The new toy

Is on the right under brands i pimp, zero rides and counting......

With apologies to Al Gore.....

So much for localized global warming, actually at lunch I was reading the City Weekly article about snow (or lack of) and it talked about particulate matter in the air keeping the snow away, and I thought EUREKA! My new toy will be used this afternoon.  Went and saw Keating at noon30 and he said it was almost done, I said I would be back at 3, my highly scientific  theory backed by the peer reviewed source the city weekly is kept me confident.  This kept me going, even though i have a scheduled 4 weeks off the bike post CX nationals, which pushes 1-2 weeks into January.

I pick the new steed up at 3 hit I-15 home and the moisture starts and gets colder till I get home  and give up, I blame Brad Keyes. He knows why. 

Ouch

Dang, that hurt, what, 4 weeks since last race, kind of numbing, the course was pretty sweet though, I had a very poor start, not that it would of mattered much, Linde and I were working well together and pulling a small group back, but he flatted with 2 to go. I then pooped out. It was nice and warm though. Lyna and I both got 9th. Maybe the legs just needed a blowout to wake up and next week will be better, yep, next week.

A commentary on the general political/social decision making of the common American today...

Sir Bedevere: There are ways of telling whether she is a witch.
Peasant 1: Are there? Oh well, tell us.
Sir Bedevere: Tell me. What do you do with witches?
Peasant 1: Burn them.
Sir Bedevere: And what do you burn, apart from witches?
Peasant 1: More witches.
Peasant 2: Wood.
Sir Bedevere: Good. Now, why do witches burn?
Peasant 3: ...because they're made of... wood?
Sir Bedevere: Good. So how do you tell whether she is made of wood?
Peasant 1: Build a bridge out of her.
Sir Bedevere: But can you not also build bridges out of stone?
Peasant 1: Oh yeah.
Sir Bedevere: Does wood sink in water?
Peasant 1: No, no, it floats!... It floats! Throw her into the pond!
Sir Bedevere: No, no. What else floats in water?
Peasant 1: Bread.
Peasant 2: Apples.
Peasant 3: Very small rocks.
Peasant 1: Cider.
Peasant 2: Gravy.
Peasant 3: Cherries.
Peasant 1: Mud.
Peasant 2: Churches.
Peasant 3: Lead! Lead!
King Arthur: A Duck.
Sir Bedevere: ...Exactly. So, logically...
Peasant 1: If she weighed the same as a duck... she's made of wood.
Sir Bedevere: And therefore...
Peasant 2: ...A witch!

Oh sweet Mary mother of....

It is that time of the year, when the candy goes out the door and the sweet nectar of the gods arrives, I have a serious Clementine addiction.

MTB all day, we went clockwise and were on singletrack all the way till we headed north over Deer Ridge or ELk Glen rds, then there was a steep boulder field and a rut filled ravine to ride down.

Climate Change

Is it happening: Yep

Why: I don't know

But it has been nice MTB weather.

Saturday was a planned 3 hours in Draper, Lyna hit mill creek solo. I went to draper and we ended up having about 10 of us, Dana H took us on a bushwhackin adventure around the south side of south mountain, after a climb up Clark's and down Jacobs ladder. We found our way around the south side and only had to dismount an hike down one scree field, but it was fun. Justin and I climbed up Clark's one more time

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Sunday I did a nice 2 hour shoreline loopy. Lyna headed up to round valley with the gals. Lots of people out there. One guy, I passed on a short climb right before the fence crossing, cause he could not hear me with his headphones, he then got right on my ass on the short DH, I then went up the climb to the fence and he dropped back, later on the newly bulldozed section he charged back on me and was on my ass till after the Red Butte stop sign, I let him past for his glory, What the hell, I was on a recovery spin, hr staying below 140 and some guy decides it is a race, I hate that, hope it made him feel good, bet he has a big old jacked up truck to. I stopped at the top of dry creek for a snack and meditated that lots of snow hits the canyons and none hits the valley.

Next 4 weekends will be CX fun, time to get on it again.

Hipsters get medals too

Saturday Ride

10:30 am at Draper Equestrian Center. Leisurely pace. 3 hours (easy bail outs if'n you wanna do less)

Night ride with BP

Met B Pilling for a night ride 2 night, nice time on the Draper trails, a few hard efforts and some fun DH. Nice to be on the MTB again. Rode some of the newer stuff, including the stuff we worked on Sunday, horses already chopped some of it up though. I plan on doing 3 hours of mtb somewhere Saturday around 11. I shined my night lights in mtballday's living room while we were riding by, wonder if he noticed


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Trail Work and CX

So first day back from VaKay I get up early for some trail work in Draper. Dana, Bill P (Dad of thin and thinner) Ty and BZ, we got a lot of work done building, maintaining and fixing a section of trail. That was some hard work, I tell you. Swinging a Pulaski and Macleod are not what a cyclists body is made for, still very fulfilling, I will be doing more, so should you. Give back, it will keep us on the trails. BZ found an interesting rock out there.
















A few CX things to speak about;
1. Congrats to Darren C on his win in Heber, awesome form right now, sorry to hear about your mechanicals at States.

2. DH, way to kill it at states

3. Way big numbers of racers, which is cool, wish I was there, but the beach was better.

4. So, about the States scoring and categories. First, I don't care who races in 35+A, if you are 35 and older and want to, come on, DH, A Train, next year Fox, come on over, the more the merrier, I don't care if you race in the A's one week and 35+A the next. BUT, why let some one compete in 2 categories at once in states? Why not just compete in the category you signed up for that day, and get points for the season comp for that category that day. I am sure the officials would prefer this. I am sure there would be less occurrences on confused racing. I don't mind 35+ A's working with A's especially when we start 30 seconds after them, but when you have 3 State Championship categories off at once, combined with 2 series points races, things can get dicey, confusing and negative really fast. Why not just have the state champeenship categories match the season categories and race/receive points in what you sign up for that day???? Can anyone tell me what the purpose benefit of the current system is?

5. No one in Utah gets paid to race, they may get some free stuff (very few) but no one gets paid. Hell Jonathon Page, who was second at worlds, had a hard time getting paid this year. It is a hobby, so why complicate things?

6. I don't like flat drag strip courses, I don't like easy courses, I don't like the fact that UTCX races have zero hills, I still race cause it is fun and it makes me stronger. I also believe Dr X knows his stuff and when he gives an analysis it is highly likely to be 98% on target.

some one please fill me in.

Back from Paradise

Well, made it back in one piece, more or less, a bit of sun burn, sore calves and ribs from fighting current and waves while boogie boarding. Mostly coming back home with a desire to spend more time on Kauai. It was relaxing, beautiful and just all around awesome. We kayaked on the calm Hanalei river, swam on many beaches. Hiked to Hanakapi'ai water falls, boogie boarded at Kealia beach, hiked to a lighthouse, saw thousands of chickens, checked out Waimea canyon, which would be a brutal hill climb. Ate fresh fruit, good seafood and generally just chilled and soaked in the atmosphere. We will be back for sure, even though the flight home sucked.

sit right back and I'll tell a tale

Well the craptop died, so no photos till we get back, but the trip has been great, swimming, hiking, sleeping, boogie boarding and sight seeing. Can't believe we have to return tomorrow night, but that is life. Having dinner with Newby and his wife Tash tonight. Sounds like the Heber race was fast, glad I wasn't there, cause flat+fast=off the back for bob. Next race for me will be post T-day, I hope it is muddy.