The perfect night-riding outfit

courtesy of Chico Racing

Pics from AZ

Here are a few snapshots taken during our recent trip down to visit my parents in Arizona.  These were taken during our hike up to Vulture Peak; which is near Wickenburg, AZ.

The possi after completing the trek up to Vulture Peak 

Vulture Peak in the distance

Seeing a deer running through the cacti' just seemed weird 

Quote of the week

"To be a cyclist is to be a student of pain....at cycling's core lies pain, hard and bitter as the pit inside a juicy peach. It doesn't matter if you're sprinting for an Olympic medal, a town sign, a trailhead, or the rest stop with the homemade brownies. If you never confront pain, you're missing the essence of the sport. Without pain, there's no adversity. Without adversity, no challenge. Without challenge, no improvement. No improvement, no sense of accomplishment and no deep-down joy. Might as well be playing Tiddly-Winks."


by Scott Martin

TRX Lunge with Bosu and Medicine Ball

One of the coolest new pieces of exercise equipment that I've been using for training is the TRX Suspension Trainer.  If you haven't already seen it, I've put some videos on YouTube.  Here's one of the leg exercises that I do.    This video was taken while Jenny and I were down in Arizona visiting my folks.

2 Quotes of the week

In the absense of last week's "quote of the week", you get two quotes this week.  Think of it as my holiday gift to you.  Happy New Year all!

"Pain is a big fat creature riding on your back. The farther you pedal, the heavier he feels. The harder you push, the tighter he squeezes your chest. The steeper the climb, the deeper he digs his jagged, sharp claws into your muscles."

- Scott Martin


"What makes a great endurance athlete is the ability to absorb potenial embarrassment, and to suffer without complaint. I was discovering that if it was a matter of gritting my teeth, not caring how it looked, and outlasting everybody else, I won. It didn't seem to matter what sport it was--in a straight-ahead, long-distant race, I could beat anybody. If it was a suffer-fest, I was good at it."

- Lance Armstrong

Quote of the week

"We don't stop exercising because we grow old.  We grow old becasue we stop exercising"
by Dr. Kenneth Cooper

Quote of the week

This is a quote from Johan Bruyneel, Lance Armstrong's Team Radio Schack's Director.

"Strength and weakness live together, inside each of us, and we are fools if we do not see both when we look at someone else". 

This quote is in reference to the 2001 Tour de France when Lance was faking his weakness during one of the first mountain stages.  Bluff when you are weak - and when you are strong.  Lance faked his suffering so that Jan Ulrich's team would drive the peloton through most of the stage and hills before finally reaching the final climb (the infamous Alpe d'Huez).  While Ulrich and his team began to fatigue, Lance bolted form the back of the lead group and straight past all the leaders, including Ulrich and the race leader who was nearly 7 minutes ahead up the mountain.  It is one if the most famous "bluff" moves in cycling and one that will not be able to be repeated again.  With the masterful mind of Bruyneel and the brute strength of Armstrong, it worked to perfection and launched Lance in to an even larger margin of over his nearest competitors. 

If you would like to read more about the mastermind behind the winningest Tour Director, read "We Might as Well Win" .

Images from Cross Nationals

Tim Johnson's sweet ride

J-Pow fightin' thru the mud

Trebon laughing at the hurdles

J-Pow hammering up the only steep section on the course

Compton on her way to yet "another" Victory

Compton riding strong through the mud puddle with Gould close behind (well 30 sec)

Gould doing everything she could to try and catch Katie Compton

Quote of the week

Another answer to the question "Why I ride".  All of the quotes I list in one way or another have been a similar experience for me, and I;m sure you too.

"Because it's hard.  When I think back on my most memorable rides, they are 80 and 100-mile singletrack forays into the backcountry.  They have monster climbs, explore new territory, and sometimes end with heavy, cold mountain rain.  But I survived.  I dug deep, and stayed on my bike and thrived".

This was a quote form Jenn Dice who lives in Colorado.

Quote of the week

This is a quote from Swiss mountain bike racer Thomas Frischnecht on why he rides a bike.

"I ride because that's how and whre I organize my complete life.  I solve my problems on my bike.  I live on my bike".

I can defiintely relate to this quote.  Every time I head out for a ride on my bike (road or mountain) I seem to cmoe up with new ideas or solutions to an earlier problem.  I can't explain why, but maybe it's due to the fact that my mind is most at ease while riding and it can focus much easier. 
Have you had a similar experience?