One more el Tour picture...

Here are Chris and Carolyn Latham on the tandem at el Tour. They look good on that set of wheels!

El Tour de Tucson results and pictures:

It's been over a month ago, but 6 Red Rock Racers (that I know of) finished the 109 mile el Tour de Tuscon in November. (Sorry I couldn't find any pics of Guillermo or the Lathams)

Fastest RRRacer was Guillermo Cortes in 4:52:28. I never saw him! Nice time!

The tandem team of Chris Latham and Carolyn Maul-Latham was next at 5:37:44. It was good to see those two speeding along on a tandem!



Deb Martin-Wille had an awesome race, getting her Platinum time (under 6 hours) in 5:39:17. Deb found some fast guys and appently did most of the work pulling them along!



Sue Rawley came in at 6:30:36. That is exactly 5 hours longer than Sue's ideal (and typical) ride.





Mark Wille finished in 6:45:07.
Rumor has it that Mark had at least 2 flats along the way, maybe more?!

Sedona High School to the top of Mingus Mt.

Hello everyone or those of you who read the blogs. If anyone is interested in riding on Sunday during this winter I was thinking about starting a ride from Sedona High School. It would start at 9AM on Sunday. We would ride on 89A to Cottonwood, up to Jerome and then to the top of Mingus Mt. When passing through Cottonwood we can take Mingus Extension road to Old Jerome Hwy and a couple of side streets back to 89A. That way we will stay off of 89A through town. At the top of the mountain there is the state camp ground "Potato Patch." If anyone wanted to fill their bottles up can do so at the camp ground. The ride will be around 78 miles with over 5100 ft. of climbing with most of the climbing up Mingus Mt. If anyone wants to ride send me an email at jw15923@nahealth.com or jwakrunner@hotmail.com. I will be there this Sunday, 10/29. If I get a couple of people that show up on a regular basis then more people will know how to get through town without taking 89A. This will be a great training ride for everyone.

Steve "Coach" Ilg Scores his 4th Victory

Backdropped by colored aspens, our seemingly ageless RRR Team Yoga Teacher, Steve "Coach" Ilg scored his 4th victory of the season for Red Rock Racing as he ran and mountain biked to a new Course Record in last Saturday's "Gaspin In The Aspen" mountain duathlon at the Flagstaff Nordic Center. Ilg covered the 15-kilometer run/bike/run course in 58 minutes. Coach plans to re-sign with RRR for 2007!

NOTE:
RRR Team Members get discounts off each off Coach's acclaimed classes. Come and find out for yourself just how your Training can benefit from Coach's guidance! Many cyclists would do much better by reducing their on-bike training during the Off Season and rejuvenate, balance, and empower their bodies through High Performance Yoga® in preparation for the long In Season. photo - www.MyRacePics.com

September Kids Ride

From Chris Latham...

Parents,

I had scheduled this Sunday for the next kids ride but I am going to take advantage of the three day weekend and move this one to Monday in hopes of getting more participation. We will meet for this ride at the Ponderosa Trails Park Ramada at 9 AM on Monday the 4th. If your bike needs any work please come by 8:30 or so and I will help you with it.

To get to the park take the first possible right off Lake Mary Rd. and then teh first possible left at Wild West. The park is small but on your right about 2 blocks in. We will go from there to Fort Tuthill most of the kids will stay on urban trail and more advanced ones will do the Soldiers Trail loop and then return to the park. Most will be back be 10:30 or some (the advanced group) soon after.

I will have to bring waivers for everybody to sign so as to remove liability from ride leaders and the Red Rock Racing or Flagstaff Biking so please accompany the kids when you arrive. We will talk more when we meet. Thanks for your support and See you Monday!

Chris Latham
H 213-0120
M 520-237-8714

Whirled Championships of AZ

From Gary...

Whirled Championships of AZ

The 2006 Whirled Championships of AZ - 4 Stage Mountain Bike Race # What: Whirled Championships of Arizona - FREE and limited to 75 people but that is only if the USFS is counting.

This is a 4 stage and timed event that will bring out your epicrider developed expertise: including but not limited to reading, route finding, mountain bike skills, fitness, navigating trails, communicating with alien creatures (including but not limited to people, horses, dogs, lizards and snakes) Expect GC times to be 15-25 hours, a course with 70% (or more) single-track, 15,000+ feet of climbing/descending, and cool awards like these. Three classes: boy, girl and onespeeder.

# When: Sept 2, 3 and 4, 2006 (Labor day weekend); Pre-race meeting and stage 1 at 8:00AM on Saturday, Sept. 2nd. Expect stage 1 to be an approximately two hour "time-trial".

Stage 2 will also be held Saturday, Sept. 2nd, but later in the day at 5:00PM - bring your night-riding lights/gear. Stage 3 and 4 on Sunday and Monday (labor day).

# Where: Flagstaff, Arizona, USA, Earth; pre-race meeting and first stage on Sept. 2nd at 8:00am at Shultz Creek Trailhead. Stage 2 on Saturday, Sept. 2nd at 5:00PM also at Schultz Creek Trailhead (bring night-riding lights/gear). Stage 3 and 4 starts to be determined.

# Huh?: All stage maps, profiles and directions will be posted here by August 2006.

Get the Stage Maps here:
http://www.juniper-solutions.com/epicrider/Whirled/2006/maps.html

Pictures from Park City, UT and Sonoma, CA

Here are a few pictures that Scott Edwards and I took at the Park City NORBA National and the USA MTB National Championships in Sonoma, CA.


Click HERE for a whole bunch more!

Kristen Yoder

This post doesn’t have to do with cycling or racing as much as it does with the amazing people that we get to know along the way. The entire outdoors community encountered a terrible tragedy when we lost a brother and sister that, to those of us who knew them, were beautiful beyond compare.

Most of us have at one time or another had amazing people come into our lives and change us for the better. One of those amazing people in my life was Kristen Yoder, who was killed with her brother Dustin while climbing in Peru at the young age of 21. Dustin was 23 and had just graduated from NAU in December. Kristen was going to graduate in spring 2007. I didn’t know Dustin as well, but I knew him well enough to know that he was remarkable, and the two of them were as tight as tight could be. They were beautiful, generous people who embraced life.

Kristen lived in our house at 302 N. Agassiz last year, until May when she moved out just before leaving for this trip to Peru. If you didn’t hear the story, we had been told by our property manager that our lease was not going to be renewed, and since Kristen was going to be out of the country, she moved out with the intention of moving back in the fall if we found another house. We ended up keeping our current house and Kristen’s room was waiting for her when she got back. We were looking forward to feeling the daily effects of her warm personality again.

We didn’t know Kristen at all when she moved in last May, but she came highly recommended from a friend who was moving out. Throughout the course of the year Gary and I got to know her well and were confident that we had made a good choice. We got to know all of her friends and family, including her father, Ken, who is one of the most interesting, successful, and genuine people I have ever met. Kristen proved to be a person who was young, full of energy, and eternally happy. I loved being around her, and she challenged me because as I got to know her I had to accept on a deeper level that her happiness was genuine; never forced or put on for show. I have a tendency to be sort of jaded towards the kind of optimism that Kristen possessed, but over time she wore both me and Gary down and we embraced her for who she truly was, a person overjoyed with life.

In my 25 years I have met few people who were so happy to be alive, or who deserved to live so much. I’ve never known someone who was so happy-go-lucky on a day in, day out basis, without condition or remorse. She never stressed, got angry, or treated people harshly. She was generous on a level that I have yet to understand. She had all the gear and material possessions that the world could afford her but valued her friends and family above anything else in her life. I saw more of her friends drive her car than I saw her drive it. She didn’t care. She wanted to be there for people when they needed it.

Kristen didn’t waste a minute of any day. She embraced life. She was always on the go with a huge smile on her face. She had more friends than I could keep track of. She was overjoyed with this trip to Peru and in the final weeks would talk about it all the time. We would stretch and do yoga together in the living room and she would tell me about the training she was doing for this trip. She had more experience with the outdoors and with mountaineering that most people twice her age. I know that with the combined experience of her brother and Brennan Larson that their group had to have used caution and digression. We still don’t know what happened to them or how they ended up in that crevasse. We also don’t know what the actual cause of death was. All I know is that Kristen and Dustin were not careless or inexperienced people, and they absolutely wanted to live.

Regardless, I MISS that girl so much. Every memory of her makes me smile or laugh out loud; just the way she could shrug off trivial things and focus on what makes life really valuable. It saddens me greatly that I will never see her again. She had her priorities straight, even at the young age of 21. If I had the privilege to see her grow older I know she would be even more remarkable as time went on. And the same goes for her brother, Dustin, who was equally as admirable. I had looked forward to knowing Kristen for many years to come, and I feel cheated that I have been deprived of such a solid friendship in my life. I know I can’t even contemplate the grief that her father must be feeling, and my heart goes out to him and to every other person in Flagstaff and Tucson whose lives they touched.

We can’t forget people like Kristen and Dustin Yoder. We must live every day of our lives aware of the fact that this life is so short and it can be taken from us at any time without notice. We have to treat the ones we love with kindness and respect, and be compassionate to others as to not live with any regrets. Kristen had no regrets. She made no apologies because she was completely true to who she was in every action. She loved actively and tirelessly. That is the only way to be.

MTB Videos - Whiskey 2006 & 24HITOP

Vlad has made some awesome videos from The 2006 Whiskey Off-Road and the 24 Hours In The Old Pueblo. I noticed a lot of RRR'ers in the Whiskey video (Gary, Kristen and a few others). Check them out at www.vladfoto.com (fixed link) ... go to "index" and then "video". Enjoy!

COACH ILG NAILS FIRST VICTORY OF SEASON FOR HIS NEW TEAM & does it in true "Mountain Yogi" Fashion!

Coach Ilg racing for his new team; Red Rock Racers, manufactured a scintillating victory in hellishly hot conditions at the 26-mile, 5,800' Bill McLain Memorial Sandia Crest HillClimb last weekend in Albuquerque, New Mexico.


photos by: by Heidi Snell/Visual Escapes Photography

"While cranking up the long hot climb and knowing the entire peleton was right behind me, i kept recalling my training efforts on Snowbowl Road and my favorite long mountain bike climbs in Flag like "Weenie Walk," "Waterline," and "Little Bear." Coach - who teaches High Performance Yoga® here in Flag on Wednesday evenings (see PDF Flyer on main RRR website) is shown above midway through the tormentingly long climb that finishes at 10,500'. "I knew i had to do my best to dismantle the legs and lungs of the peleton before the real steep climbing began, so, i did my best to launch a Lance Armstrong like attack on the very first hill of the course!...i drew one young guy from Gerolsteiner with me who was a climbing specialist...i pulled the hardest over the 11 mile "lead up climbs" of Tijeras Canyon" to the Ski Road proper. It was typically brutal New Mexican stuff; wind roaring in your face, road debris,...and the heat! Jesus!! The peleton was only about 1 minute, 30 seconds down from our two man break when we took the left hand turn onto the Ski Road. From this left hand turn, it's relentless; 15-miles of narrow road climbing up to the summit...classic, classic climbing! Once the really steep climbing began, i could not handle the pace of my breakaway companion, so i wished him luck and went within myself. I used yogic breathing and meditations to just do my best to keep racing and not just surviving."


Coach Ilg flying the RRR colors at the Finish Line! First Place in 40+, 4th Overall in Cat.4!


"I was able to get to within 6 miles of the Finish Line before i was caught and dropped all too easily by a young kid that fly up to me from the energy saving speed of the peleton. There was no way i could handle his pace, either. He was too fresh and i too worked from my long breakaway efforts in the wind. Not longer then 5 minutes later, i heard a heaving behind me and saw yet another kid had bridged to my wheel from the peleton chomping its way up the mountain behind me.

I was getting really hot, tired, and pissed off by now;

"Are you a Cat 4?" I growled at him through the sting of my sweat soaked eyes...

Breathing, gasping, gasping...then, "Uhhh, yeah..." followed by more breathing, breathing, gasping...

"Can you take a pull then, please?" I asked rather politely, I thought.

Not what he wanted to hear. I guess I had been the carrot dangling in front of him this whole race and now he figured he would just take his Easy Boy Recliner position and suck my draft for a few miles.

Not.

So, I did a little out of the saddle squirt away from him, making him chase me down.
He evidently got the point,
"Okay, okay...let's work together," was all he gasped.

For the next 3 miles we did just that. I gained my second companion in suffering for the day, as we began to chip away at the tremendous mountain. Our chipping away felt a bit like chopping down a Flagstaff Ponderosa with a Boy Scout Hatchet, yet, the miles eventually passed though the pain never stopped. I learned he was 24 years old, from my hometown of Durango, Colorado via Michigan, i think. We kept in-couraging each other as we stood, sat, and spun our way up the ever-increasing altitude and steepness of the mountain.

Within 2.5 miles of the Finish Line, i had to work through a rather tough "spot of bother," as Paul Sherwyn might put it. I couldn't hang and lost the kid's wheel. Fuck. And I say that with full yogic compassion for myself. It was all i could do to watch his young calves dance upon the pedals away from me...leaving me to my own Inner Practice of breath and posture and positive Self Talk to limit any more attacks from behind. As Roger Federer would say in his French Open Finals loss to the clay-court phenom, Nadal; "I was not able to come up with the shots, so I do not have to worry about it." In other words, a champion learns to stay in the moment and not waste precious energy over what did not work. That is what I now had to do; just keep a'goin, keep a'goin, keep a'goin as the Mountain Paiutes would say.

Fortunately, I was able to keep a'goin at a high enough average speed (around 8.5 mph) to thwart any more young guns blasting my rear end from behind. The Finish Line arrived and I crossed it, chalking up a 40+ Victory for Red Rock Racing and a 4th Overall in the Cat.4 Division.

This beautiful race, now named for Bill McClain, the Team Director of New Mexico VeloSport (NMVS), should be on your Race Calendar next season. Bill McClain, God Bless His Soul, was the man who invited me to race for NMVS when i lived in Rio Rancho, New Mexico working on my book, THE WINTER ATHLETE. I think Bill was in Heaven on that day two weekends ago, cool and happy as a cucumber, and maybe even smiling as he watched me power up the mountain climb now named in his honor.

I devote my victory to my new team in Flagstaff; Red Rock Racing, and i devote my effort on that day to Bill McClain's Warrior Spirit who sang through my sweat and who will always be near to my heart.

May all Beings everywhere realized the precious nature of being Brave and Elegant in that what they do...and, what they encounter during their EarthDance.

See you in yoga class,

Namaste,

coach ilg

ps: you can enjoy the world acclaimed online journal of Coach Ilg at: DIRECT LINES and have unconditional access to nearly 2,000 articles by Coach on all topics of body/mind/spiritual fitness...

Coach Ilg's blog;
Direct Lines can be found at: http://www.wholisticfitness.com/

Pictures from Summit Center Classic

More pics can be found HERE


Gabe shares some knowledge with the boys before the Williams stage.


Jen, Sue and Kristen


Ty and Zach had a photo finish at the Crit


Ty and Zach with their "Game-face" on

RRR Team Potluck

Greetings Teammates!

Since we're all going to be together this next Sunday afternoon at Buffulo Park for team photos, it seems like a good idea to try and make a party of it. So, bring your potluck dishes on, as well as your favorite frosty beverages (cans, no glass), and we'll have a good ol' time. If you can bring non food items such as coolers, ice, paper plates, etc., please email me at gabekeck@hotmail.com, and I'll try and coordinate these non-consumable goods. We'll have 3 picnic tables there, but if you want to be assured of a comfortable spot to lounge, bring a lawn chair or two.
Families of racers, especially the kids, are encouraged to attend. I'll proudly be displaying my own newborn daughter Leah. She was born Saturday at 9:30 pm. She weighted 7lb12oz, and was almost 22 inches long. She is perfect.

Looking forward to seeing you on Sunday.

Gabe

TEAM PHOTO scheduled for May 21 at 4PM

Everyone should have gotten this via e-mail, but if not, here it is!
--------------------

It's time to take our annual 2006 team photo. We have reserved the
ramada at Buffalo Park to take a (hopefully) professional-looking photo
with good light. The photo we took at the last team meeting was so
yellow because of the lighting that it was beyond repair. So we are
opting for an outside photo this time.

Meet at 4:00PM on May 21 at Buffalo Park. Plan on being there about 30
to 45 minutes. We encourage everyone to ride there but if you drive be
sure to bring your team kit (jersey and shorts). If you don't have team
shorts, wear black ones.

Our clothing reorder not be here in time, so if you are a new member
and/or need to borrow a jersey, please let us know as soon as you can
so we can arrange to bring one for you.

Sponsors are welcome to participate in this photo.

Show your team spirit and plan on being there for this photo. We
appreciate it.

Kristen

Fontana NORBA Nat. & Bikejournal

The Fontana, NORBA National was an awesome event. Great venue, great weather and great racing. Here is a quick RRR summary....

Ian Delaney competed in the Jr. Expert Cross Country event. They started off with the Pro Men and raced the same # of laps for about 30 grueling miles. Ian raced a strong race and achieved his goal of qualifying for the National Championships by finishing in the top 10. Congrats, Ian!

Tyler competed in the 11-12 Junior XC, 14 and under Mountain Cross and Downhill events. Due to a scoring "error" (long story), he did not qualify for the finals in the Mountain Cross. But, Team Big Bear did step up and offered him free entry to the next event. Ty took 1st in the XC event, and took 4th place in the downhill on a hardtail bike. I was just an "athletic supporter" this weekend - chauffer, wrench, team manager, photographer and "feed zone guy". Great times!

- More pictures from the Fontana event can be found HERE.

Dara Marks-Marino had a great showing in the Woman's Pro division. She placed 6th in the XC and 7th in the Short Track. Read more about her experiences HERE.




On another note, Bikejournal.com is a great free website tool to log and track your rides. We have set up a Red Rock Racking "Club" on the site. When you sign up, be sure and select your 'Club Affiliation' - "Red Rock Racing" and you will be in. You can view what your fellow teammates are doing and help us reach our team mileage goals. It is a fun way to track your rides and maybe motivate us to get out there and log some miles. If you have any questions, shoot me an email at mcoplea@cox.net.

New Crit Ride

From Rob Hastings...


I wanted to invite all the cat 4 and 5 riders to a new crit ride every Thursday at 5pm at Fort Tuthill. This will be a Crit only for Cat 4 and 5 riders, so if you're intimidated by the Wednesday Crit, this will suit you well.

Rob Hastings - eco_nerd@hotmail.com

RRR Group MTB Ride - Thursday's 5:30 PM @ Schultz

From Scott Edwards...

Weekly RRR Group MTB Ride

Thursdays - meet at 5:30 PM at the Schultz Trailhead. Route(s) will be determined by who shows up - all abilities welcome. Myself and a few others will be there starting tomorrow, 4/27/06.

Scott (SEdwards@uesaz.com)

4/23 Kids Ride

From Chris Latham...

Parents and others interested,While a bit windy today it was still quite a nice day for a mountain bike ride. The trees usually provide a nice shelter on days like this one. I just wanted to remind all of you that did not make it about the schedule ahead in hopes that ample notice will help more people make it. The next ride is scheduled for Mother's Day which I know may be a bit of a conflict but consider these points: for the at home mom a couple quiet hours may be a nice gift, and mom is also more than welcome to come along, most any mom should be able to hang with these 5-7 year olds.

I am planning to do two kids rides in May because of Bike to Work (and school) Week. Those would be Sunday the 14th at Ft Tuthill playground and Sunday the 21st at Campbell Mesa Trailhead both from 12 to 2. I will not ask for RSVP or anything but I would really love to see your kids out there. I will be doing presentations at schools that week and spreading the word as well.

After that week the schedule will likely look like this; June 11th, July 2nd, August 6th, September 3rd, October 15th, November 19th, December 10th. Locations and other details will be released in the weeks prior. Remember there will be kids of all ages and stages. Please make sure to bring kids with bikes, helmets, and water at the very least. Other accessories like gloves, bike shorts, and eye protection are also highly recommended. I can help provide any of these things and more if you let me know what you might need. My home # is 213-0120 if you have questions and my cell # is 520-237-8714 if you have any problems finding us that day.

If you know any other interested kids or parents please forward this to them and put them in contact with me so I can keep them posted. Also, if you have any feedback on the dates or times feel free to voice that, I have done the best I can to consider everybodies schedules and such. I would also be interested to hear any ride recommendations as we will try to do a different one every month.

Hope to see you all there next month, Chris Latham, Red Rock Racing

New Sunday Group Ride, May 7th @ 9AM

There will be a new road group ride starting Sunday, May 7, at 9:00am.
Meet at Late for the Train on N. San Francisco.

This will be an all-levels ride. It will not be an exclusive Lake Mary ride like the Saturday group ride, instead going out 180 north, 89 north, and any destination the group agrees to at that time. Distance and intensity of the ride to be determined by the group prior to leaving. Since we will be riding on roads without the benefit of an enormous shoulder like Lake Mary, obeying the law is imperative (one or two abreast, no echelons, etc).

Any questions contact Rob Hastings at 779-7061 or at eco_nerd@hotmail.com.

Sat Hill Climb Ride - 4/8/06, Meet @ Sedona High School

From - Jeremy Wilson...

Hey everyone,

If anyone is interested in doing some climbing there will be some people leaving Sedona High School at 7:45-8:00 AM Saturday. We will riding from the high school to the top of Mingus and back. Total trip will be around 70 miles. Everyone is welcome and speeds will vary. For you Flagstaff people it will not be that cold. Expect morning temps at the start of the ride to be around 40 to 45 degrees. The winds will not pick up until later in the morning (usually). Expect temps to be around 70 or higher at the end of the ride. Vest or jacket for the descent.

Sorry about the short notice.

Contact: jwakrunner@hotmail.com

MBAA #3 - White Tanks Pics & 24HITOP Video

A great day of racing yesterday out at the White Tanks. Here are a few pictures from the race. More pictures can be found HERE.

Also, some great video footage of the 24 Hrs in the Old Pueblo at http://www.vladfoto.com/main.php Click 'Index' and then 'Video'.

BTW - if you would like me to post any of your pictures for you, just email them to mcoplea@cox.net.

Jen hitting the trailhead with the pack














Ian sprinting off the start line














Jen, Ian and Eric (I forgot Ian's dog's name)

CCRR, Mystery RRR Pic, Nova D.C. & White Tanks Race

The Red Rock Racing junior 1-2 punch was at it again last weekend at the Colossal Cave Road Race. The race course started off with a long-fast decent, followed by some rollers and finished off with a climb up to the finish. Tyler came in 1st and Zach was close behind to take 2nd in the 10-12 category. Wohoo!! Complete results from the event and photos can be found at http://presteza.homestead.com/ .

I found this great picture of a RRR racer in the 24hr of the Old Pueblo at http://masonibas.com/ . Anyone know who it is?? (BTW - I changed the settings on the blog so that you do not have to be a member to post a comment. Just click on the "Comments" link below any post to reply.)














I know that several RRR racers competed in the Nova Desert Classic last weekend and they did very well. Results can be found at - http://www.teambigbear.com/results.php . Congrats to all that competed! Hopefully some of them will post up their experience from the event. (Jen???)

Tyler and I will be heading out to the White Tanks this Friday to camp out the night before the MBAA #3 race. We will have a "Team Area" set up for everyone. If anyone cares to join us, look for the RRR banner! I will have fresh Late for the Train coffee (RRR Roast, of course) brewed up for everyone in the AM!

RRR Juniors take 1st & 2nd at AZ Time Trial #3

Last weekend at the AZ Time Trail #3, two Red Rock Racing Juniors took 1st and 2nd in the 10-12 category. Zach Edwards took 1st and Tyler Coplea was 17 seconds behind him to take 2nd place.

Congradulations to both Zach and Tyler!!

Red Rock Racing Team Blog

We are just getting this blog going for the Red Rock Racing team. This blog is for all team members to use to post ride or race stories, pictures, experiences, thoughts or anything else that you may like to share. Keep in mind that your posts will be read by adults, children and sponsors. Please make sure the content is appropriate. We look forward to your contributions on our team blog!

Please check back soon for updates and more info.