Ovalized

Darrell took the title I was planning to use for this post, but I survived the RMR oval. Not where I wanted to race my first crit of the year, but it will do. The oval in the B group is a bit of a gamble. The majority of the races I've done there have had at least one crash. Yesterday was no different. I heard the ugly sound behind me of someone breaking their collarbone.

The fun part of the oval is going fast. We averaged a little over 27 mph and I was able to mix it up on the front. I got off for a few laps a couple of times, but had no real chance to stay away. As usual, I'm wasn't fast enough in the bunch finish to score any points. I have top 15 B sprinter speed but not top ten. I did get in a good workout with 29 minutes above threshold HR. I was feeling more than worked on the ride home. I also avoided getting dizzy after doing 55 laps according to my Garmin.

It was good to see MK out for his first crit venture. He did well and made it to the front a number of times. It's always good to have fellow cross brethren around.

Looks like more good snow today. I have command performance meetings Monday and Tuesday so it looks like I'll miss it. To make matters worse, my neighbor gave me passes to Snowbasin. They will have to sit on my counter for a while.

ET and I are planning to make the trek south for the Cholla race if we can make it work with our families. I've always had good results in that race other than the time I nearly died from dehydration. The course is now supposed to be shorter with more up and down. Good news for Bob but not for me. Give me long and flat. If I don't go south, it will probably be Hell of the North. I still have some tubular cross tires mounted in case it's full-on mud.

A very good day

My schedule finally allowed a morning off when the snow was good. A co-worker and I enjoyed 2 feet of new powder at Alta yesterday. Best powder day of the year for me. First tracks on High Rustler and Eagle's Nest. Always a good thing.

Now, if I can only figure out how to do it again Thursday or Friday. Too bad I haven't figured out how to get paid enough to just ski and ride. One can always dream.

Not what we planned

I went to Ogden Saturday for a funeral rather than race RMR. Doug's Mother-in-Law died this week after an incredible life of 95 years. Doug and Betty both spoke at the service and were excellent. I've known Betty's mom pretty much all of my life since she lived so close to our house.

After the funeral and graveside service, we decided to do a family ride. Brady was home from Oregon for the funeral, so Brady, Adam, Doug, Tanner and I set out in the raging wind. We rode the parkway for a while with one flat at Fort B. Unfortunately, Doug pick up a goat-head as well that we didn't notice. Once we got onto the open road, Doug's softening front tire gave way halfway around a corner and down he went. I couldn't stop in time and plowed into him. Like any good brother, rather than land on the hard ground I landed on him. The result was a broken rib for Doug and some road rash. With Doug skillfully breaking my fall, I had no damage.

Betty came out and picked up Doug and we decided to ride on. We fought the wind for the last hour and it wasn't much fun. It felt harder than racing the crit. The company was good, but not the best ride I've had. Sometimes the best intentions don't workout.

Weekend in Snow

I chose to make it a weekend in the snow.


Started by organizing the winter equipment in the garage with new shelving. It's now already to sit for 9 months.

Friday, we had a management meeting on the mountain. It's good to work for a company that makes snowshoes. We have to test them out from time to time. Thursday after work and Friday after the hike, I made it to White Pine for the last skate skiing of the year for me. I could finally ski 45 minutes at something other than threshold or above. There's hope for next season.

On Saturday, Tanner was rocking the Lumberjack flannel shirt. It was a fun day in the warm sun.

I broke out the skinny 8 year old Nordica's for the groomers. I had to throw some wax on and sand off the rust. They still make GS turns like a pro.

Bluehouse had a demo day in conjunction with the Powder Keg race (we just missed the awards and didn't get to talk with Bart). We hooked up with Kendall and I skied a few runs on the Districts (on the right). The waist is wider than the tips of the Nordicas. They are a super stable, big mountain ski that demand an aggressive skier. They make turning an optional activity on just about anything. Honestly, I'm not good enough to use their full potential. I ended the day on the 1080 Guns (on the left). Still probably my favorite ski.

Tanner talked me into jumping off the roof. It wasn't stylish, but I didn't hurt the house or me.


I'm am reminded again, that I have nothing but good choices. I'm extremely fortunate to live here, have the health and means to enjoy the mountains, have great family and friends to share them with and the most tolerant wife on earth.

Life presents difficult realities to deal with each day. Time in the mountains helps me keep it all in perspective and not just pull the covers over my head each morning.

Tanner and I have put off the 45 minutes of stress that is RMR long enough. We'll be out there Saturday helping Todd try to win. We actually have some B's on the team this year, so it should be more fun. The big question is, will Dave go undefeated this year?

What to do....

Life in Utah makes for some difficult decisions this time of year. I'm completely undecided on what to do this Saturday. As usual, I over-think the options and make what should be a really fun day into a source of stress. Memo to me - lighten up and just do what sounds like the most fun.

So here's the choices: 1. White Pine has their locals appreciation day with free trail passes, lessons and lunch. The last big chance for a couple hours of getting humbled on skate skis. 2. Alpine skiing in the warm sun. We missed the powder days, but it could be a fun day of cruisers. 3. Ride out to RMR, race the crit and ride home. Good training while trying to avoid bodily harm. 4. A 50 mile or so road ride with my brother, brother-in-law and nephews. A little family bonding on the bike. 5. Take the MTB's out West for some thrashing. It's always good to get dirty. 6. Make a quick trip to Moab for fun on red rock. 7. Take the moto to Dell for high-speed fun. 8. Some combination of two or more of the above.

What do you think?

Almost 4 days now with no females in the house. Lots of Father / Son togetherness. We've managed to feed ourselves and make it to school and work. 3 and 1/2 days to go. Did I mention I really like my wife?

Rampaging

For some reason, I wasn't too excited about making the trip down South and the drive through a white-out snow storm didn't help. I thought we were going to be in a 2 semi, 10 car pile up at one point. It's amazing there are not more crashes on the freeway. There are lots of really bad drivers when conditions get dicey.

We finally did make it to my neighbor's condo and I fell into bed. When I looked out the window in the morning to see blue sky and red rock, my mood improved dramatically. By the time we made to the venue and started talking with old friends, I was down right happy.

The race went much better than expected. I was a little faster than last year with much less time on the trainer, no structured workouts and taking up Nordic skiing. Darrell promised the Nega-Coach would work and he was right.

The front group was quickly out of sight and I had a good time duking it out with Tim, Carl, Red Rock Dave, Bob and Darrell. Bob was kind enough to pull is annual March last lap blow up, Carl was kind enough to flat on the last descent, and Tim was kind enough to cramp on the last climb so I got by all three. Darrell put the hurt on me on the last climbs and I didn't get back to him until the last corner. He was not kind enough to let me out sprint him. As we went into the chute, I decided 7th place was not worth putting the Doc into the barrier, but I thought about it. RMR was going on at the same time after all.

Tanner had some good and bad. He lead the first climb but crashed on the second descent pretty hard. He re-grouped enough to finish 5th in his first shot at the 19 - 19 Expert. He was a little disappointed, but happy to be able to put the hurt on guys on the climbs. He'll just get better. The old man was proud.

Some friends had good showings. Reed Topham was 4th in the 40 + Sport again, but took 5 minutes off last year's time. Nice job. I had to talk Mike Luper into racing Expert because he hadn't ridden an MTB in a couple years and only started riding with any regularity last year. He finished 4th in the a stacked 30 - 39 field and put something like 4 minutes on me. Remember you heard his name here first. The guy can motor.

I "borrowed" some photo's to show off the new kit design. It got lots of good reviews. I'm happy with how it turned out. Dave put it to good use by easily winning RMR in the oval. There's certainly more of that to come. He set a record for crit wins last year and he's looking for more.

Tanner without blood.

Tanner with blood.

I didn't get the arm warmers pulled up all the way for the picture.

Congrats to BK on his close 2nd (1st Utahn). He and Kenny showed once again that single speeders maybe crazy, but they sure go fast.

T and I have survived a day and a half without JoAnn. We're just taking it day by day. The first thing JoAnn said when she heard it's snowing was "You two better not skip work and school to go ski!". How could she think we'd do such a thing? The girls enjoyed 70 degree weather while hitting the National Mall, Arlington National Cemetery, Erin's desk in Kennedy's office and much more.

Heading South

We're doing the quick trip to St. George for the first ICUP race. Leaving Friday after work and coming home Saturday night. More time in the car than on the bike. JoAnn and Ashley are leaving early Sunday for Washington to visit Erin so we have to get back.

I was hoping for 70 and sunny but looks like 50's and cloudy. Should be an interesting test. St. George is probably my favorite ICUP course because it's just fun to ride. However, my longer than normal break after cross season and general lack of motivation to train has me feeling less than confident. Dr. Cross tells me the Nega Coach method works, so we'll see. Sounds like the 40+ Expert group should be full of fast guys. The Vegas boys put the wood to us last year. Funny how no snow and warm temps all winter will do that.

The best part of the trip is seeing old race friends. That's what brings me back to MTB and cross races. If it weren't for the people, I'd have given up riding laps on the same courses each year long ago. You just don't get that feeling at crits or road races. I've been told the vibe is as good or better at XC ski races and triathlons. Someday I'll give both a try.

I am looking forward to watch Tanner from a distance. He's racing the big boys in the 19 - 29 Expert group as a 16 year old. I think he's going to surprise some people. He's had a good winter on the bike and is excited to race somebody. Unfortunately, I just received parts for his new bike today and won't have time to build it before we leave so he'll be on the old, sort of heavy hard tail. However, he's young and won't notice. You don't get to complain about your equipment until your a Master or you pay for it.

Next week should be lonely. Tanner and I ill be on our own with the girls in Washington. With any luck, we'll survive. The girls should have a great time. Through her work in Kennedy's office, Erin's been able to get them tickets to some good stuff. In Washington, it's who you know.

Twisted Throttle

I resisted the temptation to get humbled at the last local skate ski race of the year or get thrashed on the team group ride by heading out to the West desert. After months of just riding on the road, I finally got my new WRR dirty. The Pietrzaks and I went out to Delle for some good old-fashioned redneck fun. There was no broken bones, broken equipment, spectacular crashes or stray gunshot wounds, so you'd have to call it a successful day.

I hadn't ridden a motorcycle in the dirt for a long time. It took a little time to get comfortable, but I was quickly reminded how much fun twisting the throttle can be. It's just the opposite of MTB riding for me. On the MTB, going down is the most fun, while on the moto, rallying up hills is the most fun. I had fun pulling little wheelies and hitting little jumps. However, I'm definitely a low to the ground kind of guy. I watched the motocross guys hitting the big jumps and it's way beyond my comfort zone. I can't even get up the nerve to jump a 15 foot gap.

The little Yamaha worked really good. It's just what I was hoping for: a bike I can ride to work and get 60 - 70 mpg but still be fun off road. For more serious trial ridding, it needs a little lower gearing and better tires, but it was surprisingly dirt worthy. I've always been a Honda guy, but Yamaha did this one right. Also, the drummer in me has to like a company that produces high quality motos and drums.

With the good weather, there was a pretty big crowd at Delle. It provides entertaining people watching. Moto and ATV guys are very different than the bike racing crowd. Let's just say most haven't spent much time working out. We was happy not to get hit by some drunk guy trying to see how high he could jump.

The forecast is for rain in St. George Saturday. Figures. I finally get a chance to go South and it's supposed to rain. I guess the good news is I can pretend it's a cross race. Maybe I'll pack the Tricross.

Math Test

I got a good, hard ride in yesterday at lunch with the Specialized crew. It got me thinking about solving equations. See if you can work this one out.

Spring-like weather + group with some horsepower + ending the ride with a 25 mph tailwind + Daren on his single chain ring cross bike with a 42 x 11 big gear = ?

It doesn't take advanced calculus to figure out the answer is Daren got dropped. A gap opened ahead of me at 33 mph and I had no chance to close it. I enjoyed the ride anyway. It was the first ride with any real intensity since cross season. I have a feeling the MTB race next week could be ugly.

Baldy

I've been a casual skier most of my life. However, Keeping up with Tanner the last few years has forced me to get better or stay home. For awhile, we've been wanting to ski Badly Chutes. It just never seems to be open when we're there. That all changed Saturday.

Tanner and I went on the Porcupine-Specialized / Canyon group ride in the morning. It was nice weather and a big group of about 30. Good times, but I was feeling my low-level cold so we turned for home after a couple hours. We got home around noon and Tanner's friend Brad sent a text saying "Baldy's open, get up here". So up we went.

There she is. A very pretty little bump.

After the 30 minute boot pack on tired legs, we were treated to spectacular views on a bluebird day.

Here's Brad and T with Superior in the background. (We hoped to not need the ski patrol sled.)

The initial drop in is a bit intimidating. Turns out, the intimidation is more visual than real. It was actually fun.

Brad smoothly ripped it.

There was still some soft snow. I failed picture taking and didn't get a good one of Tanner. However, he made the old man look, well old, and this picture did not do him Justice.

I was feeling a little wimpy for bailing on the Soldier Hollow skate race. However, after skate skiing and riding on Friday then riding and hiking/skiing on Saturday, I didn't feel as bad. I just need a little more practice on the skinny skis before my first public humiliation. Maybe next week. Sounds like conditions were perfect and I was happy to see Darrell had a good day. He deserves it.

The Academy Awards just ended. I just don't get why people get excited to watch self-adsorbed, pretentious millionaires congratulate year other on being just a little bit smarter, more compassionate, more talented, harder working and just plain better than the rest of us. Please. Most of these folks barely made it out of high school.

I'm looking forward to another busy week at work. I was hoping to get down South to ride before the St. George race, but it's not going to happen. I'm not complaining though. I'm grateful to have a job that keeps me busy and funds my play.

Finally, my back certainly feels all of its 46 years after a weekend like this one. Again, no real complaints here. It's not fractured like Eric's scapula. BMX will do that to you.

Evening at the Gym

I'm finally getting around to posting an entry. Life just gets busy and the blog takes a back seat.

In a sure sign I'm getting close to actually wanting to ride my bike again, I went to the gym tonight for a spin class. It was an act of temporary insanity, but sometimes you just have to get in a workout somehow. I did stay off my trainer in the basement, so it's still a small victory. I rode before and after the class for a total of 2 hours. I know, crazy.

I haven't done a spin class in years and it reminded me why. The sad fact is, I just don't socialize with others well. I'm there to get a workout, not visit or collectively cheer lead. The instructor was a jovial Brit who keep telling me my heart rate should be at 155 or 175 etc. Apparently, every one's heart rate should be the same in a spin class.

Tangent: Back in the day, I did a lot of spinning. I even had a home spinner for years. I learned under the expert tutelage of the Legend (Glen Adams) and actually enjoy a spin class done right. Unfortunately, I've never been to a spin class lead by anyone other than Glen that was done correctly. A spin class should be carefully planned and matched to music. The rider's cadence should match the beat of the music, either every beat or every other beat. You use the music to direct the effort. This takes some time and effort on the instructors part. The music is an integral part of the workout, not just background noise. I guess this message has been lost over the years. Too bad.

I was seated next to a chatty athlete tonight. The guy was pretty impressive though. Think Gardie Jackson but 3 inches taller and 40 pounds of muscle heavier. During our ride together, I learned: a. He's a pro water skier who just moved to Utah from Florida (not sure why a Pro water skier would make that move). b. He's training for a big tournament in Australia in a couple of weeks. c. He just bought a Fuji road bike that's too "soft". I think he meant it wasn't stiff enough. I think he's strong enough to flex most bikes. e. He asked me if it was easier to ride at altitude. I smiled and said "sure". f. He figured out I raced (being the only guy in a team kit was a give away) and asked if I raced internationally. Apparently, I looked really fast on a spin bike. Even though I general try to avoid any conversation with strangers at the gym, I kind of liked the guy.

Here's a few random items.
This was T on Saturday. The snow was great and the visibility was in fact that bad. Here he's dropping in Gun Sight. At least we think it was Gun Sight. We could really tell.

I skillfully avoided this tree in Supreme Bowl.

I kind of blew this picture, but this is Tanner landing a little cliff jump at the top of a chute in Supreme Bowl.

I'm now an official XC ski geek. I build this waxing bench over the weekend. I successfully waxed for the conditions Monday. In fact, my waxing skills are much better than my skiing skills. I'm getting a little frustrated. Chrispy worked me over for 16K without much trouble. It's teaching me humility.

The big question of the week is what to do Saturday? MTB, road bike, skate ski, skate ski race, Moto in the dirt? Difficult decisions.

I'm also a proud papa this week. Erin found out she's been chosen as the Valedictorian for the School of Humanities and Social Science at USU. She'll get to speak at graduation in May and is a finalist for the top scholar award. She must have good parents.

More Skating

I getting more hooked on skate skiing each time I go. After skating hard today, I'm completely worked tonight and hurt in places I forgot I have. Yet, I still had a good time. Today reminded me of an MTB race, a even mixure of stuffing and fun.

I guess it's not hard to see the appeal for me. The cross over from cycling is a natural and I'm drawn to technical, gear-intensive sports. I certainly need another hobby that requires specialized equipment, tools, clothes and lots of maintenance. Apparently, cycling (Cross, MTB and road), motorcycles and target archery were not enough.

My buddy Ted gave me my first waxing lesson today and then we toured White Pine and the Farm. Waxing is eerily similar to gluing tubular tires. It is as much ritual as function. However, unlike tubulars, you have to wax every time the snow temperature changes. Ted showed me a brick of wax the size of of a match box that retails for $120. And I thought Dugas tires were bad.

I have officially jumped off the skating cliff. I bought the skis I've been trying (thanks Bart) and I'm ordering my own boots, poles and wax starter kit this weekend. I've been on borrowed boots and poles that don't quiet fit, so it's time to step up.

Oh yeah, one more thing XC skiing has going for it: Cowbells. I've been watching youtube clips from World Cup races and there's lots of cowbells in the crowd. When I eventually get up the courage to do a race, I'll bring cowbells.


Notice the smile on Ted's face and the grimace on mime. Expert vs Novice technique will do that to you. I also soon learned that fresh now is not a XC skier's friend. However, it was pretty.

Tanner came with us for his first venture on skate skis. After an hour, he was dropping me on hills in spite of no technique at all. A big engine and a strong desire to hurt the old man goes a long way. He had a good time, but is planning to stick to alpine skis.

We skied all of White Pine and The Farm today, and some of it twice. The GPS said 23.5 kilometers.

I have a couple weeks to decide about racing at SH. I wonder if my ego can handle gettin crushed?

Break Through

I am officially no longer the slowest skate skier in the world. Yes, after 8 outings on the skinny, edgeless wonders, I passed multiple skiers tonight and stayed with my buddy and teacher Ted. OK, I mostly stayed with Ted when he didn't go really fast, but it's still a victory. I'm even considering entering a XC race. I need a good whopping now that I'm getting cocky.

United Belgians

The Cottle boys made it up to Deer Valley on tickets I was given by a friend. A good time was had by all on the groomers. It's actually an impressive that DV can groom that much snow each day.

Check out the new ski clothes. I fit right in at DV. They would have kicked me out with the old snowmobile coat.

In a sign that world peace is possible, the Belgians actually rode as a team to score a gold and bronze at the World Championships yesterday. I was actually kind of disappointed. Watching them fight each other is more fun. I watch the men's and women's race on cycling.tv and it was good fun. Albert was impressive. Katie Compton put in a hero's effort but got worked by two roadies. The course was basically a dirt crit. Pretty much every course we raced this year was more technical. I guess cross season is now officially over.

I've managed to avoid the trainer and any semblance of actual training for another week. I got in a few rides outside, some Nordic and Alpine skiing and some core work. Maybe I'll get excited about getting back at it this week. Then again, maybe not. I think the first MTB race will be ugly as I get dropped by everyone. I can live with that. Cross season is still a long way away.

That's Better

It was heavy and not particularly deep, but it was new and soft. I am a much happier person now after a good time on the mountain dodging trees.

(Side note, this picture was the last straw today. My jacket and pants are pushing 10 years old. As Tanner reminds my every time we go, my jacket is too big, looks dorky and is actually a snowmobile jacket. Well, no more. I went over to the Sports Authority's ski clearance and scored a killer deal on Mountain Hardware pants and a Salomon jacket. I've at least moved into the mid 2000's now.)

Winter Blahs

Let's see: very busy at work, crappy air in the valley, not enough snow in the mountains, no motivation to ride the trainer, no motivation to go to the gym. Must be the mid-winter blahs. I think some sun and fun will cure me. Too bad, it will be some time for both.

It hasn't been all bad. I've made it out on skate skis 3 times in the last week, got to ride with Doug, Tanner and some of the Canyon crew last Saturday, I made it up to Snowbasin for the OR on-snow demo yesterday and I'll be at OR tomorrow. The Easton snowshoes have been well received and we should get better placement next season. However, outdoor retailers are suffering through a terrible winter so the mood is kind of somber at the show.

Erin made it to the inauguration and had a great time. She scored some tickets from Sen. Bennett's office and was relatively close. She said all the waiting in the cold and fighting crowds was worth it.

Now I just need to find the time to ride some dirt. A mountain bike or moto will do. I'm not particular.

Lack of Updates

I've been a slacker on the blog front. I've been slammed at work since I got back from the trade show as well as busy with Porcupine team stuff. I've also tried to get back to working out some. Too much to do and not enough available time.

No camo bikes this year at the trade show. Too bad. There were lots of Bubba's standing in line for autographs of TV personalities, especially Lee and Tiffany (well, not so much for Lee). Country singers Blake Sheldon and Miranda Lambert where also wandering the show. Lambert had over-weight guys in camo stalking her. Kind of funny to watch.

I've been trying to get in some skate skiing this week, but so far no luck. Maybe tomorrow night. Somehow, I haven't made it to the gym this week as well. I think lack of motivation will do that to you. I think Saturday holds a long road ride for me. I've been off the road bike long enough that I'm actually looking forward to it. I'm sure a few road rides will cure me of that. I'll be longing for riding dirt again.

I have been able to ride the moto to work a couple of times this week. My need for speed has been satisfied. Nothing wakes you up in the morning like dodging cars on the freeway at 70 mph in 25 degree weather.

Finally, Erin officially became an intern in Ted Kennedy's office this week. She's been assigned to foreign relations and veteran's issues. Her main job is responding to mail from constituents. She's quickly learning that staffers make Washington go round. She gets one day a week to attend hearings, other events on the Hill or explore political landmarks. She was able to in for some of Hilary Clinton's confirmation hearing. I think I saw her arm in the background on TV. She's loving it so far.

Ashley's Birthday is Saturday so she's coming home for the weekend. She will be a 21 year old officaly adult. I'm looking forward to having her home for a couple of days.

Trade Show

I'm off to the annual Archery Trade Association trade show in Indianapolis tomorrow through Saturday. 4 days of travel, lots of standing, walking and over-eating. I get to talk with lots of Bubbas and hear endless hunting stories. It is interesting to see all the new products and get a feel of how the industry is doing. Hunting tends to be a little recession resistant, but no one really has any clue how this year will turn out. Maybe I'll see more camo bikes this year. If so, I'll post some pictures. Last year, Pacific (GT, Schwinn and other brands) was showing a camo bike with a rack for your bow. I wonder if anyone bought one. Maybe Todd Wells picked one up before he moving to Specialized this week.

The good news is going out of town allows me to delay working out for another week. I'll probably feel guilty enough to venture into the hotel workout room at some point. However, 10 minutes on a Lifecycle will cure me of that desire. Last year, it was warm enough to run outside. Hopefully, it will be cold this year and I'll lose that desire as well. Does it sound like I needed a good break from training this year. I think so.

Busy Saturday

Yesterday was a busy day of fun. It started with a few laps at Alta. T and I decided to take advantage of the new snow and blue skies. So did every other skier in the valley. There were as many cars at Snowbird and Alta as I've ever seen. We looked down at Collins and Wildcat from the road to see HUGE lines. We were going to head back down the canyon but took a look at Albian Basin before we turned around. Surprisingly, no lines. So we spent a couple hours on Sugarloaf and Supreme. Thankfully, everyone stayed on the Collins side and we charged hard with no waiting.

We next headed over to Wheeler for the Last Call "not too serious" cross race. On the way over to Wheeler, we spotted this commuter riding a cross bike. I couldn't tell if he was a businessman, professor or book salesman. In any case, he looked fast.

To my surprise, he turned into Wheeler and joined our race before heading to work. Impressive.

Sadly, Blaze Rippington was unable to make the race this year due to injury. However, his long lost cousin from Tennessee, Bubba Rippington, made an appearance. Maybe they both will make it next year.

The course was packed snow with ice in spots. It was fun just trying to make it around the course without hitting the ground. Racing a cross bike without going deep in the pain cave was a refreshingly new experience.

After the race, we were off to RMR for the NASCAR themed Utah CX party. It was a good time and the costumes didn't disappoint. Tanner walked away with 3 cowbell awards: two silvers for his 2nd's in the State Championship and overall points and a cool Norwegian bell for Most Improved. Thanks again to Matt, Jon, Steve and crew for putting on the series. I had a great time and made more friends. Can't ask for more than that. There were over 750 individuals who did at least one race this year. How cool is that? 5 years ago, there probably weren't 750 people in the valley who knew what cyclocross is.

2008 in Review

Bob inspired me to take a look back at 2008. Like Bob, I diligently track all my rides and races and can tell you my total miles, hours, results, etc. The short version is I trained a lot and raced about 50 times. I had some good races and some not so good races. The highlight for me was having Tanner with me at nearly every race.



Best ski season ever - 2007/2008.

Best ski day - Powder Mountain Jan 29th.

Best ICUP races - St. George and Hurricane. I love the warm in the winter.

Best flat of the year - Tanner's dimple on a family ride in Ogden.

Best weekday race series - Solitude. Got to race head to head with Tanner. I beat T by 2 minutes the first week and 8 weeks later, he beat me by 2 minutes. Watching his progress this year was a Dad's dream. I'm now the slow guy in the house.

Best coming-out party - Tanner's dominate win in the first UT Cross race. He put the wood to the B's and put a big target on his back for the rest of the season.

Best non-race ride of the year - the PC perimeter ride with the Porculized crew. T and I only did about half of the epic, but it was a memorable day.

Most fun at Cross Nationals - watching T battle back to a top 20 finish.

Nearly the most fun at Cross Nationals - watching Ali, Sam and Eric finish 2nd, 4th and 13th.

Favorite ritual - weekly loading 4 bikes, a tent, chairs, 2 sets of spare wheels, a trainer and other gear into the Element during cross season.

My best race of the year - finally winning the 45+ State Championship.

My biggest regret of the cycling year was my lack of rides with my extended family. My heavy race schedule just didn't allow many Saturday rides just for fun.

I really do have a life outside of cycling, but mostly limit this blog to cycling topics. However, 2008 reinforced again who fortunate I have such great family and friends and a job that allows me to finance my play. Life is good.

Looking forward to 2009, I'm going to take a different approach to cycling. I've been riding for 20 years and did my first race 10 years ago. For 5 or 6 years, I just did a few MTB races each year. A few years ago, I got "serious" about racing and began training and racing on the road. I decided two years ago to train hard and see what I could do. I began working with Dave Harward and didn't miss a workout for 2 years. The results have been steady improvement and satisfying race results. I've confirmed to myself that I don't have the natural engine to win many races, but I can be competitive.

The downside of "training" is I lost some of the simple joy of riding for riding's sake. By the end of the year, I was getting to the point of "having" to ride rather than "wanting" to ride. At the same time, Tanner's desire to race more seriously has grown. Therefore, I'm passing the training baton to Tanner and going back to just riding. I'll still ride as much and probably race as much. However, I'm planning to lose some structure, ride how I feel and base my race schedule on Tanner's. I won't be chasing series points and hope to do some different events. The only structured training I plan to do is for the Cross season with the goals of defending my State Championship and having a good race at Nationals. In short, I plan to follow the Dr. Cross Negacoach method. My basic nature really likes structure and checking off daily tasks, so this change in philosophy is not a small thing for me. We'll see how I do.