The conference is over but I’m stuck in Cincinnati for an additional night because of crummy weather. We fly out tomorrow morning at 9:18 am and I cannot wait to be home. Let me tell you, traveling SUCKS!
One positive is the dinner my boss just treated us to at Morton’s. Steak and lobster, fantastic!
Andy B
outsideallday.com
The Final stage to the AMGEN Tour of California finished today at the Pasadena, Rose Bowl in Southern, CA. so I had to get out for the racing. The race has been great but the sunny California weather was not so friendly. The week brought a lot of rain and cold weather to the Tour but that seemed to be just fine with racers and all the spectators whom showed up today to watch the final stage. It ended great with an amazing breakaway from Thor of Team Bissell but he could not hold off the hard charge of George Hincapie (Team High Road) as he took the final stage in the pouring rain just before the sky opened up to an amazing rainbow, which casted over the stage as the riders received their kisses from the Rock N Republic Girls.
Results of the tour—
Overall: Amgen Tour of California 2008:
Full Overall ResultsResults
Overall Results 1. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Astana, 29:24:32 2. David Millar (GB), Slipstream-Chipotle, 0:49 3. Christian …
-DSheek
Who cares about winning when your Dave Zabriskie because he has a sweet stache!
These are the type of events that are bringing Mountain Biking back on the radar. The typical XC format seems to have lost interest of a lot of competitors so read more about this multi day event on Velo News…
http://velonews.com/article/72068
“A pair of the country’s best known mountain bike race organizers are planning the first epic mountain bike stage race in the U.S., to be held this summer in the ski and bike resort of Brian Head, Utah.
Inspired by the growth of events like South Africa’s Absa Cape Epic and Costa Rica’s La Ruta de los Conquistadores, the Brian Head Epic will be held August 21-24…”
-DSheek
If anyone wants to contribute to my entry I will do it!
BMoe just sent me this email.
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The Mammoth Season Pass (formerly “Gold Pass”), is now the only unrestricted pass for skiing/snowboarding at Mammoth and June Mountains starting May 1, 2008 and every day in the 2008/09 season.
What you get: A Season Pass is your membership into the Mammoth Club. Purchase in April 2008 for special Activity Pass, Gift Card and passcash offers at the time of purchase, plus more season-long discounts on lodging, lesson, food, retail and Bring a Friend than ever before.
Half Price 2008/09 Mammoth Season Pass
Purchase your Pass in April and save over 50%. Pays for itself in 10 days. Available April 1-30, 2008 at MammothMountain.com or by calling 800.MAMMOTH.
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For more details go to:
http://www.mammothmountain.com/ski_ride/passes/pass_0809/index.cfm?mid=100663&cid=490
Andy B
outsideallday.com
It was our first race of the season as a team. The guys received their new bikes (Pivot Cycles, the sexiest full suspension systems in the world) and I am eagerly waiting mine which should be arriving next week. The race was so fun. I know we should have placed better especially with all the training/riding everyone has been putting in this off season from Mountain Biking. However, $hi# happens… Dean cramped so bad he pedaled around the course looking for a good rock and then he sat down to eat a Bonk Breaker Bar so he could finish. Eric cramped and then decided to try and blow himself up so he could quit but he hung on for fourth even with the pain. And, I rode around the course like a small child. My lower back was toast by the end of the first lap. I borrowed Andy’s bike and did not adjust the positioning more than the saddle height. The tires sucked as I slid into and around corners plus the bike weighed almost eight pounds more than my own. Needless to say it was a painfully awkward suffer fest to barely hang on to fifth and I loved it.
The best part is the motivation that experiences like these create. Dean rode before heading off to Lake Tahoe today and Eric probably did hill repeats trying to figure out why he doesn’t cramp on regular rides but he does in races. I will rest and after a couple days of stretching and resting my back I am on the bike.
Next race:
March 9, 2008 Southern California State XC Series #1, Bonnelli Park, CA
-DSheek
Has anyone seen C.Savage?
For my day job I work for a company called SimplyYouthMinistry.com. Our company is hosting a conference in Cincinnati called the National Youth Ministry Conference. My buddies Jake and Josh did all of the programming for the event. This is one of their announcement video’s.
Andy B
outsideallday.com
Like a painter who loves to capture the beauty of the great outdoors, he sets up in front of his subject in awe with hopes of expressing himself through his paintbrush. I too, sat this morning with Saddleback Mountain as my subject gazing in awe of how majestic, mysterious and in awe of the challenging variety of elements it attracts in hopes to expound on the overflowing emotions trapped in my heart onto paper. You know sometimes your heart and mind are so filled with an experience that when you open your mouth, NOTHING comes out? So, I started to journal all the events of the day and the precious moments that I spent with God. These types of moments I have to know were just for those participating in them. However, my only wish is to have somehow captured all of the joy, pain and tender moments in order to share it with others. There is no greater high ever felt like the high received when God takes you on His tandem.
On November 28th 2006, our very much loved friend Christy’s life was brought to an end. It wouldn’t have been her choice of time to leave at such a young age, but it was according to our Heavenly Father. She did die doing exactly what she loved to do and that was riding her bike.
Saturday, March 3rd 2007, we took on one of the nation’s toughest mountain bike races in her honor in hopes to shine a light into a sometimes very dark world. That light did shine ever so bright up on that mountain.
Some enter this event as a race for the finish, and others, like me, would just like to say they completed it and pay forward the lessons throughout the journey.
According to the world’s standards, there was no award given to us, only the reward of self-fulfillment and the ability to depend on God as we threw ourselves into the mouth of a very unstable mountain that day.
Wind speeds between 40 and 50 miles per hour causing riders, including myself and my teammate to be pushed off our bikes. Trying to pedal up an already steep and technical part of the mountain is already a huge stress on the body and then throw in a head wind with that kind of force is very defeating. On, the other hand, I smiled as I felt that same wind lift us on some of those difficult climbs, feeling an answer to so many friend’s prayers.
The wind also added to existing frigid temperatures up on the mountaintop. The beauty of the snow and pines at times were our only reminder that the mountain does offer peace that through all of this we had forgotten.
Elaine and I rode close together the entire time tackling on the elements, the mental defeats and of course the incredible physical challenges. There were a lot of times you would experience an eerie silence in the midst of hundreds of other riders as they could only focus on bringing there pedals up and around again and again. If you could hook up a special microphone to our sub-conscience, they would be screaming to stop the madness now!
There were many technical downhills as well, but with the wind whipping up, we actually had to pedal on some of that downhill. Our checkpoints were now becoming more and more critical trying to make up for time lost in the center of that angry mountain. My teammate and I made it down one of the most difficult downhill sections with large rocks, steep drop-offs and tight switchbacks in record time. Honestly, it felt as though angels carried us because we had this incredible strength and accuracy.
Of course there is so much else to share. The most incredible part of the day was the Finish Line with a heartbeat. A group of the ladies from our group were waiting at the end of this challenging day yelling and screaming our names all dressed in our new Trail Angel jerseys with arms ready and willing to exchange hugs of love and of course to see Michelle, a friend that shined her light during a dark time of my life. The most precious sight that caught my eye was Christy’s husband and son a midst all of those cheering women feeling proud and loved as we dedicated the day to the most incredible woman in their life.
God Bless you all and oh, remember, there is more regret for not doing something you feel led to do, than actually setting out to do it!
Jacke Van Woerkom
Director of Trail Angels – TrailAngels.com
outsideallday.com Contributor
I am waiting for my new bike from Pivot Cycles (Pivot, Mach 4, the best full suspension cross country bike in the states) but until that time I needed to get out on the dirt to play, especially with the soft rainy conditions we have been experiencing here in Southern, CA. I decided to borrow Andy’s Specialized, Epic Marathon, purchased proudly from Rock N’ Road Cyclery.
It was great that he let me borrow it but I think he was trying to sabotage my rides. For example, I set out for a ride and realized I had a rattling water bottle cage, the left (front) shifter was at a different angle than the Right (rear) shifter and not pushing into gear properly. The pedals were rusted with clumps of mud dried inside the cleat and release areas. But the worst part was finding that his tires had more air pressure than necessary, with 45 psi in the front and rear tires.
Andy has always been a little lackadaisical with maintaining his gear when we were growing up as he used to refer to me as his ski tech. I would receive phone calls asking for the ski tech to wax his snow boards, tune his edges, replace binding straps, etc…and now, it is the same with his bikes.
Now Andy has a fully tuned bike but I don’t know who should be thanking who?
Tips when borrowing a friends bike:
1. Check all important bolts
2. Lube chain
3. Check air pressure
4. Check saddle and bar position and height (some friends have wack positions or are bigger)
5. Lube the rusty, non-releasing pedals
-DSheek
Thanks for the loaner man!
Last week my life was changed… My hard-drive crashed and apple needed my mac for three days to install a new hard-drive. Even worse was everything on my computer is lost; My pictures, music, passwords, training files for this season, work, etc. but the best part was since the computer was only four months old I never backed up the files therefore it’s all gone.
Tip of the week:
Back up your files!
-DSheek
Lesson learned
It’s official.
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Sunday, September 28, 2008 – 7:00 AM
Lake Mission Viejo
Mission Viejo , CA
The 1st Annual Orange County International Triathlon will be held Sunday, Sept. 28th, 2008 at beautiful Lake Mission Viejo in Mission Viejo, CA. This is an International (Olympic) Distance Triathlon.The 1500 meter swim, 40K bike and 10K run will take place on what we believe will become a Classic course for the Sport of Triathlon.
(Check out maps of course, course descriptions, parking info, etc. at www.OCTri.com)
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For more info to go:
http://www.octri.com
Andy B
outsideallday.com
Its 6am and I’m sitting down at John Wayne Airport with grande Mocha in hand.
A few observations:
1. Dudes are already pounding bloody Marys.
2. Everyone is a workaholic. Laptops and cell phones are buzzing.
3. I already miss my family.
4. No training for me today. This is a 12 hour travel day.
5. People love Mcdonalds. French fries in the morning!
6. I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m better looking than Dave.
7. The line for Starbucks is 400 yards long with only 2 people working.
I love flying!
That’s it, I’m tired, and going to try to sleep on the plane.
Andy B
outsideallday.com
