Stoopid 50

Well did my first 50 miler for the season (here in the east)...as some of you know I did the Coolest24/8 and did the 8 hour solo which totaled 66 miles on my SS....my goal this year was to beat last years 50 mile attempts, which I turned at 8:04 my best...I really wanted to be in the 6 hour range...YEAH, I did 6:56:58....thats where I wanted...rode my new Gary Fisher Superfly (which is now converted to a 1x9) and came in 8th on the Maters catagory...could have done better as usual, but I can never pass up someone in need...so I could have shaved maybe another 10 minutes, oh well..hopefully that individual got to finish too...

The night before the race they fed us with spaggetti, bread, it was super...then we had a movie to watch on the big "blow" up screen...they showed Seasons, very cool movie, gets you pumped for riding...the sleeping was so comfortable cause the night really cooled off...in the morning there was pancakes and coffee, during the race at the food stations it was like being a king, they treated you SO WELL...all the helpers would come running to give you anything you needed they wouldn't let you get it, unbeleivable...super folks...then after the race they had pasta, beans and veggie burgers..>WOW!!!

The Stoopid 50 was up near State College, PA at Rothrock state park...this area has like 5 state parks converging...it's rocky, mountainous (beautifully so), 70% Single Track and only 30% dirt/gravel road...and the single track was in some places SO ROCKY, going up or going down...the rattling going down was something else...and brother did I see a lot of flats...thank god I didn't experience one...I did help this "roadie" from Indiana, poor guy had 5 flats that day, tough way to compete...

The weather was perfect (at least to me) I did hear some say it was too hot, but after Danville race I don't think it can get much worse than that...so to me it was perfect...we had a mass start with everyone following the chase moto for a few miles on the dirt road...lots of fun some of the downhill sections we were flying on, my computer registered 38mph...of course you know that with all that fun down hill comes uphill, and that it did...the only REAL BAD or TOUGH uphill was the infamous "Hike-A-Bike" everyone was talking about that NO ONE CAN RIDE..well I believe it, it was SO STEEP...and very long too, my ankles started hurting from the angle of the climb...met some great folks during the hike....met great people all weekend as a matter of fact...good to be back home, everyone is so friendly....

This year I did the WHOLE race without having to do any major walking due to exhaustion or cramps or any other reason...did some short hikes but thats it, otherwise really pushed it to keep riding...only felt the start of cramps once at about 37-41 miles,,,worked them out with some stretches...then the finish, they dumped you out on the paved road...I didn't know if it was the last stretch to the finish or if they were going to send us back into the single track...then I saw the sign that said hwy 322 3 miles...I knew it was 6 to the campground from the hwy...so we had 3 miles of raod to cover...up gradual...that was almost killer in itself...there was a competeing team member from beans in front of me on the road...so I worked hard to reel him in and get past to get the extra points for the team...did it...felt good after the finish and even better the next 2-3 days...went riding yesterday and a good long one today and no adverse affects...feel pretty much recovered (being in shape has helped), and nutrition plays such a vital role...

This coming weekend will be Neshimeny on my Single Speed.

Yeah...but I do love my bike too..

My New Tattoo

Here it is on my right calf....

First Race Back Home

Tour De Tykes 2008.....

This race always brings back "grueling" memories and this year added to it, but this time with a very positive spin...a First Place win on no less my Single Speed...

My first year at Danville was actually only my 4th Mountain Bike Race ever and I did the XC on Saturday, just placing outside the podium...thought I'd give the DH a try on Sunday...had the "body" armour and full face, just NO SKILLS...sure sounded fun though...just go down hill fast NO uphill...I can do that...yep... until I wiped out and broke my collar bone...

Last year, I was not feeling myself...had been having chest pains...so as Dr. Tony recently told me..."I heard foot steps"...so I took it easy and finished in 9th...all together different story on the short track...I was drafting Ted Cam the entire race and I had someone hooked on my back wheel as well...just as we came out of the woods into the home stretch...the guy behind me bolted to the right of Ted...Ted looked right, yelled out... "oh sh#* Ed he's taking off on..." just then Ted looked left and I had bolted too...getting the jump on the guy that had been following me...it was a sprint to the finish...and poor Ted who had carried us all the way came in third...I nailed the 1st slot.

For this year as you all know I had been in Cali since January doing ALOT of riding and racing...so the expectations were sure high...and most of you were certainly letting me know it...so the pressure was on...the Short track was on Saturday and as usual they have us "Old Farts" racing against the young bucks...ie...GUNNAR BERGEY! My man...15 years old..SO much taller and stronger this year, what a great surprise...the young man is going to be smoking over the next 10+ years in this sport...well he easily had 1st...I was on my new Gary Fisher Superfly...first real ride on it...and first race on gears in months...no excuses, but needless to say I literally RAN the last lap..the rear wheel kept coming off, so not wanting to risk a new bike I decided to RUN...10 minutes later crossed the finish line in 3rd...

The Hill climb was next and I tried that on my Single Speed...I'm sure gears might have been easier, I have just gotten more comfortable on the SS...I have no idea how I finished there, thought I did okay though...it was a real heart pounder, but aren't all hill climbs...this was at least very short lived, nothing like Marysville...

Then the big event on Sunday...13+ miles at 3500' elevation..this is where everyone has been expecting me to stomp after all the riding in Cali with ALL the climbing out there...but as I told a few on the first climb out of the start, when asked "how was Cali"...I explained if I was there racing today it would probably be in the high 60's to low 70's with a slight costal breeze, early morning late afternoon marine layer...geez not that way here...man did that humidity zap the (blah, blah, blah) out of me...90 plus degrees and humidity at least 50+%...again no excuses, but whew, was it hot...I was SO proud of myself to make that first climb out of the start ALL the way...the previous 2 years I couldn't do it all...that has been a new experience for me this year...I learned SO much humility out in Cali getting my butt handed to me in most all the races, that I learned to make little goals for just me in each race, having nothing to do with competition...such as "make it up this hill with out getting off"...do it again...pedal more on this down hill...IF I have to hike it...don't stop to catch breath or drink...keep moving...concentrate on reeling in one at a time...keep pedaling...pedal faster...

The heat was so "choking"..I think I poured more of my water on me than in me...for every drink I also squirted it over my head...that would help, but only for a minute or two...early in the race there was a guy with a S-SS on his calf..so I stuck behind him, he had a good pace...so I figured I'd hang for a while see how he lasted...I knew at the start that I was lined up ahead of most of the SSer's....this was my first encounter...well his pace was slowing and he finally told me to go by...I really didn't see any other SSer's for along time...not till right near the last couple miles..I passed up 2 of them going up hill they were hiking it...then shockingly after the last water stop one of them caught back up to me....and just as I was catching up to another SSer...which turned out at the time to be the lead SSer...well the last hill had us all zapped...I just have learned since Cali...that I can hike and run alot faster up hill than most...plus I HAD TO DO IT!!! If I didn't come in that way you all would never let me hear the end of it...but at the time I really didn't know where I stood..just that I was still picking off SSer's...then after coming in having someone interput the standings that I finished 1st, was truly surprising...Now I have to live up to it...

So off to the Stoopid 50 Marathon this coming weekend...going to give the new Superfly a try, should be a great break in for it...

More to come...

My New Superfly

Here is a picture of my new Gary Fisher Superfly...hooked on 29er's!!!!

My Trip Home

I left California on the 30th of May to head home...yes my job is completed, I did as instructed (very successfully I must add), therefore my lay-off was complete too...so now I am headed home to find new endeavours in my life...as you know it would be GREAT to find some sort of career where I could ride my bike all the time...such a dreamer as always...okay back to reality...
I intended my trip to be as quick as possible (safely too)...my plans were as follows:

Day one (Friday)- leave CA...arrive at KOA either west side of Salt Lake or just inside WY...
Actual - left Sunnyvale, CA approx 11am, arrived Wells NV approx 9:30pm.

Day two (Saturday) - leave either of the above locations and arrive in Omaha, Neb.
Actual - left Wells Nev. and arrived just to the east of Laramie, WY.

Day three (Sunday)- leave Omaha, Neb. arrive at Uncle Dan's in Chicago...
Actual - left Laramie arrived on westside of Omaha, Neb.

Day four (Monday) - leave Chicago and try to make it home...
Actual - left Omaha heading to Chicago...broke down in Iowa City, Iowa stayed the night...

Day five (Tuesday) - should have been home.
Actual - leave Iowa City, stopped for dinner in Chicago at Aunt/Uncles...cont. on to Toledo, pulled over at 2 am for few hours sleep.

Day six (Wednesday) - should have REALLY been home.
Actual - woke up at service center at 7am left for home...southern PA BIG storms...freeways closed at Frederick, MD made to pull through town...FINALLY MADE IT HOME LATE AFTERNOON.

Glad to be home...get back to family, friends, races and oh yeah, have to find a new career!!! Wish me luck all...

ED

Last Ride In California

Well, Wednesday night after work was my last ride in Ca...it was fitting that it was on my SS and with some climbing...but best of all was the company...some of the BEST people you would ever want to meet and be able to call your friends...missing a few that I would have loved to ride with..Chum and his new bride Sunshine, Gordon (from the races), the Zen master of course, Marco, Jeff and his better half too...the group I had the priveldge of riding with are the best though...Caryn, thank you so much for being so wonderful! And Scott, you are the man...loved trying to keep up with you on your SS with the experience..."I could have been a contender..." under your tutilage...BJ love ya man, you and I could have had fun hanging out Bro...next time you see me my tri's will buldge so big they'll put Caryns to shame (god I hope), the new guys like Collin and Mica (ms???) it was great fun...loved your DH style!!!!...and Kris, thanks for befriending me at the races...I was beginning to lose hope in the Ca. racers being a little to "uppity"...but you showed me the way....thanks for everything man...your ready for sport, take it on get the extra riding per race it's great, it's humbling, and it's worth it...took me 4 months to move up from last...:) oh yeah the ride...well it took place again at Lake Chabot just outside Hayward in the east bay area...really beautiful from way up top after some big breathing exercise climbs...the views of the bay are spectacular...the DH single track along skyline is such a blast, especially the tree stump....

And then to read your doing a WEEKEND campout on the 13th...AFTER I LEFT!!! Darn, oh well another time I'm sure...this winter, my birthday on the 28th of Dec. I'm going to try and be at my Daug.'s in San Diego, Scott we'll have to do that DH run in the Cuyamecas...I'll keep you up to date on that idea as time gets closer....

I'm in Hot and Humid Omaha Nebraska tonight (June 1st) on my way home...and there are bugs...lots of them...I forgot how misrable it can be here in the summer, for that matter the winter too, and...oh heck I know just move BACK to CA for the PERFECT weather...:)