Long Road Home.

Really wasn't that bad. Sneaking Goran in and out of hotel rooms has never been so worth it. Kris and I hit the jackpot by scoring a hotel room in Provo that had OLN. We got the watch the Floyd explosion and redemption stages in the Tour de France. It puts our idea of suffering into perspective.

Russian River Rope Swings. Floated all day to beat the heat.

Goran stayed in the water most of the day. He was still paddeling in his slept that night on the hotel floor.
Picnik in the shade with some Fume' Blanc and our Maitre De' Kris w/a K.
Back home. Time for r&r and one of my favorite days on the calinder. I must be a obnoxious euro cycling fan encarnate. There is nothing I enjoy more than screaming at triathletes as they slog up the steep pitches of old stage road.

I should have taken a lesson from Landis and just kept a bottle in my hand. Riding through the California heat wave sucked. Two bottles on the front side feed and one on the back. Nine in total but i'd say I drank about six. Three more than any thing I've done in competition.

The perfect gut. A good three inches over the belt line. The avalanche of flab, seemingly about to fall on my shoulder. Is this what happens when you stop riding?

Super COMo Mom.

Ahh, the suffering didn't stop at the XC. I lasted longer that ever (16:40) at the short track, in slightly warmer weather.

Coast 2 Coast in 06'

The cold pacific waters around Montego Bay. Kris and I's NMBS tour has reached it's Zenith, but not it's conclution. It was a little symbolic touching both coast, and thinking of the lessons I've learned along the way.

All that aside, nothing could kill our buzz we had from wine tastings in the Russian River valley. Sobered up with a walk on the beach.

Getting "sideways" at some wineries.

"Generous pours, mineral finish, bitey, smokey start, summer in a bottle, bouqet, toasty, nutty, lively, floral." Words not to familiar in the Mt. Bike lexicon, except "generous pours."

06 SS National Start

Big field for the Single Speed nats.

Yeah! That's right....

Kris had a break out day in the SS Nationals. Sharing the stage with 3 time nat champ Carl Decker, 06 XC champ Ryan Trebon, Travis Brown, Mike Something SS cross champ. Good day for COMotion Sports and Lathrop.

technical nationals

Tough course, not real technical though.

On to Sonoma and the MountianBike Nationals. Met up with my folks in Santa Rosa. Buddy and Judy wanted to watch my "biggest race" this year and spend some time in Cali wine area.

The reviews of the course were a mixed bag. It was tough. My race was like a bake oven.... drank 6 bottles and four goo's and still had the "tinglies" most of the race. Not a lot of sustained climbing which made it a power course. Not much techincal. Nothing went great, but then again nothing really went wrong. I got 32nd of 66 starters. Pro pack fill.

From Park City, Ut, to Truckee, Ca. Stayed with Greg and Eli, some friends of Kris. We replenished with home brew, fly fishing, chicken tacos and some cool trails around Lake Tahoe. Check the video.

Tahoe trail riding

R&R at Tahoe. Stayed with some buddies in Trukee on our way to Sonoma.

short track Park City Pro Start

Park City, UT. Start of the Pro mens short track race. I only lasted 9:38, but of 90 I think less than 10 even finished without getting lapped.

Luggage by Target' and Rubbermaid.

Looking down the valley over Park City at the "Horizon"

For those who aren't 80's car buffs, that's a Plymoth Horizon... with the sweet flames

Da Pits

Got killed. The first lap "flat to wipe out" didn't get me off to a good start.

If you fall off the bike and burn through kits as much as I do, I've got a good tip from the road. Duct tape the inside lining of your rip. In this case, mine turned out to look like a sweet shark tooth graphic, or snowey mt. top. Your pic.

Kris continues his podium run

Next national is Park City, Ut. So starts road trip no. 2. No camping planned on this leg.

I better change the name of my weblog. I just took 5 days off the bike.
This weekend my Mtn. Bike team showed up in force at Eldora Escape regional. Handing off feeds, working on bikes, and testing different LeftHand Beers was a welcome change of pace. No racing for me this weekend, and my first rest week since late March.
Here are some of my teammates racing on home territory.

Costello showed his short track skilz

Kris had another good weekend, taking second in single speed state championship.

Meagan riding away from the other fast chics.