State RR Champ and MTB Worlds

Well, Ty had a great race last weekend in Flagstaff. The course was a hilly 14 mile route around Mormon Lake. The finish had a 1/2 mile climb up "The Wall". Ty and 2 other riders attacked each other the whole race. No-one was able to get away, so they decided to stay together and decide the race on the final climb up to the finish. When they hit the climb, Ty stepped up the pace and another rider jumped on his wheel while they dropped the 3rd rider. Then, Ty passed the 200 meter to go marker and he stepped up the pace once again. He rode the guy right off his wheel for the win and the State Champ Jersey!! It was a lot of fun to watch. It reminded me of Lance riding away from Jan in the Alps. More pictures from the weekend can be found HERE.


What a poser!!

Sat. night we went to the Fire Station to watch the UFC fights with Corey and the gang. Great times. We were expecting a good fight between Chuck Liddell and Babaloo, but Chuck knocked him out in the first minute of the fight. Is anyone going to stop that guy??

The USA MTB team had a great showing at the MTB World Championships. Jeremiah Bishop placed 8th in the Men's Elite field. The highest finish for an American male in 11 years. The rest of the American men were plagued with mechanicals and crashes on the day. Mary Mcconneloug was the top American female in 6th place. Dara Marks also had a great race. She rode with Mary from most of the race before bonking on the last lap. She still had a great result and watch out next year for this gal. I expect to see her on top of the podiums a lot! Melissa Buhl placed 4th in the Elite Women’s Downhill competition. Buhl’s performance led all American athletes and she also took 6th in the 4 Cross event!

Rachel Throop had a great race in the Junior Expert class and came in as the top American. Despite being run into the rails at the start and being blocked a # of times on the course, she fought hard and placed 19th.


Rachel racing for the USA @ the 2006 MTB Worlds

Soccer, Camping and Rachel at MTB Worlds

A lot has happend since our last post. Here is a little summary of what has been going on with us.

Tyler tried out for his 7th grade soccer team and made it! This was the 1st time that Ty has delt with cuts on a team and it was great experience for him. He has not played soccer for many years and he is really enjoying the game. His team lost their 1st 2 games by just 1 goal. Both games were played very close and were very exciting to watch. Ty is playing mid-fielder and has had a couple of scoring chances. I am sure that he will be putting points on the board before long.

We did a camping trip a few weeks ago up in Flagstaff with the www.mtbaz.net gang and had a blast. We did a lot of mountain biking and tried to do some hiking. However, we got back to the Inner Basin area and were hit hard by a storm. When the lighting and hail rolled in, we knew it was time to head back to the car and call it a day.

Ty will be racing in the AZ State Road Race Championships next weekend up in Flagstaff. We pre-rode the course last weekend and it is a great course. Ty won the State Crit Championship earlier this Summer and he is hoping to add another jersey to his collection.

Our friend, Rachel Throop, is racing in the MTB Worlds tomorrow in New Zeland. She has started a blog to share her experiences at http://rachelthroop.blogspot.com/ . Stop by and be sure to wish her luck!!













CC riding along Schultz Pass

USA Cycling MTB Champ - Rachel Throop

Calling all cyclists & cycling supporters!

18-year-old, Rachel Throop, achieved a life-long goal this month by winning the USA Cycling’s National Championship in the 18-under Junior Expert category. This is a huge accomplishment! The Throop’s have been long time members and supporters of the Nova family. Rachel has been racing mountain bikes since she was 10 years old and has climbed up to the pinnacle of the sport. By winning the US Championship, she also has been selected to the US National MTB Team and will represent our country next month in the MTB Worlds in New Zealand. For more on Rachel’s racing results, go to http://www.usacycling.org/results/index.php?compid=174132&all=1 .

USA Cycling will be paying for a portion of the associated travel and expenses for Rachel, but not all of them. It is very expensive to support an athlete at this level and get her to this event. This is where we can use your help. We have started a “Rachel Travel Fund” to assist her and her family with the expenses to get her to the World Championships. Donations in ANY amount would be greatly help with her quest. If you would like to make a donation, there are a few ways that you can do it…

1 - Send funds via Paypal to my username: mcoplea@cox.net and just reference "Rachel Travel Fund" in the notes.

2 – Send a check to me along with a note or card to Rachel if you like. I will be collecting the donations and sending them all directly to her family. Your name (or company name) will be sent along to Rachel showing your support. Please send by 8/11/2006, make checks payable to Marty Coplea. Email me at mcoplea@cox.net for mailing address and complete details.

3 – If you prefer to make a tax deductible donations, please send your check to me and make if out to the Nova Youth Cycling Foundation. Be sure and include your return address and we will mail you a receipt for your taxes. Your name (or company name) will be sent along to Rachel showing your support. All donations will go directly supporting Rachel at the Worlds. Email me at mcoplea@cox.net for mailing address and complete details.


If you have any questions, feel free to call me at 602-751-8388 or email me at mcoplea@cox.net. Thanks in advance for your consideration and ANY assistance that you can offer. Feel free to forward this on to anyone that may be interested in supporting youth cycling.

US Cycling MTB National Championships

I was able to get a flight out to Sonoma, CA to meet up with Tyler, the Edwards and the Throops for the USA Cycling National MTB Championships. I am so glad that I was able to be there for this one! I could write a whole book on the weekend but at the rate that I type, that would take me a few days. So here is the short but sweet version... (More pictures can be found HERE)



Ty lined up for the start of the 11-12 Boys race along with 9 other racers. The course was a very hilly 7.7 mile course and they went out at full speed from the start of the event. The course had a 1 1/2 mile climb shortly after the start line and Ty and 4 other boys crested the climb toghether. The rest of the group was spread out over the climb trying to catch the leaders. The 5 of them stayed together for a bit until the next long climb. By the top of the 2nd climb, the group was down to just 2 riders, Tyler & racer from Texas. The 2 stayed together for a bit until Ty dropped his chain going into a short-steep climb and he lost about 20 seconds to the kid from Texas. Ty chased hard all the way down the hill to the finish, but he could not make up the lost time and took 2nd place, (12 secs behind the winner). An awesome ride by Tyler and an awesome result. He definately did not leave anything in the tank when he crossed the finish line. I could not be more proud of him!




Tyler's buddy and teammate, Zach Edwards, also had a great race in the 10 and under category and finished 2nd on the day too. Congrats Zach! Thanks again to Zach and his father, Scott, for looking after Ty on the trip. Thanks also to the Throop's for letting us use their trailer area at the venue. Tyler's other buddy, Rachel Throop, won the Woman's Junior Expert National Championship. This has been a long time goal of Rachel's and she also has made the US National MTB team. She will represent the USA in the World MTB Championships on Aug. 24, 2006 in Rotorua, New Zealand. We are starting a "Rachel Travel Fund" to help her get her to the event. If you are interested is contributing ANY amount, please contact me at mcoplea@cox.net and I can provide you the details.

Arizona's own pro mountain bikers had a great weeked, too! Dara Marks-Marino had a great race and finished 4th in the Pro Women's XC and 2nd in the Short Track event. Mellisa Buhl took 2nd in the Women's Pro DH and 4th in the Mountain Cross event.


Jason, Ty, Gary Fisher & Zach

Park City NORBA National

Tyler raced last weekend in NORBA National at Park City, UT. I could not make this trip due to some work commitments. A special thanks to Kristen Hayden for giving Ty a ride up there! A special thanks also to Scott Edwards for letting him stay with them and being the "Team Manager" for the week. Also, thanks to the Throop's for their help and support.

It sounds like Ty had a great race. The course was very hilly with a long climb right at the start of the race. Ty was able to get to the top first and was flying down the hills. Ty was flying a little too fast when he reached a blind turn and went a little wide and went down. He injured is wrist in the fall, but jumped back on his bike and rode through the pain to hold off the rest of the field for the win. It is killing me not being there!!!

I went online today to Velonews to read up on the weekend's event. I found this picture of Shonny winning the XC event and guess who I see in the background!!?? Look for the little man in the red/silver helmet. Too funny!


They are all traveling to Sonoma this week for the NORBA National Championships. Along the way, they are stopping in Truckee, UT to have a little fun and do some riding with Luna Chix rider, Katerina Nash. Lucky dogs!!!

Short n' Sweet

Last Saturday we dusted off our paintball gear and headed out to the Jungle in Queen Valley. There were over 60 players out there mixing it up. Lots of moving targets!! Good times.

Ty has been spending a lot of time on the trainer and road trying to get ready for the MTB National Championships next month in Sonoma, CA. I have been tossing around the idea of trying to do the 24HITOP next year as a duo or solo. I better start putting in some T.I.T.S. (Time In The Saddle)!!

Great MTB Video from the Whiskey Off-Road - www.vladfoto.com (fixed link) ... go to "index" and then "video". Be sure and check out his other videos while you are there. Enjoy!

Short and sweet this week.

Back in the Saddle, Disc Golf, The Break Up & Paintball

No racing for Ty last weekend and no broken ribs for me! We played in a local disc golf tournament over in Scottsdale. It was our 1st disc golf competition and it was a blast even though I threw 4 of my disc in the darn water! If you have not tried this sport, I highly suggest it. All you need to do is to spend about $20 on a few disc and you are set to play. Give it a try!

Saturday night I did the "Mountain Bike in the Moonlight" ride out at McDowell Mtn. Park. Ty skipped this one because he is still trying to get over his hip injury. It may be time for him to see the doctor on this one. It was my 1st real ride since my last rib injury and I am happy to say no new injuries to report. It felt so good to be back on the bike again!

We went to see "The Break Up" and expected a funny Vince Vaughn movie. But, we were treated to a typical relationship on-the-rocks-chick-flick. UGH! Guys, skip this one!! You did not even get to see a good shot of Jennifer Aniston's goodies. :-(

Next weekend we are going to do a little paintballing out at the Jungle. I guess they are having a big game out there and we have not played for a while. It should be fun.

Summit Center Classic

Well we were going to take the weekend off from racing, but Ty decided he wanted to compete in the Summit Center Classic Stage Race in Flagstaff last weekend. So, we again took the “back way” up to Flagstaff on Friday night. We have really enjoyed traveling via the back way to Flag - going up through Payson and into Flagstaff via Lake Mary Rd route. Ty saw 13 deer during our trip up there – a new record for him!


The "backway" to Flagstaff

Saturday AM was the hill climb prologue stage, a 0.6 mile uphill time trial. Ty rode the stage strong enough to put himself out front of his friend and rival (Zach) by 16 seconds. On to Stage 2 Saturday afternoon for a road race out in Williams, AZ. The roads were very hilly and the winds were ripping through the trees and the riders. I volunteered to do wheel support for the Juniors and rode right behind Ty and Zach for the whole stage. The two boys rode together for the whole stage and battled the wind and hills together. The last few hundred yards they dropped the hammer and sprinted to the finish. It was a photo-finish and Zach edged out Ty by a hair.



Sunday AM was the Crit at NAU. The boys rode hard for the full 15 minutes and it again came down to a sprint finish. This time, Ty came out on top...



Going into the final stage on Lake Mary, Ty was only ahead of Zach by 16 seconds in the G,C. The Juniors went out at a pretty good paced and stayed together for the 1st few miles. Then, Zach had some trouble with his gears and fell off the back of the pack. Ty was able to hold on a bit longer before he fell off the pack. He had a pretty good gap on Zach and was able to hold it to the finish line. A great weekend of racing!

In between stages, we went out to a local Disc Golf course and had a little fun. I think Ty actually threw one or two discs that did NOT hit a tree :-) More pics can be found HERE

MBAA State Finals & Another Rib Injury

Well I was planning on racing in Prescott last weekend, but life had other plans for me. Thursday night I was dialing in my rear derailleur for the race. I took my bike out for a quick test ride (wearing my Crocs) to make sure everything was running smoothly. I was rolling back to my driveway and I was in the process of doing a "Cyclocross Dismount" when I slipped the pedal and went down HARD! I ended up injuring my ribs on my left side this time. I just had finally healed up from my last rib injury a few weeks ago and here I go and decide to injury the other side. I am such a dork! (Note to self: No more "Cyclocross dismounts" while wearing Crocs!) So, I again was the "Feedzone Guy", wrench and an all-around Athletic Supporter for the weekend. "If you can't be an athlete... be an athletic supporter!"

On the other hand, Ty had another great weekend racing. They sent all the Juniors out at the same time on a 9 mile hilly course. Ty ended up beating several of the 15-16 year olds and finished 3rd in the 13-14 category. He also beat a rider that has finished in front of him all year. It is a great feeling to start to real in riders that have been in front of you all year. A solid day on the bike for Ty and he is looking very good for the National Championships in July out in Sonoma, CA. It will be nice for Ty to take a little time away from racing and focus on training and having some fun.

Want more pics? GO HERE

The Whiskey Off Road 2006

Believe it or not, Tyler did not race last weekend – I did! I fell off the wagon and did the Whiskey 25 Proof. Epic Rides always puts on great events and this one definitely was an “Epic Ride” for me! It was the toughest day I have ever had on a bike and I loved it! I can say that now, but during the ride I felt a whole lot different.

I had not trained at all for this event. What a great recipe for success! I had considered not even showing up at the race, but made up my mind that I was going to complete this one even if it meant coming in D.F.L. My whole goal was just to finish the race – no DNF. So, I started to prepare mentally a few days before since there was not much that I could do physically at that point. I found that my mental preparation was even worse than my physical preparation.

I started to type out a full race report, but realized that it would be about 10 pages long and take me about 2 hours to write. So, here is a little bullet summary of my day on the bike….

• Total Distance: 35-40 miles (my bike computer broke on a crash early in the day)
• Ride Time: 6hrs 56mins
• Total Elevation Gain: About 4850 ft.
• Times that I got lost: 2
• Place: Next to D.F.L. in the Men’s Open Class
• # of times that my bike had chain suck: 5
• Crashes: 4 (that I can remember)
• Nutrition used on the ride: 2 100oz Camelbacks, 3 GU’s. 2 Cliff Bars, 2 bottles of Cytomax, Gummy Bears, about 15 sugar cookies, 5 pretzels, and 6 electrolyte pills. (it was not enough!)
• Cramps: oh, yea!
• Calories Burned: 4866 or a plethora ("Do you even know what a plethora is?")
• Times that I cussed out Todd (event promoter) during the ride for creating this sick event: 174.5
  

Mission accomplished! (barely) I will definitely be back again next year for this event. I plan to actually train next time and see what happens. I highly suggest you give this one a try if you are into self abuse or maybe I should say... self awareness.

Fontana, CA - NORBA Nationals #2

I know, I promised daily updates and I did not come trough - Sorry! But, we had a great weekend at the NORBA National in Fontana, CA. So much to tell and so little time. Here it goes...

Ty, Ian (Red Rock Racing Teammate) and I head out around 7 PM on Thursday night for CA. We had a pretty smooth trip besides for the wind going through Palm Springs area. I had to make sure and keep both hands on the wheel to keep the car on the road. The 3 bikes on the roof did not help much either. I think we averaged about 13 miles per gallon on the way out there. Not good! We hit Fontana around 12:30 AM and decided to find a cheap hotel around the race venue. A few miles from the venue we found a place that did not look too bad called the Circle Inn Motel. We were so tired that we just wanted a bed and to sleep so we paid $69 for the worst hotel room that we could find. The room was "non-smoking", but smelled SOOO BAD. Bad call on my part. Oh well, we got about 5 hours of sleep and hit the race venue the next AM.

The mornings over there we awesome race weather - 65 degrees and over-cast. The "marine cover" would burn off around 1 PM and we would have sunny afternoons. Typical CA weather. This event was Ty's first stab at the Mountain Cross event. He has been working hard with Melissa Buhl for the last 6 weeks and was excited to apply what he had learned. He practiced on the course all Friday morning and at mid-day, they had the qualifying runs. Ty put in a great time and qualified 8th in the 14 and under category. The Mountain Cross finals were scheduled for 5:30 PM later that day. So, Ty decide that he wanted to also try racing Downhill. I singed him up and off he went to the shuttle to the top of the mountain to give it a shot. He fell in love with the Downhill even though he was riding a hardtail with a 80mm fork. He went up and down the mountain all afternoon and then went straight from his last downhill run to the Mountain Cross for his finals.

Ty waited at the start house while they ran all the other classes and when they call his class, his name was not on the list. He was told to go to the officials at the bottom of the hill to protest. It turns out that 2 other racers that were in the 18 and under class wanted to be "re-classed" in the 14 and under after the qualifying runs. This bumped Ty out of the finals. WHAT!!??? No-one told us about this change or that he now did not qualify for finals. Can you switch classes after qualifying because you did not qualify in the class you entered?? Needless to say, he was a bit heartbroken over the whole thing. Team Big Bear did step up and are giving Ty free entry to the next NORBA National. They also are making some rule changes so that something like this does not happen again in the future. Let's hope so!! After a very long day at the races, we were all very tired. We were so happy to be in a nice hotel for the next two nights. We ate, showered and hit the sack.

Saturday AM, we were back at the race venue at 8 AM for more Downhill practice and Ty's final run. Ty had a great run in his final and finished the course in 4 mins. Good enough to take 4th in the 11-12 division. Wahoo!! Next up, Ian raced Cross Country in the Junior Experts. They were starting off with the Pro at this race for some reason. Ian fired out with the pack on there way to a 30 mile race. Ian's goal was to qualify for the National Championship by placing in the top 10 and he did it - 9th place! Congratulations, Ian!!

Ty was not done yet. He still had his Cross Country race at 3:30 PM. He saved his best for last. Ty won the event by over 2 mins over the 2nd place rider. Wahoo!! AZ's own Pro MTB'er, Dara Marks, placed high in the Pro Woman's division on both the Short Track and XC events.

I could go on and on, but I need to recover from the long weekend. I do not have as much energy as Ty!

More pics from the weekend can be found HERE

Sometimes Life Tends to Get Hetic

Sorry that I have not updated this blog in a while. Sometimes, life tends to get a bit hectic and posting to our blog gets pushed down on the old" to-do list". With that said, here is a bit of what has been going on with the Coplea's.

My rib injury is finally about 80% healed and I hope to be riding strong again soon. I am doing the Whiskey race in 2 weeks and I know that it is going to be a suffer fest for me. Lack of time in the saddle with do that to you. My mother went through major surgery last month and it has been a long recovery road for her. My little rib problem is just a pebble compared to the large mountain that she has been climbing. But, she is healing well and her sprits are high. Thanks to everyone for their support, thoughts and prayers in her time of need. Without your health, nothing else matters much. Life has a way of teaching us lessons again and again.

Tyler has still be doing a lot of racing on the road and dirt. If it has wheels and pedals, he will race it! He won the State Crit Championship last month in an awesome race. Tyler and his buddies, Zach & Connor, fought it out for about 20 minutes. The 3 boys kept attacking each other the whole race. No one's legs cracked though. On the last lap, Ty stood up out of the saddle and basically sprinted the whole lap to take 1st by about 6 seconds. It was a very exciting race to watch!! More pics can be found HERE.

A week later, he was at it again in the Scottsdale Grand Prix. The Waste Management Team put on a great event! This race had a hill the boys had to hit each lap that really zapped their legs. Tyler and two other riders worked together to pull away from the rest of the field. On the final turn of the last lap, Ty decided to make his move and won the sprint to the finish line. They gave his a nice piece of hardware for his efforts.

Last weekend, we were in Payson for the MBAA #4 race. This was Ty's 1st year racing the long course and he did very well in the 13-14 category and took 4th place. Uncle Corey is racing in the Expert class this year and placed 10th. I was just an athletic supporter, again! After the race, we followed Corey along a beautiful route up to Flagstaff. It was great drive through the mountains with some awesome views. Ty saw 6 deer during our 1 1/2 hour drive and this will be our new route each time we head up to Flagstaff. Yet, more pics HERE.

We are off to Fontana, CA this weekend for the 1st NORBA National event of the year. Ty will be racing Cross Country and for the first time, Mountain Cross. He has been working with Pro Mountain Biker, Mellissa Buhl, down at our local BMX track on is MX skills to get ready for this event. Mellissa has been a huge help and she is such a nice lady. Needless to say, Ty is a bit excited for this weekend. I will post daily updates from CA to let you all know how it is going (I promise!).









CC at the Finish in Payson

White Tanks Race, CC at El Tour de Phx & World Cup

Last weekend, we raced in the MBAA #3 out at the White Tanks. We camped out in the Element on Friday night so that we would not have to get up at 4:30AM and drive out to the venue. Luv that Element!

Ty raced again in the Junior 13-14 category and they had to do 2 laps of a 7 mile course. The course had some long-steady climbs with some technical down hill sections and finished off with a gradual but fast decent to the finish. Ty went out strong on the 1st lap and was able to hold on to the second position for most of the lap. He found himself out in front of several racers that he has not beat yet this year. I think all that road racing is starting to pay off for him.

Then, his legs started to really hurt and he felt that was riding very slow. Other racers started to pass Ty as he went out for lap #2. Ty was starting to get frustrated and did not understand why he started so well and then hit wall. On one of the steep climbs, Ty jumped off his bike to run up the hill and he noticed his back wheel was locked up! Ty tried to fix it, but was unable to located the cause. He keep going as fast as he could under the circumstances, but riders continued to pass him and his legs were zapped. As anyone knows who has done a race (or ride) with your brakes rubbing, IT SUCKS! However, Ty kept a great attitude going and did the best he could. Ty continued to ride hard to the finish and crossed the line carrying his bike to take 5th.

We figured out that the adjusting knob on Tyler's brake cable had rattle loose and caused his brakes to clamp down. We will be sure that that never happens to him again! All things considered, I would have to say that this is one of Ty's best races to date. He was faced with some very tough adversity and he kept a great attitude and did the best he could. I am very proud of him!!

I raced the same course and laps as Ty in the Rock Crusher (220 lbs. +) category. My race was not quite as tough as Ty, but I did have a bit of an adventure. I did a poor job of planning my warm up before the race and got to the start line cold. I am one of those people that need a good warm up before a race or my legs turn to stone. So, I decided that I would start the race out easy and turn the speed up once I felt good. NOT!! As soon as the gun went off, I sprinted out with the rest of the field. You get that testosterone flowing and your brain tends not to work that well. 5 minutes into the race and I am up with the lead group and my legs start to yell at me... "What the hell are you doing!?"


I guess that I need to hit my head against the wall about 100 times before I learn my lesson. I start to fall back from the lead group and racers are passing me left and right. As I am coming into the parking lot to head out for my 2nd lap, I start to think about throwing in the towel. Everything hurts, I am hot and I am riding like a small child. But, I make up my mind that I am going to finish this one even if I come in last place. I get a much need handoff in the Feed Zone of Cytomax and water. I pour the water on my face and neck and it was just what I need to perk me up. I start to feel pretty good on my 2nd lap and start passing riders. Wohoo! I am not the worst rider in the world!!

I reach the section on the back side of the course that is known as "Endo Rock". It is a technical step-down that is ridable if you keep your weight back. There is a spectator off to the right of trail shooting video of the racers as they go by this section. I guess he is hoping to film some caranage and I am not one to disappoint him. I roll over the rock pretty smoothly, but front wheel turns as it hits and I go flying over the handlebars! I do the standard tuck and roll and come out it without any major injuries and my bike is not broken (although my ribs are really hurting me today). The guy filming does not ask me if I am OK. Instead, he yells out "You are going to be the star of the show!" Nice! Hopefully he will send me a copy of the video. I survive the rest of the ride to finish 8th among a field of 12 or 13 racers. All in all, it was a great day on the bike for both Ty and I.

You can see more pictures from the event HERE.

While we were racing in the dirt, Corey was on the road racing in the El Tour de Phoenix. His goal was to finish under 3hrs 15 mins and he finished in a time of 3hrs 8 mins in the Platium Group. Way to go CC!! My little bro puts me to shame when it comes to the bike. Complete results can be found at - http://www.pbaa.com/!ETP/p74m-06.htm

This Friday night we will be doing the Mountain Bike in the Moonlight out at McDowell Mtn. Park. There is usually 100+ riders that come out for the event. Come out and join us if you can. Sunday, Ty will be racing in the AZ State Crit Championships. Another fun weekend ahead of us!!

On another note, Mary McConneloug finished 5th at the World Cup opener. It is great to see an American on the podium again!! Read more about it at http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=2157

Colossal Cave Race

After his week up in Flagstaff, Tyler finally came home last Saturday. The Edwards were kind enough to drive him down. Since I did not see him for a week, I could swear that he grew an inch since I last saw him! We relaxed at the house for about an hour, loaded up the Element and then headed down to Tucson for the Colossal Cave road race.

The race was a 9 mile course for the Junior men 12 and under. The races started off with a long decent, followed by some rollers and finished off with a good climb up to the finish. Tyler was able to jump out with the lead group of junior riders from the start. He put some space between him and the rest of the field when he reached the climb up to the finish line. Ty rode stong up the hill to take 1st place! His buddy, Zach ,was close behind him to take 2nd place for Red Rock Racing. Those 2 boys are becoming a great 1 - 2 punch!!

This weekend it is time to switch from the road to the dirt and we will be racing in the MBAA event out at the White Tanks. Corey will be coming down for the weekend and he will be racing in the El Tour de Phoenix. Busy weekend, again!

Time Trial, Uncle Corey and Black Beauty

Last weekend, Tyler and his buddy Zack competed in the AZ Time Trial #3. Tyler was very excited to try his new aero bars that we put on his bike this week. It was a 20K fairly flat course with a headwind going out and a much need tailwind coming back. This was Zack’s 1st time trail and Tyler’s 2nd. Zack put in a great ride and took 1st in the juniors 10-12. Tyler came in 2nd place right behind his buddy. A great 1 – 2 punch! Our cycling team, Red Rock Racing, started a blog last week. It is an open blog for all team members to post articles and it should be interesting!!





Tyler headed up to Flagstaff with the Edwards on Sunday. He is going to be spending the week with his Uncle Corey and hanging out with Zack. They plan on doing some road riding in Sedona and maybe sledding or skiing. I have already heard some great stories from Corey and I am sure there will be a whole lot more before it is all over.

I went for a hike on the Peralta Trail on Sunday afternoon with my buddy, “Rocket Rob”. It had been raining on and off all day in the valley and it looked like we might get a little wet. The rain ended up staying away and we had a great hike - awesome views and great exercise. We started a little late in the day and had to turn back before we got up to the saddle. The last 20 minutes of our hike back to the car was in the dark. Good thing we turned back when we did. We are planning on heading back out there before it gets too hot to do the complete hike.



I got my new Trek frame last night!!! Yea, me! It looks soooo sweet - Basic Black. I am going to take my new baby out on her maiden voyage tonight.

Test Ride, Flagstaff & Coffee

We put on Tyler's aero handlebars on his road bike earlier this week. It took me a while to figure out how to get those darn things on! Ty decided to do a little test ride with his new bars yesterday. The "test ride" turned into a 25 mile ride for him. Wow! I do not know too many 12 year-olds that will do a 25 mile ride all by themselves. Good job Ty! His goal for this year is to place in the top 3 in the US MTB Championships. If he keeps up rides like this, he will have no problem reaching his goal!

Ty is going to race in the AZ #3 Time Trail this Saturday. His buddy, Zack, is also coming down and racing in the TT. It should be fun!

After the race, we are heading up to Flagstaff to see Corey and play in the snow. Hopefully, it is not all melted by the time we get there. The weather man says another snow storm is coming in this weekend. WOHOO! Tyler is going to stay up in Flagstaff for a few days next week and hang with his Uncle Corey and Zack. I hope they do not drive each other crazy! :-)

Late for the Train has made a special 100% organic roast for our bike team - Red Rock Racing Roast. We are selling the coffee for $8 a bag to help raise $$ for the team. Awesome coffee at an awesome price! If you would like a bag or two, shoot me an email.

That's all I got today!

Rain, Snow, Unicycle Kid & The Ice Bath

After 145+ days without "official" rain, we get a great storm of rain and SNOW in the valley. AWESOME! The mountains surrounding the valley are covered with snow. Something that I have never seen in my 20 years in the valley. We ended up canceling our ride on the new trails on Saturday due to the rain. But, that is OK with me. We needed the rain more than we needed to ride.

Ty got up 1st thing Sun AM and started on the unicycle again. It was freezing cold out at 6AM, but he was out there teaching himself how to ride that darn thing. He can ride it about 30-40 feet now! He is one determined kid!

I still am waiting on my new frame from Trek. Hopefully it will be in this week! I ordered it in flat black with white decals - not real flashy but, very sharp looking. Sunday afternoon, I jumped on my singlespeed and hit the Desert Classic Trail at South Mountain. My legs felt very sluggish and weak the whole ride. So, I decided to give one of Dara's Ice Baths a try.

I filled the tub with cold water and poured in 3 bags of ice. I put my feet and and screamed like a small child for about 5 minutes. I am surprised my neighbors did not call the Police on me. I tried to sit down into the freezing water for about 15 minutes to no avail. I gave up on it and took a nice hot shower. I know - I am a whimp! I decided to give in another try and ran out and picked up 3 more bags of ice (this ice bath thing is starting to get expensive). I fill the tub with cold water, but do not add the ice yet. I get into the tub and get used to the cold water, then I start pouring in the ice. Yea, me! I was able to stay in the icy bath for about 12 minutes. I got out and took a nice long hot shower again. My legs felt like wet noodles the rest of the night. We will see how they feel for tonight's ride.

No races next weekend that we are planning on doing. We might head up to Flagstaff to play in the snow before it is all gone. My brother has talked me into doing the Eipic Rides Whiskey 25 this year. I do not think I am quite man enough for the 50 yet!

Unicycle, Ice Baths & The Commute Back

Tyler decided to use his gift card from the Hungry Dog Crit and some $$ that Grandpa gave him for his birthday to buy a unicycle. Just what we need... another bike. He practiced on that thing all afternoon and is starting to get the hang of it. I love to see that kind of determination in him. I tried it a few times and almost broke my neck. I am sure that you will see Ty riding it on the trails before too long. That kid has more talent than anyone that I know. I wonder where he gets it? (Yes, proud Papa boasting a bit about his son)

Dara Marks wrote a great article on her blog about ice baths. I had never heard about using an ice bath to help in recovery. Very interesting. I will have to give it a try.

My bike commute back into work yesterday was a bit rough. I woke up and my body was saying "NO, BIKE RIDE TODAY, PLEASE!" But, one of the benefits of leaving your car at the office is that you have no choice but to ride. So, I told my body tough turkey... we have no choice but to ride in today. So, I rolled out of bed and had a cup of the Late for the Train coffee. It was so smooth and just what I needed to get me going.

I rolled out of my house and it was quite a cold morning. After about 3 minutes, the wind was cutting right through me. So, I pulled over and put on another jacket that I had in my backpack. My legs, lower back, arms, neck and taint are all hurting like a son of a gun. I keep telling myself to roll on and things will get better. So, I get 20 minutes down the road and I am starting to feel better when I hear that dreaded hiss sound that all cyclists hate to hear. Crap, a flat! I change the flat and air it up and guess what, I hear that lovely sound again! So, I take the tire off again and find that I pinched the tube when I was changing the first flat. I do not have another tube on me, but luckily I packed a patch kit. I get one of the tubes patched and very carefully put the tube and tire back on the rim. I have 1 CO2 cartridge left and I am praying that this tube holds. Based on my morning so far, I am not very optimistic at this point. Fortunately, the tube held air and I am back rolling again. Things are looking up!

I get another 20 minutes down the road and now I am starting to get hot from the extra jacket and I can feel myself sweating. I pull over again and take off the extra jacket. Now that I am all sweaty, the wind is cutting through my body again and I feel like a popcicle. I am not a happy camper. I keep rolling for a few more miles and then I hear a "ting". I thought that I ran over a piece of metal of some sort and I am praying that I do not have another flat. Fortunately no flat, but a spoke on my front wheel broke. That wheel hates me today!! I stop again, wrap the broken spoke around another, open my brake levers all the way and get rolling with a very wobbly wheel. UGH!

At this point, I am just dying to get off my bike. My body hurts, my attititude sucks and I am hating my bike!! I still have about a hour to go until I get to the office and "I want my Mommy!" Believe me, I thought about calling someone to come pick me up and take me away from this hell of a ride. Who knew that a simple 25 mile bike commute to work could feel like an epic ride?

The next 5 miles rolled by without incident. I am now riding on the frontage road next to the 101 freeway and I look over at the 101 that I usually drive every AM. I see that the traffic is backed up bumper to bumper for miles. I start to get a good feeling inside. I am doing something that is good for my body and the environment. Today, I am not part of that nasty congestion or adding to that brown cloud above the valley. My whole attitude takes a 180 degree turn.

I finally arrive at my office and I am feeling great. I have a big smile on my face and I am so glad that I rode in on this day. Not everyday on the bike is all peaches and cream. But, everyday that I spend on my bike is very rewarding in some way or the other. I think sometimes I forget that.

My ride stats:

Miles: 25.5
Ride Time: 1hr 48mins
Total Trip Time: 2hrs 40mins
Avg Speed: 14.3 mph
Calories Burned: 2020

Time for bed. We are heading out tomorrow AM to ride a new trail with some friends of ours and weather man is telling us that there is a 90% chance of rain. WOOHOO!!

Rain, Bike Commute, Hooky & The Off-Road to Athens

WE GOT RAIN!! Even-though the Valley's official rain gauge did not record any rainfall. Finally after about 141 days without, we had some pretty good sprinkles. We sure could use a whole lot more.

I rode home from work today and it was a great ride. I found a better route and it only took me 1 hour and 55 minutes total time. Not too bad considering it takes me about an hour to drive it with traffic. I would much rather be on the bike than stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. Tomorrow AM I am heading out at 6:30am to ride in to the office.

Here are my ride stats from today...

Miles: 25.85
Ride Time: 1hr 46min
Avg Speed: 14.5 mph
Calories Burned: 1700

Ty got a chance to play hooky from school this afternoon and go to a Spring Training game. His Grandma, Great-Great Uncle Bill and Jigs are in town and they kidnapped him from school and took him to the White Sox vs. Angles game. Ty's relatives are a great influence on him! :-)

If you are into cycling, you have to see the Off-road to Athens! It is the best MTB video/movie that I have ever seen. The movie covers 8 of the top U.S. Pro MTB racers and their quest to represent the U.S.A. in the 2004 Olympic Games. You can purchase the DVD on-line or catch it in the theater on the film tour. It will be playing in Flagstaff, AZ on March 12th (see http://www.flagstaffmountainfilms.com/modules/films/column.php?columnID=4 for details).

That is all for today. Today's ride wore me out and I need some sleep!

SS Ride & Hungry Dog Crit

OK, I am tired of referring to myself in the 3rd person. It seemed like a good idea at first, but after further review... not! So, from here on in I will no longer refer to myself as "Dad". Yea, me!

Another great weekend! Saturday we did a little singlespeed ride at the Pemberton Trail with the gang from www.mtbaz.net. Tyler left his helmet in Grandma's car last week and we forgot to get it for the ride. Of course, we did not figure it out until Grandma called us to remind us about the helmet as we pull into the trailhead parking lot. Luckily, Chris had an extra helmet for Ty to borrow. Thanks, Chris!! There was about 17 riders in the group that hit the trails. This was Tyler's 1st long ride on a singlespeed. He rode as if he had been doing it for years.

Sunday was the Hungry Dog Crit and I planned on making it my first Crit race. The night before, I had a tough time sleeping. I guess I was a little too excited about the race. But, I woke up feeling good and ready to race. When we arrived at the venue, my stomach had other ideas. Thank goodness a port-a-john was near by. After several trips to the can, I decided it was not my day to race. I think it was the beans that I ate the night before - bad call on my part. Yes... I whimped out! Just call me Alice.


Tyler, on the other hand, did not whimp out. He went off in a group of 12 junior riders in the 18 and under category. Off the start, two of the older kids jumped off the front and were gone. Tyler and his buddy, Stephen, leaped into the 3rd and 4th spots and pulled away from the main group. The two of them continued to work together and lapped main field. About half way through the race, they announced a $50 Gift Card to Paragon Cyclery prime. That was enough to get Tyler out of the saddle and sprint for the prime win. He beat Steven to the line to grab the prize. Now, what to buy??? Tyler hung on to take 3rd place in the Juniors and 1st in the "young juniors".

For some more pictures, go HERE.

24 Hours in The Old Pueblo Video & This Weekend

While browsing www.drunkcyclist.com today, we found this link to some great videos from the '05 and '06 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo.

http://www.vladfoto.com/main.php Click Index and then Video. A couple of great video clips that give you a good feel for what the event is like.

Tomorrow AM we are doing a Singlespeed ride with the www.mtbaz.net group out at the Pemberton Trail. It should be a lot fun after the Estrella Race. Pemberton is a great trail for singlespeeds. Sunday is the Hungry Dog Crit - will Dad whimp out or will he actually race in this one? Stay tuned!

It is About Time!!

Ok, we are finally going to start updating our blog weekely again. Here we go again.

A lot has been going on in 2006 already. Ty has raced in 7 MTB and road races so far - MBAA MTB races at McDowell and Estrella; McDowell Crit; Valley of the Sun TT, Road Race and Crit; and the Sun Devil Crit. We have the Hungry Dog Crit this coming weekend. Wow! Dad even raced last weekend on his Singlespeed in the Rockcrusher category. (Talk about an oxymoron!)

Dad discovered a dent/crack in the down-tube of his Trek Fuel last week before the race. He took in into Landis Cyclery to see if Trek would cover it under warranty. No go. They said that it was due to "rider error" or "mis-use". UGH! Riding in AZ can qualify as "mis-use". How many times has a rock poped up from your front tire and hit the bottom bracket or something out here in the desert? They did offer to replace the frame for a very good discount. All in all, things worked out pretty well. Dad will end up with a new frame with a full warranty for a fraction of the cost of a new one. Gotta luv Trek!

Grandpa and Uncle Corey were out for a visit last weekend. They were in town for the race and to celebrate February's Birthdays. Tyler turned 12 on the 12th. Corey turned 35 on the 13th and Grandpa turned 59 on the 22nd. We are going to have to ride extra hard to get rid of all that B-day cake!

Tyler was the only one of us to take a podium spot by taking 5th place in the 13-14 category at Estrella. Dad came in around 11th in the Rockcrushers and Corey placed 14th in the 19-39 Expert class. Our buddy, Dan, was also in town and he was able to reach his goal by finishing in the Expert class. Check out Dan's Blog for a great story on his weekend.

Complete results can be found at http://www.mbaa.net/content/download.php?id=257406,10,1

Estrella is one brutial course! Our teeth are still chattering from the races!!!