Category: Blog Posts

Paul asked, “So what are you doing for exercise” after a nice Thai Salmon Wrap dinner late Monday afternoon.

“Anything”, I responded.

“Bike?”

“Yea, sure.”

And so we met up last night and while laying around in the grass decided upon University Beacon. It took us 3 hours and it was a spirit healing experience. As I rode along I felt more and more at home in the saddle. More and more like a human again. More and more at the right place, the right time, the right friend.

Side note: I just read one of my best post called “Bleeding For Us”.

We met up with Ed and Laurie out for a recovery spin. “Where are you going?”

“We just did the Deer Creek Sneak. Just something easy. I feel pretty exhausted”, Ed responded. “What about you guys?”

“University Beacon.”

“Holy Crap!!!”

On top we said hello to Marcy and braced against the high winds to descend the ridge. It was like landing a plane at night. Truly spectacular. If you have ever descended this ridge then you will know about the headwall. Yep, we both made it down.

I was real impressed with Paul. Not surprised, no. He once bombed down Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondacks when the snow was still on the mountain. Since then I am not surprised. We will have to post the video one day.

I wonder what is in store for today?

Just sat down with a blueberry scone and a vanilla black tea. I have a pile of receipts to enter into my money management program and hoping there is enough for some groceries to finish out the week. The City Brew is populated with morning folk all chatty from their bean brew. I am aching in my leg muscles but more then that missing the smattering of friends I spent that last three days with.

Martha Van Inwegen made the big drive from California to join us for the Butte 100 weekend and wow, what a great woman. She is the person behind Action Wipes and ended up the star of the weekend. She dolled out action wipes to help ward of the aggressive mosquitoes, keep the troops clean, and sooth the broken and weary souls that thought they were stronger then the Butte 100. I was one of those broken souls. Quality person and friend she brightened up the Big Sky with her warm smile and fresh attitude.

There is a lot to blog about and I don’t have much time this morning before I dive back into the world of work. I will remember and blog more as the week progresses. The great quality friends and our time in this years Butte 100. For now I leave with one word… BRUTAL.

In 48 hours from this very moment of writing I will be riding with Tinker and company through Elk Park and preparing to plunge into the Nez Peirce Trail. 

The first year of the Butte 100 it was just a few of us riding along at a easy pace. The second edition had some frolicking at the beginning of the race. Last year many folks converged into the course going full tilt and I was not up to the challenge. This year will be mayhem as 50+ will be racing and I suspect there will be no loly gagging. I hope I am better prepared.

Most of the day yesterday was spent thinking about the Butte 100. There is so much talent this year and just so many riders that it becomes more competitive.  I am sure that is what it will be like until we all hit the wall and wish we were not going so fast in the first 50 miles. The rest. The ones that still have it will ride away and get to stand on the podium.

I want to ride the course. I want to push my limits against the terrain. But now I have to share it with 50 others. No so much fun.

Today is the weekly Thursday Night Ride and it is out at the Rattlesnake. There is a lot of the people that are doing the Butte 50 so we will split up into the Thursday Warriors and the Taper Parade. The Taper Parade will loly gag around and then head to a plate of pasta while the Warriors will do something more Thursday Night like.

It has been another good year, training wise. First it was a training plan just to get into good enough shape to start the double peak plan that ended last Sunday. Now I am on a taper and finally this weekend the final test to see if all that time was wasted. I don’t care though, because I love the journey. The journey is where it is all at. I may not do very well on the test but the journey has made me much stronger and through hardship comes that one time a year when you are supposed to be in top form. I guess we will see.

The Butte 100 is in 3 days and I will be racing against the likes of David ‘Tinker’ Juarez, half the population of Draper Utah, and some local talent. If you look at the current start list (and I have) you will see names from all over the country. It will be truly an epic race as it deserves to be. I hope it all goes well for Bob and crew (Triple Ring Productions). They deserver it. Thanks Bob for assembling a great chance for me to race with some great talent.

This season is just a subset of a much larger scheme and no one has been along for the ride in this overall journey then my friend Paul Bardis who is currently visiting Missoula. Last weekend was just another chapter in our journey and it was another great installment.

I got the call from Chad last Tuesday afternoon. “I am looking at a set of wheels right now”, he told me. I should of ran down right away but instead I opted for the “try to take a half day on Friday boss deciding to be mean denied” route. So when I called late last night he said come on down to the shop. I’ll stay open for you. What a guy. Chad is the man!

I don’t know what was more beautiful the majestic Bitterroot Range surrounding the bike shop and towering in the setting sun OR the Stans ZTR Alpine wheel set that was waiting for me on the bench.

I took no time to strip off the old heavy wheels I had on my Turner (place keepers until I could get new wheels). Unfortunately the rear wheel will not make the second string lineup as it is totally trashed. With the new hoops on my rig I jetted home. On the way I took time out, we took time out, well Ross said, “we could do IT now”.  Of course he was talking about the clam chowder at that restaurant in Victor, Hamilton House I think.

I took off early this morning to do some hill repeats and a wooded single track test session. The wheels are fantastic. I think tomorrow will be a great ride. Who is in?

What were you doing today in years past?

It was a good gathering of Missoula’s finest mountain bike folk. We started out ascending from town via the Fire Road Trail and the MoZ Trail. Soon we were in Pattee Canyon where we hit the Sam Braxton Trails.

On the Sam Braxton side we all had our own style of going down the Huckleberry Headwall. Some skidded out of control, some in control, and some even on their ass. Some walked but we all got down one way or the other.

The best part of the Sam Braxton is the big sweeping switchbacks with 1/4 mile straights to really bomb the downhill. The late evening sun was peeking through the trees and the scenery was as good as it gets.

One person did not make the entire downhill as he snapped off his rear derailleur. I tried to fix it into a single speed but the chain kept creeping up towards the spokes and breaking off. Those damn pick up ramps on the cassette were way to freaking efficient. Even in the middle ring the chain would dance its way to the top in the back. Chain line problems … don’t know. In the end we just coasted down the Pattee Canyon Road and back into town.

Once in town we did the old tube tow down to the local Dairy Queen where we met the rest of the group that finished the original plan. Great times…o/o

Today I visit my bank. It is not planned but due to an online business called Quicken Online I am left without a personal finance solution. I don’t have much, maybe $23.45, but I do have bills and all the things modern society forces upon us. I have to see where things are coming and going. Quicken Online was great because it worked with my iPhone but recently they have decided to shut down the service.

I spent the entire day yesterday (when I wasn’t working, eating, and wondering around aimlessly) trying to get another solution running. So now I have to go into my bank at lunch and request some kind of access credentials. What crap. I remember the day when a new computer came with MS Money and it just worked seamlessly with your bank. Now it is complex.

I woke up from the couch last evening realizing that I had a mental breakdown pass out and fall asleep episode. The first thought was to do a relaxing ride with a few little sprints to air out my physical being. I decided upon Jumbo Saddle and then over to Kim Williams. A nice little 1:20 jaunt.

It was nice to finally get out and hit the trails. Soon the stressful day melted away and I found the earth to be embracing me with its warm afternoon sun.

Riding on my old bike the “Leader” I found the evening sun was lighting up the landscape in such a way that I found it very healing and it rejuvenated me enough to pull out my camera a snap off a couple beauties.

Today is Missoula Thursday Night Ride. Who is going? see you at Maurice and South around 6…o/o

I jumped right on Gmail and sent a note to my friend about hiking last night. Suddenly I was getting emails from others that were going mountain biking. I held firm to my belief that a rest day was necessary and that a small hike with a buddy would be the best way to calm the lead filled legs from this weekend.

In the end my downfall from taking the planned hike was planning in too many chores like laundry and other stuff that requires attention after a week of solid biking. Because of my scheduling conflicts with friends who had their scheduling challenges I ended up hiking alone.

It was good. I wish I was better at social planning…o/o

It was only a matter of time before “an entity” came into my “place of being” and started verbally accosting  me, physically protruding its probing apparatus into my arm, and hitting my computer screen. Once the “entity” does that it frees me up from giving a shit about “my moments obligations”. So I will blog, and blog it will.

Last night was another installment of the Missoula Thursday Night ride and the place of existence was the Snow Bowl Ski Area. Half the group was committed to going all the way to Point 6. This afforded me the opportunity to come along instead of going off somewhere alone to do my workout. I had 4 X 15 minute hill efforts to do.

As we started out everyone was going up the bear grass highway. I was hoping for the access road that goes around and through the wooded areas off the back side. This would allow me to “do my thing” and then when done catch back up with the group. The bear grass highway is a single-track which meant if I were to put in a little effort it would really disturb the groups so called laid back atmosphere.

As I spun along behind (I was late) it became apparent this was not the Thursday Night Ride but instead a “race to the top”.  There were dudes hammering it out to be king of the hill. Everyone was spread out along the trail. So I figured what the heck, might as well do my efforts and pass everyone like it is a race. The dudes up front were hammering … the race was on. Right? I thought so.

I began effort #1 at the bottom of the “headwall” a portion of the trail that turns and goes straight up a rocky path for about 50 yards. Its a tough grunt so I knew I would not have any trouble getting my heart rate up. I pumped up it and passed a few people. I got behind one rider and my HRM started to beep.

“What is that”, he asked.

“My heart rate monitor. Its beeping because I am going to slow.”

My humor didn’t sit well.

“Well then go by … [some other words] … going to slow [some other words].”

So I did. I caught the entire group (Dave, Jim, Ed [who was leading]) before the ski hut at the top of a chair lift and ended my first 15 minute session. I was hoping I would not run out of mountain and thought I should of started my efforts right away and went up another route. I felt kind of bad interrupting the group’s laid back atmosphere. All the more to hammer and now the trail is clear.

After 10 minutes I started effort #2. Instantly I was cruising up the slopes of Point 6 dreaming that I was winning the Leadville 100 and putting AssStrong in difficulties. Soon I was passing the “other group” and was so close to the top when 15 minutes ran out I decided to extend it to 20. I topped out and meet the rest of the “other group” waiting for their comrades.

I rode down the ridgeline and dropped back down to the start of the final climb near the saddle between the lift tower hill and Point Six. I started effort #3.  This effort finish at around 13 minutes and since my previous was so long I decided to call it a day. I was feeling it in my legs.

So now that we all had it out on the slopes of Point Six we were in a more communal mood and it became a group again, at least for me. We talked, gandered, and took photos on top before bombing back down to the lodge.

The worst part of the entire adventure is all the blow downs on the trail. I was going from one blow down to the next waiting up to converse with friends and enjoy the cool evening air.

Some of the jaunts over the fallen trees were pretty exhausting so I took a couple “rest sessions” and contemplated the upcoming weekend. A hard ass training weekend. Argh! I wanted to hang out with friend this weekend.

The post ride party was one of the largest I have been involved with. food everywhere with brats sizzling on the grills. Beer was flowing and I broke out my highl
y secret stash of smoked fish that Ross made me. We talked and mulled around until it was dark which in the summer means LATE.

Butte 100 training tomorrow. Two options, one being stay in town and do 2 6 hour all out efforts or two going to Butte and pre riding the course while putting in my 6 hour efforts. Then it is all rest for a while. I cant wait to hang and do things with friends more. Got to look good riding with Tinker … right?

I just put down a breakfast sandwich. Turkey bacon and egg on toasted gluten-free. A cup of Mate should complete the morning refuel session. It’s time to pull the Turner off the rack and get it ready for a 4 hour excursion tonight. The plan for me is to do 4 more hill efforts at 15 minutes a piece. I am hoping to go off the front of the TNR to do “my thing” and then lift back to recover and enjoy my favorite social scene.

Yesterday was a triple workout day courtesy of Lynda’s sadistic plan. It is kind of challenging to go out at lunch and put in two climbs up Pattee Canyon and then recover for another climb after work.

It all turned out pretty well as I found no fade or fatigue from earlier in the day. After a little spin around the South Hills, I went home for a pain lab session to strengthen the Ol core. It is all core baby…o/o

Tonight is the Missoula Thursday Night Ride out at Snow Bowl. There is a lot planned. Extra excursions, seed spitting, and a BBQ duel with the “other” group. Who is in?

Today I head out to Pattee for hill repeats twice. I do two runs up the hill at lunch time and after work I go back out to the hill. Once home I can do a third workout in the pain lab. I will be sporting the new kit from Triple Ring Productions. That’s the fun part.

The part that isn’t so grand is coming into work late due to all the prep work, staying up late with friends, and mixing Carbo Rocket.

Last night I spent a little time with my friends Paul and Lucy as they settled into their host house and started their stay in the big city of Missoula Montana. Some of the highlights included some musical efforts by Niko who started on the guitar, moved to the drums, and finally ended the session with a stint on the piano. Willow was not feeling well so she was not able to perform her gymnastics routine for me that night. Paul and Lucy were celebrating their anniversary (couldn’t settle on years, probably like 17 maybe).

Now it is time for business. I have 5 really hard core days of training and then I settle into a taper for the Butte 100.