 4AM until midnight. You and your family were a great bunch to hang with and your professionalism inspires me. Our film crew also got to hang with a handful of other athletes for the day and we were all grateful. That's all for this wordy entry. I'm off to Europe in the morning so my next post will surely have a Luxembourg-ish feel... km

If I can't race, I might as well talk about it.

My tenure in Colorado has taught me something: When Mother Nature threatens the mountain folk with her often cruel April snow storms, think twice before taking the Honda Civic over those two slick mountain passes.



I was truly disappointed to pull the plug on the race in Fruita last weekend, but it's a long season and there are plenty of races. (I'd just like to get some under the belt already!) However, I did get some quality training in and the XXCMag podcast which I was invited to be on came out over the weekend. So, if you would like to procrastinate and browse the web while hearing me go on and on... (sound fun?) Well then here you go:

Website

Direct Dowload

All in

I'm not sure if it's the weather, the fact that I've had some forced time off the bike, or the fact that my sponsors have started loading me up with toys in preparation for the season, but I'm like a kid in school with short-timer's syndrome, waiting for the end of the day so I can get outside.

(I managed to snag Rachel's brother, Tim, for a bike ride - making him an honorary Trek team member for the day)



It's been a challenging last few months, but some of the biggest payoffs have come out of that time. I believe everyone needs a little reminder to gain perspective. Let's consider February that reminder for me!

As team camp and the race season approaches, I'm getting excited and nervous all in the same. The funny thing is that I thought I'd get used to pre-race nerves and anxiety after racing for a few years, but that's not the case. (Which, I think, is a good thing) Just the thought of toeing the start line and hearing 'fifteen seconds', makes me nervous.

With all that said, I feel like I'm close to being ready. I even had a lesson on bike handling from Jeny Jo, a member the Front Range's official 'women who shred' gang!



Lastly, I understand that when an athlete thanks their sponsors, it can come across mechanical or repetitive, but I feel like it cannot be said enough - if it wasn't for them, so many of us would not be out there doing what we absolutely love to do. I can honestly say I'm humbled by each and every one of our sponsors who - in good faith - give us product or money to ride our bikes. A 'thank you' often just doesn't feel like it cuts it.

Oh boy.

When I start getting messages from my friends about my lack of updates - I know I must be in the thick of it.

And in the thick of it, I am. I've pulled my fair share of all-nighters in my life, but I think the month of February has buried me deeper than I've ever been! These are problems I've begged for in the past - and I still know the value of being busy, both on and off the bike. My training has been relegated to the trainer, but I've had zero ability to ride for more than 1-2 hours at a time. Yikes...

As March rolls around, I'm looking to take some down time, get the house in order (see photos below), spend time with friends and family, and train like a mad man.

I'll write more later, but I have a teaser for what has been occupying my time in the studio for the last few months. (other than some sweet Israeli episodes of Music Voyager, too! - which I'll post about later)

Our Feature Documentary, 'Dave', world premieres in San Jose at Cinequest, March 2nd. Here's a link to the website where you can find all the info you need - AND a trailer.

Enjoy!

What $7 can do

Let's get to 'what seven dollars can do for you' in a second.

First, I'd like to express my gratitude for the great shoot we had with the boys from Radioshack Nissan Trek. Paul, Chris, Kim and myself were a four-man production crew capturing everything we could from high atop mountains, out of the back of speeding vans, and from the back of a high-speed moto, cruising around Mallorca, Spain. A welcome addition to our group this time was the duo of Glenn and Paige, from Capital Sports Entertainment, who were there taking superb photos and providing some much-needed athlete wrangling.

(I pulled all photos - except the blingy shoes - from Glenn Kasin's stash, which I'm truly blown away by.)





Maybe one of my favorite moments from the trip was when Andy grabbed the Super8 camera out of my hands and started shooting his own film.



Upon returning to Colorado, I found one of those boxes that has 'fun' written all over it. (read: a cardboard box with Trek logos all over it) I opened it up to find a sweet pair of racing kicks for the 2012 season.



Tom K from Bontrager has really learned how to make my day. In fact, as I tore open the box, my motivation to ride in the 31 degree(F) weather rose and ultimately, it allowed me to go through with the original plan for a 2-hour ride. Man, it was so cold when I got back! (but totally worth it)

The 2012 pre-season has started a little stranger than years past. I think I was more fit in December than I've been in the past, but with a move, a few international work trips, and a crazy busy schedule in general, my training was a little derailed. It's a strange feeling knowing that your motivation is at a higher level than it has ever been, only to be forced into 1-hour runs and short core-workouts in hotel rooms in random countries. After a jaunt to Israel this next week, I'm home for a while and looking to be ready to toe the line by April. Also, after a nice 6-day, quasi training camp here at home, I'll be ready to take a little break.

So, what about this seven dollars? Last weekend, Josh B (the suffer master himself) and I went on two big training rides. The first was my first ride after getting back to the states and I paid dearly for my lack of riding the previous 2 weeks. I made it home, but it wasn't pretty.

The next day, we jumped into another big one. Unfortunately for Josh and I, there is no going easy. Ever. We rode on the flats near Boulder for the first two hours of the ride to 'take it easy' before hitting the mountains. That wasn't the case.

After putting the hurt on ourselves for a couple hours, we hit the mountains and kept the pace going. (remember, this is less than 24 hours after my near death experience in the mountains the day before!) Josh and I may make our rides hard for one another, but we also help one another get through these types of days. Thank God I was feeling 10 times better than the day before, otherwise I'd have to be pulled off the road.

As we approached Estes Park in a nasty head wind, I realized I left my $20 bill in the car. This was to be used for a motivational refueling of coffee, paired with some sort of super rich, fattening and sugary muffin. We were crushed - knowing we had another hour and a half on the bike before getting back to the car. But wait - Josh had 7 bucks! You've never seen a better pair of spandex-clad, shivering, and hungry bargain shoppers. Not exactly sure on this, but I believe we picked up 2 muffins, a rockstar energy drink, small coffee, several free coffee samples, and a pack of starbursts.



And with that, we were on our way back to Boulder.