Big Sis the Tri-Geek

So my sister decided she was going to do a triathlon and got into this group training program to get ready for it.  Before the group started meeting she had to get a bike and some gear and asked for my advice.  I’ll go ahead and say she doesn’t have a clue about bike stuff.  Seriously, she was asking me stuff like “do I really need bike shorts?  I’m only gonna ride like 18 miles.”  Against, my better judgement she bought a hybrid.  Flash forward a month and she is kicking everyone in her groups ass despite that they have road bikes, tri-bars, clipless pedals and other high-end (read: normal) gear.  Yeah, she is killing ’em on flat pedals!!  Gotta love it.  Anyway, big sis, we salute you!!

Even though I will call her a tri-geek, I think it’s pretty cool.  She has run forever, but this is a wholly new venture and a pretty bold one with two kids under three.

I have the feeling she’ll wind up doing some more of these.  She definitely perked up when I mentioned to her that lots of female pro cyclist don’t start ’til there in their 30’s and end up going to the Olympics or whatever.  Not that there’s any pressure to be pro or go to the Olympics or anything.  Yet.

Her (big sis, that is) husband’s been in town (they live in Boston) for work the last couple days, so it’s been super-duper nice to hang out with him the last couple evenings. 

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend.  I am out.  I am going to do a real training ride (over an hour) for the first time in a month or so.  Yaaaahhh!!  I am psyched to get up into the mtns. as I really haven’t ridden in the high country all year (save Get High Uintas).  Then, I am taking the kids to the pool.  Sounds like a perfect day to me.

Birthday Memories

Thanks, Mr. Clean.

http://the-ghost-ryder.blogspot.com/

How come nobody ever told me I walk like a combination of Sasquatch and Shaggy?

AB Crit News Story

http://www.localnews8.com/Global/category.asp?C=93342&nav=menu554_4 

Some extra motivation for sure. 

Let’s make it a race he’d like!!

State Crit Titles

It was a weird race.  It seemed like no one wanted to race.  Maybe it was the heat.  The plan was for Eki, G-Love, and Dr. Sandros to cover the early stuff and for Bryson and I to bring the pain in the end game.  I figured we could save Bryson and I until about 30 minutes to go, but it was obvious by about 15 minutes in that wouldn’t be necessary as once a group with more than two got a gap it would be over.  Sandy spent a bunch of laps solo, and then a couple laps later Hardwood, C. Hoff, Bryson and I hit the gas.  We didn’t go crazy hard.  It seemed like no one wanted to commit to it, but no one in the field wanted to chase either.  Actually, Bryson was commited, but it felt like everyone else was holding back a little.  Maybe some poker face.  Anyway, around 20 minutes to go Bryson and I started hitting ’em, but we really weren’t connecting on the 1-2.  Again, maybe it was the heat, but we needed to really just go as soon as the other got caught and we weren’t.  I bridged across to the remains of the “field” (maybe 7 guys by this point), and Sandy tried to tow me around, but my breakmates weren’t ready to say good-bye.  It comes down to the sprint, and I get a decent jump into the last turn.  Here’s where things got hairy.  I felt Cameron coming on my inside, and there was some contact.  I didn’t swerve violently or take a hand off the bars (I really can’t sprint one handed) as some have suggested, but I definitely went from the outside of the last turn to the middle of the road by the finish.  I didn’t feel that it was an overly aggressive sprint, but C. Hoff and Hardwood did, and they let me (and the officals!!) know it.  The officials saw it my way and I was awarded the jersey. 

I’ll go ahead and say that the whole situation affected me pretty badly.  I really didn’t sleep well that night.  I respect these guys a lot and don’t want any bad blood.  After “reviewing the tape” in my head a couple thousand times, I still feel that I rode fairly.

In G.C. Order…

Get High

As predicted, High Uintas was awesome.  It never fails.  I won’t get into the boring details, but our team finished 3rd alot.  My best stage was a time trial- what the?  Is this bizarro land?  No, it’s Wyoming!!  I really, really thought I would win the crit., but I was busy scratching my bum when the action happened.  Ya veird.

Also, Marc microwaved a hard-boiled egg at the continental breakfast and I walked in just in time to see it EXPLODE when he bit into it.  It was remarkable.  It was louder than  popping a plastic bag, but probably not as loud as when you pinch the tube between the tire and the rim and it blows out.  He had egg on his face.  Literally.  And everywhere else in the room.  Luckily, there was a good crowd on hand to witness.

I had to bail from the awards early.  If my name was called for some sweet prize, just don’t tell me.  I was pretty worked and Haley was in full slap-happy mode.  Morgan was also pretty much exhausted, so they both fell asleep before we got on the freeway.  They slept all the way home, and then stayed up til midnight (crying).  Yeah, it was totally worth it for having the family around for the weekend.  I think Bryson put it best when he said, “if it was always like this, I’d just do stage races all the time”.  Word.  On that note, I tried to convince Kelly to cash out the house and buy an RV and go do the NRC, ya know, while the kids are still not in school.  She didn’t really go for it.

Sportsmanship Award Recipient

I’ll blabber on about Get High Uintas later, but if anyone doesn’t know, Jared gave his wheel up to Burke (not a teammate for those really out of the loop) at the start of the climb in the road race.  Burke went on to win.   I aspire to be that kind of selfless, but it’s not happening at this point.

And no, Jared, this is not like the Sportsmanship Award in High School where you just give it to the guy with all the heart who sucks.

C. Hoff Represents

Check out Cam Hoff representing:

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,665193274,00.html

The pic in the real paper is practically life size.  Gotta do something about those wheels though.  I hear that situation is being resolved.

The actual article is pretty good.  Not sure how much I agree with all the UCA races being “warm ups” for Lotoja, but whatever.  It’s a big picture and story on cycling, so it’s good.  And there’s a story on the NOBRA on the next page, so we’re everywhere.  Not sure why this stuff isn’t in “Sports”, but I don’t guess it matters.

Went to the dentist yesterday.  First cavity ever.  I thought I was out of my “cavity prone years” (See Breaking Away). 

I Made It…

Yeah, I have reached the big time.  No, I am not talking about the back cover of the newest VeloNews (oh yeah, it’s not the inside back cover this time, but the real back cover!!).  I am talking about being interviewed by the Fox.  Go dig it.

I am pumped for Get High Uintas this weekend.  If you are not there, you suck or are a mtn. biker or something.  Not really, I know it can be tough esp. with it being Father’s Day and what-not, but you should try to be there.  It’s the best stage race we gots at this point.  And don’t tell me you can’t climb because there’s lots of downhill after the climb,  a flat TT, and the best crit around.  It’s worth it for the pizza party alone.

We need to show the HATs (High Altitude Thugs) from CO what Utah has got, so bring your A Game. 

Word on the street is that Tommy is coming out.  I left him out of my report from the crit I did in CA the other week, but he was in the break too and has some legs.  Coming from sea level to 11,000 feet will probably hurt though.

We may or may not have a new teammate as well, so let the smack talk begin about how many guys we have.

Oh yeah, I saw the film (using the word loosely) Idiocracy last night.  Holy crap, it’s like 1984 for the generation of 1984.  Hilarious and yet retarded and somewhat insightful.  I dig it.

Oh yeah (again), big ups to co-worker, sometime team mechanic, and coachee Jeremy Clay for crashing at 2 to go in the Sugarhouse crit., getting up, and winning the 4’s race.  That’s impressive.  Apparently not impressive enough for an upgrade (as he was denied), but impressive all the same.

Less Than Stellar

We sucked it up big time at the Sugarhouse Crit.  For whatever reason, we haven’t put it together there for a few years.  The first mistake was missing the break.  How we managed that, I’m not sure.   I felt like it just took me awhile to ride into the race and get my legs going and by then, they were gone.  Not a good excuse, but an excuse all the same. 

Second mistake was not putting together an organized chase.  I don’t expect any of the other teams to help us at this point, but we needed to put all our guys on the front and kill the break or kill ourselves trying.  That was the only option.  I’d be happier if we tried and failed and all got dropped and no one placed than I am with 6th,7th,8th with a break of 5 up the road.  Anyway, a not so awesome race day, but an awesome bro-b-q after.

Oh yeah, even though we sucked, it was an awesome race.  I would like to see it longer (not that the result would have changed!!), but this is definitely a favorite.  I’d also like to see the extra 20 guys in the field make it out to a few more.  Your presence adds a lot!!