Deer

Looked out the kitchen window this morning to find a family of deer spying on me, I bet their happy to see spring. To bad for the poor pic.

No updates the last few days, I have had some weird stuff going on. Thursday evening I noticed I was peeing a lot, during the night I got up 7-8 times to relieve myself despite not drinking during the night. I woke up feeling like I had been hit by a truck and my weight had dropped to the low 130's, all day I continued to pee every 10-15 minutes and my kidneys were killing me. I talked the lab at work into a urinalysis, suspecting a possible infection stemming from the cold I was just getting over, results negative. I had a course following work at the PT school until 7pm and when I got home my weight still had not returned to normal despite all my fluid intake. For some reason I was not absorbing any fluid. I drank 64 0z of gatorade before bed on Friday night and only had to pee maybe 3-4 times during the night. Saturday morning I was closer to my normal weight and feeling much better, no more kidney aches. I figure I must have had some kind of electrolyte imbalance, it is tough to say without blood work. Anyway I am feeling better.

Got 3 rides in on Saturday, sounds like a lot but all 3 equal maybe 1.5 hours. To the health science building in the am, home in the afternoon, and then down to Rosie's moms in Holliday on the MTB in the evening. Happy to get this course out of the way, I have one course remaining which I will finish up in July and then just need to complete my research, defend it and I will be done with my doctorate, praise be! I did a couple good efforts on the climb home from school, you can get some good training done in a short time on this hill. The elevation below shows the front climb which I normally use, but today I used the steeper smoother back climb. Word on the street is this summer the front climb will be repaved.

Finally sold Rosies Acura today which is nice to have out of the way, seems like Sunday should be more relaxing but we had a lot going today, at least we got a nice walk in after omelets for dinner. Going to the dentist tomorrow, wish me luck.

It's called sly style

Today has been a challenge. Eva got her first cold this week and unfortunately I think she got it from me. She is in a poor mood which I am not used to since she is normally all smiles. Rosie left about 2:30 to host a wedding so it has been me and the kido all evening. I wish I had bigger hips for lugging her around, she did play in the shop for a few minutes while I tuned some bikes and we have been on two walks.
In the am I did a quick ride on the MTB exploring the ridge trail going southwest of off little mountain, no body rides that way and now I know why, serious face over the front wheel granny gear climbing, unfortunately the traction was good so I had no reason to get off and push. The views were nice, check out the picture of my hood, can you pick out my house?


looking south across Parleys

Eva's already going for the chick bars!

You have probably already heard via email, text message, or word on the street. One of my all time favorite people fired up a blog, not only is he blogging, but Sly is posting multiple times/day. This is going to be good.

Dug

Checkout the excavation work for my future shed, would you believe me if I said I dug this by hand, I hope not. A buddy of mine brought his skid loader and mini trackhoe to help save my back and free up a little energy. Machinery is cool, I would love to be an excavator playing with all these big Tonka toys. I got in a great 30 minute ride home from work, Rosie called and said the "digging guy is here waiting for you" so I pinned it up the hill.

A quick Big Mountain update, I must have just missed Bob. I rode up their yesterday from work with my backpack on, I bet the people I pass just think I ride with a huge camel back, when really I don't have an ounce of water fluid on me. Anyway I nearly made it to the first switch back past afleck park. If I would have had time to hike in a little snow I am sure the south facing road to the next left hander would all be clear. Sorry to burst your bubble but it will not be rideable by this weekend. In a good snow year like this they often have to use a front end loader(more Tonka's) to clear the last switch backs before opening the road. Hopefully I am wrong. Off work tomorrow so I hope to get in a short MTB ride, continued landscaping/trail building/ tree planting, and lots of time with Eva.

All this power from pressurized fluid, hydraulics are fascinating.

almost skunked

Yesterday I narrowly adverted being gunned down by a skunk while I was burning around the local roads on the MTB. As soon as it saw me it reared up on it's hind legs and raised it's tail, good thing for my quick acceleration or I may have been bathing in tomato juice. Also did a long hike with Eva in the back pack, pretty solid cross training. Today I stayed off the bike, no commuting, nothing, just to make sure I am fresh. It was a good day for it because it was snowing sideways when I left for work, fortunately no accumulation. I am not sure I would call 2 hours of clearing deadwood refreshing., but I did get a lot done. I have a good plane together for the singletrack around the house, it's going to take some time but when it's done people will be parking at the Gillespie trailhead (my driveway) to shred, I doubt I will have any stunts but it will have a mix of technical descents, free flowing berms, and some punchy climbs, a dream come true. Eva will be spoiled with world class trail without leaving the yard. I got to get a updated bio together for the Raleigh website and with the new team photos it should be up and running. Also need to get some bikes ready to sale, my shop is busting.
I hope to get in some short commuting efforts over the next few days, I want to keep some intensity going while staying fresh.

coyote pretty

It's been a good couple days. Got at it early in the yard on Friday and did the work of 3 men by noon. Rode up little cottonwood on the road bike for some steady climbing, felt pretty good on the hill but LC never gets any flatter. I am light right now (137lbs) which seems to be helping against gravity. My "solid drip" eating must be working, more on that later. Met Jones at the top getting off work at Snowbird and barreled down the descent at 50+ MPH, I got dropped by Climbum-J when he burned around a car on a tight corner, I get a little gun shy descending on the road when not racing, I don't want to die, not to mention the scolding I would get from Rosie. She would download my bike computer to monitor my top speeds if she could, probably has something to do with all the funerals we have been going to.
About a 1/4 mile down from my house I came across a coyote in the middle of the road, I stopped and he stared me down before walking up the embankment then turned around and crossed the road again about 20 feet from me like I was not even there, I got a couple pics but was fumbling to get the camera out of my jersey pocket. I bet this little guy is one of the many that try to keep me from falling asleep at night, good luck!

Now this is what spring is all about, 75 and sunny. Rosie and I dropped Eva of with grandma today and got in some dirt riding. We rode up Millcreek and down pipeline. The only snow was in the pines right as you start the trail on the entrance below the gait, otherwise the dirt was buffed. Rosie rode 95% of rattlesnake gulch, she got spooked on a couple drops at the top and a switchback or two, otherwise she was "shredding the nar". I rode home and started clearing more deadwood, even started some work on my backyard connector trail. We got a new picnic table that I put together, we then broke it in with some burgers hot off the grill and fresh strawberry shortcake. A quick hike up freeze creek with the Adair family to top off the evening.

Two weeks until the first NORBA in LA, I think I am feeling pretty good but have not raced in a while, plan to get some good rest in and then some short efforts to stay crisp. I want to put together a good race and really flythe new Raleigh colors. I may even have to cut back on my manual labor around the house. Just gotta get that picnic table stained.

The smell of the earth

Got some trees planted tonight, bad pic I know but if you look close you can see some Norway spruce along the rock wall.

Piles of deadwood building up, but I have along way to go. My plan is to clear all the dead undergrowth out and thin the horizontal wood so the natural ivy can thrive on the bottom and the oaks can grow up. I hope to use some of the logs to help secure the sidewalls of the connector trail in the backyard, I need some more energy or maybe and employee!

Check out the carbon clincher prototype MTB wheels, hope to get them suited up tomorrow. Also snapped a pic of the new Raleigh hardtail after shredding Red Butte on my way home from work. Glad I am riding the Reba WC this year, it's a little heavier than the Sid but will last more than a few rides and tracks so much better. Plan to put in some more dirt miles this weekend.

Snot machine

Feeling better every day, but dehydrating easy due to large quanities of mucus flow, be careful riding behind me! Yesterday on my ride home from work Rosie passed me in the car so I gave her my pack and decided to ride up little mountain and check out the snow line on big mountain. Did not get far, snow line is at Afleck park and I got wet getting there. Rumor has it Tinker used to train with a backpack full of rocks, no rumor here, a good share of my riding includes an Ogio backpack filled with cold weather cycling clothes. When I shed it on the climb like today I find some extra gears. Ran into a mate named Dave up around big mountain, good egg and fun to ride with someone during the week, even if it's only a short while. Rosie dropped Eva off at work so I could spend lunch with her while she got in a bike ride, she may do it again today. How lucky am I to have lunch with my little girl during the work week. Our Moab trip this weekend looks to be on the fritz because Rog's back needs a little more rest, bummer but I can get some dead wood cleared and if things dry I can get some more trees planted. Rosie and I might have to hit the shoreline to "shred the nar". To bad the City Creek hillclimb is cancelled, I would have done it now I will be in town. Just rambling now, I hope to post some pics tonight.

Quick changes

Looking East onto my deck after a day of April showers!

Woke up this am feeling about the same as the weather looked outside, crappy! My best guess is someone sneezed on my food at the weenie roast and now I am fighting off a cold virus. Hopefully I can shake it as quick as the our local weather changes, tomorrow should be sunny. At least I picked a good day to get sick, and with plenty of time to be feeling 100% before the 1st Norba national. Tomorrow I am picking up some prototype carbon MTB wheels to test for Reynolds, should have them ready for some serious dirt action this weekend, stay tuned for details and pics. Carbon wheels have rocked the road world, soon they will hit the mountain.

Snow warning remains in effect for the wasatch mountains and high valleys through tomorrow morning. It's light outside and I'm going to bed.

One hotdog a year

Yesterday the annual Gillespie weenine roast/Easter egg hunt/egg fight went off without a hitch despite all the rain. In the am I helped Rog build his new mountain bike while it was raining and then we fired up the road bikes as soon as it dried out. We rode squaw peak and south fork and wanted to climb sundance but ran out of time. The lookout road was great because the gate is closed at the bottom so you can rail the descent, the climb is always tough but was exacerbated today by a headwind and climbum Jones and I half-wheelin each other.
We ran into a few snow patches near the top, but the new Raleigh carbon road bikes handled it well. Jones on the DH.

Utah Valley from squaw peak, sorry I forgot to flip the pic don't strain your neck.

Weenie roast in the orchard, had a turkey dog this year, hand rotiseried on a green willow over peachwood flame.

Fox sampling the orchard mud on the road bike

Today we enjoyed a sunny Easter morning by exploring the ridge between our home and the canyon road, Eva was testing out the new pack, I think she likes it.
Tomorrows rain should correspond well with my complete rest day, the remainder of the week I hope to get a little training in, will see.

DOMS

Feeling normal again. Yesterday at work I hooped it up for some full court outdoor basketball, PT staff vs. Interns. Good times but I am paying for it now with some serious soreness. All that start and stop, eccentric muscle contraction business is hard on the the cycling stubbies, but I did throw down a mean cross-over. Also took an elbow to the jaw from our 6' 4" 240lb marine, now I can barely open my mouth to eat. Back on the bike for some commute training and feeling descent, I have been drilling up the hill.
Tonight Rosie is doing some craft thing with friends so it's just Eva and I. Earlier we did some off-roading in the jogger to check out where I am building a renegade connector trail above the house. Eva loves the DH and with no vegetation growing yet we rallied cross country.
We also planted another Normay spruce in the yard, man I have alot to do.
With the warm temps the creek in emigration has swollen out of it's banks in places, on my way home today they were sandbagging around some guys yard.



The saturated soil is causing some areas in the canyon to slide, check out the pics of mudslides just along the canyon road.

Planning to ride the new MTB to work tomorrow and maybe shred some red butte trails on the way home, if we can get the EC trails master plan approved I could be ridding ST to and from work, we just need to oust the vocal Floridians from the Oaks board.
3 cheers for Friday!

wrestler cutting weight

So I guess I was wrong about the sashimi poisoning, they must have used some super concentrated flu bug, maybe some weird chicken strain. I am slowly coming around but my energy levels are pretty low, I guess that's what happens when you don't eat for a few days. My weight dropped to near 130 which is at least 7 lbs down, I have been pounding the fluids to resume normal weight and hopefully energy. Unfortunately, Rosie now has the plague and I am home again being mom for the day. Eva should already have the antibodies from the breast milk so hopefully she's covered. I have heard of a couple NFL players only drinking breast milk, you can buy it but it's at least $2.50/ounce. Once I am back up to speed I got some training to do, or at least some commuting. Wheels came today and I got the MTB all together, pics and review coming. With all the bike parts shipping lately I have become good friends with the Fed Ex guy, he finishes up his route in the canyon so he makes it here when I am around, good guy to know.

Check out my new rain water cistern, my plan is to collect all the water off the west half of the back roof into this drum and then use the hose attachment to water the surrounding vegetation. I have the other down spouts draining into underground perforated pipe that will help water the lawn. All the Oregonian, off the grid, conservationists will be proud.

Every time I stay at home all day with Eva I have a whole new respect for moms, you have to be able to play all day and not get frustrated by not getting anything else done. Don't get me wrong, I love to play with Eva but all day can be a challenge. My day job is much easier, props to all stay at home moms or dads.

Poisoned

I am not exactly sure who is responsible but I have a theory. My best guess is either Craig, Wells, or JHK got word that I have been commuting to and from work and our worried I may pose a threat to their 2008 Beijing aspirations. They easily could have staked out my regular Utah County eating establishment and hired an under paid food preparer to slip my dish a little ground up 3 day old sashimi, that would do it. Or maybe it was just bad beans in the burrito, as Rosie would say I buckled when ordering. Around 3 am I awoke with an animal trying to exit my bowels, this was no small critter but the big daddy himself, FOOD POISING! So, for the past 18 hours I have been purging the beast from within so to speak. Unfortunately I had a Sunday school lesson to teach to a lively bunch of 12 year olds, and then had to stop in at work to check on a new below knee amputee and a couple fresh ortho surgeries, I was in no position to make a public appearance. I cowboyed up and got through it with only a couple emergency exits!
I am all for weight loss to maximize strength-to-weight ratio, and have been successful of late in ridding myself of some unwanted baby fat but by no means did I plan to shed 3 lbs in less than 18 hours without sweating a drop, this could be the answer for the pulled from the market phen-phen, although equally dangerous. I expect to be getting better but I am not, you know it's bad when Rosie checks Eva's diaper after I burp. I am praying for some sleep tonight and a miraculous recovery, I'll hope for the best and expect the worst. And if by chance you run into any of America's Olympic mountain bike hopefuls please remind them, I'm a Hacker!
Got to run, literally!

Good company

Saturday group ride in Utah County was my ride of choice to break in the new Raleigh. Nice weather, nice roads, and best of all nice company. It was one of the longest rides on the year for me so far but was only 4 hours, I just don't do many long road rides anymore. Once I have my base fitness down it doesn't seem to help my MTB racing much and is an easy way to loose your edge. But hopefully this ride will help kick off a nice build for the races in May. The best part UC riding is catching up with with the other 3 G's, you know the Gibson brothers. Spent most of the day with Chuck who is definitely in the top 5 of fun people to ride with. We did the usual tour of the valley with a hobble creek canyon and elk ridge thrown in for a little climbing. Generally the pace was easy but we ramped it up a few times. The new bike was great, although I did get my OCD fix in adjusting things.

Charlie, Chuck, Chuckie, Trucker!

After the ride I played with Eva on the lawn, this is her first experience with grass as our yard is covered with snow and not yet landscaped, she loved it! Hopefully we dry out and get some yard going at our place, another project and I got big plans.

Eva, Eves, Popka!
Finished the day of with dinner at Bajio's and a walk with the fam in the river bottoms, how did I get so Lucky!

26 inches

Is that the circumference of my bicep or the depth of the snow on my deck?

Today was cool. I am not a fan of snow in April but it sure was fun watching it pile up. No riding today, my planned day completely off the bike. I was bummed when I woke up because I love riding in the snow, today's ride would have made headlines I am sure. I got the road bike finished and I have a feeling I won't need the MTB this weekend. Most of my non-work time today was spent clearing snow, I should have bought a bigger snowblower.

Check out the doppler and radar, this baby dropped 26 inches plus at my place

















This is looking from inside my garage as I begin to dig myself out, I am not sure where all the water will go when hits 60 F on Saturday but I do know I will be breaking in the new road bike.

Love the home shop

When I designed and built our house a finished heated shop was mandatory and I nearly built the house around its specifications. I use the shop nearly every day but with the 06 supplies arriving its going to get a real workout.

I know it looks cluttered but don't worry I keep it very organized and clean, man that Raleigh black carbon looks hot!

Build on!

wicked witch of the west

The snow is finally melting with the spring like temps. I have been trying to take it easy on the bike the last 2 days to be sure I get a full recovery from the weekend. In order to tax yourself enough to build fitness you need to be fresh, not easy to do when it turns spring. The stream by my house has swollen with run off, now if it would just warm up enough at night so I could sleep with the window open to hear it babble.











It was my Monday off work yesterday so I did an easy ride up burr fork/pinecrest, it does not get much sun up there and it shows. Check out the snow banks. On the way home I ran into Sager out logging the miles, he will be Utah's hope at sea otter this year, as Rosie would say "shred the nar"




















With the warm temps I was feeling the urge to fire up the moto and shake off the winter cobb webs, the trail 110 purred on the first kick.
















It seems with the time change I have had tons of time after work so I started clearing deadwood from the oak in the front yard, I made the mistake of wearing short sleeves and now look like I was in a fight with a cat, but the woods are looking good.
More snow on the way!

Chola Challenge Race Report

Fortunately, on Friday night Eva decided she would sleep in the hotel room, Saturday night was another story. Rosie decided she had been to enough windy mountain bike races so she and Eva hung out at the pool. I drove out to the venue to find absolutely perfect dirt conditions. It seemed to be a good crowd at the race despite the $50 festival fee. What's with the abundance of XL T-shirts? If I am ever a race promoter I will order 20% small, 30% Medium, 40% Large, and 10% XL, I think this better represents the racing crowd. I have yet to see anything but XL's left over and have a closet full of night shirts for my wife. I took off on a partial warm up lap to test my worn out Michelin treads, glad I did because the first rocky downhill I sprung a small leak through a torn-off knob, I scrambled to ride the rim back and get a new Michelin XCR dry mounted up with sealant, good thing the boys from Revolution brought a compressor. I normally wrench on my own bike but on occasion Ryan at revolution does my tinkering.



















Chucky Gibson was still having some issues with his ankle so I taped it up before the race, I guess my tape skills need some work as he only made it 2 laps before the ankle was killing him.
I figured with the good dirt conditions and moderate south wind the course would be fairly fast and I should be able to do it in just under 2 hours. 10 Pros lined up for 3 laps of the 11 mile course. I started fairly fast, it's good practice for the nationals and is in my blood as a crosser. I got a little gap on the parade loop and just settled into my own pace, I felt pretty good but not perfect. My sciatic nerve did well but my hip stiffened up after the race. The course was fun and despite the roughness I really enjoyed the responsiveness of the Raleigh hardtail. My calibrated internal odometer/speedometer was dead on today, I finished in a few minutes under 2 hours. I used 3 bottles of the new SHOT electrolyte drink from Cliff and really savored the apple flavor, also used 3 CLIFF SHOTS to round out my nutrition during the race.

This will be the last time I race this bike with the purple kit as my new Raleigh Factory Team bike and clothes are waiting for me at home. Any buyers?




















Saturday evening we went to Rococos for Rosies grandparents golden wedding anniversary, it's up by the airport with a great view of all the traffic in St. George. I hope Rosie will keep me for 50 years.

Sunday Rosie and I rolled out for a pavement/dirt ride while Rosie's grandma played with Eva, this was a treat as we don't get to ride together much right now, we need to get trailer. We rode over to the Bearclaw Poppy trail and experienced buffed singletrack, that place is like as skate park for mountain bikes, Rosie was "shredding the nar".



















We also did some exploring and ran into some washed out bridges from last years floods, I should have rode that telephone pool.















Eva drove us home and we made it in record time, safe and sound, thanks babe!