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:

"It's A Conundrum"

Great Video from Matt and UTCX.  I'm on at 2:19 and 8:38 if you want to skip ahead.

UTCX #3, Fort Buenaventura, 2011

Mud.  Puddles.  Mud puddles.  Deep sand by the river.  Peanut butter.  Yesterday was a fine day for a cyclocross race.  Or two, for those who like to pile it on, beat a dead horse, or kick a man when he's down.  I must be one of those.

I did the Masters 45+ race first.  After the first three turns I was in second place and there I stayed for the rest of the race.  When you are in that type of position you are truly only racing yourself.  Darren Cottle was slowly pulling away in front of me and I could hear and see Doctor Cross (Darrell Davis) and The Claw (Jeff Clawson) duking it out behind me.  Just past the middle of the race I backed off, knowing I was not going to win, and knowing I was going to finish in second place.  That's not a good place to be mentally.  With one lap to go I shook off my complacency and went hard to finish with a pretty good gap between me and Doctor Cross.

The Singlespeed race was next.  I had only a few minutes to drink some water, eat a Powerbar, make a futile attempt to clean my chain (waste of time, see pic below), and then line up at the start.  I knew I would not be racing at the front.  I was cooked, and there was a pro and some really fast dudes in the race.  Darren Cottle, who had just beaten me in the previous race, was there too.  My goal was to ride just above threshold instead of just below my max.  It made me a smoother rider.  I was better through the technical sections.  I was able to ride through the deep sand on nearly every lap.  In my previous race I had to run through the sand nearly every lap.  Where did I finish?  Right behind Cottle, just like before.

Yup

Song In My Head

	Cross Canadian Ragweed - Jenny .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Snow?

Tonight: Rain and snow. Snow level 5900 feet lowering to 5300 feet after midnight . Low around 31.

Here Comes Winter

Now it's cross season!

UTCX1 - Utah State Fairpark from Grizzly Adam on Vimeo.

Sunday's UTCX Race Picture And Report

This report is for Jimbo, because it seems I can no longer reply to comments on my own blog.  Blogger?

I think my face says it all.  I dug about as deep a hole as I've ever dug.  I may not have been the fastest man in the race, but I was absolutely the most determined.

Lap 1, Stayed near the front
Lap 2, Wanted to quit as I drifted back
Lap 3 to 5, Sucked it up and went back to the front, making up time each lap by doing a near power slide into a technical-gravel-to-sand-left-turn-downhill-off-camber-by-the-Jordon-River-back-up-off-camber-right-turn-into-gravel section
Lap 6, took the lead before the above mentioned technical section and then sprinted out of the next 6 turns for the win.

GW

It's my blog, but it's not always about me.  Here's Greg flying in New Mexico.  I just love this picture.  South Boundary Trail?  Will this trail be covered in snow on Thanksgiving Day?  We'll find out.

First Time For First

I had a pretty good weekend, especially for an old guy on a singlespeed bicycle with a herniated disc and several other ailments.  I finished third on Saturday and first on Sunday.  It was my first win ever at a UTCX event.  Notice that the two guys in front of me on Saturday (affectionately referred to by the 45+ field as "McCottle") did not race on Sunday.  I'll try to get some pictures from the races posted soon.

Just Took The Plunge

My racing buddy Tim S. explained it all to me.  I have a defective gene.  Below is a copy of my receipt:

2 x Same Day Extra Race

SKU: extrarace
Category: Singlespeed Men

1 x 8 Race Pass
SKU: 8pass
First Name: Robert
Last Name: Hamlin
Age: 46
Email: hamlinr@hotmail.com
Phone Number: 4357641990
Team: Joyride Bikes
Category: Masters 45+
Number Plate: 2 number plates

Stuff To Write About

As of today, at this moment, I plan on doing the Utah Cyclocross races this weekend.  Really.  I know, I know, I said I wasn't going to do it.  Why?  Turns out the question is reductio ad absurdum.  This guy has a pretty good (absurd) explanation:

http://grizzlyadam.net/2011/09/ode-cyclocross.html

I set up Patty and Lupine with a shuttle to do Stump Hollow yesterday.  Her are some pictures.  That's Bear Lake in the background to the left.

Pushing Lupine's bike up the Peter Sinks Road.  I think she may be a downhiller some day.  She is only happy going down hill.

My mountain bike daughter and her Bernese Mountain bike dog.

The colors are here.  Fall is here.  Cross season...is here.

On My Bike

What has the world come to?  I rode the mountain bike for nearly 3 hours today.  Yesterday I did some hot cross laps, and on Tuesday I was on the mountain bike with the fastest dude in the valley, David C.  If this keeps up I may get into race shape.  Too bad I'm nearly crippled from back pain.  Well, not really crippled, more like hobbled on occasion.

I did a long hike with Lupine and her class today.  The colors are coming, the colors are coming!

More Fun

Lupine is going to a friend's house today after school.  I did not want her bike left at school so we needed alternative transportation this morning.  Looks like her legs are finally long enough to ride the tandem.

Riding For Fun

The proof is in the pictures.  I've got the big tires and the little gear on the bike.  It's now a fun bike.



Not much clearance.

I finally took the time to finish my first trailer.  It works.  I went to Pet Smart for dog food and cat food.  This is 40 pounds of dry food and 2 pounds of free canned food.  There is a lot I need to change before production begins.

The tow arm needs a redesign.  I'm thinking galvanised conduit that is super easy to bend.  Bent aluminum is ugly.

There are things I've done right, like the hitch and the wheel/axle/dropout design.