SEASON OVER.... LET THE OFF SEASON BEGIN

After a couple days off to lick my wounds, my goals for next year are starting to manifest. I'm going to try to stay off the bike for the month of January. Not wanting to gain 50 lbs in a month, I have purchased a pair of running shoes. I can't tell you how painful it has been to walk out the door and try to JOG for any amount of time limit that can be considered constructive. Every uphill run this season proved that my skill in this area are week. Not quite as bad as my technical skills, but still in need of improvement. Time wise running is much easier. Plus with the travel of my job, the shoes fit better than the bike in my suitcase. I'm hoping the layoff the bike and my hatred of running will give me some motivation for a fresh start come spring. Everyone have a wonderful and safe Christmas season, and success in all your off season training goals. See you all in 08! Ty

KNOW YOUR LIMITATIONS "i obviously don't"

The finish line that could not come fast enough for me!

The start of our journey

"The after"

Muddy warrior!

William doing his pre-race ritual of last minute tinkering with his bike set up!

Clean and fresh with "NO CLUE" what i'm about to step into!

MUDMUDMUDMUDMUD#@$^%&*

Later in the week this section got so muddy they took the barriers out!

Doesn't look too bad here.

I should of had a clue how epic this was going to be when the press helicopter arrived!

Cross nationals was a lackluster ending to what was an amazing season for me. The ankle deep mud, and super slick course was too tough a match for my sub par technical skills. There was no place on the course where I felt in control of my bike. I never found a section of course where I said to myself " GO FASTER" ! After falling down countless times, my mindset was to just finish without getting hurt, and I couldn't even do that. A slight concussion on the last fall put an exclamation point ending to my season.

I have mixed feelings about my performance at KC. I see all the magazine pictures of races in Europe or Seattle. The epic weather conditions. Snow, rain, mud. Riders fighting the elements more than the competition. In my own mind I wonder how I could handle the same conditions. After my race on Thursday, I can tell you that I won't be purchasing any plane tickets for the upper Northwest next cross season!

But I still love cross. More than any other style of racing out there. And I will be back next season with the same enthusiasm that I started this season with. My off season begins tomorrow with dreams of the 08 season. Just maybe with a fast-grass-dry-power-non technical nationals course to finish off with!!!! Ty

NATIONALS

Still pulling MUD out of my ears! Crashed too many times to comment on. Ran more of the course than I rode. Last crash resulted in what the doctor said was a "slight concussion". I'll get more of the photos up and give a better report once my ego and swelled brain recover! Big thanks to William Huntsburger my traveling partner. Even when I lost his spare set of car keys, still gave me a ride home. Ty

MOTIVATION FOR NATIONALS " WHY"

Just a quick note to everyone. In a couple hours i'm meeting up with my designated driver William Huntsburger to start the trip to nationals. We are entered in the 30+ B race on Thursday at 11am. I am expecting cold+mud+strong competition+technical course+6hour drive both ways+extra money spent before X-mas+ mediocre training. This all equals my motivation for this race at an all time low. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't even expecting a top 50%, but man I need to suck it up!!!! I know once I get on line the adrenaline will kick in, but a little confidence going into tomorrow might not hurt. I won't have many photos of the race, but i'll try to take some of the ambiance surrounding the trip. Good luck to everyone going down, and drive safe! Ty

A YEARS WORTH OF TRAINING SO I CAN PEAK ON A TUESDAY TRAINING RIDE

My training log says that I need a few more hard efforts before the drive down to Nationals. So today I went to my practice course at a local park and set out to burn both leg and lungs. Warming up felt o.k. but it was a cold mid 20's F. The course was like ice, and traction in the corners was sketchy. The warm up done, I started putting some hot laps down. I know my "HOT" laps to most of you readers are warm ups, but today the stars aligned and I felt like a bike racer! I can only imagine that this is how the guys that lap me on a weekly basis feel. I had energy and power to burn, and I kept asking for more. My time limit up, and I didn't want to quit, which is rare. My bike put away and driving home, I realized that next week the season that I trained so hard for will be over. I also realized that my best ride on the cross bike this year may have just happened with nobody but the squirrels to see it. I came to the conclusion a long time ago that my love of racing bikes far exceeds my skill and ability to do so. But as long as I continue to have brief glimpses of fitness like I had today, I guess i'll continue to line up at the start line....... Ty

BACK FROM THE LEDGE

After several days of "post Jingle Cross self pity", I pulled myself back from the ledge of a season ending suicide leap! But a week of so-so training, and a hard effort at the park today, and i'm back psyched about my pending road trip to K.C. I'm not expecting miracles of increased fitness with one week to go, but I would like to not drive 6 hours, pay for food, hotels, gas, and feel like ASS on the start line. If any of the 2 or 3 readers of this site are at Nationals Thursday and Friday, look me up and i'm buying! For a cat 3 wantabe with sketchy technical skills, this is the mother of all road trips for me. What I lack in race fitness and skill, I will compensate for in alcohol consumption post race on Thursday! I'll try to take as many photos of all the local racers I see and post them all. See you there. Ty