Holiday rain, snowmobile trails, friends...

Did a lot of laying around the house over the holiday. Here's Ginger showing how it's done... It rained a bunch over Christmas and I took a couple days off the bike. It got really nice again when I was at my Dad's so I took some time to explore the snowmobile trails near his house. These were great...they just go on and on, I could have ridden to Canada, they were in great shape, a few puddles, but mostly just dirt trails through the woods.

Got to catch up with friends from home which was great. I haven't seen a lot of these guys in a few years, but we caught up for dinner at a Japanese place in Hampton.

It was good to see not much had changed. We caught up and hung out till 2 in the morning. I didn't get back to my Dad's till about 2:30 and slept till about 10:30 then went for an easy ride around his house. Went into town and met up with some friends again and got my espresso fix.

Back down to my Mom's...I got a sweet little digital camera so I will go for another ride around Concord and Walden and add some photo's to that post. I am looking fwd to having a camera around more to get more shots...I'll add most to my Flickr acct, but it will be good to have photos for the blog.

I'll go back to my Dad's for the weekend and then back out west new years eve. It's been great having nothing to do but bike and hang out. I'll have a day home before work starts and a few days before I have classes again too...It will be nice to be home though.

Great Bay, Caffine, Wagon Hill...

Did some riding from my Dad’s on Thursday…I grew up not too far from where my Dad lives now and so decided to head that direction. I rode through some small towns into Exeter, up 108 a short ways to Newmarket and then took off onto Durham Pt Road which heads out towards the Great Bay. This is a beautiful little back road. On my left was woods and occasional farm houses and off to the right was fields and stonewalls leading down into the Bay. I had stopped at a bakery on 108 and picked up a muffin so once I was out on Durham Pt and found a good spot in the sun to sit for a while…Didn’t go all the way into Durham, instead I took off down Dame rd, a dirt road through the woods that I knew would loop me back toward Newmarket and then wound my way through various back roads towards my Dad’s.


Was having espresso withdrawal and the only coffee (if you want to call it that) anywhere near my Dad’s is Dunkin Donuts. Dunkin Donuts are everywhere here, they are the Starbucks of New England only with extremely bad coffee. I drove into Durham to Breaking New Grounds a great little shop on Main St and worked on the Veloshop DVD for a while over a really good americano. There is a lot of footage to sort through, but its fun to watch, it all seems like a long time ago. Headed over to Wagon Hill Farm to do some riding. Its an old farm property that was bought by the town of Durham and turned into a sort of park with trails. We used to have cross country races here when I was in school. I have been doing lots of longer road rides the past week so I decided to get off road a little bit and just do some wandering around the farm. The trails go right down and along the Great Bay. I found a loop or two and did some laps.


Weather is supposed to be crappy the next couple days, it was gorgeous out again.

Natz Video from The U35 B 2nd Lap

Found this video of some of the U35 action in Providence. Keep in mind this is the second lap couldn't find any first lap footage. I go by about halfway through the video, you can see more carnage behind me. The first lap was 10x as bad as this ...

This will Give ya the slightest idea of how many folks were in this race too.

The Shot Heard Round the World, and Walden.

Been enjoying unseasonably warm and dry weather around New England this week and taking advantage of having my bike back here. I've had some amazing rides...Here's the link to my photo set from the ride....Mon after nationals did a long recovery ride, it was a beautiful day, clear and in the low 50's. I left from my Mom's west of Boston in Hudson headed towards Lexington and Concord. This area is amazing, really it's close to the city, but you would never know it. Old colonial houses, farm fields,




stonewalls everywhere, dry wooded trails, and lots of history. I headed west and eventually ran into Concord and headed up into Minute Man National Historic Park. I rode across the Old North Bridge and rode around the fields surrounding the battlegrounds...I have been here before in the summer and its always crowded with tourists and people dressed up as revolutionary soldiers. The middle of the day on a Monday is quite different and it was quiet and actually more somber. I was the only one there and it was real calm...an amazing place with an amazing history. I rode north around the park and back into Concord to make a loop, then back to my Mom's.

Tues it was a perfectly clear day again, a little colder. I did some intervals around my Mom's place, made a loop with some hills and did repeats. I need to do more of these workouts, I realize I have lots of base fitness, not so much on the speed. I haven't really stopped biking since last spring, but what I lack this time of year is speed workouts and without races to push me I have to force myself to do some tough workouts like this to keep the speed up and build more top end endurance.

Wed was again warm and clear and I headed out a little later in the day towards Walden Pond. When I was in high school I read Walden and it has always been a book I have gone back to again and again...at the time, and still I come back to this quote from Walden, and yes I know it's a bit overused and often in the wrong context, but it's still very powerful to me...

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, to discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and to be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion.

I've always enjoyed reading Thoreau, so Walden Pond has always been a place of fascination for me. Because I usually am home only in the summer I haven't had a chance to go to Walden this time of year. In the summer it's insulting, there are people all over the shore, swimming, eating, littering, smoking...just not what I ever imagined. In the afternoon on a clear winter day it was amazing. It was totally calm and everything was reflecting in the pond. It was about 3 o'clock so there was a really beautiful dusk color going on. I sat on the shore for about 30 min before I was getting cold and had to move on. I still had a ways to ride back to my Mom's. I am going to try and ride out again next week and get some photo's...some amazing scenery...

"Natz" Weekend

The trip to the east coast was uneventful, bike and everything made it fine. (it cost $80 bucks to fly, but it would have been $95 if they thought it was a bike.) Went down to Providence right from the airport. Got there with time to take the bike out of the box( A huge shot out to Robin who lent me his bike box), put it together, and did a bunch of pre-riding before the elite race. It was surreal to be in Providence and riding around the course. It had been a long night of flying and hanging out in airports and here I was on a beautiful winter day without a cloud in the sky, warm, sun shining, riding around the Nationals course. The course itself was SWEET! not necessarily suited to my style (I would have liked more technical and less pavement and straightaways) But really it was damn fun. The section referred to as the fruit bowl was great, lots of little ups, downs, corners, all really smooth and fast. The rollers you could cruise up with your speed and not really have to hammer up, then fly down the other side...pulled a photo of the B race from cycling news...

Changed out of the spandex and got the pink foam finger for some cheering. I ran into Issac and Sacha and did some spectating with them before they headed into the pits for Molly and Shannon.

The elites were impressive as ever, I am constantly impressed with how fast and smooth these riders look and how effortless they make going so fast seem. Molly had a great race and looked really strong.

Headed out right after to get to a Christmas party with some family friends and went to bed early. I got up at 6am and got on the road on Sun to get warmed up and do a little riding before the racing started for the day. Had an amazing sunrise and some good coffee on my way down to Providence from my Mom's. Felt rested and strong. It was a bit colder and a little frost on the ground. I watched as the B women had lots of trouble on an off camber section off the start that had become extra slick over night. Did some more riding around and got to the start. I thought I had registered fairly early, apparently not early enough I was 2 or 3 rows from the back of 150 something riders...Damn. It was still cool and a little damp by the time we started and this was by far the biggest group I have ever been on a starting line with. The start was on pavement and wide so I made up some ground before the course took a turn onto the grass and around to the off camber section where all hell broke loose...
(photos of my race from cycling news) I don't know what to report about the race other than it was super fun, it was pack riding most of the way, I had to do some throwing of elbows to move up and around folks, I hammered when I could find room and it was over before I knew it. I felt like I rode well, felt strong, and had a good race. I was moving up the whole race and the only time I really lost ground was when I crashed really hard in a corner towards the end...I turned my wheel a little hard, it hit some soft sand in the trees and I went down so fast that I never even got my hands out, slid across my face a bit (have a good scrape on my forehead to prove it) and must have lost about 10 spots because there were so many riders. I ended up in the middle of the pack (59th out of 147 or so), but I am happy with the result and know that I rode well regardless of where I ended up...

Went with my Mom to White Electric to get some coffee and a sandwich and headed back for more spectating. Watched the strawberry cup race...Molly kicked some serious ass and ended up in 11th...she looked really strong and had a seriously impressive race...way to go!

A kick ass weekend of racing! It's got me stoked on cross regardless of whether the season is over. I am gonna train my ass off this winter and summer for next season! There I said it, now I gotta do it!

Found this quote on the Rapha site...I think I will put it on my wall somewhere...or on my blog

“The greater the suffering, the greater the pleasure. That is nature’s payback to riders for the homage they pay her by suffering. Velvet pillows, safari parks, sunglasses; people have become woolly mice. They still have bodies that can walk for five days and four nights through a desert of snow, without food, but they accept praise for having taken a one-hour bicycle ride. ‘Good for you’. Instead of expressing their gratitude for the rain by getting wet, people walk around with umbrellas. Nature is an old lady with few friends these days, and those who wish to make use of her charms, she rewards passionately.” -Tim Krabbé

Travel Tunes:
- Talking Heads
- Wilco
- Andrew Bird
- Tarkio

Of Death Marches, Grime, Fog, and More Grime

I mentioned to Tommy a couple weeks ago that I still wanted to ride cross bikes after the Krugers race to stay in shape for Providence...I knew I mentioned it to the right guy! Sun I went on what Dorfer termed the "Death March" with Tommy, Tad, and Dorfer. Rode down to Stumptown and headed from there up into forest park. Did a solid ride in forest park before we got down to Germantown and out to Hwy 30. Tommy, Tad (who are both incredibly strong) and I continued out to Scappoose rode around the trails out there for a while then back into the wind on dirty 30 into town...it was windy, grimy, wet, muddy, and above all SWEET! somewhere around 60 miles probably by the time I got back out to SW...I think I left the house at like 8:30 and got home some time around 3ish. It was a great ride and a beautiful day to spend on the bike. It felt great to get out, be sore, tired, and make myself a big dinner.

Went Skiing on Sat with Hector which was epic too! Had first tracks down Jupiter Bowl. We were standing there at the ropes waiting for the patrol when we heard lots o' hooting and hollering at the upper gate...good enough...we dropped in the bowl and made turns on it for the first time this season. Had it to ourselves for a few more runs before we headed in to Jacks woods. Hit it hard, stopped for burritos in Hood River, and cruised the gorge home. It's nice to get up on the mountain. Its so easy to forget it winter in Portland sometimes. The grass is still green in my yard and I still need to pick up pears in the back. It really changes your perspective when you can drive an hour and be in the middle of winter making powder turns on the first day of the season with no crowds...What is going on! We seriously would get on the chair after each run and just laugh at how ridiculous it was that conditions were so good and we were just doing laps down the bowls.

Did a little painting at the ol' casa, wrote up a big lesson plan for ESL class, french press, studied, cleaned the bike, more french press, didn't clean my room, made a huge veggie burrito...sleep.

Crazy week at school with the break coming up and I have shit tons to do before I leave Fri night for the east coast.
Hit the rollers hard on Mon and Tues...I am digging the rollers lately, it seems like the only way I can get time on the bike. I usually don't get around to it till like 10 at night, but its relaxing to set it up out in the garage and just get into the zone of pedaling for an hour or so. I finish with a good stretch and call it a night. I'll do some commuting between work and school and hope I am feeling strong this weekend. It's been grimy, wet, and extra windy on the commutes...I have to listen to music while I ride to give myself that little extra motivation...rocked out to some pixies this morning...that did the trick.

Here's the forecast for Providence...not what I was expecting and probably not to my advantage, but none the less, its gonna be rad. Should make for great spectating. Gonna get my cowbell and pink foam finger on.

Good deal, lots of shit to get done still tonight, enough of this. Gonna get up at 5:30 and ride the rollers before school. There I said it, now I will have to do it.

Mud, Moonshadows, Rollers, and Blue Sky

The Krugers race was sweet. Spent sat setting it up and driving around the OBRA truck. Dorfer took some sweet shots. Definitely check out the set...Some of my favorites below.

It was beautiful weather all weekend. The course was incredibly muddy and sticky (Check out how much mud piled up on the photo above). BikePortland.org has a great report and some amazing photos too. What to say, I had a fun race. I raced with the A's which was definitely different. I managed to avoid a big pile up in a crash on the first corner, got stuck in the mud lots, pushed myself really hard, got stuck in the mud some more, did a lot of running through the corn maze, don't know how I finished, but I felt like I put in a good effort. I was shivering for about an hour after cleaning my bike...It was cold, muddy, and a hell of good time. Did some clean up and rolled back into town to return the truck.

Didn't have the energy to clean my bike sun night and I still haven't given it the cleaning it needs. Work is crazy, it's the start of a whole new trimester, new kids, new classes and grades from last trimester due. I had to bring a bunch of camera equipment back and forth so I didn't get my commute in. Been hitting the rollers a lot instead. I don't know, it feels like an hour on the rollers is a better workout than my commute. I guess part of it is the sweating my ass of because I am in the garage with no airflow. By the time I get home it's too dark to do a real ride anywhere. Had an amazing dinner down at the Blossoming Lotus with a bunch of Veloshop peeps on Mon as a sort of going away and fundraising dinner for Molly who is heading to the east coast, then to Belgium to do some racing...Sweet! Had to work at school late tues night, came home and rode the rollers till about 10:30 ate a burrito and called it a night.

It's been cold and clear. This morning on my commute once I got to the trail I ride I turned off my lights and just checked out the scene...the moon was super bright in the morning and there are all sorts of really cool shadows in the woods. I pass a golf course on the trail and I could see the whole place, pretty amazing.

Been hitting the airborne hard and eating as healthy as I can. Not getting nearly the sleep I need so I gotta get on that...I almost fell asleep during our break in class tonight. I went and sat in the lounge outside class and I really could have just taken an hour or two nap. Gonna make myself a bean and rice burrito some chai and call it a night real soon here. I felt really strong riding home from Lewis and Clark...it was beautiful out, cold and clear, I was on the fixie and I just pushed it on the hills thorugh the neighborhoods and felt good.

Food is calling. Dinner and early bed...so much to do in the next couple weeks...Meadows opens this weekend!

Roller Tunes:
- Gang Starr
- Blackalicious
- Tribe
- The Game

Put a little preview of a vid that I am working on up. Check it. Takes a bit to load and is not the best quality due to compression.

Wow

Check out the confirmed rider list for providence...the Mens B u35 race is currently at 181 racers...That is a lot of bikes. I registered pretty early, but we shall see where I end up on the line come race day. Hopefully not like starcrossed where I arrived 2 hours early only to find out that they put the first people registered on the back of the line...your guess is as good as mine on that one. Anyways, it's sweet to see my name and Veloshop on the list! Rock on...I hope I can represent.