I'll be honest - I didn't know what to expect with the long race at CMSP on Sunday. The last time Nick and I tried riding Blackmere and Cougar's Shadow, they were a mess. It was more of a swamp then a trail, with several stream and creek crossing and mud bogs that were 100s of feet long and ankle deep. Not ridable at all. We've had some dry and hot days since then, but not enough to even dry up some of the new rivers running through CMSP. Given that I wasn't sure what was coming, I'd…

I have to wonder, what the large flock of turkeys was thinking Wednesday night. After all, it was wet out and still spitting rain at times. What on earth were these mountain bikers doing? Usually the trails would have been deserted at that time of day under those conditions. It would have been safe for them to take the easy route - aka the trail - to their destination.

But this was no ordinary Wednesday night.…

Aw, shucks. There I was (and so was everyone else in the 6:15 start) all dressed up with nowhere to race. The bluebird skies had vanished behind some very angry clouds and just was we (Nick and I) were heading out the door to ride over to Bear Creek for the race, the rain started. So we waited for a few minutes. I texted Amber, who I knew would be on site and have all the info, asking if the race was still…

There comes a moment in any race when it comes down to the mental battle. It doesn't matter if the race is an hour slug fest at Bear Creek Terrace or a 24 hour endurance test. The demons are always there, lurking - whispering in your ears that its okay to stop - everyone else is hurting just as bad. The sign of a great athlete is knowing when the demons need to be silenced, ignored and when they rightfully demand attention. It's a hard task to stay mentally on top throughout an entire race.…

Well. Isn't that the story of racing? Sometimes you are the cat and sometimes the mouse - and sometimes, both! With just me and Caroline Mani on the line for the woman's pro race at last nights kick off for the Ascent Cycling Series, it would quickly turn into a game of cat and mouse with both of use playing each role at varying times. A shorter course with less road and more technical singletrack played to my strengths, but I wanted to try racing smart this time. Instead of bolting from the…

This is not a race report. There is nothing about my race, my tactics or how I felt riding my bike. This is a reflection of the series and how having something as simple seeming as the Ascent Cycling Series can become the focus of the summer. It's also about development as a rider - both in skills and confidence.

There's something fun about racing a series. It's more then just go out and suffer one time, then done. There are second chances to make up for a bad race and the…

Anyone who has ever followed me through a technical section has had the privilege of overhearing my method for cleaning the tricky lines. Even now, I still talk myself through everything - simple reminders to look where I want to go, breath, relax and flow. Might be annoying to everyone else, but it serves me well, especially on a course like yesterday! It doesn't matter how many times I've ridden something - I'm always repeating those phrase.  I know what I was getting into - four laps of…

It's bound to happen to every rider at some point in time. The mid race crash that throws you mentally. I know I've had my fair share of them - frequently crossing the line covered in dirt and dust with some blood mixed in for good measure. It doesn't happen as much as it used to, but sometimes I need the wakeup call to ride my bike smart and focus on what I'm doing.

Well, this was the wake-up call race at Palmer Park. With just me and Kelly N on the starting line for the…

Despite the cold weather and looming clouds, the start of the 2013 Ascent Cycling Series proved to be yet another success. There were solid fields in every class, ranging from the youngest of juniors to a spunky 65 year old. Smiles abounded as riders turned racers maneuvered around rocks, up steep hills and down tricky switchbacks. Number plates adorned bikes of all kinds,…

Okay, so the the hail held off until the racing was done and hopefully everyone got home safely! I know it got really ugly really quickly...

I got to Bear Creek just before the start of the Cat 3 and Juniors race. Always fun to watch those races - there were some fast juniors tearing it up and some true beginners out having a good time. Bikes of all shapes and styles underneath riders of all ages. Then the Cat 2 race started and it was time to think about following my own…