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!

Snowbasin bike ride...

12 foot man made snowbanks, kind of like cheating though

I thought I'd go on a ride since I am not working this week and decided to go up to Ogden area at some sibling's places. I headed up to Snowbasin Resort to go ride on the XC trails. There will be an ICUP race at the end of July on the same trails I rode. During the previous years going up there, I usually did the course the wrong way(harder way) compared they would do at the race. It will be the first annual race at Snowbasin for ICUP but there has been midweek race series in the last while. The "right way" is easier(Green Pond and Last Chance Loops). Still climb up the top but going up the right way is an easier grade and a lot longer. On this one, I climbed up the whole way on my middle chain ring, shifting in the cassette a lot though. There were short burst of climbs then it levels out for a while so I like this way better. The backwards way(climbing up Needles Trail) is granny gearing the whole way up without breaks. There were lot's of rocky sections in the ride and this will be great for the race, because most races are not that technical. This will be a good one and hopefully I will go to this one.

There are four more ICUP races this year and I am hopefully going to do them all. I didn't go to last weekend's in Jackson Hole and I just heard that they are not going to have it next year. I am glad because it is too far! Also too expensive! I'll stick with Utah races.

Always check your bike first after a crash, then check for broken bones...

This morning I went for a great bike ride up at the canyon and I started riding up at 7:45 in the morning to get away from the crowds and traffic because of Manti pageant weekend. Most people camp up there during pageant time. It was great, about 60 degrees when I started except I didn't really have the legs today. I started out strong at the first 1/3 of the climb up then after I did the singletrack climb and got on the gravel road, I kind of took it easy but still made it in time. I made it to Lake Hill in 1 hour and 28 minutes from the house and at Lake Hill, it was a nightmare, PEOPLE EVERYWHERE! I thought I could just ride through fast to get to the Lake Hill trailhead. I thought about going down the Pioneer Trail but I couldn't do it really after a bad incident when I heard a bunch of scouts went down it last Tuesday night and one of scouts broke his leg and had surgery on it and everything. That explains why one of the kids was all really freaked out and going really slow down the canyon road and didn't wave back when I waved at him(I was riding my bike up). Anyways I decided to go down the Lake Hill Trail, Willow Creek, Maple Syrup, and Flume trails. It was a blast, a lot of logs across the Lake Hill Trail but the trail was really packed down. While going down the Maple Syrup, I somehow got my front tire caught on a root and twisted my handlebars, then kind of endoed but I managed to get hold of a tree to keep me from going down all the way, my feet were still on the ground(I wasn't going fast at all) and my leg was caught between the handlebars and frame. I was caught for a while, while my back wheel was in the air, I couldn't get my leg out but I finally did when I backed off a little bit, my leg was in a lot pain though. But I did hear a creak on the frame when it happened. So I checked my frame and bike parts, then I checked my leg. Always check the bike first! So that's what I did and that's the way to go. I did put my handlebars back in place with an allen wrench and rode home. My leg does hurt a little bit though. But it was a great ride this morning and perfect weather.

Sherwood Hills Race

This race was held in Wellsville Canyon at the Sherwood Hills Resort, close to Logan. I was certainly excited about how good the weather was and looking forward to a fun race in good weather finally. It wasn't my best race but I thought I did ok. I wrecked twice and the 2nd one was a nasty spill. In the first lap, on my first wreck, I just tumbled around a corner but it wasn't a bad wreck at all, just a little one. So I got on my bike again and kept going. On the second lap, there was a sharp corner with a little drop and at the bottom of the drop/corner, there were three spectators clapping their hands and stuff. I was looking at them then because of the bumpy trail, I couldn't watch the people and ride at the same time so I lost grip on my right grip of the handlebars and kind of leaned forward because there was nowhere my right hand could go. So I endoed at the spectators and I made them run out of the way. It was really funny. I was ok but I had a hard time to get going again, my chain was out of place and it took me a while to get back in place again. One the guys helped me out a little bit and said, "keep going, you're in 3rd place". Since it was so hard to keep riding hard after a wreck, I did my best to not wreck again.

The course is very snaky and windy with a bunch of trees all over the place, it reminded me of the east coast riding. I thought it was very fun and very unique. It wasn't so bad because the climbs were very short and I just sat back on my bike seat and enjoyed the nice weather. I didn't really push that hard like I usually do because I couldn't see anybody behind me the whole way. There really wasn't anybody in front of me either and this guy was way ahead of me so it was like one of my alone bike rides. After the race, I kept thinking, I should have pushed harder just to get a better time but all well, I still finished 3rd with all the wrecks and everything. I looked at last year's time and this year I finished 2 minutes faster, now that's progress. I could have done better though, maybe 4 minutes faster, if I didn't wreck and all.

Deer Valley Pedalfest

Because of the rain last Saturday, the race was held on the Wednesday night after. I got to tell you, having a race at night is way different. It's just weird that's all. The bad thing about having a race at night was that they made the race shorter but they had my class the same, thank goodness. I never did this race last year when I started racing again so I really wanted to do this one. This course was probably my favorite course out all 13 races held all year. The climbs are great and the downhills are a real treat. The weather wasn't decent though but after 10 minutes getting into the race(in a canyon) has gotten a lot better, no wind or rain, and because of the working on the bike by getting the body temperature up, wasn't so bad. At the start line, the cold air blew hard with a few sprinkles, then after climbing on that service road, everything got perfect, especially into the forest, it just got real nice and quiet.

Starting the race is the hardest part because it started with a hard granny gearing service road climb for like a mile, after that everything else wasn't so bad, actually I thought it was great. I just had to climb that brutal climb for a fun downhill on the Pipeline Trail down towards Deer Crest. I used to climb up the Pipeline Trail a lot when I was living in Provo, but not going down it, I think going down it is funner. At the bottom of the canyon, we all made a u-turn and climbed up a longer climb along the Gap Trail. This climb wasn't so bad because it's not as steep and I was mostly in my middle chainring. It was all switchbacks though, and that made it a lot funner. I did pass a lot other racers and did a lot better. On the that first climb at the start, I got sick, it felt like that all my blood was towards the stomach, not out on my legs, or arms, or where ever but on the Gap Trail climb, I felt a lot better and went faster. I felt pretty good mostly after that. Then at the end was a short downhill towards the finish line. I finished third, I felt really good about myself and was satisfied how I finished because I felt like I worked a lot harder than the other races. I even finished 4 minutes behind the first guy and that's the best I ever did.

The people there, eh, not as many as other races, but in the Pro class, there were a lot. Because there were riders from Italy, Germany, Belgium, and Virginia. They were all on the same team though(Cannondale Factory Team). The Virginia guy is somebody I heard of, he goes to worlds and stuff, actually they all do. All the ones from other countries beat Alex Grant by one minute. Alex Grant is from around here and races with Lance Armstrong at the Leadville 100. I keep wondering what in the heck are these guys doing here at a local race like this one? Well, it is a good course and it's 'Park City' I guess.

This course is my favorite course, hands down. For sure I will do this again next year!