treasure island

Hanging out in Vegas today. Stella gave me a head cold so the two of us have been kind a grumpy. Eva and Rosie have been playing around town and had a great time at circus circus and the TI pool. For a little kid the lights and action in Vegas have got to be pretty intense.
I did a spin out to the crossvegas venue and burned around the course. It's a shame that the biggest cross race in the US is in a grass field, I wonder what the euros think of it. I guess in this situation it is the competition that makes it fun and not the course.
I don't have great expectations for the race and am not feeling very peppy, although I am excited to work out the kinks on the cross bike.

Summer Blowout

Saturday's ride was everything you could ask for after a great season of mountain biking. It was like gooey icing on top of a perfectly moist chocolate cake, not necessary but oh so nice!

The nature of the ride allowed many opportunities for people to come and go as they needed so our group size fluctuated between 4 and 10-12, I am not sure! The route was very PCPPish in that it was nearly all singletrack and probably fairly similar stats, I don't have any technology for the numbers.

Up Emigration-Killyons-Aflec Park-Big Mountain-Old Mormon Trail (by the dead moose and one of the best DH's in the Wasatch)-East Canyon Dirt Road-Gorgoza Park-Pinebrooke Perimeter North-Pinebrooke Perimeter West-Pinebrooke Perimeter South-Mid Mountain-Pole Line-Shadow Lake-Puke Hill- Crest-Mid Mountain Connector-Mid Mountain North-Sick Connector Trail-Pinebrooke Perimeter East- Pinebrooke-Gargoza Park.

The temps and dirt were perfect, you could rage the DH 8th wheel with absolutely perfect vision, no dust! With all the stops and BSing we were out for 8 hours and just rode a steady pace the whole time. Thanks for everyone that joined in the fun, it would be a great ride alone but just not the same!

Everyone keeps asking me, are you training for cross? Why are you doing all these big MTB rides? Yea I am training for cross, this is just how I do it. I ride my bike. Big MTB rides are fun and I can build fitness without using an ounce of focus. I am not a believer in super structured training, it takes to much metal energy. When you have a life full of structure why add more. The last thing I want to be doing is downloading some wattage numbers or riding in the basement. Numbers and trainers may help build fitness but they will never teach you how to go fast. I want to save all my matches for the race, you only have so many and I don't want to burn them up staring at the back of scooter. I am not saying this is for everyone, but it works for me.

Doing crossvegas for the first time, I normally go up to the starcrossed but thought I would mix it up a little this year. Not chasing the UCI thing with the South American races coming up so might as well trey something new. Not real excited about the vegas course but the scene should be fun and I will get a chance to ride hard. Also should help me prepare for the big time Utah Cross Series! And don't forget the Cross Clinic this year is the day after the 1st race, to bad it's not before that's where I dial in my technique!

So get out there and start training for cross...

lunch date

My wife meets her girlfriends for lunch or dinner on a weekly basis. I on the other hand never go out to lunch, I pack the same thing everyday, and seldom go out to dinner unless I am on the road or going out with Rosie.

So today I go to lunch with my boyfriends and I get heckled? What's the deal, I meet up with JI, AG, and EJ for some sushi and it's a laughing matter.

Then I come back to work after enjoying a nice meal with friends wearing a new bracelet and people notice. It's a cool bracelet. I explain that one of my boyfriend's (AG), who I just met for lunch made it for me. Things start to get weird. People get uncomfortable. I don't understand?

Anyway, on to the improtant stuff. Tomorrow's ride should be a good one and has multiple drop in and drop out points along the way for those with other commitments. I had no takers on my last post for riding partners so this time I am puting out more info so people won't be so "scared" and can join in the fun where and when they like.

Here is the general plan:

My house at 8:30. A few of us will be riding up EC at 8:45-then to- killyons-BM-OMT-EC dirt road-meeting a 2nd group including JI and BF at Gargoza park around 11am. Pinecrest-MM-PL-Crest-with multiple options out including MD, Lambs, back to Gorgoza. Tons of fun singletrack. The pace will be steady, if someone wants to go fast cool, if someone wants to go slow cool. If you want a smaller loop meet at Gorgoza, if you want an out and back Gorgoza is an awsome spot. The whole ride will be pretty big but the weather and dirt will be good and we are going to hit a couple new sections of trail.

good weather, good dirt, good friends

yeaaa!

once a year

Got out for a cross bike shakeout at the DMV crit last night, got to do at least 1/year. Good thing I did because I had the bar slip on me, not good if you are jumping stuff. Felt ok but legs not used to the position or sprinting out of corners. What's up with 30 minutes? It's hardly worth riding through traffic. Utah cyclocross schedule is up as well and it looks to be a great season. The race schedule is perfect with all the women racing together. Rosie got her new cross bike yesterday and is excited to get out on the dirt. Yesterday got me excited for some cross racing even though my goals for the Fall are all on the MTB, Brazil and Costa Rica. Was not planning on Crossvegas but I will be down there and I guess I am racing now.

No one took me up on a ride last Saturday, to bad you missed out. It's probably because no one reads blogs anymore, it's all about facebook now. Good thing I have a webmaster for that!

The rain this week will be perfect for the trails, another epic ride this Saturday but no one is reading anyway!

time to explore

Anyone up for a Fall adventure ride tomorrow?

bartmang@hotmail.com

pcpp

It's nice to have an serious endurance mountain bike race in the Wasatch. We have one of the best trail systems in the world and it is nice to race on some of it rather than riding around in circles on the scrappy trails.

I put together a good race but made a few fueling mistakes that took me out of the contest. I did not have great legs from the get go but rode real steady. It probably would not have mattered anyway as I can't match Alex on the long climbs. We had a great time riding together for the first 50 miles and enjoyed some good conversation, the rainbow going onto 4 points was a highlight. We would switch off the lead when the guy in front blew a turn which was fairly often. Next year we should know the course a little better. I think going under 7 hrs will be possible if we get cool temps and good dirt again. We will have to be more aggressive with the pace early on and particularly focus on making time on the mellow sections like Lost Prospector, Flagstaff, and Mid Mountain over to Tour de Suds. Also need to shave some time in the feed zones. Great legs and perfect fueling will also help. Alex should be able to do it no problem, I will have to have a good day.

I should have ate more working our way over to Park City before the big climb up to Shadow Lake. I just had a drop in energy for a bit and could not keep the pace, fueling helped a little but once you get behind you are never the same so I took it easy up Spiro and then had fun ripping Mid Mountain, if you can call it ripping.

Here is a little list of the my gear and nutrition in case I want to reference it for next year.

Cannondale Scalpel- Rules!
Kenda 1.9 small block 8, a little more air than normal but I should have went with normal.

29-40 double chainrings with 12-34 cassette- perfect setup
Packed 2 tubes, 1 big air, 1CO2, 1 crank brothers multi tool 17, and quick link.

Friday night dinner: Steak Burrito at Chubbies in PC. Bowl of Bryers Cookies and Cream. Slept in Chris P's bed while Alex was on his air mattress on the floor. Thanks Chris!

Up at 5:30, Big glass of water, 2 monavie active gels, oatmeal with blueberries and peanut butter, and a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie before riding to the start from Chris P's house. Arrived about 5 minutes before the gun goes off. Got to love racing locally!

Multiple trips to the John including one right before the start in the Sage Brush (packed some paper anticipating such an event, that was a life saver considering the week I had.

6 bottles carborocket- mix of flavors but mostly mango

1 bottle Emv (2 cans) at feed zone 3

2 packs blocks

1 pack honey stinger chews- maybe my new favorite

1/2 pack chomps

1/2 pack sharkies

1 chocolate gel

1 little debbie snack at feed 3- to little to late

After having the stomach flu earlier in the week and having a sketchy stomach all week I was very nervous about eating on the bike but in hindsight I should have done some more food just after feed zone 2. Anyway, always learning.

Favorite trails: bow hunter to flagstaff, TG1-2, Johns. Actually everything from Guardsman to bottom of Johns was awesome! Low point: getting around Shadow Lake with hunger knock and nausea while Alex cruised on.
Got off my bike twice, once to remove weeds from the cassette and once to lube my chain at feed zone 3. Pee stop at bottom of Johns and on Mid Mountain while straddling the bike.
No crashes.

Looking forward for another go next year!