happy dogs and happy greg

Last Thursday Mother Nature gave us a bit of a reprieve, actually she worked with us on both Wednesday and Thursday. I've been jonesing for a good trail ride but not really wanting to do damage to soft trails I opted to wait until Thursday to break out the bikes. Wednesday Fat Tony and I.M. Dillow were planning a run in Bristol so I laced up my running kicks and joined them for a change of scenery. I really needed to get a few miles in before next weekend's 10k race we're all participating in. Chris sparked my interest with this one on Facebox that you could register for a measly $6 if you got in under the deadline and skipped the usual worthless t-shirt. I've received a ton of these things in the past and I can only think of 2 that I wear. The rest usually find their way to the Goodwill, trashcan or shop rag bin. This is the first race I've seen that actually gave you the choice of pre-registering with out the t-shirt which I thought was very cool. I think I'll shoot the Crazy 8's organizers an email asking for the same choice as they always come through with the worst t-shirt designs ever, well actually they would take 2nd place behind the Tour De Possum Creek if it was still in existence.

Thursday I loaded up my AIR9 and headed to Bays Mtn. to get in some trail time. As I loaded up my bike the dogs gave me their best sad, "Please take us with you" faces. I sat down thought it out and came up with a plan. I told them that when I got back we would head over to Warriors where the trails are more "off the leash" dog friendly. I was really needing to give the JET a test run since I had installed the new cassette and made all the necessary adjustments myself so I thought what a better way to do so with a short ride with the dogs.

It's unusual for me to get in 2 rides at different places on 2 different bikes but I pulled it off well on Thursday. I was actually surprised at how good the conditions were at Warriors, of course there were some slick spots but it was better than I had expected.

There were tails wagging everywhere as we cruised through the woods. If I had a tail it would have been wagging as well. It seems as though my mech. skills are improving. The JET's drivetrain performed well and gave me no problems at all. The only thing that disappointed me was my fitness level, I could tell it has dropped some but I guess that is to be expected since it has truly been winter here in N.E. Tenn.

Wednesday I had a few errands that needed to be done in JC so while I was in town I dropped by one of my old favorite shops, Norris Bicycles. I took Brownie with me to get the low down from Dave as to what it might cost to really bring the old cruiser back to life and looking good. We talked for about 30-45 minutes about different possibilities, parts, styles and paint schemes. When I walked in the door I wasn't 100% sure I was going to leave it for a full restoration job but after talking with Dave and getting an estimate I went ahead and left Brownie in his hands. I don't expect to see any results in the next 2 months so I'm going to try and be patient. Dave has never been known to turn bikes around in a speedy time frame but his work is definitely worth the wait. Dave has restored an old Schwinn for Melinda and another bike for my youngest sister and both of those bikes were works of art. I am confident he will do an awesome job.

Yesterday while I was away at work Melinda traveled south to Asheville NC for some shopping with her Mom and Aunt. She has been on the hunt for a new rug for our living room for some time so I had already prepared myself to take a hit in the checking account for some time. When she returned home I was really surprised that the only $$$ that was spent was on me. I received 3 new bike mags and a 6 pack of New Belgium's 2 Below. I've been searching for 2 Below all winter and had heard a couple of weeks ago that this seasonal brew had made it's last batch. I had pretty much given up on finding any until she walked through the door with it. It was a glorious moment in our kitchen last night. Thank you sweetheart, your the best!

KCX Cup - the video

Last weekend while racing cyclocross I brought along the Go Pro Camera. Originally I had planned to run the chest mount because the point of view would be so much better with all of the obstacles throughout the race, running through barriers, riding over downed telephone poles, muddy switchback hills and of course the PBR drinking stations. After mounting the chest strap up I realized that it interfered with my number plate and I switched back to the handlebar mount. I think I was more worried with what the rather strict officials might say than my number. In hindsight I shouldn't have worried about it since it was a no points, just for fun race.

Anyway I hope you enjoy the video, sorry for the smudge on the lens, I must have gotten it dirty during the pre-ride warmup.

2011 Kingsport Cyclocross Cup from Greg Carr on Vimeo.

this ain't yer freakin' mama's bike race

It's been a little over two years now since I raced a cyclocross race but it didn't take long for me to remember how much it hurts. I decided to give it another shot this weekend since the organizers threw in a mountain bike class. There was no doubt in my mind that I was not ready for today's race but the entry fee was low, there were no points and there were no prizes. The rumor on the street is that it was a test to see if there would be enough racers to make it a permanent class in next year's MSG series. Hopefully our dreams will come true.

I owned a cyclocross bike for a couple of years but I never felt right dancing with it. The year before I bought my cx bike I raced my singlespeed mtn bike and loved it. I was convinced I needed a cx bike but it just wasn't the same and last spring I sold it to fund the AIR9 I raced today. Today that feeling returned, it definitely hurt, especially after the PBR hand ups Iron Man Dillow was handing out but it was still fun.

I only had one goal, not to get lapped by the lead CX4 guys who started a full minute ahead of us. The first lap I probably went out too hard but it was either go out hard or get left in the dust and Alan and Fat Tony were cutting me no slack the entire time.

I was surprised at the lack of barriers in the race, there were only two and one telephone pole laying diagonally across the course. I was able to cross the pole without dismounting but had to run the barriers. I was also surprised at how well I felt doing so, especially since it's been so long since the last time I did it. On lap number 2 I had so much mud in my cleats from running up a peanut buttery hill I struggled to get clipped in.

After the first lap I never saw the leaders again but then again they weren't stopping for mid lap refreshments.

The tough looking guy on the far right was the one shoving PBR's in our faces. Thanks Chris.

I hope that the good showing of fat tires today does bring the mtn bike class to the MSG series next year I would like to do this again. I don't think I will ever enjoy cx as much as mountain bike racing for a couple of reasons one being it doesn't last long enough and riding around in a field is not as exciting. It's all about how fast you can go for 30 - 45 minutes. The cool thing about cx racing is that the entire course is viewable, the spectators are everywhere and the heckling is too. I've never heard so much trash talk by people standing on the sidelines as I have at a cx race. In a mountain bike race you really only see the spectators at the start and finish line.

Next year I might actually buy a license, this could be fun. Thank you Melinda for taking the great pictures during the race.

bringing the heat with fat tires

Once my headache cleared and the coffee lifted the fog my head was in, I decided to show the AIR9 a little attention today to make sure it's ready for the CX showdown tomorrow afternoon at the Kingsport Cyclocross Cup. Last night was a bit rough at work and I was dragging once I got up but thanks to a pot of coffee I pulled through.
I gave the drivetrain as good a cleaning as I could with a shop rag and lubed the chain. Then I removed the water bottle cages hoping the lack of hydration on the start line will intimidate some of the other racers, either that or make them not take me seriously. JK, I don't want them to get in the way through the barrier sections or whatever the organizers throw at us. I also gathered all my Go Pro gear together to shoot a little footage from the race. I mounted the handlebar mount up but I may end up going with the chest strap. I think the point of view from there is so much better.
I hope there is a good turnout for the fat tire kids, I would really like to see this class return full time next year. I was just checking the start time on BikeReg.com and noticed the plan is to start us 1 minute after the CX4's. I'm really interested to see how that pans out. Will any of the mtn bike class catch the CX4's? Will the CX4 leaders lap us? Probably a little of both, but I'm anxious to see how well folks perform, especially myself after all this nasty weather. It's really hurt everyone's fitness, mine included.

In other racing news I secured Melinda and I a camping spot at Bandit's Roost for the 6 Hours of Warriors Creek coming up the first weekend in April. It appears that there will be a strong showing from the NTMBA crowd and the whole weekend will be full of festivities. If your in, come for the whole weekend and if you missed the boat, come out and hang with us anyway. Good times will be had no matter what. There are two other trailheads to ride while the race is going on.

a little bit of everything to get me by

I like most of you am sick of cold weather and snow but I have been making the most of what Mother Nature has given us. Cross training has been the word and I've been trying to be as creative as possible with it. We haven't gotten a lot of snow but we have got a consistant amount. We've seen snow on the ground for over a week and that's not normal for us. There has been alot of hiking but until today I haven't really felt like I was getting the workout I really wanted. I received a new Backpacking magazine in the mail yesterday and apparently there is a new weight loss fad where you can pay some guy to take you backpacking for a week in order to loose weight. I went into the gear/bike room grabbed an old pack loaded it up with a couple of weight and went on a good long hike with Melinda and the dogs and it worked excellently and didn't cost me a dime.

2011 is already looking up for me and the racing scene. I signed up for 2 races for the month of January. The first one is at the Kingsport Cup CX races this weekend here in Kingsport. The organizers have added a new class to the CX scene. One for those of us who like to race the fat tire bikes, yes a mountain bike class. There are no points and I doubt there will be any prizes not that I think I would win but at only a $10 entry fee and a chance to race against other mountain bikes instead of cyclocross bikes is enough for me. When I saw saw that there was a fat tire class it immediately peaked my interest. I was told that because of me asking for this class a few months back that this one race was a trial run for next years MSG series. I don't know that I actually sparked this, maybe Mr. CX was just telling me so to get me out there. Anyway I was told I had better show so nightshift or not I will be there, I'm paid up. I was really expecting the course to be nasty with all of the snow we've had lately but the word on the street is it's pretty dry and the sun is actually supposed to show itself.

My second race is a 10k run at my local state park, Warrior's Path. I've run this race before and had not given it much thought until Iron Man Dillow threw down the challenge to me and Fat Tony. Another good deal at $6 without the ugly t-shirt so I threw my hat into the ring again. I don't have anything planned for February or March but who know what may come up. My goal is to run a half marathon this year but I've not nailed down which one just yet. There are several local ones but the Nashville race looks like alot of fun just a bit pricey.

With Melinda out of school all week we finally had a chance to do a snow ride this week. We took a few pics and shot some video but I've not edited any footage.

See you Sunday

yeah! I'm still here you PUNK!!!!!!

Wow I just realized it's been three whole weeks since my last post. I think it's been almost that long since I got to ride my bike and I'm getting cranky. I have a whole slew of excuses as to why I've been M.I.A. - work, sickness, nasty weather, work, the holidays, work, more sickness, more work and well not riding lately just doesn't give me much in the way of inspiration. I worked every holiday during the month of December and then some and I had a nasty head cold on top of that but once I saw my most recent paycheck that reflects all that overtime and holiday pay, it made it hurt just a little bit less. I think things at work are beginning to slow down and my head cold has finally left the building so I'm hoping to get out on the trails with something other than my hiking shoes. It doesn't appear that the weather is going to give us much in the way of relief anytime soon so I guess I'm going to have to suck it up and suffer through it. I was born and raised in Texas where we really didn't have much in they way of freezing winters so I'm a bit of a wuss when it drops into the teens and single digits.

Something else I've been slacking on is finishing up putting the new bling I got for Christmas on my bikes. I did install a new crankset on the JET but I slapped it on as fast as I could and haven't looked at it since so there are no cool pics. I've still got two new cassettes for the Niners to put on, I finally got a 36 tooth cassette for the JET and I'm anxious to see how that works out.

Probably one of the coolest things we got for Christmas is the dog's new collars from my family. Jackson and Moonshine both got collars from a cool little company called Cycle Dog.

Talk about a cool collar! They are actually made from recycled bike tubes which doesn't get all stanky when wet. Just touching their old collars would leave your hands smelling rank. The clasp is a latch lock system like an old school seat belt. The coolest thing about these collars in my opinion are the leash rings which are also a bottle opener. Never again will we be without a bottle opener on a camping trip. If you have a dog, ride bikes and enjoy refreshing beverages from time to time these are a must. Bikes, dogs and brew, what a winning combination.

Over the holidays my Dad asked me how to go about creating a blog. I was kinda surprised that he was interested so I pointed him in the right direction and now he's a full on blogger two posts into his journey. Check him out here, if you're into stocks and such.

Since I've been off the bike for what seems like an eternity I have been running and hiking to try and maintain my fitness. Not all of my running has been on the treadmill but alot of it has. I have snuck outside for runs here and there and it's amazing how much I struggle with a 40 minute run on the treadmill inside but I can run for an hour outside and the time just flies by. As much as I hate to admit it I'm glad we have the treadmill, it's kept me sane this month. I've also been throwing down some time on the spin bike whenever I get a chance and while it's much more comfortable than the trainer it's still an indoor workout than goes no where.

This morning I met up with Fat Tony, Richard, AC, and Ben at Steele Creek Park in Bristol to scout out a trail that is much need of some attention. We've been asked by the park to help fix another trail and of course we're excited about doing anything that will make those trails more rider friendly and hopefully get our foot in the door to building some new stuff. I woke up around 7:30 this morning and checked the temps in Bristol to find it was a whopping 6 degrees with a high that barely hit 30. We were supposed to ride the trails after our scouting trip but I decided to skip the ride rather torture myself with frozen digits. I did snap a few pics of our hike with my phone but it's really not much of a camera.

Tomorrow night will be my first meeting leading the charge as prez. of the mountain bike club. Fat Tony had enough and for some reason several people thought I would do good as his replacement. I'm not too sure about this and I'm kinda nervous about the first meeting but I guess I'll give it a shot. We've got alot of cool stuff on tap for this year. Our first board meeting had me feeling a bit scatter brained mainly because it was a bit of a brainstorming session for the events we would like to do this year, that and I was hopped up on cold meds that sometimes make me feel spacey.

If your in the area and have nothing to do tomorrow night around 7:30 come out to Beef O'Brady's in Gray just off the Boones Creek exit for a beer and some singletrack talk. We're always looking for new faces and people to ride with.

Enough of this I'm due for another mind bending indoor workout, see you tomorrow night fool.

why "ROAD" ID.

The Road ID. bracelets have been around for sometime now and I never really gave it all that much thought, I guess because I don't ride the road alot and when I do, my rides are usually short and close to home. I never thought how much an ID. bracelet could help in case of an emergency. Recently I started noticing more and more of my friends sporting the bracelets and I'll be honest my interest was peaked more because I thought they looked cool rather than the real purpose they served.

The more I thought about the Road ID. the more I realized how beneficial these bracelets could be for all athletes who train alone. I run alone, I ride my mountain bike alone and I hike alone, alot. I realized these bracelets were a good idea for both Melinda and myself, road bikers or not.

So I went ahead and ordered both of us one, I was kind of surprised at the price of $30 for a bracelet that was made out of the same rubber that that the $2 Livestrong bracelets are. Now the Road ID does have custom printed info for you and a fancy clasp that in my opinion is very unnecessary. The clasp can at times be a little irritating and definitely makes the bracelet much heavier. They do make a cheaper and lighter version that's made of canvas and would probably more comfortable but being made of canvas it would also become very stinky.

When our Road ID bracelets came in the mail I realized another reason for the $30 price tag. The ultra fancy metal tins the each came in, which after a few minutes went into the recycle bin. I tried to think of a good reason to keep them or something useful for them but I decided they would just end up cluttering up a drawer somewhere in the house and who needs more clutter.

Maybe I'll shoot the folks at Road ID. a note and suggest losing the clasp, fancy tin and drop the price to $15.

I'm really trying not to complain here because I really like my Road ID., it serves a great purpose, it comes in a nice selection of colors and well it just looks plain cool. Melinda went with black and I went with purple, I'm still not sure why I went with purple but it definitely catches peoples eye which is the whole point especially if your lying in a ditch or on the side of the trail unconcience. I really don't like to think about that, sorry.

My whole thought behind this post was why did the people behind Road ID. decide to call them "Road" ID. bracelets when so many other people could benefit from using them.

downtime

I was off work this entire week and the only outdoor physical activity I got the day Melinda and I took the dogs hiking in the snow.

If the temperature wasn't ridiculously low there was snow, rain or ice falling from the sky. Mother Nature has played a cruel trick on us, giving us an unusually warm fall and a ridiculously cold introduction to winter, which according to the calendar we have yet to enter. I hope Ma Nature runs out of steam soon as I don't think I can handle this much longer. I haven't been a complete slob, but the treadmill and spin bike can only do so much for me and working out in climate controlled conditions will only make me soft. Thank goodness we've had plenty of work to do outside at my job.

It hasn't been all that boring really, Melinda has been off the entire week with me so we've had alot of good down time together, something we've needed for a while but I think we're both ready to get out and do something active.

The weekend before last we hosted our 3rd annual Christmas party. Last year we went with the Tacky Christmas Sweater theme but this year it evolved into the entire outfit and there really weren't very many sweaters worn. Melinda and I worked on our outfits for almost a month leading up to the party and we probably spent too much $$ on them but once I saw the other guests' duds I was glad we did. To my surprise some people really went all out.

I used alot of glue and sparkly stuff just to pull my outfit together, this was the craftiest I've been in a long time. I know it's hard to see in this pic but my bow tie is covered in sequins.

Andy & Abby, Mr. & Mrs. "I'll punch you in your freakin' face" never disappoint. Andy looked like some sort of 70's pimp and Abby looked kinda of like a foreign princess or something, I'm not really sure.

I think Fat Tony was watching Dazed & Confused the night before he put his costume together.

He reminded me of Mathew McConaughey's character "Wooderson"

B-Rad came dressed in a full on Elf costume that Sara made. Ever seen an elf breakdance? I have.

Of course there was plenty of tom foolery going on and of course a bit of dancing to some of the oldest hip hop beats. Every year we have a white elephant gift exchange which is something we end up talking about all year. The gifts this year ranged from Jesus clocks, 6 pks. of Old Milwaukee, and toys of the more adult nature. It was definitely the funniest white elephant gift exchange I've ever been to. I laughed so hard at one point my sides cramped.

I wish we had a bigger house and could really go all out but we do the best with what we have. I lit up the entire deck with Christmas lights, Clark Griswald style and had two fire pits going at the same time. It worked out pretty well and despite the cold temps the deck was a good place to hang out.

Just the other day Melinda and I were discussing how difficult it will be to top next year's party. I don't know whether to continue with the same theme or find another.

Back during Thanksgiving my Dad and I were standing out in my sisters driveway while the bird was being prepared and he began reminiscing about his younger days and the coasters he and his brothers built out of wood. My sister has a really long and straight driveway that has a great slope ideal for racing wooden coasters down. He conned me and my brother in laws into building coasters between then and Christmas. We're all supposed to bring them over on Christmas Eve and have a race down the driveway. I kind of forgot that I work all that weekend so I

haven't gotten anything together. My Dad has his finished and I'm anxious to see it and ride it down the hill.

This could be a good opportunity for some Hero cam footage.

"He doesn't want to pay to be a real racer. He just wants to blog about it."

"He doesn't want to pay to be a real racer. He just wants to blog about it." Aaron Casey aka jiminimnimnimninii or something like that. This quote was taken from my local mtn club website. The thread was about a new spring race series that was titled training series. I'm not really sure which it's supposed to be but I love it when people talk smack, it gets me fired up and pumped about racing.
A "real" racer huh, what really makes someone a REAL racer? In my opinion a real racer is someone who enters a couple of races a year, enjoys it and is somewhat competitive. I feel like I fit this bill well enough. I'm not paid or sponsored and as much as I would love to be I realize it's probably not going to happen and that is probably for the best in my case.
No I didn't get to race as much as I would like to this year but that's part of working full time, living on your own and having a few priorities here and there.

Racers who boast that they are pumped about inflicting a bunch of pain on themselves or brag that they enjoy it are full of it in my opinion. Yeah pushing yourself to the point to physical discomfort is what it takes to win and get stronger but there is a limit and once that line is crossed the fun is lost. Some can take way more than others but nobody likes it, they are just willing to deal with it.

There are a few things I look for when I'm signing up for a race.

- Races that are fun.
- The people I'm racing against are there to have fun as well.
- The entry fee is not ridiculous. I like to get a little something for my $$$ even if I don't podium.
- The course is fun (singletrack), I can deal with gut busting climbs.
- Promoters who are more interested in putting on a quality race rather than making a buck.

If I can't find at least two of these in a race I'm probably not gonna be interested. In my limited experience, USAC races are the only races where I have ever been cussed for not getting out of another racer's way fast enough, I hate people like that. Those are the folks who take it waaaay to seriously and loose focus on the fun aspect. I've seen it first hand in my small cycling community and some of those folks burned out so bad they quit riding. Everyone of them competed in a USAC backed series. Coincidence?
The USAC races require a license which I guess is worth it if you crash really bad and put the insurance to good use. I for one have never done enough USAC races to make buying a license worth the $$. I haven't actually done a USAC in over 2 years and I race as much as possible. I looked around the USAC website trying to find another good excuse for buying a license but there was way to much reading to be done and I got bored and went elsewhere. I'm sure there are plenty folks who can rattle off several reasons as to why it's worth the $$ but I doubt any of them really apply to me but I will listen. I'm forced to buy insurance through my employer so why would I want additional?

This all stems from a comment about having to pay for a USAC license to race. If I really want to race this series and it jives with my schedule I will probably do it.

I am excited about the fact that someone local has taken the initiative to put together a series of races and I hope the course is awesome and the turnout is huge.

I hope to see you there.

2010 wrap-up

Yeah I know there is still a whole month left in this year but I felt compelled to write a 2010 wrap-up for some odd ball reason and hey it's my blog. There's not much else going on in the way of blogging around here anyway, I must rely on celebrity bloggers these days for more consistant reading entertainment. So with that said here I go, oh and I also will state now that this may or may not be in order that the actual events happened.

Last winter we actually had a cold snowy winter, nothing compared to the peeps up north but for me and my southern roots I saw enough snow last year to last me another 10 years. One particular snowfall took out our entire trail system at Warriors. Luckily we have a dedicated bunch of volunteers in our local mtn bike clubs who for 6 or 7 days straight cut through massive piles of downed trees so that we wouldn't have to wait long before riding again.

Speaking of the mountain bike club, we made some huge strides this past year with a few new events & trail opportunities. The 2nd annual Bike at Bays was again a huge success thanks to all our volunteers, local bike shops and of course Texas Roadhouse.

Melinda and I hit the road with the ECO & dogs alot this year riding at some new places and some old favorites. Our first trip of the year was up to Ohio where we visited Rays Indoor Mtn Bike Park. A must do if your ever up north, yes it is worth the drive. We totally plan to go back again this next year.

Check my video section down on the right for some action footage from Ray's.

Another new destination we hit this year was Raystown Lake in Pee-Yay. The Allegrippis Trail system was a fantastic place to spend 5 glorious days in the heat of the summer. The trails are super fast, rolling and left me grinning ear to ear at the end of everyday.

While in Raystown we hit one of the few resturants in town, they might have some sweet trails but when it comes to food, bring plenty of your own because you can hit all the food joints in one day. It was at the fancier joint, the local all you can eat buffet that I discovered and ate my first purple egg. I've never gotten such a funny look from a waitress until that day when I asked if the chicken that layed that egg was purple too.

Of course what summer would be complete without a trip to Dupont, or at least three. We love Dupont and the Black Forest Campground and it will probably continue to be one of our summer camping/riding destinations.

In a 2 week vacation binge we camped at Dupont for 5 days, drove home, unpacked, I worked one day and then we loaded up the dogs and headed to Savanah GA for my youngest sister, Bug's wedding. Of course we took bikes but this trip it was the cruisers that got called into action. I'm not sure how many miles I put on my cruiser but it was alot, we rode them to more destinations than we drove. Savanah is a town that is much easier accessed via bicycle than car.

This summer was alot of firsts for us and a flat tire on the ECO coming back from a trip @ Raccoon Mtn was when it all went down. Luckily for us it was dark and raining when it happened. There was no good place to change it on the side of the road so we were forced to drive to the nearest exit before we couldreally even get a good look at it. By the time we stopped we were on the rim. Thankfully we only suffered minor damage.

Speaking of firsts, I was able to sneak a ride in at Rocky Fork. Not really the best place to ride when it comes to sweet singletrack but it is truly a back country experience. The ride was full of creek and stream crossings, grueling climbs and spectacular views that make me want to go back soon.

If you do try this ride, take someone who's been there, plenty of water, food a change of socks, oh and a camera.

One of the more anticipated camping trips we attended was the club camping trip to Wilksboro NC, home of the Dark Mtn, OVT and Warrior Creek mtn bike trails.

Unfortunatly Mother Nature snuck up on us and doused us with rain for a majority of the trip but we still had a great time and got in plenty of riding in half way decent conditions. We also found a sweet rope swing into the lake the last day that many in our crew missed out on due to early departures. That trip made me very thankful for the ECO and a dry bed.

Yes Alan did ride his bike in the rain but once it did start raining he put up his bike and went home early.

Where would we be without singletrack trails? I'm scared to think about what kind of shape or mischief I would be into without mountain bikes and singletrack. Thankfully there are small mtn bike clubs like ours, NTMBA that are backed by a much larger organization like IMBA who work together to make sure that the trails we have no continue to exist and see that new one continue to be built.

We had the great opportunity to have the IMBA trail care crew visit us and assist us with a trail project at a local city park who's trail system while fun to ride has struggled for years but the future of this place is looking brighter and one day may become a favorite in the tri-cities.

This year was a bit different for me than in the past, I really didn't focus on racing as much as I would have liked to but racing is not what it's really all about for me. Racing is something I really enjoy but do purely for fun and Melinda and I only go if we're rolling with our whole crew of like minded friends. This spring we skipped the 12 Hours of Tsali in favor of a local small fry race just getting started at Hungry Mother State Park. The race was called the "Night Owl", a short, super fast xc race that was held in the dark. I think we all redlined it right out of the starting gate with a pace that was ridiculously off the hook. I never thought I was going to hold on until the finish but somehow I managed and pulled out my first podium of the year.

I'm glad we picked this one over Tsali, our crew took up half the campground and were probably 50% of the entire field of racers.

Will I visit this one again next year? I hope so.

My one black mark on my racing season was of course the 6 Hours of Warriors Creek, yes I've complained enough about my sorry performance there, but it happens to everyone so I won't waste your time with my whining about it anymore. I'm already registered for the 2011 race which sold out to 300 racers in just under 36 hrs. I will take next year up a notch and redeem myself, me and my two buddies Zyrtek & Singular to help me fight of the dead people and flying pink elephants.

Probably the bright spot on my 2010 racing season was the 12 Hours of the Hill of Truth. This was my 5th year in attendance to this race and while it wasn't our best performance we still managed a podium spot and had an absolute blast doing so.

Sadly we didn't get to take a group photo at the closing ceremony because Anthony had to leave early because his brother Keith hit a tree during the race and had to be taken to the hospital for stitches but he rejoined us by the campfire later for some celebrating, break dancing and adult beverages.

Since I didn't make it out to alot of races this year I focus on doing alot more road trips and just having fun riding which can be cheaper and well, more fun.

For instance take the sunset ride on Holston Mtn that a big group of us did earlier this year.

Normally we ride to the top of mountains and then ride down but this one was a bit different. We drove to the top cruised along the ridge and the dropped in on some short but sweet singletrack that led us to a sweet overlook that had views of South Holston Lake. This ride was really more about the pit stop mid ride to watch the sunset. A friend of ours brought his BOB trailer with a fully stocked cooler that really put the icing on the cake.

Being a fan of tattoos I've gotten a few over the years but it had been at least 2 since my last sitting and I was anxious to get back in and get some new work done. It took me a while to decide what exactly I wanted. I've been working on covering my entire upper arm simular to a t-shirt sleeve and all I lacked was the inside of my bicep.

Since I got this one I've already been thinking about what I'm getting next, I've still not decided on anything but I've got a few ideas.

The Rides

Earlier in the spring I finally sold the Masi CXR bike, I really liked the bike but it was the bike that saw the least amount of action and since my work schedule makes racing CX difficult. I decided to go ahead and let it go to help fund another bike that would be useful to me. For a while I have had my eye on a Niner but I couldn't justify buying one especially since I already had 2 mountain bikes.

With the CXR sold I went ahead and pulled the trigger on a Niner AIR9 and not too long after that I broke the Mamasita. Once I got a hold of the Niner I quickly fell in love with everything about it. It wasn't long before I began jonesing for a full squish Niner. Soon the urge became too strong and with a deal I couldn't pass up I sold the Karate Monkey ordered the JET9 and never looked back.

With all the buying and selling going on I almost started to feel like Alan for a minute but I think I'll hold on to these bikes for a while.

There was one other bike I managed to aquire over the year, "Brownie", my Dad's old Schwinn 5 spd. A very unusual bike for me, one that really could use some attention but still sits as is in my bike room. With the purchase of 2 Niners I put the restoration of Brownie on the back burner until sometime next year. I've got a couple of ideas for Brownie and if I follow through the name Brownie will probably be dropped.

I did enjoy using the CXR for some light commuting so Brownie may be converted into a more speedy looking cruiser/commuter.

Last month my sister Becky had her second child, Josephine. A beautuful little baby girl and we were able to make it in town for her birth.

Sorry for such a sucky post, it took me almost two weeks to write this mostly because I got bored with it. I almost trashed it a couple times but couldn't bring myself to do so since I spent so much time organizing photos and trying to make my year sound interesting.

I'm done with it now because I finally just got some inspiration to write something new.

Thanks Aaron Casey