Change is the law of life

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” John F. Kennedy


With the 2011 race season fast approaching, change is inevitable. This past season has brought to me many highs and lows and I hope 2011 brings more highs then lows. Over the past few months I have had many distractions going on in my life. My family moved into a new house and as we all know, moving is stressful no matter who you are. Because of this I had to take some time off the bike and wouldn’t you know it, just as we get settled into the new house, I get sick. This has been a bad off season to say the least. But I am going to try and stay positive and look forward.

I have been racing with the Gary Fisher/Trek 29er Crew for a better part of a year now, but come the end of 2010, I will be moving on. It should be noted that this change is purely a loyalty move. You see, Trek has dissolved Fisher and because of this, some shops are no longer able to sell the Trek brands due to territorial boundaries. Unfortunately, my close friend Eric’s shop, the Slippery Pig, is one of those shops affected. This has left me with a hard choice. Do I stay and race with a great team and company like Trek, or do I choose to continue to promote the Pig and the brands they carry. For those of you, who know me; you must know friendship and loyalty will always win out.

With that said I’m sad to announce I will not be racing for the Trek 29er Crew in 2011. I have appreciated everything they have done for me this past season. I truly feel blessed for the support they gave me. I also wanted to thank my local Trek Rep. Greg Decori. Without Greg’s support and belief in me, I would not have been selected to the team, nor done as well in 2010 as I did.

“Future: That period of time in which our affairs prosper, our friends are true and our happiness is assured.” Ambrose Bierce

Now looking to the future, I have added a few new and amazing sponsors for 2011. First off I looked to directly address some of the cramping issues I had this past season. To do this issue I looked to nuun active hydration. nunn is a great product that contains four essential electrolytes: sodium, potassium, magnesium & calcium. It also has no sugar added and yet tastes great. http://www.nuun.com/

I have also added ESI Grips. I have been riding ESI Grips on my bikes for the past couple of years so I was elated when they offered me a sponsorship. If you have not checked out ESI Grips you’re missing out. http://www.esigrips.com/

Returning sponsors are not to be forgotten as well, as stated above, Slippery Pig Bike Shop is and always will be, my “go to” shop. If you’re looking for a shop that is at the cutting edge when it comes to anything that has to do with 29ers, the Pig is your place. It’s a true mountain bikers shop. http://slipperypigbikes.com/

I’m also still trusting all my training and fitness to Darrin Permenter and Synaptic Training. Darrin is a coach that is at the forefront of innovating training. Darrin coaches some of the top athletes in the nation such as Zack Keller and Sam and Andy Schultz. http://www.synaptictraining.us/

Now for the big question, “What steed is going to be carrying me into the 2011 season?” Well, I had to look long and hard at this because I was very happy with my bikes last year. I am pleased to announce that I am entrusting my hopes and dreams on a new bike that is sure to turns heads this season. For 2011 I will be racing for Scott Bikes!!!! Oh yeah!!!! Have you seen the new Scott Scale carbon 29er?? It is one sexy bike. Scott bikes are one of the leading carbon bike manufacturers in the world and I for one can’t wait to line up in 2011 on a 22lb carbon Scale 29er. I will also be riding on an aluminum Scale 29er for my single speed and a carbon CR1 for my road bike. For this opportunity I have to thank Jason McCormack our local Scott Rep and Erik Angermeier who is the owner of the Slippery Pig. Thanks Jason and Erik! For more info on Scott bikes, go to www.scott-sports.com

I have to also thank all my friends and family who continue to support me. I am truly living a blessed life.

For now it’s back to training…look for big things to come in 2011, and God’s speed.

Finally, something I can Eat

Finally, something I can Eat

Off season diet…..”See Food” I see it I eat it!!!!

Off season diet…..”See Food” I see it I eat it. I have to say I have been doing a bit of off season indulging since the P&F Nationals. . I have been partaking in all of the off season sinful pleasures of a cyclist, Dr Pepper, pizza, cheese burgers and anything else I could get my hands on. Well I guess it’s time for me to put down the feedbag and push away from the table. My weight has been starting to sky rocket out of control and I have gained about 12 lbs since the Nat’s. I know if I do not get a handle on this grazing, I will become the biggest loser, and I don’t mean that in a good way.

I am writing this so that I can put it down in writing and make me accountable to myself and everyone who supports me and expects me to be raise my level of competitiveness in the 2011 season.

I am doing this now so that come January I don’t look like this guy.

I want to thanks every one for their support and as of 10/17/10 I’m officially back on the wagon!!!

Williams, AZ altitude training camp

With the US Nationals looming only 2 week away, I headed up to Williams, AZ to get a little altitude training in. This is something that was greatly needed due to the fact I live at 1,200 feet. The prognosis? Well it hurt but I think I’m on form for the Nationals.
 

Trail friends and a rubber ducky…??

Last night I raced the 2 Wheels 4 Hope McDowell Nighttime Time Trial. I love this race it’s put on for a great cause and by great people.

I won this race last year and it started off a 4 race winning streak. With the US Nationals and Western State P&F Games coming up, I was hoping to repeat performance.

Unfortunately it was not to be. You see for those of you who live back East you don’t get the fine pleasure of negotiating 2 of the trail obstacles that we do here in the desert. I’m speaking of our friends…Mr. Rattlesnake and Mr. Cactus.

We start the TT in 20 sec intervals and when it was my turn I blasted out of the start box and in a matter of seconds I was on the single track with nothing but a light and instincts to lead the way. Unfortunately we did not have a trail marshal to stop all trail traffic, and as I was still in mid sprint I noticed a rather large rattlesnake smack dab in the middle of the trail. I opted to swerve around him rather than to use him as a speed bump. Wrong idea!!! As I swerved around him I got my tire to the outside of the trail and into the loose sand. My front tire began to wash. As I was careening out of control I noticed I was headed toward our other trail obstacle…YES, Mr. Cactus. I ended up flipping over the bars and landed on my back in a cactus…(after you’re done wiping the tears of laughter at my expense, read on because it gets worse!!)

I quickly rummaged my bike out of the cactus and all I could think of was… where is Mr. Snake? And is he on his way to use me as a evening snack? I knew was I was not going to wait around to find out. I jumped back onto my bike and started to go just as I heard the next rider leaving the start house (is it bad to say I was hoping that Mr. Snake was still hungry?). Once I was back on course I could only imagine I must look like that freaky dude from Hell Raiser because I could feel the cactus needles protruding from my entire body.

I persevered though!! I continued to race. The problem was I had a large cluster of cactus on my left hand which was interfering with me using my brakes. I had no choice but to try and pull it out with my teeth….BAD IDEA. Now I do look like the freaky dude from Hell Raiser because I ended up with cactus on my face and in my mouth. Try to drink from your water bottle with cactus needles on your tongue, NOT FUN.

In the end I was able continue with the race. As I crossed the finish line, I headed straight to the aid station for assistance with my “little problem.” After I got myself cleaned up I worked my way over to check out the race results. Remember in my last post when I talked about what ifs and maybes? Well, I missed out on 1st by…30 seconds!!!!!!!

As a friend of mine always says, “If you’re on wood, it’s all good”. Plus at least I had a new friend to share my bath time with…Rubber Ducky you’re the one!!!!

Arizona state mountain bike series

Well this past weekend was the finals for the Arizona state mountain bike series. The finals were held in Flagstaff AZ on a very difficult course. The MBAA organizers had to put this course together on short notice due to the fact top of Mt Eldon still covered with snow. I must say I think they did a great job. This course was by far the hardest course we raced all year. In my opinion this course favored the best all around rider. You can never go wrong with a course which has short steep technical climbs and long fast technical descents.
So how did I fair? Well not so hot. The altitude was a major factor for me in this race. I’m just not used to being at 7,000 ft. I finished 8th in the race and 6th overall for the state series.

I have to say I am a bit disappointed on how my season unfolded though. This was my 2nd year back racing XC and my first year as a cat 2. I was hoping to break into the top 5 over all for the season, but it was not to be. I missed out on being in the top 5 by 4 points!!!!! Ouch that hurt. When you miss out on your goal by that little there is a lot of what ifs and maybes that goes through your head. I guess in the end, it’s just going to add fuel to the fire and make me want it more next year.

Arizona Police & Fire State Championships

There are one hundred and ninety nine ways to get beat, but only one way to win; get there first: Willie Shoemaker


Last weekend was the first major race of my season, the Arizona State Police & Fire Championship Games. As I sit back now and reflect, it feels pretty amazing to accomplish goals that we set for ourselves. As cyclists we set goals in the beginning of the season. When we lay our goals out in the beginning of the season it seems like that particular event or events we are going to focus on are so far away. As the season progresses we continue to work towards them, but sometimes they seem to be just lingering in the back ground. We work on other short term goals or races, BUT before we know it race day is upon us. At that point, fear and self doubt set in “am I ready, have I prepared right, and many other what ifs and maybes.”

Last year I was just coming back to the XC racing seen and I was not on form. I ended up 2nd in the MTN bike race and suffering in the road race. One year later things were extremely different.

On Thursday police officers and firefighters from AZ, NM, and California lined up for the first of 3 races over the next 3 days MTN bike, Road race, & Time Trial. Each race is a one day, winner take all to decide who the state champion in each event is. There is also a Triple Crown winner. The Triple Crown is for the rider who has the lowest combined time in all three events.

Well, I’m proud to say it was Gary Fisher 29er Crew colors on top of the podium all three days. Thursday started off with the mountain bike race which had me getting on the single track 1st but that was short lived when I found myself 200 yards down the wrong trail with my main competitor hot on my tail. We quickly realized this and we got ourselves back on track. The problem was now 6th! I worked my way back up to the group and finagled our way through the group to get back to the leader. For a short time I set in 3rd and all I kept thinking was “Great I’m going to lose to a firefighter again!!!!” But, as luck would have it the leaders blew a corner and left the door wide open for me to slide around them. Not only that, they did it at the start of the downhill. I had my chance and I took full advantage of it. I knew I may not have another chance so I turned on the gas and never looked back. I crossed the finish line in 1st overall by almost a minute and 1st in my age group.

I have to say it felt good to know all the hard work which had been put in throughout the season truly paid off.

The next 2 days went good as well. I finished 1st in my age group, the road race and the time trial. My award for a solid weekend of racing was 3 gold medals and a yellow jersey for being the winner of the Triple Crown.

Next up for major races, I plan to race the US National Championships and the Western State Police and Fire Games in July. As Mike Tyson said though, “Everyone has a plan ’till they get punched in the mouth”.

Let’s hope I’m the one doing the punching!

I am a slow walker, but I never walk backwards: Abraham Lincoln.


Well this past weekend was the Whiskey Off Road 50, in Prescott, AZ. This race is like a mini Leadville 100. The Whiskey 50 is, as you would guess, a 50 mile mountain bike race. Well it’s more like a 50 mile torture fest that will test every facet of your mountain bike skills and intestinal fortitude. This was my first year racing at the Whiskey 50 so I did not completely know what I was getting myself into. I had heard the rumors and the horror stories but until you actually race the 50, you cannot completely grasp the difficulty of it.

I started off in the middle of the pack of over 300 riders and as we navigated our way through the back neighborhoods towards copper basin road I worked my way up into the lead group. I must say I was rather surprised on how well I felt. I kept telling myself “back off, it’s a long race” but according to my heart rate I was not working that hard. The pace was steady but as soon as we hit that steep section of pavement the boys got separated from the men. By the time we hit the dirt I got passed by about 5 guys or so, but as we hit the single track the order was pretty well sorted out. To my surprise though, on trail 48 I was climbing like a goat. I never felt like I was working that hard and as we hit the water bars I was passing rider after rider who were having fits trying to negotiate all the water bars and rocks that were riddled throughout the climb. I did manage to clean all but one water bar.

As we crested the top and the trail turned to the downhill section, at that point I felt like I had wings. I was in my element at that point. I was jumping every water bar and trying to double every whoop that I could. I managed to pass another 8-9 guys before I got to the bottom of the climb and then had to repay the mountain bike gods for that great DH section. As I climb up FR53 towards the Skull Valley out and back interchange, I still felt good even though I got passed by 2-3 guys.

The descent into skull Valley is awesome, there is nothing like doing 30-40 mph on a fire road. As the lead riders were coming back up the road I was able to determine that I was somewhere in the top 50. At the turn around I was still feeling good and I had a nice conversation with myself in which I told myself just it’s a long way back up, so just settle into a nice easy pace. Unfortunately that was the last civil conversation I had with myself from that point on. At approximately mile 28, I started to feel like I had no power left in my legs. My stomach and legs started to cramp and my mental stability was starting to waiver. I struggled to try and keep the pace up and the harder I tried the more I faded. The worst part was that I was so far ahead, all I was able to see was strong riders go by and it appeared to me that the only one, who was suffering WAS ME!!!

Somehow I was able to drag my sorry carcass back up to the aid station where I tried to put as much food into my body as a fat guy at the all you can eat Sizzler. I was hoping I could come back from the dead and salvage what dignity that I had, but I was done! I left the aid station and felt like I was on a death march to the top of the mountain. The entire way I had to stop every 2-3 hundred yards because I cramping so bad. At the top I started the downhill push into Prescott. This was not a fun descent. I was so tired that I could barley hold onto the bars. What made matters worse at one point towards the bottom the trail parallels the fire road. It was torture I wanted off the trail and off my bike so bad and to know the road was just to my left was torture!!! I will say though once you actually get onto the road it was like a fresh breath of air.

The road winds its self aback into town and you think “is this thing going to ever end?” BUT then you make the turn onto the finishing straight and you are able to look down the road and see the enormous finishing stage and as you make you way across the finishing line you are greeted by the overwhelming cheers from friends and family who have all been waiting to see their favorite rider(s) come across the line. It is one of the truest feelings of emotions one could ever feel.

So how did I fair? Well…..for the first 28 miles I ran in the top 50 and for the remaining 22 miles….. Well let’s just say I found out what I was made of inside. For that last 22 miles I felt like I had nothing. I felt like I had no energy, no strength, and no motivation. Maybe….Maybe, BUT what I did have was pride, will power, and determination and in the end that is why we go out and suffer in a race like this.

Prescott Punisher

Last week was the Prescott Punisher, and it did just that “Punish”. This was only a “C” race for me so all week I was hitting it pretty hard. I was not expecting to do very well especially with 2300ft of climbing, but I still hoped I could break the top 10.

As the race started I made it into the top 5 and about half way up the first climb I received the call.

RING…RING!!!

Me: Hello

Legs: Sorry for the short notice but we are calling in sick today.

Me: Well couldn’t you have told me that yesterday!!!!!!!

I tried to rally, but I had no upper-end intensity. So there I was, stuck alone with only my pride and a large helping of suffering to chew on for the next hour and a half. The remaining three laps of the 15-mile course were focused on just finishing.

In the end I was able to pass a couple of guys and I finished 10th… Well at least I was able to salvage a top 10 spot.

BTW I was able to get a great photo in the new 29er Kit!!!!!

Fontana National-the motivator

If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves. ~Thomas Alva Edison

The Fontana City National was a keystone race on the 2010 schedule for me, because I wanted to know where I stacked up against the better riders. I will have to say, I was not looking forward to this race as of late. I have been struggling with my fitness do to mental breakdowns and life’s tragedies.

I arrived in Fontana on Friday and after unpacking the truck I headed out for a pre-ride with some friends. Within 15 minutes I had a sinking feeling that I was in for a rough race. The course was extremely difficult, and in my opinion it did not fit me in any shape or form. I do not generally do well on courses with lots of climbing and in Fontana, there is a lot of climbing! On the other hand, I generally like to go downhill, but this course it not exactly my style either. It was steep, tight, and extremely sandy in the corners. As I continued through my pre-ride my confidence was going down by the minute. In my mind I was thinking, “Why did I come out here? This race could demoralize you for the rest of the season!”

Well, Sunday came and I decided I would go as hard as I could and just let the chips fall where they may. I didn’t have the best start and I decided to let the leaders go and conserve energy for the later laps. I was hoping the leaders would slow down as the race went on, so I could get back in contact, but it didn’t happen. I settled into my own groove and kept pushing as hard as I could. The surprising part to me was how strong I felt. Yes, I was slow on the climbs but I was shredding the down hills on my 29er Superfly and I felt like I had all the power in the world on the flats.

When it was all said and done, to my surprise, I was able to make it to the podium with a 5th place finish. I guess if you’re going to have the best finish of the season, a National is a great place to do it.

I think this race set a bench mark for the rest of my season. I know my fitness is coming around and the confidence I gained this last weekend will help me through the rest of the season.

BTW— I was rocking the 747 plate again….This one was for you Schu.

What inspires you?

What inspires you?

“When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking.” — Sherlock Holmes, 1896

We all know that there have been times when we need nothing more than to get on our bikes and ride, ride to clear the mind, ride to clear the soul and sometimes we ride to just make the pain go away.

On January 30th 2010, I lined up for the 2nd race of the season to do just that, ride to make the pain go away. Let me take you back 2 days so you can truly understand my last statement.

On Thursday January 28th I was filling in on my day off so that I could then flex off on the following Saturday, for what would be the second race of the season. As I clocked out and was leaving, I had a conversation with a friend who asked why I was working. I explained to him the reason and just as he had done many times before, he asked how racing was going and wished me luck. This was a conversation that from now until the end of my days, will echo in my mind “Is a meaningless conversation ever meaningless”. Why you ask? Well, that conversation took place at 10:05 pm and at approximately 11:00 pm that friend, Lieutenant Eric Shuhandler, was shot and killed in the line of duty.

As it turns out, that meaningless conversation is one of the most meaningful conversations I may have ever had.

As you could expect the next day was filled with emotion. I was called into work to help cover shifts and then worked my own regular shift as well. I ended up being awake for 35 hrs straight and of that 35 hrs I worked 30.

I was sleep deprived and in a zombie like state as I was trying to make sense of the whole thing. As I talked to friends, family and coworkers about whether or not I should race, the general consensus was…..RACE!!!! If anything, race to clear the mind, race to clear the soul, race to just make the pain go away. As I lined up I was unsure how this was going to work out, I truly did not want to be there racing, yet I also felt like that was the best place for me at that time.

As you could expect I did not do all that well. I ended up 14th in my class of cat 2 30-39 men. To me though, I did not care what place I was, this race was about healing. I left a lot on the trail that day. I left my fear, my pain, and my broken heart somewhere on the trail.

Now that a few months have gone by I am able to share this experience with you all. I have came out of this with a new look on life and a better since of direction. I don’t know how this season will completely unravel but I know one thing, as I line up to each race everyone who knows me and those who are reading this story will know one thing, “I am racing for Schu”. And if you have any doubt, look at my number plate, 747… was Lieutenant Eric Shuhandler’s badge number.

So now I ask you….what motivates you, what purpose are you racing for? Where are you drawing your inspiration from?

29er Crew stickers

Cupid delivered some fully custom 29er Crew stickers from Crankskins.

Maiden ride on my 2010 Superfly

I took my new Superfly out for its maiden ride today. The only word that I have to describe the way this bike rides is…WOW!


I was racing on a GF Paragon last year and I thought that bike rode great. My thought on a Superfly were “well its lighter and it is a little stiffer” IWAS WRONG!!!!! This bike is sick, it’s all those things and more. If I would have known how nice this bike was I would have bought one sooner. Why didn’t someone slap me upside the head and tell me to go buy a one!

A policemen

Hitler speaks from the dead, and Germany listens.

German Federation Repeals Restrictions On Racing 29″ers

January 20th, 2010 by Guitar Ted

Word has come from Germany that the nations sanctioning body, the BDR, has repealed its restrictions against racing a 29 inch wheeled bicycle in off road competitions starting now for the 2010 racing season. The UCI, which governs international racing, was appealed to by Gary Fisher six years ago to allow international racing of 29 inch wheels and the UCI did allow for this then. However; each nation has its own governing bodies for national events and Germany was nonplussed by the UCI decision as it forbade the use of 29 inch wheels in any of its sanctioned events, essentially making a 29″er an outcast.

Now with this restriction being lifted, it will be interesting to see what, if any, 29 inch wheels are actually raced in Germany in 2010. It is also interesting to note that a major cycling publication based in Germany is conducting its second round of tests on 29″ers. Perhaps 2010 will see big wheel popularity increase in Germany to the point that some of the countries home brands will start dabbling in 29 inch wheels for future models.

Ode to my 29er

I wake up in the morning after dreaming of my 29er ride,

I dreamt I was peddling it along a hillside,

Before I go to bed at night I say a prayer to the Lord,

I thank him for Gary Fisher bringing 29ers to the drawing board.

My favorite drugs a demon she's got 29” wheels,

Until you actually try her you will never know how she feels,

She takes me down some crazy shit, it's the stuff I like to ride,

She feels so good between my legs I can't keep satisfied.

Some days come, and some days go, oh those dreary winter blues,

If it weren't for my 29er to get me out there I swear I'd turn to booze,

The sights I've seen, the things I've done I live a life unjaded,

True to form, and born of storm 29er bikes are the best thing created!

HUMBLE PIE

This weekend was the first race of the 2010 season, and as many of you know I moved up into the cat 2’s for the new season. With this 2010 season I had a lot of optimism on how the season would unfold. So with the first race of the season in the books how did I fair? Let’s just say I was served up a very large slice of humble pie, and did not taste very good!!!!

With this race I was thrown into a realm that I’m not very accustom too. Last year was my first season back racing XC since 1998, and it seemed that with the random and unorganized training that I did, I always found myself on the podium. I will not lie, last year I became accustom to this.

Yesterday’s race started out much like most of my races last year. The bell goes off and I out sprint 30-40 other riders to the single track and I set the tempo. Yesterday’s race was no different. The problem was that once I got into the lead, within 2-3 of the race my legs began to feel like a ton of bricks. I moved from 1st to 20th in a matter of minutes, and before I knew it I was in 20th position. I don’t know exactly why this happened but it did! After a few minutes my legs began to breathe life again, and I began to come back. Unfortunately I got inoculated by fire, (those boys are FAST), and I found out first hand that in the cat 2’s unless your name is JHK (Jeremy Hogan-Kobelski), or Sam Schultz you’re NOT coming back. Fortunately, I was able to drag my sorry excuse of a 29er Crew member butt back up into 14th position before the race was done. This was very discouraging.

I don’t really know where to go from here. I will have to sit down with my coach and talk this one over. I have been training, I have been following the schedule, I have been eating right, (well maybe not that last one), I’m trying to eat right. As I said before, I’m in a new realm. I ‘m now coming to the realization, the days of just random training are over and they aren’t going to get the job done.

This season I can already tell, is going to be different than last year. This season is going to test my resolve. The question is how I am going to deal with it. Am I going to crawl into a fetal position and cry like an over grown baby, or brush it off and take it as a learning lesson.

Check back later because right now, I WANT TO DO THE FETAL POSITION.

The past and the future.

This has been a whirlwind year for me. I developed a strong love and bond for the 29er in late 2008 and at the beginning of this year I decided to start racing XC again, because I was starting to become a typical fat cop. Within a year I dropped approximately 40 lbs, and was starting to ride fast again. The thing that I did not foresee was I rekindled my passion for mountain biking again. I had started to forget the camaraderie that this sport instills in every one of us if we allow ourselves to open our hearts, and minds to our fellow rides. I also rekindled that overly competitive spirit which is every one of us. I started to train more and more, and what I found was the more I trained, the more I wanted to race. With racing I found that I began to reconnect with friends I had lost touch with and I made some new friends along the way too. This happens with all of us in our day to day lives I know, but sometimes, I don’t think we as busy people really take the time to truly appreciate our friendships.

As the season went on I began to get better and gain an abundant amount of confidence in myself and my abilities. I started to assess what I wanted to accomplish in the 2009 season, and also look forward into the 2010 season. My main goal for the 2009 season was to continue on the path I was on, more or less. I wanted to continue enjoying racing my bike, but I also set 3 goals #1: win the Arizona State Police and Fire Games, #2: Win the 24 hrs of Fury, and #3: put a season together that was accomplished enough to gain a spot on the Gary Fisher 29er Crew. How did I fair. Well I got 2nd at the AZ P & F Games, I won the 24 hrs of Fury on a 4 person coed team (thanks to great teammates) and I was asked to be 1 of 2 rides in the state to be on the GF 29er Crew (this in thanks to Greg DeCori and E-Dog at the Slippery Pig Bike Shop).

All in all I can sum this last season up in 1 word….FUN!!!!!

So what do I expect for my 2010 season? I hope this season will be filled with a lot of the same things as last year…hard work, goals accomplished, and friends made. I have a very ambitious season ahead of me. For this reason I acquired the services of a great coach (Art McFarland). Art is already helping my cycling in ways I never could imagine. I am lighter, stronger, and faster than I ever have been on a bike. Because of this, I will be bumping up to the cat 2 category in the MBAA series. I would also like to continue where I left off in the cat 3’s…..ON THE PODIUM. I will be going back to the AZ P & F Games again this year to redeem myself. I will also be heading to Lake Tahoe for the Western State P & F Games.

At the end of this season I hope to be able to reflect on my 2010 season with thoughts of an inspiring scripture from the bible. 2nd Timothy, Chapter 4, verse 7:

I have fought the good fight

I have finished the race

I have remained faithful

To me this means: if I work hard, if I race every race to the best of my ability, and if I stay the course…..I CAN NOT AND WILL NOT FAIL.

THE FIRST RACE OF THE SEASON IS SUNDAY………LETS GET IT ON LIKE DONKEY KONG!!!!!!