I likey the desert in March

It was only like 75 degrees, but it felt like 100. Arrived on Thursday, 1st bike box experience went well, BP and i pre rode the XC and TT course, I hit a tire burping, air escaping hole on a DH went over the bars and landed on my feet, good times.

Hung out with Fox and Kathy S on Thursday evening. Slept well and got ready for the TT this am.

Had a good time, got some pro podium pics, but my craptop won't upload them. Fox took 10th semi-pro, BP won expert 35-39 I took 7th, had fun, didn't crash and was happy with my time on a course that absolutely does not suite my skills, HR average was high.

So already twice this weekend I have had some pro chick come up to me a be all like, 'Hey, how's it going?' 1st, Mary M on Thursday and Georgia today right before the awards. Kathy, Fox and I assume it is because they think I am Pepe. Nope, I don't have a blowout valve.

Here is the elevation vs. heartrate prfile, mmmm good times

PLAYA

What will lefty do now?

Big Hours

Yep, great weather means big hours. First off big props to Sluribslyhusla for his win at the off the grid race with rules, he probably made it look easy.

Today was 5.5 for me down to draper, shred some trails with team revo eat some hotdogs and then ride back home. The elevation profile as about 2 miles of descending missing, forgot to turn the Garmin on. There were about 20 of us total, nice turnout.

Leaving for Phoenix on Thursday. Hope to have fun and do well, unfortunately Thumbs McGee hurt himself shredding the shoreline and will be a spectator.

Got over 13 hours in for the week, the powertap i installed on the road bike and now I have way more info than i will ever need at my disposal. It may not make me faster, but it will tell me lots of stuff.

Beware the Ides of March

BZ is supposed to meet me at 5:10, to ride the shoreline, I run into Sahwn and Blake lets us know he will be late, Shawn and I decide to head up City Creek, we had some full on Sluribhuslafox Kismit action. Blake lets us know he is out, then we run into Rich A. who was headed down City Creek on his post work shred, then at the top of city creek we run into Contender Reed and Jerry (formerly of St. George) B. We then go down and back up Dry creek, I turn around again at the top of Bob Sled, Almost get killed by some big guy on a Santa Cruz, then I see Krachty and gang at the top of dry creek, Santa Cruz guy comes huffing and puffing up to is at full speed. I head down and see Karen I. who tells me Santa Cruz guy almost killed her, but she held her ground and sent him into the creek bed, Et tu Brute?

So much for the emigration recovery ride. Another 2.75 on dirt, after work, in March, sweet.

Stop Yer Bitchin and Take action

So, Monday was supposed to be a 'day off' weather was way too good, so i went to ride emigration, nothing like the big ring up emigration for recovery. Must be feeling stronger. Afterwards I watched Emmanuel's Gift. What a story that is, give until it hurts and then give some more. This guy is an inspiration. You think you have something to complain about, to sit at home and whine and pine away that life is treating you poorly. Stop bitching, start moving in a positive direction. Life is what YOU make of it.

So, Tuesday was mad weight at the gym, while BZ was reuniting with Climbum. Slept really good that night, Wednesday night was close to 3 hours on the shoreline, with some efforts thrown in for fun. Tonight i will do the big ring emigration recovery ride.

2 weeks till NMBS #1 in Fountains Hills, I will be flying with bike for the first time, luckily it is a non stop, and I know mechanics that will be at the race, in case i foul things up on the rebuild.

Dry Dirt Found

Rich, Brad and I had big plans to hit 5 mile for some good riding, the early morning rain I woke up had me believing I would be doing a road ride and hoping for motivation to go more than 2 hours, went to the shop to get some arm warmers, Brad was there and convinced me (easily) that there would be dry trails in corner canyon and on south mountain. We met at the rodeo grounds and headed up, we did an out and back on some singletrack, followed by an out and back on a double track climb, we pretty much repeated that 3 or 4 times, we lost count, we headed back down to my car at around 3 hours to get my camelback, i left it in the car, cause I never wear one. we then headed west on the south mountain trails. Very little mud, a bit of snow, my average HR was not a problem, although i did spend some time in zone 5. 4 hours of riding and some good times.

I took a few pictures, but the lense was fogged up from the climbing, no bueno on the pics.

My garmin took a nap for a few miles halfway through and claims i climbed 2700 feet instantaneously. I think that couldn't happen.

I'm blow and going to bed.

I really do not understand some things in life

Like how local race team politics can get out of hand so much. So an unnamed racer wants to ride for the best MTB team in the state, for the oh so few dirt races said racer will do. Great, the more the merrier, since this is a glorified hobby for most of us, even the fast locals pay to race, pay for bikes and if they are lucky get a jersey for free, I'm thinking, no problem.

Not so fast, seems like a ruckus has kicked up, different teams, different sponsors and a few people who want to take life and this glorified hobby, way too seriously.

As a leader on a large, successful team, if one of that team said, Bob, we don't have many road racers on our team, so I am going to ride for X on the road, I'd say great, just don't forget how much more fun and laid back MTB racing is. And oh yeah, don't forget to wear your mtb shoes and visor.

There are less than 5 riders in Utah who get paid to do this, the rest are quite deep into their own pockets to do it.

As Sargent Hulka Says,














Team Revolution-Peak Fasteners is not a Prison, it is a place for like minded people come together to go fast on the dirt. So if your team is bringing you down, maybe it is time for a change.

Wednesday sureality

Left the house, locked the door walked to the car and realized I did not have my keys, climbed up on the trash can, opened the Kitchen sink window, looked around, crawled in, bounced over the dying dishes and bumped into the pots on the pot rack hanging from the ceiling, some how made it through without getting my pressed shirt wrinkled or dirty. Or as my boss said, even though I put myself in the position to break any number of bones, get knocked out by falling pots and get arrested, I came through unscathed, oh yeah, I locked the window behind me.

Came home kitted up and went for a ride, surprised i didn't see utrider, cause i headed up emigration oaks for some efforts. Not only does Bart do that every day, he does it with a backpack.

After dinner, i went to Wild Oats for some expensive groceries and while there i saw they were selling my sister. I am not sure how she would like it if she knew that while she was sunning herself in Italy, she was being undersold in Utah.

First race weekend 2007

Lyna and I left Thursday after work for saint george. We got there around 10:30 unpacked and went to bed, woke up lat morning and prepped for a noon 30 pre ride.Lyna was riding her new bike on dirt for the first time, which meant it was going to be her first dirt ride.














I did 1 and a half laps and ran into some riff-raff while out there.

























That evening Swatch's boy made a bunch of us some homemade sketti sauce dinner, he said that since he wasn't racin he would be our cook, nice.

The race day came and i was not nervous at all, lined up with a rather large group, including pro women and we were off, last year i blew up like a mail order doll. This year i tried to stay smooth and not implode, ended up in 10th place and satisfied, Abbot and Pilling killed it. Lyna took 5th in Sport women, 25 minutes faster than she thought we would go.

That evening we went and hung out with the Sherwins, Fox, Sager, Swatch and Craig, we witnessed Fox's dare, here is a photo from the start line of the Mesa he road to and climbed up in 19 minutes for 160 bucks.














Afterwards was Dinner at Don Pedro's with 15 of us, followed by a Red Rock party at Danny's

Sunday we all hit Gould, Jem, Hurricane rim and had a good time before driving home.














Below are some more photos.

There were a lot of Kids Racing, awesome














Speaking of Kids, Keating's were restless















Keating tells 1/2 of thin and thinner how to rip the DH














I like to call this one- 'Flatulent Sherwin'














The gang watches Fox scale a Mesa



















Chris Sherwin looking for his innocence