4 Months Out...

Only 4 months until the Tejas Xtreme 24 Hour Race! To catch you up, It's an off-road motorcycle event that will consist of a 24 mile race loop we will race from 10 a.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday. And I signed up for Ironman.

It's really starting to feel real now, and I'm seeing the impending beat down just around the corner. This event is going to physically and mentally slaughter me until I'm talking mush and feeling like a bowl of pudding. Strangely excited! I've been documenting my preparation both for those of you that give a crap, as well as for me to go back and evaluate progress. Hopefully you guys enjoy this stuff! I covered my first lights session a few entries back, but there will be an entire entry regarding bike prep as I get closer to the race. For now, it's all about mental and physical prep for yours truly!

Physical:

CARDIO!!! As much as possible! Easy to say, brutal to do. I've been on the spin bike so much, I actually got a new seat and pedals for it. I even set up a stereo and screen so I can try to lose myself in a movie or some tunes to keep me pushing longer. But, I absolutely loathe that wretched machine of torture, I find myself dodging the back room where it sits, and trying not to even look at it when I walk through. I tried a trick Brantley uses, and started hitting the treadmill on the steepest grade it offers. I vary it between a fast walk and jogging pace, and also do some side stepping and walk backwards to keep all those auxiliary muscles working. Thankfully though, the sun has graced us a few times and I've found myself cruising through the woods on my Transition mountain bike. I LOVE the singlespeed setup, and it's a much more fun way to flex the heart than anything stationary.

But that was then, and this is now...

Crossfit is badass. Absolutely badass. If you don't know anything about Crossfit yet, open another window and hit their website and Youtube for a quick intro. Whatever strength you thought you had, it's nothing. This program will get results that your basic gym routine will never touch. It's all about flexibility, mobility, range of motion, endurance, core strength, mental focus, and pure kick-assery. Candice and I signed up at the local Crossfit gym, and we're hooked. Dustin and Kaylee Suitors out there will run you through the ringer and have you doing things you didn't even know you could do. It's high energy, competitive, scalable to any level, and will push you. I've seen more results in the last three weeks with Crossfit than I saw with 6 months at the regular gym. Team up this workout routine with the Paleo diet, and you'll see some change. I've dropped 6 pounds already and my pants are falling off my waist. I was flexible before, but it's getting way better. And the gnarly part- it's completely changing my riding! I feel stronger on the bike and can stay in attack position much longer now. And the leg and back cramps haven't happened since I started Crossfit.

I can preach this stuff all day, but check it out for yourself! Crossfit Solus is our local gym - www.crossfitsolus.com

Mental Prep:

Some cheesy movie I watched said "Luck is when preparation meets opportunity". Or something like that. Anyone, I'll never rely on luck and I believe we make our own opportunities in most cases, but there's absolutely no substitute for preparation. You wouldn't show up to a gunfight with a knife with high hopes. In my case, I'd prefer to show up a day early with a well armed mob and set up an ambush. I like to think through every scenario I can, and figure out the best way to prepare for each. The enduro races are great for this, as are the 2 day cross country events. But a 24 hour is a whole different ballgame. It's a mental and physical street brawl.

My Dad asked me a while back what my goals were for this race. My response was clear and simple. First thing, I want to win. Any racer that doesn't is in a foreign land on the starting line. Second thing, I want to either finish strong or find my personal breaking point. Of course I'd rather finish strong and feel great about my ride, but there's something oddly intriguing about going into something more difficult than anything you've ever done. I just can't help but wonder how it's going to play out.

A few days later, he asked me if I knew when/ how to quit. The answer to this one was quick and very clear. When the bike or I can't go on any longer. I don't think that I can, in good conscience, ride in to the pits and call it a day. If the bike breaks, you'll find me pushing it or wrenching. If it's real bad, I'll take off a wheel and carry it with me until someone official makes me stop. If it's me that bonks, someone will have to pick me up and/or drag me in. I'd rather fall over sideways trying to start my bike than sit next to it.

Questions like this are fun to think through. It's good to know how your mind works and what your own opinion is on things. I'll come back with more on prep as it gets closer. But for now, it's time to ride, continue the Crossfit beat down, and study the real bosses of the Baja Ironman class. Reading those stories has been a great resource.

More to come later!

BRAAAP!!!

Arky Trippin'...

First off, Happy Mama's Day to all the mommies out there! We had a helluva weekend ourselves. Once again, bachelor party time was upon us! But with amount of relentless debauchery that is our daily lives, we opted to do something a little different for our boy Kiwi. We went back to our roots and planned out an Arkansas trip to the very campground where a lot of us met, got to know each other, and have spent some absolutely epic weekends together! Byrd's Adventure Center in Cass, AR, was the setting for such a weekend, and proved to be a great spot to cut loose as always,

Friday started off with loading the Gnar Vee down with every machine we possibly could. I think the final number was 6 bikes plus all our gear, gas, etc. From there it was a nice drive up to Arkansas, taking note of just how flooded all the rivers were on the way. The scene was perfect- tacky dirt, green trees, and some potent elevation changes on the windy roads leading to Byrd's. We rolled in, set up camp right on the river, and took off for a quick jaunt Friday evening. The creek was deeper and rougher than expected, demonstrated by our very own champion superpro as he was completely submerged to the unmistakable sound of water being sucked into an engine. Some excellent field repair work later, the bike started back up and we were off for about 12 miles of ups, downs, rocks, and some very potent trails. As the sun went down, we headed to camp, got the fire started, and let the good times roll. Lots of laughs until we all finally bonked and called it a night.

Saturday proved great with a late start (an unusual occurrence for the racer types). I found a flat tire and got it fixed back up, then we threw on the gear, gave the newbies a quick lesson in moto, and threw our entire crew into a steep fire road to the top of the hill. Props to George and Kelly both for figuring it out so fast! Some great miles later, we set back for camp to get some lunch and were all blindsided by Bloody's bike seizing up on the road to camp. Absolute bummer considering it was just rebuilt. Thankfully, we had the 230 there for him to have some good times on. The rest of the day was exactly what you'd expect- BRAAAP!!! ALL DAY LONG! Good times were had, gnar trails were conquered, hills were crested, and logs were jumped. We even brapped some great water crossings and found some of the old enduro single track out there that provided some serious grin factor.

Saturday night was no less than awesome with a pow wow in the cold creek, then a killer camp dinner, and some adult beverages. Once again, lots of laughs, an obnoxious campfire, and a great end to a good day. Overall, an excellent way to celebrate Kiwi's nuptials and let some of the VB Racing crew cut loose for a weekend!