So people are always asking me what i do for my job.  So i decided to post a new clip on a study we're doing with IU and the Indianapolis Fire Department.

I also posted a really kinda scary vid of how dangerous fire fighting can be when a fire fighter gets caught in a flashover trying to search a room for a possibly entraped person.  No one luckily was in the room and the IFD capt. who got caught in the room as ok, other than some second degree burns.

So check out the vids.

Well it’s been a year that I’ve been using Motor Tabs as my sports drink or choice.  I really had never heard of them prior to that.  I had seen the logos on Michellie Jones’s, but really didn’t give them much thought.

So happens they were also a sponsor of the Southridge Racing Series and I won a box of them in a raffle. Up to this point I think I had used tried every major sports drink on the planet, so some so-so success.  One problem I really have is a sweat like a race horse when I’m training/racing and on top of that my sweat is really salty, I mean you could make a land speed record run on me after a ride on a hot day.  On top of that my stomach seems to not be happy while I’m exercising. 

Needless to say hydration has been a big issue for me, both in something that has enough salt, and that I can drink in the quantities I need.

Well all I can say is thank goodness I won that box. Because for the past year I’ve been able to train like I’ve never been able to do.  Motor Tabs hit the spot for me.  Just the right amount of flavor and salt in them, I can drink them all day long without any stomach issues.  The tab format is great for taking them on long rides when you need to make a pit stop for more supplies, and it also makes it easier to mix and match flavors to change up your drink flavors.

My personal mixture of choice has been 2 tabs per bottle.  I really like the lemon lime on its own, and have been running one orange and one fruit punch tab combos.

If you need a little more carb in your drink try mixing in some CarboPro powder, I’ve been using 2-3 scoops per bottle.  It’s like getting a couple gels of carbs a bottle, and it does mess with my stomach.

Well i finally decided to pull the trigger and get some new sticks, my first pair of twins tips.  I decided to not go overboard and got some K2 Silencers.  Hopefully we'll get to try them out this weekend, along with the new boots!

Nothing worse than making it through the first week of your new training plan, and getting squarely knocked out by getting sick.  Not just a little sick, but knocked out, can't move wondering if your going to end up in the hospital sick.  I haven't gotten hit that hard since i was in HS.  Well things are slowing coming back to normal, hopefully i'll be able to do some sort of a work out here in a day or two.



So, watch out.  Something nasty as all get out is going around here.



Hopefully see ya out here soon.

My jerseys for the season are finally here check out the pics.....

Thanks to all my sponsors and especially VivoMetrics my employer for making them happen

CLick on the VIvoMetrics link on my main page if you want to see some of the cool stuff we're doing

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After a multiple month work induced “vacation” from racing, the Cal State Championship marked my return. Besides the usual rust of not racing since February, I was also on a new ride for the race. My first run down the course proves a few things. I’m very rust, a Foes Mono can let you get away with some big mistakes, and it was going to be a really hot weekend. Practice runs on Saturday were fairly limited do to the heat, but I was starting to feel pretty decent on the bike and the course.

Sunday morning came along and it was a nice sunny and one again hot day. I was still feeling heat zapped from the previous day of riding, so I decided to just do one cruising run down the course, just to check the bike and the course out. As we headed up the course I felt fairly confident I could put in a decent run. One by one the guys in front of me went, I had a ghost spot in front of me, so I had some time to sit there and wait, as Donnie counted down the familiar 5-4-3-2- I stood up and let her rip on 1. I took it easy the first couple turns building up speed, hitting the big sweeper I hit it better than I had all week, I went flying into the next couple turns and nailed the lines there, all was going great till I hit the blind, left right next to the water tank. I carried way to much speed into it and lost it slamming full on into the fence and coming off the bike. From there on things were never quit on. I was back up to a fairly good pace till the famous middle rocks, where like many people I got carried away and went of the bars into the bushes. I also proceeded to rip off the rear derailleur in the bottom rocks.

So my return to racing didn’t go as planned but I had a ton of fun none the less. There will once again be a small break in DH racing as the California DH scene take a break till July. I will be racing a triathlon in June as some fun training, look for a report. I’d like to say congrats to all the state champs, especially my cohorts for the weekend Tommy Hollenbaugh, Hank Cadle, and Aaron Potter who won 27-35 Expert, JrX, and SemiPro respectively.

Also like to give a big thanks to Maxxis, THE, Goat Eyewear, Magura, Fuel, Sun-Ringle, and M2R for the support this season so far.

Interview on Pinkbike.com:

Click to see article on Pinkbike.com

Well we at Sponsorhouse.com and the guys at Pinkbike.com would like to introduce you to Gary Lucia. He`s an average guy that likes to ride and race his bikes. Gary has found sponsorship success through us and we wanted to showcase him in a Bro-file. Enjoy...

In what ways has SponsorHouse helped you?
SponsorHouse has made it much easier to get connected with potential sponsors. It’s much easier to just log on to the system, and be able to see what a company is looking for in a rider, as well as contact information. It beats having to call a company and waste both their and your time trying to track down that info down. They have also simplified the whole submission/offer/contract part of sponsorship and really cut down on the response and reply times.

Have you had Sponsorship help for your MTB racing in the past?

Yes when I first started racing back in the early 90s I rode for a couple different sponsors. It was a lot more work to do, and it took months to get all the sponsorship details worked out. Compared to a couple weeks or even days with SponsorHouse.

What do you do for work?
I’m a researcher for a company that makes shirt called a LifeShirt that can pick up your vital signs, HR, breathing, body temperature, oxygen saturation in your blood..etc.. Think polar heart rate monitor on a lot of steroids and EPO. Right now it’s used mainly for medical research, but we’re starting to use it on firefighters and athletes. I’ve had it on for several Downhill runs and it even amazed me how hard I was working during the run.

Paper or Plastic at the grocery store?
Paper if I drive, plastic if I walked or rode there. Recycle them both.

What are some of your goals going into the ’05 season?
My main goal for the season is to improve my riding, and try to get back to the podium consistently. I’m also out there to just have fun riding my bike and to meet new people.

How long do you see yourself doing the competitive bit?
I see myself being competitive for quite a while. I’ve be racing and competing pretty steady in one sport or another for about 18 years, so I’d say it’s a pretty good chunk of who I am.

Do you have a signature Starbucks drink yet?
Yeah, triple shot, nonfat mocha with whip. Nothing better than a ton of sugar and caffeine to start your day off right. Even better when they have it ready for you by the time you get to the counter to pay.

Any plans on visiting Canada to see what big mountains are like?
For sure, hopefully I’ll be a trip up to Whistler in my near future.

What advice would you give someone who is basically at the same level you are at in racing, looking to find sponsorship help for their racing?

I think the most important thing is just be your self. Don’t try to well yourself as someone your not, cause you think that’s what the sponsors want to see. Keep in mind that sponsorship is a two way street. You have prove that you’ll be an asset to the sponsor and will help them out with there business goals, and if you can do that they’ll be more than happy to help you with yours. The only other advice I can give is to stay positive and have fun with your riding and racing. Sometimes being a positive, helpful, well liked person on and off the course can be just as good, or better than standing on top of the podium.

I’d also like to thank my sponsors for the year: Chumba Wumba, T.H.E Industries, Utopia Optics, and Marzocchi. They have all been great to work with. I’d also like to thank Rich Houseman for getting me going on SponsorHouse, and Wes Pracht at mtbphoto, and all the guys dirtfocus for the great photos.