This is quick - I am beat - LONG day. Nate was 15th - had 2 mehanicals - rear wheel - had to stop 2X and chase back on. Not luck. 15th with this - good legs. Definitely can land a top 10.

Blair Berbert in cat 1 - 61st - but less than 1 minute from REAL long time pros. It may not look like it on paper - but racing his first PRO race and this is PRO - less than 1' back from the real guys - fantastic.

Ciao. Early start again tomorro.

S

Gila west coast here we come from the east

Howdy All

I said I would make sure I kept everyone updated - I am out in Silver City, NM supporting Nate Wilson (racing the cat 2 race) and Blair Berbert (racing the pro 1 race). Blair was 2nd last year in the cat 2 race - so when we went today to preride - sure was nice having someone know the roads.
Yesterday was travel day and a rather long day - but all that matters is we got in safe and the bikes even more safe - thank God everytime TSA doesn't destroy another bike. Yes traveling is a blast with a bike anymore NOT......we got in, got the rental car, picked up Jacob Miller (Blair's Kelley teammate) and started our trek towards Silver City. Another Sienna rental van (had one at Mt Hood 2 yrs ago and it rocked) - packed to the top with bikes and wheels and tools, and oh yeah - 4 people. Arrived in Silver City about 4ish I think- opened the door to our vacant rental house - and Nate was right - NO stove. OMG. How much Subway can one person eat at a stage race - I guess I will be able to answer this ? by the time I leave the Gila...this for real no joke... We unpacked, too cracked to put bikes together. Went to of course Subway #1 (I going to work this one...) - the boys are off getting Subway round 2 now...then we went food shopping - what can one cook with a single hot plate and a toaster? Then last stop was Walmart to buy air mattresses and blankets and towels.... I was exhausted and that air mattress - well no Hilton room but sure felt good.
Today we got up and put the bikes together. Showered all the travel scuz off and then we rode the TT course. Man - talk about all UP and all DOWN. That sums it up. No joke. Going to be a very fast back in - Nate on the Jr gears going to be tested but we here to fight each day and that what we will do. Tomorrow the race starts - they have approx 100 miles of racing tomorrow with a climb at the end. Rumor is Lance A to be in this very cafe I am working in - later tonite. Of course (until I buy a Blackberry or similar) I have to find a wireless. Chances being that when I saw we had no stove in the house - likely no wireless and I was right. Damnit.
It felt great to ride my bike; I cleaned it cmpletely this AM and there is nothing like a clean totally spotless drive train. Thanks to the person who taught me this yrs ago. I felt Fast!! today.
I am now getting caught on all mail. I am always so thankful my clients have the patience to know I am going to answer all ??? -hard when I travel. Going to have to get a tech gadget I guess; I love technology but also think if we get so caught in up tech gear - we forget to find peace. But I think this has to come from within yes. The contrast between east (DC area esp) and west - the pace - always freaks me out. Same as power/HR - too much of this and no memory of RPE - how you feel - bad thing. Gotta have the instincts in bike racing.

My boys are ready! Very ready. Nate - I started with him 4 yrs ago now - watched him develop into now racing the cat 2 race at Gila - and if lady bike luck is on our side - we can do some serious damage. Nate is 1 pt from his cat 1. Yeah - rock on. Blair B is ready to go uphill fast - this I also know. But in bike racing - gotta have the luck. I will make sure I post results here ASAP post race - so stay tuned.

Ciao from Javelina country. Yes I forgot my damn camera UGH. Blair has one so I will try get some great pics. To all the juniors bak home - you can all be here one day. Hope you all had a great junior ride today. Miss you all.

Shenandoah 09 Spring Camp

Shenandoah camp 09 we DID and another great week of training, chowing, hanging, sleeping, and above all Living it. Yeah. The 15 yr olds are beating up on me bad. Ouch. This was our spring camp - 5 days of training with lotta climbing over in the Shenandoah valley. We were staying at an incredible lodge - the Hensley Hollow lodge and yes it was up a hollow..... about 6 mile up. The last 1 mile was gravel and the very last 1/4 mile was rough gravel and STEEP. I am guessing 12% ++. The last 6 miles of trekking to the house after a hard training day was indeed an adventure. Amazing location - only bad part (can be good part) was no cell signal and no internet (hence work other than training did not get done). I snuck out to a cafe once - had about an hour. God knows what emails I was sending back coz I was so time pinched...

Pics are: style/flash is ALL that matters these days (B-Rad top pic); varying forms of TT start position (Brad Kendall middle pic and Andrew Brookes below him); pre TT start chilling (Steven K, Brad K, Nate W); Shenandoah 09 group pic (Avery Wilson, Brad Kendall, Pierre Pelletier, Susan Hefler, Nate Wilson, Steven Kendall, David Brookes, Andrew Brookes) . The week was awesome - kinda epic to start with some cold temps - we rode Tuesday in snow all day - flurries in the air and insane winds. Monday we got acquainted with the roads west of Shenandoah mtns and had I think 7!!!! flats. Yeah I know crazy. No idea why we flatted that much. Brought back Jeff Cup memories....Next day we did a loop over to Harrisonburg - had the hammers do 2 x 10' in cross winds from Kansas - strong. 3 hrs out and 1hr back felt like. Very nice roads again. Wednesday we did climbing - 2 x up Rt 33 west> east and a 7 mi TT climb up 33 east > west. Took Nate about 28' and I told him to ask Rick Norton what kinda time he did back in the day. Starting at the bridge directly West of Rt 810 - I know that is a fast time. I am getting Nate Wilson and Blair Berbert ready for the Gila - we have 2 weeks left. Blair is out there beating up on Skyline now as Nate is over racing @ Morgantown. Discipline and commitment. What it takes. I always thought to myself - C's and D's were okay in training. Commitment, consistency, dedication, and discipline. If you have these - and then follow about 100 more details - you can nail it. This bike race thing.

We did 3 big climbs on Wednesday. Plus of course the climb back to the house. Thursday was the mama of them all - I sent Nate, Pierre, Steven K (15 yr old for anyone I hear whining), and Jake Tremblay (won Tyson's last weekend cat 3 race) out on an adventure. 110 miles later/bit under 6 hrs - Nate comes climbing up the driveway and didn't say anything to me for the first few moments he arrived. I knew it was one of those days. Steven K had a laugh on those cheeks as he hauled himself around that last corner of the driveway. Incredible. The rest of us did about 90 miles - all of us finishing with the Rt 33 climb/ Swift Run Gap. Andrew B was cracked at the bottom - made it up in a nasty headwind. That nite we ate and didn't stop - the Oreo's sure tasted good - double stuffed. Friday I took the athletes down to Rt 810 - we did a perfect 20km TT - I remember doing that TT yrs ago with Matt DeCanio. He was about Nate's age at the time. Yeah I been riding that bike a long time. I still love climbing - most of all. Something about the rhythm.
It was an incredible time. Nate is ready for Gila - this I know. I don't think there are many National kids out there - he cannot handle. One beautiful person on a bike. I am proud of him, he was one of my first clients - and the work I have done with him is some of the best. I would like to see him on JV's squad and believe this can happen.

Of COURSE we ended camp with only one way - Splunkers!!! we missed you Steven Black, Zack, and Russ. The only reason we ride SkyMass is so we can eat at Splunkers. Why else would we do anything as insane as ride 85 hard miles??? Come on....