Saturday morning Pioneer Trail bike ride...

After a bad race last week, I was more careful what I ate before I rode on my rides all week this week(I threw up a lot at the Solitude race). I rode a lot on my road bike to work and back and logged in 60 miles(3 days this week). I was able to squeeze in a hard mountain bike ride Wednesday afternoon after work and did 2 laps of the Flume Trail, in 100 degree temperature. I did feel a little dizzy after that ride but I did well. Then this morning, I wanted to do a long hard ride from my house and up Ephraim Canyon and go down the Pioneer and Flume trails. For sure I would go early in the morning when it's cool. I don't want to die of heat stroke or something. Also, I was more careful what I ate this morning because I wanted to do a full ride. When I started about 7:30, I slurped up a Power Gel and ate a half of a banana, then later in the ride I ate a Clif bar. I felt way better I was more relaxed during the climb. I took the new uphill singletrack until Major's Flat then rode up the canyon road until the Pioneer Trail turnoff. It took me an hour and 30 minutes from my house. The Endurolytes I took before and during the ride really helped me keep going(electrolyte pills). Worth taking, and kept my energy going, also slurping another Power Gel after one hour kept me crankin' up. At the top, I was really happy to make it up, it was a great climb.

Going down the Pioneer Trail today was the first time I rode it this year. I could have done it earlier in the year but I had all those races almost every weekend. Anyways, going down the Pioneer Trail, I was really amazed in the conditions, it was really packed down and smooth. I was amazed how many people went down it this year. Really great bike trail and my bridges I built about 10 years ago are still up! It was a nice trail and I am planning to do it again next week! I love the trail! Then I finished the ride on the Flume trail and I logged in 16 miles today. So I got about 29 miles of mountain biking this week.

Solitude; DNF race...

Me after throwing up...
I thought about it in the past few days after the race, this is actually my first race in my 40 race career, that I did not finish. At the first of the race, I kind of felt fine and was going all right, I was staying in 3rd place and slowly catching up the first 2 guys in my class for a while. But then after a few minutes, my stomach was so nervous that I couldn't pedal, I couldn't feel the circulation in my legs and arms. I never felt that way before, maybe before a long time ago though. But I knew something was wrong. So I barely pedaled up this steep hill climb for about a half mile, with a nervous stomach and all but it felt really weird. Then at the end of the service road, where the singletrack started, I literally stopped and felt like throwing up, like big time. So I just threw up like I had a flu or something and I was throwing up cheerios, bagel, orange juice, and water. I threw up like 5 or 6 times, like a lot I remember. All the racers that were behind me passed by and asked me if I was ok, I said, ya I'm fine. I felt better and wasn't so nervous anymore but I didn't have enough energy to finish the race, maybe just do one lap. So I decided to finish the lap(it was a two lap race) and take it easy and let everybody passed by. There was a lot of climbing left to do and so I had a fun first lap race. I enjoyed the downhill and stuff. Now that was the most worst race I ever experienced and I wish I would have felt better, I wish I know what it is why I threw up. Could be the Cheerios, because I am not used to riding with Cheerios, maybe too much orange juice because I remember I drank more orange juice than I usually do. Could be just bad food. I don't know but next time, I got to take my own food and eat the breakfast I usually eat before a ride. Not motel food.

At the bird 2010!

This race at Snowbird was an excellent race except I crashed everywhere on the singletrack but I still finished. Still I didn't good as last year, 3 minutes slower. I was expecting a better time than last year but I guess it didn't turn out good. I was just going all over the place and I needed more practice on that same course, it was pretty technical.

I decided to do the Clydesdale class on this and planning on it for the rest of the season, you have to be 220 pounds in this class and I am barely 220 pounds. This class usually goes about 3-4 more miles than the beginner and there are some pretty strong riders in this class.

I had a good start and held in 3rd place during the whole first lap then I wrecked and just didn't have it anymore so 2 other guys in my class passed me on the 2nd lap. I ended up in 5th place out of six. I would have felt better if I got 3rd though, I kept thinking in the last few days, "maybe I should have pushed harder, I would have stayed in 3rd", but I guess I also got thinking that I should still feel good about myself and give myself a pat on the back for finishing the race and had a blast doing it.

Deer Valley Pedalfest video..

Video for 2010 Deer Valley Pedalfest. You can see me standing there behind Brandon Smith wearing Mad Dog jersey looking like an idiot. Crazy race that night and a lot of Europeans. I heard that they were here in Utah for a Cannondale Factory Race Team meeting so that's why they raced at a local race like this one. Anyways, good video. Windy, cold, and rainy!