Low Expectations

(photo borrowed from ZAZOOSH)

Friday after the day from hell, i picked up Ty and Jim Wedge and we headed down to SG for the 2008 season kick off. We had good conversation on the way down, ran into the Pilling family in Filmore. We dropped Jim off at the Hemmingway-Hales compound and headed over to the Condo the Swatch provided for us.

Went to bed, woke up and headed to albertsons for pancake fixins, ate, brought jerseys to race site for new team members and came back to condo, changed, ate some more and headed to warm up.  I got in a decent warm up, but as always the socializing-catching up, kind of delayed it, but still, a good 50 minutes were had. 

We had a decent sized group in my new 40+ cat, the start was pretty tight, as Alex L. said, like a cat five road race, but once we hit the 'single track' it began to break up. 6 of us got off the front, Hileman from Vegas, One Speed Kenny and Fred P went off and Darren, Mad Dog Karl and I were together with a huge gap growing behind us.  Karl was in front on the last DH of the first lap, Darren right on my wheel, right in the alst dip before the double track to the start finish, Karl got caught up in a shrub and wet down in the middle of the trail, Darren got around on the left, but i had to dismount and run on the right, I got back onto Darren after getting my feed from Toni P and drafted till right before the 10 foot hill, I then put some space between us, but he caught back on by the end of the first climb, we played cat and mouse for a while, passing lots of 30-39 and 19-29 riders and I just could not bring him back, still a record time for me on that course @ 1:38:30. 

The 2008 Team Replica Scalpel is the fastest bike on the planet.

So stress at work, did not destroy me, hmmm.

Cafe Rio with Sherwins, BZ, Shannifer, Ty and Kely E.  Then lter to Nielsens for custard and Danny and Kim C's for annual post race festivities, sorry Kathy, no jello shots.

Sunday the gang met up for Breakfast at Fairway and decided to bag Goulds/Jem/Hurricane in favor of less wind (HA).

Newby and Shannifer joined BZ, Kelly, Ty, Sherwins, Erika, Dusty and I for a Bear Paw-Stucki-Barrel Roll- Race course- Bear Paw ride. Good times all around. 

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Newby and I had a blast on Bear paw descent, heavy tailwind on the descent and tacky soil helped me make it down in record time, with some sweet air and railed corners. 

Drove home, bleh:P

PS, I gotta give props to BK for giving me a sample Carbo Rocket can, i did a race day no-no and put it in my first bottle, and was happy with the results, I put it in all 3 bottles for the Sunday ride, I'll be ordering more.

Heading away from the sunset

Almost 10 years with these people, ups, downs, joy, anger, amazement, dismay. Tomorrow they all head one way, I head another, both directions full of uncertainty and open to boundless opportunity. Monday I will walk in the building and they won't, kind of strange really. Educational as well. I know that it will all be ok for those few of us remaining and those leaving, but just the same it is sad.

I rode outside after work for the 4th day in a row, very liberating and centering for my worrisome mind. Part the way up emmigration, a few 5 minute efforts to see where i am at, well they went well enough, but who knows.

Desert Rampage here we come.

Just not right

wow my 'over the hill' moment turned into quite a comment generator, totally unexpected. Oh well, life goes on.

I got home from work and pondered 60 minutes on the trainer, well there were broken clouds outside and i determined to put on my knee warmers and cowboy up to ride outside, it was like 47 degrees, I was heading south on 20th east and it was spitting a bit of rain, nothing to worry about. I turned around at 45th south and started home, sun was brighter. Got to 33rd south and a beautiful rainbow was up on the foothills, about 1 minute past 33rd the deluge started, a bit of sleet followed by a downpour. I made it to 27th and house of bread, got a cup of joe and a slice of wheat bread and waited 10 minutes and it cleared up. Rode the puddles and runoff home. needless to say kneewarmers were not enough. The old REI neoprene gloves were good.

So with that in mind, i thought I would juxtapose Motorhead with;

For the anonymous comment

If you would furthered your research a bit more, you would see that the ICUP info is in error.

Check Here

I can show you my ID as well:)

yep, it happened

I registered for the first Icup today, which really means I signed up for my first 40+ race. Got my haircut today, it was getting out of control, noticed 2 things. 1. a 1 guard helps the baldness look less um, bald, 2. There was a shitload of grey hair on the barbers cape i was wearing.

Well my legs are stronger than this time last year, so i got that going for me. We will see how it translates on race day. I won't be getting to SG till around 9pm friday at the earliest and plan on a night lap of the course to spin out the legs.

The work week ahead will prove to be challenging and melancholy ending bittersweet on Friday. Well then it will be onto a new chapter in my career.

Goulds/Jem/Hurricane Rim Option

Up early with positive dry trail energy. We had heard all the mud reports, but thought we would be good to go, we met up with Shannifer and headed out, parts of Goulds were muddy, parts dusty, but overall ok, we bypassed upper goulds past the Corral and headed down the dirt road, across Highway59, which let us bypass upper Jem and the mud, the remainder of Jem had a few low, soft spots, but nothing horrible, ended the day at @ 2:15. Good day, headed home tot he smog, no photos, forgot camera.

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So Ut So NV

Saturday @ 4 hours, attempt on BCP, too much mud. Head over to do Zen and race course, run into Rico, Caveman, EatSLeep, Linde and others, no photos.

Sat evening Hung out with Team Shannifer, Kday and Sday.

Woke up to day, went to Cracker Barrell (Ty Below)

then headed to Vegas,(For Sly)

rode @ 3 hours at Blue Diamond-Cottonwood area. Dang GPS battery died. Saw Moose and Vegas Brad briefly. (in the middle is Vegas)

Dinner with the Days bedtime, tomorrow we attempt Goulds/Jem/Hurricane Rim.

uneventful

Yep, that there was my VDay present to my better half, she is in Vegas, with my sibling selling active wear at this show. They ate here last night and had some Klingon try and pick them up for like 20 minutes.

I went and ate at Slipstreams restaurant with my buddy Scott. After I tried, I repeat, Tried, to do 4 30 second power intervals on the trainer in the basement.

This evening BZ, Ty and I head to Southern Ut for 3 days of dirt, sleeping on floors and eating energy food.

3.5

Was gone from the house for something like 5.5 hours, but only got @ 3.5 ride time in, good times just the same. 

Rode down to the shop to meet Mike, Ohran and Yengin(?) at the shop for some south bound fun.  Made it there first Climb-Um and Sue where there shopping. Finally everyone shows up and we start to head out, but Mikey was havin some issues, seems like he was running one of these with one of these, no bueno, so we had to get a new cassette for him. Team shannifer showed up but we couldn't wait for Jen to check out her new ride.

We headed south to Draper, then on the frontage road (where we saw the Canyon/Procupine peloton, including Rico, heading north)over the point of the mountain, decided to climb traverse ridge/ suncrest, what ever you call it from the South side. I took it slow, MK rode with me, Ohran and Yengin raced it. 

 

this foto stolen

The spin up was good, i stopped at the store at the top for a big ole Cinnamon Roll, mmmmmm calories.  Ohran and Yengin  were putting on the arctic gear for the descent. The ride down the hill was, um chilly, but come on, not that cold, MK and I stopped at the shop, I hung out abit,

then headed home. @ 55 Miles and some good warm fun.

The Postman needs to HTFU

Seriously, we got a note in our mail, photocopied, semi pamphlet,  threatening no mail delivery if we don't shovel our walk. Uh, What, that has got to be against some law, I shoveled it though, cause it is the nice thing to do, but come on. You gotta be kidding me, right.

Saturday and Sunday look prime for some 3+ hour rides, oh Yeah.

Rain out

Woke up at 9am and it was raining in St George, the weather.com radar map said it wasn't though, liars, so we went and got coffee, packed up and drove home in on again off again snow, I think it is still raining in St George, stupid weather.com

Day 2

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3:45 today @33 miles, toured the less ridden trails around town. We thought we were going to get rained on, so we bagged Barrell Roll and Headed straight for Zen after 1:45 of riding. Met at Red Rock, Danny, Jerry, Eddie, Gary, Kathy and I, Kim and Friend met us as we went into City Creek, Jamie met us at Chuckwalla.

Kathy eatin Christmas Candy

Danny eatin 'Snackables' true endurance food.

Relief

Made it to ST George with Crooked Rib in time for a nice 1 hour spin. Nice relief from work week. The weather cooperated for an easy ride down, seemed like it may have snowed this morning as there was remnants on bear paw and stucki, ran into Alex G out on stucki, will be meeting up with some red rock boys tomorrow for a few hours of fun.

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Saturday in the SLC

Slept in, really in. like almost 11am in, nice, needed that for sure.

Lyna and I rode down to Ty's in Sandy and rode up toward the mouth of LCC, around and down and up from Dimple Dell and then back to Ty's where he went home, Lyna and I then stopped for some 7-11 snacks and spun home. 3 hours outside on a January weekend, overheated a few times. Very Nice.  Pilling called me about 10am or so, uh, I was still asleep. S Bo was out ridin when I called him to see when he was goin out, damn nurse wakes up too early.  Ty made me chase him up a short climb, really he did, my Power spiked at almost 1100, wow, ouch.

I have no idea how to show the axis numbers, dang I-MAC poweragent software.

The Church of the Big Ring is attracting lots of potential capri wearing fixies. Wonder what the Rev really thinks of that?

Bandit, you're reckless and you live much too hard....

Yep, ST George looks sweet tomorrow, but rainy Sunday, looks like i am stayin home, next weekend. Road's might be ridable on Saturday though. With decision made, I am sure that the weather will be better than forecasted in Dixie, oh well.

Jerry asked me late last night if I wanted to do Temecula 12 hr race duo with him Saturday. I would love too, IF, there a a private jet to take me and my shit the 700 miles there and back. Alas, the team 757 is booked for the weekend.

woooooo

Sunday was still not so cold

So another 1.5 on the road on sunday. Good times, actually warmer than Saturday, yet Monday morning I wake up and it is nuking snow, crazy, made it to work and realized many would choose not to, oh well, lots to do anyways.

EatSleep I can tell you that  Saturdays ride consisted of 45 minutes above 180 watts average, was gong to try and hit 60 minutes, but then the ride gradually went Downhill, literally. Plus I am notorious in my winter effort to go extremely slow and not put out too many watts.

I will say that last weekends effort on Sunday. 5.5 hours I was likely at @ 140-150 watt average. My buddy has a pt on his mtb and we road most of the day together, but he weighs a bit less than me.

St George Friday after work for 2 days of fun in the sun.  EDIT: Well damn, forecasting rain and snow in South Utah as well as Vegas, so maybe a Moab trip instead? Dang, have to keep an eye on the weather this week for sure.

Not so cold

Hit the gym today, then talked myself into a bit over an hour outside on the road bike. Felt good to be on my normal training routes, not too cold either.

Work took an extremely unexpected turn this week. My job just became significantly more complex, but that pales in comparison to what happens to my coworkers,  The 2008 race season is going to have a new focus, for sure.

I never did a 2007 review...

Maybe later, but i do have a few 2008 goals.

1. Don't let Brad K or Jamie P beat me too often, on their Luddite machines.
2. Don't let Rich bully me into even considering racing anything other than expert
3. Bring in 2009 not doing this or this I mean, i am a wuss in January, and various other times during the year as well. BK said he wouldn't post the one photo, I told him to go ahead, cause I like to advertise my wussiness.

ALl in all I wanna have fun, stay healthy, ride fast and win a race or 2 or 25.

5 hours 20 minutes.....

50+ miles, 5000 plus feet of climbing, 143 average HR, shitload of wind, a little mud, a couple thousand calories eaten, sore back, sore, well, that place that contacts the saddle, longest single day mtb ride in a few years. Close to 12 hours in 3 days, largest training block ever, this early. Low motivation for ride longer than an hour tomorrow, but I am glad I did it, maybe.


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St Jorge Day 1 and 2

Made it down Friday around 1:30 or so, Jerry and I went out for about 2:45, old tortoise trail to Paradise, burned two laps at paradise then took road back to cars, drove over to church rocks and did a quick lap there with Kim C.

Indohran made it down and we went to dinner at Outback, mmm steak.

I decided to bag to 9 am camp Linda ride and instead rode with Jerry and Danny, 3.5 hours.

Zen trail, then down Bear Paw to Stucki, over to Barrel Roll and down towards race course, I was blown 1 hour in. I will ride with all the enduro freaks Sunday.

The New Scalpel is Rockin, still need to dial some things in.

The straight line down from ZEN is cause i accidentally turned the Garmin off.


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The Photos Below show the Bear Paw and Stucki trails from up top on the Zen trail