One of the things I like best about winter is the chance to do a variety of activities -- it keeps you healthy and sane.
With all the snow we've had, cross-country skiing has been one of my top choices.
We also take the time just to run around and play, which is great for kids and great for us, too. In the midst of all our training, it's good to remember to have fun.

Since the chaos of racing has not set in yet, now is a good time to mention our sponsors.  It is easy to forget how much these companies are doing for us....it amounts to a big hand-out to a pile of strangers who claim they can ride bikes.  On top of this, the bike industry is not exactly made of money.  If it is, I must be missing something, because I have yet to make my fortune.

First and foremost, PAValleys.com is our mothership connection.  These guys saw the press we were getting for visitPA.com and took the initiative to reach out to us.  You guys are the bomb.  For anyone considering a visit to the Valleys region, do yourself a favor and check out their site or better yet, stop in at the visitor's center.  You may even run into my mother in law, who volunteers there.

Cannondale has been with us for years.  They create sweet bikes.  Outside sales rep Bryon Kremer has been our faithful liaison to the company and is, by the way, and fine racer himself.  We are so psyched to see the new Flash 29ers.  I understand that it is relatively easy to get these little love machines into the sub-18 lb range, which is pretty exceptional in case you didn't know.

Pactimo has been our clothing supplier for some time as well.  This year, they were nice enough to step it up and give us an upgrade to the Summit line, which is nice, comfy stuff.  If you are part of a team and need custom clothing, Pactimo is the way to go.  They are fast, high quality, and reasonably priced.  Beth, our contact at Pactimo, did a great job of walking us through the design and order process.  I can't wait to see the new kits.

Bell bike helmets just came through with our new lids.  They are beautiful.  My brain means a lot to me, so thank you Bell Sports.

Finally, a big thanks to Raw Indulgence.  Their RAW REV bars are freeking delicious.  These guys take the cake for generousity to our team, sight unseen.  Thanks for the fuel, fellas.

Well, hope to see everyone at the Humdinger.  I'm told that the snow we're getting is part of what makes the event so special; special meaning really hard; really hard in a fun way.

 My trip to Florida with Rob for the 12 Hours of Santos was all about numbers from the time we left.  We started off counting the hours till the time we got there to make sure that we would have enough daylight hours to get setup and go for a pre-ride lap on Friday night, the day before the race.  6 hours of driving Friday night, 7 hours of sleep, and another 9 hours of driving on Saturday had us at the venue with just the right amount of time to get out for that ride and straighten things out in the pit/camping area.  The next morning we had to organize the pit area so we could make the fastest possible transitions since we did not have a pit crew with us which came back to haunt us later.  When the race went off at 10:00 a.m. we both had a half decent running start and as soon as we came through the start/finish area after lap 1 found out we were in the top 3 riding with the local boy, Chris Janiszewski.  After 4 hours or so the pace wasn't slowing down and my body wasn't used to the warm temperatures, so I was forced to slow it down and let Rob and Chris go.  After another lap or two I caught back up to Rob and we were both riding a more sustainable pace once again.  Then not too long after that Evan Plews came storming by both of us.  I had no intentions of redlining it, but Rob gave him a minute head start and began chasing him.  He rode with Evan for a lap before settling back into his pace.  In the mean time when Rob and Evan were riding together they had both passed Chris at what I would imagine to be an alarming rate, which had to have broken his spirits as I saw Chris changing out of his kit in the pit area when I rode by about 6 hours in.  I was beginning to feel a lot better after settling into a slower pace and was waiting for the night so I could turn it up a few notches.  By the first night lap Rob was only a short distance ahead so he waited a little so we could ride together.  We rode at a pretty casual pace and checked the results board after coming in on that lap to find out we were a lap up on 4th place.  This was a big relief so we continued to take it easy for the next 3 laps and clocked out at 9:10 p.m.  The deadline to go out for the final lap was 9:30 p.m. so we knew we had 2nd and 3rd in the bag as we rolled across the line together.  After the race we walked back to the pit are and started eating everything in sight that we hadn't touched during the race and lounged around feeling good about our first race of the season.  20 minutes later, some rider came through the pit area pretty quickly and stopped to ask us if we had a bottle since he forgot to grab one.  So I grabbed this guy a bottle and off he went on his final lap.   Rob had thought that we had just lost 2nd and 3rd place, but I assured him that it would be impossible if he was a lap down.  An hour later we went back up to the awards ceremony and checked out the final results to find out that we had not only lost a spot, but we wound up pitting for the guy who beat us.  I guess we should stick to bike racing and not elementary math.  Oh well, all in all it was a great way to start the season, plus we got to go out and ride for 3.5 hours on Sunday without hitting any of the trails we rode on during the race.  

This should help sharpen up our math.

Yesteday Nancy and I did a road ride from our house with our friend Janel.  Janel races for a different team, but that's OK - we can still be friends.  It was as nice a day as you could hope for in mid-February: sunny, 40 degrees, and not much wind.  We headed out towards Hummelstown and rode along Swatara Creek for a bit, than towards Fort Indiantown Gap, and back to Linglestown.


After the ride we watched the hockey on the Winter Olympics and ate homeade ice cream.  Fun.

 I finally just got done packing up my gear for this upcoming weekend.  Tomorrow night Rob and I are headed to Ocala, FL to compete the 12 Hours of Santos where we will both be giving it our best in the solo category.  Hopefully we will get to stand on the top two blocks on the podium Saturday night.  With all of the winter weather around here I am stoked to finally get to ride on dirt again in lieu of salt and ice covered roads.  As always I am just as nervous about the first race of the season as I am excited.  After spending all winter without any type of competition it is hard to gauge my racing fitness based on long but easy group rides and some hard efforts on the trainer.  Luckily Rob has done this race in the past and working with him during the race should provide an advantage over others who have not done this event before.  As for now I better start working on some rest since it will be a long couple of days ahead with work and traveling.  I'll be bringing back the good news on Tuesday when we return!


 

OK, here it is!

                   

If you've had the curtains drawn for the last week or so you may not know this, but it snowed, a bit.  What's that mean for this guy?  Skate skiing time. 

Skate skiing is like classical cross country skiing only faster and way more fun.  It looks something like this...if you're really good and headed to Vancouver next week:




For me, skate skiing is just as much fun as this looks and sounds only with a lot more falling over and gripping my poles in fear on the descents. 

Unfortunately, there aren't a ton of places to do this sort of thing in PA - you need enough snow and then you need to have that snow groomed - actually as far as I know, there are two.  If you want to try skate skiing in PA you can either head to Crystal Lake Ski Center, just north of the PA Valleys region in Hughesville, PA or truck out west to Laurel Ridge State Park area near Champion, PA.  If you're into endurance sports I highly recommend giving skate skiing a try.  Skating feels as different to the shuffling style of classic skiing as riding a cruiser on the boardwalk at Ocean City does to blasting down one of the hills in the 75 Miles of Mountour in full tuck on a Cannondale road rocket (granted, if you're efficient and refined in your technique you can fly on classic skis too, its just easier for most folks to get the sensation on skate skis). 

Make good use of all this snow and get out there and enjoy it!!

And, by the way, don't compain about the all shoveling; "functional" strength training is all the rage.  It doesn't get more functional than removing one thousand pounds of snow or so.  Count it as training then get out the skis!

While I definitely prefer to be outside for my training, this time of the year we are all forced indoors from time to time. As all of my teammates have blogged about their adventure outside and the great parts of the state they got to experience, this post will be decidedly different.
With Humdinger just three weeks away and no major snow melting in the forseeable future, there is one surefire way to prepare. The treadmill!!!!!!!!!!!! Some people shudder at the thought of running on a treadmill, I actually relish it. I am a numbers geek. I like to know what I am doing, how fast, how long, how steep etc... Some say this approach takes the fun out of the activity. Maybe it does, however when I am done I know EXACTLY what I accomplished. I know that I completed the effort and did not ease off, or go to hard.
Case in point is my Humdinger training. I can look at the profile of the course and set up a treadmill run that mimics the Humdinger. Hopefully that way, come March 6th, I will be more than ready to tackle the challenge.
In the spirit of sharing here is my Humdinger training run.

1 hr+ hill tempo. 50 minutes at 6:11 equivalent
15 min warm-up at 7:48 pace
20 min 6.5mph @ 8.5% 4 min 7:48
15 min 7.7 mph @ 5% 3 min 7:48
10 min 6.5 mph @ 8.5% 2 min 7:48
5 min 6:11

This way I can mimic course conditions. I may have to watch Gladiator or 300 to get through this one.

We all love riding our bikes, it’s true, but when there’s this much snow, I’m happy to hang up my bike and dig out my skis. I had never tried cross-country skiing until I met Mike years ago and headed out on borrowed skis to cruise along the towpath in Philadelphia. Thankfully, it’s easy to pick up and lots of fun whether you ski a lot or are trying it for the first time. I was glad that a few other friends had skis stashed in their garages, too, because we got a good group together to head out on Wednesday, while the snow was still falling fast.

 

We drove down to the trails along the Little Lehigh Parkway in Allentown. Part of the Allentown Park system, the Little Lehigh area has a well-kept gravel path that runs along the river on both sides, with several bridges connecting the two banks and giving visitors a number of different loop options. When we don’t have a couple feet of snow, it’s an area used for walking, running, cycling, fishing, disc golf, picnics, and events. 

 

  
This Wednesday, we pretty much had the place to ourselves. Christine, Ray, Beth, and I skied our way through the falling snow to the covered bridge, pausing at times to enjoy the views and snap photos. Ray’s dog Duke bounded alongside in doggy glee, celebrating his birthday. Since it was slow going breaking trail, we decided to turn around at the bridge and enjoy gliding along our tracks before they were covered again. It neat to see a familiar place transformed in the snow.
 

 

This morning we decided it had been too much fun and we needed to go back for more. Mike was able to come out today, and Beth, Ray, and Duke joined us. Yesterday’s tracks were faint marks in the snow, but we managed a much longer loop, crossing Klein’s Bridge this time. This time there were some other folks out enjoying the bright, sunny day in the snow, too. A small group walked with their dogs along the river, while a mother and her college-age daughter cross-country skied a loop in the opposite direction from us. We even saw some snow-shoe tracks. The skiing was so good that we stayed out longer than we’d planned. It was absolutely beautiful out, and a treat to be able to do something a little different.  

Hey Kids,

Beginning THIS WEEK, I will be posting a monthly blog entry which will consist of a few pictures of a location in the Mid-Atlantic trail system. If you are the first person to correctly name the location, you will be awarded with a FREE or discounted race entry to a Rivertown Race Series event (www.rivertownrace.com) or another awesome, useful prize! Posts will appear randomly at least once per month, so visit often! Rule for round 1 is that you are limited to 1 guess per day. Rules subject to change!  
Good luck!

After the weekend snowstorm, skiing was unavoidable.  The problem was that the snow in Harrisburg was a little too deep to have fun making tracks on XC skis.  So, we headed north to R.B. Winter State Park and hoped for snow, but a little less of it.  We got what we wanted.  Problem was, the snow there was a little shallow considering the rocky trails at the park.  The skis took a beating and the stakes were a little higher if you fell.  Nancy found out firsthand.



We still had a good time.  The sun was shining and it was a great day to be outside.



Our trip coincided with the Lewisburg Ice Festival.  Awesome ice sculptures lined Market Street.



Now just gotta watch the rest of the Super Bowl.  Later!

 Working for Cannondale I am fortunate enough to benefit from a very rewarding commuter incentive program that I have just started to take advantage of. I regret the fact that I did not ride to work very often in the summer as I am finding myself commuting by bike more and more this winter.  Today I rode in expecting the weather to be clear all day, but on the return home there was a fresh coating of snow on the roads and the white stuff was blowing headstrong into my face.  I almost went down once on an icy patch that was covered in snow (apparently slick road tires don't offer as much grip as a set of 2.3 29er tires) and was cautious the rest of the way home.  As I slowly rode back I gained a much greater appreciation for those who intentionally commute everyday regardless of the weather and for the more extreme types who have decided to go car-less.  As for me, I do not plan on going car-less anytime soon, but hats off to those who have.  

-Brandon

Ray and I spent another beautiful Sunday on the trails. This time we headed out to Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area for a trail run.

This is a nice little gem of wilderness located on Blue Mountain, just northeast of downtown Harrisburg. It was a sunny day, and believe it or not, NO WIND! It seems that windless days are far and few between this winter. As we began our run, we entered a clearing in the woods, allowing for full sun exposure. It felt awesome to just stand and bake in the sun, so much so that I could have stayed there for hours, but we continued on. Ray led the way incorporating a fair mix of steep climbs/descents with more gentle grades. About half-way through our run we took a moment to reflect by a beautiful pond.
 
We encountered a few other outdoor enthusiasts, one of which had a dog that nearly took Ray out! Lucky for Ray and his keen dog whisperer skills, he was able to put the ferocious beast into a temporary trance until we could safely pass. (Note to Vegan Rob:  The trance that Ray cast on the ferocious beast was completely harmless.) The second half of our run was mainly climbing back up the mountain and in a little over an hour we returned to the Red Rocket (my superfly ride) and headed home to a delicious sushi lunch . . . which was about all I could think of for the last 20 minutes of our run, thank you Sakana! Until later . . .