Good Training Week

Well the MTB race last week was a good measurement of how much work I have ahead of me to get competitive with these guys in regards to climbing. That was 25 miles of up the hill down the hill nothing technical in fact about 10 miles of it were road riding so I could have done without the FS on this ride. The trail was all fire road on the hill the big technical portion was maneuvering through the lose rock and gravel and maintaining your momentum up 22% grades. More than once I crested a hill only to look up and go "you gotta be kidding me!" Combined it was over 3300 feet of climbing in 25miles. The Koreans were passing me like I was standing still going up the hills on there Carbon Fiber hardtails cruising up like it was cool, however on the downhills....different story there. I would have to say they err on the side of caution going down, with good reason as someone was killed in last years event when they missed the turn. They were a little to cautious for me though, you had a fire road wide trail and your major concern was not hitting some really lose stuff and hopping from one side of the trail to the other on the turns other than that the benefits of FS definitely helped me make up ground. So for the rest of this week I have started lifting trying to develop some strength for the climbs and do some off season training while still getting in a ride or two during the course of the week. I seemed to have added a couple of inches to the waist line when I wasn't watching so need to get that back off and get the body fat back down to a acceptable percentage. Anyway here are some pre and post race pics still waiting for the website address from the event they had some good photo and sag support out at the event. Hope everyone is doing well back in the states and Keep the Rubber Side Down! Later.

Mountain Bike Racing in Korea

Well this oughta be interesting, I am in no way in competative race shape but how many people outside the pro ranks get to say the raced in a foriegn country? So I am heading out this weekend to a town called Jecheon to ride in a 45Km MTB Race with some other of my military MTB riding buddies. Should be pretty interesting I hear it is some pretty steep hills on the climbs, not technical but definitely a workout. Since I have been getting my butt handed to me on the hills out here this oughta be a experience. Life is good between work, college, and work I have managed to get in a ride or two when I can. Well it is late so I will keep it short, oh by the way I got a few pages of fame in the INSCOM Journal a article detailing the skills and exploits of my dazzling mountain biking skills! LOL but it is good reading. Anyway I will post more when I get back hopefully I keep the rubber side down and don't wear out Granny on the way up the Mountains!

Trail Riding at BUNDANG(Yep that really is the name of the trail)

This is the hoopty we will be traveling up to Osan in(amazing what $500 in Korea buys!)


Hello all, well today I went up to Seoul again and road with the group up there at Bundang Trail. Let me say there isn't a place in this country that is flat! Now having said that I would have to say(not to disparage any GA trails) but This is Mountain Biking We climbed for about a half hour on some technical single track before it even leveled out slightly and then the downhills, lets just say they would have gotten covered and rerouted if they were in GA as "Erosion" This was get off the back of the bike feather the brakes and smoke your forearms downhills. The ETSX was loving it and I was relearning skills I hadn't used since I was in Arizona, it was a blast. All told in 13.5 miles of riding we climbed and descended over 3500ft in each direction(according to the Garmin). Anyway after that we hung out tailgating in the parking lot of the park for a couple of hours telling stories cooking brauts and drinking beers it was a blast. Tomorrow I am heading up to Osan in the van with a few of the riders from Camp Humphreys and we are going to get in about 16miles of some up the hill and down the hill riding should be fun. I think the major replacement parts I am going to need will be brake pads at least initially until I get comfortable with the downhills again. I figured out a riding goal for this year while I am in Korea and that is to find the highest point that is rideable to and get to the top before I leave so I will have to work on that one because if I don't get it before November chances are I will have to wait until April or May to try it then. Anyway life is good hope everyone is well back there and if your out there on the bike-Keep the Rubber Side Down!