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!!!!!!