At 9 AM on January 14, 2017 I was on a bus driving past Usain Bolt’s high school in the middle of Jamaica. I was also frantically trying to turn on my cellular data to find out if Ryan got me registered for Dirty Kanza. I quickly found out he did and was simultaneously overcome with a feeling of relief and a feeling of oh sh!t. I wouldn’t find out until later that day when I arrived back in the US that the race sold out in minutes. But it was official, I was in. (more…)
Race Reports
24 Hours in the Old Pueblo Solo Singlespeed – 2017
Did Not Finish…I cringe just typing those words. Writing this race report stings and hurts, and it’s definitely not the one I wish I were writing. Last year my goal was to finish and surprisingly I finished in second place so I knew right away that I would be back to really compete…to continue to push my body to its limits. I picked up my training and focus for the entire next year in preparation for this year’s race. All efforts were aimed to finish the 24 Hours to the best of my ability. And for 20 hours of the race it was all coming together until an aggressive pass from a fellow rider sent us both down, and I stayed down…DNF.
But let’s rewind a couple of weeks… (more…)
Dawn to Dusk Race Report: Removing the Asterisk
Dawn to Dusk is an Arizona classic mountain bike race held every December on the Pemberton loop at McDowell Mountain Regional Park. This year would mark my fourth time participating in the race, second solo effort, and Danielle’s first time on a female duo with her teammate Ashley. I started looking forward to this race last year when I managed to win the solo singlespeed category. Despite the win in 2015 I always felt like there should be an asterisk next to my name. (more…)
#CrossIsHere
This past weekend marked the start of the AZ Cyclocross season so Danielle and I made the trek to the small town of Globe, AZ for the Flat Tire Cross Race presented by the “World Famous” Flat Tire Bike Shop. While we entered the CX scene late in the season last year, we were immediately hooked, especially Danielle. She couldn’t get enough and we even made a trip to Sea Otter Classic in April so she could race in the off-season. So needless to say the first race of the season was circled in red ink on her calendar. (more…)
TOWM: Off to a Good Start
A few months ago I impulsively signed up for the fifty mile single speed race at the Tour of the White Mountains, a mountain bike event put on by Epic Rides in Pinetop, Arizona. I had never been to Eastern Arizona and knew almost nothing about the course, but Epic Rides puts on great events and I had the weekend free so I decided to give it a go. As the race quickly approached I was a bit nervous, due to my lack of knowledge on the course and inability to get a pre-ride in I still wasn’t sure which gear to run. I asked everyone I knew trying to get a sense of what to expect. I heard everything from smooth and flowy to ‘you will curse your life on the hike a bike section’. A wide variety of responses left me flying blind so I decided to go with my standard 34×19 gearing and see how it would play out. The one thing I did know about the race, the altitude, was also contributing to my pre race nerves. Historically, I haven’t done well in races at altitude and this one starts at 7,200 feet..not crazy high, but high enough for this desert dweller to be worried. (more…)
Barn Burner 2016 Co-Ed Duo Race Report
Whether it’s a team race or one we both complete individually it continues to amaze me how we always have such a different experience. Below is a quick report from Danielle and me on how the day played out.
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Goolds Gone Wild 