The light at the end is near

Well last weekend I traveled to NJ for the second grand prix. It was my first Grand Prix ever so i didn't really know what to expect. I knew it was going to be fast and I was going to be slower then normal. I was sick for the two weeks leading up to it. The first week I had a very bad virus and could barley stand up then the next week it turned into a sinus infection. So i finally got some medication for that and started feeling a little bit better before I left. I was only able to ride three times leading up to the race so I knew I was going to get my butt kicked or I was going to be fresh and feel good. We got there really early Friday morning due to delay of our flight. Got to bed about 4 am. Got to the course around 1 pm to pre ride. The course was awesome fast and long and I was really looking forward to it. My legs actually felt good during the pre ride.Then Friday night it rained and I didn't think anything of it. Got to the course Saturday afternoon and it was a mud bath. People were running the slightest up hill section. I was not happy,I HATE RUNNING. I started near the back and stayed there. Sunday pretty much went the same way a lot of running. I made a dollar during my run. the fans were throwing dollar bills in the mud for you to pick up.




Now I am feeling better and am almost done with school for the semester. Got thanksgiving break next week. Then a week of class then finals. I was going to go to Portland for the last GP but am unable to go anymore. I am pretty disappointed about that but to well. Now I am just getting ready for U23 and collegiate nats. i hope my time off the bike wont kill me at nats.

Getting better

Well I have been sick since the Boulder cup and have only road twice since then. I went to the doctors last week and they said I had a virus and they really couldn't do anything for me. Then I went back into the doctors again at the beginning of this week to try to get meds so I was better for the weekends USGP. They said it was turning into a sinus infection and they gave me antibiotics. I am feeling a lot better not not 100% yet but almost there. I am going to try to ride my cross bike today for a little just to get the legs moving, nothing hard. I am leaving tomorrow afternoon for Jersey. I leave junction around 440 and leave Denver around 640. Don't get into Jersey till 1230 am. A little late but i need to go to school first then I will have all day Friday to sleep and pre ride the course. My family is all coming from New York to watch us race. That will be pretty cool, I think it will be an eye opener for them because I don't even think they know what cyclocross is. It's my first USGP and I don't feel prepared. I just hope I don't get more sick by racing.

It's all catching up to me

Well a lot has happened in the last couple weeks. Had collegiate MTB nats. Did pretty good in short track. Got 10th. Then the Boulder Cup was last weekend. Did ok in that. Those guys are fast. with all this racing and traveling I have been doing it is all catching up to me this week. First off I am not liking this time change. And now I am sick and feel like crap. On Thursday I could barley stand up. I just feel like crap. Only got to ride twice this week. I went to the doctors and they said I just have a virus so they couldn't give me any med. I am leaving for Jersey on Thursday afternoon for the Grand Prix. I better be feeling better by then. I don't know how much riding I will be getting in before then. I just hope I can ride well there. It's my first grand Prix. I took this weekend off from racing because I am sick and it feels weird not being at a race. I just hope I can get better soon.



After the short track(a little muddy)

I am off to collegiate MTB NATS

Wish me luck.

NEVER give up!

This past weekend I had a break off from collegiate MTB so I headed over to Fort Collins Friday afternoon for two cross races. Saturday was at Xilinx, and Sunday was in Fort Collins. I was looking forward to get my cross fix in for the week.


I arrived to Saturdays course pretty early because I had some friends racing in the fours and threes. So i got to see the course and the lines people took before I raced. My race started very good, very fast. I was fifth going into the first corner and feeling really good. It was a long course so I knew that we would not be doing a lot of laps so I had to stay up front. Then on lap two my chain feel off during a barrier section. That cost me some time and a lot of places. I started getting into a good rhythm after that, but once i got rolling my chain feel off again, and lost some more time and more places. Just had some bad luck. Ended up 27th, not very happy with my result so I was ready for Sundays race to redeem myself.


Sunday was another long day. got there early once again to cheer on some of my friends. The course looked very fast and very bumpy. So our race started fast once again. I tried not blowing myself up too bad in the start so I was about mid pack into the first corner. Then a couple of more turns my chain fell off again.



I got passed by the whole field and lost some time. The next time through the pit I changed bikes. I didn't want my chain to fall off again so that's why I changed bikes. Then one of my friends said he fixed the chain guard and my bike was ready to go.So the next time through the pit I changed back to my normal bike. Loosing a lot of time from changing bikes and fixing my chain I had a lot of chasing to do to get back to the front. Then again my chain feel off. I fixed it but decided not to change bikes and hope for the best that the chain would not fall off again. I was so far back at this time that I was mentally not there for a few laps. Then I got rolling again once I started picking off people. On the last lap I caught 3rd-6th place and gave it my all to pass all of them. It was a slug fest until the finish. I kept passing 3rd place then someone would pass me. Then on the last barriers before the finished i surged into 3rd place and sprinted as hard as i could. I ended up 3rd on the day, not bad at all considering what happened. I gave it my all and threw up once i crossed the finish line. Now that's going all out. That is my best result so far in the pro field and I am hoping to improve on that. The moral of the story is never give up until the finish line.





I am in school for a couple more days then i am off to collegiate MTB nationals in North Carolina. Then once that is over I will be sole focused on Cross and can't wait until the Boulder Cup.

Photos by Mat Peters

Mesa hike a bike

Well this weekend was our home collegiate MTB race. I was hoping we were going to have a race on the front range this weekend because of fall break and I could have gone home. But o well. Friday I went out to set up the short track course for Saturdays race. I didn't see the course before then and i was surprised at the climbs. O well looked fun. Then Friday night we went to go set up the cross country course for Sunday. O ya and while i was setting up the short track course i thought Conor and Brent got kidnapped.
Saturday morning came around and we road out to whitewater for the short track and super D. Short track was OK took me a little to get going but finished about mid pack. Then I decided to do the super D just because it was free and I have never done it before. There was about 13 A's or so who started the race. I was just expecting to get last because I suck at MTB and going downhill. But the race started with one push up then a run to our bikes. I put my bike last because i just thought i was going to get last. But the race was fun finished 5th overall and 1st d2 which was surprising.
Then the XC race was brutal. I was killing it on the first two laps sitting in 7th. Then the last lap came around and i just couldn't control my bike very well. I was so tired so i faded a lot. Ended up 14th not bad for not being a mTber. O and by the way I raced on a Specialized stump jumper 29er the whole weekend. It was a lot of fun thanks Ruby Canyon.
This weekend is off to FOCO for some cross races. Then back here for three days and back to DIA for collegiate MTB nationals in NC. Then back for a week then Boulder Cup, can't wait.

Fruita on fall break

A little break

This past weekend I decided not to race MTB in Boulder or cross races. Instead I went to Moab with Conor and our buddy josh. Left Junction at noon on Friday and made it to Moab at a good time. Went to go do some slick rock Mtb which was fun. Then we camped out and heard a mountain lion close by when we were going to bed. So we slept with a huge knife in our tent. Next morning got up and went and did some four wheeling. Then came back to junction to do some more four wheeling on little park. Then yesterday went to the air show which was also cool.


It was a good weekend to rest my legs up for a big block of hard racing coming up in the next month or so. This weekend I am racing both cross races in Frico, then the following weekend is our hike a bike race in Junction which I am not looking forward to. Then another two cross races in FOCO. The collegiate Nats in NC. Then back for the big Boulder cup. The rumor has it Lance Armstrong may show. Then off to my first Grand Prix in New Jersey. Hoping that family from New York will make it over to see what Cross is all about.