New Challenges

2019 was a tough year for me as a competitor. I was finally committed enough again to be “training”, but couldn’t stay consistent enough to be fully prepared. That’s hard to take when you see glimpses of what could be, and you’re just one percent off. That’s really all it takes to just miss the top step. I got a lot of second and third places, which is fine if I felt that was all I was capable of, but it’s not.

Before getting to the new challenges part, I was thinking back on my last 10 years like most people probably did with the new year. You see, I’ve only been racing bicycles and riding them for fitness for 13yrs. Which sounds like a long time when I say it, but it’s nothing compared to most of my competitors on the national level who are ex-pros and junior phenoms. I started in mid twenties, knowing absolutely nothing about cycling, following a recommendation from my buddy Steve Swope.

My first big motivator was a fast guy named Ray Hall. I knew nothing about him other than the fact he was was better than me. Naturally I decided I needed to be that fast. It took a long time to figure out how to race at that level, but I finally got there, thanks to guidance from Ray himself at times. We’re good buddies now too, by the way and even neighbors, and we still duke it out on the MTB!

Jumping forward to my next big motivator. Also a good friend now and employer, Jake Lasley. Once I tried Cyclocross for the first time I was hooked. Again, I knew nothing about this discipline and it took a while to figure it out. Even just the basic equipment side of it. Skipping over a lot of the timeline, I saw Jakes level and wanted to reach that. At times it honestly didn’t seem realistic to me. I remember finally beating him at a race in OKC, I remember it vividly and it felt like my biggest win ever!! Still ranks up there pretty high to be honest. Little did I know I was still not quite there though. Becoming teammates and learning from him, and our other teammate Paul Bonds, I pieced it all together and finally made it to that level. Which was satisfying for me and a nice place to settle…. until I saw the next challenge.

Another Jake! Due to race day scheduling conflicts I decided to do the Single Speed race at FayetteCross. Jake Wells was there and he is the multi-time Single Speed National champ. We went to war both days with some of the most fun racing I’ve done in a while. He got the better of me both days and it was all good. He’s such a nice guy you almost don’t mind getting beat by him. We squared off again at Cincy CX. More running this time and he was much better than me there. I felt I was riding better, but he was running better and I feel that lost me the race. This one frustrated me for that reason. Fast forward to Pan-Ams in Canada. I rode with Jake through lap 2 into the stair run ups. Once we got to the top, the race was over. He was just too good running. Frustrating again. Not because he was good, but because I had ignored that part of CX prep hoping to just get by without it.

So the new challenge? Raising my game to match this level. I’ve already began running quite a bit in hopes of building a solid base before we get to CX season. I’ve been getting a lot of shit about running so much, but it’s ok with me. It’s just what has to be done. My main point being there’s always another attainable level and always someone just a little better. I hear and see a lot of people urging others to “cat up” when they’re dominating a certain category. In some cases, yes they shouldn’t be there, but in many others people just want to push away the best so they get their podium picture. Maybe instead let them motivate you and raise your level. Learn from your competitors and let them learn from you. It’s ok to ask your competitors questions as well. I’ve asked all three of the guys mentioned in this questions at one time or another and they willingly helped. Good quality competitors want good quality competition. We all want to win, but what fun is that if you don’t feel you’re beating the best?

Cyclocross: Why not?

Now hear me out before you give me your funny answer… I want to know why Cyclocross is not your main discipline of focus for your cycling. I have many theories, but want to know if any are true.

Theories

First of all, I get there are time and money restraints for most of us working adults. So if you can’t swing yet another bike in the fleet, I get it. So that aside, let’s talk about why you don’t race CX. Is it the fear of the unknown? Are you very comfortable in the world of road or MTB and just not sure if you want to step into something new that you have to relearn all the equipment and technicalities? If so, I would be happy to help inform you, seriously. Have you already tried it and not liked it? This is one of my theories that I strongly feel causes people to try and dislike CX. Imagine you are planning to try a crit race for the first time. You piece together or buy a bike. Keep in mind this isn’t the nicest bike because you “want to see if you’ll like this first”. Then you ride it around a week or two, maybe do a group ride as well. You do no specific training, then you just go do a crit. Remember, you’ve never done this before, so let’s pretend you have no experience to work with. How do you think that would go? Not very well is my guess. Well that’s the approach many people take to CX, and it doesn’t go very well. I feel proper prep is almost more important in CX than any other discipline due to it being such a short, intense effort. Skipping that part could definitely make it not so much fun. Is it the fact that people you can beat down in your favorite discipline can now beat you in CX? I understand that could not be fun, but why is this the case? Maybe the answer is a missing piece of the puzzle to make you a much better, more well rounder bike racer 🤔.

What’s the point?

Look I have little to gain from anyone jumping into CX. Other than the fact that I would like to see it grow, and I think it’s a very low barrier to entry for the youth. I just feel a lot of people either haven’t tried, or got the wrong impression due to a couple poor decisions preparing. I just thought this may open some eyes, and maybe get some more of you out in the fields with us this Fall/Winter. Keep in mind, the races are very short, you could cut down those training hours a little too 😜. Leave comments and/or message me if needed. Like I said, I’m happy to answer questions or guide you if you want to give ‘Cross a real try. I’d love to see the participation grow. Hope to see you soon between the tape!

Pro-Am and Tulsa Tough

Crit season has come and gone. I know there are still a lot of crits to be raced, but for me it ends with Tulsa Tough weekend. I really enjoy racing crits, although I never make big plans around them as I never know how motivated I’ll be to actually jump in and race. I didn’t decide to race the OKC Pro-Am until the last minute, and had zero intentions of racing Tulsa Tough. What a mistake that would’ve been!

PRO-AM

I went to OKC with no real expectations. Top 5 or something would’ve been good, obviously a win is always nice, but I didn’t really know where I would fit in given it was my second crit of the year and there were a lot of new faces. I used my knowledge of these courses and where the moves had to happen to put myself in the right spot both days I raced (Fri./Sun.) Friday I came in the last turn third wheel, perfect setup, but the guy in front of me clipped his pedal causing me to hesitate just enough to lose my momentum. I still had an ok sprint and ended up 4th. Sunday was a better course for me, the more technical the better. I played this one smart, and other than one guy sneaking away with 2 to go, it setup as perfect as it could for me. My teammate Cailean kept it strung out to fend off attacks leaving me third wheel going into the last lap. I made my move where I had planned to and took the field sprint for second.

TULSA TOUGH

My racing in OKC got me thinking I wanted to now race TT. I was riding well so didn’t wanna waste my fitness, but then again TT is another animal with the massive fields. You can be super strong and make a couple tactical errors and you’re out the back, there’s just too much power in a 130 rider field. My teammate Colt reached out to offer his entry for Sunday, (this race sells out in January for the 1/2 race and is really difficult to get into last minute) and I secured a Friday night spot as well from a racer in Arkansas that couldn’t make it. Having never raced the Friday night course, I reached out to teammate Bryan Duvall for tips on it (Bryan has won the race before so knows how it plays out). His words were super helpful and although I missed the winning break, I was really happy with 3rd in the field sprint to get 7th. I’ve never been close to a top 10 at TT so a solid start for the weekend. Once again Cailean put in some big efforts to help keep the field from swarming late in the race. I skipped Saturday as it was an hour earlier than normal making it impossible to get there on time after work. It was pretty hot though so I wasn’t that bummed 😜.

CRY BABY HILL

This is one of the biggest crits in the US, and it’s weird to me that it’s a 15min bike ride down Riverparks from my house. I’ve always raced this race to “stay in” or finish. After Friday night, that wasn’t the goal. I text the fellas on Sunday morning and told them we were racing to win and there was no reason we couldn’t. I started in the very back, so I went pretty hard the first 3 laps and moved into the top 15. The hill is hard no matter where you’re sitting but other parts of the course are more taxing the farther back you are. The hill was insane as always, but the added barriers made it much more consistent and safer feeling. The crowd is super motivating every time through, there’s just so much energy. Add to that the cheers all around the rest of the course for the Soundpony riders, and it kept us wanting to fight regardless of the pain. Guess who absolutely buried himself at the end to put me in place to finish off the race? Yep, Cailean again! When I passed him and saw he was done, I knew I had better finish it off to make his effort worth it. We come through and get 1 to go. There’s 3 guys up the road I believe. Someone jumps to chase through Start/Finish and I go with him. Full gas up the hill, the crowd is deafening, we catch the 3 at the top. I had one choice here as they slowed and looked at each other, GO! If I slowed the field would swarm and it would be over. I attacked over the top, tried to breathe for a second, then rounded the corner to Galveston and stood up and attacked with all I had again. I hit the decent down to Riverside in first. I carried a little too much speed through the turn, nearly had to bank off the curb, which caused the very slightest delay in my jump to sprint. I gave all I had but after that full lap effort I didn’t have enough to finish it off. A bike throw at the line secured third. A great result that I’m super proud of, but it always stings being oh so close!

Ryan Currie took the win, which is still pretty cool to have 2 Oklahoma racers on the podium with this type of national competition. The payoff is definitely the victory lap up CBH after the race. It’s bananas up there and when you’re done racing you can really take it all in. Thanks Tulsa for the support, what a wild experience! Too soon to know if I’ll race crits next year or not 😂😂, but for now it’s Cyclocross season.

Thanks James Gann for the finish sequence 📸

Marathon Nats 2019

I’m back!! I have not been on here in a long time. It’s easy to get out of the routine. I keep coming across my old blogs in my Facebook “memories” though and I like reading them. It brings back all the feelings, good or bad, and there’s always little things in there that I have forgotten about. So I’m going back in!

A little backstory with me and marathon type racing first. To keep it short, it’s never been something I’ve been successful at. I love the idea of it, but it always goes bad, really bad. I tried really hard from February this year until now to try and fix this issue. I refused to believe that I just couldn’t do this. I did my own training plan, based off of old training plans that Mark TeRuki had given me. He also was always available when I need his guidance and to help make adjustments. Next I leaned on Dave Sheek. Good friend of ours, Aubrey’s new coach, and very qualified as a CTS coach. Basically Dave know his shit. He opened my eyes to exactly where I was going wrong with fueling. My first test was Ouachita Challenge this year. I had high hopes. Not of winning, just having a good solid race…. it was a disaster. I left dejected and ready to give up on marathon racing, including Nats. Mark, as always tried to make me focus on the positives, which were few but there were some. Also my co-worker and buddy Ryan Dupree told me we were gonna put in some long rides. Which we did. Ultimately those two not letting me quit lead to my success this weekend.

Marathon National

The family and I loaded up Thursday evening and drove to OKC. We were taking my parents RV so we went there and loaded up. Early Friday morning we were on the road to Palo Duro Canyon. I really like this trail system and was exciting go ride. As always with PDC there were frustrations with the Park Police and staff. I don’t know what it is, but it’s always difficult working with those people. We got unloaded and Aubrey and I headed out for a lap. Normally this would be a bad idea as it’s a 20+ mile lap. A few weeks ago I had the idea to take Specialized Turbo Levo E-bikes though. This allowed us to cruise the trail at a comfortable effort, but at race speed. It worked out great!

Trail was in perfect condition for the ride, then it rained for about 3hrs straight. Even after the racers meeting we weren’t sure if we were racing the next day or not. I heard my phone ding in the middle of the night, so I checked it right away. Phone serous very spotty there so when it’s working you gotta use it! The start had been delayed until noon, we were racing.

Race Day

Let’s get right to it. We had a short road section to start. As always some people took off but were quickly caught. I stayed patient and saved my energy until right before the single track started. Then jumped and fought my way into third place Brandon Melott and Daniel Matheny. Brandon of course I’m familiar with, I had never raced Daniel, but I knew he was the defending champ of this category. Brandon moves into first and seemed to be flowing better than Daniel and creeping away slightly. I stayed calm but moved to second when I could do so without too much effort. After the short start loop I moved into the lead. Brandon of course matched me and we started working our way through traffic from the fields that started in front of us. This was much easier to do than it was last time I raced this race in Arkansas. We were soon alone, just the two of us, just like we have done countless other times the last twelve years. It didn’t even feel like Nats to me, because it was so familiar. We came through the Lighthouse feed and Ryry was there with some fuel. I knew the trail went uphill gradually for a good but after that feed so I stayed ready. We still thought we were alone but little did we know Daniel was right behind us! We never knew until after the race though.

Brandon attacked and I knew this was it. I had to match, I could not give him anything. All went well, it was hard but I was feeling good. The moment I lost the race came about 4K from the end of lap 1. A short technical climb with options. I followed Brandon, but he chose a bad line and moved over making it worse. He tapped me by the smallest amount, I’m talking 2-3 sec. That gap allowed him to squeak by a Pro woman we had caught, and I was caught sitting behind her for what felt like forever as I watched him ride away. I don’t blame her, there was nowhere for her to go, and my mistake caused it. He put the hammer down. I could see him but knew better than to make the effort to close. I just settled in for lap 2. I lost energy for a bit on lap 2, it was hard! Daniel caught and passed me and I was getting that familiar feeling that I didn’t like. I just started hitting it hard on the SiS gels hoping for something. I knew the last 8 or so miles well, and I knew I could ride them very fast if I had the energy. Then something unfamiliar happened… I started feeling better, I started flowing, I was able to race still! Lighthouse feed again, Ryry again with the feed, I look up and I see Daniel. This was new to me, actually catching back up to people at the end of these. I was really happy, but tried to take my time catching him. We locked together about 6 miles from the end. I felt I was holding back but still I waited. I went around just before a technical sectional with a steep climb. I hoped he would bobble there, but no dice. I felt it was going to likely be a sprint. Then, again, I took the same crappy line in the same place I lost Brandon! Daniel got by and got about 10 sec. on me. I wanted to give up knowing that was it. I told myself this was nationals, there was less than 2 miles left, get your ass going! So I dug deep, my legs were screaming and on the verge of cramping, but I drove those pedals with all I had. I could see him still just ahead doing the same. It was a 3k drag race. I closed to within about 6 seconds but when he hit the pavement I knew it was done. I was really happy with my race. Top 3 was my goal coming in, but second would’ve been nice too! Brandon was only about 2 min up on me which was much better than I expected. Our times would’ve put us in the top 11 of the Pro field. That let’s me know that I raced well, and the other two were just really tough competition.

As good as everything went, being a competitor you always want just a little more. You know how people say they’re “hungry ” when referring to competition? I’ve always understood this, but yesterday I actually felt this. When you achieve the top, such as being national champ, you feel full. For me anyway when I did it, super relaxed, all is great. Well yesterday I had a physical hungry feeling in my stomach, and not just from the calorie deficit! I felt unsatisfied. I want a MTB National Championship. I have wanted one for a long time. I like how this is trending. My first 3 CX Nats went 5,3,1. So far with Marathon Nats I’m 4,3,?. This won’t be easy, but what’s the point if it’s easy right?

Belgium and Beyond

Well I’m winding down the trip of a lifetime here in my Brussels hotel room. As great as it has been I’m very ready to be home tomorrow. Talking about this trip began a full year ago, and I honestly didn’t think it would really happen. I had doubts until about a month before we left. Luckily my wife, Vanessa took control and made it happen. She, with the help of a few others, organized a huge fundraising effort and the community really got behind us. For that I’m very grateful. I wish I could’ve delivered a better result, myself and many of you expected better, but I had no idea what I was in for.

I’ll be honest, I’ve never gotten the ball rolling with motivation this year. I’ve tried and tried and the fire wasn’t there. The motivation to train, and race my best hasn’t been the same since I won Nationals in Connecticut. The preparation and focus for that took much more out of me than I wanted to admit. I’ve had a tough internal battle to keep going this year to not let other people down. Finally about 6 weeks ago I couldn’t kid myself anymore. I was over it. I told Coach Teruki and Vanessa I would push through Worlds but after I just didn’t want to do it anymore. Mark, being the amazing coach and person he is, totally understood. He did a great job of keeping things interesting to keep me going as he knew my head wasn’t in it. I felt good on race day. Got in last minute in OKC with Dr. French at Livewell Chiropractic and my legs and body were as good as I could ask for. With all that said, I could’ve been as motivated as ever and I still don’t think I could’ve won the race in Belgium. As with any kind of race on a level above the norm, you must experience it firsthand to understand what it takes. Paul and I learned a LOT this week. We have a new respect for the European racers and courses. We understand why they are as good as they are. There were several moments of enlightenment this past week. So 15th place, not great, not terrible, but the value of this trip and knowledge gained was absolutely worth it.

As far as my future, I think my Cx season is done. The thought of attempting to be fit enough to compete in Reno doesn’t sound at all appealing to me. It’s been a long time since I’ve thoroughly enjoyed riding my bike. I’m going to get back to that as well as focus on helping my kids prepare for Reno. It’s not that I don’t like it, I’ve just been pushing myself as a bike racer for 11 years now, and I’m satisfied. This was one last big one to go for, I came up short, but it’s done now. I have nothing to prove to myself or anyone else, but I have much to give from things I’ve experienced. I’m looking forward to helping the current and future generations achieve their goals now. I will still be racing when I feel like it, and riding plenty, but done riding and racing because “I have to” for a while.

Back to Racing

Last weekend we FINALLY got to go racing. We drove up to Iowa City for Jingle Cross. Pretty easy trip up on Thursday and got some time in on the course. It was very similar to last year other than it was very dry and hard packed. With all the loose corners and steep hills we all decided to run our all around Vittoria Terreno Mix tires. The extra grip was much needed. 

Ryan raced first on Friday and had a really good battle for first. The kid he was racing went down in a corner and that sealed the win for Ry so the bar was set for the rest of us. Aubrey raced next in the women’s 1/2 race. She rode a really smooth race and held third until about 1 to go and ran out of steam. She dropped to 5th which was still really good in that field. Paul rode away with his race in the Masters 45-49 against some stiff competition. I was next in the U39(a category change from the norm that really diluted what our field normally is) with Jake starting 30 seconds back in the 40-44. I had no legs on this day and kind of suffered to maintain the whole race and ended up a disappointing second. I didn’t feel great and definitely rode pretty bad. Jake won his race though so I was happy to see him going good. Day2 was pretty similar, I won my race but the guy who beat me on day 1 didn’t race so that was a bummer. Still didn’t ride great but got to battle with Jake some so that was a good motivator. Ryan, Paul, Jake, and myself all took home Jingle Cross Omnium wins and jerseys which was very cool. Especially for Ryry, he is very proud of that jersey as he should be. 

Sunday we went out and got to relax and watch the World Cup. Always so cool to be able to interact so closely with those guys and watch them race. Puts their speed and power into perspective when you can see them ride the same course as you rode. It’s unbelievable how fast they go. 

This past weekend we went to the final Tour de Dirt mtb race just to have some fun. It was a really well put on event and it was nice to see so many people we haven’t seen in a while. Being last minute we didn’t get a chance to ride the course so we all went in blind other than the first couple miles. Ry had some troubles but still ended up 4th. Aubrey tried out a Stumpjumper 6fattie for the first time and absolutely loved it! She plowed through the rocks to win her race. I was unsure of myself after not racing mtb for so long and especially not wanting to push too hard and risk getting hurt. I had a lot of fun though and got a bit of a gap halfway through so that I could ride within my limits to keep it upright. My new Specialized Epic is so sweet on that choppy, rocky terrain. Just goes right through it.

This weekend we have the first Oklahoma CX race which kicks off a pretty busy string of racing for us. We are ready though, my family doesn’t do well with not racing on Sundays! Hope to see everyone out in Harrah this Sunday. 

Bike practice

Wow I guess it’s been a while since I’ve been on here. It’s been pretty busy making all the adjustments to a new place and making the time for this just didn’t happen. Looking back a lot has happened since last time. We did a LOT of crit racing, I picked up 2 State Championships (Masters 30-39 and Cat 2), and Aubrey grabbed another for herself. I jumped in Tulsa Tough last minute and got my best finished ever there. Of course I was overshadowed by Aub winning Cry Baby Hill! That was a great race to watch and such a proud moment. 

Work life and day to day has settled into what feels normal now, and not so new and foreign. We still love it here and the kids really enjoy the freedom of getting out and riding on their own. This brings almost daily visits from Ryry at the shop. I think he mainly comes to engage DuVall in rubber band fights though.

By now you must’ve heard that #crossiscoming. That means tons of bike practice. Which is basically pretending to race in a hot field. I don’t like waiting for the racing. I don’t like pretending to race but this is the time to get that work done if you want the results in September. Just finished my first full training block and things are going really well. All the numbers are the best I’ve seen and my CX skills are coming back around. None of that guarantees wins, but it helps ease the mind when it’s going the right direction. The kids are both riding well also. We’ve been having open invites for people to come ride with us on skill days so that’s been fun. We spend a lot of time riding with just us, so having more faces around helps keep it light and motivating. 

Seeing my National Champ kit designs and knowing they are in production is also a great motivator. There’s a big sense of relief achieving that goal. Almost to the point of losing the drive to push because I feel I’ve “done it”. Then again, the thought of racing in those colors brings the drive back. You’ll also notice the gray stripe on the leg. We changed that for this season to show our support for Trinity Lasley and the battle she is enduring to get healthy again. Her and her family are going through a very rough time right now, yet she has had a great attitude and just keeps pushing on. It’s no doubt that #trinityisawarrior and we will be racing with her all season. 

The plan to head to Belgium in December for Masters Cyclocross World Championships is looking pretty real as well. Unfortunately Jake won’t be able to go, so it will be Paul and myself going. I’ll be going with big ambitions but thinking of all the logistics just to get to the start line makes me realize how hard those goals will be to achieve. Regardless the plan is to make it happen and be as prepared as possible. While on the subject we will be having a CX Clinic/fundraiser for that cause soon. If you or someone you know needs the help in CX please come and join us. We ask are accepting donations even if you don’t wish to attend. 

That’s all I have for now, sorry it’s been so long. I’m going to try to stay on top of it now. 

One Week in Tulsa

Well we made it! We are one week into our new life in Tulsa, Ok. Still settling in and getting things unpacked, but we love it so far. The house is coming together and we all really like it. It takes us less than 5 min to get to the River Trail system on our bikes! We also have a decent backyard here, which we did not in OKC, and the dogs are spending plenty of time exploring out there. Last Sunday Ryry and I built a fire pit for Vanessa’s Mothers Day wish. 

We have gone to do a few rides so far. I took the kids out last Saturday on the trails, then Sunday we went out with Mark TeRuki also on the trails, just further out. I met up with Jake Lasley Tuesday morning and he took me for a 40 mile spin before work to show me some good riding West of town and followed that up with the Tulsa Wheelmen Tuesday night crit. We were happy to see a lot of junior and women racers there too. I was off work Thursday so I rode to Turkey Mountain to try out a Specialized Camber, and learn the trail system. It’s a 20min ride from the house so a perfect Warmup and cool down distance. I did pretty well in the rocks first time out, only went over the bars once! Everyone’s been so welcoming and helpful here, that’s made it much easier. There’s so much to do, because it’s all new to us, so we are having to pull back and not try to go do everything right away. I did take Ryan out to Turkey to assist with a trail work day for the upcoming Turkey Mountain MTB Festival. We had some good bro time, until we realized we were being overtaken by ticks. They were all over us! I didn’t get any riding, so likely just because we were reaching way back and trimming. But bring your spray to be safe next weekend. 

I am working at T-Town Bicycles here in Tulsa. It’s going good, there’s always an adjustment period to figure out the process at a new workplace, but I’m getting there and everyone there is super cool and helpful. The commute is very short, 20 min on my bike, so I’ve been using the old school Stumpy which is perfect for the ride. I did get a disappointed look from Jake when he saw my 1x on there though haha! 

Well that’s week 1, hope to see all my OKC friends this weekend at the Sand Springs crit, or next weekend at Turkey. 

MTB Marathon Nationals

Sunday was MTB Marathon National Championships in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. After driving half way across the country twice to race CX Nats, it was nice having this race so close. This is also the main reason for me going and racing. I know I’m not great a marathon type racing, but if someone regionally is going to take this on, I want to go support the event. 

Saturday was the Oklahoma State Championship Road Race at Draper Lake. I wasn’t racing, which I wish could have, but Aubrey was. She’s been having a good year on the road and I knew she had a good shot at the win. We went out earlier in the week and rode the course and specifically studied the long uphill finish. Sounded like a pretty active race with a few attacks going, but she and a couple others helped neutralize those and it came to a bunch sprint. As they rounded the final bend into the finish, ( the spot where we discussed the sprint should start), I see her pop around from about 5th wheel. The whole field looked gassed as no one stood to sprint. They were all pushing hard but seemed to not have the legs left for a standing sprint. As she got closer I could see a definite gap and she increased it to the line. Impressive effort and good start to the weekend winning the women’s Cat 4 State Championship. 

The kids decided not to go to Arkansas so Vanessa and I set off on the first race trip with just the two of us in a really long time! We arrived around 5:30pm, settled into Bike Lab team cabins, and I headed off to ride. I picked up my packet as well and was excited to see I was given # 151. This was my motocross number for years and it was cool to finally get it at a bike race! Since it was a 24 mile lap, riding the entire trail wasn’t the best plan so I rode the harder sections. I planned to figure the rest out as I went on sunday. We had a team dinner then all hung out around a campfire for a bit. It was pretty quiet as this was a few of the teams “A” race for the year and nerves may have been a bit high, understandably. 

Sunday morning we got to the race and got things sorted quickly, funny how little there is to do when there’s only one person racing and not three! Talked to a few Oklahoma and Texas friends and got in a little warm up. It was an uphill road start, and I was unsure what the pace would be so I made sure to have my legs ready, good thing! The guy I lined up behind jumped at the gun and drove the pace into the hill, but finally backed off a bit. From there about 3 other attacks went. I leap frogged onto each one to stay up out of trouble. They went but looked to me to pull through but I wasn’t interested in that. I knew we had a long way to go. I finally jumped at the top of the hill and got a gap into the downhill road section. I got caught, and I sat and waited until the trail began and jumped one more time and went in first. I kept the pace high up the double track climb and by the end of the prologue I was second wheel and we were about 30 sec up on third place.

The three of us came together due to catching traffic from the group before us and we went back and forth for about half the lap. The leader crept away as I stayed in the zone I knew I needed to and hoped maybe he was going too hard. I was second or third all that lap, but could feel my legs were pretty tired by the end of lap 1. I knew this wasn’t good but all you can do is keep going. About half way through lap 2, I was suffering and legs were cramping, I see Ray Hall coming. He started two waves behind me so I knew he was flying, and leading his race! Along with him came fourth place in my group so this dropped me to fourth, no big deal as I wasn’t going anywhere fast. Ray felt bad for dragging him along, but that guy pushed Ray to the finish, and he won a National Championship!! I would much rather he win and I get fourth instead of third. The rest of the lap had good and bad moments, I would latch on to people passing and that helped up my pace at times. I hit the final double track climb, and both legs were completely locking up each pedal stroke. I had two options, stop and rest them, or just pedal through them and get to the top. Neither were good options so I kept pedaling. I was relieved to cross that line. Fourth place is ok considering. I don’t feel I put in what’s required to win. I pretty much feel the effort I put in and where my mind was at with this event, I got out exactly what I put into it. 

I went straight to Ray and gave him a big hug, I know that feeling and I was so happy for him. I knew he put everything into it and had the first or nothing mentality and he pulled it off. I was also excited that Mat Ankney who was “just there to ride” got fourth as well in the same age group as Ray. Oklahoma had a great showing with 6 medals and 2 National Championships jerseys! Our state is definitely on the map in all disciplines these days. 

So with that comes and end to my time racing on the Bike Lab team. What a great team it has been that has provided me with so many opportunities and given me tremendous support. It would’ve been nice to end with a jersey, but a podium medal isn’t bad. 

It also brings an end to #yearofthehardtail. It was a good run, and I saw it through as long as possible, but the hardtail will now find a new owner to hopefully ride it into maximum wickyness. I’ll be living 3 miles from Turkey Mountain in Tulsa, full squish sounds like a much better idea. I’m prepared for the online backlash I’m about to get from this so bring it on!! 

Our Final Days (in OKC)

The time is almost here. That’s right, in one week we are relocating to Tulsa, Ok. It’s been in progress for quite a while, but the time has really flown by with all the planning and packing needed to make the move. We are all pretty excited about being in a new city and experiencing all the new things that come with it. Vanessa has been working up there two days a week for the past few weeks which has been a challenge for us, but one we got through and it was just how it had to be to make it all work. 

As far as bike riding/racing it has been pretty quiet. I just saw my last post here was about the Ouachita Challenge, which was the last time I raced! Over a month ago! I skipped one race, Medicine Park, then the next two were rained out. Probably all for the best after taking on a tree at Draper MTB trails with my shoulder a couple days before Medicine Park. Minor AC separation was the result, so this break has allowed that to mostly heal. The goal all Spring has been Marathon MTB Nationals which is this Sunday in Arkadelphia, Ar. The last month of training has been a real challenge. I’ve struggled to stay motivated and focused with the injury and all the extra stuff going on with moving. My coach Mark TeRuki has been fantastic through it all. Kept pushing me when I needed, but didn’t want it. This means, although I wasn’t enjoying all that much, that my fitness is really good going into the event. That’s a good thing. Now I just need to get mentally ready to go. As of today, I’m still not there. The excitement and fire isn’t there. I think a big part of that is the lack of racing. That’s why I do this. Sure I like riding my bike, but I love racing my bike! I love to compete. That’s why I will do all the work (training) because the rush of competition is what I live for. Without that release for the last 6-7 weeks, it’s just all work. I say work mainly because I don’t enjoy the type of training this form of racing requires, it’s very repetitive and less intense than training for CX. It’s all done now though and hopefully pays off on Sunday. If I have a good day, I feel I have a good shot at another Stars and Stripes jersey, but it will have to be a really good day. Luckily for me, I’m not going in with the same pressure and mindset of CX Nats of winning being the only option. That’s a lot of pressure and it makes it hard to enjoy the event. Worst case scenario I get to ride some nice scenic single track for 50 miles so not that bad! I stole a couple pics from Ray Hall who is camping there for the week. Arkansas has some beautiful areas.

The one small release I’ve had the last month is the weekly practice crit on Tuesday night at the Wheeler Crit. This is by far the hardest workout I get on my bike. The course is basically a 3 corner drag strip. No rest, just pain, especially when you have zero training for it. The first two weeks I took my beatings, getting dropped and lapped. I knew this would happen so just did what I could. The last few I have finally ridden myself into crit shape somewhat and even managed to score a third place this week. I’m racing my CX bike as I don’t have a road bike right now. While it’s definitely not as fast, it is very smooth on the rough course and you can’t go wrong with DISC BRAKES!! It’s a fun time, no team tactics, just a slugfest so finishing, especially with a podium spot always feels good there.