The Road to Hoodoo 300: Tackling Mt Pinos Amidst a Heat Wave

My latest training session on the path to Hoodoo 300 was a challenging solo ride from Santa Clarita, California to Mt Pinos, a summit located within Los Padres National Forest. The route served up a double whammy of high temperatures and high altitudes, helping to pinpoint key areas for further training focus. The weather during […]

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The Road to Hoodoo 300: Mojave Mastery and Lessons Learned

As I continue my journey towards the Hoodoo 300, my training is becoming more focused and intense. Recently, I embarked on an arduous 141-mile training ride (Kill Bill Church / It’s a G Thing ), which began in Santa Clarita and meandered through Bouquet Canyon and Godde Hill, finally extending to Lancaster and the end […]

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The Road to Hoodoo 300: Training with My Support Crew on the Santa Clarita to Stallion Springs Route

With the recent completion of the Eastern Sierra Double Century, my sights are now firmly set on the upcoming Hoodoo 300 Non-Stop Solo race in August. This race presents an additional layer of complexity as I will be relying heavily on my support crew for nutrition, hydration, and other needs—a dynamic I haven’t had to […]

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On the Road to Recovery, Again . . .

As previously reported, re-injured my Achilles’ tendon at the Eastern Sierra Double Century in early June, and I have, for the most part, been off the bike since then. It has been an opportunity to work on strengthening my core and upper body. I recently started ramping up my cycling again and will begin easing […]

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Hills for Brunch: The Day After the Mulholland Challenge

On Saturday, April 9th, I completed the Mulholland Challenge, which is Stage #1 of Planet Ultra’s “King of the Mountains Century Challenge.” However, I am not writing about that. Instead, I am writing about the next day, April 10th. Because the official results of the event have not yet been posted, I have decided to […]

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March Recap

March was a great month, all things considered: It was a month of recovery and progress. At the beginning of the month, I was struggling with recovery from Achilles tendonitis, although I was hopeful that I would be able to return to training. I was unable to ride in the Solvang Spring Double Century, on […]

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Return to Camp 9

From my living room window, I can see the radio towers at the top of Mt. Pinetos, where the Camp 9 Fire Suppression Camp is located. Mt. Pinetos sits on the southern edge of the Santa Clarita Valley, along the Bear Divide, and it is part of the San Gabriel Mountain Range. The mountain beckons […]

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Turning the Corner?

It’s time for another update regarding my progress in physical therapy. As mentioned in my last post, my recovery from Achilles tendonitis and knee pain has been frustrating. Sometimes it seemed I was taking two steps forward and one step back. Sometimes, I wondered if I would ever fully recover. So, when I say that […]

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Assessing the Damage, Picking Up the Pieces, and Making a Plan

Physical therapy is going well, but it has been a rough week. Along the way, I felt like I had taken two steps forward and one step back. On Presidents’ Day weekend, I was able to ride two days. On Saturday, February 19, I rode 87km (as previously reported), and on Monday, February 21, I […]

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Struggling to Stay Motivated

Following the Santa Barbara 100, I had planned a couple of weeks of low volume training, followed by the start of the first foundation training block for the 2022 season. Somewhere along the line, I became demotivated, and I did not feel like getting on the bike. In the process, I also lost a bit […]

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