I am going to give you some great trails to ride on and if you have any more suggestions, please feel free to pipe up.

Water Dog Lake, Belmont, CA - This is my home trail. I've logged so many hours on this small stretch of land they should re-name it after me. The trail system cuts through the Belmont hills and features anything from killer single track to fire roads. Most of the trails are single track, which is the reason that this is such a great ride. Nothing super technical and can be fun for the beginning rider, but certainly won't be a yawner for the experienced. Even cooler is that behind the trail system is a downhill course that has been featured in a few films and has some "oh-my-god" stunt jumps and gnarly drop-offs. This track is on the hill just behind Carlmont High School. Overall a great course to suit just about anyone's needs.

Skeggs Point/El Corte De Madera Open Space Preserve (Woodside, Skylonda)~ This area has miles and miles of singletrack, double track, and fire roads. Want some kick-ass downhill between huge redwoods? You got it. Want some big hits with gorgeous views of the Pacific? No problem. In fact there is no way that you can come away from this place and not feel satisfied. There is something for everyone and there is no way that you can cover all the trails in one day, unless you are Mark Wier. Everyone who leaves this trail system has a smile on their face, unless you ate dirt on a high speed burm. There are free trail maps at most of the trailheads. Take one, and then ask someone where to go. Most will be more than happy to point you in the right direction. Manzanita, Fir, and Methuselah are good options, and if you want a lung-buster, try to see if you can climb Disney. Trust me, it's no playground.

Russian Ridge (Portola)~ Further to the South on Skyline, you'll find Russian Ridge OSP. This area has sweeping views of the ocean, and on a clear day, you can see all the way to the Sierra Nevada Mountains (most likely in the winter). This area features single track and double. Plan on seeing a variety of wildlife, including hawks, deer, foxes, bobcats, snakes, and more!

China Camp State Park (San Rafael) ~ This isn't a super technical trail system. If you like to go fast, don't go here either as it is a state park with a speed limit and lots of hikers. Please, always be courteous and give up the right of way! I would call this a beginner system with some fun factor. If you like to climb, you can go all the way to the top of the trails via the Bay View Trail and enjoy the views of the Bay Bridge, Golden Gate and all of San Francisco. Otherwise, you can have just as much fun staying lower and connecting to the Peacock Trail. Their are trail guides at the entrances to the trails and all are very well marked. You can't get lost, only tired.

Tamarancho/Boy Scouts (Fairfax)~ This is a Boy Scout Camp that has a thorough single track bike system. The Boy Scouts keep the trails in great shape and for their efforts require a annual or one-time usage fee. You can get the pass online at http://www.doubleknot.com/openrosters/ViewOrgPageLink.asp?LinkKey=4023. The entire camp is not uber-long, but features some great singletrack that is sure to please the advanced rider, and some great scenery for the spouse.

Hole in the Ground (Lake Tahoe)~ This leg-burner features just about anything you could ask for...as long as you asked for pain. This trail system is NOT for beginners. I consider myself an advanced rider, and there are still some sections that I cannot clear without putting a foot down. One of those is "Staircase." The description says it all. High elevation and granite cliffs provide some breathtaking scenery and the uphills will certainly take your breath. This has 90% singletrack with some double/fire roads and has super rocky sections and some great pine forests. Stop and have a snack on one of the huge granite boulders that overlook the mountain tops, or stop and ask a chipmunk for directions. It's all here.

Downieville (Downieville)~ What can you say about a trail system that nearly supports an entire town? Downieville is to mountain bikers, as Graceland is to Elvis impersonators. You have to go once in your life, just to say you've been there. It's in the middle of nowhere, to say the least, but features enough of a downtown nightlife to make this a week or weekend destination. There are also a series of mountain bike companies, including Yuba Expeditions and Downieville Outfitters, that can help with your ascent to the top if you don't like cranking pedals. Most of the trails that I have been on were intermediate to advanced, but check with the local outfitters to see if there are beginner friendly trails. There is a downhill specific trail, take Butcher Ranch to Third Divide and enjoy nearly 5000 ft in elevation drop. Or for the cross country enthusiast, Get up to Packer Saddle and enjoy the rock gardens of Pauley Creek before descending down through Second Divide. Look out for "Baby Heads".

I will post more as I go along. If you have a favorite trail that you would like to have posted, just drop a blurb and tell everyone about it. Thanks for reading.

So it's been a long racing season; the finale being the TransRockies event in the middle of August. If you would like more information regarding my experience in the Canadian Rockies, check out my blog at http://cyclelogical.wordpress.com.
So how do you continue after such an exhaustive season? Rest. And cross training. Find a sport or activity that keeps you fresh but doesn't require turning pedals. I enjoy soccer, baseball, football, any sport that has a lot of running, but keeps my mind off the fact that I'm running. I hate running, no wait, that isn't a strong enough word. I abhor running. Yet running increases leg strength, flexibility, and cardio, so it's essentially a must for the serious athlete. I've also started an aggressive core training program designed to help stabilize my stomach, back and lateral muscles. Have you ever been racing or riding hard and have your lower back hurt? It could be a poor bike setup or it could be that you haven't sufficiently strengthened your core muscles. Everything, no matter what sport or activity, starts with these most important muscles, and bike riding is no different. Your back and stomach muscles help stabilize you, keeping you in the saddle and creating strength running down your backside into your legs.
Finally, the most important thing is to relax and take it easy. Instead of riding, read some books that will increase your intelligence on riding. I've prescribed two books below that I feel no serious rider should go without.
I'm taking two months off to recharge the batteries and get my mind wrapped around the idea that I'm going to kick ass this coming year. It's exciting and I can only hope that these next two months will prove just as pivotal in getting stronger, as my base training sessions will be in the winter.

About 2+ years ago, I read an article in the National Geographic Explorer magazine that talked about MTB endurance events being the new rage. I was foolish enough to get interested in the article and determine that I was going to conquer all of the long distance events this world has to offer. Well, so far one down, a lot more to go...

Here's a list of some of the ultra-endurance mountain bike races occuring all around the world. The links for some of these events can be found a little lower on the page in the links Plexo.

La Ruta de los Conquistadores~ I started with this one because it was really the first in this genre of racing events. It started back in 1995 with a large group of friends retracing the steps of the Spanish Conquistadors as they hiked their way from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean. The bikers did the route in 3 days over volcanoes, through subtropical rain and dry forest. From there they pulled off the leaches and kissed the warm sand. Maybe a volleyball game? Doubt it, if you consider the 35,000 feet of vertical climbing.

TransAlps~ This was the second large race to become organized and starts in the Rhineland of Germany and finishes in the Swiss Alps of Northern Italy. A beautiful 7 day stage race that features a large amount of climbing and a lot of fire roads. This well-known race tends to sell out within the first couple of days after registration commences.

TransRockies~ This 7 day stage race is an offshoot of the TransAlps and crosses the Canadian Rocky Mountian Range. I completed this race this past August. You can see my blog on the subject at http://cyclelogical.wordpress.com. Maybe a little more info than you want. So here's the short version: You start in Panorama Mountian Resort and approximately 360 miles and 45,000 feet of climbing later, you end up in a delightful town called Fernie. In between is the most beautiful and desolate scenery you could ever imagine and more pain than you could ever ask for. The end.

Cape Epic~ This 9 day stage race goes on for close to 600 miles, and features approximately 52,000 feet of climbing. All the while you are hoping not to turn into a raisin in the South African heat or get eaten by a lion. I can't wait!!

*New- TransPortugal~ This is a 8 day, 600 mile stage race that crosses the entire country of Portugal from North to South. This race is unique in that there are no markers. The entire race is run by using GPS satellite navigation and hoping the batteries don't run out. I am not entirely familiar with this race as it has not been out very long. Hopefully they will work out the kinks before I race.

I will be adding more information as I get it. I plan on doing La Ruta de los Conquistadores in November of 2008, and of course will blog my entire expedition. Once again, if you would like a taste of what it takes, check out the website posted above for my take on the adventure races. Thanks for reading.