Happy Halloween from Tarzan, Jane, and Monkey

Boulder pics

I love long walks on the beach

Eva loves watching daddy struggle in the sand

wirelessless

So I just wrote a full lenth race report and lost it and then wrote up a brief report and lost it and now I can't post pics from this crazy Hampton Inn wireless.
Anyway, Saturday's race I was disapointed in how the old legs responded and Sunday in Boulder was not much different. Ended up 12th. Hopefully I can get fast by the coming weekend. Will see how the week at the Boulder VA goes.
Maybe pics later

filled with seeds

Got my birdhouse up just in time for winter, I hope to provide a refuge for our little feathered friends through the death grip of winter.

Our Denver trip is already to go, it worked out perfect and I should be able to hit some good races. I am spending next week at the Denver VA to work with a couple amputees recieving c-legs and will try to hit the UCI race in Boulder this weekend and then the USGP races next weekend. Eva and Rosie are coming along as they don't like staying home in the mountains alone, they plan to explore Denver all week while I am working.
Tomorrow is the another Utah cyclocross race at RMR which I am sure will be another tough one, if you can race a conservative cross race that's my plan, hope to save some legs for the next day in Boulder. The down side to our trip is we will be missing all the Holloween parties, I was going to be Tarzan, Rosie as Jane, and little Eva as the Monkey.

New Ride

RMR in October

Updates have been sparse this week as I have had little to write about, I guess I did ride home from work in a snow storm but soon that will happen weekly.

Yesterday was the the 3rd Ut cyclocross race but it seemed like the first to me after missing the Ogden race and choking at the 20 min opener. I finally got my bike together the night before and was hoping to have it mostly dialed in by race time. I rode out to the RMR just like a Tuesday night but I was alone. I arrived all warmed up but I was still not completely comfortable with my position. The course was good with one technical steep off camber hill, a ton of fast pavement, and a stair run. Dr x cross did a good job with the small venue.

We had a solid field lined up and with all the fast pavement I was hoping to work into a rhythm but the first time across the muddy off camber peter-zak went down and out of no where I had a small gap so I just keep riding and tried to measure my effort over the whole hour. The gap went up to about 35 seconds before peter-zak clawed it back to about 15 seconds, I was really impressed by his power on the flat sections and realized a year of pure MTB racing has left me a little shy on speed/power. In the end I metered my effort pretty well and was able to pull away again before the finish. The Reynolds wheels and cool carbon bar are solid and I appreciate the support of this local company on the cutting edge of cycling technology. The bike rode well but after the race I made a few position adjustments that should help. Eva loved running around the grandstand and the venue has impressive spectating.

Linde and I rode back to my house after the race which ended up being more than a warm down. After dinner with the smith family at Sun and Moon Cafe I was feeling much better. I was very happy to finally get a win and found they will not come so easy this year, the Utah cross game is better than ever.

pictures of the new bike to come

O'Connor type luck

Maybe I was just not meant to race cross this year. This morning I wake up feeling like I was hit by a small truck, not a big truck, but a truck non the less. Eva has had the green snot nose the last few days so I suspect one of her many kisses got to me while I was worn down from last weekends travels.

So I finally got one of me new Raleigh cross bikes and get it all built up and dialed in but it seems big. The new design has a slopping top tube so I just thought it looked bigger. After riding it around a bit I realize it is definatly the wrong size and the frame must have been miss marked. So I get on the phone with Raleigh and sure enough this baby is a 57cm. So now I have to take it all apart and wait for the right size to come, hopefully the other one shows up as the right size and before cross season is over. On the bright side the bikes look great seem solid. I don't know what I am going to do for next weekend, maybe I will use my BMX.

After feeling crapy, having back trouble, not being able to train, and having no bikes I was ready to throw in the towel for cross season. But I guess I will ride out the storm and maybe put some form together for late season cross.

At least I got to play with Eva all day!

gla-sta

The one problem with quick racing trips when your also a 40 hr stiff and family man is when you get home you have alot of catch up to do, I have been busy so this recap may take me a few days to put together or I may just whip out a junky write up.

So I cashed in a few miles and flew toBoston on Friday, pilot Bill picked me up and we made it to the course just before dark. I burned a few laps and had a good time after being on a plane all day. The course is very fast, not technical, and realy not much reason to preride. The classic power course. Bill motor paced me to our hotel through the narrow streets of gloucster and I felt good. We stayed in cool place right on the atlantic and had a honeymoon view from our windows.

Saturday's race went down about as expected, I did not have the power to move through the field and make the front groups after starting on the 5th or 6th row. I lost some respect for a few riders who think that because they have a name in the cycling world they are entilted to better start spot. So about 70 guys wait in the cold for 40 mins to get a spot behind the call ups to then watch a few big names (adam craig, chris horner to name just a few) just waltz right to the front. Now these clowns have more power in their little finger than I ever thought of having and should not get to warm up while the rest of us stand around, real classy guys. To add insult to injury the promoter adjusts the call ups and includes some UCI races that are not yet included on the official list, typical half-assed american UCI racing. Anyway its good practice.

So just before the race the UCI official anounced that USADA would test the winner and 2 randoms following the event. So I cross the line and see the escort grab troy wells and then hear the anouncer call another random to control, so thats it right. Wrong, I find out a couple hours latter that I am an alernate and was called after someone did not show up, I went back to the event but it was to late. The next morning the USADA people tell me they can do nothing as they have already sent the info in. So anyway long story short I missed a doping control, I called USADA and they claim they have not received the info from the event yet. Will see what comes of it. We have very little hope for a clean sport and from what I can tell the current testing procedures may do more harm than good.

Sunday's race went a little better but I was still a little low on power on the flat grass into the wind. I was bummed the promoter did not take the time to change the course and was tempted to ask for a entry fee discount for racing on nearly the same course back to back. After the race we rode up the coast to another fishing village and mitch and I got taken out by some nut in little truck, good thing we were going slow, just a few bruises.

It was a good time and I got to catch up with shriver, Mcgovern, and the restof the racing crowd, but its nice to be home and playing with my girls.

laugh as you walk

Rosie and Eva busted


I have been wallowing in self pity since last weeks cross debacle and have not been able to post anything, no not really just crazy busy. Still have not been feeling that hot but better than last week. Today I did a presentation for the hospital on cycling for exercise, afterwards I was convinced bikes are the coolest. So last minute I decided to head out to Boston and race the UCI weekend in Gloucster, I leave in the am and will meet up with slim and slimmer's dad Bill. If you don't know the Petersen family, you are missing out. Very genuine people with some serious on the bike talent. I am bummed to miss the local cross scene but racing in New England is epic, over 100 elites coming hot into the boards is pretty intense. I won't have a good start spot but am hoping the legs come together in time for a quality effort. I am going to miss little Eva this weekend, she is walking all over and more fun than ever.

Eva flat bustin it!