Vaporize Me

It's a July morning before work and I have a long list of things to do with Free Wheel Coffee this coming week. Busy, busy, busy. As I sip some coffee, my thoughts begin to drift to what is next on the list of things to do here at "Everything Kris." Of course, there is the trip from D.C. to Pittsburgh in 2 weeks, the Xterra World Championship, and of course if I get in, the Vapor Trail.

I want to do the Vapor Trail in a bad way. Since the Breck 100, I have found myself all too often questioning just how much further I could have pushed it. My boss at Anvil has some experience riding the trails used in the race and he seems confident I can pull it off. I envision this race which has so many variables in the mix. Lightning, a 10:00 PM start, 20,000 feet of climbing, and really getting "out there." Kind of romantic in my sick and twisted personal outlook. I can do it. I know I can. Only challenge is getting accepted at the moment. So call this little blog my personal campaign to get into the Vapor Trail.

Top ten reasons why I should be chosen.

1. I ride consistently and can hammer out a lot of miles. My training right now is around 200-275 miles of riding a week with a mix of road and mtn. (More mountain these days)

2. I am 26 years old and modestly fit. Finished the Breck 100 this year and made it into the Xterra World Championship in Maui.

3. Van Dessel Cycles would really like to see me in the mix.

4. I have the perfect bike and it is a proven rig for this kind of event. A Van Dessel Jersey Devil FS. It's a good climbing bike yet it is comfortable enough to hammer out miles. Lots of them.

5. I know when to push it but I also know when to back off to avoid getting hurt. I have raced lots of miles on my bike and motorcycle and have a pretty solid record of safety.

6. Support from friends and family. Working in the bike industry, I have made some good friends. A lot of them support this venture as well as plan to pit this event.

7. Climbing is my strength. 20,000 feet of climbing equates to lots of opportunity to roll hard.

8. A good attitude. I am out to have fun and enjoy the world from two wheels.

9. My resume of racing. http://adventureresume.blogspot.com/ Check it out. A modest list of results to prove my mettle for the event.

10. I can provide some sponsorship perks through my business. (Free Wheel Coffee Company)

So that's my list for now. I hope the folks at Absolute Bikes see this and say "Let's give this kid a shot." More updates to come through the weeks on this adventure. As it stands, I plan to start training either way and hope for the best. From the folks at Anvil Bike Works to the crew at Treads Bicycle Outfitters, they support my venture 100% and I hope to carry through.

Pick me!!!!

A refreshing morning by any stretch of the imagination. I awoke this morning with a renewed vigor from the quintessential tearing down and buildup process that my body went through this past weekend from the Breck 100. It was a fun race that went well.

So long story short, life is going well and I am turning and burning through life in more ways than one. From racing bikes to actually spending time with my folks, life is good. I snapped this picture at Anvil recently while working on the manual mill. So nice to be gaining technical knowledge in machining and frame building. I am finally growing to understand the finer details of hand built quality bikes. But enough about my technical rantings, the reason I am posting so early this morning is because I just submitted my resume to Dirt Rag Magazine for a Content Editor Position. Web development was at one time a career task and later a hobby with growing Free Wheel Coffee. Now, I might have the chance to work with a great group of people and put all the new techniques with Wordpress into play that I have learned over the past six months. So if you're by some chance a hiring manager at Dirt Rag and you are reading these words, pick me!

Outside of sipping a great cup of coffee this morning, I am planning to get back on the stationary bike as well as throw in some swim laps later this evening after work. The Van Dessel 29er is going to get a full rebuild at work this week since it is all sorts of nasty from the Breck 100. I have an invite to race the Vapor Trail in September and if I plan to do it, I need to be very proactive with keeping it in top shape.

So off to work, to life, and to the adventure which is my life. :)

Alcohol and 29er Love

I am two Sole Cervezas into this evening. Been a while since I knocked back a few in this manner, especially since the Breckenridge 100 is less than 2 weeks away. The biggest challenge of my life and I am somewhat buzzed. Irony at it's finest.

I raced the Firecracker 50 this past weekend. It was a good race and I thoroughly enjoyed the terrain until I wrecked and ripped my of chamois off. No bueno considering I had 20 miles to go. Long story short, I had a DNF. I feel okay with this for a few reasons.

1. Beaten and bruised back at the start line, I ran into Josh Holloway from Lost.

2. Ran into a racer that was sponsored by Broadnet.

3. My bike didn't break. I think Vandy more or less is ready to roll for Breck once the race wheel arrives this coming week. (As for the rider, that remains for speculation)

4. I was pretty damn far ahead by the time I quit. I mean I passed hundreds of people on the way back.

5. I think I will always stick with Pearl Izumi shorts. Found this out now, not later during the Breck 100.

So that's how I look at it for now. Next year I am going to race the Firecracker 50 and finish the race strong. Overall, I loved the course. It was fast and no long suffer fests. Just great singletrack and easy climbs.

So that's all for now.

Blood, sweat, sunburns, and a declaration

It's the waining hours of the fourth of July and I am laying in bed in pain. Today I was bested by the Firecracker 50 in Breckenridge Colorado. The Firecracker has always been one of those races that I anticipated racing but never had the chance to try in the corporate world. Coming off the Crested Butte Fat Tire 40, I was somewhat tender to say the least. My body was coming back together and chance are that I could have pulled it off but a series of problems arose today which changed things for the worst. They are as follows.

1. I ripped my Van Dessel shorts. When I say ripped, I mean half my ass was hanging out. This resulted in a chamois that did not fit correctly and a very unique sunburn later that day. If I could have just managed to sit on my seat comfortably, things would have turned out differently.

2. My bike did not feel comfortable. My hands went numb and my right foot went numb as well.

3. The concept of distance. Doing a second loop was a killer. I need to break that mental barrier and quickly considering the Breck 100 is like 2 weeks away. The irony was that this event was only 50 miles.

4. My lower back flat out hurts. I am not sure if it was from sleeping funny the night before or simply not fitting the bike correctly but it is in significant pain.

So for that reason, I lay in bed tonight listening to Mexicans shoot off their fireworks and hide when the cops roll by here in Westminster. I failed but I learned a lot today about myself and the high altitude trails of Breckenridge. We will do battle again.