Bike Monkey Fish Rock 2019

by zenturtle, posted in Racing

Some rides have you coming back for more, usually the hardest ones.I still don't know if it's a sense of revenge, need for punishment or simply redemption.Those are also the rides that have their own character and yet every time provide you with a different experience.Fish Rock is a "Gravelly Road Race in Mendocino County", … Continue reading Bike Monkey Fish Rock 2019

2018 Old Growth Classic report

by zenturtle, posted in Racing

The times when you'd show up to an event, race what you brought, pack and leave seem to be gone forever, as we see more all day or even multi day event that include food, music and socializing around the main event.I had the pleasure to participate to the Mendo Hopper a few weeks prior, … Continue reading 2018 Old Growth Classic report

Evolutionary Racing: beyond the reptilian brain

by zenturtle, posted in Mental Skills, Racing

Our passion for Sports (and I’m not referring to the type consumed from the couch, in our living room) and Competition is exquisitely primal. Direct competition, adrenaline rush, tension and relief before and after a race, all emulate the environment our brains evolved into, over several million years. From a Darwinian perspective, sports may be … Continue reading Evolutionary Racing: beyond the reptilian brain

Be Kind whenever possible. It is always possible.

by zenturtle, posted in Ramblings

I’m climbing my local hill during lunch break and the road is blocked, as the work crew is clearing out a slide. I ask the “STOP sign guy” how long is it going to be? Another man next to him is staring at me: he’s the driver of red pickup truck who passed me a … Continue reading Be Kind whenever possible. It is always possible.

First Monday of the Year (really second…)

by zenturtle, posted in Ramblings

It’s the first working Monday of the year (TheMonday™) and we’re all feeling in a funk. Most of us had a good or decent break from work and now is time to get back up to speed. And it’s hard. Is it going to be another year of doing what we have been doing last … Continue reading First Monday of the Year (really second…)

Cycling Lessons

by zenturtle, posted in Mental Skills

I remember reading in my teen years about how becoming a master in one discipline would make you a master in everything: the idea was that there is just one mountain to climb, and we all climb it from different sides, via different paths. No one path is the same, but eventually most of us … Continue reading Cycling Lessons

Motivation Monday thoughts

by zenturtle, posted in Mental Skills, Training

If you are the competitive type, getting motivated for a race is not that difficult: on most race days you will push yourself and leave everything you got on the track. Motivation during competition is actually the easy part, there are intrinsic and extrinsic factors that come into play: there are spectators, teammates and your … Continue reading Motivation Monday thoughts