2007 Year Recap "It Rocked!"

My 3rd yr training & racing..Sport 05', Comp 06' & Expert 07'. da RESULTS .......GOAL#1: top 5 age at Expert races, podium once, at least mid-pack .......RESULT: never had a best race yet ended TOP 3 age OVERALL SERIES! .......GOAL#2: top 10 at Buck Hill races .......RESULT: killed Buck. 8th, 7th, 5th, 3rd, 5th, 2nd Place Overall Series II Results!! .......GOAL#3: LEADVILLE 100 under 9 hours, .....RESULT: completed .......GOAL#4: Support Duncan, Wife and family in everything, including biking .......RESULT: Duncan, Dad & Amy did more races, improved. Family all good. Surprise: Amy has girlz wkly ride thing going, we ride together too. New biking friends. Surprise: LCR/Farm thing fun as all get out, misfits rule Surprise: Single Speed MTB State Champion, also won Hillside Race on 29'er Surprise: competitive expert racer w/real potential to improve again! Surprise: after Leadville at Afton 24, fast!! Recovery & training learning huge this year Surprise: Selling all 26 inch, going 29'er on all my bikes and SS my favorite ride Surprise: base all good, long rides bring peak and intensity much more bang for the buck

I-70 freeway hike 10.2k to 13.2 k el. BUILD PERIOD??

Saturday....9/22...two in a day, SS State Champ Race & Expert Race Sunday.....9/23.....Mammoth w/wife & feinds... was sore til Thurs. Thursday...9/27...Denver on business, side trip, aft hike. Hiked 10.2k to 13.2k n 4.5 hrs RT. Herman Gultch then scramble up. See pics. Sat&Sun.....biking w/my Colorado x-GF's bike(thanks!), 2+ hrs ea day, cherry cr trail & Platte River. Sorta like greenway. It was just what I needed after running up to 13.2k elevation! Legs needed the flush!

Minnesota State Single Speed Champ?

MNSCS#10 Jail Trail: 6:30am alarm, Duncan citizen race started at 9:30am. In biffy even before toothbrush, before waking Duncan, it hit me hard. Bring the single speed! Yep, if "MN State SS" title was really on the line I'd race both SS & Expert races. PRE-RIDE: once on trail, figured out 19t wouldn't cut it. Long story short Revolution Cycle & Ski Shop guys we're da'bomb. They drove me to da'shop sold me a 17t fw then got me back in time. SINGLE SPEED Race 11am: I led out around parking lot. Hollywood answered later during prolouge, I passed him before single track & held. The rest was history. I won race by 4 min, 2nd place SS'er Hollywood 5 min back. I did this race for two reasons; Love my Misfit Psycles 29'er SS. ALSO, I couldn't let this race go w/o showing SS'ers should be challenged. A State Champ Title Race should be more than sport length! SS'ers are supposed to be hardcore right? ha ha Point. It's all good. EXPERT Race 1pm: slow start pace to enable finish. Hung farther back in pack. By lap 2 thighs we're doing electrical shock tricks. I slammed alot more energy drink (my bottle had 5 scoops of heed & enduro's). Yeah, nasty...but did the trick. By end of race legs all heat, no cramps, weird feeling. I didn't pound it just rode it out smiling! 2hrs 4m, 5th in age. DUNCAN's Race: He had a great day. He said some areas we're double diamond. Not sure what he meant. Perhaps after Chequamegon, the single track twisty is harder. Anyway, Squrrel Jr. scores 3rd in age, great job!! POST RACE a group of 10+ LCR/Farm went out for burritos & beverages. Guse, Miller & the Horner family showed up. It was awesome! Two races in one day for me, sweet!

Single Speed wins Chequamegon 40 mile

Yep, Jesse LaLonde won on 29'er rigid SS 36x16 (cheq site). His blog race story. Ducan nudged in ahead myDad in the 16. Mom 10 ft behind! First pic, Duncan in LCR blue w/mom in black/white jersey close behind. Second pic, Duncan on d move, Amy's wicked witch of the west leg, me on fence yelling GET'EM!! Last pic, D did the deed. Best part....neither knew they we're close til I started yelling & chasing. HA. ..Wha else, my SS 29'er rigid, killer fun at Ojibiwae (night ride) & Rock Lake. baha

24 Hour Makeover

Hit Mammoth w/LCR & Farm Sisters Saturday AM. However, on either side of that adventure answered my wife's wish. A bike makeover, yes that wish. Amy's been riding more, gone clipless and had the fresh paint request. I could't refuse. It's my old Cdale 700. In her eyes it's officially hers now. Give it back! I tore it apart Fri night. With Dad's help sanded & painted Saturday. Sat night rebuilt, vwalla!! She likes. See pics. She's going to stenzil & who knows what else to it. A fashion design, costume design major, just about anything "in fashion" possible. ..Hayward next for Dad, Duncan & Amy.

Hillside Race

I was able to join the Hillside fun last night. Le-mans start. Great turnout, fun course, beverages, lot's of lcr/farm folk & after bar made it good fun. Race as expected. Sam, Luke, Tom & I hit woods in that order. I kept them in sight for a bit. My 2 yr old Bonti Revolt tires had me sliding. Need to switch tires. I went down on a right hand corner w/shelf rut. The rest of race went quite sketchy, some falls, some rain, fun sliding, & Colbert chasing in distance. On sec4(?) in hilly area put hammer down, that's it. 4th place.

MNSCS#9 MAPLELAG

GREAT WEEKEND AT MAPLELAG !!!! Everyone shows for the fun and the awesome course. The best MNSCS weekend of the year! FAMILY ROAD TRIP (spot all 5 of us ?) ALL 5 RACED.....LOTS OF WORK Duncan and I both did all three events! STX, TT and XC....awesome fun!!! LOTS OF REWARD MAPLELAG sure was fun. We swam, ate great food, biked, hung out with friends, and as always really love everything about Maplelag. We already booked next year. Early in 3rd lap I was sill holding off Jan, Bill & others. That was then. By end of 4th I went from 1st to 4th age (13th oa). So goes the typical mnscs race for me. Good learning.....look out next year....I have it figured out now!! Maybe. In pic I'm on top, Doug out walking....both Swanson's not on results rouster but I count both in my 26 total XC Expert racers!! THE FAMILY RESULTS: -Amy 3rd in age Citizen(only -1m to Dunc) -Duncan 2nd in age Citizen, all 3 events 9th oa, he moved up to mid-pack! -Leo finished another Kids Comp race -Alta 1st in age Kids Comp -Heath: 13 of 26 OA ExpertXC (made top 15 payout!), -58sec TT, -1:16 STX (full 20 min MTB STX!!) 10th OA all Expert events. Some pictures are from skinnyski.com.