We all really enjoyed the inaugural edition of Echo Red to Red race last year even though it was ridiculously cold and miserable. This time the race was a little later in the year and we had unseasonably warm conditions near 70 degrees and some new single track to tackle at the end of loop! The pace was blistering at the start with Ben Thompson setting the tempo. By the halfway point, he and Nathan Bannerman had started to slow and I was on them. I immediately went to the front to keep the pace fast and limit the frantic accelerations up each short climb. Before long, it was just two of us, and we stayed together ahead of the chasing Thompson and masters’ phenom Perry Roper. I knew time was running out before the road section back to the finish in town and there were two critical sections remaining. First we rode up a steep side hill trail up along a vineyard, and then across some higher rolling terrain on virtual cow trails. This section was fast and rough, but I had the ultimate weapon–the KHS Flagstaff would be perfect. I hammered the climbing section and dropped Bannerman by a hundred meters as we began the final rough single track. Never leaving the big dog, I dumped all my strength into my 40 tooth Rotor Q-Ring and steadily opened the gap letting those big wheels roll over the countless bumps assisted by the Manitou suspension in concert at both ends of my steed. By the time we reached the road, I had more than a minute advantage and it was time to roll in for my fifth win in a row to start the 2010 season.

This was race number two of the USA Cycling Ultra Endurance Calendar and again pHitpills was there to schlep me from the Little Rock airport out to Hot Springs, Arkansas for the race. It was another late night and the race was full on from the start. With a little longer road section I was able to move up quickly and managed to take the lead a couple laps in. However, it wasn’t an easy job staying at the front with Scott Henry battling back every time I was able to make a gap. With just over a lap to go we were still together but he dropped his chain and I dropped the hammer. Knowing that time was running out I twisted the throttle full gas and rode my fastest lap of the day for another win!

The following morning the organization promoted the Do-it-in-the-dirt duathlon at the same venue. I had a later flight so I broke out the running shoes for what was my first ever event of this type and one of the few running races I have ever contested. After the first leg of the run-bike-run format I was off the back by a few minutes. I leaped aboard my KHS 29er full suspension and laid down my fastest lap of the weekend! In doing so I was able to take the lead back by a couple minutes, too. Running scared I managed a two minute faster second time split and secured the victory again in near course record time!

Murray Wilmerding from www.pHitpills.com picked me up at the airport after a late flight into Orlando and a few missed turns we were finally at the motel around midnight. I was feeling a little stressed and therefore ravenously hungry so I visited the IHOP across the street and knocked down a Big Steak Omelet with all the extra veggies and even some fruit salad. I have no idea when I finally found sleep but we were up early for a short drive to the start. Of course it was true foolishness with a leman’s run of about a quarter mile on rough dirt road partly uphill followed by the same distance on the bike before entering seemingly endless single track.

I was way back after the start mayhem and didn’t reach the front until several laps and hours in. However, it didn’t take long to overhaul the early leaders and take the lead for good. I was able to maintain consistent laps until dark and even then I was only a few minutes behind my daylight pace. Soon, I had lapped the field and many of the front runners had quit anyway. At that point, I rested for a bit and crossed the finish line with my second victory of the season!

Anxious to regain my confidence and redeem myself I road consistently after the holidays and was able to travel to El Paso for the Puzzler in relatively decent condition. The course was some of the most challenging 50 miles I have ever encountered. Endless twisty single track trails through the desert littered with all manner of rocks and lined innumerable sharp and thorny plants. The race started well and I was able to ride at or near the front for the first 30 miles or so. We crested to mountain pass and began a long and brutally rocky descent where Travis Brown surged to the front and left me about 30 seconds behind. I fumbled with my heart rate monitor strap and lost more time before getting rid of it at the next feed zone. Gradually T succumbed to the distance and I was able to close the gap as we headed back over the ridge. I was able to master most of the switchbacks and headed down the other side with a comfortable margin that grew as we neared the finish. Lacerated by countless run-ins with the local flora and beaten down by the pummeling rocks I was glad to be done but also vindicated to win my first race of the new year!

I tried to get well and was actually feeling a little better in time to start the Masters 30-34 race on Saturday. I didn’t have a horrid start position and while I got swarmed a bit at the start I was able to methodically move into the top ten. While I expected the course to be typical of Bend—lame, it turned out to be quite challenging and fun albeit a little short and lacking any open power sections which are more to my advantage. Needing only a couple more laps to crack the top five I had to settle for 8th on the day.

Saturday night was stricken with a terrible fever. Staying with a friend, I became so cold that I couldn’t stand it. I got up in the wee hours and crawled into a hot bath that couldn’t touch the chill. I ended up passing out in the tub and only succeeded in waking up my gracious hosts. I literally stumbled back to bed hacking pink froth from my lungs. I piled every blanket and piece of clothing I could on top of myself only to pass out again. This time I awoke completely saturated in sweat but still chilled to the bone. This went on for most of the next three days until I summoned the strength to visit the urgent care and get some heavy duty antibiotics to combat the double pneumonia that had taken over my lungs.

Needless to say I wasn’t able to contest the Elite race on Sunday and thus concluded my season. It was the physical low ebb to what has been the most tumultuous year of my life and a disappointingly up and down ride! I stayed indoors the last couple weeks of the year and felt like a caged animal—ravenous to prove it all wrong but totally unable to do so… Thanks for all your support this year. Hopefully the new decade will bring hope and success to us all!

After the Hawaii Pro-Am MTB Stage Race folded and walked off with $2500 of my money and the Baja Epic was postponed due to the promoter’s unplanned medical emergency, my fall plans were pretty much shot. Oh, well, the northwest is a cyclocross hotbed these days so I supplemented my some epic mountain bike rides with a weekend cross race. It proved to be a great combination and I was able to win three of our smaller local races!

Unfortunately, the kidlets started bringing home bugs from their preschool friends and the wheels came off just before Thanksgiving just in time for me to have a dismal performance at our state championship race. I felt like I had kicked the crud but had a lingering cough for the next few weeks leading up to USGP races in Portland. As usual my start position was just about dead last and I did my best to pass as many of he slow pokes as possible for a mid pack finish the first day. The second day I hoped to start closer to the front but they forgot to call me up at all so I did get to start in last place. Makes me wonder why I even go. Anyway, my performance was less than stellar and I lapped out with a few to go.