Get to Your Goals Racing Your Mountain Bike

August 23, 2023

Over the Hump Winter 2024 Registration is now open with perks

Ready – Set Your Goals – GO!

Yes, this can be you, too!

I’m talking G-O-A-L-S! Life Changing Initiatives that will make you and the world a better place.You just need to get access to the part of you that dreams. Mine have been sleepy since 2020 when my Travel Operation shut down as a result of the 5 letter word we don’t Speak C0<!$ sucked the air out of my lungs, and changed my planned trajectory.

So if you don’t know what racing will feel like or need a place to try your race pace in a fun local regular place, Brian McCullough says

“OTH is like a “stadium”. In cycling the open roads and trails are our stadium, which offers great freedom and variety, but it also makes it difficult to break down skills and systems into chunks that we can train, measure, and improve upon. OTH, because of its weekly nature, similar courses, and solid competition allows us as Coaches to hone in on what an Athlete needs to improve and give them tools to apply, week over week, to see significant improvement. That’s something that is much more difficult on a short or multi-venue series. “

For me my life goals are most realized when I have also have some “important to me fun goals”. Start achieving little ones and you’ll see the momentum building. So as I am staring the big Five-OHHH! in the face I had a couple realizations (disclaimer I’m gonna get a little personal here, and it has nothing to do with Racing Your Mountain Bike…until it does). If you’re still reading this is for you.

REGISTER ONLINE NOW FOR THE BEST VALUE:

Adult / Youth SEASON PASS $100 ($150 value)
Kids 6-11 Years SEASON PASS $50 ($90 VALUE)

*All Winter Season Passes = 3 race pass, no clunky cash register lines day of race , and a free Event T-shirt… Bonus: before September 30th and get THE 15 Year Anniversary Hat!

Regardless of your current life state, or what you want to accomplish in the next 1, 3, 5 and 10 years. Getting an athletic goal in front of you is important (whether it’s putting OTH, a 5k or a Century Road Ride on the radar).

Mountain Bike Racing changed my life. Not kidding, it CHANGED MY LIFE.

20 years ago, this upcoming winter, I crashed a motorcycle into an oncoming pickup truck. Recovering I spent 30 days in the hospital, 3 months in a wheel chair and 5 months on crutches. I thought my life was over….until I realized it wasn’t. 3 years later I was rehabbed enough to get on a bike, to get back to skiing. Turns out in San Clemente there are more trails than snow…and they are there 12 months a year.

Mountain Bike Racing (well riding at the time) brought me back from a pretty crumby place.

I’m a competitor and fighter (survivor) at heart, so at 30yrs old, being knocked down, divorced, emotionally frail, and living with my mom and dad took ALL of the wind out of my sails. I didn’t feel like much of an accomplished person, and I knew I needed to get some traction.

Matt raced Vision Quest as his first mountain bike race ever, in March of 2008 as a goal to motivate him toward fitness while recovering from a near fatal motorcycle accident four years prior.

SOOO, I signed up for a race. And not just any race, a stretch race. Vision Quest 2008 was 4 years to the day after my March 3, 2004 catastrophe. I asked two friends to join me and we set out on an epic training and racing adventure.

This year I am teeing up some big events again. Milestones, that also have lined up with me exiting a chapter: The Matt of 3 years of post C0<!$ Heating and Cooling Sales guy! *BTW I love the people and opportunity I had at Mountain Heating and Cooling. Because they took a risk on me and I learned a new industry, and achieved hanging onto our home and life in a new city with very few contacts. Our girls stayed in their schools, and we have made serious traction.

As you already know, after a 2 year break Over the Hump returned to SoCal. AND I’m heavier than I was, in 2019. All that change came with a lot of stress, not the perfect match for my passion-driven career toolbox, and an extra 30 lbs on a 190lb frame.

But, I’m coming back! 2 months ago I weighed 220lbs. I have not been below 200 in four years, until 4 weeks ago. That journey started with setting a goal, to do some events and cross the Five-OHH in December at 190…I’m currently 200lbs and racing this weekend. That, and I’ve started a new career chapter, am riding my bike more, and spending more time with my family and close friends. Finances are improving everyday, so is my energy and passion for life, love, faith and people!

With these little wins are AWESOME and empowering. Just like your Over the Hump journey will be. Let’s be honest the 5 mile dirt course that you’ll race this winter will not change your life by itself; it will change your outlook. Because a 30 story stairway takes 1 step at a time to climb.

Dave Marietti and Matt Wenger Hot Shoppe Designs.

I talked Dave Marietti at Hot Shoppe Designs into coming back to race, when we road in Bozeman, MT this past July.

I talked to my friend Brian at Big Wheel Coaching about my race goals for this weekend’s Big Sky Biggie, and he broke it down for me this week.

What were my time goals?
What was nutrition plan?
Did I know how to taper/adjust this week’s training before the event, or how to warm up the morning up…

But one question we don’t know yet is (And Brian cannot fill in this answer): How will I feel and perform this weekend? That’s only something the event itself will do for me.

That’s why I’m planning to do some racing this year. I’m curious to see what I can do. How far I can push myself, and one of the events I have on my personal race calendar (to pedal, not just emcee and make fun of us all) is Over the Hump Mountain Bike Race Series Winter Edition, kicking off Saturday, January 13, in Orange County, CA.