Every August, Trek Bicycle Co. hosts a huge dealer event in Madison, Wisconsin to unveil their new lines of bikes and accessories.  This year, because attendance from our region was somewhat low, our territory rep Barrett Ladd hosted his own version of Trek World at his home near Wind Gap, PA.  A great concept, if only the weather gods would cooperate.

Rain arrived way ahead of schedule.  As I went to pick up Marc, Route 22 was flooded and traffic was miserably slow.  After a late start, we finally got underway, motoring through a heavy downpour and thick fog.  After a long, tense drive we arrived at Barrett’s home, a cool farmstead in rural Pennsylvania, a dozen miles north of Easton.  The rain was coming down hard, but nonetheless a crowd of about 20 shop employees had gathered to see the new gear.

Barrett had laid out a nice, 3/4 mile mountain bike loop through the woods behind his house.  We geared up and set up our bikes.  I chose a 29″ wheel Fisher Superfly 100, which was pretty awesome in many ways.  It accelerated quickly, and the suspension was plush but responsive.  However, the bike was set up with the worst choice of tires for anything other than pavement, some low-profile ultralight tires that hopefully will not be stock equipment.  I plowed through the mossy, wet rock garden pretty well, but as soon as I tried to make a sharp turn, the rear wheel shot out from under me, and I slammed down onto some sharp rocks, bashing my left hip (the same one that I have been rehabilitating for a month).  Ouch.  Adrenaline is a good thing - I didn’t hurt as much as I should have.

I got back on and rode a couple more laps on the Superfly, then switched bikes.  Next up was a Trek Fuel EX 9.9, a carbon wonder.  The tires were a bit more suitable for the muddy track, and I hammered a couple of laps without any problems.  I’m still a 26″ wheel guy, although the 29″ Fisher was impressive on these trails without any steep climbs.  I also had a little fun with the Fisher X-Caliber, which was probably the most efficient and best-handling bike of the bunch. And I did a short spin on the Rumblefish, which didn’t really give it a good test, but it felt solid and fun.
Later, when I got home, I checked my wounds.  My hip has a nice black hematoma over the greater trochanter.  After a long drive back to North Plainfield, I was stiff and sore and limping.  Hopefully the damage is minor, and I’ll be back in action without any interruption.  After a long, hot shower and a glass of wine, a little bit of stretching and some Advil, I feel half human.

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Greetings!  It has been a long while since I last posted, and though there haven’t been any big athletic endeavors to report on, I’ve been busy constantly.  The weeks have passed quickly since our return from Leadville, and suddenly it’s mid-autumn and getting colder.

As I get older, I have tried to be more disciplined with my training and more careful with my choices, but occasionally I ignore my own coaching advice.  When I do, it always comes back around to bite me in the ass.  After a whole summer of not running at all (except the Firecracker 4-mile, where I was on PR pace until my hamstrings seized up - foreshadowing!), I started running long runs with Jennifer and Stefanie to help them prepare for the LBI 18-miler and the Philadelphia Marathon.  Without that solid base of run training, I managed to hurt myself pretty quickly.  My shorter left leg has always been problematic, but by being careful I have managed to avoid serious problems.  This time, however, I put myself out of commission for about 3 weeks with a hip injury.

After consulting with my buddy Mike at the Sneaker Factory, I added a shim to my left shoe, and instantly things got better.  Immediately, I took Winston for a pain-free 3-mile walk, and then met Stef for an easy 4-mile run.  Things went well, so bit by bit I’ve been getting back out there and doing some miles, plus riding my bike to and from work.  I had left my Tarmac at Jay’s in Westfield, so I decided to run the 7.8 miles there to pick it up.  I settled into a moderate pace, not too fast but not dawdling, and started clicking off 7:45 miles.  After almost a month of no real effort, I didn’t feel very smooth, but it was great to get moving again.  My fitness has already abated somewhat, but I’m hopeful that I can build it back up quickly while remaining injury free.

Last night Jenn and I went to see the premiere of Race Across the Sky, the new documentary about the Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race.  It was an amazing film, and when it becomes available on DVD, you should definitely see it.  It will get you fired up.  I would have been reluctant to do the race again, but seeing the film got me thinking about a return trip to Colorado in the future.

Back in September, a large group of Specialized employees, dealers, sponsored riders, and friends rode from their Morgan Hill CA headquarters to Las Vegas to support the Susan Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.  Cycling photographer Velodramatic followed along to chronicle the ride with his amazing images, like the one above.  Check out his site and read his journal.  It must have been an amazing experience.  Patty Woodworth from Action Wheels called me up the morning after their arrival to tell me about it.  She was still so tired she couldn’t make herself get out of bed.  Wish I could have been there.

Alright, off to do yard work before the rain arrives.  Yes, it’s the weekend, so it must be raining.  Damp chilly winds are blowing from the northeast, so there’s little doubt we’re going to get wet.

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