Oh yes, I am a serious race fan. I enjoy watching the athleticism of athletes that play stick and ball sports, but nothing gets me quite as excited as motor racing! I am a competitor; I've been this way my entire life. I love the adrenaline rush of racing toe to toe with some one or something. My beloved sport of motocross melded together the best of both worlds, extreme athleticism of the rider and the raw mechanical power of a finely tuned race bike. There are many forms of motor racing; my two favorites are of course "motocross" and NHRA "drag racing". I grew up around both sports and have a deep appreciation for the technical skill involved in both, although different. I spent my weekend relaxing...Sleeping, eating and watching my favorite race teams compete for championship titles. A nice dip in the Jacuzzi soothed my achy body and relaxed me further, provoking a laidback posture in front of the TV. I still ride a fine line mentally; watching now, rather than being out on the track has its frustrations. I now channel that competitive edge into my health, challenging myself to step up to my expectations. As far as the adrenaline factor, well, I can only pedal so fast and Toot's doesn't think jumping a tandem bicycle 80 feet is a good idea, so....For now, I race vicariously through my friends on TV, clinching the couch over every jump, or setting up a make-shift accelerator pedal for my recliner chair so I can practice stepping on the gas when the green light flashes. I'm pretty sure 60% of my blood is gasoline...Is that healthy?

Release your worries...Subconscious tension, emotional stress, and physical neglect can lead one to a vicious cycle of turmoil, ultimately causing mental and physical illness. What do I do? Well, I get a message. My weekend was mellow and overall restful, however, as I've stated before to much rest leads to rust. My legs were extremely tight this morning. Taylor and Toot's stretched me like a wishbone to lengthen my chronically tight adductor muscle group (inner leg). Straight from the stretch table to the bike seat was how my morning progressed. Toots and I always shake each others hand after every productive ride, today a solid ride was good cause for a firm congratulatory handshake. I make it a point to visit a message therapist at least twice a month, even if it's at the cost of a good concert. My priorities are to my body, everything else is what I consider small stuff. If I am not well, then everything else suffers too. So placing my physical, mental and emotional wellbeing first allows for optimal output performance in all other aspects of life.

Uhhhhhggggg! I can feel my system fighting some kind of sick bug. This morning I was extremely tired for no apparent reason. My workout was weak; I fought severe spasticity through most of my routine. A sub par appetite resulted in a lack of energy, and my clear mind turned to a cluttered mush. The timing of this ailment is less than good; I have numerous scheduled events planned for the next two weeks. I hope tonight's rest que's my immune system to kick butt, otherwise my castle of organized plans may come crashing down...I will rebuild.

American Idol...Pat Rummerfield a true inspiration to me and many around the world. I read about Pat and his amazing story of recovery in the early days after I was injured. I learned through Pat's story to remove the time limit on my recovery process. It took Pat over 3 years to stand, walk, and regain use of his hands. Another 17 more years and he was running, competing in the Iron Man Triathlon, and driving race cars. Tonight I was honored to meet the man face to face with a handshake and long dialog about injury, race cars, and how we envision the future of ongoing therapeutic exercise. Toot's and I received a last minute invitation by our dear friends the McNamara family, to attend a charitable fund raising event held in Corona California, at the Trilogy golf club, hosted by The James family. Ricky James is a former amateur motocross racer who suffered a spinal cord injury while competing. He and I have heard about one another but have never met until tonight. The evening was spectacular, making new friends, building new bridges of hope, inspiring each other for our individual fight, collectively standing together with a common goal...a brighter tomorrow.

I've said it before...Together-Each-Achieves-More. Today a group of Taylor's clients met at a disclosed location to train in a group setting. Awesome! That's what I have to say. When working together at the same time under one roof, with the music up and the distractions down, you can really feel the energy. Counting repetitions together, coaching each other to push a little harder, feels great. From my perspective today's session went well, everyone seemed to get a good workout and was motivated to continue working long after the group session ended. I look forward to working out with these guys again; combining this type of setting in with my regular program adds an element of fun and satisfaction knowing my friends are benefiting from my efforts, as I feed off theirs...Nice job fellas!

I'm off for a little R&R...I have just ended a six week training cycle and have planned a little trip as my active recovery period. I like to train hard for 6 to 8 weeks at a time building layers of solid fitness. My last cycle was spent strengthening my knee and ankle, readying myself for some serious miles on the bike. The timing of this rest break is perfect, I will be attending the US Open Supercross race in Las Vegas where I'll watch a few of my old racing rivals duke it out on the track built inside the MGM Grand Casino. I then hop on a plane and jump the puddle over to the Island of Maui where I will kick my feet up with a margarita for some calming rest. Then it's back to Las Vegas for the Powerade Drag Racing series where I will join my friends the "Pedregons" as they race their 8000 horsepower, 330 mph, fire breathing, drag cars for the championship. I am excited to test my progress; I like these types of adventures because traveling like this is very challenging for me. That's why I call it an "ACTIVE" rest break. I will be on the go the moment I get in my car tomorrow. Please bear with me; I do not own a laptop computer so updating this website may prove difficult. I will post my journal entries whenever possible. ~Mahalo ;)

Independent and loving it! I am currently in Las Vegas where over the weekend I joined friends at the MGM Grand Hotel/Casino for the US Open Supercross race held inside the Garden Arena. I make it a point to attend the most prestigious events in the motocross industry held throughout the year, maintaining my friendships with riders, mechanics, and sponsors alike. Staying in Las Vegas is way out of my comfort zone, walking long distances across sprawling casino floors, amongst the herds of people is not all that enjoyable. Slot machines ringing, drunken party goers stupering over their obnoxious gossip, and clouds of cigarette smoke cause for great distraction, not to mention the retina siring false light flashing endlessly in this city that never sleeps. I do enjoy my many little milestones I make along the way though...Negotiating my way confidently to and from the hot spots are in my mind great achievements, exactly why I spend so much time training my body...Independence! I have met some new faces over the past couple days, one of whom is named James. Brian introduced me to James; a recovering c-5 quadriplegic, and fellow race fan. I can tell you, my body is fighting the late night escapades, a dramatic shift in lifestyle. I know my limits and abide by them; I am feeling good considering the change. I look forward to Maui; we fly out of Vegas Wednesday at 6 am. I will continue to post journal entries when internet access is available. Until then...

Aloha!  I am here on the island of Maui soaking in the sun and fun.  Our travel yesterday was surprisingly smooth, negotiating ticket lines, security checks, and baggage claims, proved easier this trip compared to my last, an obvious improvement.  I love the island climate, it makes my mind and body feel great, the warm humid air seems to invoke healing and growth in all life...The copious amounts of lush plant/animal life is a testament to this feeling.  I am enjoying myself tremendously; today we awoke early and joined Brian's family for breakfast at a local cottage by the beach, coffee, orange juice and eggs benedicts satisfied my hungry belly.  Brian and I then went to the dive shop and rented some snorkeling equipment for the week.  14 mile marker on the west side of the island was the reef we snorkeled; I have been there before but with much more assistance and difficulty.  I am extremely happy with how well I performed today, getting in and out of the water unassisted, and kicking continuously with fins on for a good hour.  I feel surprisingly energized compared to the last time I snorkeled which completely drained me.  I look forward to tomorrow's adventures.   

Island life...  Waking up to the sound of crashing waves just outside the window is motivation for days of adventure.  The water is bathtub warm and baby blue, again we swam with the sharks.  The reef we like to snorkel has shark warning signs posted on the beach, a slight discomfort before entering the water.  Brian and I shop at a local farmers market in the morning for island fruits and homemade breads.  We pack these snacks in my back pack and head out for the day.   Yesterday we drove to the summit of Maui's largest volcano.  10,023 feet was the elevation at the top where we walked above the clouds, and gazed into the deep crater of creation.  After our journey to the volcano we stopped to visit a truly unique German chap named Wolfgang.  A sprawling property overlooking the west bay of Maui was the setting for a pasta dinner and an evening of Formula 1 racing on TV.  I was all to happy to watch the racing on TV while I pedaled a recumbent bicycle, working my already tired legs.  Jacuzzi's, BBQ's, and random adventures to the local motocross track, kart track, drag strip and sugar cane factory fills our days to capacity making for sleep that literally makes me drool.

Short and sweet...My trip to Maui was amazing.  From white sand shores to the lush canopy of the islands rain forest, to the moonscape land atop the volcano, Maui offered a plethora of beautiful backdrops for self reflection.  I enjoyed every moment of every minute I was there.  Our travels yesterday were eventful.  Brian needed to return early for business purposes so we boarded standby in Maui which proved hectic once we landed in Los Angeles.  Making sure we rode the same airplane as our luggage from L.A. to Las Vegas took some negotiating with the United Airlines customer service.  In the end we arrived in Las Vegas at 12:15am luggage and all where we were met by a friend of Brian's.  I am currently readjusting to the mainland time which is 3 hours ahead, unpacking dirty clothes and gearing up for another weekend of racing.  I am in full vacation mode right now, but I am also eager to get back to work.  I have visualized my training routine many times while relaxing with nothing to do. 

The Iron Man Triathlon took place in Kona a few days ago; there were a couple athletes that sat next to us on the airplane.  One of the men asked how I did in the competition, presuming I was a fellow competitor.  I immediately showed him my cane and told him I'd be participating in 2010.  The athletes comment made my day!  To know an elite athlete recognized me as a fellow fitness freak and overlooked my injury felt good.  I will continue to enjoy this active rest break, and will return ready to train like an iron man...Get ready Toot's!!!

Returning to the land of the lights for some serious racing!  Talk about contrast; going from the quiet, peacefully serene environment of Maui to the ear splitting, smoke filled race track in Las Vegas is my way of balancing my complex interests.  These events are held at large sprawling motor racing facilities, so transportation to and from the grandstands, pit area and parking lot is usually by golf cart, fancy feet or as in my case a Go-Ped scooter.  People regularly ask where they can get a two wheeled scooter like mine, truth is, we built my scooter from many parts supplied by Go-Ped (custom).  I am a terror on that thing, zipping in and out of crowds of people, blazing around the entire complex with a cheesy racer grin on my face.  Riding my Go-Ped scooter is fun and makes my day at the races much more enjoyable knowing if I need to get somewhere quickly like the restroom or my vehicle all I have to do is ride that thing as fast as it will go. Between the long days at the race track and late nights on the town I thoroughly tested my mind and body's strength and endurance.

I capped off my 17 day active rest period by washing dishes, doing laundry, and cleaning Brian's house, all things I am not accustomed to doing while living under my mom's roof.  I took great pride in my homemaking skills, sitting back with a cup of tea satisfied with how well I fold clothes. These simple tasks may not seem like real strenuous work, but for me, combining everything, in addition to all the travel and wild times, these chores were a certified workout routine.  In all, my trip was awesome, stronger than I've ever been; I surprised myself many times, setting milestones along the way.  I am happy to be home sleeping in my own bed and am eager to get back to work.

Ooohhh the ache...This is when training can get really difficult.  A normal rest break for me is usually 5 to 7 days, I return to my fitness program refreshed, stronger and ready to rock!  Going for extended periods of time (my trip- 17 days) without proper stretching, cardio fitness and strength training I suffer degenerative effects like, muscle tone, spastisity, and weight loss.  Yes, my trip was an "active" rest break and it challenged me physically in many ways, there is just no substitute for a quality fitness program.  I know I will suffer more than usual this week as I acclimate my body back to peak performance; my muscles will ache, my lungs will burn and my mind will struggle with the onslaught of fatigue symptoms I will present.  However, I know that nothing in life worth having comes easy, and as long as I keep going, giving my best, I will rise above the temporary suffering to heights of self satisfaction.

Over the last six and a half years I have experienced many moments of chaotic confusion, frustration that seemed to blind my every thought, times that, in the moment seemed to have no answer and no end.  I like to analyze every aspect of my thought process; why and what brought me to that state of emotion and thinking.  We are all too often overwhelmed by our emotions, consuming rational thought.  One of my life goals is to better understand myself and the processes leading to these states of dark.  How can I learn from this?  What is it teaching me?  Why do I feel this way? What I have found through long hard self exploration is; the answers are all here, within me already, perfect in my existence.  The better I understand this, the more aware and open I am to these frustrations, emotions, and turbulent thoughts, allowing them to arise and then fall like the ebb and flow of the sea, thus the greater the connection and understanding I have with myself and others.

I share this topic of clarity because, in the past, whenever I have returned home from an independent journey, I would usually go through a phase of frustration, confusion, for what I used to think was no apparent reason.  On my excursions I experience myself as a self reliant, creatively resilient 26 year old man, forging my way unassisted, without the slightest thought of my condition or limitations.  I am in survival mode, a sort of "Do or Die" mind frame.  There is no room for second guessing my ability; this is what I train for...My independence! 

The difference between this trip and my last is; Clarity...I understand my processes better, I allow for unease as I return, I communicate my thoughts clearer, exposing distress, diffusing the source, absorbing the lesson at hand.  I feel a turning point for myself; my mom says she feels the same.  She told me I seem older to her, which may be. 

Sitting atop a Volcano; our earths life vein, high above the ordinary disconnect of our perceived reality, I must have dissolved a little, connecting, unaware, to a higher self.

A mid week surprise full of energy...My workout today was made fun by straining along side my pal Derek.  I have not seen Derek for quite a while and working with him today he showed great improvement.  Derek is recovering from a spinal cord injury he suffered while snow boarding.  His family has left no stone unturned in his process, even to the extent of sending him to China for the experimental Stem Cell transplant surgery.  Today Derek impressed me tremendously with his focus and progress.  I applaud anyone who works hard, and today I applaud Derek. 

On a more unique note, I was introduced to a powerfully energetic man named KJ and his truly unique son Hawk.  KJ brought Hawk to work with Taylor and approached me while I was in mid strain, performing a back exercise.  I felt tremendous life energy from the man and his gaze, I immediately stopped my workout.  His words to me were of thanks, stating he had read an article about my mom and I in the Malibu Times News paper and how we inspire he and his wife.  KJ's little boy Hawk suffered two strokes as an infant and was given a grim chance of survival.  To be around the magnificent display of a healthy young life today showed me further the infinite possibilities of love, perseverance and energy.  It was a great honor and pleasure to meet these two amazing individuals.  I look forward to further energetic encounters with these universally connected people.

My mom was laughing at me this morning while trying to wake me up.  She said my mouth was wide open and drooling, when she asked if I were awake, only one eye partially cracked in an attempt to acknowledge her.  The problem is, I don't remember her waking me at all...I don't even know how I got dressed or walked out to the car to go to the gym.  I was a total zombie for the first hour of our workout.  Finally, after a cup of tea and a foul cup of coffee I came around.  I have not been in that kind of morning haze for quite awhile.  When I finally rubbed all the sleep from my eyes I got down to business and put in three solid hours of training.  Can you guess what I did when I got home?  Yeah, I fell asleep.  Well, I won't argue with my body, if it needs sleep, then it needs sleep, right?

I am extremely happy with how well my body responded to my fitness program this week.  I was expecting to suffer much more than I actually did.  Today my vitality was high; the extra sleep yesterday must have done me some good.  Minus the mid week spastisity, and Thursday's sleep hang over, I feel great!  A soak in the Jacuzzi tonight was just the way to cap off my first week back.  So far my knee is stable with little awareness or pain.  This is a green light for some good long miles on the bike.  I pedaled the stationary trainer four out five days this week; two of those bouts were without a knee strap, a big improvement!  Now I all I have to do is layer a few more weeks like this one before I take time off for Thanksgiving.  I shouldn't have a problem; the time away has helped me see how much I do enjoy training my body.  Fitness is fun!!!

I was surfing the web today and came across this amazing photograph of Lance Armstrong.  I am a student of the body; one day a formal one, with books and a class schedule, but for now I study by observing, listening and feeling my own kinesiology (movement and the body).  The human body is miraculously magnificent, in all its complexity.  The physical feats one can obtain through a focused effort are astounding.  This picture displays a mechanical, almost machine-like posture, every muscle tissue working synergistically, contracting, stabilizing, powering through time and space.  I love these types of images!  Shot's like these help me better visualize my own body, working perfectly in every movement.  I aspire to optimal health, whatever that is.  No, I won't ride the Tour De France, but I might look like this and pop a wheelie through your neighbor hood ;)

My Road 2 Recovery consists of pedaling a tandem bicycle with my mom "Toots" down HWY 126 this morning.  What a beautiful Fall day; a tem prêt blue sky, slight southern sea breeze and an open road winding through a painted valley.  Obviously we weren't the only one's to enjoy this day from the seat of a bicycle.  We accompanied countless other cyclists along our route, smiling and waving as we past.  The best part of our ride today was the fact that I felt good.  I didn't wear any type of ankle or knee bracing and maintained a relatively low rate of perceived pain throughout the ride.  Even now as I type, both my knee and ankle feel good, if you could see me now...you'd see me smiling.  The second half of my day was spent at a friend's freestyle motocross jump compound, where I and 50 or so people watched him jump his motorcycle 150 feet up a hill and over my truck.  He was filming for a new dirt bike video and this dare devil feat will no doubt be apart of the highlight reel. 

It may be October 31st, Halloween for most, a night filled with spooks and ghouls, candy and parties, but for me it's just an average day.  Another productive day of training and riding, eating and sleeping. I unfortunately declined a few festive gathering where friends are most likely dressed in costumes resembling block buster movie characters or blood soaked zombies.  This is where maintaining my focus on my larger goal is mandatory.  A small sacrifice such as bowing out of an evening of parties with friends is of low importance to a greater mission.  I have come to understand this, and so have most of my close friends.  I believe there is a time and place for everything and a Monday night Halloween party just doesn't cut it for me.  Things seem to be clicking right now, I will ride this positive momentum for all it's worth...I embrace the good days and learn from the bad.  Happy Halloween!!!