This year's Marin Camp is done and I'm already looking forward to next year.  The weather played a big role and forced some schedule changes, but the staff and the Retreat handled it all wonderfully.  Thanks to all of the supporters of Marin Camp:

Quarq Technology - makers of the world's best bicycle power meters

Cyfac bicycles - top-end custom bicycles for the discerning rider

Studio Velo - purveyors of top-end bicycles and equipment right here in Mill Valley

Easton  - Suppliers of some of cycling's best wheels and components, based in nearby Santa Cruz

Clif Bar - keeping us fueled and hydrated on those long days out, from nearby Berkeley

Strava - Bay Area-based, Strava provided  ride analysis and rider comparisons through GPS data of our rides

Corsa Concepts - a new, Portland-based company providing top-end wheelsets to racers and to:

LifeCycle Adventures - offering self-guided and scheduled bike tours in California and Oregon, as well as supporting local bike advocacy organizations and events in each region, LifeCycle Adventures supplied spare bikes and our support van

Marin Camp 2012 is already well into the planning stages and I'm excited to make even more improvements for the future.  If you would like to reserve your place, email me at camp@aeolusendurance.com and let me know.

Today we took the decision to ride what we normally do on the final day - the Marshall Loop - in the hope of avoiding the cold soaking forecast for Saturday.  We mostly managed that, and ended up having a great day out.   More than 6 hours after leaving the retreat, the last riders filed in to a meal of chicken pad thai and rice.

Here are some photos:

Pre-ride briefing

Marshall Wall

Bovine Bakery stop

Jen and Anne tear it up on Hwy 1

Great photos of days 1 and 2:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/61045911@N08/sets/72157626217167605/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/61045911@N08/sets/72157626218892679/

Thanks to Jeb Stewart of Endurofit.

Day 2!  We lucked out with the weather on Sprint Day and actually got some nice work done in the Marin Headlands before heading around Paradise Loop for some bonus mileage. 

Here are some photos from the day:

Sprints!

Cooling down between sprints

Custom bike with demo wheels from Easton

Golden Gate bridge

It snuck up on me, but Marin Camp started with the biggest group ever!  After breakfast, we distributed some goodies from Camp supporters before Jeb gave a fantastic presentation on mental skills training and goal setting.

A total of 16 riders left to ride today, including two coaches, two representatives from Strava and one nice fellow from Quarq Technology who will spend the week riding with us.  We had a nice spin out Panoramic where we did 5 minute power tests.  Afterwards, we climbed up to Rock Spring before descending Ridgecrest down the spine of Mt. Tamalpais to Fairfax-Bolinas Rd.  The latter was covered with debris and rock slides from the area's recent storms and we found the gate at the bottom had been closed.  Stephan had to drive the van all the way back around to Stinson Beach while we all hopped the barrier and continued.  We did our 1-minute power tests on the flat leading to town then kept a nice tempo all the way back to the Retreat. 

Once we were home we were treated to a fantastic lunch before massages and a yoga class.

Here are some photos:

I've spent the last five days in Colorado Springs at the US Olympic Training Center.  I come here every few years to the bi-annual USAC Coaching Summit, but this time the mission was different.  I'm eligible to take my exam for Level 1 Certification, which requires specific coursework - the very coursework offered this week.  So, soon I will take my exam and, hopefully, move up to the top level of coaching certification in the US.

Perhaps more interestingly, AES athlete Chris Peariso and his wife have been spending a little time on one of my favorite little islands: Guam.  They were lucky enough to race the annual Tour de Guahan yesterday and both finished on the podium.  Read all about it right here:

http://team-adventure212.blogspot.com/2011/02/tour-de-guahan.html

I've just finished another beautiful day of cross country skiing near Mt Hood.  It's incredibly scenic up there, but it's a long way from the clear waters and sandy beaches of Guam and Saipan.  I must admit - I miss the islands.

Mt. Hood on December 21, 2010

Micronesia is a special place.  The remoteness of location makes it less of a tourist draw and allows the beauty of the local culture to thrive.  I think about Guam, and what keeps coming back to me is how the people I met were among the most welcoming and generous I had ever seen.  I'm still amazed by how we were treated and with what genuine interest everyone took in our journey.  Everyone wanted to make us feel like we were always part of the family.  Leaving bordered on painful.

As for the cycling, it was excellent.  In hindsight, the slippery roads were not so bad, and I would rather risk those than the icy ones we currently have here.  The terrain was stunning and the drivers generally courteous and friendly.  One guy passed us twice, each time flashing a shaka.  On every ride bar one it rained a bit, sometimes heavily, but it didn't seem to matter very much.  It is so warm that the rain almost comes as a relief.  The local riders seem to like it, actually.  I'll take warm rain over the cold stuff we have here any day.

Now that some time has passed, I have had a chance to think about the race and all that surrounded it.  I didn't finish as well as I had hoped, but there are lots of things in races one can't control and I'm happy with how it turned out.  I was able to show up in top condition.   I made some incredible friends and met some awesome people.  I had amazing support from my wife Stacey and friends Monessa, Karly, and Rosie.  Invaluable material support came from Russell Cree, my good friend Joseph, and from Easton Cycling.  Without any of these folks, things would have been very different.

As we settle into what looks to be yet another deep freeze here, I find myself dreaming of the Islands and the warm rain.  I'm even thinking about Guam's premier cycling event in February.  Who's coming with me?

The official website of the Hell of the Marianas has published a story on the race.  The description of the race is not exactly how it went down, but it is still an entertaining read:

http://www.hell-of-the-marianas.com/index.php?page=results&lang=$lang

Here is some Russian TV coverage of the Hell of the Marianas.  Naturally, it's in Russian, but they put in some nice race coverage:

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=182809688401362&oid=136937806337603

I'll embed the video if it becomes available.

Here are a few more photos from the week and the events surrounding the race:

Riding with Joseph on the southern end of Guam

Sharing a feast we grilled ourselves - from left, Chris, Stacey, Joseph, and myself

On the plane to Saipan

Approaching Saipan

Driving out to course recce on Friday

Heading towards Suicide Cliff

Derek, myself and Joseph at Banzai Cliff

Derek and Chris fooling around

When mashed is simply not enough...

What a day.  Between the 90 degree sun, rain showers, international field, and slick descents, the HOM was bound to be interesting.  The race started bright (well, dark, actually) and early at 6.15am and the attacks began almost immediately.  Chris and I sat in and tried to save energy as we knew the first climb and the 1km gravel section afterwards would prove decisive.  Indeed they did with the field exploding behind an acceleration from one of the Russians.  A group of 9 got away, with myself just getting tailed off over the top of the climb (something that always seems to happen to me at the most inopportune time) into the gravel.  The field behind had shattered with Chris and one of the South Koreans about one minute behind me and the rest in small groups after them.

I felt as if I stood a chance of catching the group ahead, and so I pressed on, up the climb of Kagman and then down to Kingfisher and back up again.  By this time I was right in the middle - the break was 2 mins ahead and Chris, who was now on his own, was 2 mins behind.   I lost a couple more minutes to the break on the flat, headwind section that followed.  I thought about waiting for Chris, but I had been steadily picking off riders who had been dropped from the break. 

By the time I hit the climb of Radar Tower, I was 6th place on the road and I had closed the gap to the break back down to 2 mins.  So, I rode as fast as I could, getting a water hand-up from the car, towards Suicide Cliff.  I was feeling good on the climb, but on a short descent from Bird Cove there was a problem - I could feel my rear tire losing air.  I had just seen Stacey and Peter, so I knew the car and spare wheels were nearby, but I couldn't reach them.  The tire went flat right at the intersection with the road to the Grotto, where a policeman happened to be standing.  I asked him if he would drive up the climb and tell Peter that I was here with a puncture and, in the friendly way that is so much a part of Island life, he actually did!  Peter was there 2 mins later and as Chris passed, soft-pedaling, handed me a wheel.  It was 10 speed and didn't quite work with my 11 speed shifters, but it was better than sitting in the car.

Chris and I wasted no time catching the Korean who had by now passed us and was headed down the flat beach road to the finish.  With about 6km to go, he began to cramp so we jumped him and cruised in for 6th and 7th places.  Since we finished side-by-side, I'm not sure who got what, but I am sure the results will be posted soon.

This was one hard race.  The heat and climbing conspire to make it tough.  The icy-slick descents meant that there was little rest there, and being caught in no-man's land for 50km didn't help.  I ended up burning nearly 3000 calories with a Normalized Power of 300W over more than 3 hours.  I didn't reach my goal of a top 5 finish, but I wasn't far off.  Of the guys who finished ahead, two are professionals and one is nearly there, so I think it was a good result. 

I'll post some photos as soon as I have them.  

Okay, now I have them.  Here they are:

Waiting for the start in the open-air lobby

Getting a handup from my lovely wife!

Chris solo