Lunar

     January ended with a beautiful lunar eclipse on January 31, 2018. I have paid attention to the sky a lot more since the big solar eclipse of 2017. The lunar eclipse was partially visible from our area. It came right at sunrise as the moon was about to drop below the horizon. It was a cloudy night leading into the eclipse, but the clouds thinned enough to see the moon a few times as the eclipse began to occur. I got up early and drove a few miles away from the house for a better view. It was a fun morning out in the cold. I got the eclipse first, then a colorful sunrise behind me.

Lunar eclipse over halfway covered.

Thin clouds blocked the view several times as the moon descended.

Visible again and getting smaller as it nears the treeline.

Red sunrise

     February started with some warmer weather, but also very wet. I spent most of my days on the road trying to get in some longer rides and more climbing. Things kept happening that kept my rides shorter than I wanted with rain sneaking in on me several times and some broken spokes. Thankfully, a couple of broken spokes revealed a lot of spoke wear before it became a big issue and I ended up with a rebuilt, good-as-new rear wheel.

    The second round of the Montgomery Bell Winter MTB Time Trial Series at Montgomery Bell State Park came early in February on the 4th. It was the nastiest race I have ever done here. The freeze-thaw had the trails slimy before the weekend came, then 1/2" of rain fell the night before the race and added some puddles to the mud. I decided to ride my Titus Racer-X to save the wear on my Epic. I knew it would be slower, but the conditions were going to make sure this round wouldn't be the fastest of the series. I knew I was still far from 100%. I worked hard in January and was feeling stronger on the bike than the month before, but I had only dropped two pounds of the extra weight I had put on in the Fall, so I knew I was still going to have some difficulty running a good time.

     The saturated pine needles ate me up. You really can feel the difference of 26" wheels on that sort of stuff. The bike just didn't roll. It made me work hard, though in the end that's what I needed out of this race anyway. I have been working on my thoracic flexibility since going to a few Pilates courses tailored to physical therapy and athletics back in December. One class was specifically for cyclists. I learned a lot of things that I had been searching for, with ways to address some deficits I already knew I had. The exercises and extra training time I got with the course instructor have really helped my range of motion and I now can tolerate a much more efficient riding position. I spent most of the race focusing on staying in the new position. It was a little slower focusing on that rather than just going fast, but it'll pay off in the long run.

     As expected, I dropped time on all the climbs. My time was 1:31 slower than last month, which I thought was really good since the trail was much slower and I was on a slower bike. I ended up 7th overall. I'm now in 9th overall after two rounds. It's your fastest round that counts for the series overall so March will mean everything to me if I want to make the podium.

      The final few sections were really wet with water standing in many places. There's a lot of debate about the trails at Montgomery Bell on days like this. There's a trail running race here each December and many of the trails are blown clear of leaves for the runners before the race. The mountain bikers get mad because it makes the trails muddy on wet days in the winter and many feel like it has caused massive erosion. While pulling off the leaves definitely does accelerate erosion, so does benching trails that don't need to be benched. A lot of these trails were benched below ground level when they were initially cut. While it makes for a smooth, fast trail initially, benching down essentially creates a shallow ditch.  The amount of soil over top of roots is reduced before the first tire ever hits the trail and causes roots to become exposed sooner. It also gives water a trench to flow in during heavy rains and traps water in areas where there is no drain. Some of the areas have water drains built, but many don't. The final trails used for this race either didn't have drains or they were stopped up with leaves. I know blowing the trail of leaves made this race much worse than it would have been, but going in after the blowing is complete and clearing the water drains of leaves would go a along way in eliminating these massive puddles. I only mention this because I hear SOOO much complaining about the blowing of the leaves within the mountain bike community, but not really any effort being put in to make the best of something that is out of our control. The park has made it clear that the trail run brings in a lot of money to the park and they don't plan on changing anything. I'm sure plenty of people won't agree with me as it seems as though this is a no-compromise situation for most on the mountain bike side, but I think we should make the best of it and do whatever we can to minimize the effects and keep the race course the best it can be. Even if the trail gets eroded beyond repair, you can always reroute and let mother nature reclaim the damaged trail.

     I did an extra lap on the race course after my race. The mud began to take over my bike. It got so bad that I couldn't even push the shifter hard enough to shift to an easier gear before I finished this lap. That shifter cable and housing went straight to the trash when I got home. Dina did well to finish in these tough conditions. I managed to catch her before the end and we rode the last sections together. She took 4th overall in the women's group. I then hit the road for a few minutes so I could get in an even five hours for the day. Not bad for a nasty day!

     When I realized that this year was going to be financially difficult for me, I started looking for ways to earn more race money. I immediately sold any extra bike accessories I had lying around the garage. From clothing and tires to all sorts of parts, I sold every single thing I could afford to part with. It helped a lot in the bank account and also in the decluttering of the garage.

     We also decided to step it up with our farm. We have had a huge response to our peppers, selling every single bag we dried at the end of the season. We were able to get us some business cards and even a few t-shirts for us to wear while working on the farm and attending events. I also plan to invest a bit more in things we need like fence posts, fencing and a tiller. It's going to be hard to put money into the farm, but I feel it will pay for itself if we continue to grow. I'm ready to make this a real farm and put some real resources into it so we actually make some extra race money which has always been my goal with selling things from the farm. I guess I'm going to sponsor myself since nobody else will help. If you want to support my racing, support my farm. You can get some fresh veggies while helping a dude go after his dream!

Sweetwater Farms T-shirts

     One of the perks of canning during the summer is getting to have tasty veggies during the winter months. Shannon had canned some pickles a few months back so we had not only pickles, but also fried pickles for a tasty treat with our February meals. If you've never fried pickles before, give them a try!

Fried pickles

     The weather finally gave us some decent days and I got in two solid weeks of training after MB #2. We dusted off the tandem for some fun time together and knocked out a few night rides.

Visiting some horses on one of our tandem rides.

Shannon having fun on the tandem

    Next up, it's on to March with race season quickly approaching.

Freeze Dried

     2018 started off just like 2017 ended. Cold. Uncharacteristically low temperatures continued as we came back from Indiana. I spent the return week on the trainer as it was 25-30 degree high temps for most of the week and occasionally snowing. My Epic was finally ready for me to pick it up after I took it in to the shop about six weeks before to get my suspension rebuilt. Specialized took their sweet time rebuilding the fork and shock, but it came back feeling fresh and ready to rock. Rick Harmon also went through my bike and serviced other areas that needed some attention after a hard season of racing. He changed the fluid in my brakes and replaced my headset, which was holding a bit of mud on the inside from all the muddy races over the past two years. I was able to slip down to the shop on Saturday to pick it up, just a day before the Montgomery Bell Winter Time Trial Series kicked off.

     The Montgomery Bell series is always a target of mine, but I knew I was off going into this one. I have gained a lot of weight since the beginning of October. I gained a little on our trip to Utah and a little more when we got back. Most of it, however, came in a one month period before the holiday season started at Thanksgiving. I gained 18 pounds before I could blink my eye. It just happened from eating like I was training during the summer except I wasn’t riding much at all with being sick and finally going back to work. I have been working my tail off since work has been available. My Dad always says, "You have to hunt bear when bear are out." The bear were scarce last summer, so now that they are out, I'm hunting. I need a good bear hunting season to get some race money. We also need a new vehicle so I have a lot of hunting still to do.

     The trail had no snow on it come Sunday, but it was frozen like a concrete sidewalk. The first half of the trail had some raised areas where we had to crunch down the trail stalagmites, but the second half was smooth and super fast. There was even a little frozen dust kicking up off the trail and settling on the bike and your lower legs. The temp was around 25 when I did my warm-up and got the race underway. This season is the same course as last year which features 18 miles of singletrack in one big loop. It’s a challenging course with plenty of short hills that add up over the course of the lap to really take a toll on your legs. There are also a lot of corners, humps and bumps with a few technical areas that keep the upper body and brain working hard as well. It’s really a challenging place, which is what makes it one of my favorite trails because it keeps you busy the entire loop.

     Normally, I beg to go first and they put me back in the field and make me go through traffic even though I always run a good time. This round I didn’t feel like I needed to be up front as I just didn’t expect to do much with how little I have been training, so of course they sent me off first. I was so uncomfortable on the first descent. The revamped suspension felt different than the worn-out suspension I had become accustomed to riding so my settings were all off. Not to mention the suspension was cold. The bike felt weird on the bumps and in corners. Both of my brakes felt like they had air in the lines and the levers were very inconsistent. I had to pump them up throughout the race, which maybe the cold contributed to that too. And the bike felt long. I have been riding my 26” bike for the past six weeks and changing back to 29” felt like swapping from driving a car to a bus.

     I did not get in enough warm-up either and I just stunk up the first few miles. I got caught a mile in by Harrison Klapheke who started 30 sec behind me. I couldn’t even begin to get onto his wheel when he went by. Two more riders caught me in the first few miles before I finally got going as we climbed Charlotte’s Ridge and Goatpath. I made a lot of mistakes in corners, but I started remembering how to ride a 29” bike by the second half. The brakes were an issue the whole race, but I didn’t crash so that was good. I really only struggled on the climbs. I could totally tell I was packing extra weight. I ended up 6th in the Pro/Cat. 1 Open, which was decent considering how much I struggled. It’s going to be a tough series though as there are some really strong riders coming this year and many are targeting early season races so they are training hard right now. My time was 1:51:29, better than my goal of breaking two hours. The frozen trail was faster than I thought it would be. I have a lot of work to do before the February round though if I want to contend for a podium. In my personal race report I wrote one word that covered my day the most: UNPREPARED.

Dina at the first creek crossing

Photo by Trail & Fitness Bicycles

Photo by Trail & Fitness Bicycles

Me coming back to the two-way creek crossing nearing the end of my race

Photo by Trail & Fitness Bicycles

     I went back in after the race and did another partial lap to watch some riders hit the icy creek crossings, nab some pics and ride with Dina as she finished up her race. She survived the cold and ended up finishing 5th in the Open Women.

Frozen creek in the back near Tommy's Revenge

Dina decided to walk this one, which probably was a good idea considering the holes in the ice.

Jessica Ratcliff on the ridge

This picture of Jessica and a junior rider got a lot of attention. It was a cool shot of them on the twisting, leafy trail next to some big icicles, which pretty much sums up a winter race in Tennessee.

The picture landed on the header for the Nashville Mountain Bike Facebook group page...

...and on the page for both Race #2 and #3 for the series.

Dina on that same piece of trail.

Icicles reaching down into the creek along the trail.

     After the Bell, I was able to get the cross bike back out and do some efforts at home. It has been too wet or too cold to do them for most of the winter, but another round of snow came in and gave me something other than mud to ride in. It was an interesting course I laid out in the snow. Deep snow feels like sand until it packs down. Packing takes a while when you are the only person out there riding. I had a road section in my loop that was covered in ice and beyond treacherous. It was a good challenge. It tested my skills and ability to lay down smooth power. I really can’t believe I rode all day without falling on the ice. It was insanely slick!

     We also got in some sledding while the snow was on the ground. I may be 31 years old, but I still like getting out and sledding like a kid! I guess I just like riding anything. My Mom and Dad were out there too, so maybe it just runs in the family.

My Mom sledding with us on the hill near our house

Shannon with scared face...

...and for good reason considering how this saucer sled rides.

Dad on the sled with his glowing gloves.

Shannon on her first shovel ride. If you have never tried sledding on a big scoop shovel you have to do it!

Shannon and I going double on the shovel.

Left my car window cracked when the snow came in...

...and ended up with snow in my seat. 

     We got another round of snow before the first bunch melted, which is rare for middle Tennessee. Typically, the snow melts in a day or two, but this time the new snow added to the fun and we were back out for more sledding. Some of the neighbors joined us for the second day of sledding.

The neighborhood kids came out for some sledding the second day.

Photo by Belinda Knight

Taking a run with Snoop

     The year also started with the discovery of a crack. Cracks are never good in the bike world. That's why bib shorts were invented. My Jamis Xenith road frame is cracked where the top tube meets the seat tube. Jeremy had me mark the crack to see if it grows and it did get bigger the first ride after I found the crack, but since then it has stayed the same. Of course, it is beyond the warranty date so I’m on my own. Hopefully it will last a while as I can’t afford a new road bike right now. Somebody offered me a newer Jamis frame at a good price, but my components are pretty worn out so I don’t really want to put money into a frame when I really need a full bike. I’ll save that money for now and put it towards a new ride later.

     I was also hoping to get some new wheels for the 2018 season, both for my road and mountain bikes. My mountain bike wheels are still in decent shape, but I was hoping to get on a new set for this season and keep my old ones as a spare. My road race wheels are also getting a lot of wear on them and even making some noises in the hub from time to time that nobody can figure out the cause of. But I will have to pass on both until I can get us some new vehicles or else I may not have anything to drive to the races!

     One last thing I want to mention in this post is Kendall James and her fight against cancer. I haven’t mentioned her on here in a while, but I am always thinking about her and the entire James family. I am happy to write that she wrapped up her 43-week chemo treatment plan on Dec. 28, 2017 and is now officially in remission!

     Here are some of my favorite pictures of Kendall as she has gone through her chemo treatment over the past year, all courtesy of Shawn James, Kendall's dad.

Kendall James, cancer fighter

     The Nashville Predators participated in the NHL’s Hockey Fights Cancer program and they picked Kendall as their ambassador for the night! She was invited out onto the ice before a game for pictures at center ice with the two team captains, then was greeted by the entire team as she left the ice. The kid is a huge Preds fan and this was beyond a dream come true for her. She was so excited! The team has done a lot for her during her treatment and I am grateful for how genuinely nice they all have been to her.

Kendall with the Nashville Predators

Photo courtesy of Shawn James

Photo courtesy of Shawn James

Photo courtesy of Shawn James

     The James family has been through a lot over the past year. Their friends and community have stepped up a lot to help them both financially and with taking care of things for them at their home and with their other children. The outpouring of donations raised a lot of money. The GoFundMe page Prayers for Kendall James is still open as I write this now in December 2018. They still have some medical expenses that need to be covered so please take a minute to consider sending them some love if you are able.

     Details from February coming in the next post. Thanks for reading!

Deep Into the Hollow

     So I'm back. Yeah, it's been a while. Life just got hectic and let's face it, when life is busy and it comes down to riding your bike or writing a blog, you know where I'm going to be. I will admit that I considered being done with the blog. At times I miss it, other times I don't. It does take up time and it doesn't always bring me the best kind of attention. But over the course of the year I did realize I needed to keep writing. There are more people than I thought that like to read my ramblings and share in my adventures. And there were many adventures in 2018 that I want to share. The year may be close to over, but I am going to write about it anyway, starting from the beginning. There are just too many experiences to let pass, and things happened that will shape my life on and off the bike in the future. I feel I owe it to my supporters and to my sponsors.

     One of the reasons I decided not to write for so long was that I had a bit of writer's block. The end of the 2017 season was a complete train wreck. I not only missed a lot of races being sick and struggled to get in any bike time, but I continued to deal with the sponsorship struggle. I've heard the same old answers for the last 15 years as to why I'm not a good choice for a team or sponsor deal.

     I've heard for several years that I didn't have the results. So the last two years I went out and won more. More races. More series titles. More times standing on the podium. The same sponsors and teams that said I didn't have the results turned me down again because "It's not about the results." Of those that did care about results, it seems as though my good results were overlooked and all anyone remembered were the worst moments of the season. Absolutely no credit was given for winning the DINO and SERC Series titles. The Pro XCT in Midway, UT was one of my best performances ever and all anyone saw was 38th place. I don't care if I finished 148th out of 148, I had a great ride and left happy with my performance. At the National Championships I rode the XC on a broken pedal and all anyone saw was me riding off the back and finishing 41st. No credit at all for pushing on when I had every reason to quit. Everyone with the power to help me in this sport tells me I'm nothing. Yet every time someone beats me they get on some big team. Beating me must mean something. I watched it happen three times in 2017, guys getting great deals when they don't finish the majority of their races. I also heard that I was a terrible person for leaving Riverside. I don't see how I'm the bad guy there when they did absolutely nothing for me from day one. I was also told I needed to quit work and focus on riding. That would be nice, but in reality it's not an option right now.

     But the thing that hurt me the most was people questioning my commitment to bike racing. I just don't understand the response, "We just don't think you will continue in this sport." What?!! I've been doing this now for longer than I haven't. I started when I was 15 and 2018 would be my 18th season. Why in the world would you question that of all things? I've always been in this sport for the long haul. I promise you my roots run deep into the hollow. I think if you look back at all the guys who were "better" than me over the years, I can only think of one that is even involved in bikes at all now, let alone still racing.

     With all that being said, I knew without sponsor help I was not going to be able to continue racing this much in 2018. It's a tough pill to swallow when you want it so bad, but the writing was on the wall in November. I knew I was going to have to stay regional and race less. I just didn't have the funds for it with all the racing we did in 2017 and the lack of work I had in the latter half of the summer. This sport and industry is beyond frustrating at times. I believe everything happens for a reason, but after so many years of missing out on great opportunities it's becoming harder to convince myself that my break will come. It was hard to write about as I didn't have much nice to say on the issue for most of the season, but I feel it's time to move on past it and share some of the good things that happened over the course of the year.

     And so 2018 began.