Luau

This weekend was a time to party! Jason and Linda were hosting their engagement party on Saturday night, with a Hawaiian Luau theme. Mom and dad, and Jolene, Gabby and the kids all made it to ABQ to enjoy the festivities. We were just wishing the Casa Clan could have made it. :(

Before heading over to Jason's, once must prepare for a Luau. Here's Brianna getting the dogs ready. :)
Anyway, the crown and coke was flowing and great time was had by all. Call it a conditioning party for the actual event later this year in Las Vegas! For all those that made it to KC for Janel's wedding will know what the Dominguez clan can do at a bar! ie. $550 bar tab!!!

Here's Jay enjoying the first of many of his Crown & Cokes! Linda's mom made sure he was always well hydrated. If the umbrella was down, it was time for a refill.

As the night progressed and the alcohol continued to flow, it was a little easier to get everyone involved in the engagement party games.
Here's Ashleah and I giving it our best shot!

Gabby & Jolene working at moving the oranges

and the hosts! Pretty sure Jay and Linda were pretty toasty at this point!

Even mom and dad gave it a try.


A good time was had by all.

It was a bad weekend for bike conditioning, but I am well prepared for the Vegas Wedding!

NM Beauty

This week I was fortunate enough to see 2 of the more spectacular spots in NM--Valle Vidal and Valles Caldera. I was in Valle Vidal in order to collect Rio Grande cutthroat trout, and I passed by the Valles Caldera on my way to one of our state hatcheries. Talk about each having a valley that is so large that you can't even comprehend its size. You have to see these places.

that's it for now, I am one tired messican . . . . . .

More time near Cochiti

So it seems like all my time has been in the Cochiti area lately--pre-ride 2 weeks ago, NMES last weekend and again yesterday. However this last time was work related. Several co-workers and I headed up to the Dome Wilderness to do some sampling in Capulin Creek. Capulin Creek incorporates the historic range for Rio Grande Cutthroat trout, and last year we hiked in, in order to stock New Mexico's native cutthroat You can read the press release on the NM Game and Fish website. Anyway this time we were in there to see if any of the fish survived.


The tough part of this sampling event is the hike. While not long (only 1 1/2 miles), the trail is tricky in spots because of the 1996 Dome Fire. Lots of blown down trees, sketchy loose trail along edges and the heat. 90% of the trail has absolutely no cover from the sun! Oh yeah we were each carrying about 45 pounds of gear as well. It was a tough day for sure, but well worth it. We saw 1 year old RGCT! What does that mean? It's means that the trout we stocked last year, not only survived, but they also spawned. Yeah!

Ok time to leave (it's Friday and we are still working at 6 o'clock) and I lead the crew down Rd 289. Yes the same 13.5 mile road I climbed last weekend as part of the New Mexico Endurance Series. Damn, I knew it was steep while riding it, but the drive down reiterated the inclines. My co-workers thought I, as well as the others who took part in the climb were nuts! I might have to agree with them.

Hike data:
6 miles,
1100 ft in climbing each trip (we made two trips)
9 hours
Sore feet and hip flexors
5 nalgenes of water.

It's Saturday and time to recover.......

WOW!!!

That about sums up Loop 1 for the Cochiti 100! Where do I begin. 13.5 mile road climb before the singletrack starts! Singletrack was incredible--rocky, loose, fast downhill, tough climbs and 9 stream crossings. 42.4 miles and 6 hrs 56 min later I was done. Literally! I had planned on doing another loop but the tank was empty. I thought I could do this lap in about 4 hours!! Ha! Little did I know. I have ridden a lot of trails in Colorado and now in NM, and this is by far the toughest.

Just for the record--THIS IS AN EPIC RIDE!!!!!!!!!

There were a few that did 2 laps and only 2 individuals that did all 3 laps for a total of 110 miles. Congrats to Matt and John!!

69 Days

I was just reminded that there are only 69 days until the shotgun goes off for the Leadville 100 mountain bike race. It seems like only yesterday that I was submitting a check in hopes of getting selected. I had to re-apply for this race (though some think I am crazy), because I was cut-off at the last check point. Missed it by 15 minutes. I flatted early in the race and I spent about an hour trying to get a tubless tire back on the rim. Ugh! By the time I got the tire on, rode to the next check point (with a partial flat), and then struggled up Columbine, I was far behind. Therefore I am determined to not only finish but make it under 10 hours!!! We shall see.

Thus, I was out on the trails yesterday with the intent of putting in around 40 miles. This was my first time riding near Cochiti Reservoir, so I printed the map of Loop 1 of the Cochiti 100. Started with a climb and look for the trail 424. Hmm. Where the hell is it? Oh well, so I climb and climb and climb. 8 miles later and about 20 stream crossings later, I am at an intersection that I know is the return trip of loop 1. Somehow I missed it. I guess it wasn’t all that bad, I got some good climbing in. I ended up finding trail 424 and climbed that for a bit, before heading back. In all, I rode about 30 miles. I am hoping to get out next weekend for the actual Cochiti 100 and ride 1 or 2 loops.

Ok so this is the first time that I will promote Hammer Nutrition, but definitely won’t be the last. A mixture of Perpetuem and Sustained Energy in a water bottle, with an occasional shot of Hammer gel is all you need on endurance rides. THIS STUFF WORKS!!!!

until next time . . . .