The difference a year makes.

It's been a year since I've posted anything on this. Facebook blogs are just easier. But good lord. I just read my little synopsis of the Seven Springs Bike Park. One year ago... that really was sort of the dawn of the current age, so to speak. The article I wrote didn't go into detail about how much things really changed after the first time I got back on my bike. I'll try and get back up to speed here.

A few days after this, I brought an old BMX friend, BJ, up to the bike park. He loved it, and went as far as to buy a downhill bike immediately. A Specialized BigHit. I thought I would be stuck on the Azonic forever.

In late June, Seven Springs announced the FreeRide weekend on July 14 and 15. A two day free lift ticket weekend. BJ and I made plans to camp during it.

July 5, Adam throws me awkwardly into his pool. I land on my heel and nearly break my foot. It feels absolutely terrible for the next several weeks, including the FreeRide weekend.

The FreeRide weekend is a blast. Seven Springs opens two new expert-level trails, EC and Super Connector. Met lots of cool riders, saw some people get life-flighted, watched BJ bodyslam a tree, and got REAL drunk at the Bavarian. BJ and I each won drinking contests to take the top two prizes: a Fox backpack and a Fox Downhill helmet. Just try and beat me at chugging two successive beers.

Riding becomes more important than work. I decide to stay manager of Sunglass Hut until I can purchase a freeride bike, then quit. I start to look for mellower, more part-time jobs and in early August, begin delivering pizza to help fund a vacation and a freeride bike.

I help out the head mechanic from Seven Springs, and he assures me I won't have to pay to ride for the remainder of the season.

In mid August, I stop into Bike Line in Greensburg, PA to purchase a new tire for my Azonic. I see a 2005 Trek Session 77 Freeride bike in the corner of the showroom and jokingly inquire about the price. "Probably less than $1000. Let me check." I'm told. When I'm quoted at $800 out the door, I hand him $100 to hold the bike and vow to return when I receive my next paycheck. I show up two weeks later and purchase the bike.

The new bike is amazing. I can ride faster, harder, and longer than I had ever imagined. But I can't get the fork dialed in. I also start shutting my phone off when riding, no longer caring about my job. As far as I'm concerned, Sunglass Hut served its purpose. I don't need the money anymore.

Seven Springs announces the Almost FreeRide weekend. Professional demos from top Freeride dudes, half price lift tickets, and lots of novice riders. One of them is sitting right after the drop-off on Super Connector. I swerve to miss him, and am tossed over the bars. I break my rear derailleur and derailleur hanger in the process. I ride my almost-new bike chainless for the remainder of the weekend.

BJ takes the rest of the season off to work on MMA training. I start riding with some of the Park Crew guys, and a few local riders, all of whom are very, very fast. I improve exponentially and am wondering if I should start racing again.

I consider stopping at Wisp on the way back from Myrtle Beach for a Gravity East race, but decide that after a week of vacationing, I will want to go home. Besides, I need to find a new apartment.

Start looking for one-bedroom apartments in Greensburg, and have a really tough time finding one I like. Settle on one in the not-so-nice part of town.

Continue riding almost every weekend through September, while trying to work two jobs and prepare for the move. Get little accomplished.

Move. Learn that the upstairs neighbor is terminally psychotic. Immediately gather my valuables and prepare to live with my parents for a few weeks until I can find something better.

Wind up finding a nice two-bedroom apartment in the nice part of town for only $50 more than the dump I was moving into. Accept the fact that I am going to have a tough time getting everything out of the other place and into the new place.

Hang up the bike after my first full season of riding. Make plans to race in the spring, should an event happen anywhere near me.

Move. Have no stress relief, work 70 hours a week, and become generally miserable.

In November, only a few days before "Black Friday", quit managing Sunglass Hut without notice. Immediately regain some sanity.

Start working on things I need to do for the 2009 season. Start eating better, start working out more, start downloading lots of bike-related movies. ha.

January 15, slip on icy steps during a pizza delivery. Break right leg. I am out of work for 6 weeks and my training is halted.

March, start the South Beach Diet and drop 20 lbs immediately. Return to the gym, working out several days a week. Leg has healed, but not enough to ride.

Drop bike off at Trek Pittsburgh to do a complete overhaul, fix shifting, and add an e-thirteen chainguide.

Late March, start building dirt jumps with BJ. Check on Seven Springs opening date, and am disappointed to find it's not until May 23.

Mid April, smoke my final cigarette. I haven't touched one since.

Find schedule for Gravity East 2009. Plan on racing at Wisp, MD and Seven Springs.

Pick up bike. Start riding street in Greensburg to re-familiarize myself with my freeride bike.

May 17, first day of the new season. Ride at Wisp, MD. Did bigger drops than I ever have, some in excess of 10 vertical feet. Deal with the extremely slow lift.

May 23, show up for first chair at Seven Springs opening day. Ride with some of the dudes from last year. I am disappointed at the apparent lack of progress in the off-season. Offer to work or even volunteer at the bike park.

May 30, ride all day.

Discover dirt jumps in a potential downhill trail location in Greensburg. Start building new lines.

June 6, ride with BJ. Start picking lines through the race course, which is Upper EC1 to Lower 007. A heavy pedaling course with very few tech-y sections. Not my cup of tea at all. Break my chain on the third to last run. Tell some other riders I plan on racing Category 3. At their suggestion, I decide to race Category 2, one step below Semi-Pro.

June 13, practice day. Ride from ten until four. Find some new lines, and totally dial in my run. Become very skeptical about racing Category 2, almost rescind my decision and drop down to Category 3 upon seeing other riders in my category.

June 14. Race Day. Get a few practice runs in. Sore and tired from the day before, nail an almost perfect run, but am somewhat slow in the pedaling sections. Finish 19th in a field of 37, with my time only 11 seconds behind the fastest run of the day. Had I raced Category 3, I would have finished second, but I feel it would have been a bit of an empty victory. Ride with faster riders, and YOU get faster. I'm all Category 2 right now, and if all goes well, I'll be in Category 1 next season.

As of right now, June 16, it's less than a month into the season. I feel great. Riding my bike is one of the only things my life really revolves around right now. If a day passes and I'm not on my bike, I feel a bit empty. Like I'm not getting enough out of every day. I do plan on racing again in the near future, and taking trips to Diablo and Snowshoe, two east-coast freeride meccas. But as I type this, I'm burning daylight. It's a good day to ride.





Th