Jackson Zing

E-Pow picked me up Friday am and we headed out to Teton Village via Evanston-Cokesville-Afton etc... When we arrived, the condo was empty and the skies were opening up rain. I took a nap, it felt good, The rain let up and E-Pow went out for a pre-ride around 3:30, I waited for Ty and Ted and we went out around 4:30 or so, the course was not muddy, actually dusty for the most part, it seemed they had smothed out some of the tech sections while leaving others in place. Friday evening the gang was all there and we fed our faces and settled in for a restless night of sleep (except for Ron, Chad and the other Bobby who stumbled in around midnight or so).

This may very well be my favorite XC course

Woke up around 6:30, ate, embrocated (it was 55 degrees) and headed out to register. I then had 45 minutes to warm up, I did about 1/4 of a lap, came back to the feed zone, took off my jacket and arm warmers and then went and rode up this super steep-loose hill which put me on the final DH of the course, came down and we were staging-perfect. Ed held the start for 10 or so minutes as a pro had to cut the cable lock to get his bike off his rack, no one i know of complained about it.
We had over 10 at the start, including several locals. The start went off and I went to the front and hit the one track first, i then backed off a little, to not go to far into the red and just steadily moved forward. The good Dr. was in second at this point and I knew he could climb away from me, so on the short steep stuff in the first mile or so I put in hard bursts. Then when we broke out to the short Down on the double track to the short double track rise, I put in a hard effort and kept it steady in the first long single track, after that I just alternated between pushing hard and conserving, usually pushing hard on the flats and low grade rises and conserving on the steep stuff, including the dreaded steep service road of the devil. Starting the DH on lap one, I saw Tim heading off course down a service road, he yelled that his drive train was shot(later to be a twisted chain) a bit later I spied the single speeder in our cat about a minute or so behind, so I tured up the speed a slight bit more on the DH and out of the saddled the start finish climb, slowing to get my bottle from Kim Abbott(Thanks) and then proceeded to do it all over again.

I was worried about Arantix Doc surging so I kept pushing after anyone in front of me. a bit into lap 2 we started coming up on the 12 and unders, in the far north woods section I came up on one and warned 'rider' and she proceeded to fall over, I did a combo cross dismount, are you ok? and through the brush and back on the bike, the rest of the passes went well. Then on the steep climb of the devil my rear tire popped off a rock and felt flat all of a sudden, about 1/3 a way up the steep part, I jumped off, dumb, grabbed it, not flat, re-mounted and somehow kept going up the hill.

Lap 3 was uneventful, just kept pushing and trying to catch the guy with the most base miles of anyone I know, who started 2 minutes ahead. Didn't catch him though.

So in the end I came away with W #2 of 2009, about 4 minutes up on 2nd. I spoke of zing last year. Saturday at Teton Village, I had Zing. It was so diametrically apposed to my 2nd place at Solitude the week before, which was the furthest from Zing I have been ever.

Some race stats.
3rd best expert time
Passed all other experts but 1st 19-29 and 1st and 2nd 30-39
Lap 1 - 35:20
Lap 2 - 35:57
Lap 3 - 37:02

Sad part, got a 25 dollar gift cert to Fitzgeralds Bikes, which closed before we got there and was not open Sunday, sold it to the Other Bobby for 15 bucks.

Post race we took a tram ride to the top, hiked around, came back, went to mexican for Ty, went to mangy moose for a bit and crashed out.

Got up and headed home pretty early.

I guess the final race is NOT double points, which I did not know till Saturday, which means I sealed up the series with my win. E-Pow will be my stand in on the Podium next week, as I will be in Laramie racing the Enduro. Can't believe another Icup season is done.

Seriously, I think that was the hardest XC race I have ever done.

Late Edit--Lotsa Race Photos here, courtesy of Lyna

I rode the course quite a bit during the week, including Friday with Newby, afterward I soaked in the creek for 30 minutes (I hear that is a no no though).
Lyna and I got there early enough so I could meander my way to getting kitted up for the warm up. Before the race Chris B said he was retired. I hope that isn't true, I like chasing him. Ty and I headed out up the pavement for a small lap warm up, plus some other openers. I got a good warm up, well it was warm too.

Sam and I had a gap going up the short dirt road/paved road section, I let off the gas as he came around me into the singletrack, not wanting to blow up. Honeycomb and Quenn Bess are painful and I did not want to blow up with the upper service road climbs ahead. BK got around me on Queen Bess. I just setted in, it was gonna be a long day. I made it over the top and headed down Kruzr, BK was on the side of the trail with a flat tire, I told him to get moving and kept going.

I never saw Sam again and never saw anyone behind me either, I just kept trying to pass people in other categories to keep motivated. The curse was brutal, about 4400 feet of climbing in under 22 miles. The DH was rough and my arms were pretty pumped halfway through the race, then my quads got pumped on the DH, on the last 1/2 (really 3/4's) lap I was actually DH'ing alot in teh saddle, The Zaskar absored it well, my quads needed the rest. We had over 10 at the start and only 5 finishers, rough day at the office.

I ended up in 2nd, 3rd year in a row, this time though I was 9 minutes out of 1st, crazy, Sam is on fire right now. The new course is a Brute, not going up the road on the first lap changes the race strategy, the road, while painful, exposed and not fun, did play into my strengths, oh well, it will make me stronger.

Sunday met up with Shannifer, Ryan, Jenelle, Carl and Ty for an extended Mill D loop (3400 feet of climb in 17.7 miles), new Onetrack off the top of Guardsman was a blast, then up Puke hill. Part way up, Ty passes me and grabs my rear brake HARD, well I did it to him earlier on the road. Shannons front wheel then plows into my Rear D and my chain pops behind the cassette, we get it out, adjust the shifting and keep going, then on the last little up before the Spine I shift behind the cassette again, By that time Ty had left us 'to go work on a school paper' whatever, he was scared. Payback is gonna be hell.

Good Weekend

Snowbird is always under appreciated, due to it being hard and the DH f Sketch (BTW, Brad Newby has the copyright to that name) Well for 2009, SNowbird added some new one track, rumor has it it was a requirement for Specialized to do its 2010 roll out to the Press Corps 2 weeks ago and to dealerss this week, so new One track on the climb to replace the steep, head down and suffer climb. Sadly, that climb was good for me, cause I like to suffer, well, not really.

We had about 12 at the start, including a guy in a Specialized kit who ended up being the SPecialized Rep from China, he was all smiles and taking picures while we were staged, There is a mere 400 yards before teh single track and I wanted to get in early, I knew Sam would go first, so I had to gas it a bit to get around BK. The new onetrack started with a big ring speed section, and I didn't want to be 'held' up by his single gear, you know, small victories matter, to me.

Here I am thinking, I gotta get around this luddite NOW!!!!

BK then got around me halfway or so up the new one track, Chris B came around towards the topthe DH was the DH, didn't lose a spot and mostly held onto Chris B. When I had passed the Gad base and was headed up teh steep road before the onetrack traverse to the finish, I could saee Karl and Tim about 30 or so seconds back. I went through the Start/finish line for lap one of 4 at 26:18, Uh Oh.

Lap 2, it rained, luckily I had embracted during the prerace rain, so my legs were warm. Karl was not too far behind once we hit the one track climb to the top, and again at the same place I saw him on Lap one at the bottom, he was still 30 seconds or so back, on the one track traverse, Chris B had a mechanical, his day was over. I WAS NOT IN THE TWETY CHAIR, for the time being. Lap 2 was 27:52, more reasonable.

LAp 3, still raining, Karl was still right there, I could catch glimpses of Sam and BK way up on the climb, nd again at the same place I saw him on Lap one at the bottom, he was now about 45 seconds back. Lap 3 was 28:43, please don't blow up.

Lap 4, rain stopped, legs on fire from embrocation now. I rode the 4th lap as smart as I could, passing people as much as I could and 'attacking' steep climbs, where prior laps I spun them, I then spun the rough one track climb sections and DH'd the DH of sketch carefully, at the appointed bottom, Karl was nowhere in sight, part of me said, whew, but another part hoped he was ok, cause that DH takes victims regulary. I atttacked the One track traverse like someone was on my wheel, for training purposes as well as knowing that anything can happen, I had lost my C02 and quick stick earlier in the race, so a flat would of had me running (walking) my bike. Came across in 3rd. Last lap 28:39. whew.  Sam is right next to certifiably nuts in the way he hits the DH and BK, well, mutant.

No tweety chair, Karl didn't even show to the awards to claim the tweety chair, I hope he is ok. The Cross Doc had a few meetings with the dirt as well, one pre-race. Hope he is ok. 

Lyna took some phots of the 2nd wave races, but was also passing bottles. Check em here. Search by name or number.

Saturday evening I met Mark at Rio Tinto to watch Real Salt Lake play Club America, 1st half we sat in the sun, and my legs were quite post embrocation hot, 0-0 at the half, e head to the other side where a co-workers of Mark's sits and had 2 empty seats next to him, end of game RSL1- CA0, totally unexpected, chippy game, lots of fouls and the like. Thanks Mark, that was fun.

Sunday, E-Pow and Ken Costavich go ride without me, early (I like sleeping in post race, sue me, I'm old). SO Lyna and I head to Eggs in the City for Brunch, I come home, take a nap, mm nap, then at 4 I get motivated and mount up the Zaskar and head towards Mill Creek, I kept climbing, hit the pipeline up at Church Fork, dang I forgot how steep that was, I have to bail to the road at the next access point to re fll water bottles, then head back up the Piepline to elbow fork, then up the road to the Big Water parking area, I decided that if I was already there I may as well go up to dog lake, so I did, at this point I was 2.5 in and was tired, but the DH made that all go away, until Rattlesnake Gulch, which is not friendly 3+ hours into a post race day ride, with losse rocks, and dust, but I made it down without any falls or blood. Ran into the Oilcan walking his pups on my way down from dog lake.

Nice ride profile.
I may slee well tonight.

chain mail, but you will actually get something

First, check this out.

Second,

Raced the new Mid Week course at Solitude last night, came in 5th, due to
attrition mostly, but that is part of it. Felt good, maybe like even my fast is back.

Third, I like this idea, plus i like free stuff.

Here’s how it works. The first five people to leave a comment on this post will get something handmade from me. But in return, you have to make this same offer on your blog and make something for five other people.

If you want to play, copy the text below onto your blog and leave me a post:

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make. Whatcha get is whatcha get.
2. What I create will be just for you, with love.
3. It’ll be done this year (2009).
4. I will not give you any clue what it’s going to be. It will be something made in the real world and not something cyber. It may be weird or beautiful. Or it may be monstrous and annoying. Heck, I might bake something for you and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that’s for sure!
5. I reserve the right to do something strange.
6. In return, all you need to do is post this text on your blog and make 5 things for the first 5 to respond to your blog post.
7. Send your mailing address - after I contact you.

I reserve the right to make you whatever I want. It will not be virtual, it will be an actual object.

No racin' No Bloggin'

Been a while since the DV Icup. Took a trip to the mother land, nice 5 days, relaxing off the bike with the family.

Raced a few Wednesday nighters at Solitude, 1 not last place and one DNF in the 'Pro' group.

Last Saturday was a nice 3 hour tour of DV with Kathy, a few road rides thrown in between.

On Jul 4 I hit 2 laps of the new Snowbird Course, the new climb and the new 1/2 mile mini loop at the bottom will change the race dynamics completely, GO pre-ride, maybe more people will sack up and race it now:)

Today Kathy, E-Pow and I did about 3.5 in DV again, meeting at the Jordanelle exit, climbing village-heinous hill- Deer Crest- 4 points to SIlver Lake lodge, Mid Mtn to Team Big Bear, Flagstaff loop with a short Homeward bound spur, down Team Big Bear, across Mid Mtn to PCMR and bak to silver lake, down Deer crest out outlook and down spin cycle to the cars. Great day on the bike. Fun and cool at the top, about 5k of climbing and around 27 miles.