NORBA 24hr Nationals - Eatough in lead

Chris Eatough, 6 time 24hr Solo World Mountain Bike Champion is leading the NORBA Nationals. I raced in this race last year and placed 6th (it was also my first ever 24hr race). Eatough dropped out from hyponatremia. This year he's hammering on the field so far. Nat Ross is 35 minutes behind him and he's lapped 3rd place (!!) Mark Hendershot. Their Team Trek Manager is giving live audio updates every couple of laps on this site (ridewithNickMartin.com). Damn I wish I was there competing against these guys! But alas I have to split my time and energy between the two mistresses I love so much - Adventure racing and 24hr solo mtn bike racing.

* update: Eatough is the 2006 24hr Solo NORBA National Championshion. He's amazing! Also adventure racer extraordinaire Rebecca Rusch won the woman's division - way to go Rebecca!

1. Chris Eatough
2. Nat Ross
3. Mark Hendershot

Interesting to not that Cameron Chambers, last years National Champion was 15th this year.
Check the full results here. Here is an interesting report from Sloane Anderson - sounds like the weather kind of messed the placement and results up a bit... that is a bummer.

Floyd, say it ain't so

Did Floyd Cheat?!

On a side note another interesting article for fellow geeks on Caffeine and performance. After Primal Quest I quit caffeine again. My energy was low from the race and the lack of caffeine was like a knockout punch to nap-ville (never got any headaches though). It's been over two weeks and I'm now back to normal and don't really miss it - other than the ritual of the morning cup of joe. I think I'll stick with the occasional morning cup of green tea instead.. but during races all rules are gone - I'll pop no-doze like tick tacks and wash 'em down with Red Bull if that's what it takes.

Duncan just sent me these photos (thanks D):

Primal Quest - Krissy, me and Duncan enjoying the after party (no Krissy is not stoned!)

This one is from the 24hr NORBA Regional Championship. Krissy, me and Matthew Noel walking back to our pit from the finish line.

nice run on no sleep

PCT on no sleep? Yeah what was I thinking..? I wasn't - my body said to do it.

Well I'm back, I mean fully back.

We LOVE nuun!

Monday had a great 56 mile road ride after yoga and a 2hr paddle. On the road ride I just felt good again, it's been too long. I was charging up hills, doing speed bursts and everything. I started to think it was the Hammer Gel, because I usually use Perpetuem. So many factors go into how you feel on a training session it's hard to say really, but one thing is for sure I'm no longer the tired dud I was after Primal Quest.

Yesterday I met some teammates,

Let's face it, Glenn Rogers if BUFF!

Glenn, Fleming and Aaron Rinn at NWOC for a 2:15 paddle. From there I did a 100 mile road ride and it felt great in this amazing Seattle weather. I get home from 8+ hours of training and eventually lay down to sleep at 1am, but I can't sleep. I had energy all the sudden.. didn't know what to do - so I ate - and I ate a lot. Then tried again to sleep until about 4am when I called it quits, got up and got on email. I had planned a run on the Pacific Crest Trail for tomorrow - but on no sleep? after a big day? Sounded stupid but at 5:30am this morning I got in the car and headed East to Snoqualmie Pass on no one minute of sleep. I have had the PCT on my brain for a number of reasons:

1. I recently watch a documentary called "The Runner" about David Horton's attempt to set speed record on the PCT. He did it in 66 days, setting the record for covering the trail from Mexico to Canada. Krissy was one of his support people and ran with him during the record attempt.
2. Krissy fast packing the Colorado Trail made me think.. "I need an epic like that, and not in a race". We discussed some options, one of which involves the PCT.
3. Stamstad had asked me to join him on a 30 miler heading North on the PCT from Snoqualmie to Park Lakes. After seeing this photo of John on the trail last year, I immediately regretted not joining him.

So around 6:30am this morning having not slept or recovered from a big day I headed out on this beautiful trail. I headed South to Mirror Lake from Snoqualmie for a 5,200 foot climb, 17 mile out and back. The wild flowers on the trail won me over right off the bat (damn I need to replace the digital camera that got stolen from my luggage!). It was all me, didn't see a soul for the first two hours. There is just something about being out there that I love, just you and the trail.

So go.. get out there and do a trail run - right now! I'm taking a nap.

still NOT there

Well for weeks after Primal Quest I was tired all the time. Last week I welcomed back my saddle sores and got after it a bit.
Tues: rode 61 miles
Wed: rode 101 miles
Thurs: rode 10 miles, 1hr run
Fri: rode 56miles, 2hr paddle, weights

I’m excited to train again, which is nice. However I have some nagging little injuries I am trying to let heal (ball of left foot and my right knee, yes the bad one). I even turned down a 30 mile run on the PCT with Stamstad. So I took today completely off and did… nothing. It’s not as easy as it sounds for me. Thoughts creep into my head that I’m not working hard enough, that I need to be out training, etc. So I spent some time writing my weekly goals down – the one I’m most excited about is getting “at least 3 yoga classes this week”, the one I’m least excited about (because I’ve had such a hard time with it) is “following my proper training diet”.

I’ll have this week to train hard then I’ll have to taper next week for my next race – Raid the North 36 hour adventure race in Kamloops, BC. The Raid the North races are the premier adventure races in Canada - rugged, hardcore, real navigation and real tough. Last year this race was in Nelson, BC. We won it after being bluff charged by a grizzly bear, and narrowly avoiding being crushed by a 500 lbs boulder. The Squamish Cheif wrote an article on how we "demolished" last years race. It was an epic battle and an awesome win for DART-nuun.

My girlfriend Krissy Moehl is a couple of days away from starting her epic journey of fast-packing the 478 miles of the Colorado Trail in 15 days (avg 31.4miles/day). Joining her is Andrew Skurka, who last year hiked the 7,778 miles across North America from the Eastern most point to the Western most point. Needless to say she’s in good company.

What can you say about Floyd Landis, the 2006 Tour De France winner (other than he looks like Kid Rock)? If you didn’t follow the tour you missed an unbelievable performance. What he did on Stage 17 was simply amazing.