The Nitty Gritty

It’s hard to believe that in a little over 4 months I will be toeing the line for the Arizona Trail Race, the kick off for the Bikepacking Triple Crown. If I am being honest I am nervous as hell.

750 miles of dirt, mountains, cactuses, and literally thousands of creepy crawlies will stand between my start in southern Arizona and the Utah border. I know mentally that I can take the suffering but I would be a fool to say I am fully prepared physically.

Training was not aided by the holiday season. It was great to see family and friends and eat copious amounts of food but I wasn't quite able to ride as much as I wanted to. I did however do lots of visualization for the race and the mental break that being with loved ones brings can only help my mental fortitude.

The snow is finally in place for me to start xc skiing for the year which has been a welcome change in pace from the hours on the trainer. I will be trying to ski a few times a week to keep training exciting! On a side note, hey XC skiing why do you make my legs hurt so much yet I am still going so slow...What gives! Any ways... what I am really excited for is what I am now calling MAXIMUM MONDAYS.

My work schedule for January has given me Mondays off for the whole month. This will allow me to huge training days like 100 mile snow/ gravel rides or 20+ mile hikes! I am very excited to get these going and  see where they take me. Next Monday I will be snowshoeing 20+ miles along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

Besides the training and mental conditioning I have begun a more serious look for sponsors for the race. This would include getting some more gear for the races as well as potential financial support! Which is wayyyyyy easier said than done. It’s hard asking for help but the worst thing that can happen is that they say no.

Anyways Thanks for following along and supporting me as I try to achieve this incredible goal!