These days, a bowl of cereal could be considered "epic."

The word "epic" was reborn in the language bro-brah just a few years ago. A word once used to describe things that would last for a very long time, or the great journey or quest of a lifetime. Upon the rebirth of the word, it's definition has rapidly degraded from, say, the best day or storm of the year ("We just skied Tuck's in 3 feet of blower pow,") to anything that may be, but probably isn't, worth of a Facebook status, ("I just had some epic coffee!") Yuppies ruin everything....

A couple of months ago I was invited to the "5th Annual Oneonta Epic Mountain Bike Ride," by my friend Sam who recently moved to California. I had been invited previous years, but never made it. I am not a big fan of group rides, as they are typically slow, disorganized, and generally more frustrating than enjoyable. The stats from previous years were impressive, and I knew a few other riders going to the event, all of who were strong riders, so I figured I'd give group rides another try. Also, Sam had planned his vacation to NY to coincide with this ride, so it must be a good time!

I decided to split up the 3 hours drive a bit, and visit my good friend Allan in Albany area on Saturday on my way to Oneonta. We decided to go the AIR (Albany Indoor Rock climbing center.) I had been there a few years ago, and enjoyed it, but I wasn't much of a climber at the time. In the past few years I have been climbing more, and working out a bunch, in Rutland's Green Mountain Rock Climbing Center. AIR's walls are short, and have very few routes that actually need a rope. The gym had a few 5.8's and 9's, two 5.11's and a 5.13. When I flashed the 5.11a near the entrance, the employee's were amazed. I began to realize that this was more of a rock climbing family fun center than a rock gym. Before leaving the gym, I usually get in a good burn out with various body weight exercise. The looks I received while doing push ups pull ups, sit ups, etc, confirmed it was not a "gym."

The drive to Oneonta on Sunday was, well, wet. I got to town over an hour early, and I couldn't find any decent looking restaurants open, so Dunkin Dounuts it was, "America Runs on Dunkin." GPS brought me to Wilbur Park...not the right part. I sat in my truck, eating processed non-nutritive egg like product. The rain continued and it was about 40*. I had driven 3 hours, and had not seen a trace of another rider. Thankfully a few more people used GPS to find the park as well and pulled in at about 8:45, as I was putting on my bike shoes and stocking my pack. Well, at least I'll have SOMEONE to ride with. A minute later Sam came by on his extremely bright new Specialized. Que local knowledge. We pedaled to the other side of the park, where the pavilion was overflowing with ambitious riders, still 40 and raining, misery loves company, right? The ride was split into an A, B, and C group with the standard "A and B groups will be FAST paced, slackers will be dropped," speech. The goal was 40 miles, lots of climbing, and be done in about 6 hours. The "A" group started with 14 riders, three who dropped on the first climb, we hadn't even made it into the trails yet!

We had a diverse group with everything from aggressive trail bikes to a steel rigid single speed with drop bars, full lyrca kits to no-brand baggies. Regardless of style, bike, or age, once we were in the trails, one thing was obvious, these guys were real riders. The rain didn't matter anymore, vibes were awesome, and everyone was smiling. A few mechanicals, and flats split our group up, but all involved were locals, and regrouped a few miles later. It's always fun to ride with the people who built, and maintain the trails your riding. The Oneonta crew created a trail system that flowed well, with a great mix of fast and technical sections and features, with a great variety of old school root and rock and new school bench-cut, with berms and jumps.

With the continuous rain, it didn't take long for gloves and shoes....errrrr....everything to be completely soaked. Staying moving kept my core warm, but my toes were pretty chilly. The rain turned to snow. It was actually a welcomed change, because at least snow flakes kinda bounce off rather than waterlog you farther. The snow started dumping! Between the mud from my tires, the tires of the rider in front of me, and the snow, I could barely see without squinting my eyes. When snow began to accumulate, I was wondering if I should have brought my fat bike! The leaves, mud, and abundant moisture kept all the rocks, roots, and bridges extremely slick. It isn't often I get a chance to ride with high-caliber riders outside of races, so descending amongst rippers on new trails, in these conditions, was keeping me on my toes. We came across a feed table in what seemed like a random field. After a short break, the breeze began to cut through my wet base layers, and I was happy to get riding before a chill set in any farther.

We cycled (double meaning there) back through the park. There were some snacks and coffee in the pavilion. That coffee really hit the spot! I had packed dry socks and gloves, and took the opportunity to change them. I have a few pairs of riding gloves that are exactly the same, unfortunately the "pair" I got, was EXACTLY the same...two left gloves. Putting wet gloves on was depressing when I even thought ahead enough to pack a dry pair. After lunch our group began to disperse more than before. Other commitments, exhaustion, desire to ride in the rain, and more flat tires eventually left five riders. Sam's proposed route was designed to crush us, and it did a good job. The last 10 miles had just as much climbing as the first 30. The last climb split the last five into three and two. I rode back into the park with Seth and Jud. 39.5 miles. Seth, who had done an awesome job of keeping everyone moving all day, was not about to stop short of 40. With a short section of flat single track in the park, we hit 40 miles. "Yeah, this is our best 1/4 mile of trail," Seth claimed. "It's pretty awesome, I'm gunna write about it in my blog," I replied. I am not a liar.

The after party was hosted by local rider Todd, in his beautiful home a bit outside of Oneonta. Cold beer, tasty food, warm home, great people, and riding stories. I would've liked to have stayed longer, but the drive home took priority. I can't think of better way to end a ride that earned the name "Epic."

Thank you to everyone who made this event happen. Extra thanks to Sam Brown-Shaklee for the invite, Seth for keeping the "A" group moving and motivated, and Todd for a great after party. I hope to see you all next year, or hopefully sooner.

Getting Close...rewrite.

Before I start...well, I did start. I wrote this post already. I spent 2 hours writing the most awesome spring catch-up and pre Tour Divide blog post that I could imagine, and somehow between user error and internet connection issues, it is not lost somewhere in cyberspace...just not on my blog. OK, enough bitching, round two is never the same as first draft, but I'll try.

Living in Vermont has been awesome for training for Tour Divide. I can get on my bike, right out my back door, ride a short trail through the woods, and connect to endless dirt roads, snowmobile trails, logging roads, hiking trails, and singletrack, with minimal pavement and traffic. Throughout the past winter the VAST trails made for incredible safe winter riding options (aside from the occasional gun-toting-lead-for-brains, who clearly doesn't support winter training.) As the snow melted out I was able to add Killington and Pico back onto the repertoire as steep, long climbs with a good variety of terrain to ride.

Chasing race series' and point has never really been my thing, so not racing much is nothing new, but I did hope to race a bit more this spring. Trying to rack up high mileage, it hasn't seemed worth it to drive several hours to pay to race for just 20-30 miles. That said, I have made the trip to a few events this year. Returning to the slightly overrated yet still fun SingleSpeed-A-Palooza in Montgomery, NY, I did not do as well as I was hoping (19/110? in Pro/Open.) I'll use the excuses of a poor start position and light gearing choice, but the reality is that I haven't been focusing on hammering for less that 2 hours, I've been focused on riding at a quick yet sustainable pace for 6+ hours. I also made it to Hike-A-Bike at Lippman Park in Wawarsing, NY. HAB is hyped as a technical 20+ mile race, with mandatory hike/jump/run features strung along the course, similar to cyclocross features. What began as an uber laid-back race atmosphere proved to be simply disorganized. The race had a 8 and 20+ mile courses with shared start and finishes, and apparently not enough to differentiate who was racing what course, as nobody seemed to be scored in the right class. Awards did not make any mention of what race, or what place they were for. Details aside, the race went well. With a le-mans (running) start, I was first to my bike, first into the woods, and never saw anyone for the rest of the race, often forgetting to ride at race pace. 

I've continued to struggle getting the real high mileage I'd like to be getting in, but with working full time, planning, packing, and general life needs (cooking, food shopping, etc) I've been managing to get about 150-200 miles a week in on primarily off road terrain. I've been logging some super big climbs and weekend ride in about every other weekend. My legs are feeling strong, my bike is feeling dialed, and my shred factor is peaking. Just 3 weeks out from race depart, and even less until my flight, if I'm not ready now, I never will be. At this point it's not a matter of making big changes, just dialing in a few last minute details. I am feeling confident for departure, with navigation being my biggest concern. I am hoping my triple redundant system of GPS with pre-loaded .gpx files, official ACA (Adventure Cycling Association adventurecycling.org) maps, and cyclo computer and custom cues, will keep me on route. With any luck the deep snowpack will dissipate up north, the hail and thunder storms will calm down central, and the wildfires will burn out in the south. Hopefully these last minute route update emails dont keep coming in.

Throughout the long road of planning, I have had a lot of amazing help.

I never would have been able to afford the awesome bike I'll be riding without the help of Jason Hayden from Killington Resort. Dale Plant at Kona was also a great help.
killington.com
konaworld.com

It is easy to obsess about which tires you'll run use, or which color bar tape you want. After 6 hours in the saddle you probably wont care much about those things, but your bike shorts will be a big part of your thought process, especially if they aren't the right ones. Only bring one pair of riding shorts for 3 weeks and 3000 miles, I couldn't be happier to be wearing Verge Primo Bibs. I'll be able to think less about my ass and more about pedaling. Thanks for the kit, my official sponsor Verge Sport. Thanks to Phil Fragale, for connecting me with Verge and being my go-to guy for staying looking and feeling good.
vergesport.com
v-gear.com

I'll be rocking some uber-comfy merino wool socks from Swiftwick, thanks to Eddie Rosenberg.
swiftwick.com

Since I began taking racing seriously Steve and Sam from Revolution Bicycles in Saugerties, NY have helped me out with riding endeavours near and far.
revolutionbicycles.webs.com

Just opening up this spring, JT Look from Rutland City Bikes has been a huge help in pulling together some last minute bike needs. JT brought Rutland what it has needed for a long time, a quailty bike shop with a big smile and rider-run attitude.
rutlandcitybikes.com

I may only be 21, but my body takes a beating. Mike Finnegan, a long time sled dog, and Physical Therapist at Slate Valley PT has been extremely helpful in keeping me moving over the past few years and during TD prep. Thanks Mike!
slatevalleypt.com

As always, my amazing parents have been incredibly supportive and helpful. I love you guys!

Last and far from least, the entire Thompson family. My friendship with Chris began through patrolling. In August I began working for Chris and his company Ace Arborist. It has been hands down the best job I've ever had. My best friend is my boss, and not only does he give me the flexibility to take the time for TD, but he encourages it. November 19th, 2013, the scariest day of my life, probably changed our friendship forever. A work related incident put Chris in the hospital for several weeks to follow. Chris always told me he was invincible, and now I believe it. Making an incredible recovery, skiing just two months later and returning to tree work just a few months after, Chris is living proof that mental will power and physical strength combine can overcome just about anything.  Whenever I start bitching about anything, he is the only person that will tell me what I actually need to here "SUCK IT UP AND GO RIDE."

While I knew his wife and kids before, I didn't know them that well. I got to know Kelly and the rest of the family through interaction in the ICU at Dartmouth. Spending a lot of time with their three amazing children changed my life and perhaps helped mature my ultimate life plans. At least a few times a week Kelly gives me awesome, healthy, warm meals.

Chris, I look forward to future skiing and mountaineering adventures together, and Kelly, it's not that he doesn't care, he just forgot to tell you, I'll try to keep you in the loop on where we are going....don't call the rangers! Thank you all for your support and friendship, it means more than I can express in words.