ARANTIX-DOC

Arantix Retirement

2011-05-15T09:42:00.005-06:00

It looks like Delta 7 has closed up its doors. It's been a great 4 years of riding and racing the Arantix. I've put over 1000 miles per year on the frame and have enjoyed every minute of it. It will be a memorable period in my life that has been captured fully in this blog. But it is time to retire the blog as well. I have saved these files and will keep these memories for review once in my rocking chair years.

BUT I am not retiring from blogging. I've found it has helped me be more reflective of my actions and thoughts and in some way has become a public journal of my life. Someday perhaps my children can review them and have a better insight into their father. I will continue my blogging on a different site. www.biker-dad.blogspot.com

I will still be riding and racing the Arantix for this year and will be shopping for a new bike next year. I'm not ready to hang up the WoW frame yet. Hope to see you all out there and on the other blog front.

My Silence is Deafening

2011-05-08T14:07:00.002-06:00

The GOOD?, The BAD and the UGLY

2011-03-28T12:59:00.006-06:00

The start: still smiling...Brady, Carson and I

The Good?

I had great aspirations for the weekend. The forecast was pretty good for Friday and great for Saturday- True Grit race day. Carson and I took off Friday early in the hopes of pre-riding the course. We got down to St G and the rain was nasty. We figured we’d wait it out. Nope. It kept raining. We could have waited till evening to leave from SLC. At least the forecast was 10% chance for rain Saturday and a high of 66.

The BAD…

Saturday we got up to a lot of clouds but the forecast was the same. As we were shivering at the start the promoter announced how lucky we were to have a cooler forecast for the day since “normally” it would be 75 F.

We got off to a nice steady start. I was feeling really good and still gradually passing people as we hit the race course loop. At the top of the loop it started to sprinkle. No worries the forecast said it would be clear. I finished the first loop feeling strong
and not even winded. I kept wanting to open it up more but consciously held back waiting, conserving power for a big push at the end once the sun came out and started to beam down on me. I got through the first aid station and started to climb Zen still feeling strong and light hearted. But the rain started to come down harder. I was worried that Bear Claw Poppy and Stucki would be getting really muddy. Then the little rivers started forming down the trail. This would be interesting. That’s OK I was still feeling strong and the cooler temperatures would keep me from getting too hot.

THE UGLY

Then, I was on the last switch back near the top of Zen and my foot slipped out of the pedals- so I thought. I looked down and the pedal spindle was there but not spring! The damn eggbeaters broke! I wasted about 10 minutes trying to fix them. I got them back on but had lost hope that they would last long. Yup. 5 minutes later they really broke. I coasted down Zen thinking I could go back to the condo and put on a new pedal, dry off and at least finish the race. It was raining harder. I got down to the aid station and found out due to the wet conditions that Bear Claw Poppy was omitted from the race due to the wet conditions. Noah was at the station and happened to have a pedal for me which we switched out but my heart wasn’t in it anymore- especially since I was pretty cold by then. It was still raining-harder. The only thing keeping me considering to keep going was knowing Carson was ahead. If he could do it I had to as well. Then as I was thinking that miraculously I heard his name- from above? I looked back and there he was walking his bike and shivering like Jello. He had double flatted at the top of Zen and had walked down the whole damn hill. He was done. Me too.

THE UGLIER

Luckily the condo was within a mile of that aid station and we got back dried off and changed. It was still raining. We were becoming worried about the rest of the racers. We packed up all our warm clothes and headed for the Barrel Roll Aid station to see how the racers were doing. On the ride up it didn’t look good. There were soaked racers heading back on the road- obviously bailed on the race. We got to the trailhead and found many shivering hypothermic racers including KC, Chad and Brady among them. They did not look good. We threw them into the overly heated car-mud and all. Oh what a mess Carson’s car ended up being by the end of that rescue. As we were heading back there were two ambulances and a rescue truck heading up.

Brady; after he was thawed out

THE INCREDIBLE

Chris incredibly made it back right behind Alex Grant to take second but he was in dire straights. He made it in just as we heard that the race was called. We packed him up in his car and called it a day. We figured we’d stay until the next day to try and get in a ride- attempting to salvage the weekend.

Chris: The rare (?happy?) finisher

THE MUDDIER

We heard the church rock and Prospector might be the driest so we packed up and headed out in the morning with the Sun out, warming the air and our spirits. We got to the northern end of Prospector rode a half mile and were buried in mud. It was not going to happen. We went back tried a couple other options and got buried even more. The weekend was a muddy flop.

Cholla anyone?

What was I thinking!

2011-03-24T22:09:00.002-06:00

Do you get irked by the guy that comes to a race with the best looking ride and he gets trounced by the old beater bikes? Well I fear that may be me come Cross season. I'm not sure what I was thinking. Cross is everything I am terrible at- Short, lung-wrenching, fast twitch firing, muscle screaming races! But maybe that's why I figured I'd go for it this year to take on what I hate. Does that make any sense?

Anyway, she sure is a sweet ride.

Don't laugh too hard as you lap me...

True Grits coming up and I'm nowhere near ready but am excited to support a new venue down in dixie.

Desert Rampage Report

2011-03-05T21:23:00.002-07:00

Look at the size of the classes! 40+ expert was dark blue.

What can a guy say about the race when he takes 19th out of 25 finishers? It was fun!? It was a great ride in 66 degree weather in winter and there were TONS of people there! It seems to get bigger and bigger each year!

I didn't go in with high expectations considering this is the least training I've done through the winter in over 4 years and I'm coming off of an injury ridden year. I deserved the place I got.

It was good to see all the team folks and catch up.

Tru Grit coming up in two weeks. We'll see if I can hack it.

A year ago today...

2011-03-03T21:45:00.003-07:00

I was under the knife and drill having my knee scoped thinking of all the racers getting ready for the beginning of the race season in St George.

Today I am wondering what my knee will let me do at the races. So was it worth it? Not sure yet. My knee still swells but not as bad as before. The pain is better. But the point is, I am ready for a new chance and a new season!

This year I have a greater appreciation for the whole atmosphere of racing than just the race. It's an understanding that I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to do this activity. And this luxury is at many levels- from health and fitness, to family support, to the finances , and to the diverse community of cycling fanatics. Think about it, by missing any of these ingredients, the likelihood of racing Saturday would be nil.

See you ingredients Saturday!

Good Day....

2011-02-13T19:24:00.002-07:00

Everyone is competing for the trails this time of year: bikers, horses, dogs, hikers, winter, Spring....

It was a good day......

C L at St G

2011-01-31T13:02:00.011-07:00

Here it is- C L Days 1 & 2

The infamous Lynda (center) and her disciples following. The hairy one on the left is Grizzly.

End of day one. The powerline trail on the way back-roughly mile 32 just about destroyed me.

Start of Day 2- Mad Doggers waiting for the stranglers before we set out.

Fake smile- You know that early season first 15 minutes of having to sit in the saddle after a rough ride the day before.

Adam eager to get out and take some more great photos

Keith, the Mad Dog leader- still smiling

Carson heading up Rim Reaper- Love the name, Loved the trail
A bit of traffic: But considering how many showed up it wasn't bad. Groups formed quickly depending on ability.

KC bossing her hubby around :) Just kidding. That's the farthest from the truth.

Zen: I told myself all day that it would be suicide for me to do it at the end of the day. I succumbed to ego and survived.

Abbott brothers giving thanks to Lynda, the great weather, the fun group, the dry trails, to health, to strength, to our patient wives........
OR
maybe they were just checking their GPS units?

I got in 85 miles of tough, fun trails, many of which were new to me. It was a great couple of days.

Better than a tooth fairy..

2011-01-28T20:19:00.003-07:00

This was at my front door yesterday! Don't know how it got there. Had to be CarboRocket Man!

Speaking of CarboRocket. I did the first ride of Camp Lynda today and my bottle of CarboRocket fell out of the cage! It was a long 30 miles without it! Luckily the ride was out and back and just initially I thought it was a mirage but no it really was my bottle of CarboRocket that I saw on the trail. Oh! How I rejoiced and drank and drank and drank! It saved my sore 'arse' and legs. 40 miles today and planning 50 tomorrow. I think I'll pour me two bottles of that stuff. Stay tuned for a full report.

2010 RECAP

2011-01-24T22:09:00.017-07:00

Here's 2010 for the Arantix and I- month to month.

JANUARY

Herniated disk with nerve damage. The grooves are not supposed to be there!
Rough start to 2010

February

Dot has Iliac clot and bypass surgery. No time to whine about my back. Had my Knee scoped and cartilage shaved since I was down anyway and I've been putting it off.

March

Gently back on the bike after rest and rehab. Can I salvage the year?

April

Tore my Pectoral muscle grappling in Karate. All things come in threes.
Orthopedist said I'd be out 6 months!

May

Against my better judgment raced the Draper race. Survived.

June

Drove from the cabin in the blizzard to race Deer Valley. It was postponed.
Did it a few days later. Did Taming the Tetons as well. It was good just to be back on wheels.

July

Got toasted at Solitude, but it was the first race I really pushed it.
Then took some R&R in Alaska then Hawaii.

August

Got back in time from Hawaii to do the Ogden 50K.
Finally feeling stronger.

September

Did 12 hours of Sundance with Carson. I over-estimated my recovery and strength. It hurt but was worth it.

October

24 hours of Moab. Finally felt back to "normal". I was ready for the season to begin. But it was over.

November

Took a bit of time off to get the Black.

October

Reflecting on the year in Sunny St George.

It was a rough start. Better end. As always-full. Good to see I could tackle some challenges. Good to see it end..........

Damn!

2011-01-23T12:08:00.006-07:00

This was race weekend for the first Temecula race of the year and I'm sitting at home! For several reasons we (Carson and I) decided at the last minute not to do it. One big reason was that I was looking forward to racing the 12 hours of Mesa Verde instead, this year. I missed it due to my injuries last year. Registration opened just about 10 days ago, I went to sign up Thursday, AND it was already closed! Damn!

I was so upset about it that I registered for the Leadville lottery and signed up for True Grit. True Grit is a first time 50 mile race in St George that looks like it will be pretty grueling. Can you imagine "racing" the Zen trail? It is on March 26th. Camp Linda coming up next week should be a good prep course for it-and then some.

Looking back from near the top of Zen trail last week

I'm also just getting over a damn cold which would have been a bitch to race with in Temecula. So it's been a good stay at home family weekend. We even got in some x-country skiing in.

First Ride of the New Year

2011-01-17T13:15:00.005-07:00

Thanks to "professional" day for teachers and MLK for his holiday we had some time to skip out of this smog soup this weekend. Scott, Abby and family were heading south and with forcasts of 57 F we couldn't help but to head south to St George with them. Carson and family joined us. Friday was hike-with-the-family day in Snow Canyon (Had to get family commitment points in early).
Chris had a Stan's blow out

Then Saturday Chris and KC (ie tour guides) happened to blow into to town right around ride time- funny how they do that- and we were off. We first hit the Santa Clara area Barrel Roll trail system which was in 98% dry condition. Then Chris guided us through the not so dry wash connecting to the race course. We cruised that area ending at the Zen- which by Zen I was pooped. I managed to haul my arse back up the wash to the cars and headed back to the condos to soak in the jacuzzi. 4 hours ride time was not bad in 60 degree weather after a long cold holiday filled December.
Scott, grinding up Zen

The next day we hit Church Rocks and Prospector for a bit but my legs decided to sleep in. Excellent weekend with the riders and the family!

Christmas Story- Pay It Forward

2010-12-25T19:20:00.006-07:00

Here is a followup on the cabin troubles.

I mentioned how my mirror was broken on my truck by someone. Well after I scraped off the windshield I found this card on it.I thought this was a weird place to advertise in the middle of the Uintas. Then I turned it over:

I contacted Mark yesterday and he gave me his story. He had broken and wrecked two snowmobiles that day and was pulling out of the lot when his truck slid sideways and hit my mirror. And I thought I had a bad day! Well he insisted he would pay for it and I said I would do the labor and put it on. But being a power retractable mirror it was over $500! I told him I would pay it forward someday.

What better day to do that than on Christmas! I got $500 cash out of the bank today and went to work. I gave the cash to the nurses as a gift to all of them. I instructed them to use it however they wanted but they had to have it spent by the end of the day. They considered using it for some of the staff that were struggling and gave $100 to a single mom CNA. They alsot gave $20 to a 12 year old boy who was in the ER for a sick younger sister for half the day. He was very patiently helping translate for his mother. After he got the cash from the nurses he said that was the best Christmas ever! The rest of the money is being spent right now by the next shift. I'll be interested in hearing what they've done with it.

This made working on Christmas actually fun for us all. I sure made up for all the poop patients we had today- over half had diarrhea! Yuk! Lot's of sick kids too. You know they had to be sick to leave the new presents on Christmas.Who knows this may have to become a tradition. Thanks Mark!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2010-12-24T23:31:00.001-07:00

If It Wasn't One Thing Then It Was Another

2010-12-22T21:15:00.003-07:00

Yes. I messed up! Let's get that out first. But it certainly was fun trying to fix my mistake with friends! This might be long but it should be worth it. (it was for us:)

Carson, Scott and I headed up to the cabin to "check it out" and to do some snowmobile cross-training. Up in the Uintas in the winter we have to snowmobile into the cabin about 2.5 miles. With all the snow we've been getting- it was DEEP! The adventure started with it taking over an hour of getting up to the cabin with the snowmobiles. It's good to have friends that do as you tell them- and extra. We were in some deep stuff and there was a section that I told Carson he would have to "gun" it- and he did-more than I expected. He jumped over 20 feet and buried the sled! Finally, between dodging downed trees and getting Unstuck we were wet, frozen and spent by the time we got up there. We were ready for some heat. I went to turn on the furnace and nothing happened. I went outside to check on the Propane tank with a bad feeling in my gut. The 500 gallon tank was empty! Why? Well I guess I had left the heat on 3 months ago when I was last there! If it was anyone else up there with me we'd have turned right around and headed home. But no, the guys were ready to rough it. We got the fireplace going and huddled around trying to dry off and get warm. Well we at least had water which I had just turned on.

Once warm, I went to the fridge to get dinner ready, opened the door and a wall of water came gushing at me! I had forgotten to put the water filter back in after winterizing the cabin last time. Do you know how cold your hands get cleaning up a flood in a frozen cabin? &*%$#! COLD! Yes, we were off to a great start, but it didn't end there.

I had to figure out a way to get heat to the cabin for our families New Year trip next week. Dot was NOT going to be happy and I was dead meat! We brainstormed some great ideas cuddled together by the fire. I knew I was up there with some good friends when many of the ideas were LIE, LIE, LIE! And they were willing to vouch for me! In the end I told them I would find a way to get more propane up there to heat a whole cabin covered in over 3 feet of snow. There was doubt in their eyes. Thank God Dot didn't call that evening to check on us! The plan was not yet fully implemented.

We all slept in front of the fireplace (details will not be divulged) taking turns stoking the fire (except for Scott- somehow he slept through it all) and awoke ready for a mission. I called my dealer- Propane dealer that is. Unfortunately, his wife answered and I had to admit to her I had a guy problem and she got her husband. Us men concocted a plan to drag up 4 170 lb tanks of propane; in 2.5 miles, up a big *ss hill in 3-4 feet of snow. The guys were ready for the challenge! I went into town to pick up the tanks and Carson and Scott cut all the downed trees, packed the trail and even did the dishes! I love you guys!

So what else could go wrong? Well I got to the truck and someone had broken my R side mirror! And the truck was stuck! I managed to get out, find the promissory note from the guy who broke the mirror, got the tank, and my buddies were waiting in the parking lot to help me get the tanks in. AND they were still smiling! We installed the tanks surprisingly without TOO much difficulty and the heat was ON!

We even had time to hit the powder! For over an hour we plowed through tons of powder, got stuck, dug out and did it again! I think that finally put them over the edge and they weren't smiling anymore once we got back. We were exhausted, but, yet, no words of complaint were emitted.

We headed home, hit a rainstorm, and rush hour traffic, but that was nothing compared to the challenges we had overcome without one whine. That was a good 24 hours with the guys.

When Did I Turn Into a Redneck?

2010-11-29T22:06:00.004-07:00

So the Sunday before Thanksgiving I was "mind'in my own bidness" (This is what the beat up patients in Cleveland used to start their stories with) going through Parawon and hit some black ice towing my snowmobile trailer, hit the median, skidded for a mile or two- sideways- and flipped the trailer. That's the short version. Anyway, surprisingly the damage was limited and I decided to try and patch up the truck myself instead of dealing with the insurance.

So there I was the other day in my "toyshop" with the truck jacked up, my tools all around me in the middle of the night with the country music blaring and I saw the Miller High life beer I had bought to give to the Sheep herder during the Elk hunt (that's another story). And I was happy as can be! Then it hit me! I was a REDNECK!

Giving Blood- a Poem

2010-11-13T23:02:00.002-07:00

I'm not much of a poetry kind of guy but this one got my attention and kept it.

Giving by Carol Lynn Pearson

I love giving blood.
Sometimes I walk in
Off the Street
When no one has even asked
And roll up my sleeve

I love lying on the table
Watching my blood flow
Through the scarlet tube
To fill the little bag
That bears no Address

I love the mystery
Of its destination.
It runs as easily
To child or woman or man
Black or white
Californian or Asian
Methodist , Mormon
Muslim or Jew.

Rain does too.
Rivers do.
I think God does.
We Do Not.

Our suspicious egos clot
On the journey from "Us" to "Them"

So I give blood
To practice Flowing
Never knowing
where it's Going
And Glad.

Got it!

2010-11-06T23:20:00.001-06:00

Black.....

It's hard to explain what it entailed, what it means,or why I did it but its satisfying.... for now.

LIFE

2010-11-05T22:47:00.006-06:00

Have you ever noticed life is a lot like biking (did Forest Gump say something like that?)?

Sometimes we are forced to choose between the easy way or seemingly harder paths. But how often have you taken the harder way to find it was much more rewarding?
Or sometimes none of the choices are easy.

What's this picture remind you of?
The Thinker on a bike.

Can you tell I had a good ride Thursday?.........

ALONE

HAPPY HOWL-O-WEEN!

2010-10-30T16:39:00.002-06:00

www.sunnystgeorgecondos.com

2010-10-24T22:00:00.008-06:00

The Yucky riding weather has arrived. It's time to think about heading down to St George for some ride time. Well, if and when you go, I've got a place for you to stay. 1 and 2 BR condos are available in the Sports Village Resort which is less than 1/2 mile from the race course, Zen trail, Bear Claw Poppy and more! And for next month all my readers can get 20% off. Check it out here!

If you've got 3 minutes check out the home made video of the resort. You'll notice the "Sunny" St George video- is cloudy. Go figure that of the only 5 days or so of clouds per year, the time I went down to do it was cloudy. Think it'll go viral? :)

BELATED 24 HOURS OF MOAB REPORT

2010-10-20T23:39:00.008-06:00

"The team" after my fifth and last lap- Carson, Keith, Ty and I

Mad Dog #2- Go Dog Go

I am sure most of us usually feel like we are juggling several things in our lives at once and most of the time we just get it done and keep juggling. Well since the 24 hours of Moab I've felt like those things were starting to fall down on top of me. PLUS I got one of the nastiest colds I've had in a long time since the race. No I am really not trying to complain, but just wanted to provide an excuse for getting this report out 10 days late. I'm sure you've all gone on with other things by now.

The short of it was that we got 4th in the Men's Veteran (35+) category. We were 5 minutes out of 3rd and just 10 minutes ahead of 5th.

The long is that it was one of the fastest and funnest 24 Hours of Moab I've done! This I believe is my 7th race down there. The weather was perfect and the course was one of the fastest. We had both new and old faces in camp and supported nearly 50 people. The Billings family managed to feed the whole lot of us with the best tasting food yet.
Abby (left) the Awesome Chef!

The awesome assistants!

Except for the start of sore throat and cold, I felt great, had my lines down on the technical stuff and had my fastest times ever. AND this was the first year I didn't run the Laman's start. Our newbie, Ty did just great using my strategy and his Tri experience to get a good position out front. I was happy with my first lap of 1:13 but even happier with my 5th lap at 1:15!

Look at those Maddoggers run!

And last but not least, Scott the best supporting Chef, husband, team assistant and dad ever!

All in all again this was the best way to torture one self- with great weather, food and friends!

I just thought this was a cool picture- not really burning down the camp

Shouldn't of changed the tires!

2010-09-25T21:37:00.005-06:00

Two weeks after I change my tires I lose control and crash into a tree. Coincidence? Do you have more baking power without the nubs- like with a worn out tire- or with a new one?

Anyway, Carson and I were doing a night ride and were flying DOWN Canyon Hollow (still near the top) on our "last" descent when while I was minding my own Bidness a tree jumped out at me! So you have to picture that I had both my garmin 705 on the front and my AY UP lights just in front of that. Lots of expensive gear on top, but how often do you really hit something head on- Really? Well in my 20 foot skid while my slow mind was trying to decide whether to lay it down or just keep hoping that if I opened my eyes wide enough and kept staring at the tree I'd stop in time or it would disappear I did the later by default. I heard a bunch of stomach turning crunching and snapping with a bunch of dollar signs flying everywhere realizing there would be lots of gizmos to replace but surprisingly not even thinking of bodily harm. OH, I forgot to mention that I had a set of AY UP lights on my helmet which was also heading for the tree. I finally came to a stop, my lights on the bike were out, I did a systems check on the body and I was breathing and then I turned my undamaged helmet light on, on my broken helmet and surveyed the scene. As you can see there was enough of a hit that the brake lever snapped off and the light and the Garmin were gone. I found the light hanging by the cord off the front. Carson thankfully didn't run me over and was there to help. He plugged the light in and it was working. Meanwhile I unclipped from the Arantix and found the garmin on the ground intact and working! This was the same Garmin that I had just had replaced last week when I broke the last one- ON A NIGHT RIDE then too! Wow so I actually escaped that pretty well with only needing to replace the brake and maybe the shifter. The casing is broke but it works- so far. Anyone with a grip shifter for sale?

Yeah, Yeah, I know that was kind of long for something I could have just said, "I crashed" but I know anyone that has had a "good" crash can attest that there is a lot of stuff that flashes in your mind at that OH Shit! moment. It's all good when we can ride or walk away and tell about it.

Super Stans

2010-09-23T21:21:00.003-06:00

Holes, Holes, Holes is what I had in my tire all year. And you know what? It wasn't a problem! The next day after every ride I would see these wet spots in my rear tire. There were at least twenty at a time. If you know these Maxxis LUST Larsen TT's (don't ask me what the LUST stands for) you know these are worn pretty thin. I've had the same tube ALL year starting last fall! You'd think with all those holes I'd be pumping it up every day. Nope- maybe once a month. So what's going on? Well as many of the converts know IT'S STANS notubes. This stuff is incredible! Normally with tubes I'd have had to change the inner tube at least a dozen times with all those annoying little holes. I haven't had a flat all year! The Stan's just plugs the holes. I've really only added stans twice since the initial set up. You'd think it would seep itself dry in a matter of months. I finally changed it last week before the 12 hours, figuring Carson wouldn't appreciate it if I did have a flat because I was running such thin tires. It still had a good amount of juice in it when I opened it up. Bottom line: Why would ANYONE use inner tubes?

12 HOURS OF SUNDANCE- 10

2010-09-19T07:23:00.005-06:00

Last year Carson and I did at least 4 12 hour races, but this was our first one for this year, and it showed. We both crashed several times like we didn't even know how to ride, we were both ready to give up after lap 9, but we persevered and finished. Here's our reward...sitting.

It seemed like a smaller turnout over all for the race but the Mad Dog showing was strong, so it seemed like our own little 12 hour race.

Here's my account (from what I remember).
I headed out the second lap after Carson came storming in from the first lap. All was good for the first 6 minutes until up Archies there was a nasty stump and root section that in the past you could get enough speed to roll over, but this time the stump and roots were bigger and the pits deeper so that as I jumped/partly went around the stump I landed in the pit before the roots and endo'd. Not much damage done except a few scratches but I was dirty! It sucks getting dirty the first 6 minutes of a twelve hour race! There were no showers to clean up and the dirt was just gong to get ground in and fester. I really didn't lose too much time though and came in in about 44 minutes. Thats 1 minute slower than last year for the first lap. It was the same course and pretty much the same conditions so it was a good comparison and probably what I would have expected considering the late start to this season. But, unfortunately, Sundance does not have all the laps posted from last year for comparison since I feel I finished stronger this year than last. Keep reading.

The second lap was going GREAT! Things were flowing and I had a good rhythm going. I finished the climb strong and then was heading down when I hit a soft spot in the trees and went down. It was a soft fall in a bunch of dusty peat (now I was REALLY dirty) but something hit my left calf on the way down and as I got up and shook off the dust I was really hurting. It hurt more going down hill, especially when I would hit those nasty braking ruts before the turns. It hurt so bad I had to scream a few times. I got down wondering if I could go out again. I figured I'd try another lap and see, but I was limping around pretty bad on camp. I couldn't find my Alleve so I headed out. The climbing was good and I did well there but again once I hit the descents I was screaming with pain as my calf shook on the bumps and drops. Several times I had to look around in embarassement to make sure noone heard me. Luckily the course was spread out enough that no one was around. So that made me think of the riddle of the falling tree in the forest and I wondered if Karl screams in the woods and no one is around to hear it does it matter? Anyway, by the time I was down I was ready to quit. I heard Carson was not having the best laps either so I kind of proposed considering quiting after the next laps. He didn't argue that. I finally dug up some Celebrex (no it is non-narcotic) and going into lap 4 started OK and then I started feeling stronger. My quads were not sore for the climb and then I hit the descent with trepidation but only felt half the pain from the lap before! It was a good ride! By the end I was NOT going to quite and only hoped Carson didn't have his heart set on stopping. He went out with a look of resignation but he went. It's really hard to quit when only one of the duo is ready to do so. So he suffered on, but I left out some Celebrex for his next lap. The next three laps I felt great for. The calf pain was there but very tolerable (although the size of my calf kept getting bigger each lap from swelling) and my legs felt really strong without any evidence of cramping. Much of that I am sure was do to the CarboRocket I was almost exclusively drinking each lap. I was very consistant each of those laps at 47 minutes. So overall, it turned out to be a good race for me.

We were chasing Kevin and Keith the whole time and were within 6-15 minutes most of the time but just couldn't close the gap and finished behind them in 2nd for the 40+ duo old farts.

Next stop Moab!

ADDENDUM: 09-19-2010: Steve Washburn sent me the times for last year. So if I compare thos times with my Garmin times this year I actually rode faster by about 45 sec per lap and my fastest time was 1 sec longer this year! Go figure. I've got to digest this info to see what's up. I'll wait for the "official" times to come out to see if there is a discrepency in timing as well. Here are the times for seven laps:

LAP 2009 2010
1 44:08:00 44:15:00
2 44:18:00 44:09:00
3 45:23:00 44:14:00
4 46:19:00 47:00:00
5 47:01:00 47:45:00
6 49:12:00 47:03:00
7 51:02:00 48:02:00

Monster in the Canyon

2010-09-08T23:54:00.005-06:00

There's a hungry, mysterious monster in Corner Canyon. It figured it had to be huge for it was leaving some really wide rolling tracks around and eating up the terrain like nothing. It seemed almost every month or so I saw evidence of this monster's trail. And coincidently, the tracks it left were awesome for biking!

I finally "ran" into it the other day. Luckily it was sleeping. Then as I silently slid away I found the monster's slaves trying to hide its tracks.
The tracks are hidden, but the damage is done- some great new rides have resulted!
I can't wait for it's cousin to finish boring under Suncrest to connect the monster trails!

Don't you wish you had a trail monster in your neck of the woods? Come and check out the new CC monster trails!

Mt Ogden 50k

2010-08-28T21:01:00.008-06:00

So I finally got off my duff and did another race. The Mt Ogden (Snowbasin resort) 50k was just what the doctor ordered. It was longer than most ICUP races but not by much. It was something different and the sponsorship and bike industry representation made it feel like a huge established race. You wouldn't know that it was only its second year running.

Carson, Adam and I headed up dark and early at 4:45 am and met up with Bruce, Chris, KC and Kevin. The later three were there to tackle the 100k. I had it in my mind that the 50k was a big number and a long distance race but when you figure it in miles it was only 30 miles. I went into it thinking 'slow start' and take it easy to save energy but half way into it I realized that it really wasn't THAT long. But it was definitely long enough for me. I got a good start with the pack and was feeling strong way into the first lap (25k x 2). But it had rained pretty hard last night so we started to hit some really sticky mud. It literally stopped my rear tire from rotating. Others had similar problems but not all. So I lost about 10 spots trying to clean out the Arantix. The worse part was that the chain soon after got dried up and shifting and chain suck would haunt me the rest of the race. But that was the only downside. The course was fun and by the second lap it was packed and I was still feeling good. I had one cramping episode which I spun out and had fun the second lap. By the finish I was spent but that was the goal. I came in a few minutes behind the other Maddoggers but felt it was respectable considering it was my "off" year.

The cool thing was KC took 1st and Chris took 2nd in pro and Carson took third over all in the "amateur" which was all but pro. Good job all.

Chris coming across the finish line in 2nd. Look at that time- 5:11:43!
KC just finishing the 100K in 1st place pro division!
Carson collecting his goods.
Me, enjoying the day.

Mad Dog Community Ride Corner Canyon

2010-08-18T14:35:00.002-06:00

The team's community guided ride this week will be lead by Carson and I at Corner Canyon at 5:45p tomorrow. We will be leading groups at all levels so if you have friends or neighbors interested in checking it out invite them.
Here's a map of the trails.

I hope to see you there.

MIA- Maui In Action

2010-08-17T00:23:00.003-06:00

Alas, I've missed the last ICUP race of the season. Not exactly what I planned on for the end of the season but the family comes first and this something they HAD to do. I suppose they really didn't drag me kicking and screaming. I did get some road riding in which made the trip. Has anyone ridden around West Maui before? It has some incredible ups and downs and so many turns that it almost felt like MTB riding. I did inquire about some real MTB rides but was told it was all private. About the most they would do at the shop was point in the general direction. I'll try it next time (if there is one).

MIA- Missing In Alaska

2010-08-01T21:42:00.005-06:00

Not much biking stuff to write about since my last race. I've been expanding my horizons. And Wow! You should see the horizons in Alaska! Just got back yesterday morning. I had aspirations of making it to the Snowbasin race. I even had my bike ready in the car at the airport. But alas, the plane got in too late and I had 100 lbs of frozen Salmon thawing in the car. Bummer.
Sorry about the blood. Bleeding them supposedly makes them stay fresher. There was not much mountain biking in Alaska with rain nearly everyday for the last month, but I found a couple trail systems to try for next time. We only saw about 20 min of sunshine while we were there and highs were in the upper 50's! All was made right by the good fish'n.

Solitude State Championship

2010-07-10T21:55:00.006-06:00

Since my return to racing this year, this race was the one I worked the most, hurt the most but did the worst. I just couldn't recover during the first long climb no matter how much I slowed down. It took until after the final brutal road climb to get my HR down. I felt a huge difference when I compared how I felt and was riding in the same areas last year. I just don't have the endurance and power in the legs like I had. By the third lap my legs AND lungs had it and I hit the wall. There was carnage out there, though. Bob, Sam and Fred in our category had significant mechanicals. I guess I should feel fortunate.

After the race I had to do some Mad Dog Insurance plan work. I hope he liked the embroidery.

The team had a mini BBQ party afterward. Thanks, Jesse, for the brats. They hit the spot!

Even the mother in law showed up. She started hitting on the harry sleestack thing. It couldn't have been 'cause of the cash in his hand.

ALL CORNER CANYON

2010-07-08T23:34:00.003-06:00

I wanted to see how long it would take to do all the CC trails with minimal overlap.

Here's the results.

It does start at home so take off 2 miles. I TT's Clark's (11:36), climbed Jacob's, down North Ghost back up Canyon Hollow across Brock's to Rush then did the stairs and back down. It took just under 2 hours and about 16 miles.

This is just staying IN CC. Next I will do the trails excluding CC and when I get really ambitious will do ALL of them.

Pre-ride Solitude tomorrow coming up.

I CHEATED ON HER

2010-07-05T20:50:00.005-06:00

YES, I was desperate on Kelleys Island in OH this weekend and in a moment of weakness I broke down and cheated on my Arantix. How could I pass up this old girl for the weekend? The ripped and lumpy jell seat was icing on my butt. I rode her all weekend but in the end I was glad to get back and see my little web frame.

We did have a great time with in impromptu reunion of Vizmeg's. There were about 50 of us. It's easy to forget that there's a good many of us in OHio when you are the lone ones in UT.

KEYES FAREWELL/SEE YOU SOON

2010-06-27T20:54:00.002-06:00

Have you met friends that you haven't known all your life but bond with immediately and appreciate what they are about right off the bat? Well here's a family we've enjoyed knowing and expect we'll keep in touch with. But alas they are expanding their horizons, and moving OUT OF STATE (OH MY!) on what I expect to be a great adventure. We had a fun little gathering to send them off today. Keyes, we wish you all a safe and fortune filled journey! And we expect you back often and permanently when you are more "cultured" and "educated" about the real world out there! Fare Thee Well.

Taming the Tetons for the LAST time

2010-06-26T22:08:00.003-06:00

Carson and I blew in yesterday for the "TAMING THE TETONS" ICUP race today. Little did we know this was going to be the last one. We heard rumors the resort was going to focus on downhill biking more. It's too bad, this was a fun getaway for our family in the years past and without the race incentive it seems less likely that we would come up this far.

THE RACE
Not much exciting news about the race. I started out in 6th (I think) and stayed there. I was knocking on Tim White's door after the second lap but didn't have it in me to catch him. I just need to keep working on getting back the conditioning for this year. It was a fun course with perfect race weather. Here's my stats if anyone is really interested.
We crashed with the Holley's last night at the Hostel which was an experience. There were actually 6 of us in one hot room with thin walls. I slept well after it cooled off and the partying Asian yelling group quieted down.

ARANTIX II MILES: 550 for 2010

Deer Valley/ MOST IMPROVED RACER AWARD

2010-06-17T21:44:00.003-06:00

The make up race at Deer Valley looked pretty gloomy just before the start. It was cold and rainy. Not much of a chance for a warm up which was badly needed to be able to attach Little Stix. I started off my usual crazy speed, burned my lungs out and took nearly the whole first lap to recover. Old habits die hard. But in a way it made sense this time since we were only doing two laps due to lack of daylight. The second lap was much better, even up Little stix. I missed out on 7th place by just a couple of seconds. I got caught on the last long down hill towards the finish behind another category racer and didn't push to pass. By the time I did and noticed that I was catching up with my category racer we were near the finish, he new I was coming on and I couldn't finish it. Over all it was a good race, poor finish. I really only once thought about my shoulder on rough downhill section.

MOST IMPROVED MAD DOG RACER AWARDI have to highlight Kevin Moffit in this blog. IF there was an award for most improved racer it would be given to him. It seems just last year he started in beginner, quickly moved to sport and was winning. This year he jumped to Expert and has jumped to firsts right off the bat. Now that's acceleration! Not bad for an old guy (49) who hasn't raced before. He has done something right through this miserable winter. His genes must not be bad, either, which he passed on to Joseph (18) who just also won the expert 19-29 category. GOOD JOB Moffits! RESPECT..

ARANTIX II miles: 470

EXTREMES

2010-06-15T11:43:00.004-06:00

Last week Carson and I went down to ride RIM/JEMS/GOULDS. It was nice and warm. We had first attempted this when we got the ARANTIX bikes. It was our first ride with the new "crazy" bikes. We did not complete the whole loop back then due to too much mud but this ride was better. The trail flows well and has a good variety of terrain. We even finished the ride before it got too hot where it hit the mid 90's.

Then later the same week we are in this....Needless to say there was not much riding done this weekend. It was nevertheless a good time with the family. I headed up to Deer Valley in trepidation but determined to race. Luckily or unluckily it was pouring there and the race was postponed.

It's supposed to be cool and with a chance of T-showers for tonight's make up race. We'll see how it goes. Good luck to all and we'll see how the weather turns out.

RACING WITH DEMONS

2010-05-31T20:47:00.009-06:00

I new this race was really going to be all about just being happy to finish with my pec muscle still attached. It really wasn't going to be about what place I was in or how far back I was. Indeed with that perspective it was kind of nice not having the pressure from other racers. But what I didn't anticipate was racing with the demons.

I was good for about 4 minutes until the single speed front group caught up to me and a series of them were pushing to pass on the single track. That's when Demon #1 came along threatening to pass me and push me over. I held him off until we started the decent onto the long road before the CC road climb. There were a some soft sand pits that I knew he was going to push me into and make me fall. I took him on and shut him down.

I was going good and strong up the CC road and even passing some real racers. But that's where Demon #2 came along saying if I pass him he would be on my tail on the downhill pushing me until I went over. I pulled back a bit and let a racer by. Demon #2 won that one.

I got to the top safely and headed down the rough decent. All was going well when I hit the small off camber straight shot gully right before "Butt crack" climb. Demon #3 pushed me off into the gully where I struggled for the next 50 feet to not wipe out, get clotheslined by a branch and to get back onto the trail. Somehow I won that one and somehow I finished that lap in tact.

Things were going pretty good the next lap until I ran into Demon #4. As I was turning up CC road he pulled me down RIGHT ONTO MY HURT SHOULDER! I think I jumped up before I even hit the ground from the shock and fear. Luckily it was soft (hence the reason for the fall) and a slow turn up hill. That was it! I got so pissed at those Demons (and at myself for being such a wuss) that I never saw them again the rest of the race. From that point on I was racing like I had before these injuries. Although, I have to admit once I got to the top I did flex my pec a couple of times to make sure it was still attached. After that I actually thought about my sore back, weak legs, sore thumb and burning lungs which was refreshing to worry about again.

In the end I wasn't last (11th I think), and despite all the Demon issues and fall I did not once feel any pain or pulling on the surgery site. I AM BACK!

RACE #2 - Kids Pasture Race
After the awards the team headed back to the homestead for some BBQ and relaxation. We did have our best ever Pasture Race for the kids. Here are some pics of our awesome racers.

The nice thing about this race was they were ALL winners!

ARANTIX II MILES: 340 (The count resumes for 2010)

2010-05-30T22:26:00.002-06:00

Gonna race tomorrow. I'm nervous. I'm excited. The downhills are still quite jarring on the scar.

I don't even know if I can do all three laps. We'll see.

Just don't push me over, Please!

The good news is, afterwards is the Post Race BBQ.

This may be kinda late, but anyone not yet officially invited, stop on by the house and join the Mad Doggers in some festivities. If you want a meal bring a side to share. If you just want to stop for a chat and drink come on over. We'll be in the back.

Remember the Kids Pasture Race for ages 12 and under will be held so bring the kids bikes.

See you at the races!

I LIKE IT!

2010-05-26T20:45:00.005-06:00

I gave the Draper course a second try tonight. I ran into Bob S and gang as I was heading up so I shadowed them to make sure I had the course right. It was marked much better this time around as well. Kudos to the trail guys (whoever you are) because the rough stuff has been nicely fixed. The Butt-crack hill seen below from the top is rideable.

Even the really tight bank on the last single track section has been improved tremendously!The raging stream crossing is still there, but at this point it has become a classic part of the race, not to mention great entertainment value for the spectators.

It is a good combination of passing 4x4 road sections at the beginning, mixed in with a few minor technical sections, a couple short steep climbs and a bunch of tight single track. I think it will be good.

We will have a scheduled pre-ride for Mad Doggers and anyone else who wants to come this Friday at 5 pm at Equestrian center. We'll do a couple laps so if you want to come later for the second one, I'm sure you can hook up with us.

Has Hell Frozen Over?

2010-05-24T11:32:00.003-06:00

what the Heck? Is today May 24th? Not to worry, though. The Draper race has a history of getting weathered out, but now the bad weather will have been spent up by the race so it'll be beautiful and packed.

I think I'll wait to register day of.

DRAPER DIRT

2010-05-21T19:45:00.009-06:00

Made it on the dirt- 2 hours worth. Not too bad, but the bumpy downhill sections reminded me of where the scar is.

So there are some flags out marking the Draper course. Beats me if I could figure out where to go, though. Here's a few questions areas I had that maybe a reader can help me out with.

1. Do we go up or down this butt-crack looking hill

2. The arrow says to go down this sandy road section, BUT...

How long will this road block be there?

3. Do we need to bring our machetes or do we get trail building points?

4. Do we go UP or down "the wall"- not pictured

I'll go up again next week and see if I can figure it out. I'll reserve judgement until I figure out which ways up.

Either way I think I will be able to race- timidly.

BRAINLESS- BRAD STYLE

2010-05-17T21:25:00.005-06:00

Today/Tonight I had one of the best rides of the season. Gooseberry Mesa LLC had a board meeting tonight at the Bayou (600 S State st.) One of the members suggested we ride our bikes to the meeting and I thought it was a great idea. Never mind that I let someone borrow my road bike and I had to take the ARANTIX the 19 miles to the meeting. One of the members offered to "pull me" there with the idea of taking Trax back. We had a very productive meeting (stay tuned) and had some GREAT brews from Epic Brewing, not to mention a dozen buffalo wings. While the meeting was going on I was "minding my own bidness" and I 'accidentally' ingested a bottle of the above-Brainless Golden Ale (9%etoh). The meeting was completed and not being of sound mind (or body) I suggested to the member that we could ride home. He too had an accidental ingestion episode and agreed with me. So with the dark closing in we trekked down south to home. Thank goodness the member was there 'cause he Pulled me all the way home. I wish I had a heart rate monitor on 'cause it was a race pace to keep up considering the wings were attempting to swim out of the Brainless Ale in my gut and out to the street. We made it at by dark. I must say that was the quickest way to sober up I've ever experienced. BRAINLESS!

The member-pulling me home.

The other member- whose much more down to Earth.

TEAM MAD DOG- SUNDANCE

2010-05-16T19:36:00.003-06:00

This weekend was the Sundance I-CUP race that Mad Dog Cycles and Mad Dog Race team sponsor. There was a great showing from the team. Here are some pictures I took- since I wasn't racing. Although, I've been feeling good training on the road I didn't think it prudent to race yet. It was good being at the venue and seeing everybody, though. I did dress up in the new team gear AND I even hit the dirt for the first time. The uphill was no problem, but bouncing downhill definitely reminded me I was pushing it. I'll give it more time.

I did have a visit with my orthopedist Today at 3 am (pretty cool not having to wait in line :) I had to call him in for another patient. It's been 6 weeks and he realized the waiting was driving me crazy so he officially released me to ride, noting, "just don't do anything stupid". Good Luck to me.......

I'm going up CC this week to try out Clark's I'm SOOOOOO excited!

NEW TOY- BAD BOY

2010-05-14T06:53:00.003-06:00

NEW TOY

I got the Garmin Edge for myself for my Birthday. Here's my B-day ride. I know it's not a very exciting one, on the road and all. But I was excited I felt comfortable enough to begin doing intervals. For those expert "Edge'rs" if you have any tips on some cool things you can do with it outside the basics, let me know.

The arm feels great 6 weeks out, but all the research on rehab I can find still says I should just be getting out of a sling and beginning range of motion. It's really feeling strong, though. I hope to hit some easy dirt in the next week or so.

BAD BOY

I had an 'interesting' birthday, yesterday. I spent the day with my "suspended from school" third grader! I never thought it would happen this soon! I don't think the act was bad enough for a suspension, but then parents never do. Anyway it was pretty cool hanging out with him and have a lot of "talk" time. I think it was a good life lesson for him and a memorable 44th for me.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN- TAKE TWO...

2010-05-05T22:59:00.002-06:00

It's been 5 weeks since the pec surgery and I couldn't stand it anymore. So I got on the bike and went for a ride. Wow! What a relief! I had forgot its hard to ride with more weight on one side. I was trying not to put pressure on the bad arm. The body mechanics didn't work so good with that and I got a pretty good back ache. But it was worth it. So as long as I don't wreck or get hit I should be OK to train on the road. Now how soon I can hit the mountains will depend on time and how much I want to defy my surgeon's advise- again.

SILVER LINING

2010-05-01T22:01:00.004-06:00

It's been 4 weeks since the shoulder surgery. It doesn't hurt, but I am still restricted to putting any weight on it. It's been frustrating but being layed up but not completely inabled has had some advantages. For instance, today was 5 mile pass race. It was a cold, wet day and I didn't have to worry about deciding if I had to suffer in it or feel guilty about bailing. I got to go see both the boys' games instead. As a matter of fact this month there hasn't been the "do I train or do I spend time with the family" dilemma.

BUT, there has been the apprehension of "am I wasting away" "getting weak" "how long will it take to get back into condition" fear. AND I went to the team meeting and felt like I didn't belong! I got the itch to race really bad at the meeting. But I am still looking at (what seems like) a long time before I can race. In the meantime I can enjoy some free time and the family.

Pictionary- Adults vs the kids- try it sometime

But I think in the end I've realized I might have to strike a better balance between family and racing.

I hope to hit the road next week. We'll see how that goes.

MY DOCTOR WAS MAD AT ME

2010-04-16T21:50:00.003-06:00

It's been two weeks since the pec repair. This week I went to see the surgeon for followup. He saw me and I could tell he was mad at me. "Where's your sling?" he says. "I Uh, Uh, didn't know you wanted me to wear it still" I lied. Wow what a typical patient I am. You'd think I'd know better. But that's just it. As patients we "think" we know our bodies best. Who else lives with them all day, every day? We'd like to think or hope we are different than the other patients. Maybe we have a special gene that will make us heal faster. Or maybe the doctor really has it in for us? Or maybe we are deluding ourselves. Yes we are all different as a whole but tissue are the same. A muscle is a muscle and a tendon is a tendon in all of us. And the doctor has seen a lot of different individuals but in the end everyone's tissue is about the same. And

tendons take a long time to heal. (All this is just my way of talking myself into being a compliant patient-so feel free to ignore the ramblings of a doctor/patient.)

I have to realize the only thing still holding me together are threads. I'd better quit digging sprinkler ditches...... As I expected the "after-surgery" is the hardest.

ARANTIX MILES: UNCHANGED ;(

GREAT RACE WEEKEND

2010-04-04T20:23:00.008-06:00

This was the best part of the weekend! Dot's first ride after the surgery!

Dot, the family and in-laws picked me up at the surgical center in Provo around 9:3o am Friday and we were off to the races- except no one was planning on racing! Luckily they numbed my skalene nerve and I wasn't feeling a thing-until we got to Hurricane. We got down to wonderful weather and Dot did a "practice" lap with the boys so they could decide if they wanted to race the next day and then Dot went off to do another full adult lap! Pretty cool. She even considered racing in 35+ but we actually do have some scruples and both decided it probably wasn't the best idea. The boys decided to race. Here they are lining up. Dot rode with Jonny but Joey didn't want anyone to ride with him. I wasn't sure if it was because he is so independent and doesn't need us for support or he doesn't want anyone there so he can slack off. I believe it's the later but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

Jonny had a hard time since he is racing the 12 and under category this year. Joey pulled out a third in the boys group and 5th overall in 9 and under. Not bad considering he was hardly sweating at the finish line.

The Mad Dog team did well and it was fun just being there to take pictures and cheer them on! Here, Carson is racing for his VERY respectable 5th place. Notable first place finishers were the Moffits- Kevin and Joseph. Good Job!

After the race the family and I parted ways. They headed home and I headed up to Gooseberry Mesa with Carson. "The Goose" is an incredible area for riding, camping and scenery! Since I couldn't ride I enjoyed a nice hike down this face toward that sun-lit Butte. It was good to test out the knee. You might be hearing more about "the Goo$e" in the next coming months since I have a special project going there.......

So it was a great weekend to get away and "get some rest" even if I had a couple aching nights. Things are feeling much better with the pecs at this time.

I'VE BEEN CONTEMPLATING

2010-04-01T19:38:00.004-06:00

The surgery is in the morning to reattach my boob. Then we are heading down to Hurricane to get away and to see the race crowd. "Maybe" the boys will race.

This is where I start rambling and musing, so tune out if you want.

With this string of injuries to myself and Dot, I've been thinking, "Why do we do it?" I see that same question on people's faces when I've told them about yet another injury- "What is wrong with you?" BUT, despite my third (significant) injury this year I can't think of anything except how quickly can I get back to activity. I'm sure it's a kind of addiction, but I'd like to think I could stop (yet another sign of an addict) if I wanted to. But in reality I think its just my personality. And that's hard to change. (Wow, Its kind of interesting I just wrote that since I just heard Dot say the same thing, "That's my personality and I can't change it".)

I can't just do one thing. I am a multi-tasker and get a rush out of doing many things at once.

Granted, I am not an expert at anything, but sure can do many things well. I have experienced in this life more than most will ever even dream of- anything more from now on is just icing on the cake. I feel like I am in full time bonus land. I enjoy experiencing life and if I get an occasional bump from it, well then I have to make it part of the adventure. The probabilities of something happening grow with time. I guess its my time. I'll get over it.

AM I STUPID OR JUST UNLUCKY!

2010-03-30T22:45:00.005-06:00

I've been feeling really good the last week. I just got my new belt in Karate (only 6 months out from black) and have been really excited to return to racing. Then tonight I was grappling with the teacher (again). We weren't even going at it that hard since I vowed to take it easy so as not to reinjure my back. And all of a sudden as I was trying finish the take down we both heard a "RRRIIIIIPPPPPP" and stopped. I actually initially thought that he dislocated his shoulder. Then I started to feel the pain in MY chest. I TORE MY FRIGGIN PECTORALIS (CHEST) MUSCLE!

I should just give up and make this into a medical blog instead of a biking one. In general these need to be repaired. I am going to see the Orthopedic surgeon tomorrow to see what he recommends. So I need to see what happens next and don't know if I can make it down to Hurricane. I'd like to come down even if I don't race. We'll see.

Here's some images of what I think is going on. We'll have to leave it to the expert for the final diagnosis.

Ready Or Not Hear I Come!

2010-03-29T22:54:00.004-06:00

That's whether I am ready or not. I can't stand it anymore. I gotta get out there to get butterflies, to burn out my lungs, to eat every one's dust, to waste $39, to tear apart my bike, to tear apart my body to prove what? To prove I can do it of course. And admittedly I just hate being left out....

So Cholla here we come!

Oh and guess what? Dot asked me to get HER bike ready too! No not to race, but at least to- maybe- get back on! This would be the first time since the surgery.

Corner Canyon is getting there. We (Carson and I) were able to put together nearly 2.5 hrs of single track!

ARANTIX II MILES: 117 (FOR 2010-OUCH!)

WORLD CLASS OPPORTUNITIES!

2010-03-17T15:43:00.003-06:00

As I was enjoying my ride yesterday I came upon the Glide park at the point of the mountain. It made me realize the extraordinary world class recreational opportunities we have. It boggles my mind what there is to experience here. We have water sports (who would have expected that in a mountain state?) such as boating, water skiing, river running and fishing. We have the best snow for activities like skiing, snowmobiling and even Olympic venues. And then the there are gorgeous land based activities of hiking, camping, hunting and our favorite- biking! Heck (utah term for Hell) we even have extraordinary geologic opportunities such as fossils and rockhounding. Then you throw in air activities like world class hand gliding and you wonder how anyone can sit home and get fat on the couch! I'm just going crazy NOT attempting to do it all!

ON THE ROAD AGAIN!

2010-03-16T01:25:00.002-06:00

With the new time change and the spring like weather it was time to road test the knee. It's been 10 days since the surgery and the knee has been feeling good. I tested it out on the trainer Saturday and it felt pretty good. So today "to be safe" I figured I'd ride on the road (plus the trails were still soaked). 1.5 hours later I was all smiles! The knee felt strong! I stayed mostly in zone 2 but tried 3 short intervals which went well.

So the plan worked. I got both legs to feel weak so I can begin the rebuild process symmetrically. My left quad is no longer numb and is feeling stronger and now after the surgery on the right knee they feel the same- weak. So I got two weeks to get them race ready for Hurricane.

Happy St George Race- Riders!

2010-03-05T23:20:00.003-07:00

The weather looks ideal, reaching to a sunny 60 degrees. The wind will be calm, the excitement of the start of the season will be wafting in the air. Riders will be sharing stories of their winter slumber trying to gauge who was able to train and who let it go. Old races will be revisited, good times reflected and new hopes will be harbored. New faces will be welcomed and perhaps old ones not there will be fleetingly thought of. The reunion is upon you, the family has gathered from afar. And the competition will be as intense as ever. Good Luck to all and know that you are in my thoughts.....

I have chosen another path for this year in the hopes that missing this sentinel race I might be healed to race many more- later.

For you see, I had knee arthroscopy-medical for knee scope- yesterday. I hope it went well (but the soreness now makes me hope even more that it was worth it). I had a torn meniscus repaired (really, it was just rota-rootered). I have been dealing with this for several years and it has progressively become worse so I figured I'd get it over with and see what happens. Let the rehab begin!

Should I or Shouldn't I???

2010-02-16T19:07:00.006-07:00

I should smile more....is that a gut or does the shirt make me look fat?

St George is coming up. SOOOOOON! I will try not to whine but I am in a delemma. I can't decide whether to enter the St George race or not. I am definitely not ready physically. My left leg is still weal- but at least not cramping. I haven't ridden outside forever( I can't admit here exactly how long.) And I am growing soft here in the sun on the beach- sucks to be me :)

I really want to race but know I will get crushed. I can't spsychologically drop down a level and either way, I'd get crushed in Sport too. On the other hand, racing would get me out AND give me a very good idea where I am at relative to my competition (there will be none) and more importantly where I was in the past couple of years. And a bonus is I will finally be with the Mad Dog team who I actually think I am missing. So unless something ELSE happens I will show up and see how things shake out. I guess formulating this post helped me decide. I think.

Boys in Heaven

NO WHINE ZONE

2010-02-10T22:39:00.004-07:00

A smart little birdy commented to me the other day that this blog has been kind of whiny this year. And so it seems it has. OK, so I pledge for the rest of the year to TRY not to whine. If I do. I hope the 1 or 2 of you that do follow this blog will be honest and let me know.

And it just so happens there has been some good news on the health front for both of us that whining wont be needed (I hope)!

Dot had her two week check up and the docs said she is the best healer they've ever seen (I bet they say that to all the girls). Anyway, she's returned back to work and is walking a bunch! She's measuring her progress by how fast she can walk on the treadmill. She's at 3.2 mph now and seems pretty happy about it.

I had my MRI and seen the sports medicine doc this week. The bad news is I have small to moderate disc herniations at three levels! But the good news is none are surgical and the nerve distribution that I am having weakness on is actually the best looking one. Go figure. To help explain I have attached a lumbar MRI below.

The soft spongy discs can push out (herniate) and push on a nerve. Luckily most will actually get better with rest and anti-inflammatories which seems to be the my case. My back pain has been completely gone for several weeks but I've been dealing with the thigh weakness. That too is getting better. I can spin and get my HR up to the 160's without cramping and spin for 1.5 hours. I don't think that will get me to race condition but it is improving fairly fast. Yay! (see: no whining).

So even better news is that we are leaving for the Riviera Maya Saturday! Hopefully the next blog will be more Sunny!

ARANTIX II miles for 2010: 5 (ouch!)

THE REST OF THE STORY:

2010-02-04T22:11:00.005-07:00

So this is what my left quad looks like 3 weeks after I "twisted" my back. Any ideas?

FEBRUARY 5TH:

Here is the rest of the info to go along with the above picture:
After the back injury I started to have more pain and cramping on the inside of my left leg along with weakness. It was mostly when going up stairs or standing up. The skin is numb over the quadriceps. It continued 3 more weeks until the back pain was completely gone but I felt that the quadriceps muscle was atrophying. Also, I would spin to about a HR of 120 and get SEVERE spasms in that area. So as Dot got better I got an MRI of my back to make sure there wasn't anything continuing to push on that nerve. Interestingly, the MRI showed some disc protrusion and disease, but NOT in the nerve distribution that corresponded with my weakness. Anyway, its good that I don't think I'll need surgery but unknown as to why this happened and when it will resolve. I am going to see a sports medicine doc Monday to get his opinion.

So is it Old age? I'd like to think that it is more likely a probability thing. The longer you do crazy things and the more crazy things that you do the more likely you will have an injury and pay the consequences.

What else is there, though. To lay down, rot and die?

We Will Be Ruturning To Regular Programing...

2010-02-01T15:07:00.002-07:00

Dot continues to do well. Here she is back at the boys bed-time ritual of reading to them. The family routines that we depend on her for are back on track. I must say, however, that it is nice to have her home during the day and not at work. We could probably get used to that, but alas, she's already logged onto the work computer and started to do some work and conferencing.

So after this post I will take back my Arantix blog and return to boring the one or two readers (and myself) about biking and my challenges. Dot welcomes your calls and emails if you'd like to see how she continues to recover. Thank you all for your interest, wishes and prayers.

How to Keep An Active Women Sane....

2010-01-30T12:32:00.005-07:00

So far Dot is doing well at home; relatively independent about getting up and around- even going up and down stairs (Yes, I warned her not too!). But, right now she is definitely reminded of her limitations by the surgical pain and very slowly improving stomachaches. This has kept her cautious and seemingly resigned to resting. Also, emotionally she seems to be comfortable with the situation she is dealing with- at least on the outside.
What happens next is my next concern. For a VERY active person I've been wondering how she would handle "going cold turkey" from working out. She has been advised no strenuous activity for about 6 weeks and that would be like twice as much time off of working out as she has taken our whole married life. Yes, maybe that's a little exaggerated but you get the picture. How she will handle this is a nagging thought in the back of my mind. The good thing is that she is very attuned to her emotional needs and I trust she will do well- as long as her husband stays out or her way.

ADDENDUM;
OK, so as soon as I pushed the publish button, Dot came in and said, "I think I am in trouble: I'm bored.".... See what I mean?

Happy Mommy; Happy Boys

2010-01-28T19:30:00.003-07:00

Dot was feeling and LOOKING good enough today to see the boys. It was a good day.
She's coming home tomorrow morning.

happy daddy

MUCH BETTER

2010-01-28T05:52:00.004-07:00

Here's Dot's bright message: "Thanks for your thoughts, I am doing much better this morning. Let's hope this afternoon is better than yesterdays."

She is off all pain meds, gently walking the hallways and in much better spirits! Yay!

What a difference 12 hours can make.

Two steps forward; One step back

2010-01-27T22:32:00.004-07:00

Dot's sleeping and doing well now. Earlier, she had a little setback with an Ileus (ie as is common after surgery the bowels stop working causing severe stomach pain and cramping). She's been really tough and worked through it through the day. I am sure we will take another couple of steps forward tomorrow.

Silent Night?

2010-01-26T22:17:00.002-07:00

All is well. She is sleeping peacefully (until the next blood pressure check).

Can you beleive she had dreams even under anesthesia!

Good night....

YES!

2010-01-26T13:51:00.003-07:00

Dot only had two goals for today, to wake up after anesthesia and to have both legs. She met and exceeded them!

I've just gotten word that she is in recovery after a successful surgery. AND they were able to keep the graft short enough so it didn't have to extend into her leg which would have meant a longer scar and having it go under the inguinal ligament which could cause further problems later on.

Thank you all for your prayers and good wishes.

DELAYED!

2010-01-26T06:56:00.002-07:00

It looks like the typical patient frustrations begin. We've been delayed until 10 am. This is just to let you know so people don't get nervous if they aren't contacted until later in the day.

Dot's doing great. I'm proud of her.

More updates to follow for those interested.

DOT'S BLOG NOW

2010-01-25T22:19:00.001-07:00

The interest and oodles of good wishes even BEFORE Dot's surgery has been tremendous. Thank you all! We also found that communicating what happened was easier and provided more information with the pictures on this blog that we've decided, for the short term, this blog will be dedicated to Dot and her recovery.

We have been greatly appreciative of how many poeple have been so supportive and have offered to help out. Dot's mom is here to help out and I've arranged my schedule to be available as much as possible. But I know she has especially appreciated the support from her biking friends! They understand the best.

It's an interesting experience both having a medical background and going through the patient process. There are the advantages of knowing what to expect but also the disadvantages of having seen some of the rare complications. I don't think over all it is any easier.

We are scheduled for a 7:30 am surgery time, tomorrow. At least it will be a short sleepless night for Dot.

We'll keep you posted.

WARNING: Endofibrosis of the Iliac Artery in cyclists

2010-01-22T12:43:00.006-07:00

This blog is submitted with permission from my wife to help educate the cycling community. She has this! And she is scheduled to have surgery this Tuesday.

Dot had been complaining since an ICUP race in July that her right leg was getting numb and painful when she would run or bike. Then this week it would hurt when she would even try to walk fast for a few minutes. When this happened her right foot would turn completely white. She went to a sports doc yesterday and had an Ultrasound that showed an Arterial clot in her Iliac artery! Today she had the angiogram shown below. The ends of the paper clip show where there should be signs of the contrast in the artery but there is nothing. That section will need to be bypassed by a graft.Apparently, this is a relatively new condition being found predominantly in intense cyclists that is becoming more prevalent as there are more people taking up the sport. The theory is that the constant bending at the waste causes repeat trauma to the artery and it begins to scar. Scarring then narrows the artery limiting flow and also sets up increased clotting risk. Signs to watch for is exercise induced pain and numbness to the leg with some loss of capillary refill (color). In the end stages diminished pulses than the other side are possible.
Dot is being a sport about it but the frustration shows. Her frustration is that by doing all the right things such as exercise, diet, and no smoking she gets a major health problem before she would have if she didn't stay "healthy". Not fair. Is it?

The recovery from surgery has generally been 90-100% to full activity with some athletes returning to full competition. But as Dot said at the end of last season- she is retiring from racing. Was her mind and body telling her something then?

I love you, dear!

Shattered Plans, Shattered Back

2010-01-20T13:51:00.002-07:00

2010 has turned into a rough start. Initial plans were to race Temecula this month with Carson but those plans were looking sketchy last week so we thought we could go down for Camp Linda in St George for some good,long ,warm, dry, freshair riding but it's been canceled due to all the rain. Then to REALLY F things up I jacked up my back last week grappling with the teacher in Karate. This weekend I did a little sledding with the boys and thereafter, couldn't sleep for two days. It's slowly getting better but who knows how long it will take to get back into condition. Back's can be tough buggers to heal. Oh well, I guess I got the rest of the year.....

St George- Out and back in 14 hours

2010-01-12T09:43:00.003-07:00

I was desperate to get out of this foul air soup and to ride. Luckily Carson was too and we took off yesterday to St George. It was "terrible"! (That's the official line we decided to give our wives)
In reality we hit temperatures up to 60 degrees F, no wind, clear sunny skies, no smog and 5 hours of riding. Moving down there crosses my mind every time I ride there in the winter- but then summer is a different story.
This is from Sidewinder off of Barrel Roll. We also hit Barrel Roll, Black Brush, Zen, Bear Claw Poppy.
We had soooo much fun that we are rethinking Temecula. It is the same weekend as Camp Linda and as one wise blogger put it, "it is 3 more days of riding with half the drive". That's hard to argue with. So at this point it looks like it will be Camp Linda unless the weather is awful, then we will continue driving to CA.

Aimless in 2010

2010-01-10T21:41:00.003-07:00

I've been contemplating what goals or resolutions to set for 2010 all year long. Should I continue to do every ICUP? Should I get out of state more? Should I hang up racing? Should I do longer distances exclusively? Should I get a new bike (aside from my Uni)?

I don't know. But what I DO know is that I'm not stressed about it. I have a feeling it's going to be a good year but why or how I just will have to see. Reading the blogs and talking to several other riders, this seems to be a common theme this year. I like it. See you all on the aimless road of 2010!

New ride for 2010

2010-01-09T23:36:00.002-07:00

Here it is! Yup, I guess I only deserved half a bike from Santa this year. Any tips on how to stay on one of these would be helpful.

Happy (belated) New Year!

MERRY CHRISTMAS- From Channing Hall

2009-12-25T00:54:00.004-07:00

Joey's first graders at Channing Hall sing "Silent Night" for you all.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

TRIPLE CAKE BIRTHDAY(S)

2009-12-08T21:49:00.006-07:00

Joey turned 7 this weekend. Yes it took all weekend and three cakes.

Friday, he had the kids party and wanted a "wedding type" cake. So Dot obliged.
Saturday he wanted a stack of pancakes with a candle on it "like on TV"- Has anyone seen this on TV?Sunday, he shared his birthday with Cassidy and Whitney. Thanks for sharing you guys!

Then on Sunday night he cried to Dot in bed, "I cried all three days!" ...... He did . But it's all good-he's 7........

I THOUGHT I'D BE BRAVE TODAY

2009-12-05T17:30:00.002-07:00

and go ride outside. Nothing was going to stop me, even when the clouds started rolling in. Due to family scheduling I didn't get out until 2:30ish. I headed up CC thinking that it's been dry for a while and the trails would be clear. They were until I started climbing Ghost then it was ice. Then it was suddenly a blizzard. Then I realized it is damn cold going downhill in a blizzard. Then I got home and jumped into the hottub with the boys (no picture for a reason). Oh well, I tried.

THEY LIFT MY HEART THEN THEY CRUSH IT

2009-12-04T00:12:00.004-07:00

WHO? The kids of course! Joey, this time.
He came home with the above drawing a few weeks ago when he was told to write a story in class. Translation: "I learned how to ride my bike with my dad holding me up" . How cool is that. I'm famous in first grade. He remembered and appreciated what I had done!
BUT THEN....
We presented this to him today for his birthday. You could just see it on his face...."It's just a bike" I even heard him say that later to his brother who was drooling all over it!

Dad's perspective is: That spooled brat!
Son's perspective is: Oh man I wanted a DS. That means I am going to have to race it. It's too hard to race. I'd rather play video games and eat candy.

The trials of rearing a child and being one.......

12 HOURS OF TEMECULA 2009- SERIES CHAMPS

2009-11-16T00:31:00.013-07:00

Yes we are the 12 Hours of Temecula duo open series champions. What does that mean? Well we rode our butts off to and in all three of the SoCal 12 hour endurance races. That means on bikes and in the truck (I just got back so its fresh on my behind). We rode 42 laps total (most of any teams for the series)- finishing 2nd, 1st and 2nd respectively in the three races.

Carson and I made it down for the third time this year because its just a great escape and the weather is much better than here at this time of year. Which we realized when we got back to snow on the ground! It also is a fun series with great turnout and fun fast courses.

We headed out Thursday morning with idea of stopping in Vegas for a quick ride, but decided to stop in St George instead and rode Bear Claw Poppy. It was a bit dusty but really fast! If you haven't ridden it recently it seems to have expanded into a zillion options and turnoffs that meander in a red maze of rock and dirt but always takes you back to the main route. I'd recommended it to all levels of riders.

The picture is of the trailhead where we turn around to head back to the start near the race loop.

After the exhilarating ride we cleaned up and drove on to Primm just south of Vegas to lose a few bucks at blackjack and to spend the night. We rolled into Temecula the next morning, set up camp and went for a pre-ride.

I expected the course to be the same as last fall but was surprised that the course was changed. It did include combinations of the two prior courses we had done, so most of it wasn't too new. We still had the Dam Climb (And it is a Damn long hard climb!)
The above picture is Carson climbing the least steep part of the climb. It is deceiving because there are about 5 false summits before you make it the 1.5 miles to the top. Below is from the top looking back at the dam and lake.

Once you made it to the top the rest of the course was nearly all downhill with several quick steep "walls" that if you hit at full speed you could top with moderate effort. The "tunnel of love" is the funnest section that includes a long fast winding descent that goes on for a long time. There were a few changes that made the course seem shorter than last time but ultimately because of the time it took to do the Dam climb the laps ended up longer than previously.

THE RACE

Above is the paced start of the race. Carson is on the far Right. Our rule for the race starts is that if it entails a bike sprint then he goes but if it requires a run then I start. He got off well and I quickly got ready and anxiously waited for him to get back. To my dismay he returned third in our duo open category, but not by much. We were hoping for first or second, but it was early. I headed off and shortly saw the second place guy ahead. His name was Mark (sorry I forgot his last name) and he was racing for Racers here in Utah. We lost to a Racers team in the spring so I was concerned for a repeat of that. But by the time we got to the top of the Dam climb I had passed him and saw him no more on that lap.

As the times were posted several laps later we saw that the top three were within 20 minutes of each other which is pretty close for a 12 hour race. The worrisome thing was that Racers team was only 2 minutes back. Then as I waited for my third lap I saw, John (again- don't remember his last name), the other Racers racer come in ahead of Carson. I found out later that he was feeling sick and cramping pretty bad and got passed. Luckily I again was able to catch Mark on the climb and pass him. Carson's strength came back the rest of the race (thank goodness for me since he had to do the extra lap-13- and I wasn't keen on doing back to back laps) and that's what kept us ahead of third. Ultimately, we were able to widen the gap to about 11 minutes on them but were only able to close the gap to 1st place to 10 minutes by the 9 pm cutoff time. It was a very close clean race that could have easily changed with a minor mistake, injury or mechanical. But all 6 of us managed to avoid a mishap and it ended based upon our ability for the day- as it ideally should. I had a great time and felt great throughout the race. Each lap was extremely fun and even the Dam climb seemed easier than the last time I raced it.

I'll post times when they are available.

Karate kids

2009-11-07T20:09:00.003-07:00

It's a proud moment in a dad's life when his 9 year old boy's Kata form is better than his dad's. Or is it a sad day for dad? The boys kicked butt in their tournament today. Jonny nailed his form section with his master watching. I made the comment that his was better than mine. And our master didn't say anything. I'm going to practice right after I'm done with this blog.

Who put the marbles in the trail?! The trails in CC have been packed this week and great fun to ride. Then I hit this turn towards the bottom of Ghost! How smart is it to put gravel on a tight turn like that? I've been really impressed with how much the city has been doing to increase and improve the trails and can't complain too much. But this sure was a dumb move. I can only hope it is temporary and they are planning to use it as base material for a concrete banked turn.

One more race left for this year. Carson and I are heading down towards Temecula this thurs. We'll stop for some riding in Vegas then head over to the 12 hour race in CA.

That's it. Off to work on my forms.

Arantix II miles: 1811

Fall Riding the Mistress etc.

2009-10-18T22:19:00.008-06:00

Just like everyone else seems to be blogging about fall riding, so must I. It's just too beautiful not to take a few pics. Yesterday, I hit Jamie's mistress, Silly Little Urban Trail (SLUT) etc........ If you have not been on Jamie's email list you have missed a great barrage of name suggestions. All deal with the fact that Jamie has been out of the house for some reason (he says it was trail work) but Whitney has caught on and dubbed the trail "the Mistress" and from there it went downhill. Here is a video Jamie made of the trail. I rode her yesterday and it was fun. It'll be better after of winter pack.

Today I went up Clark's and across up to the South Suncrest trail. I've only been on it once before. It's fun, although overgrown in several spots. It dumps you out near the downhill course at the top of SunCrest. Now that's a blast! Luckily there are some bypass "blue" lines that avoid some crazy jumps.

So does the sign mean free ride bikes only or that you can only ride one way?

Nice ramp? Where does it go?
The other side....

24 HOURS OF MOAB, 2009- PART II

2009-10-13T23:05:00.006-06:00

So as I was saying until I fell asleep at the keyboard last night (I did a night shift the day before):

The last lap-5. Two of us had to do an extra 5th lap and the natural lineup called for it to be Carson and I. I was actually kind of looking forward to it. I REALLY felt good on the fourth lap at night so I was hoping to redeem my frustrating first two laps. There was no pressure since at that point we realized we had no hope of placing above 6th place, but I wanted to end on a good lap. And it turned out to be just that. It flowed, there were less riders to pass (or be passed by) and my legs were still not cramping! As a matter of fact my back was starting to get sore from the endo and standing up actually felt better. The legs took this pretty good and I was able to put in a reasonable time of 1:22.

Moab has become tradition. It is a way for the Mad Dog team to hang out and connect. There is more time for getting to know each other in a common setting that we are comfortable in. Then our character is tested by the course and respect is earned from the accomplished challenge we have set before us.

Special thanks for Keith for going through the brain damage of organizing and running the camp. And Abby (and by default the hubby-Scott) plus Marci the assistant for the great cook'in and nur'shm'nt she provided for everyone. And as usual my teammates; Carson the smug- garsh I'm just too fast and don't want anyone to know it, Keith the daddy, captain, husband and Oh by the way fast rider in his spare time, and Scott- Mr. nice to everyone, how can I help you, I'll race my heart out for the team.

ARANTIX II MILES 1645

24 HOURS OF MOAB, 2009

2009-10-12T21:30:00.005-06:00

This race has become tradition. As many times as I've done this race I tend to take it for granted. But it really is "epic" as Laird Knight the race promoter put it. It has over 4000 bicycle enthusiasts from all over the world and ALL levels of riders collecting in the middle of a red desert to form a MTB oasis. This year the perfect weather gave me a chance to see the beauty in this place and REALIZE it's in my back yard! I must admit this is the first time I've done this race that the weather HAS been good enough to allow for this type of reflection. The first time I did the race in 2002 under team Quadra-sore-ass wrecks it was raining and freezing. Since then I've done 5 more with Mad Dog and endured hail, floods and wind storms.

2009 was looking like it was going to be perfect. I felt relaxed, comfortable and well rested (perhaps too well-rested). As usual I "volunteered" to do the Le-manz style 200 yard run around the poor pinon tree. I got off to a great start and found myself in probably the top 10 runners going around the tree. Not bad for an old fart I was thinking when I looked down and saw a baton on the ground. Instinctively I felt for mine on my right thigh where I carried it under my shorts. I couldn't feel it there! What luck I thought as I stopped to pick up the baton as 50 runners passed me. In the next instant I felt BEHIND my thigh and there was my baton. UHGG! What a stupid move. Anyway, I still ended up toward the front of the hoard of riders and really didn't have too much traffic to contend with as usually happens if you get caught in the middle of the 300+ racers fighting for a line.

I was feeling confident and taking aggressive lines down the rock drops and ledges when I got to the Nose Dive Hill bypass. There was a "helpful" guy there yelling at everybody to be careful since there were some jeepers at the bottom. So what do I do? I look over to see what he was talking about, ended up on the wrong line and drilled the front straight down. Even the larger 29'r wheel up front couldn't save me and I found my self rolling over the handle bars. It's funny the vivid stuff you remember thinking in that split second- only some of which I can repeat here. I remember thinking, "So how bad is this going to hurt? Is the race over right here? I hope the Arantix is going to be OK." Well I landed and had NO pain! I did the usual systems check and all systems were functioning. I jumped up and picked up the Arantix. I had held on to it so that it wouldn't slide and roll too far down. It only required a small straightening of the handle bar. Cool! I survived. The rest of the lap was a blur of relief for my life, anger, frustration at lost time, anger for being frustrated etc. I lost my concentration. Once it was done I had to admit my time of 1:14 was reasonable and I tried to shake it off in anticipation of redeeming myself on the next one. My duo pal Carson was next pulling in a screaming time, followed by Captain Keith who kicked some butt and then Scott (the team cook's main squeeze) finished off our 4 person rotation. And I was up again.

I headed out feeling strong until I started to hit the technical ledges and my chain dropped in between the cassette and spokes. As you all know (your lucky if you don't) that's a #$*ch to get out. I must have bent the derailleur hanger when I wrecked on the last lap. I finally got the chain out but had it happen two more times within a 5 minute period until I realized I just couldn't use the lower gears for the rest of the lap. I was frustrated. I put in a 1:20.

The next lap was going to be a night lap. I had our team wrench, Bryan, straighten the hanger and put the lights on. I've been wanting to take advantage of the hollow nature of the Arantix to "light" the Isotruss up so I got some glow sticks.

Night riding is really fun. I feel like I am in a different very focused world. The challenges are directly in front and nothing else really matters. The third lap in the past has been the toughest mentally and physically. It didn't let me down. This was a rough ride. I couldn't get into a rhythm. I pulled a 1:26 and went to sleep.

I went out for the fourth lap at 4 am. By now I new the lines and I got into a great rhythm. It was a very, clean satisfying lap done at 1:28. By now I had realized that I'd have to do another lap, but it would be in the daylight hours-and warmer.dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd...I'm falling asleep. I'll continue this tomorrow.

Good night Moab.

Fun times off the bike

2009-10-04T23:34:00.007-06:00

While everyone was putting in training miles (Holleys, Carson, Keyes, Kendra) I was not. It was a good week, though.

Monday, I played hookey from my chores and headed off to go wakeboarding. I haven't been for about 3 years but it wasn't as hard as I thought. I did make it over the wake, which I haven't been able to do before. It was a good way to say goodbye to summer. Thanks Jory and Noelle!

Thursday for UEA we headed to the west desert to hunt for Geodes. Wow was that fun! The boys just kept digging and digging. Some of the time they even collected what they were supposed to. As you can see we came back with plenty of them. We camped for two nights. Hiking, 4- wheeling and exploring was included. I even got in a good two hour ride with the Arantix. The next day I went to head out for another ride but the front tire ripped and I had to abort. I made up for that by riding today with Carson here at Corner Canyon.

Now we have to get all those open! If anyone has kids this trip is a must do.

TEAM VIZMEG - MOHICAN OHIO

2009-09-20T14:32:00.009-06:00

I got in with the bike intact and things going well until I heard that my wrench support through Delta 7 sports had a family emergency with his daughter hospitalized and couldn't help. I definitely did not blame him but it did leave me without any tools. He did set up to have the ARANTIX put together at a local bike shop. But I had to do a whole 12 hour race to do with a leatherman and my parks tool. I recruited my sister, Jessika, to help but the whole family showed up to help run support. That turned out to be the funnest part of the race. As some of the solo riders that I was racing said. "Wow you have a whole army!". I started out pretty excited to take on the OHio boys and found myself second half way into the race. I ended up having the second fastest time. But as usual I paid for that by burning out. With the Vizmeg army I had really had good turn around times so by the third lap I was out front overall. But half way into the lap another 12 hour solo rider passed going pretty fast. I got in and with a quick turn around I was first again. Again, at about the same spot I was passed by the same guy. I figured my first place chance was over. The only hope I had was to keep having good turn around times and pray he didn't. By the 5th lap I was getting reports from the Team Vizmeg crew that he was hanging out at the pit areas longer and I was 7 minutes ahead of him.

By then I was dealing with some serious chain skipping. It felt like the back cassette was slipping anytime I tried to stand or put any force on it. It was wearing on me since with the ARANTIX I like to stand on the short ups. My butt was feeling the extra sitting requirements to spin. The course was pretty wearing as well since it was a lot of ups and downs without any recovery sections. There were a lot of trees and roots that required standing. It was a fun course overall with about 95% single track, and a bit of grassy fields. There was a mossy 5o yard section of "rock garden" that was a challenge. It would have been treacherous if it would have been wet, though.

By lap six I was feeling it but did not feel like I could let up. Around that time what really kept me going was the excitement shown by my family. As I would roll into the pit area, I literally had the biggest and loudest cheering section. Each time I came by the whole team was there to help me out. They consisted of Jessy, Toby (sis and bro), Heather (sis in law) and their kids Nik, Alek and Maya along with my Mom and Dad- whose 70th birthday prompted this visit. As night rolled around I figured the kids had a long day and that Heather and Toby would want to take them home soon, but Heather made me smile when she said "We'll stay as long as you are winning". I had to keep going.

After the 6th lap I got word that 2nd place was 9 minutes behind and he seemed to be taking longer in the pit areas. This bolstered my confidence but I knew it wasn't in the bag yet. My cassette was skipping even more making me walk up hills I still could have ridden. With all of the skipping I felt for sure that the chain would break. I even had to borrow a pump to pump up my shock.

Night came and I got the lights installed in record time with my team and I was off 30 minutes ahead of second. I was breathing easier but finally getting tired and was wondering if I could keep going without stopping to rest like my competition was. I was cramping but not too bad likely due to the Carborocket I was regularly drinking. On the good side my stomach was feeling good and Mom had given me a bite of wonderfully tasting BBQ'd pork before I headed out. I thought of that the rest of that 8th lap and couldn't wait to get some more.

Coming in on the 9th lap I was 42 minutes ahead and barring mechanicals I was finally starting to relax a little. I decided to nurse the bike and chain to avoid a breakdown and slowed down. This also helped me avoid a full rest stop. So I kept going. This was the lap I was hoping the competition would stop on so I wouldn't have to do another lap. It was around 10pm when I rolled in still with plenty of time to do another. I wasn't prepared mentally to do more than 8 laps since last year's winning # of laps was 6! Jessy and mom were there to feed me and report that 2nd place had gone out about 10 minutes before I came in. I had to do another lap but as long as I finished I would win. Well that was the longest lap of my life!

My legs were shot. They even gave up cramping! They just gave up. I was spinning so slow that at least 3 times I would hit a small root, come to an immediate stop and tip over before I could even clip out. I never really got hurt since I was going so slow but it still stung. I felt like It was my first MTB race. I got in at 11 minutes after midnight. Jessy who was the core to the team and gave up her study time to help me was there with Mom. It was really cool to have the extended family experience the crazy racing stuff that has consumed my last few years and maybe have a better appreciation of why I do it. This has been the most satisfying race I've had. The funny thing is, is that I don't even have an award or medal to remember this by. They ONLY handed out $100 in cash! (which normally I would have preferred- go figure).

HAPPY 70TH DAD!

Race Trip! Mohican OH

2009-09-16T22:38:00.003-06:00

This ones a new one for me. A true air transportation only race. I have the challenge of trying to fit the gear for a 12 hour solo race into two bags, including the bike, but making it look like it is not a bike. Get it? I found out-too late- that Delta charges $175 each way to check a bike! That's a lot more than my airfare! So I have taken the challenge of putting my bike into two "normal" cases to see if I can get away with the usual -robbery- cost of checking bags; $40. I got it all in for a total of only 72 lbs. Its a good thing the Arantix is light.

The 24/12 Hours of Mohican is at Mohican "Wilderness" in Ohio. I think the use of the word wilderness is used loosely. But we'll see.

12 HOURS OF SUNDANCE- 09

2009-09-15T13:52:00.005-06:00

Saturday I paid the price for taking a "break" from training. Carson and I once again teamed up to take on Sundance's finest in a 12 hours race. As you can see we survived and Carson was even smiling!

This was Carson's day all the way. In an uncharacteristic move I took the first cold morning lap. This was because I new I had to be done early to get to work on time (yes. Crazy, but the only way I could do the race). I wasn't warmed up and hadn't been doing intervals for the last month so I really felt it in my lungs the first lap. I found myself dropped from the lead group to leas the middle group. But that's generally where I am at anyway. I came in at about 43 minutes. Carson took his turn and came in at a screaming 41 or so. That set the stage for the rest of the race. I never felt really bad and was actually relaxed and having fun but the legs just didn't have what I had expected of them. I continued to drop almost a minute per lap while Carson was rather consistant and at the most was only dropping 1/2 a minute per lap. Nevertheless we were against some stiff competition and were in a solid 4th place the whole time. I had a good time with the large Mad Dog crowd that showed up. This was a contrast to last year when I did it solo and felt lonely the whole time.

The hang out between laps.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARSON......

ARANTIX II Miles: 1350

MIA

2009-09-15T13:47:00.002-06:00

I've been missing the MTB action for the most part since Leadville. Though I've had a good time, It's nice to be back to be on the bike.

Cool of the Night

2009-09-01T23:26:00.003-06:00

It's too hot to ride during the day. So I dug out my lights and hit the local trails at night. Interestingly, I saw more night riders the other day than during my mid day rides.

Has anyone riden ghost at night? It lives up to its name. eeeeerieeeee!

DAVE WEINS' HEALTH INITIATIVE

2009-08-17T06:56:00.008-06:00

Last year's winner,Dave Weins, took second to Lance Armstrong, but I thought he gave a much better, meaningful talk. This part speaks to what I believe as a physician and athlete.

Spread the word and encourage your family and friends to get out there and challenge their bodies! For their sake.

LANCE'S ACCEPTANCE SPEECH AT LT 100

2009-08-16T23:08:00.007-06:00

Here is Lance's acceptance speech for first place at the Leadville Trail 100 MTB race that I took Sunday.

GRANNY GEAR LEADVILLE 09

2009-08-15T21:29:00.007-06:00

I RACED LANCE! How do you think I did? I was hoping I'd run into him and let him borrow "my" Arantix.... He didn't seem to need the help. As you can see, I did run into Dave Weins (the 44 yo that BEAT Lance last year) He was pretty cool but I didn't offer the ARANTIX. He was too tall for my medium.

THE "RACE" - IN A NUT SHELL

We lined up at 5:15 am to get a "good" position since there were 1400 entrants. The race started at 6:30. It was a long wait in 38 degree temp. I went to pee twice during that time (should have gone three times though). It was a decent start despite the huge numbers. I got a good position but had to keep a pretty good pace up the first wet cold climb to keep my position. I went out too hard as usual and I paid for it for the rest of the race. The decent down powerline trail was wet but fast. The was the most exhilarating part of the race. I passed a lot of people (that would pass me later). My gloves were soaked at the first aid station and I changed over to another pair from my drop bag but it took a lot of time with cold hands. I was passed by a hoard of riders and after I got on I was feeling pretty tired. By the time I started the 10 mile climb to Columbine mine I started cramping so I very frequently had to spin it out in granny gear. That was essentially the rest of the race. Granny spin, cramp anyway, get off hike, go again, wonder why I am doing this etc. I had a goal of 8 hr 30 min to push myself to a more realistic under 9 but would have ended up at 9:30 except 3 miles from the finish my SRAM quick link broke (4 the 2nd time this year! but no more) and because the replacement wouldn't fit I lost 31 minutes. I finished under 10 hrs in 9hrs 59 min and 59 sec. Good experience but this is just a kick your butt course between the weather, altitude and climbing.

CORRECTION; last blog I incorrectly wrote that Columbine was over 13000. Nope, it's ONLY 12300. Piece of cake. NOT!

KC kicked butt (mine too) doing the course in 7 hr 59 min for an overall 3rd place!

Chris came in just under 8 hours in 19th place against a stacked field of pros including Lance, Dave Weins, Tinker, Alex Grant etc.

Brad Mullen had a "fun" ride finishing a bit over 10 hrs.

I'll post more pics later since I'm having trouble posting them on the laptop.

The ARANTIX did awesome and drew huge attention and comments. I swear if I could have just 1 kcal of energy for each "wow" comment I might have beat Lance!

LEADVILLE SHIVERS

2009-08-13T06:55:00.003-06:00

So I talked to Brad M yesterday to prepare for the ride to the Leadville MTB 100- and he ruined my day. I hadn't looked at the weather forcast for Leadville yet and he updated me. It's NOT good. A big reason I wanted to do this race again was to get a chance to do it in good conditions. I've tried in previous blogs to describe how bad it was in 2000, but unless you've been there it's not possible. Suffice it to say I was shivering for 45 minutes after the race from hypothermia.

Well the forcast is for a low of 34 with thundershowers, but that does not reflect the temperature and weather at (over 13,000 ft) Columbine Mine. Which will be colder. Starting at 6 am in near freezing weather is not fun either. Sorry, I am usually not much of a weather complainer, but that last experience has scarred me for life.

Chric, KC, Brad and I are heading out today and despite my complaining I am pretty excited. The ARANTIX is cleaned and tuned. My legs feel pretty good. I can't wait to race against Lance!

Follow this link to see live webcasts of our misery.

I gotta go. Got's to pack some more warm weather stuff......

IN MEMORY OF......WOLVERINE RIDGE

2009-08-10T01:04:00.003-06:00

This would have been the weekend for the 16th annual ICUP Wolverine ridge final except for the fact that this venue has been canceled. Dot and I really like this challenging course so we both did it from the cabin as a tribute to its running. The course was in great condition, more packed than usual and the weather was nice and cool. Too bad......

6 Days to Leadville...

ARANTIX II MILES: 1049

RANATAD 2009

2009-08-05T08:12:00.005-06:00

Delta 7 Sports treated me right for this ride. They gave me a team outfit AND set me up with the Ascend. I was nervous trying out a bike for the first time for 165 miles but I figured what the heck (hell for those none Utah readers) I haven't been on MY road bike for a while either. I did spend a good while the day before setting it up to fit me as best possible. I got to Sundance and this year they made us park in the upper lot! All I could think of was that the hill was NOT going to be fun riding up to my car after 165 miles.

A few other docs from Mountain View showed up as well for the ride. It's nice to see we have some medical professionals that practice the healthy lifestyles that they should preach. From L to R: Dean Egbert (one of my partners), Ian MacMaster, Roman Takasaki.

We headed down the hill from Sundance with the temp about 58 F which was refreshing and woke me up fast. I got of to a fast start and as we headed through Benjamin I was actually wondering if I should pull back some so as not to be burned out. But you can't pass up a free pull so I held on. But by the time we hit Payson Canyon I was feeling good and I began the climb with just Heath and I. I don't know his last name but apparently he is a pro tri racer and he had some involvement in planning the Ascend at delta 7 sports. He's the one that pulled me for a huge part of last year's ride. Anyway, he took off and I began my grind up. At the Blackhawk water stop two riders (Greg & Rick) caught up with me and we worked together for the rest of the day to AF canyon. It was a relatively steady pace and my legs were feeling good.

Also, By the 6 hour mark which is the longest time the saddle this year for me I realized I really was pretty comfortable. I was concerned with a new bike that I would have some fatigue spots. But the Ascend was really comfortable. It was not jarring on the bumps and dips, was responsive on standing and climbs and stable on the fast descents! I LIKE it!

Once we reached the Alpine loop I was itching to open up on my own and headed off. Greg dropped back but was not too far off. I felt strong and the concern of only having a double rather than my bikes triple up front was not an issue. Later I found out the third guy in our group-Rick had become too dehydrated and was throwing up. He made it though. Pretty good for a 50 yo.

The biggest problem of the ride came 4 miles from the top where the road was closed for at least 15 minutes for resurfacing. I got all tight and stiff and the adrenalin rush of approaching the top disappeared. I creaked it up the rest of the way and finished in about 9:25 total time and about 8:28 ride time. This was about 20 minutes faster than last years and I felt pretty good. I took the shuttle up to the parking lot, though.

So after that I feel better about Leadville and know I can do that length. And nutrition was not much of an issue, either.

Rumor, I heard on the ride a rumor that Lance was trying to get some of the guys on his team to race at Leadville as well. Anyone else hear this?

Leadville here I come!

Thanks Delta 7 Sports for the bike! AWESOME!

DOUBLE TAKE ISOTRUSS STYLE

2009-08-02T22:31:00.005-06:00

I borrowed the Ascend for the RANATAD tomorrow. I figured it really isn't a race so I could try out a "new" bike for the day long ride. We'll see if my 'Arse will regret it. Last year the RANATAD was a blast. I hooked up with a couple of strong fast riders and blew through the 165 miles and 13000 feet of climbing in 9:30. That's my goal again but I'd be really surprised if it worked out. It all depends on if there is a strong front group. It can't be done alone at that pace. I tried the ASCEND a bit today and it seems less jarring than my Allez on the little bumps. Full report after tomorrow. The ARANTIX gets a rest.

CANYONS- ICUP FINAL RACE

2009-08-02T11:09:00.002-06:00

The new Canyons course is my kind of course. Good steady climbing and quick descents with fair room to pass. I got off to a great start up the road climb and was feeling good. Even at the top I was not feeling too winded and by that time I had creeped to the front from my usual back of the pack start. By then, I had passed Fred Porter as well which should have given me a clue. But I was feeling good and besides I had been working on my endurance for Leadville and felt I should be able to keep up the pace. (forshadowing) I went into the first full lap climb strong as well and caught and passed Karl who beat me last race by one minute. The only other rider ahead of me that I could recall in our group was Sam. Then I hit the second full lap climb and noticed it wasn't as easy as the first time. I saw Fred in the distance behind me so I figured I'd better turn it up. But the legs said "Surprise! we're done!" I burned them out? How could that be?
Well, Fred caught me at the start of that climb and I just kept getting slower! Well maybe I could hang on.. NOPE! Karl came sneaking up as I was cresting the top of the climb and I knew he was a better downhiller than I so I let him go. Crap! I dropped from 2nd to 4th in the last 1/4 of the race.

What worries me is why? Am I out of shape and NOT ready for Leadville? Was the 2 1/2 lap pre-ride thurs too close to the race? Am I over trained (most doubtfull), Was it too hot? I don't know. Worst of all I am scheduled to ride the RANATAD ( Ride Around Nebo and Timpanogos in A Day-165 mile road ride) monday and am not sure where my legs are. More on that ride later.

Dot took first despite all of her usual angst about the race. I am going to ignore her anxiety from now on since it seems to be all ritual and never really what her races end up as. Maybe I need to have more anxiety....

Jonny was disappointed with his 5th place and Joey did his usual 13th or so and was complacent with it.

ARANTIX II MILES: 835

TOO MUCH FUN

2009-07-28T23:34:00.010-06:00

I can't wait to get back to work so I can rest up! The fam and my visiting sister headed up to Jackson area last week for some camping and racing. But first we stopped in Lava Hot springs for a soak. Last year we found a great camp spot along Calf Creek about 15 miles south of Wilson. We headed there again this time to find a few toothless squatters on our spot who looked like they were camped permanent-like there with a bunch of gnarly dogs who looked almost as bad as the squatters. We moved down stream a bit and found a good spot, but still a bit on edge about our neighbors.

The pre-ride was fun and revealed a much cleaned up course which was even funner than usual. Race day was nice and cool and a ton better than the Solitude conditions. There were a fair number of new faces at the start which left me not sure where I might place despite the big boys Brad, Sam and Chris not racing. As usual I was near the end at the start and pretty amused at how much energy several of the racers were expending trying to pass up ahead but never really getting very far ahead after they did. It took all the way up until the road climb to start to spread the peleton out. That's when I made my move, cleaned the hill and found myself in what I believed was third. I was feeling alright and hoping to catch the other Karl that was in front of me. (I knew his name because several times in the parking lot before the race his wife would be yelling for him and I would respond or look up- embarrassing.)

Back to the race; I soon noted that the local Fitzgerald guy behind me was not dropping back and was actually gaining on me on the downhills. I could increase the gap on the climbs but then he'd be there again later. He was pushing me hard enough that I thought maybe I might catch Karl, but no such luck. I finished third 1 minute back from Karl and 5 minutes behind Bob! Just think that I once entertained the thought of beating that bad boy. Jonny had a good day as well and pulled a personal best of third. Dot finally had no mechanicals and came in second. Joey continued to move up in the 9 and under ranks to 11th.

The MD team did well with many podiums. Keith with Dot got first as well as Tim in the background.

We headed back to Hot SLC and I pre-rode the canyons for three hours the next day. Not reading the course directions led to the realization that the course is a lot harder backwards. I had to finally call the wife for directions- embarassing.

Since the sister was in town we had to do some fun stuff so Monday we hit Cowabunga Bay and then the Wendover bus that evening. Boy, the bus is the way to go! Just mixing with the "different" riders on the bus makes it worthwhile. But then they throw in the raffle and bingo! I bought 5 raffle tickets for my sis and she won $44! We were on a roll! Wendover was Wendover. We got back at 4 am that morning. Time for a rest!

ARANTIX II MILES: 785 miles, 80 hours.

SOLITUDE PAIN

2009-07-20T00:34:00.005-06:00

The fam and I showed up "early" for the boys race and I had to put on my arm warmers, it was so cold. But by the time my race started it was close to 40 degrees warmer! It made for a long 2.5 hours. The boys worked hard and had fun racing, finishing 4th and 15th. They're getting there.

Dot was apparently way in 2nd when her chain dropped against the rear wheel where she lost a couple minutes and a position. Jen came in behind her in 4th.

I was not planning to do too well since I had a good 5 hour ride up AF canyon wednesday and my legs were still feeling it. I was just hoping to not have a mechanical, since the last three years of this course I had troubles. I headed out last again in a field of 10 (I think). Again I was satisfied to be last figuring I'd have time to catch up. It did take me a while to begin closing in on the group which worried me, but "luckily" it was a long race. I was also frustrated by me cleats. I had just put new ones on but kept popping out of them. I must of come out over 20 times during the race which was pretty frustrating. I saw Fred and Brad off the trail with mechanicals which is a bad way to move up in position. I finally caught Tim on the second lap but did not bother to pass since he was much faster on the downhill which was coming up. This time I managed to keep in sight of him unlike the first lap where he blew me away. I never liked the downhill at Solitude; it just beats me up. after passing Tim I realized I was in third place! I started day dreaming about a podium finish when I saw Fred approaching pretty fast. He had managed to fix his flat and catch up to me. Incredible! I had flashing aspirations of fighting him off but I had to be realistic and let him pass. Oh well at least I was poised to get lucky #4 which was a chance at the swag table. I did not bring enough water and was feeling it the last lap. The down hill was killing me. My upper body isn't very weak but by the last lap my arms and hands were wore out. I finished 4th in a field that had dwindled to 5!

I rehydrated and ate, did awards and then the plan was to do some "leadville" training with Chris and KC. I must say my legs were not very happy about this prospect. But Chris and KC have a great way of pushing me to my limits. We headed up the canyon to do the Crest trail. I cleaned puke hill which I am surprised at considering the 3 hours leg. I remember that climb killing me when we first moved to SLC in '96. We dropped down Mill D and I rode home from there. That was a 6 hour day including the toughest ICUP race of the year! Not too bad. I may actually be getting ready for Leadville.

Chris and KC overlooking Desolation Lake. I think this is one of the most beautiful scenes in the state.

Onward to Jackson. We are heading out Wed with the toyhauler to get some family camping in before the race. Looking forward to it.

NGV

2009-07-14T23:38:00.008-06:00

Here it is! The "cleanest internal combustion vehicle in the world"! I felt the urge to be "alternative" and try out a Natural Gas Vehicle. No! I am NOT a tree hugger environmentalist socialist bicycle commuting nervoso who thinks the world will end if I didn't buy this car! I do my share of exploitation of the Earth's resources and succumb to the nihilistic realization that human nature will prevent meaningful action to change the course we are on. Enough of the editorializing. There are many reasons I did buy the GX and if you sit down with me for a beer I'll tell you. In the end, it came down to the GX or a Porche. It was all about the image.

So the first thing I had to try was to fuel the darn thing. I had to read the brochure showing where the 20 in-state Natural Gas fuel stations were to find the nearest one. Then the fuel station was self serve and deserted without anyone there for asistance. In a way I was glad no one was around considering how stupid I felt not knowing how to fuel my car. Luckily there were step by step pictures showing how to do it which was pretty annoying since I don't like reading directions. But what the pictures did not show was how to pay for the darn stuff. ON the pump would have been too intuitive. It ended up being on the other side of the lot. So after about 10 minutes I got the thing going. It was pretty nerve racking with all kinds of gurgling, pinging and hissing noises coming from the pump and hose. Finally the reward came!

$3.81 for more than half a tank! Now that's what I'm talking about!

Now I just got to figure out how to get the Arantix on that thing. Any suggestions on best roof racks?

SNOWBIRD

2009-07-12T21:28:00.005-06:00

As I was seeing the MVA at 6 am Saturday morning, I was thinking maybe I shouldn't race- It'd be crazy! But by the time I got home, changed and had my coffee I was feeling better. I had a pleasant ride up with Scott B and family and arrived to to see Dot drop her chain on the last climb to the finish, thereby, missing 3rd by a few seconds. Even so, not bad. Jonny got his best finish coming in second. HAPPY, HAPPY BOY!

I had no great expectations and was satisfied starting last. But I quickly took my mid-pack place after the first long climb and settled into a pretty good rhythm. The new section of the course was not too bad and cut out a lot of the sustained climb from the old route. I consciously made myself control my effort the first two laps so as not to burn out, but then I saw Bob S. ahead of me and I got too excited and picked up my effort. I really couldn't gain ground however, and by the fourth lap he started to pull ahead and I lost him. The fourth lap I was actually feeling pretty strong but even so I knew I was slowing down relative to Bob. I finished in fourth which is better than expected AND the key was I still felt good after the race. Maybe If I pushed harder the first two laps I could have closed closer to third. Naah, probably just a dream. But, I felt good enough to ride the Arantix home which was a good warm down.

SOLITUDE PRE-RIDE AND FISHING

Today the whole family went up to cool off at Solitude and since we were there decided to pre-ride the course. Dot went out for a couple laps while I pre-rode the 9 and under loop with the boys. Joey cleaned the climbs for the first time on the 9 and under course! Afterwards the boys went fishing. There wasn't much action but they seemed to be having fun. We had lunch up there then I pre-rode. The new section is good (even better than Snowbird's new section) and the rest of the course has been cleaned up nicely as well.

It was a good family-bike weekend.

WEEKLY ROUND-UP

2009-07-04T23:40:00.009-06:00

The week's been busy but some events were note-worthy.

The nurses weren't too impressed with the abrasions I had after the Rim Nordic race so they took it upon themselves to make me some "protective" gear. They'll do anything to entertain themselves after midnight.

Kendra took us on a family ride Friday to Lambert Park. The trails were just right for our little speedsters. Joey was working so hard to keep up with the Jonny and Mandy and his little grunts of effort were precious (I guess you had to be there and be the daddy to appreciate that comment). He's the only one I know who wrecks more than I do. I guess the nut doesn't fall far from the tree. By the way, that's Royce in the background- not a picture crasher.
Our fearless leaders.Ahhhh! The bounties of a wet spring.....