Smitty's Blog (8)

Man 09 has not been my year! Sart it out with open heart surgery then finaly heal up from that and find out I have COPD, then on my first race of the season feeling strong and sitting in the top twenty I swing wide on a turn hit a hole, and super man myself too three fractured ribs WTF? Three weeks on the trainers still sore and I have a great race at Hillsboro little mud flat and I`m on it mid pack from the back row! Halloween feeling good warm up is great I love the course, first lap ad I`m… Continue

Not asthma it is COPD so going to have to try and find a new program so I can breathe when I race and quit sucking through a straw, althuogh the three fractured ribs from Alpenrose are not helping!

I have been working on the Course most every night last week switching up a few of the lines and just trying to shorten it up a little and try and make it a little more spectator friendly, I like short fast laps as opposed to long grinders that last for 12 minutes, the lond down hill will be there and dont worry the long climb will be there also!
Two weeks and its on a grudge race with the boys and girls from Seattle!

Went to the doctor and was given the go ahead to lay the hammer down and start racing, well at least start really training for racing now, I have been riding but have been retricting my heart rate so I have alot of ground to make up real fast! I hope to feel good enough to go and race out in Hood River on the weekend of the 19-20 but we will see no rush CrossCrusade does not start until 10/04, and I would like to be sorta fit for that! Time ta giver

Every body gettin fired up! man cross season is just around the corner! I have finally been able to really start riding my bike`s, so I I been alternating days with the MTB and the road bike and throwing in the cross bike just to keep it real, starting to get a little stronger but still seems to be going slower than I want it to I want last falls fitness today! I have also added some weight lifting this year something I have never done in the last five years just to mix it up.

So I have been over at the Rainier High School course looking at different lines and ways we can change it up a bit but keep the big climb, there is also a nice set of stairs about 40 in total that would be a nice addition, but might kill a guy! last years course was pretty cool and very fast maybe a few more tight turns?

Finally I can go outside and ride my bike! Today Jesse Lopez and I another Crossniac are planning on taking the Mountain bikes out, I`am to wear a heart rate monitor and not let it go over 175, and also try to keep it at a level 150-155 we will see not always easy on an MTB ride! In December I purchased a Cannondale F2 and and two days after receiving it I was in the hospital, so this will be its break in ride along with mine, and I`m sure Jesse will try to burry me but I just have to ride my… Continue

Well it has been 1 month since my open heart surgery, and I have been released by my cardiologist to go ahead and start my rehab on monday, this consists of me going to the hospital and wearing a heart monitor and working out for about 45min to an hour under the watchful eye of the doctor there, making sure that there is nothing unusual happening or that I do not have an episode! I have also set up my bike on the trainer and plan to ride it for about a half an hour getting my heart rate up to… Continue