Winter Training in Vail

After graduating on Middlebury’s ski slopes in the famous Feb Celebration, I drove cross-country to begin training for the upcoming racing tour. I am living in Vail with a constant flow of friends from high school and college pouring in and out of my house. I am currently housing 9 people – most are Middlebury alumni, but three are students at Columbia University who elected to skip school and turn some skis instead of pages. Good choice boys!

I’ve adapted my normal training with some new ideas from Chris Carmichael and a book on paleolithic nutrition. Yesterday I woke up at 6:30 to get in a good cross-country ski (skate) before leaving for a day of downhill skiing at Vail. At night I worked in about 45 minutes of intervals on my stationary bicycle while my friends made a Mexican feast. I ended the night watching Apolo Ohno win yet another medal – I watched TV with my legs resting up against the wall to drain acid from my abused thighs.

I’ve been hiking up to the top of Vail Mountain once a week and doing lots of telemark skiing as a substitute for lifting. My friend Dan Rosemarin has also introduced me to core workouts called “decks of cards” – take a deck of cards and do sit-ups for every red card and back bends for every black card.

Long Trail Brewery has come through for me in a huge way! They’ve put money in my pocket and clothes on my back. The company is planning to use my tour promotionally by putting my racing calendar and photos on their website. Long Trail’s funding has allowed me to register for more races than I ever thought possible. I am already registered for road and mountain bicycle races in California, Utah, New Mexico, and Texas. I have plans for races in Oregon, Colorado, and at least two other states. Thanks Long Trail!

Sponsorships and Cross Training

Hi everyone! This has been a week of big developments for the Death Race For Life Project. Direct donations broke $2,000, pledged donations are up to 23 cents per mile, and I found a sponsor! Long Trail Brewery and I are hammering out the last details of sponsorship deal. In exchange for funding I'll be wearing their jerseys, spreading their name west, and endorsing them every step of the way (starting with this blog). Long Trail has officially made this tour possible by paying for all my race registrations, travel costs, repairs, gear, and food. That's what local brands and micro "craft" brews are all about - supporting and investing in the community! Long Trail and Otter Creek really are delicious beers, and I hope you will grab a six pack next time you have the chance.

I've been doing loads of cross training via nordic skiing, lifting, squash, and most recently, kayaking. Check out the video!

More to come soon, so check back often.

My most recent donor skiing in Dubai (largest indoor ski area in the world!)

Brett Perlmutter, one of my closest friends and one of the most inspiring people I know, has just donated to my cause and launched a personal campaign to promote my mission. Brett tells everyone we meet that I am "Death Racing," and goes on to promote the project in a way that only Bretty P can. Thanks so much Brett! Your effort is making a big difference - I have raised over $2,500 (1/4 of my goal) between direct donations and mileage pledges.

Back Country Ski Trip

Just got back from a three day hut trip in the White River National Forest near Vail, CO. I set out into the woods with sixteen friends. We found bottomless snow, hours of arduous climbing (about 6,000 feet), elevations above 11 and 12 thousand feet, and perfect powdery landing pads for the jumps we built. We spent two nights in Eisman Hut, which is maintained by the 10th Mountain Division.

On the way out, our group splintered, and half of us got lost in the woods. Terrifying. We eventually found our way out, but we had to hike through tight woods, avalanche chutes, and waist deep snow. Take a look at the full length video (9 minutes) to see all our flips, 360's, powder runs, vistas, and the path back to civilization: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMV55q3K9cE

The trip totally drained me - a combination of cold, elevation, and hours of trekking with heavy packs makes for a great workout. I'm planning more backcountry trips in VT and CO for base training and conditioning before I start my racing tour. Stay tuned for more!

Full Candidacy Video Published to Death Race Site

Click HERE to see the candidacy videos from contestants in the 2010 Death Race. Check mine out, I'm #66!

My Death Race Candidacy Video (Teaser)

The race requires each contestant to submit a video detailing his or her athletic history, training, experience, etc. My video is just about done, and I’ve loaded a short clip of it here (below).

It’s worth your time to watch a few of the videos already on the site. Some are absurd, some are legit. There are a good number of guys from the Marines and Navy SEALS along with a few Iron Men and ultra-marathoners. There is also a guy whose video is just him solving a rubix cube. One guy's video shows him chugging a milk glass of maple syrup, then cuts to a clip of him winning a marathon…

Finding the Death Race

The Death Race is an annual event held by Peak Races in Pittsfield, Vermont. I found the race last year when the assistant swim coach at Middlebury invited me to a “workout” at the Peak training facility. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I was told to arrive at 4:30 in the morning with my bike and workout clothes.

The training facility was a huge barn that had been converted into a sixty-bed bunk room. Peak brings athletes from around the country to train at this place. Last I heard, the US national women’s wrestling team was in the middle of a two hour set of jumping jacks after two hours of rock climbing and an hour of hot yoga in the custom built yoga studio.

The “workout” consisted of chopping logs, moving boxes of dirt, building a stone wall, hauling wooden beams, running up a mountain with sledge hammers and tractor tires multiple times, a 42 mile bike ride over two passes, and an hour long circuit of Cross Fit style weight lifting. We started with about fifteen athletes ranging from body builders to cross country skiers. After eight or nine hours of exercise, there were five people left, and Andy asked me to join the 2010 Death Race.