New Mexico Thanksgiving With Heather and Greg

This Thanksgiving was one to remember.  We rode some of the best singletrack ever for fixed gear cyclocross.  Then, a turkey dinner New Mexico style at Antonio's:  mole on turkey, mole on stuffing (yes, stuffing with green chilies), and mole on sweet potatoes.  The best part was the cream of squash-green chilie soup, and the pumpkin empanada for dessert.  I ate so much I fell down.

UTCX # 10 Wheeler Farm

I am not going to give a race report.  I'm not going to put up a picture of the standings.  If you really need to know you can look it up on the UTCX website.  Sorry no hyperlink.  I just can't keep worrying about the points standings and the final outcome.  I just have to win the next two races and it will be all good.  When it's all said and done, I will blog about it.  Here is a great video.  I'm at :58, 1:26, 1:57, 2:17, 2:35, and 4:20.  Yeah, that's me at 2:17 making the crazy high side pass around Mr. Cottle "The Throttle" and at 4:20 drifting through a turn.  Slick.

It's Getting A Little Snowy Today

The Forecast

UTCX #9 Mt. Ogden Golf Course

Another fantastic video from Adam.  I'm the guy with the strange looking unwrapped silver flared drop bars.

It's Mathematically Possible, Right Jimbo?

I Have A Cyclocross Hangover This Morning

Motivated

I spent all last week working on motivation.  I trained consistently, doing steps and hill repeats.  I made positive predictions.  I told myself over and over and over that I would ride well.  I showed up this morning at the race in Ogden and rode the course and got in a decent warm up even though it was cold and raining.  I stayed near the front for three laps.  On the fourth lap I made it to the top of a really long hard climb off the front by a few seconds.  I had a bobble after that, but held a gap for my third first place finish of the year.  This one was special.  I rode well and Darren Cottle was in the race.  It was the first time finishing in front of him since December of last year.  I even got a trophy.  I now own a cow bell that says I'm the 45+ King of Mount Ogden!  It's good to be King...of your own little world.

Mind Set

I plan on having a good one in the morning.  All positive.  Snow, rain, wind, mud, frozen mud (frud), and cold?  Good.  I'm going to pre-ride the course, warm up, and stay at the front.  I'm going to ride hard, fast, and dig deep.  Look out Dr. Cross and Mr. Cottle.  I'm going to be motivated.

Just Another Utah Cyclocross Race

Here is another video from Grizzly Adam showing the conditions from last Saturday's race.  It was pretty miserable in the morning then blue sky in the afternoon.


UTCX 8 - Wasatch County Fairgrounds from Grizzly Adam on Vimeo.

Goodbye Fall, Hello Winter

The End Is Near

Here are the top 20 overall in the UTCX Men's 45+.  I'm sitting in third, and virtually tied for second with Doctor Cross (Darrell Davis).  All I have to do is ride better next week than I did this week, and finish in front of #1823 wearing the Contender kit.  I have a plan.  I going to ride the geared bike.  Really.  I'm going to have the right mental perspective.  Really.  I'm going to finish second overall.  Really.  I've put way too much effort into this thing to be third.  Or fourth.

Falling

There is one thing I know for sure about cyclocross.  Sure, you have to be fit to win, but the mental component is so much more important than anything else.  When I got out of the car yesterday morning at Heber, I said to my race buddies, "I just don't have the motivation to do this."  It was snowing and windy, well below freezing.  My teeth chattered.  It was all I could do to get into the skin suit and layers.  It was too cold to warm up, so I didn't.  On the way to the starting line I fell.  Twice.  Really, I am not kidding.  I heard my name when they did the 45+ call up, and as I moved forward I fell in a rut.  They all laughed, but it was a sign of things to come.  At the start of the second lap, I went down again.  As I fell I stepped on my chain and it came off.  I put it back on as seven or eight people went around me.  I fell off the virtual podium.  So, I just went as hard as I could.  On the last two laps I started passing folks.  I ended up in fifth.  Not bad considering my lack of mental preparation, but it was just not my day.  If I finish third overall in the series instead of second, I have only me and my brain to blame.

Tired, cold, muddy, and completely spent, I did the singlspeed race right after the 45+ race.  I started dfl (that's dead f_ _ _ing last, in bicycle racer lingo), but picked up the pace as I went and started passing some folks.  I was "training."  When I went around my buddy, Arthur Morris, the battle was on.  For nearly two laps we went at it.  The announcers were going wild.  Through the technical twisty infield, we were over the top aggressive, riding side by side, bumping shoulders, cutting each other off on the inside turns, with both our bars touching the flagging tape on each side of the course.  This went on for nearly a whole lap.  Then, in my head, it was one to go.  I put in the big attack.  Really big.  I was 10 seconds in front of Arthur as I crossed the line and the announcers said "one to go!!"  Did I already say cyclocross was mental?  So, I kept going and Arthur slowly pulled me back.  He made a good move on the final turn and sprinted for the line.  I went outside and slid a little.  It was no use.  He beat me, but I could not get rid of the smile on my face as we crossed the line.

Hard Headed

I'm headed for Heber early in the morning.  There should be some snow on the ground and some snow falling at race time, according to the forecast.  It's going to be cold, below freezing with a stiff northwest wind.  So, the fixed cog is back on the bike.  The lock ring is tight.  I hope the forecast holds.  On snow and frozen ground, the fixed gear is not a real disadvantage.  For the first four races, I must confess, the freewheel was an advantage over the fixed cog.  It gave me a chance to coast and rest a little.  Dismounts were a little easier too.  Last Sunday I rode the geared bike for the first time.  Yes, I'll confess again.  It was faster.  I didn't say better, I just said faster.  Back to being hard headed.

My Kid

Not my kid.

Another Video From Adam

UTCX 5 - Wheeler Farm from Grizzly Adam on Vimeo.

Just Nine Little Points...

...between me and Mr. Cottle.  Yet, I've not finished in front of him head to head this year.  Yet.

Also of note, Mr. Davis has not finished in front of me this year.  Yet, he is in first place.  Yet.

Halloween Cross Weekend

It was a fun weekend of cyclocross racing in Salt Lake City.  This picture of the headless crossman chasing the alligator is much better than any I can find of me.  I had a good weekend, still trying to get over being sick.  I had to dig really deep both days.  Yesterday I finished third, a minute or more behind "McCottle." 

John McKone and Darren Cottle did not show up today.  So, riding the geared bike for the first time in this series, I stayed near the front most of the day.  The last lap turned into a dogfight with Chuck Collins and Jordan Swensen.  Jordan got stuck in the sand and I passed Chuck just after the sand.  I put everything I had into riding fast but Chuck stayed on my wheel.  Three turns before the finish he made his move and came around me.  He went down in the next turn, an off-camber-downhill-right-hander with roots.  He carried a ton speed into the turn, tapped his brakes late, and started drifting, then rolled a tire.  Right on his wheel, I barely got around on the outside, then soft pedaled to the finish for the win.

On The Road

Off to Montana
My body still infected
Loosing fitness fast

Back to the races
On Saturday and Sunday
To get back in shape

Back In Utah

We are back from Florida.  I'm on my couch looking at the colors of the changing leaves outside.  My parking receipt from the Salt Lake City Airport says we were gone for nine days, but it feels like it was only a day or two.  On the plane to Florida, as soon as I sat down the man beside me started sneezing, so I incubated a sore throat and bad cold for most of the trip.  I did two cross races anyway, just for good measure, and did one TT ride with the guys in Gainesville.  For the last two days I've had a nasty cheek-bone-pain sinus infection and have been coughing up bloody gunk from my lungs.  So, no cross race this morning.  But, I'll be back at it next weekend.  I'm not dead yet.  Here are some pictures from the lung destroying cross race on Thursday.  Yes, I was the only guy on a 30 year old 10-speed frame set up fixed gear wearing a t-shirt and sandals.  Yes, I was on the podium.  And, one place in front of me, was some fast dude named Chad Parker, number 146.

And, just to prove I went to Florida: