Mountain Bike Crash

For those in the mood for a good gory allegory, this is for you.

 In August of this year, after Road and Velodrome nationals, I went up mountain biking at Snow Summit Resort. It has a lift that takes you up to the top all day long and you get to ride down all of the mountain's different trails. I've been going there for 3 years and have loved every moment, even if I did occasionally crash. 

Anyways, it was a normal weekend and I was going down the same runs I always go down, when suddenly OOPS, my right hand slips off the handlebar! The bike skids out of control, rocketing down the hill with no back brake, and BAM, I superman into a bunch of sticks and woodchips. I stagger up and look down at my body. "ARRGGHH" I scream! My right thigh is a bloody mess, an avulsion full of debris and splinters. It looks like lasagna fresh out of the oven. I can't even feel pain because I'm in so much shock. Luckily, there's a group of riders behind me that come to my aid (it is a well travelled trail). One of them have a small medic kit and he tells me to sit down; I do and they call mountain patrol to take me down the mountain. While we we wait for the mountain patrol to arrive, they cover the wound with a thin cloth. The patrol eventually comes with a truck and they have me sit in it. We bump and roll down the mountain with my moans of pain in the background.

 Finally we reach the bottom and my mom drives me to the closet Emergency Room. After we make it to the hospital, I have to wait about 30 minutes for pain killers because there is so much paperwork to be filled out and approved. The nurse tells me to calm down on several occasions because I am freaking out from pain. Then, finally I am allowed painkillers and once I am injected, I immediately feel my eyes become heavy from the relief of the pain. I feel like a cloud wafting off to slumberland.

 They then fully put me to sleep and operate on the wound. After I wake up, I learn that they had surgically removed a medium size stick that had penetrated and broken off in my quad muscle. 

Wow, what an injury! I had to take about a month and half off the bike and struggled with walking for a while. I had to sit around a lot, and all I could think of was riding my bike, or doing anything other sitting around all day like a couch potato. I really came to appreciate what I have during that long road to recovery. 

My first ride back was amazing and I was so glad to be back on the bike. I definitely learned to appreciate my well being and realized that bad things can happen in a blink of an eye, yet can affect you for a long time.

I am really thankful for my parents helping me through this troubling time in my life. My dad literally gave me a shoulder to lean on. 

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Jules

OTC

Before I get started I would like to wish everyone Happy Holidays.  After a some what
successful season, I got the opportunity to go to the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista
CA. I have been there before in years past to race BMX, but not for the reason's I was there
this time. I was there for National ID Camp.  I was one of 27 people to get invited and I can
tell you it was a great experience.  Over the five days I was there I got to meet new people,
and meet up with a few of my friends, such as Eric Oien, Nathan Rico, Christian Husband,
as well as my Teammates Nick and Jason.
     
My Dad drove Nick and I down to the OTC, upon arrival we signed in and got our rooms. Some of the guys had to put their bikes together, after everyone had settled in we were to meet up and go for our first ride.  Later that night we had classes as we did every night ranging from tactics, nutrition, usada etc.  Eric's brother Justin Oien showed up to talk to us as he had just gotten back from racing at the JR Worlds.
    
But what we were really there for was to be tested on our fitness and abilities.  Billy,
Barney, Michael had several tests to find out our power to weight ratios and such.  We had
a team race where we were teamed up with other riders to test our racing skills.  That was
some of the hardest racing I did all year, as everyone was trying their hardest to show the
staff that we had what it took to be the best.  These guys are good they are some of the best riders in the country.

Not having ever been to a camp like this I knew it would be hard and boy was it. When all was said and done I had a better idea of what it takes to try to become the best rider one can become.  I had a great time, and feel very grateful to be one of the lucky ones to have been invited. 
    
In closing I would like to say Thank You to Billy, Barney, Michael and the rest of the staff
for everything they did for us. I feel very thankful for being invited to the camp it was a learning experience something I will remember the rest of life.

                                         Till next time
                                                               SEAN


 
    

Basics of a Cyclocross Race

A cyclocross race is probably one of the most intense hours anyone will ever experience. From the wall to wall sprint to get the holeshot at the start to the bike changes to the last lap effort. The sport is extremely physically and mentally challenging. Before the start of the race the officials herd the riders into the start grid. Soon after the whistle is blown and the flood gates are opened; the sea of riders fly toward the first corner, jostling for positions that could decide the race. After the race slows down to a pace slower than a sprint the groups are spread out. In wet conditions the riders have begun to start switching bikes out so that the bike they are on is performing at its best. These bike changes require the rider to ride into the pit and drop one bike then taking another. The exchange requires two bikes that are set up similarly and a strong pitcrew. After the rider has taken the clean bike, the mechanics will work to get the original bike back into racing condition in three to four minutes (when the rider comes back through the pit a half lap later.) In many races, tactics, though not used as much as it in road racing, are a very important aspect a of the race. Typically most of the winning moves of the race take place the last few laps. This is also the time in which the riders are the most exhausted. It takes both the riders' mental and physical preparation to prevail.  Thanks to Team Specialized, the NCCF and all of my other sponsors for the support and encouragement this past year.

Time Management

You might find it ironic that the guy writing about time management is the same guy who's blog post is two weeks overdue. Believe it or not, usually my time management is pretty good. But as you all know, its a hard thing to do. Throughout our lives trying to balance everything can sometimes be an impossible task. Us cyclist have many hours of training every week. We've also got our family, friends, wives, girlfriends, school, and jobs. All of which are very important. I hear it from my friends all the time that school should always be the most important thing on the list, and a lot of the time I tend to disagree. I don't disagree that school is extremely important but I think that in some cases our priorities may change. An example of this is, maybe its around VOS, San Dimas, Sea Otter, or another big race you would like to do well at, should you study an extra hour on that math test or should you take an extra hour on the bike? That's all up to you. But I believe that our priorities change to the occasion and sometimes you need to put back something else to strive in another. If you think of it as an equilateral triangle (where all angles are 60°'s) and you have your social, physical, and emotional health all equally balanced. This would be the perfect example of someone who is giving the same amount of time to each activity, making them 60°'s or balanced. But the life of a cyclist can usually be something more of a 45°, 45°, 90°. I don't know if this is just me, but a minimum of 15 hours a week on the bike doesn't leave a ton of free time. I'm not saying this is a bad thing at all, I love what I do and that's the reason I ride after school, and I wake up early on the weekends and ride. My point is that as cyclist with busy lives we have been taught to manage ourselves accordingly.

Sorry for being so overdue,
Grant McElroy