25 Hours in Frog Hollow Solo: 3rd Place

25 Hours in Frog Hollow was fast and in hindsight, I should have raced it faster. I ended with 21 laps, good for 273 miles, 23K of climbing, and finished in 25 hours, 34 minutes and unsupported. I’m still having difficulty emptying the tank on 24 solos. I had a 1:07 last lap which was my 5^th fastest lap and explains what direction I will be taking my training regimen…power and confidence. I always have the next race to get it together, 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo.  I’m beginning to collect the tools to start applying more structured and measured training. Actually, any structure whatsoever would be more than I’ve had in years. For kicks, I did my first set of 3X20’s on a commute from work on the Thursday following the race. I’ve kept going out for rides since then to find the bottom, but it’s as if I’m already recovered. As always, I’ll take everything my legs give me.

If there is a race that I hold closest to my heart, 25 Hours in Frog Hollow is it. Cimarron Chacon, race organizer for Gro-Promotions, consistently presents a fantastic race venue with a friendly race atmosphere in one of the most gorgeous places in the world. The Mount Zion National Park is the back drop. That’s ridiculous. During the race, I remember taking mental snapshots of the sunset against Mount Zion and hoping I didn’t crash because I couldn’t peel my eyes off how unreal it was. I told myself that when the night is long, I have the sunrise to look forward to. It proved to be the greatest sunrise I’ve ever experienced. With mechanicals aside, it certainly helped to have the best witching hour laps of my life, so I had that going for me.

The course, located in Virgin, Utah was ultra fast this year, blue groove fast. The best trail of all, the Gem Trail, is a euphoric experience every single time. If you don’t know, then you need to take a look for yourself. It’s insane and I got to rail it 21 times and it never grew old. Racing is so much fun at Frog Hollow, it just doesn’t ever seem to hurt as much as the other 24’s. Do I need to mention that I’ll be back next year?! Whether I do the 24 Hour Solo World Championships next year or not, three weeks is plenty of time to travel back to the States and race like hell. 

Unfortunately, mechanicals continue to be a critical issue still. This time around, my fork was so packed up by 10pm at night that I raced the next 13 hours with literally an inch of sticky travel. Luckily, I’ve experienced this issue with my fork all year so I’ve become accustomed to it. I also experienced a broken spoke on both rear wheels by 4am so to compensate with the issues and for the rest of the race, I switched the pro pedal off to lean the bike back a bit and tip toed around the technical terrain that threatened the life of my wheel. I now know to adjust my 24 hour race template to include three wheelsets and two forks. Lesson learned. I have a secondary race bike from the Golden Bike Shop on the way so hopefully that’ll alleviate these issues. As always, thanks to Bo, Matt, Dane, and Taylor at GBS for helping me find the right bike for training!

Being nearly two weeks removed I am finding it difficult to provide a play by play of the race. It all seems to become a blur after the race and I swear I have a short term memory when it comes to racing. Maybe it’s because the day after the race, I had started focusing on the next 24 hour solo. Hell, I recall that I was thinking about 24 Hours in the OP on my last lap. By now, I’m identifying errors and corrections for winter training and racing the next 24. 3^rd Place was nice but I’m not exactly going to the races to lose. Congrats to Mark Wallace for getting 2^nd place and to Andy Wiedrich for hauling ass and snagging the top spot. It was great to race against those guys and it was pretty awesome that the podium racers all lived within 45 minutes of each other. It was bizarre that none of us passed each other during the race so it seemed that our standings had been established within the first several hours of the race.

The most dominating thought that lingers from this race is the question “Why didn’t I go faster?” I have no idea what I was waiting for. As if I was going to die from racing my bike too fast (actually that is a possibility, see the film 24Solo and you'll know what I mean). Maybe it’s because I’m so far removed from the race that the memory of how much suffering was involved is completely erased. But the thing is, I know that for the entire duration of the race, I had very little build up of lactic acid in my legs which brings me back to the question, “Why the hell didn’t I go faster?” Am I pacing for a 30 hour race? I’m not leaving everything on course which is a problem that will need to be addressed. Again, 24 Hours in the OP.

I’m going to the Philippines Sunday for a couple weeks to see my brother, so I couldn’t be more excited! There is no place I’d rather be than to be a spectator in the stands and watch him play. This will be the “off season” since I really don’t have a choice but to eats tons of sushi like it’s candy J and watch my brother kill it in the Philippine Basketball Association for the Petron Blaze Boosters. When I return, I'll throw a leg over the new bike and power meter for a heavy but very fun volume of winter training on canyon roads and finding clean trails wherever I can.

In closing out the last race of a solid 2012 season, I'd like to thank Candlepower Technology with their amazing lighting system, the TT1800. It puts me in the position to go fast during the night laps and removes me from the mercy of a poorly performing lighting system. Maxxis for supporting me in 2012 and 2013 with, hands down, the best racing tire on the market, the Maxxis Ikon. Nothing rails better than this tire while providing superior durability. Honey Stinger for their waffles and new organic gels which I use extensively in training and racing. I have fortunately been able to dial and schedule my intake during the 24 hour solos and these two products have provided an answer to avoiding GI stress and minimizing the race menu to only a few necessary products. Some racers like variety but I've learned lately that all I need is a few, select options. Also, Ergon for making products that fit the rider instead of the rider having to fit to the product. I couldn't imagine racing a solo without the Ergon GS2 grips. These grips allow for several hand positions and enough platform to minimize hand numbness even during the longer races. Thank you to Stan's NoTubes for the support this year and hopefully, I'll be back on board in 2013! I need me some indestructible wheels for training like the Flow EX's! Of course, thank you to the employees at Golden Bike Shop for being my bike's hospital and for the fantastic hospitality each time at the shop! Most of all, thank you to friends and family for the support along the way! I may have gone unsupported but it takes a village to get to the start line and is a massive boost of confidence when you know others are cheering for you and awaiting your results.

Thanks for reading! 

Tim

Preparing for 3 24 Solos

Stating that I am emotionally charged is an understatement. Taking on 3 24's in 5 weeks isn't going to be an easy task and will be a trip to remember, including the good and the not so good. I've been revisited by a special thought this morning. I understand that the races are races and in the moment, it looks like you're in a battle with the riders ahead and behind you but this is nowhere near the case. It's not a battle, it's a war within oneself and the only person I've truly competed against is the very person that intimidates me the most...myself. Nothing scares the shit out of me more than my own expectations. I have so much respect for all the fantastic riders that I will see very shortly because I know that they think the same. I know they're out to challenge themselves and see how alive one can truly feel.

I know that all this training, racing, and challenges I present myself are to maintain my sanity. Honestly, if I passed on these 24's it would create an insanity that would just rip me apart. So here goes nothing, for all those training rides and all the justice I need in my life, I'm ready to throw down. I'm so motivated by the poor relationships in the past that didn't show an ounce of support for my habits and for the lady that hit me with her 4Runner in January. This is a message that I've left those people behind. I just wish I could race myself from this past June when I won my first 24 hour solo because psychologically and physically I would kick the snot out of that dude. I'm not going to lie, I have had detailed thoughts of going down to the 24 Hours of Enchanted Forest course next spring all by myself to set up shop, simulate the race, and beat my results from June. I wouldn't put it past me. Besides, it would give me more time on the Nationals course for 2013 and 2014.

See you out there,

Tim

5 Weeks, 3 24 Hour Solos: Nats, Moab, Frog Hollow

I’ve heard of a story that occurred at Woodstock in 1969 between Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix took the stage and performed one of his miraculous songs while Clapton stood with the audience and in awe. After the song, the story is that Clapton turned to someone and expressed his new question, “What do I do now?”

 

That’s how training on the bike is and has been for a while, especially lately. For as much control as I think I have over this behavior, I’m not so sure I have as much control as I think I do. It must be the way I’m wired. It must be Type A. If there were a Type A+, that would be me. Every night after a ride, I am typically satisfied with my ride but by morning, that satisfaction is long gone and in that new day I need to prove myself all over again. There’s part of me that assumes the Clapton role and part of me that assumes the Hendrix role to get to where I want to be. Sometimes I feel like I’m the driver, sometimes I feel like I’m the passenger just watching the story develop and in wonder of what I’m going to do next. It’s one in the same with my analogy that what’s today’s ceiling is tomorrow’s floor and I continue like I’m building a skyscraper. What was once satisfaction becomes the expectation. This can somewhat explain why I continue to ride the way I do and lately has been no exception. Suddenly, my typical 18K feet of climbing in Breckenridge every weekend is not enough and I already have ideas for next summer to start at night and end in the next day’s light. I don’t really have much of a choice. The ceiling’s are brief and are almost always a barrier that our own mind has built. Breckenridge training over the last 2 months, weekend in and weekend out has been such an enlightening experiencing that I am still tremendously confused about what has transcended and how my mind and body has developed in ways that are overwhelming at times. If you don’t take your mind where it needs to go, the body will never follow. So if there are barriers that are unbroken and excused by excuses then there’s no way I will succeed. I’m about to challenge myself with three 24 solos in 5 weeks beginning with Nationals next weekend to see what I’m made up of. To see if all this internal dialogue is true. To see if the belief in myself is limited or unlimited because honestly, I think I’ve been searching for a roof that just doesn’t exist. If I believe I can do anything I set my mind to, then that gives me the liberty to exhaust that option.

 

Yesterday, I decided to add Nationals to my fall race schedule so this should be interesting on many levels. I’m just unbelievably fortunate to be alive and to have the ability to say there’s nothing I’d rather do with my life than to race 24 solos against racers like Tinker Juarez, Cameron Chambers, Josh Tostado, and Bill Martin, amongst others. In the next six weeks, I’ll be racing against all of them. Nothing is certain and I have no clue what’s in store, but I can be prepared. It may be hell but I’m so easily and unbelievably motivated and inspired by so many entities and incredible people, that if I need to put myself through hell to get to where I need to be, then hell it is.

 

See you on the trails,

 

Tim

Breck 100: Pre-race Report: Give It Hell

You’ve got to be careful. You’ve got to be grateful. Because before long, it will be taken. So enjoy it while it’s here. I had a small scare at work that nearly took what I love about my job, away. It was a good scare. Kind of like the one in January where I could have been wiped off this gorgeous planet, but somehow I was spared. I was in the position of asking, "Why not me?" Not the typical "Why me?" disconnect that people typically display. We’re all so lucky and we don’t even know it. I’m grateful I have the ability to ride a bike, nevermind the ability to have the legs that I do. I bitch and bitch when they don't show up at the races but I need to come to my senses by watching the Olympics this summer. South African, Oscar Pistorius, will compete in track for the 400 meter and 400 meter relay and hopefully this will be enlightening. Why? Well, he is a double amputee competing in the "able-bodied" olympics with prosthetic legs, that's why. Perfect example how if you don't train your mind, your body will not follow. Maybe then, I will finally stop complaining that my legs don't show up when I need them most. I'm planning on showing my gratefulness by giving it my all at the Breck 100. Gonna give it my legs, my heart, my hell. And those close to me, those not associated with my cycling side, know best and know just how much hell I have to give.

Courage Classic: Riding to Benefit Children's Hospital Colorado

Amidst a fantastic season of racing thus far in 2013, I have the opportunity to ride in the Courage Classic to benefit the Children's Hospital of Colorado on July 21 to July 23 in the Summit County area. Ever since being first employed at a recent position in the mental health field at Third Way Center, I've had a great affinity for the treatment provided by the Children's Hospital and their staff. Whether it's the dynamically pleasing environment, the top notch medical staff, the medical advances, or the technology and research involved, if you have not had the opportunity to see it for yourself, it is quite a sight to be seen. I am currently employed at Global Technology Resources Incorporated who has shown a strong form of support in recent years and I am incredibly happy to partake in this cause and experience this environment. GTRI is represented this year by several individuals, including good friend, Brett Ebben and we all are striving to provide donations to Children's Hospital. Please join me in assisting Children's Hospital by donating at the link below to support fantastic treatment for the youth of Colorado. Any contributions will be greatly appreciated! See how the donations are allocated here.

Donate to the Courage Classic benefiting Children's Hospital Colorado

If you are attending the event this weekend, please say hello! I'll also be representing the Trek Bicycle Store by wearing the team kit throughout the three days of riding.

Thanks and take care!

Tim

24 Hours in the Enchanted Forest Solo: 1st Place!

It would only make sense to begin with an update on my recovery from the January accident...I'm better than better. I'm better than I was before the accident. With the great gift of Boulder Center of Sports Medicine and my DPT, Larry Meyer, this past weekend was a dream come true. He not only restored my spine and hip alignment, but gave me the knowledge of my asymmetries which will only make me stronger on the bike. Since the accident, frustrations from an ineffective chiropractor had left me wondering if I would recover in time for this season. Within a few weeks at BCSM, I heard the words that had an unanticipated and immediate impact, something along the lines of "Tim, you're 100%." It was at that moment where a profound understanding took place as if I was given my dream again. I was ready to charge on and immediately my confidence towards 24 Hours in the Enchanted Forest began to grow substantially. What was so bizarrely entertaining was that I knew something magical was going to stem from this very moment and it couldn't have been more true.

Later in the same week, another monumental occasion presented itself. The totaled bike from the accident was still salvageable with quite a few adjustments. I was on the way to Golden Bike Shop who had been helping me with its resurrection. It didn't dawn on me until I was on the way there of how symbolic it was to have both myself and my bike back to good health in the same week. It was an effort towards justice and the statement that if life is going to try to keep me down, it would have to hit me with something bigger than a Toyota 4Runner the next time.

I couldn't take the synchronicity lightly. The following week I had returned to see Larry for a Basic Medical Bike Fit at BCSM. What better person to perform your bike fit than your DPT?! He made adjustments that I never thought of by my own observations. For instance, I understand now that my left femur is 8-10mm longer than my right and therefore we made several adjustments to help me avoid sitting crooked on the saddle for the first time in my life. I've never felt better on a bike and in the race over the past weekend, it showed. Not a single muscle cramp in 24 hours of racing. At the Voodoo Fire previously in the year and previous to BCSM, I was cramping and aching in about eight locations in my legs.

I realized that not only my body and my bike were aligned, but also the stars. It was undeniable through the language of life that I was being given an opportunity to do something great. Therefore, I prepared for the magical. It was the best way to frame it to myself to focus only on my goals and not the outcome. I've understood lately that attention to detail is one of my strengths and due to racing my first unsupported solo, I had no other choice but to be prepared. And for the preceding three weeks, all I did was think about how to prepare for the race and how to be so prepared that it was as if I did have someone for support. I was looking forward to a race with no support so that if I'm struggling in a future 24 hour solo when I do have support, I have no excuses because I know that I've done this on my own.

Clothing, arranged by thinnest layers on top, thickest layers on the bottom.

This is what preparation ultimately looked like on race day.

Scored a few water bottles from Bike Source. Thanks Jeremiah!

My go to tool box for Honey Stinger.

I also have to thank Ben Welnak, of Twenty2 Cycles, for keeping me in line before the race. And by in line, I mean not riding my bike for an absurd amount of hours before a solo. Here's how it started and it ended with him saying something about how I would drive a coach nuts with how I train. I'm still not sure what he's talking about :). Thanks to Ben putting up with my shenanigans, I think this is the first race in the last two seasons that I've tapered properly for.

Ben checking in before the race. Coincidentally, I was on my way to an "easy" ride so I pulled a U-turn and went back home like a good boy.

THE RACE

The 24 Hours in the Enchanted Forest race started at noon on Saturday, June 16, and went to noon on Sunday. The course was 99% glorious singletrack with 1100 feet of climbing per 16 mile lap in McGaffey, NM, a 9 hour drive from Denver. It sits at around 8,000 feet in a desert climate and was 95 degrees the day of the race.

Speaking of ADHD...

Thankfully, for once, there was no Le Mans start. My wish had come true, no looking like a bunch of tools running like we're dancing on hot coals to our bikes in carbon fiber soles. The race was underway and luckily the start was uneventful and I was finally riding my bike. Hallelujah! I can't explain how difficult it is to taper correctly by riding much less and allowing recovery to set in which also means to allow ADHD to kick my ass. No joke, cycling is my Ritalin and when I don't ride, my ADHD is through the roof like you would not believe. Thing is, I don't think people really notice because my ADHD is heavily regulated not by medication, but by cycling.

Lap 1 was underway and I must have been super hyper because I was a Chatty Cathy towing another soloist from San Diego around on the first loop. I'd tell him, "ok, I need to shut up now so I can save my energy for the race." Things is, I just kept on talking and playing getting to know you. My legs were feeling just the same and rearing to go but I stayed close to my goal of settling into my 24 hour pace and remaining under a determined heart rate for once.

Lapping through for the second lap was just like every following lap with no support of any kind. The lap throughs consisted of wiping the chain, applying lube, and stocking up on nutrition and hydration. Despite not ever lingering in the pits I still seemed to have lost quite a bit of time there. Maybe around 45 minutes to an hour over the course of the race which is unacceptable, especially since Nationals will be held here next year. That number will need to be cut down to less than ten minutes by the help of support.

The next several day laps were more of the same. Sheer awesomeness. I was dialing in the course well and due to adequate rest, I had hero legs I've never had before. Hero legs that not only lasted throughout the day laps but took me 13+ hours into the race with not much but mild discomfort in my legs going into the witching hours. I was dialed. I hadn't had to reach for the iPod or caffeine until the 1am mark which I did because that was part of the plan. I went into the witching hours ready to cast a spell on them and cast a spell I did. I did suffer from sleep deprivation where I was blanking out a bit and seeing things, but that's expected and was very tolerable by dialing back a hair on the mean and ripping descents. Like usual, I had an incredible amount of inspiration going into this race (see the busy handlebar). Where riders will have sayings like "shut up legs" on their bar, I have numbers. I won't disclose what the numbers mean unless it's to a close friend, just know that there is a deep seated therapeutic rational which is like motivation on steroids. Nothing makes me ride harder when the going gets tough than those numbers and the picture of my badass pro brother playing basketball against Kobe to the left.

When I first saw the sliver of light at 5:30am, I started picking up the pace more and making the final push to the end. I honestly had been riding so well that I just figured that I was in first place. If you ask me, my mindset had me in first place even before the race. A very helpful supporter of positive morale that I met before the race had asked me about how I was feeling about the race and I divulged an emotionally charged, "I think it's my time." I just knew. I didn't ask what place I was in until going into the 13th lap at around 6am where I was told that second place was only sixty minutes behind me. On lap 13, I therefore went at a cross country pace to give myself some insurance. When I lapped through, I was told that second place had made twenty three minutes on me. This is the only time when not having support made things difficult. I thought, "how could this possibly be?" I couldn't understand how in the world I just pulled a 1:26 13th lap and didn't put time into somebody, but rather someone put 23 minutes into me. Things weren't adding up but the only choice I had was to haul ass. I therefore very briefly panicked but regained composure and raced 1:24 laps on laps 14 and on my final lap, lap 15. I later found out that when they were giving me the time splits between me and second, I was actually a lap AND thirty seven minutes ahead which still doesn't make any sense. I ended up crossing the finish line seconds after second place who had completed his 14th lap. I think he thought he won when he crossed the line until it was announced that the winner was behind him. It was such a bizarre ending but I was so happy to be no longer confused and racing like my life was at stake, literally. I pretended like wolves were chasing me. Whatever it takes. If you have to play tricks on yourself to ride so hard that the pain brings you to the verge of tears, then that's what you need to do. There is no other choice in my mind. Nobody was going to take this away from me.

2012 Results and Lap Times

After years of dreaming, believing, and hard work, I finally won my first mountain bike race ever. For all the sacrifices, the cold winter rides, the suffering, it was well worth it. With such a fruitless sport of mountain biking, it gave me such joy to reap the rewards of everything I've been through ever since I first heard of 24 hour solo mountain bike racing a decade ago. I don't feel this race changed a thing, it only solidified my thoughts and beliefs around myself and 24 hour solo racing and where I want to take it. This was a great effort, a great first effort, but I'm leaving it at that. It was one win, no more. For instance, when I returned to work on Tuesday, I was so supported by my coworkers who decorated emails, meetings, and my cubicle with congratulations. It was so unexpected and so appreciated to have people support you. When Thursday came around, I couldn't focus with all of the congratulations around and had to take down the balloons, streamers, etc in order to focus on the next 24 hour race which looks like either 24 Hours in Colorado Springs Nationals or 24 Hours in Moab. I have a long way to go to fulfill my dream, so I've been analyzing where I can make improvements. It's not a time to relax just because I won.

SUPPORT

As for support leading up to the race, I have to thank Candlepower Tech for sponsoring me with the Trail Torch 1800 which has been a killer lighting system in training and racing. Don't believe me? Check the shoot out on MTBR. Sickest light out there and if you want to demo mine, please don't hesitate to ask, I'm always up for a night ride! Also, with support from Stan's NoTubes, I've been racing on the Race Golds which I haven't had to true yet this year I swear there's a motor in them! I'm lucky to have the support of Maxxis for tire selections in training and racing. I don't hesitate to run anything but the tried and true, Ikons in every race. Thank you to the Trek Bicycle Store Boulder and Louisville for your incredible support in keeping my Trek Superfly Pro 100 on the trail. Always a warm welcome when I walk into the shop, you guys rock! Thank you Ergon for keeping my hands happy when wrenching on the handlebar for 24 straight hours. I can't wait for the new SM3 saddles to come out! Also, thanks to Honey Stinger for making such incredible products, especially the Honey Stinger Waffles which are my #1 go to food for on the bike nutrition to restore calories in the ultra endurance events.

Most of all, thank you to Zia Rides, Lisa, Lindsay and the rest of the crew for organizing such a fantastic event and thank you to the team of volunteers that rocked day and night! You guys are all awesome and have built some fantastic memories over the weekend. I understand that it is chaotic to try to create such a fantastic mountain biking atmosphere and culture in the New Mexico area, I really appreciate your hard work. See you next year at the 24 HITEF Nationals!

So excited to ride my bike for 24 hours non-stop!

24 HITEF Articles

Mountain Flyer

Thanks for reading,

Tim

Spring Training Block

Lately, I've decided to begin physical therapy at Boulder Center for Sports Medicine to continue the rehab process originating from the accident in January. The chiropractic work was not exactly meeting my expectations. How do I know? The first visit with Larry Meyer at BCSM aligned my body better than six weeks of chiropractic work. Sold. Now I have a medical bike fit next month scheduled and couldn't be more excited, mo' powa'! After a few visits, I am confident that my body will be in a better balance than before the accident. A balanced body for the first time in months allowed my mind to balance and whole heartedly believe in what I want out of racing again such as the 24 Hours in the Enchanted Forest solo in June and the 24 Hour World Championships solo in September. I can finally breathe again.

What this means is I can stop thinking about how uneven my pedal stroke is and therefore the countless symptoms aching my body throughout and start thinking about the next major race, 24 HITEF. Beginning with the Voodoo Fire race on April 21, I have been involved with a four week block. I've skipped a couple RME races that I anticipated and when asked what my plan is for this month, I've always answered with, "I just want to ride my bike." This 30 day block will end on Sunday, April 20, one week before the Original Growler race. The plan has also been to climb 100k+ on my Trek Superfly Pro 100, using asphalt and dirt roads only when necessary. I'm guessing the singletrack has equaled to about 95%. Also, the goal within the goal this week was to complete a four day binge of Mount Falcon to LOTB and back. Same course, same gear (including my stellar lighting system by Candlepower Tech), similar nutrition, and to be faster than the day before. I have my many reasons for this redundancy and it was as much to feed and test my mind and strengths (i.e. feeding my self diagnosed autistic tendencies to repeat patterns) as it was to feed my body. Every day, I tried to find pockets of time, power, and recovery to beat the previous day's effort. Loved this idea and see Strava for latest stats.
After work today, it's off to Gunnison to round off my training block and recon the Original Growler course with Brett Ebben. I'm thinking two to three 2010 course laps on Saturday and a lap on Sunday which would put me well over my goal for the month so we'll see.

See you out there,

Tim

Today's Colorado Trail Ride

I took the suggestion of Ben Welnak of Twenty2 Cycles to ride Indian Creek and the Colorado Trail segment 1 for the first time and I can see now what all his rave has been about. As a New Englander, it brought me back home which created so much life to this ride. Good thing because I'm not quite sure what possessed me to pack a 20 whatever lb bag this deep into successive training days since the Voodoo Fire race last Saturday. Here's the ride details on Strava. Unfortunately, I was chased out of Buffalo Creek by threatening weather which shortened my ride by a few hours. Next time! That just means I'll have more energy tomorrow when I'm off to Nederland for the West Mag and Dot trails and if I'm fealing frisky I may see how Sourdough is fairing. I absolutely love West Mag since it's another trail system that reminds me so much of back home. Here's today's set up which includes seven water bottles, two of everything, lights, 2000 calories, and I thought of packing an extra saddle since the one in the photo has a bent rail and is probably on borrowed time.

Tour Divide

Friday evening and tucked in a pocket of the mountains. It's taken years of training but this week I've arrived in a personal and ultimate way - to feel like I can ride as much as I damn well please. One day, I will ride an overdue stretch of twenty seven hundred miles. I don't know if I'll be ready, but I sure as hell will be ready to try.

Voodoo Fire: Pro/Open Category: 14th Place, 20th Overall

I was full on the gas for 66 miles yesterday in my first Pro/Open race, stoked about the effort and finished in 5:06:39. This RME race was an fantastically organized event! Still heavily feeling symptoms from the accident. Starting physical therapy at Boulder Center for Sports Medicine this week and hot yoga soon to follow. Must get aligned! Big thanks to @trekstoreco and Les Handy for their amazing support!

More Than Meets the Eye

It's currently 21 degrees outdoors and on the backside of what I would call the witching hours. With a case of insomnia last night for a good reason, it's a great moment to explain what I mean by "More Than Meets the Eye."

It's been eons since my visit to the blogging universe. Since the 24 Hours in Frog Hollow to be exact. Life has been full of surprises. To catch up to speed, I've been riding here and there. I missed out on seeing my brother for the holidays but QT was spent with my parents and friends in New Hampshire. I started a new career path with a company that I absolutely love. Then two Saturdays ago, I was hit by a Toyota 4Runner...while riding my bike. I really believe that you can't truly manifest another's story of being struck by a vehicle until it happens to you. It's incredible how hyper vigilant I am of every 4Runner in town. Before being t-boned, I took a mental snap shot of something I may never forget.

I can't recall ever feeling like my life was so out of my control more than at that very moment. The site of the 4Runner grill before impact is where I've been stuck but every day is more space between that grill and me. Anything could have happened and I've considered myself lucky ever since. In the first zombie-like week after the accident, I overheard two associates on separate occasions uninfluenced by me state "sometimes you're better off lucky than good." I sat in my cube while those words showered me in truth.

With a therapeutic career background, I can't help but strive for justice out of this scenario. How dare someone be so reckless that it jeopardizes another's life? I'm not vindictive but I want justice. It needs to be something constructive that I can wrap my mind around. Putting a price on life by a reimbursement check only goes so far. I understand that I do have my life and therefore the upcoming season I'll go great lengths to achieve my goal, "Do What You Can't." Justice is digging in the trenches of suffering, because in the suffering is when I feel most alive. Pain literally makes me laugh out loud. It's the statement that I am here and I'm not going anywhere. It's the statement that life can hit me with a 4Runner but you better believe that I'll get back up and charge on.

***

What I mean by "More Than Meets the Eye" is that you don't go outside at this hour to feel the 21 degrees of chill to your bones. You go outside to train in 21 degrees of life. You understand that today's training ride doesn't start when you finally get a leg over the saddle. It started years ago. There's such a strong current of momentum in life, it just needs to be identified or chased. In my case, an origin point is 13 years ago when I turned a mountain bike magazine page to Chris Eatough and my first understanding of 24 hour solo racing. Deep down I knew there was something there - one reason to always acknowledge your gut feeling, a golden rule of mine. That's where today's ride starts and for example it's where the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo begins as well. If I were to approach a start line (of anything in life) without the understanding that there's something greater there than what I see with my eyes, I'll never survive. It reminds me of a push/pull relationship. It's about what you've experienced and chosen to lead you to that very moment...the push. And where your goals and dreams are...the pull. In my mind, it's a blurred start and finish line and it's been one giant race this whole time. Toward what destination, I'm unsure. I know of my goals for the months ahead and that my dreams have become reality. Most of me believes that I've "arrived," the rest is just icing on the cake. It'll just be a shit ton of icing! I'm not quite sure what lies ahead but I'm sure as hell training for it. I am incredibly enthused for my next race, 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo, in 3 weeks. It's a fantastic feeling to start with the momentum that I've experienced and a blessing to have the opportunity to race. It's a gold mine to understand how lucky I am to experience indescribable depths of pain for those next 24 hours.

Now it's off to Trek Bicycle Store Colorado to pick up a fat slice of justice pie. Delicious and the source of insomnia! Photos to be posted on twitter.


See you out there,

Tim