Wow. An 18 day film shoot in the Mexican and Guatamalan jungle. We had a great time. Exhausting. Hot. Sweaty. Humid. But a great time none the less. We got incredible footage at places like Tikal, Teotihuacan, Palenque, and several more. We spent nights in junky little towns, 5 star hotels, and a riverside lodge deep in the jungle where I huddled under a mosquito net, a sweaty mass of unrest.

It is good to be home. I am ready to get back into my everyday rythym of life. Moab looms large, and I could not be more excited. A month off the bike has left me hungry for some suffering. Where my fitness level is anyone's guess, but my mind and body feel renewed and ready for one more major effort before the winter sets in.

Over the next little while I will post pictures and other highlights of my time in Central America.

I will be in Mexico from September 10th through September 28th.

But don't worry, the regular scheduled blog will pick up again as soon as I am home. In the meantime, happy trails!

I had more E100 thoughts, but they seemed to have escaped me. The 24 Hours of Soldier Hollow has been cancelled. I can't say I am totally surprised. It is a shame though, because that venue could support a pretty good 24 hour event.

I think I must be going through a mental vacation from training and racing right now. It actually feels pretty good. I am not plotting my next race, or training ride. I am not analyzing data from past events, or scowering the web for info about future courses or competition. I am just letting everything in the bike world pass on by as I get ready to leave the country for a while.

I am disapointed that I will miss most of September's riding. Fall here is amazing. The trails are covered in leaves, the hills colorful, the temps perfect, and generally the masses have put away thier bikes and saddles and 4 wheelers and hiking boots. Which leaves the trails to ourselves for a while. Dave has a nice write-up about the draw of fall riding, check it out.

I am looking forward to returning from my trip, then gearing up to finish out '06 with a bang. Moab is such a great way to end a season. This year will be no exception. I can almost smell the smoky campfire laden air, feel the crip fall desert air, and the sand filling my shoes....ah yes, Moab is a great way to end the season.

In the results category, I finished up fairing pretty well in the two series I participated in this year. I finished first in the E100 Overall for my age group (Dave H. took home the real overall honors) and I also finished 3rd overall in my age group in the Rocky Mountain Ultra Series. It has been a good summer of racing. I was thinking back on it yesterday...all the alpine singletrack, the PC trails, the endless climbing and roller coaster descents, I really coudn't ask for more from the events I did this year, and they were all in-state. It doesn't get much better than that.

Well. Last week I learned just how taxing the E100 was. I woke up Tuesday with achy joints and a head cold. I am still getting over those symptoms. My bike remains hanging in the garage, Park City mud still caked to the down tube, the number plate still zip tied to my cables. I spent a few days down in St. George watching TV and lying beside the pool. That was relaxing. This coming week I will ride a bit, but mostly it will be focused on my upcoming trip to Central America. 18 days in Mexico and Guatemala are approaching fast.

Look tomorrow for some more E100 thoughts....