Month: September 2009

Ever had one of those weekends where you feel like you’ve been put through the wringer and then some? That was me, this past weekend at the “8 Hours of Labor” event. And let me tell you, it was more laborious than trying to find a decent cup of coffee in a tea-loving country. I spent a good chunk of it pushing myself so hard, I swear my legs were ready to unionize and go on strike. And amidst all this, I’m scratching my head, wondering why I’m feeling like a character out of a tragedy – you know, the kind that makes even Shakespeare go, “Dude, lighten up.”

So, I’m thinking, there’s got to be a reason for this misery that’s more profound than my apparent lack of common sense when it comes to self-preservation. Maybe Joe has a clue. That guy’s got more insights than a fortune cookie factory.

Just a quickie post before my laptop dies. Some photos of this weekends 8 Hour of Labor Mountain Bike Race. Some other great posts can be found at GMan

 

My friend and training partner Zephanie is moving to Pocatello Idaho and last night was the good bye party. it was all good and it started out with pizza from The Bridge Pizza. [lost the rest of this post somehow]

Reflecting on an epic journey:

I went through a whirlwind of emotions – bargaining, anger, depression. But then, we came together, rode, and through it, I found healing.

Together, we conquered 153.16 miles and 22,648 vertical feet of climbing in 21 hours and 16 minutes.

A heartfelt thanks to Sten for always having my bottles ready and handling Marcy’s ashes with care at every stage. Your support throughout the night and your companionship on this journey meant the world.

Gratitude to Ronnie, who joined me at the start and stayed all through the night. Your presence was invaluable.

A special thanks to Dave for being part of the early leg of the trip, for the beer, and for sharing your wisdom on long-distance riding.

Rich and Marta, thank you for being part of this journey, for staying when exhaustion hit, and for being there the next day to see me finish my pancakes.

Jim, your spirit and enthusiasm throughout the grand loop of Missoula were uplifting. I truly appreciate it, brother of the map.

Garland, thank you for the fantastic rides this year and for blazing the trail ahead of me. And for being there the next morning with your son to welcome me back.

And Larry, riding over 80 miles, your presence at various meetups on the trail was a huge boost.

We did it. What an epic adventure, what a vision quest. Thank you all!

Hello from City Brew where Sten and I go over last minute details.  Rich and Jim are up on Blue Mountain as I look up there but se no lights.  The sun is coming up and I am going home to pack the support vehicle and get ready for the adventure of 2008. If you find yourself in the area come on and lets do a leg.  Just give Sten a call [406.570.2954], get a status or set up a ride. And so it begins!

It’s almost time for the Remember Marcy Vision Quest (RMVQ), and the excitement is palpable. The anticipation is building as participants gear up for this incredible adventure. Here’s a glimpse of what’s in store:

• RMVQ: This link provides an overview of the RMVQ, offering insights into the unique and challenging nature of the event. It’s a test of endurance, determination, and the unyielding spirit of adventure.
• Carbo Rocket: Thanks to Brad Keys, a shipment of Carbo Rocket has arrived just in time for the RMVQ. The new Raspberry Lemonade flavor is all set to fuel the participants on this remarkable journey.
• Kettle House Brewery: After the Thursday Night Ride (TNR) at 7 PM, participants will gather at the Kettle House Brewery to connect and share their excitement for the upcoming quest.
• Pizza Party Tomorrow Night @ My Place!: The festivities continue with a pizza party, adding to the sense of camaraderie and adventure that defines the RMVQ experience.

The RMVQ is not just a cycling challenge; it’s a test of resilience, camaraderie, and the unyielding spirit of adventure. It’s truly remarkable to see individuals push their limits and embark on such extraordinary journeys.

Wishing all the participants continued success and unforgettable experiences on their future adventures!

Citations:
[1] http://www.williammartin.com/visionquest
[2] https://www.adventurecycling.org/resources/blog/one-big-circle-the-first-90-degrees/
[3] http://picasaweb.google.com/baldwina/RMVQ2010?feat=directlink
[4] https://williammartin.com/rmvq
[5] https://williammartin.com/mountain-biking/the-rmvq

I have been fatigued lately and I wanted to take it easy. I took a few warm up laps and discovered I am way out of practice dismounting my bike and getting back on. No problem, I would just go easy.

At the gun I let the entire field go. As I looked up I noticed that the pace at the front was not that fast and if I would of been on top of my game and didn’t have a 24 hour ride coming up, I feel I would of been  up there.  Soon I got into a rhythm.

So I picked racers off one at a time and worked my way to upper mid pack and was going pretty good. A rider crashed and I waited till he got back on, he was doing well and was a good pacing partner.  Then it happened!

I came around a gravel corner, deep just plowed gravel, and my front tire washed out.  I went down hard and drove my knee into the ground.  I crashed hard onto my shoulder and I hurt my back so bad it took me quite a while to get going ( a long time).  I don’t know how I finished but I did.

So now the RMVQ is questionable but at the very least I will support my friends and we will have a good weekend anyway.  I am real bummed I may not be able to ride.  I will Keep ice, clean it up and asses in the morning.  Good Night!

Last night after I posted the last of the RMVQ map details I realized I needed to do laundry and start the cleanup of last weekends race in rainy Phillipsburgh. I have been sick since then and am finally starting to chip away at the chores. So just when I think I am getting caught up I learn that this week is the first Missoula Cross Race. Doh! So I spent the rest of the morning cleaning up shoes and thinking of how I am going to pull off this race in the midst of a major planning campaign for the big Vision Quest this weekend.

Tomorrow I will be at the Kettle House around 7PM for a RMVQ information meeting!

I am broken.  Riding a hill climb in mud is way more demanding than in dry conditions.  Not only that add in a deraileur so muddy it refuses to shift resulting in some missed shifts you get a situation to break things.  My chain broke because of shifting under load (not me … did it by itself) and I broke due to pushing against all that muddy resistance. I was able to ride the rest of the race and around town though and the chain stayed together enough without any complaining.  So I better stop complaining.  The weekend was good and a report my be in the works for the Bloggatero.  Stay tuned!

Hello from City Brew! I am waiting for the sun to go down so I can go night riding.  It is Friday and the weekend starts now.  I am bypassing the usual chores to get a blueberry scone and go night riding.  No one wants to play tonight so I will head out alone.  Tomorrow is big time planning and RMVQ meeting.  Next week I will be getting ready for bed so I can ride the next day for 24!

Thanks Fatty! I was feeling like no one feels the way I do and only you can write an light hearted response to USAC’s new changes.  I can only gripe and irritate some of my (former) friends. Well, at least I find out who my MTB friends are. How come MTB(ers) are wussies and cant speak up?  Well Fatty has …

New opportunities to sandbag. I’m listing this one last, because since it doesn’t affect me, I honestly don’t care about it. But the fact is, the biggest thing this change does is force people not quite good enough to cut it in the Pro ranks to decide, “Do I want to spend the rest of my life racing way off the back of the field by going for Pro, or would I rather race in the front of the field by going in Cat 1?” Gee, I wonder what most of them will decide. My friends Brad and Kenny are about to never win another race again. Sorry, guys.

~http://www.fatcyclist.com

I don’t like smokey bars but there I was, last Friday, sitting at a table with friends waiting.  Waiting for something.  Everyone was looking at me. You know, kind of like when someone shows you the ocean for the first time.  Then IT arrived.

It was this pile of food, looking good all heaped together. A layer of hash browns, then eggs, a big chicken fried steak (I think), all drowning in a bath of gravy. And yes; It was good! Fun times.

We left the Oxford and decided that the Maverick Brew Fest was far more fun than last weeks Hemp Fest. I was drunk but who wasn’t? I mean we were all in the same boat … right? We would get up the next day and go to Helena to camp and race.

The next morning I went to City Brew and started off the recovery with scones and coffee. I went home and tried to get the Griz game on TV. Wouldn’t you know it, someone told the fat cats that the mice were watching the game for free in 07 and so in 08 they implemented some changes. So the Griz game was out for me, a lower class citizen. I’ll just go to Helena … and I went!

About half way to Helena I realized that I forgot to pack my stuff in the car. Ok, now I was pissed … I drove home about 105 mph.  To hell with it.

I simmered and finally gathered enough composure to pack the dam shit and head out again.  Now I was late and the pre ride was in jeopardy.  I arrived in Helena to promptly get lost.  That town is weird.

I got in a pre ride and decided I was not camping until I got in a movie in the comforts of the Beetle complete with surround sound. the movie “2 Seconds”.  I was spiritually there man! I went to bed!

I awoke thinking, “where the hell are my drinking buddies” ? I mean we were in this together … party … ensure a painful race on Sunday …. together … right?

At the start of the race it was apparent I was the only survivor of the brew fest / big pile of crap eating contest to be racing. And to help in recovery I ate brats the night before.  I would surely hurl.  The gun went off.

The usual fast train headed out around the initial loop.  I had forgotten that I was just out pre riding and that I was late for the riders meeting because I crashed and stuffed my helmet with dirt.  I also broke the sole of my shoe.  But that was all forgotten and I was hurtling down the trail in hot pursuit of John C.

I decided to push hard up a climb to bridge up.  I tried to climb a riser in my middle ring and stomped it hard. Crackle, bang, snap! I hopped off and ran up the pitch.  I did not want to break my chain. I hopped back on and it became apparent something bad was wrong.  Sure enough my rear cassette had mangled. and the twisted cog bent my chain.

I turned the bike upside down and set up shop for a long afternoon fix it campaign.I broke the chain in two place and spliced in a connector link.  I checked the cog set.  I would have three gears. The lower half of the set … I thought heck I always wanted to be more proficient with my front shifting.

Lap 2 …  Started in 7th and rode like a mad man. lap 3 … Up to 5th. Lap 4 … caught Geoff Proctor to get into 4th. Lap 5 … Got to within 20 seconds of 3rd place, ended up 4th.

Everyone yelled, another lap!  I knew they were joking but it seemed like a logical thing to do so instead of getting together with my race mates to compare notes I headed out for another lap.  A lap for Marcy. It went fast and you know what, I had a blast.

I came in and everyone seemed to approve of my extra efforts. Then this snotty nosed foggier said in a school house manner “1 more lap, helk helk helk, 1 more”.  Challenged, I said, “OK”. and set out.  As I rode off for another lap I heard a frustrated “Ok, 3 more, no no, 7 more … 7 more man 7 more”.  What the hell is 7, some kinf of scary number?  i rode out another lap.

I came in to find my friends waiting and we enjoyed brats in the parking lot and closed the place down.  On the way home I had my windows all the way down and the moon roof completely open.  I cruised at 60 MPH and truely enjoyed the rest of my evening.  Ah, good times!

All the froggies are whizzing themselves over the latest decision by USA Cycling. First we will do a hostile takeover (USAC taking over NORBA), then we will take away its name (NORBA), and now we will implement our rules (cat system). They say it is the best interest of the sport.  Has anyone noticed that no one races mountain bike any more? Frogs, you cant fix us because you don’t even know us!

In light of next years “improvements” I say we also change the name “mountain bike” to “off road cycling”.  Time to race in the EFTA series where they still call it mountain biking.

I will adjust.  I am just angry and getting old I guess.  I am ancient, better get ready for retirement home.

Finally posted photos from a week ago.

We started out going up towards Sidewinder and then heading up the ridge as if we were doing Sheep Mountain. I got some pretty decent photos as we topped out. Mike L. and I headed off to do Two Larch and ran into the back of the group as we returned.

From there we went towards Marshall Grade but instead turned up some trails that eventually came out at the Ski Area. This is the same trail that I almost broke my neck on. The trail gave me another warning as it ripped my sidewall in my tire and I had to fix a messy (Stan’s) flat.

We also encountered Moose and some pretty frigid temps. It was pretty funny because Mike was saying how over dressed I was but in the end his cheeks were quivering. LOL

We ended the ride at Rattlesnake Gardens with a tall boy and plans to attend the Brew Fest tomorrow night … who is going?

Greetings from Missoula, Montana, where my toes have finally thawed after last night’s chilly adventure with my friend Garland. The sun’s shining today, and I’m gearing up for a ride with the Thursday Night Ride (TNR) crew.

“Our adventure through the deep, dark woods, on long trails where one could easily vanish, battled against the cold that threatened our toes and fingers with frostbite…” ~me

We kicked off from Clinton, following our route to Holloman Saddle, then onto the ridge leading to Miller Peak. Just short of the mountain, we veered onto a logging road for the journey home, which included a freezing descent and climb.

Despite Garland’s dim light, we raced down Sammy B trails back to town, encountering deer on Higgins Avenue—a stark contrast to the wilderness we’d just left behind. My new lights were a game-changer, cutting through the darkness with incredible brightness.

It makes me wonder about the upcoming Remember Marcy Vision Quest (RMVQ). Will anyone get lost, or will the adventure bring them back, just as our lights guided us home?