Since I ate my helmet, (and embraced training technology when we started base training about a month ago.) I have been enjoying training with my Power Tap thoroughly. (Rent your Power Tap today from the folks at Saris/CycleOps, South Africa)

For Valentines’ Day, my coach Ian Rodger gave me 3 hrs at 300 Watts. So romantic. I rode to the top of Franschoek pass, and being new to trying to keep a constant power, I’ll tell you, trying to do 300W downhill through the road works in Pniel or down the main street of Franschoek with tourist drivers, speed bumps and couples on Valentines dates, gave a new meaning to “adrenaline”…

Also, going down the pass I tried to shape myself into a parachute, because the 53×11 was not enough. Fortunately those 28mm Specialized Armadillo tires at 60psi helped slow things down and smooth the road a bit.

I’m really excited about this new way of training, focusing on maintaining a specific wattage and cadence makes for serious concentration. I noted a 15 beat higher heart rate at the same wattage when using Powercranks.

The riding is a lot harder that what I used to do my long rides at and I regularly burn 1000 Calories per hour. Surprised at how quickly I ran out of food. (4 gels and 5 scoops) 2h08 into this particular ride, and things became ugly soon thereafter. I was going to knock out a big sprint at the end, but by the time I got there I could only manage 870W. (As opposed to the 1160W I did at the end of today’s ride…

The task for this ride was: 3h30 with 4 climbs (Hells Hoogte and Franschoek) at 330 W and 75-80 rpm. The flats at 250W and 90rpm. On the flats, include 4 x 10min with Powercranks unlocked. Anyone who knows Powercranks can tell that 90prm at any watts is no joke.

The goal is 450W for 1 hr at 80kg on a 10kg bike. 11.2kg if its a 29er…

Not content with just testing MTB gloves by riding bikes, I took it a step further and tested these (older) Specialized BG gloves while renovating my house.

We're building with bricks, which are very abrasive on the hands, (and gloves) and after hours and hours of testing on single track and on the build site, the only shortcoming I found was a slight lack of material strength in the forefinger. But then, there is nothing some Duct Tape wont fix!

Er, make that “was”…

Will Kelsay and his lovely lady, Shelby, visited South Africa for a few weeks. They spend a few days in Cape Town, then a few days in my house in Stellenbosch before tackling the Garden Route.

I’m busy renovating my house and of course,they got roped into some manual labour:

Will was super excited and went at the double brick wall like a maniac. Go to his blog to learn more about this colourful character.

Shelby can swing a hammer too!

We got to do fun stuff too, like visit Dan Hugos farm for Sunday lunch, and here we went wine tasting at Ernie Els’s wine estate. Yes the golfer Ernie Els

Yes the golfer Ernie Els…

The pros are into pre season fad diets!

Macca urged the Twitter community to join him in his pre season cleansing diet comprising of juices for a week. Matt Lieto just started his Month of Salad…

Now I urge you to join me in my Month Of Mopane Worm Cleansing Diet! Mopane worms are a delicacy in Southern Africa, and feeds millions of people every year. Usually they are harvested by hitting Mopane worm laden trees with long branches, and then harvesting them off the ground, much like one would harvest strawberries…

On day 1 of my cleansing diet I was lucky- they came marching down the Marula tree next to our house…

I hope they are WADA legal. (World Anti Doping Agency)

The Lion King “Super Mario” Cipollini was a delight to follow- on the road and in public. His flair for fashion, clothing and glamour bordered on preposterous. It was delicious. But he was a remarkable sprinter who hated climbing and was quoted “If I wasnt a professional cyclist, I would be a porn star.”

But Mario was an amazing marketing vehicle and his sponsors’ ad campaigns still come up in cyclobablle. His pro career spanned 20 years, he had 42 Giro stage wins, World Champs in 2002, the list is too long, go read it on Wiki.

This is one of my favourite Cipollini photos where he won the 2002 World Champs. Of course he had to wear his Colnago branded Italian team kit, but a clever bit of ambush marketing by Specialized stole the moment and made some waves- but then what was expected of Mario. Just imagine the impact this North Wave shoe ad made on me as a teenage triathlete, fresh out of sheltered South Africa…

My only personal experience with Cipo was when I was training in Stellenbosch around 2002. I saw a Smart car (a rare thing back then) coming down the road from the opposite direction, and being an observant guy, I noticed a bicycle wheel and two feet in the gap between the road and the underside of the car. OK, someone was motor pacing behind a Smartcar. I was dying to see who it was, and when they swooped by, there was Mario in his full glory- working on his tan. No helmet, no shirt, no socks- Just Mario in his chamois (rolled up high), shoes, glasses and his beautiful mane of greased back hair. Now that was class.

“Ciao Mario!”

Open floor questions for Conrad.

(Copied from the Specialized Facebook Fanpage, facebook.com/specializedbicycles

iamspecialized.com: It seems like Conrad Stoltz (http://www.conradstoltz.com) is swinging by the office next week. Does anyone have any questions for him?

Conrad Stoltz is a three time Xterra triathlon world champion

Robert Driskell

Yes I do. How does he compare his fit on his mt bike to relation to on a road bike in multisport activity. How much of a change in his hip flexor angle is there in this relation.

Conrad Stoltz

@RobertDriskell- I have my road bike set up exactly the same as my MTB. Nowadays I only use my road bike for XTERRA training, so I dont have the road time trail position dilemma you mention. I was told by Scott Holtz at Specialized BG Fit that training at least 60% of your base rides in your TT position would actually benefit you MTB riding. (more glute workout)

Harrison Conyers IV

how can I become a pro. I train hard and i have dreamed of either doing xc racing or xterra.

Conrad Stoltz

@HarrisonConyers. To become a pro:

1)You need the right genes.

2)You need to be physically and especially mentally tough.

3) You need to love living out of a bag and spending time at airports.

4)You need patience.... See More

5)You need luck.

To get there, make sure:

1) You learn the skills while you are young

2) Have a mentor to guide you

3) have fun

4) have fun

5) have fun

Heather McNamara

How many hours a week is Conrad logging on his Specialized right now?

Conrad Stoltz

@HeatherMcNamara. Last week, I logged 0 hrs on my Specialized. I DID log about 6 hrs behind the snow shovel!

Brent Jablonski no questions, just give the man a high five for me! way to go!

Conrad Stoltz

@BrentJablonski. High five! (Is that a quote from Borat?_

Harrison Conyers IV how do you get your parents to support you financially

Conrad Stoltz

@HarrisonConyers IV. When I turned 14, my mom bought me half a road bike for my birthday. I had to buy the other half myself. They supported me like that for the 1st 2-3 years. (where I had to contribute, mow the lawn and show respect and commitment to training)

Then they encouraged me to make my own money to support my triathlon- I cut and sold bamboo and collected stone artifacts from our farm to afford purple LOOK shoes.

But when I turned pro I had to make a living for myself. (my dad reminded me often) It was really hard those 1st 10 years, but then I won World Champs and it got a lot easier to make a living!... See More

Matt Dussartre According to you, what is behind the word "Pro Triathlete"?

Conrad Stoltz

@MattDussartre. "Pro Triathlete" can mean 2 things: 1) You race in the pro category because you are really fast, but you need a part time job, because you arent quite fast enough to pay the bills. (or your bills are huge) 2) "Pro" means you make a living from sports- which is my definition.

In the perfect world, all "Pros" sould make enough money to cover their expenses, but then this aint golf...

Victor C Guido Rivas

Tremenda nave.

Conrad Stoltz

@Victor C Guido Rivas. If you tell me what language "Tremenda nave." is, I can answer you. In Spanish it means "tremendous ship"- in which case- thanks for the compliment

Alex Ziemianski

Tubeless or Tubed? Tubeless for weight savings? Or Tubed to get back on the trail after a flat?

Conrad Stoltz

@AlexZiemianski. Definitely tubeless. You'll save about 100g, but the real benefits are lower tire pressure- which greatly increases traction and ride quality- and greater puncture resistance to just about all thorns, smaller cuts and most snake bite punctures.

If you do get a flat with tubeless, take out the tubeless valve and save it, put in a normal tube, and you're good to go...

Getting tubeless tires to seat can be tough but since 2009 Specialized tires seat so easily you can do it by floor pump while sitting on the couch...

The entry form says AMA championship series, so maybe it was a big race? All I know is I was as green as it gets. The newness of this unfamiliar sport opened my eyes to what athletes new to triathlon and XTERRA experience. Nervous, excited, clueless, scared of the unknown, scared of being last, scared of the mass start, and yes, just plain scared.

I grew up riding a little Yamaha PW 80 on our farm in South Africa, later a YZ 100, but when I got really serious about triathlon, (age 15) I sold the dirt bike in order to fund this new triathlon passion thing. I always promised myself, “the day I retire from triathlon I’m buying a dirt bike.” After winning XTERRA Worlds in 07 I thought “screw that, its been 18 years, I cant wait anymore”, so bought a used Honda CRF450 in South Africa. Visit http://www.conradstoltz.com/a-fun-weekends-dirt-bike-riding/ This summer I bought a new KTM 450 EXC in the US. (my 1st new motorized vehicle ever) Could someone please explain to me how a new top end dirt bike costs the same as a top end mountain bike? How does a huge, knobbly, 30 pound dirt bike rear tire cost the same as a 500g mountain bike tire?

Anyway, Wilseyville is in the scenic Sierra Nevada mountains. Yellow trees everywhere and beautiful country side made for an amazing course on private land. No pre riding allowed, which was quite intimidating.

The C and Ladies class was HUGE. I guess 350+ riders in 7 starts 1 min apart. Apparently in this sport I’m an old dude, (Vet plus) so I was in the 6th row. I thought the C class is the hack class, but I didnt see a single jean pant! Shiny pimped bikes, custom what what, new tires. - I was the only guy with indicators and a cute license plate. At least I could honk the horn to overtake. Mostly people on the ground, and a fat guy cramping.

Our line (30 years and over) was completely full -the biggest class. Maybe 80+ bikes, so I stood behind 2 fast looking guys- half in the Ladies row. Most of the girls were so small they needed a box next to the bike to get on…

I nicely stuffed up the start. Learnt what a “Dead engine shotgun start” was. When the gun shot went and the bikes fired up, the noise was so loud I couldnt tell if my bike was running or not. I think I opened the throttle while pushing the start button- then it wont start. So I panicked, for some reason popped 1st - you’re supposed to start in 2nd- and got off a few seconds late, but at the 1st corner there was a pile up- was quite funny (now) to see a guy rolling on the ground trying to get away with guys riding over him and his bike. Even in the C race these guys will eat you alive. Its a 7 mile lap and you see how many laps you can do in 90mins- funny concept to a triathlete. Imagine doing a triathlon where seeing who can cover the most ground in a fixed time wins…

It had been raining on and off the last few days before the race, so it was slick and muddy. Greasy mud, not sloppy. There was a 400m rocky river section (the only part I was fast at- no whoops or ruts!)) and the exits were super slick, muddy, rocky with more and more roots showing up every lap. And then there was the whoops and ruts. I’ve seen a few whoops on the trails around Reno before, and usually dont really know what to do with them- but these ones were slippery, so if you dont hit them straight, you were knotted. I often went round, but short, not too big sections I could handle.

I have never ridden a single rut before. Before our race, the course was still in good shape, but our race (C Class) was huge so the whoops and ruts got deeper every lap. I did 4 laps (23mi total) in 1h33. If I was 3min quicker I could have done another lap. Was caught in 2 slow bottle necks where a fat old (but fast) dude couldnt start his 2 stroke. Also lost time whenever I heard a screaming 2 stroke come up, I’d pull over or stop to let the fast guys through. (was lapped by about 15 guys. I think 1 may have been a chick)

On the 1st lap rode behind a guy who should have been wearing a jean pant- kind of all over the show, but at least I could see where the slippery parts were, in the river bed I moved up to 2nd last but by then the others were gone.

Just like cycling, I’d learn a lot by following a better rider, but I was completely dropped- so I just putzed away, staying in control and smooth, not knowing the limits or the techniques used for this 40 horse power mountain bike with tires the size of my thigh. I had a mental block on the whoops - some were 3 feet deep, slippery, with open roots and surrounded by trees in places. If that 14 year old girl on the small wheel 80cc could float over the top at high speed it cant be TOO hard? If only I knew the right technique and had the confidence to ride it once, I’d practice and master them. - A mantra I teach new mountain bikers all the time- only I couldnt get myself to do it. For once I was in their shoes and realized the importance of a mentor/coach/ helping friend to hold your hand and guide you up the first few steps of that big, huge technique pyramid.

The scenery is amazing and of course there was no dust. Drove 5hrs there through the snow, so didnt spend much time at the venue, but wish I could to see a bit more. Amber had to work, so no pics or video of me driving Miss Daisy.

I didnt crash, but my hands were covered in blisters, my quads were sore already and on the drive home it felt like my right forearm was broken. Must be from all that hard work keeping the throttle closed…

Being a beginner at a challenging sport was quite an eye opener and it made me appreciate anew novice triathletes’ fears, excitement and enthusiasm. After racing 15 to 35 triathlons a year for 21 years, I could do one in my sleep. I passionate about triathlon, but it took me a muddy day at the dirt bike races to relive and appreciate that special fuzzy feeling beginner triathletes are blessed with. Enjoy it while it lasts. Soon you too could blitz through T1 in your sleep.

09 WILSEYVILLE C SPORTSMEN

RESULTS FOR THE C VET PLUS CLASS. 11/22/2009

| LAP 1 | LAP 2 | LAP 3 | LAP 4 | LAP 5

PLACE RIDER LAPS FINISH DIFFERENCE NAME MPH MFG | POS/ TIME / DIFF | POS/ TIME / DIFF | POS/ TIME / DIFF |

001 475D 5 16:10:13.52 —– JONES, CHRISTIAN 25.97 KTM | 1 / 21:25 / 1 / 20:10 / 1 / 20:19 / —–| 1 / 20:53 / —–| 1 / 21:10 / —–

002 397X 5 16:14:45.31 04:32 JACOBS, DAVE 24.89 KTM | 21:46 /0:21|3 / 20:51 / 0:14| 3 / 20:51 / 0:45| 2 / 21:09 / 1:50| 2 / 23:52 / 4:32

003 618S 4 15:51:13.59 —– TOTH, PAUL 25.43 KTM | 7 / 22:23 / 0:04| 2 / 20:00 / 0:48| 2 / 20:20 / 0:49| 3 / 22:14 / 0:20|

004 322H 4 15:52:23.69 01:10 CHURBY, ALBERT 25.08 YAM | 5 / 22:11 / 0:02| 4 / 20:42 / 0:16| 4 / 21:25 / 0:50| 4 / 21:49 / 1:10|

005 35X 4 15:52:44.20 00:21 DOWD, JOE 24.98 KAW | 8 / 22:34 / 0:11| 8 / 21:46 / 0:06| 6 / 21:26 / 0:04| 5 / 20:42 / 0:21|

006 155D 4 15:53:49.23 01:05 BLASQUEZ, DAVID 24.67 KTM | 3 / 21:52 / 0:06| 6 / 22:19 / 0:02| 7 / 21:44 / 0:09| 6 / 21:38 / 1:05|

007 714E 4 15:53:52.31 00:03 JESBERG, CHRIS 24.66 HON | 4 / 22:09 / 0:17| 5 / 22:00 / 1:16| 5 / 21:33 / 1:24| 7 / 21:54 / 0:03|

008 271G 4 15:54:46.27 00:54 COGLIANDRO, KEVIN 24.41 HON | 9 / 22:44 / 0:10| 10 / 21:54 / 0:12| 8 / 22:12 / 0:55| 8 / 21:40 / 0:54|

009 778A 4 15:54:51.20 00:05 GOMEZ, ART 24.38 SUZ | 14 / 23:44 / 0:09| 11 / 21:44 / 0:50| 9 / 21:32 / 0:10| 9 / 21:35 / 0:05|

010 375A 4 15:56:06.80 01:15 RABBAT, RALPH 24.04 YAM | 6 / 22:19 / 0:08| 9 / 22:07 / 0:06| 10 / 22:53 / 0:19| 10 / 22:31 / 1:15|

011 442H 4 15:56:32.52 00:26 TEHANEY, PAUL 23.93 HON | 16 / 24:01 / 0:02| 14 / 22:15 / 0:15| 11 / 21:47 / 0:44| 11 / 22:13 / 0:26|

012 575X 4 15:57:00.83 00:28 GLASS, JOHN 23.81 YAM | 11 / 22:57 / 0:02| 12 / 23:00 / 0:29| 12 / 22:21 / 0:15| 12 / 22:26 / 0:28|

013 137C 4 15:57:41.41 00:41 DAMELE, JD 23.63 KTM | 12 / 23:11 / 0:14| 13 / 22:50 / 0:04| 13 / 22:19 / 0:02| 13 / 23:05 / 0:41|

014 105Q 4 15:59:26.31 01:45 GIBBS, WILLIAM 23.18 KTM | 17 / 24:12 / 0:11| 16 / 22:50 / 0:03| 14 / 22:39 / 1:21| 14 / 23:29 / 1:45|

015 778 4 16:00:15. 00:49 STOLTZ, CONRAD 22.98 KTM | 20 / 25:12 / 0:34| 17 / 22:53 / 1:03| 16 / 22:17 / 0:21| 15 / 23:37

016 300V 4 16:02:14.39 01:59 CHAMPE, DARRIN 22.51 YAM | 19 / 24:38 / 0:13| 15 / 22:21 / 0:43| 15 / 23:02 / 0:20| 16 / 25:57 / 1:59|

017 385V 4 16:05:23.70 03:09 CARLIN, JEREMY 21.79 YAM | 15 / 23:59 / 0:15| 18 / 25:26 / 1:20| 17 / 23:30 / 2:33| 17 / 26:12 / 3:09|

018 772 4 16:05:55.13 00:32 BRYAN, SHERIDAN 21.68 HON | 18 / 24:25 / 0:13| 20 / 25:56 / 0:29| 19 / 24:56 / 0:18| 18 / 24:22 / 0:32|

019 624G 4 16:06:07.47 00:12 BERNA, MICHAEL 21.63 KTM | 22 / 25:57 / 0:20| 21 / 24:27 / 0:03| 18 / 24:35 / 2:04| 19 / 24:52 / 0:12|

020 272A 4 16:07:22.08 01:15 WHIGHAM, KEVIN 21.36 HON | 21 / 25:37 / 0:25| 19 / 24:15 / 0:27| 20 / 25:54 / 0:29| 20 / 25:20 / 1:15|

021 631 3 15:49:45.27 —– LIMJOCO, ANTHONY 19.41 KTM | 23 / 26:44 / 0:47| 22 / 24:50 / 1:10| 21 / 31:55 / 7:43|

022 138R 3 15:52:26.13 02:41 SANDOVAL, CESAR 18.80 KTM | 24 / 27:41 / 0:57| 23 / 28:48 / 4:55| 22 / 29:41 / 2:41|

023 223X 3 16:02:07.31 09:41 MCGABIN, BRENDAN 16.90 HON | 25 / 28:11 / 0:30| 25 / 30:34 / 0:24| 23 / 37:06 / 9:41|

024 605E 2 15:10:30.83 —– FUHRMAN, MIKE 24.42 HON | 10 / 22:55 / 0:11| 7 / 21:19 / 0:03|

025 761 2 15:24:37.38 14:07 KIRKEBY, DAN 18.51 KTM | 13 / 23:35 / 0:24| 24 / 34:46 / 1:52|

Have some work to do before I can get out of Sport C Class, the guy who won Class B did 7 laps in 90 mins- that’s about 10 min a lap quicker then me!

| LAP 1 | LAP 2 | LAP 3 | LAP 4 | LAP 5 | LAP 6 | LAP 7

PLACE NAME MPH

001 ANDERSON, 25.74 YAMAHA | 14:06 14:11 13:31 13:48 13:20 15:07 13:50

After 10 months of focussed training where every session and equipment choice was geared towards winning XTERRAs, it is fun to to try some of the other bikes in the garage.

I've had this S-works Enduro for 2 years now, but until a few weeks ago, it had less than 5 hrs on it. Most of them my friend Mark DeJohn put on it.

Finally it was my turn to ride for no other reason than having fun. And trying fun bikes and toys!

I pimped my 27 lbs, 6' travel carbon Enduro with one of my favourite Specialized products- the Command Post telescopic seat post. A must for any trail bike. In fact, I use it on my XC bikes too- With the push of a lever I can lower my centre of gravity by 2 or 4 inches and rail corners, hit water bars at high speed or do steep drop offs which would usually send me cart wheeling over the bars. At 6ft3 with long legs and a short body, the steep down stuff used to be my achilles' heel.

Another product I have been trying are these Specialized Body Geometry grips. Usually these flared grips come on touring bikes, and I was a little apprehensive about putting them on a trail bike. My dad taught me never to judge a sausage by its skin, and was I wrong about these Winged Wonders as I call them now.

Before I go into why I like them, some background: A few days ago I did my first Hare Scramble dirt bike race. (I was 128th in the Sportsman Class C race. My lap times were almost 10 mins slower than the fast Class B riders! I rode 24min laps and they 16 mins a lap. At

last, a sport I really suck at!) My KTM 450 and I were covered in mud and my hands were covered in blisters. The next 2 days I had to cut a tree and move a vast amount of dirt from our new homes' back yard. Swinging the pick axe and wielding the shovel and chain saw put more blisters in the few places I didnt have blisters already. So when I went on this ride my hands were raw as 2 filet steaks.

I picked Renos new Halo Trail. Its 2 hrs of low speed rock and chop. And this was my first ride with these grips and immediately I noticed:

- Comfort. The "wings" fit nicely in the palms of your hands, distributing the weight over a larger surface. I can see this being a great benefit during long rides and stage races. Or when your hands are covered in blisters...

-Control. This one I didnt expect at all. Once I started rocking and rolling the big travel bike over rock jumps and through loose corners I was amazed at the increased amount of control I had on the bike. Not only does your palms have much more contact with the grip, but your fingers have a lot more contact and leverage underneath the bar. Very handy for lifting the back end of the bike like bunny hopping, jumping and

cornering.

Word is the Specialized engineers are working on a light XC race version....

Yes, I am disappointed. (Thanks for the nice e-mails. True friends are the ones who cares no matter the result) I did everything in my power to get to this race in top form and win a 4th World title. My equipment was faultless. But I was 5th best that day. I gave 100% in preparation and execution. I am content with that knowledge.

Winners look great and when you win a race it feels easy.(ok, relatively easy) Winning means you’re in control, within your limits. Losing is hard, physically. It means you gave 110%, played all your cards and lost. I gave it all, as can be seen here in my rare “Rocky Balboa on the ropes” look…

Too much:

The 2nd half of this season was just too much.

That cut in my foot was too deep, too long and too dirty.

Yes that cut: (Late June at XTERRA Richmond- read race report and surgery report) Dr Moose Herring in Richmond, VA is the coolest surgeon/triathlete you’ll ever come across- have your next surgery with Moose Herring…

Too much hospital time.

Too hard nosed to not race 2.5 weeks later: (with hardly any training, but it helped me win my 7th USA Series title)

- Too many injuries. When I resumed training early August, the injuries started. Typical Caveman, I thought “once the hole closes, I can carry on as if nothing happened”. This time I was wrong. It feels like I spent more time (and a small fortune) getting massage/ rehab/acupuncture than I spent training. I would fear running sessions, not knowing what was going to hurt next. I havent had a training related injury in ages, and I was reminded about the head games injury plays with an athlete on a deadline.

- Too little time. 3 weeks before USA Champs (7 weeks before Worlds) I realized I was in trouble. I was self coached this year, and knew how to get to Worlds in the right shape if everything went right. But everything was going wrong. I started panicking and needed someone to help me with a quick fix. Like anyone else would, I reached for Facebook. Ian Rodger was a sport scientist at the Sport Science Institute in Cape Town where he did lab tests on my preparation for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. I didnt know him well and it took me a while to track him down on Facebook. (I knew I had the right Ian Rodger when I saw the Ian with the profile pic of a cyclist riding a slimy cobblestone “road” somewhere in Belguim) I havent seen him in over 5 years, but I remember being impressed at how he combined the science of sport with the practical aspect of sport, especially cycling, and how he could look at wattage numbers and get a ton of information form it. First thing he did was to put me on 180mm cranks. A 6ft 3 guy with a 33inch saddle height warrants long levers. The 2nd thing was to lower my saddle to alleviate the lower back pain that has been bothering me for many years. (Was great in training, but in the race it showed up again- so if you see me riding sitting up, with no hands, bouncing through loose lava- its to relieve my QL pain.)

He very much liked the numbers he saw in those tests back in 2000 which instilled confidence in me. (512W Peak power and 430W for 20km) His knowledge of numbers also meant we could to some extent overcome the 12 000mi geographical coach/athlete problem. Ian did damage control during a really tough time for him personally- his mom was dying from cancer.

We only had a handful of sessions “to count” between racing USA Champs and traveling to Kona where I trained in the heat and did some appearances for Specialized and Avia. I knocked out a few good sessions- the last recorded one being 5x 10min hill climbs at an average of 451W. Of course I did too much faffing around at Ironman and subsequently missed a few days fighting a cold. Not much fun spending 3 days in a hotel bed on a tropical island.

I know its a cliche amongst athletes, but I really needed at least 4 more weeks of prep…

Too much of a road race. I dont mean to whine, but this course technically, gets easier every year. Apart from a few patches of loose pebbles, 2 turns and a few steep climbs, its really a road ride with 3000ft of climbing. What happened to laying awake the night before the race, trying to remember which gnarly root section came after the 3ft drop off? Its cool to have 500 people in the same race at the same time, but if the course gets any easier we’ll have to start calling it “Ironman.”

Too bad bad luck strikes all too often: 2 Days before Worlds Ruben Ruzafa (last years champion) crashed on the practice course and got 40 stitches, Brent McMahon was injured last minute and DNSed. Dan Hugo’s season was similar to mine- got hit by an apple truck in the spring, struggled with subsequent injuries and then finally H1N1 finished his season off- bad things happen to great athletes- its the nature of the game. Especially this one.

I fought them on the landings, I fought them in the trenches and I fought them on the beaches, but I was seeing so many stars, I cant even remember on which beach Olivier Marceau passed me for 4th.

Hindsight. After a long, hard and stressful season with seemingly more time on the massage table than in training, a $45k hospital bill (thankfully USAT took care of that), it was nice to wash away the dirt, stress and bad memories of a good season turned bad. And temporary respite from the heavy burden of being the guy who has to win.

Here is a run down of my Specialized Epic S-works for XTERRA World Champs in Maui

My Specialized Epic S-works worked like a dream, and this course is infamously tough on equipment. A lot of work has gone into the preparation of the bike for this race in particular.

- Tires. Specialized has been amazingly helpful in helping me find a tire that is truly Caveman proof. Over the past year we have had 2 extensive tire testing camps. (read more about testing on www.conradstoltz.com ) We tried numerous prototypes and found a casing that works exceptionally well. It weighs roughly 630g, rolls well at low pressures, the casing is cleverly assembled to make it supple, but most importantly it is very, very strong. In 8 months of testing I have had 2 flats: One at XTERRA Idaho where a 5 inch nail went through both sides and once when I rode over a broken bottle bottom. The tire will be called the GRID and will come in Fast Track LK, The Captain and some of the free ride tire tread patterns. Importantly, the GRID will also be available in 29"...

Because these sidewalls are so strong, you have to run really low pressure to provide a good, comfey ride. I rolled 23.5psi in the front and 27.5psi in the rear. (on "normal" courses I would go 23 and 26.5psi)

-Wheels: The Roval Controle wheels are light and strong, I can mount my tubeless tires by floor pump (YAY!!) but the coolest feature is the crumple zone. (thats what I call it anyway) If you hit a rock at high speed and low pressure, the rim dents slightly, which saves the tire from a rim cut. I have a set of "tire testing wheels" that has a few dents, but the wheels stay true, strong, and best of all, the air stays in the tire...

-Suspension. 2 weeks before Worlds I got the new Brain shock made by Specialized and Fox. It works really well, and is very reliable. Instead of the usual 180 psi I put in the "old" 2007-2009 shock, I put 210 psi in the new Fox shock. (To achieve 1cm sag for my 180lbs. (80kg))

- 180mm Cranks. My saddle height is 84cm or 33inches, (I'm 6ft3) and with legs as long as that, my new coach, Ian Rodger urged me to switch to 180mm cranks to make the most of the leverage benefit they provide. (We did some power testing at 175, 177.5 and 180mm) The conversion wasnt plain sailing though, and Garth from Specialized HQ had to do some serious squeezing to fit the Truvativ 180s into the Specialized BB.

I recently did an interview and photo session with Jamie from Singletrack.com.

Jamie: Just to confirm, how many Xterra race have you done on the Epic 29er?

Conrad: None this year. I raced Sea Otter (Short Track and XC) and Sierra 100. Last year I raced XTERRA Snow Valley on the 29er Stumpy. Because of my accident and surgery on my foot I havent had any "fun XTERRAs" where I could experiment with equipment- every race was a battle for points.

It sounded like you go with the 29er on “less” important Xterra races (which races did you run the 29er?). Instead, you are using the 26-inch, carbon dually for the big events.

Thats right. The main reason for that is the tires. I'm 180 and have a point and shoot riding style, (which favours the 29er) but last year I had a lot of flats in races. Over the off season we did a lot of tire testing with Specialized and worked on a tire with a stronger "Caveman proof" casing. I have been racing those protoypes (only available in 26") all summer and my only flat was a 5 inch nail which went through both sides of the tire. This strong casing tire is in manufacturing right now and it will be available a number of the Specialized XC tread patterns, in 26" and 29". That would allow me to race the 29er with more confidence.

The 29er Epic is alu and still a bit on the porky side- 26lbs compared to my 23.8lbs 26' carbon 26" Epic- However I 'm not much of a weight weenie and I think those few pounds would only be a disadvantage on a seriously climbing course.

Also, is the 29er more of your off-road training rig and the one you pick for technical rides (either race/training/fun?)

I ride the 29er whenever I can. Especially on technical and loose/rocky rides we have here. I ride the 2.20 Captain tires, and have a Command Post on it, so by lowering the saddle 2 or 4 inches, that bike will go just about anywhere.

I use the 26" bike only when I have to test equipment or make sure the bike is race ready.

Without going into specifics, what is the likelihood of you racing a carbon dually 29er in the near future? Or how practical would be to actually race such a rig compared to a 26er?

Chances are pretty good. I'd race a light dual suspension 29er with good suspension and strong tires at 90% of the races.

Specialized riders, like Todd Wells, are racing XC on 29 hardtails. Why haven’t you gone that direction in the big Xterra events?

The last time I rode a hard tail is 2001. Maybe I should give the 29er HT a whirl. Its such a beautiful bike. There are 2 fast and smooth XTERRA courses in the Midwest where I would consider the HT. The reason I favour the dual sus is the fact that I can ride a "relaxed" steady, TT effort which saves energy for the run. ( ie I just stay seated and plow ahead) Of course your body doesnt get a banged up on the full sus as much and you start the run fresher.

You and Ned Overend mixed it up quite a bit on the Xterra circuit in the early 2000s; physically, you two are quite different. What did you learn from him as far as the bike?

In my 1st XTERRA season 2001 I raced on borrowed bikes like this sweet Softride below- I travelled with my own 2nd hand shoes, cheap pedals and new yellow Python tires and tubes. (and speedo and running camel back!) Then I would just borrow a bike for the race. Ned was hot stuff on the XTERRA circuit then (He won Worlds in 98 and 99) obviously we raced each other throughout the season and he watched with amazement my assortment of borrowed bikes. I won most of the races, and the USA Series. Ned then asked me if I wanted to ride for Specialized. I said "sure" , knowing that usually that kind of talk leads to nothing. A week before XTERRA Worlds in Maui there was a brand new Specialized M5 with tubeless tires AND a new helmet AND new shoes on my doorstep. It was like Xmas!

I took the bike to the shop to have it built and when the guys heard the story they said "then you have to read Neds book. "Mountain bike like a Champion" " They gave me the book, and I only started reading it 4 days before Worlds. Realizing it was full of gems, reading the book was a race against the clock. (I had a lot to learn back then)

I took the book to race briefing for Ned to sign and he wrote: "Conrad, dont read this book, you are already too fast." Surely a prized possession.

I won 2001 Worlds by 10minutes. That new bike felt like a motor bike. Obviously we wanted to ink a sponsorship deal, I had no idea what to ask for, so I asked Ned. He said "ask for X", I asked for X and thats what I got.

For a guy with no sponsorship (expect for Oakley) that was a dream come true. Specialized has been a great sponsor since, and I sometimes feel sorry for the other guys who have to ride other brands.

Ned gave me 2 workouts when I asked him how to become a better climber, he said: 3x10' technical hill climbs. Start #1at about race effort and build #2 and 3 even harder. Downhill as fast as you can back to the start. The other was: find a gradual hill of 45 min and alternate between 5 min at AT and 7 min at medium pace- to simulate the varying pitches at Maui XTERRA

I see Ned at some of the events and sometimes at product testing with Specialized (we tested the current Epic in the spring of 08)- what an awesome guy. Also, he has great stories. When he was young he drove to Vegas to become a blackjack dealer, but hated Vegas so much, he drove back to CO the next day.

He is an incredibly down to earth and approachable guy- fans love Ned.

And considering Ned’s living-legend status even then, what was your strategy against him?

Make 3 minutes in the swim, (it may not be enough) and try to not give him more than 2 minutes off the run...

Especially: Whatever you do, dont race Ned at altitude or in the high mountains.

During our recent training camp in Bend, OR, I had some bike trouble. I took my bike to Hutch's Bicycles in Bend's West side. Despite their wild skills, they couldnt save my ride. I did something Caveman-esque to my mountain bike, (which, this time, not even duct tape or a tightly wound tube could fix) and had to resort to road riding that day.

The next day I borrowed a friends' 5' trail bike and Amber and I were going to ride the epic Flagline. Straight out the driveway Ambers cranks on her S-works Era almost fell off. Turns out her mechanic (also happens to be a certain "Caveman") didnt install ALL the parts required for BB assembly. I towed her to Hutch's. As usaul, he guys were great. They didnt even make too much fun of my wild wrenching skills! They fixed her BB pronto, and when we picked the bike up a little later, I noticed they even replaced the cables and housing. Seems like the Caveman also neglected to install those plastic end cap things that goes at the ends of cable housing...

We had a phenomenal ride, thanks to the cool crew at Hutch's.

When riding the trails in Central Oregon, be sure to visit them. They also rent all kind of Specialized bikes. www.hutchsbicycles.com

I trained in my old home town of Bend, Oregon for about 2 weeks. Back in 2004, as it was the Olympic year, (back then I raced triathlon at the Olympics) I was asked not train at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs anymore. From 2000 -2003 I was the US resident teams' "whipping boy" on the bike. Point taken.

My XTERRA rival Steve Larsen persuaded me to move to Bend. I packed all my belongings in the Red Rocket (1987 2 door Nissan Sentra), threw my 3 bikes on the bike rack, and drove the 3 days to Bend. (Back then my "cutting edge" Specialized bike were: Bright red 1st generation S Works Epic with very basic Brain, a very Red S works E5 alu road bike with oval tubing, and 1st generation black S-works alu Transition TT bike I called "the Black Mamba")

Steve let me stay in their guest room for a week, before passing me on to his best friend Michael Nyberg. Who worked for Marketing Sales at Rodale Press before joining Steve under Steve Larsen Commercial Real Estate.

I fell in love with Bend right away. The amazing scenery, the active, laid back people, the training and the smell of Junipers and sight of distant snow capped volcanos when you walk across the tarmac to the terminal. Which was the size of a small house then.

Since then Michael has become family. Whenever I visit Bend, I stay with him. These visits has become especially poignant since Steve's tragic death this summer.

It may be a cliche, but "Live life 100% every day."

Steve did.

Amber Monforte (my girlfriend) won Ultraman Canada this past weekend: Day 1: 10km swim 90mi bike . Day 2: 180mi bike, Day 3: 55mi run.

After taking off work and racing pro XTERRA last year, Amber went back to work and decided to try something new. Ultraman

She didnt train like crazy, but did a few 8 hr rides, a 180 mi road race in the Sierras with 20 000ft of climbing, and the Death ride (130mi). Oh yes, and a couple of 4hr trail runs. And two 2h30 swims in Lake Tahoe. And some stuff in between...

Anyway, to make a long story short, she absolutely killed it. Amber broke the swim record, (but 2 girls in front of her did too) she broke the Day 1 bike record, the Day 2 bike record, and the run record by about 45min. In total, she lopped 3h55 off the old record, which includes Worlds in Kona.

About 3 weeks before Ultraman she got a brand new Specialized Ruby Pro and Women's Specialized BG Pro shoes. She loved it, as the old Giant TCR didnt cut it anymore. Ultraman had tons of climbing and some serious headwinds- 65km at a stretch. So it was a real test for the bike. (and rider!) She especially likes the compact cranks for the big climbs, the shock absorbing Zerts and the comfey fit. As you can see in the photo, she gets really low and aero and can comfortably stay there for 8 hrs. (!?!)

Read more about Amber's Ultraman on her blog: http://ambermonforte.blogspot.com/2009/08/ultraman-canada-day-1.html

Graham and I were the support crew. Quite a process supporting someone for 3 days. (We could run with her on Day 3) Had lots of fun, and leanrt some serious respect, these athletes are amazing.

After the horrific cut and infection to my foot at XTERRA Richmond 3 weeks ago, I decided to race XTERRA North East Cup in Vermont. See graphic pics here and