?

-How many crickets does it take to make that much noise, with the windows open I need ear plugs to sleep?
-How many Otter Pops can I eat in one day?
-Is anything better than a kiss from Eva?
-If I shovel and rake in my yard everyday will I stop getting sore?
-Why does the dude in the white Hummer feel it is necesary to lay on his horn while I am in the bike lane?
-Can you beat cold watermelon after a long hot summer ride?
-How many tons of rock did I move this weekend?
-What should I do next weekend?

Is anyone surprised?

Most likely he will have some lame excuse about using cortisone for his hip and his doctor forgot to tell the UCI about it, and blah, blah, blah. We have heard it all before. Drugs in cycling is no different than an accountant skimming off the top, executives giving themselves bonuses while cutting the health benefits of their minimum wage employees, or physcians stiffing medicare with some extra charges just because they can. We live in an immoral society. Nothing is wrong until you get caught and when you do the excuses come quick. Now don't get me wrong I have my faults, some of which may be far worse than doping in sport, I am just calling lick I see it. If I were plucked from my little mountain bike racing gig and given the opportunity to make a great living riding my bike and my competition was using every means possible to become better would I take the chance to be tossed back to the local scene by not using every resource possible, I hope so but who knows. I just wish a few more riders would step up and say yea I used every resource possible to win just like everyone else, it was not the right thing to do but I did it anyway. Here is your chance floyd!

Anyway check out my cool new shed, electricity and all.






Now I can get started on the landscaping!

struggle to post

No race for me this weekend as Eva and I hung out yesterday while Rosie photograhed a wedding. I didn't realy ride all week for a little mid summer break, thursday night I spun around the neighborhood and felt like Landis souped up on his own RBC's. Then yesteday I went to the UC and Jaine watched Eva while Rog, Bryan, and I put in some climbing miles in the heat. We rode the alpine loop with the cascade springs extension, very steep and exposed in the sun. It felt good to be training again and my plan is to put in a couple more training days on the road to restore my aerobic engine. Friday Rog helped me work on the shed and it is nearly done. I will post some pictures later, now I have room for more moto's.
As I write this I am watching the last stage of the tour, it's like watching a movie, you know the riders are not real but it's still entertaining. Today we have church in the canyon to celebrate the pioneer migration down emigration, were going to push a handcart (Eva's jogger) in the heat to church just to mkae it a little more real. Later I might go for a little ride with fox. Its disapointing to see the E50/100 course has changed because if I do the 100 again I want to compare my time, oh well.

"knigh"

For my birthday yesterday I was chased by a sworm of yellow jackets, you know the kind that live in the ground. I was back filling behind an area of my new shed and dug into the heart of the hive, I managed to get away with only 4 stings, pretty good considering the circumstances. My knee, butt, pinkie, and neck are pretty swollen and I had a tough time sleeping. I can't imagine how bad it woud be if I did'ent have Eva to kiss them better. If you are unable to destinguish between the ankle and calf due to swelling or fat you have a "cankle". I then have what you call a knigh, a Hinkie, and a Nead. I set up a trap and have got like 40 of the little buggers and my next move is dress in full bee keeper garb and dig out their compound. My week off the bike is going ok although I am day dreaming about some long rides and fine form in the future. I will probably get back to riding on Saturday.

sphincters, surgery, and snowbird

I figured I would try to make it to the Snowbird ICUP race because it may be my last one of the season. Despite not riding that well and being a little tired I had a good time. Maybe that's because the alternative to being in the mountains on my bike was sitting in a classroom learning the details of the male and female reproductive system and specifically the pelvic floor musculature. I felt a little bad about ditching a few hours of class especially after arriving at class 2 hours late on Friday evening, here is my good excuse:
So Friday we had a below knee amputation scheduled for casting in the OR in the morning, it got pushed back until 3:30 pm. I made it up to the OR about 4:30 hoping to be set up and ready as soon as they close. When I arrived there was an attending surgeon along with a fellow, a resident, and a 4th year med student along with the OR nurse and surgical tech. Soon after I arrived the surgical suite next door had an emergency bleed out and our attending vascular surgeon had to go over to help out, no problem the fellow and resident could finish up with med student assisting. Well soon the med student was sent to the university to pick up some blood as they were running out in the room next door. I had to step in and assist a little. Once they got it closed I was able to place the immediate post operative prosthesis and be on my way, 2 hours late to my class.
Anyway, back to racing. The pace at the start was pretty nice and I suprisingly felt good. Alex and I rode together for 3 laps and only had to battle getting around lapped riders. On the fourth lap I got dropped and I don't know why, I wasn't hurting bad or anything I just ran out of energy and was not going as fast. Disappointingly after the race I found my front rotor had been bent badly from a run in with a lapper at the end of the 3rd lap and was dragging heavily, I would like to think that is the cause of my slow down, but it was probably my lack of rides over 30 min in the lst few weeks. I think Ed needs to start running the Sport classes earlier with the beginners on these short single track loops. I was very happy to see K-day back to his winning ways, I new it was only a matter of time. After the race we picnicked in the mountains.
Now I am ready for a little summer recharge with no racing for a while. I plan to take some time off the bike this week and finish up my shed. Then I hope to get some long rides in again and maybe a few races. Cross season is just over the horizon and I am waiting for my new bikes to show up.

kung-fu grip

Busy week and I am happy to say I got a good chunk of my shed done thanks to Rog helping me out on Tuesday, its coming together nice. I got this big double door on the front so I can store away a fourwheelers, motos, snow blowers, etc. I just need to finish the roof, the exterior siding, and some detail work. Hopefully I can talk Rog "the master craftsman" into helping me again. I have been doing little riding this week but am still thrashed from moving lumber and contorting myself into funny positions while building. My forearms are bulging huge from griping 4x8 sheets of plywood. I am not sure if I will be able to race at Snowbird this weekend as Friday and Saturday I have the final weekend class for my doctoral course work. I am looking forward to this one, mens and women's health issues- training the pelvic floor! Now if I could just finish my research/case. If I am feeling ok and can somehow get away in time to make it to the race I may give it a go, will see. Eva and I are hanging out tonight while Rosie is out crafting with friends. Poor Eva is sick and after she coughs she just looks up at me with her big blue eyes wondering why her daddy can't make her better, it breaks my heart. Fortunately she is improving.
Foxy is leaving the den so if anyone is interested in joining the canyon training compound drop me a line.

DV Norba National

Busy weekend! Here is the outline.

Friday: Pre ride XC course and decide not to race after feeling lethargic, very disappointed. Help Rose prep for BBQ and continue to waffle about racing all night. Feeling bad about skipping out when Raleigh is in town.

Saturday: Wake up at 3am with Eva for no particular reason. Ride around the house and don't feel all that bad, pack the bike just in case they let me register. Register 1.5 hours before race time without a "Jones" breakfast or dinner. Eat everything I can find and make up some bottles.
Race starts and I feel good for 2 laps running in 19-20th without hurting. Jones caught me at the end of the 2nd lap and I was feeling a little empty but still moving pretty good. 3rd lap lights out and I can barely keep the bike going up or down. I guess being hungry on the start line of a 2+ hr race with 9000 ft of climbing should have been a sign. Anyway, Jones raged to 16th 2 days after placing 3rd in the marathon. Susie put in a solid top 30 after placing 2nd in the marathon. Roger was leading the 50+ ex race until his back seized up on the last climb.
Saturday night BBQ at the house went off like a bomb due to Rosie's stellar party planning skills, good times with good people!

Jones looking back at the damage

Eva enjoying the party

Fox is one of a kind

Sunday: Pancakes and eggs for breakfast (trying to learn from my rookie mistake). 1.5 hr am ride with Rog on the canyon, burr fork, Cramer loop. Legs turning over better at the end.
Eva endures one more car ride to DV for the short track. Have a good start and hold on for somewhere around 15th. You will have to wait for the new Cycling Utah to get the coveted STXC race report.

DH on the short track


Goals for the week: Get some work done on the shed and love my great family and friends!

Thats good quiche!

I think yesterday was the first 4th of July that I have not raced or put in an epic ride in years. Instead we rolled in the parade down evergreen ave. Eva loved all the action, noise, and speed of the wagon. We had a great time and sampled some homemade quiche for brunch.


I have been resting hard trying to get the energy levels back in hopes of a good showing at DV this weekend. One thing about my to many irons in the fire lifestyle is I often am teatering on the edge disaster racing wise, and at least 1 or 2 times per year find myself in a little hole, not from overtraining but from "overlifeing" as I like to call it. Hopefully I can salvage my good fitness in time. Anyway, tomorrow is the marathon which I would love to ride, good thing I have a meeting at work that I can't miss to save me. Jones and Susy will both crush with all that climbing and I am sure Linde will have a great time. We have Norm (from Raleigh), Sally and their little 1 year old Carlin staying with us from Seattle for the week, Eva is loving the new friends.
Enjoy the thunderbusters!

turned over

Pulled the plug 2 laps in, I could have plugged along at 75% and finished the race but instead I gave myself a little hope for an ok ride at the NORBA next weekend and dropped out of my first race this year. I hate dropping out of a race, not only does the confidence take a hit but I feel bad that my wife invested her Saturday into my racing and I bailed out. I am not really sure what happened but I new from warming up that I did not have the legs or energy to ride anywhere near my ability. When the legs are good the gears just turnover, today I got turned over. My hope is I am just a little tired from to much effort this week and after a few days good rest I can spring back and put together a solid effort at DV. I guess one bonus to bailing on the race is I got to play in the loamy mountain soil with Eva, nothing tastes better than black mountain dirt!
My spirits are a little down right now but I will be back to ride another day, that's racing, its hard. If it was easy it would be boring.
Props to fox for a stellar effort and jones for crashing 3 times and still taking the W.