Team Kenda-Seven-NoTubes: The Mary McConneloug & Mike Broderick diary

A short ride to the inhospitable

Published:

May 10, 15:31,

Updated:

May 10, 15:54

By:

Mike Broderick & Mary McConneloug

Riding and racing in the mountains of Europe

We hammered back our morning coffees, looking to put a rough night's sleep behind us, and opted for a quick oatmeal as the first of the heavy snowflakes began to fall from what looked to be a significant storm front.

We had just completed our first night of mountain pass elevation training in the RV and were lucky that the snow had held off through the early hours of the morning, allowing us to return to more hospitable training grounds in the valley below. Clearly the 4,000 feet of pass we had summitted the night before to get to our 6,000-foot roost would not be anything to mess with driving down in the snow, with our trusty though summer tire shod RV.

In an attempt to make the most the short weeks between races, Mary and I have been taking advantage of the high elevation passes that are "easily" accessible across the mountains of central Europe. Here we sleep where the air is thin to push our bodies during our sleeping hours. We know from experience that the adaptive effects that come naturally from sleeping at high elevation can help to put that final touch on our hard earned race fitness. We are, of course, looking for every little advantage that can go into improving our racing and might even turn out to be effective in gaining that critical spot or two in that important race that makes all the difference.

For this it seems we are willing to suffer a bit since what sounds simple in theory is really a bit of a chore and up to the elements to decide if it is even possible. Right now this latitude of Europe is experiencing what is essentially a continuation of winter, and so we are having to be very picky about where we go and how and when we get there as driving an RV in the high mountains at this time could quickly become more of an adventure than we really want to get ourselves into.

There are an incredible number of fantastic paved passes in the Alps, Dolomites and all over the lesser ranges across central Europe that are high enough to provide a good level for acclimation. Unfortunately, for our purposes, most of the areas with this type of elevation are subject to stormy weather. Looking for a similar training advantage last August, we had a foot of fresh snow pin us to a pull off in the Swiss Alps for solid day spent waiting for the roads to be plowed to safely drive off the pass, a freak storm, so we thought, until an amused 4x4 driving local stopped in to let us know that snow in the summer is nothing short of common.

As you can imagine, our timing at this point is less than ideal but along with the scary bit of putting ourselves out there in the elements we are experiencing a unique time between the seasons when ski areas are closed and summer camping is still months away. Among the challenges we are experiencing a rare moment of quiet in Europe that seems impossible in the "right" season when we become just one of the incredible numbers that seem to clog every last bit of the good parts of the continent. At this time, we are often the only ones in campgrounds where the owners may even come to greet us in person, happy that our arrival might indicate the start of their money earning season. In some ways, it is certainly the most fantastic time to travel, although we can easily appreciate why others might wait until the season has really begun.

In the past weeks, Mary and I have been doing a good bit of driving and have competed in four UCI races, in as many countries. This included the second round of the World Cup in Houffalize, Belgium, the newly crowned high category at the Haiming Bike Festival in Oetzal, Austria, the legendary high category race "Bike the Rock" in Heubach, Germany and the Alpago MTB Trophy in Lamosano, Italy. It has been an incredible opportunity to get in solid race efforts against some of the best athletes in the sport as well as to attend a range of fantastic venues very close together in a way that presently only Europe has the privilege to enjoy. The competitive scene in each of these countries is at an all time high, especially in the developing ranks. Swarms of kids outfitted with the latest lightweight bikes, kitted out with bling accessories, matching team kits and dreams of going pro are basically the norm across Europe these days.

From a travelers standpoint, it is just amazing that so much cultural variation can be packed into a continent that would not be difficult to drive across in a couple of days. It is easy to get around Europe these days with English being well received and the Euro greatly simplifying (if not over pricing) a lot of things. But the character of each country is still very apparent and in general a completely different flavor is found over most every little town line.

Mary and I are now headed to the Czech Republic to compete in the third round of the World Cups in Nove Mesto na Morave - a difficult mouthful - and an equally technical race course awaits us in this remote Czech town, better known for cross country skiing but certainly becoming a solid favorite on the world cup MTB circuit for racers and fans alike.

It seems a bit hard to believe that summer is just around the corner given that we have just endured another lashing from a brutal storm that blanketed our RV in snow for the night on top of another mountain pass. It is amazing how much difference a couple of hundred meters of elevation can make in the climate and we hope in our performance as well. This time of year in central Europe the same town can be sheltered and warm enough to head out on a ride in shorts on one end, and raw enough to make you think twice about even going out without all the winter trimmings just around the corner. It has been a good reminder for us to make certain we are prepared for any and all conditions that we could encounter on any training ride. Because when you are out on the bike riding in unfamiliar territory or uncertain conditions, it can be a short ride to the inhospitable.

Hope everyone is finding some time to get in some charging by day and is tucked in safe and warm at night!

Back to Europe for the spring

Published:

April 10, 17:56,

Updated:

April 10, 18:10

By:

Mary McConneloug & Mike Broderick

American couple gets ready for Houffalize World Cup

It was a bit of a shock to step into the early spring in Europe after enjoying the warm embrace of South Africa for the past weeks. The leafless trees and grey skies of Bavarian Germany had us feeling like it might have been a better plan to stay south a bit longer to train or take the option to participate in one or more of the world class stage races that highlight the global endurance cycling scene - next year perhaps...

Mary and I spent a couple of days in Ingolstadt, Germany, adjusting to rolling out of bed directly into down jackets while we outfitted our sweet little rental RV with healthy foods and the latest update of winter riding apparel and bike parts that we had shipped ahead of time to what would likely be the last stationary address available to us for the next several months.

Our plan to attend the next three rounds of the World Cup series that will be held in Houffalize, Belgium (on April 15), Nove Mesto Na Morave, Czech Republic (on May 13) and Le Bresse, France (on May 20) as well as National races in Italy and Austria will have us covering a good portion of the EU while continuing our firsthand experience of the highest level of cross country racing in what is sure to be the most highly contested season to date.

Our European travel experience has transformed drastically over the past years, happily much for the better. We began our travels here nine years ago with a complete ignorance that often resulted in unnecessary self inflicted suffering. This was only possible to overcome with an incredible amount of enthusiasm for what we were doing and a good bit of laughing (at ourselves) and the ridiculous situations that presented themselves around every corner.

We are now happy to able to rely on a wealth of knowledge of how to travel Europe by RV. Although the most important lesson we have learned is in no way exclusive to any one mode of transportation or global position. It has everything to do with the people that we meet along the way and being open to communicate and learn from them regardless of any language barriers. Those who become friends always seem to go above and beyond to make sure we are not too far off course in their areas of expertise. The location of the best pizzeria, the best place in the neighborhood to park the RV, or where to get the laundry done are always first on the list of questions. As much as we love our Gamins GPS units and can absolutely rely on them to show us the way (and way back) there is nothing like riding with a good friend on their hometown trails and back roads.

The price of living and traveling in Europe has increased drastically in just the past six months with diesel commonly topping 1.70 euros per liter (um, roughly $11 per gallon!) and the astonishing number of police speed checks clearly aimed at bringing revenue to needy economies. Even with the significant kilometers we will be driving, we feel that our RV attack style has a lot of merit, enough economy and certainly remains our preferred approach. The ease in logistics of not having to book accommodations while keeping the opportunities open to change plans when other ideas present themselves really makes up for a lot.

Mary and I headed south to Nalles, Italy this past weekend where we were happy to see some signs of spring. Here the apple trees that dominate the local agricultural economy were in full blossom and even the grape vines were beginning to awaken from another hard winter. We came to contest the 12th consecutive running of the Nalles Sunshine Cup and experience what has become one of the premium cross country races in Europe. The level of racing we found is sure to only be possible at a European-based venue as the top end of the field was multi-national and could have easily made up the podium at any World Cup. The crowds and press who came to see the spectacle made it apparent that mountain biking in Italy is taken seriously as entertainment, professional sport as well as for business.

The world is quickly catching on to off road cycling for fitness, sport, lifestyle and passion though it still seems the European community in general is enjoying a bit of a head start. That's what brought us here in the first place and why we have made an effort to be here year after year to experience and be a part of the real deal. We look forward to utilizing and sharing what we learn here as we travel to other parts of the world to ride and compete in the many disciplines of this sport that defines our lifestyle. Competitive off road cycling is now found in every continent and is sure to soon be found in every corner of even those places where it still may just be in its infancy. We are hopeful that the majority of those places will grow this beautiful sport up in the right way.

For now, on to the second round of the World Cup in a town steeped in cycling culture - Houffalize, Belgium!

Good rides and health to you all!
Mike and Mary

The wilds of South Africa

Published:

March 20, 14:27,

Updated:

March 20, 14:48

By:

Mary McConneloug & Mike Broderick

Americans racers kick off World Cup season in Pietermaritzburg

"Getting there is half the fun" was not a phrase coined on a trip that started out with back-to-back overnight flights. This is certainly the case with our current travels from our winter home in Northern California to the exotic lands of South Africa.

Our two-person all-inclusive team program was pushed to its limits in the past weeks as we battled to time product shipments, build up our new and impressively re-designed race bikes as well as handle the extensive logistics required for this solid three months of travel that encompasses the first half of the World Cup season.

Packing the essentials to meet the needs of our professional race program within current airline weight restrictions is no easy task and in this case our managerial duties eclipsed the normal delicate balance required to be on top of our physical preparation in place of getting on the plane with all the right equipment. Logistics are always a challenge especially when the travels include changing continents or are spread out over a longer period of time. We started preparing for this three-month trip several weeks in advance but much like a term paper from the long gone college days, it came down to some serious hours of sleep deprived cramming to get the job done.

Disoriented by the crossing of seven time zones without moving from the confines of our budget airline seats, we found ourselves laughing nervously as we finalized our rental contract for a right hand drive (yikes!) economy car and pulled directly into the volatile Johannesburg traffic. The excitement of potential "Big 5" game sightings and exploring highly acclaimed singletrack that lay across the foreign landscapes of the KwaZulu Natal region of this southernmost county on the African continent were most of what kept us from crumbling on the spot and checking into the nearest airport hotel to begin on some much needed recovery.

We emerged from a tedious city crossing into wide open plains where black thunderheads plowed across an impossibly huge sky framed by table flat plateaus and the jagged peaks of the Drakensburg mountains that lent more than a hint of the potential for outdoor adventure found in every direction and stoked our excitement for what lay ahead.

There is little doubt that South Africa packs more outdoor activities per square meter than most countries as such the majority of the locals seem wired with an interest in an outdoor lifestyle. Opportunities for game sighting, hiking, surfing, canoeing, moto riding, skydiving and the like are pretty much found outside every town. Luckily to simplifying things for us, we have come here with a mission to race our mountain bikes.

Our seasonal plan was all but solidified by our inclusion to the US Olympic Long Team - an exclusive pool of athletes including eight American men and nine women from which the eventual four-person (two men and two women) US Olympic team will be selected. The criteria for selection is straightforward and includes little more than our performance at the first four World Cup races of the 2012 season. Being that the first World Cup is taking in place in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa and accounts for 25 percent of the Olympic selection, it was a given to come with our game faces on.

Although Mary and I compete in several disciplines of cycling that effectively slim down our off season to a matter of weeks, the World Cups are something all together different. The difficulty of the World Cup courses often pale in comparison to those of some of the other competitions we are involved in but the caliber of the athletes competing at these races would effectively elevate a dash across a parking lot into a world class event. Significant national team cycling budgets are typically spent sending a select few of the best riders to these events, often accompanied by highly acclaimed coaches, nutritionists, massage therapists and team managers to help elevate each to the best version of their A game.

It came as no surprise that the competition was stiff at the World Cup opener, especially since this was effectively the first cross country race of the season for both Mary and me. In my case, the battle for the first singletrack was lost by a combination of back row (of 120 total riders) start position and a bit of bad luck that saw me walking up the majority of the opening climb behind a swarm of congestion that allowed those at the front to put on an insurmountable lead. The rest of the day was just damage control battling with those unfortunate enough to have been dealt a similar hand and just trying to ignore the absurdity of the overall picture in place of getting in some good racing.

Mary was little better off in the middle of the women's field, where she was able to fight the good fight only after losing some considerable time due to a poor start as well as the mistakes of those surrounding her. Every touch of the brakes is a guaranteed place lost or more but when not braking means guaranteed contact the choice is an obvious one.

We both came out of the race experience with a feeling of disappointment but also an important lesson re learned that the World Cups are an experience all together different from the racing we have recently been competing in. The World Cup races are a strategic battle that fitness alone will not fully prepare you for. These races require tremendous mental strength and the ability to include every effort over the entirety to have a chance to make it through with any level of success. A good start position, having the best lines dialed, making no mistakes and timing your body to lay everything on the line past the point of exhaustion, are all components that would help to garner a successful result.

We want to give a shout out to all the people who helped us to make this trip something special to remember. The strength of the friends and family end of our program was once again a saving grace throughout our travels. Having a safe quiet place among friends to recover and get our spin back into circles after the travels is an incredibly important part of our program and overall success. Huge thanks to both the Duncans and the Stark families for their tremendous generosity and willingness to open their homes and take us in!

Mary and I are looking forward to re shuffling the deck and preparing ourselves for the next round now just three weeks way in the classic race town of Houffalize, Belgium. Time to get out the welleys!

Charging onwards!
Mike and Mary

Success in Chile

Published:

March 5, 15:07,

Updated:

March 5, 15:22

By:

Cycling News

American pair wins a race and completes early season training

Holding our early season training camp in the South American summer seemed as enticing as ever. Mary and I were happy to embark on a month long journey that would trade up the short NorCal days for a latitude offering a bit more in the way of T-shirt and shorts wearing and help to motivate us for some serious outdoor adventures and training.

Our fifth winter returning to Chile was prompted by our past experiences in quiet rural towns scattered throughout the long narrow country that offer unique and exciting places to stage mountain bike rides and training. Our local friends are another other reason for us to make Chile our go to winter training grounds as we have gotten to know people here who make our time something that we will never want to give up.

Trans Andes Challenge

The primary racing objective of this season's journey was our participation in the Trans Andes Challenge - a six-day mountain bike stage race that is held in the beautiful Lakes Region of southern Chile. Competing as a team in the mixed open category has become an early season tradition for Mary and me, and once again we dove in pretty deep as we embraced the challenge of this incomparable mountain bike experience.

We arrived in Santiago with precious few days prior to the event and with some ambitious travels still ahead to make it to the start line 800km south in Panguipulli. An unfortunate 24-hour flu/ food poisoning episode complicated things and set us back some days that we really were hoping to use to soften our transition into Chile's hot and dry summer. Going into this monster week on the bike with less sleep and nutrition than we ideally would have had, on top of the demanding airline travel across several time zones plus a lot of driving made the initiation into our trip feel like a bit of a death march. There are few things worse than a tight travel schedule when you are not feeling well! Thankfully our sicknesses took place one after the other so there was always someone able to take a pull. Yeah teamwork!

Despite these somewhat typical travel setbacks the racing went really well! A solid six days, 250 miles with 35,000 feet of climbing through antique forests sprung from the scree covered flank of active volcanoes was pretty spectacular. The stages were long and marked with significant climbing on the order of 6000 feet per day and over 40 or so miles of difficult mountain biking. We rode many miles of gravel roads both exciting and torturous, some unique singletracks and most typically through fantastic networks of logging roads, some of which were remarkably excavated by teams of oxen dragging large trees down the sides of these huge mountains.

The difficulties in the race came from the hours of sheer climbing often with e_x_t_e_n_d_e_d stumble up hike-a-bike sections littered with ankle twisting stones and branches. The technical challenges came from the high speeds, un groomed trails, dust blinding conditions and in general not knowing what potential dangers might lie around the next corner. The Trans Andes seemed to push everyone's limits but just when we really really had enough testing and torture, there were rewards. Tremendous descents with unimaginable scenery, singletracks encased in a green tunnels with all manor of exotic wild flowers pulling at your bars and smacking you in the face. At these moments, the mind would rejuvenate the legs and all pain was somehow forgotten.

Mary and I felt the benefits of having prior experience at multi-day stage racing. Knowing what to expect, how the body reacts to six days in a row of extreme mountain biking and just what to bring along in general to get through all this as comfortably as possible, are all very important. The training we did prior to this year's edition included specifics that we would not focus on for any other discipline of cycling. Over the past years of riding together, we have found numerous dedicated techniques and preparations that go in to being fast as a mixed duo team. Having your mental focus in the right place and riding as a team throughout the race seems to be two of the most important component of a successful mixed duo team. Being willing to work together is everything, especially when the going gets really tough.

There is nothing like the experience both good and bad of racing and suffering alongside someone else. The deep understanding we share when competing together brings utter satisfaction and a rock solid cohesion that always seems to be on the brink of capsizing in a turbulent sea of lactic acid. It is just so easy to vent when there is always someone there to hear you complain about what might just be a normally internalized moment caused by the the strains of racing. But on the bright side there is always someone there to share the great moments with as well. Racing as a successful mixed duo team means respecting, keeping mouths shut at certain times and staying positive even when other things could be said.

We overcame some radical challenges as we rode to six stage victories and the overall win in the mixed open category; We are grateful for this healthy and positive start to our 2012 season! Thanks to our fantastic support team of sponsors, we were able to bring along the right equipment for the job and able to play out this stage race as we had hoped it would go.

Chilean training camp

Over the next two weeks our Chilean training camp entered it's second phase as Mary and I packed up and drove north to Pichilemu, a town known more for surfing than biking. There we rented a simple little bungalow from some friends in a quiet place with an ocean view and wireless internet where we could focus on recovery rides and yoga sessions amidst our official team duties. It was easily a week before either of us was really motivated to cycle in earnest but we filled our time by working on our team program and made sure to enjoy the unique coastal feel of central Chile, grilling fresh local seafoods, surfing, hiking, and exploring.

The surf really eluded us on this trip but it was not for lack of effort. I managed to get in the water almost every day but most often it turned out to be some sort of mix between a heavy schooling and general thrashing. Though not ideal this could turn out to be a blessing as our focus was more aimed towards cycling and Mary and I had more time to re visit some off the map "nook and crannie" trails that we have gotten to know over the past few years. Once again we found ourselves strangely endeared to the miles of dusty seldom used dirt forestry roads linked together by centuries of uncharted horse trails. The trails are there for sure, just thread through the barbed wire fence and follow the trail of manure and you are on it for sure!

Knowing that we plan to return to Chile once again next year helped to take the sting out of leaving this place behind as we flew to the northern hemisphere, back to our preferable staging area in northern California. The spring weather in Sonoma County can mean incredible days to train and incredible days of rain. Looks like we will be getting in a mix of both as we continue to put the final touches on our training and team structure in anticipation of our first World Cup of the season in South Africa!

Looking forward to the adventures that lie ahead!
Mike and Mary
Team Kenda/Seven/NoTubes

Wrapping up a NorCal winter

Published:

January 20, 20:05,

Updated:

January 20, 20:18

By:

Mary McConneloug & Mike Broderick

Bags packed. Time to head to Chile

Our pre-season training locale has been a great opportunity for Mary and I to stay put for a couple of months and take advantage of the benefits of being in one place. After some time spent re-learning how to relax, we have been able to re-learn how effective it can be to have the opportunity to train from a stationary standpoint. We have come upon a rhythm in Northern California that seems only possible when living in a special community and around like minded and positive people.

Mary and I have logged lots of hours on blissfuly demanding Sonoma county trails and roads while taking the time to get reacquainted with our eclectic assortment of Seven Cycles bikes. These mountain, road, 'cross and "specialty" bikes are the platforms for a continuous stream of alternative/prototype component testing that we take part in for R&D for our sponsors in an effort to find any possible advantage for a better day in the saddle.

We have been mixing up our rides with recipes of workouts that we know work for us from past experience while integrating some new ideas into the program that we hope will be effective in our soon upcoming race season. Long days on the road to build the endurance along with more heavy workouts exclusively on dirty ribbons of vertical singletrack to keep us in tune with the finer points of ripping it up and expanding the limits of our technical riding.

Lately our favorite rides have taken advantage of our "specialty bikes" - not 'cross bikes but more capable backcountry machines that borrow things like flat bars and disc brakes from the MTB and lighter tires and component choices to ensure they still roll well on the road. The local access to underutilized/ closed off dirt roads provides some fantastic opportunity to go out and connect pieces that would otherwise not be all that much fun on a specific road or off-road bikes. Many of these rides have defined our banner training days, the primal adrenalin rush of being a bit concerned for personal safety definitely outlines the feeling of accomplishment from pulling off some unprecedented loop.

This sort or ride can certainly add an exciting dimension to the daily training. In fact it seems as if the best rides are the ones that bring us the closest to our limits before relenting. Even those that have us lost, riding extra miles and bring us to the point of struggling and wondering if it will indeed be possible to make it home before the end of the day. Somehow when we find our way back to the comforts of civilization, it is these experiences that lend perspective on how great it is just to be safe at home where the food has never tasted so good, once again.

Mary and I are continuing our efforts into maintaining a program of alternative training techniques to enhance our cycling and overall health. This of course includes a good bit of time focusing on specific points on the yoga mat and in the gym but luckily also includes lots of paddle boarding, surfing, hiking and outdoor fun. We feel strongly that most anyone's cycling program could benefit from alternative training to help us stay strong and suffer less pain and injury throughout the rigors of the cycling season.

Sonoma County really comes through in the fresh, organic, locally grown foods department and these offerings have helped us to get through the holidays healthy and fit! Mary and I are usually willing to spend that little bit more when presented with the option to buy premium foods sourced from people who pride themselves on producing naturally and vending fresh. Mary has been utilizing this virtual arsenal of glorious calories to whip up one nutritious feast after the next in the kitchen. We have both really been enjoying the fruits of the land including the benefits of living within an ultra premium wine growing region.

Northern California has had an incredibly dry start to the winter months and while we have been happy to take advantage of fantastic training weather, it's clear that winters without normal precipitation levels will eventually lead to bad things. We are still hopeful that the winter will turn on out here and provide us something to snowboard and ski on sometime soon as well as replenish the land with sweet drinking water that is (remarkably) still almost possible to take for granted living in NorCal.

It's hard to say definitively if these are the indicators of some grand effects of the global warming trend but it's hard not to feel like this could be the case. Each of us is a part of the problem and the solution, so please remember to to act as a steward of the planet and whenever possible minimize your impact. It is clearly well into the time where we should give the planet every consideration as we forge our own way.

Mary and I are heading to Chile to kick off our 2012 competitive season with another go at the Trans Andes Challenge. We are excited to get back into racing and into another adventure down south in the South American summer! Our past experiences of racing the Trans Andes as a duo pro team have been deep learning experiences on many levels.

Off road stage racing really has a way of asking a lot from the body and mind and can bringing you well over the limit if you are not careful. Stage racing in general has brought on experiences that have helped us become better riders, racers and even better people. This season we are looking towards the Trans Andes as another great challenge as well as a fantastic opportunity to get in a type of training depth that is more in line with the upper end of what we ask of our bodies. We are headed south this year with hopes for another fantastic race experience, to train up for the next phase of cross country-specific racing and most of all for the unmatchable adventure.

Chile, here we come!

Mike and Mary

From New England to Northern California

Published:

December 13, 2011, 17:02,

Updated:

December 13, 2011, 17:10

By:

Cycling News

Winter training in Sonoma

Seven months have passed since our last pass through California, but happily much seems the same. Spending time in my home state has brought a familiar rhythm to our typical nomadic travels. Here the winter bared trees cast long shadows that pass quickly to silhouettes before slipping into long cold nights. The short days seem to require more discipline to fit in all the essentials, although on the up side, darkness at 5:00 makes for a better excuse to get in lots of sleep.

Mike and I have enjoyed the past few months to pull back from our specific bike training and just be able to focus on having fun with our workouts. Not needing to "taper" for critical weekend competitions has allowed us to delve into other activities with that much more energy. Now we can take the time to surf when the waves come up, paddle board until we really need to stop, or hike and run around with out worrying about tiring out the biking legs.

We have found taking part in alternative activities/sports to be an important component in our yearly cycle of maintaining health and fitness. For sure, many of the challenges presented by other sports can translate to being better in some aspect of bike racing. Keeping up with the trail running will no doubt lend an edge when it comes to the inevitable off the bike muddy scramble up in cross country racing. When practicing yoga, I think about the way the moves and breath can enhance all the sports that I love.

A progressive strength and conditioning program is a consistent element of our seasonal training. Our programs (Mike's and mine) are different and diverse but we both try to focus the majority of our time on core strength and balance training. Working constantly around our mobile lifestyle has presented unique challenges but we have found ways to address almost everything we should be addressing with as few tools as a yoga mat and some random furniture. Keeping it simple guarantees, we always have a method on hand to get in what we need even when living in a tiny RV or spending days on end in the confines of airport travel.

Our arrival to California in mid-November was timed pretty close to the Singlespeed Cyclo-cross World Championships held in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. We were immediately glad we had been staying active as the weekend's festivities proved quite demanding physically as well as socially. Although we went into it all with a casual attitude, once the gun goes off - racing, as you might know, is racing!

Single cog racing is a lot of fun, even with the mud piling up, the bikes remained quiet and efficient - a testament to the simplicity of the single chainring (as well as to Mike's diligence in carefully setting our bikes up on the eve of the event). Adding the logistics of prepping bikes for competition when moving to a new place is never easy, but at this point has become sort of a specialty. Huge Thanks to many great friends who have once again opened their doors and made us feel at home. :-)

Some of my family came out to cheer and I laugh to think of the memories my four-year-old niece must have of the eye popping - costumed up, bikinis, skirts, wonder woman clad boys, furry beasts, skeletons, all racing bikes around in a freezing rain. Clearly a proud moment of mentoring for Mike and me! Huge props to the the SSCXWC staff who put on a unique and fun event and to all the people who made the effort to come out and take part as well as spectate! We were happy to be a part of another celebration of the bike.

Mike and I are glad to finally get settled out here in California - although by settled I mean tucked into our West Coast based vehicle and sports equipment stash. We are currently focusing on making the most of the boundless training opportunities, steep hills and big ocean that surround us out here in an effort to come up with the best fitness we can for a the race season that lies ahead.

We are still formulating our yearly schedule, but it looks like our primary early season focus will be the World Cups. Both Mike and I have been nominated to the US Olympic Long team, meaning that we have the honor of being one of nine women and eight men who have the opportunity to fill the final selection for the four (two men's and two women's) US Olympic spots. The first four World Cups of 2012 will be used as the qualifying races to fill the Olympic roster, so we will aim to arrive to those competitions with with some special form.

We continue to be impressed by the extensive tracts of quiet riding redwood duff trails out here in northern California. This progression and continued improvement outlines the work that key members of the off road cycling community have been doing to enhance the sport for us all. Apart from obvious topographical features The reason that stand out riding locations exist across the globe is because there are dedicated people who have invested their time into trail building. Thank you! Your efforts have not gone unnoticed! Another reminder to give props to your local trail builder or better yet find out what you can do to join in and lend a hand.

Up here in Sonoma County, the riding we like to do is more remote, steep and tricky to find. It helps to have a keen eye for phantom trailheads and good standing with the locals if you want to get into the goods here. Happily, once you get some semblance of the place, you can ride big trails/loops all week and when you get around to tapping into the same selection again, you can often still see your own lines from last week's ride.

Sonoma County works especially well for our winter training as there is so much diversity in routes and levels, we are able to customize each outing to suit our training needs. This is a year-round destination where the terrain and camaraderie have a good chance of coming together to offer the highest level of cycling experience. We are really enjoying getting reacquainted.

Hope you are all staying healthy and able to make time for a ride with a friend sometime soon!

All the best,
Mary and Mike