A Tribute to the Crew

Just below the peak....on our way there.

 On our way......

It has been 45 years to the day that our crew of misfits and eccentrics were let loose onto the "big blue marble". The world was said to be our "oyster" - and I hate seafood. Nonetheless, off we went -wherever the road would take us. I know there were a few that had a plan and a few of them actually executed that plan. There were others that followed "the template" and met expectations. And then, there were the rest of us (probably most of us) that just made it up as we went along. For some reason we all walked out of the building in the comfortably warm evening at the Browning Center, believing we had accomplished something in our lives up to that point. Hats off to those who really did land prestigious appointments, or scholarships. Let's face it, I hadn't any idea until years later, what an accomplishment that actually was for them. The fact the some of our peers actually had it put together well enough as struggling teenagers to do something like that is remarkable. Approaching nearly five decades of dirt, luck, bruises, scar-tissue and eventually some level of success - it has been a fascinating trip indeed. 

From a ride to the peak about ten-year ago. It never gets old.

Not looking back, but remembering the important stuff

Living in the past is stupid - like dangerous stupid. Still, learning from our past is how we survive the future. Learning what will kill you and how to avoid it is a survival skill baked into our DNA. We develop a little muscle memory along the way - call it reflex, but it's something that keeps us from making the same mistake more than ... a few times. I am amazed at how often we do forget what was once important to us in our younger years and worse yet, how often we have been willing to throw away things we always considered to be of value. Sure, we change, but at what cost and end result? We think we know so much more as adults. After all, we have years of experience and hardship to show for it - right? But wait, we thought that same thing when we walked out of that building 45 years ago. To think we have all the answers now may not be as misguided as we were all those years ago, but we still don't have a corner on the market of absolute knowledge. Not being able to see over the horizon was always a bit uneasy, but given the advantage of age, there is less over the horizon than there was all those years ago. So, knowing that..... when you look back behind you and draw the continuous line through history and project it out forward, are you content with where the resulting path takes you? It's too easy to accept fate as something we can't change - we've done it all our lives to some degree anyway. Truth is, we are better and more capable today than we ever have been. It is a function of how well we have learned from our past and can project into the future. 

Humility and all the trappings of learning about life

Perhaps the single most significant difference between now and 45 years ago would be the value of humility. Lets face it; at 18 years old, pretty much everyone feels invincible and has no idea what is out there that can really eat you. Getting knocked down isn't a big deal, as you could bounce back like a jack-rabbit. As you developed a career, perhaps obtained an education, it became apparent that setbacks are a daily part of life. At first you think it may be other people's bad luck and not your own. Soon it settles in, life can be hard - get over it. Sometimes life can be unfair - get over that as well. In the past 10 years we have lost far too many of our friends that walked across that stage 45 years ago. To that we can all agree; life is truly unfair and uncertain. As we absorb that humility, there is more of a sweetness to life and far less apprehension. The adults we used to seek out as "safe harbors" from life's storms - well they are all mostly gone. That leaves us to fill that void, that role - call it what you will. We are better for having been through all of our struggles - personal and otherwise. Maybe those struggles are still every bit as big as they were all those many years ago, but somehow we have all become our own versions of "Jack Arnold".

I wouldn't trade it for the world

Anyone who says they would do it all over exactly the same way (given the chance), is either a liar, or a fool. Fair enough. However, I wouldn't have traded my experiences getting to that day 45 years ago, for anything. Nor would I have substituted those with whom the adventure was shared. Time tends to mellow a lot of the sourness of life. At the same time, we tend to selectively remember things the way we want them to be in our own minds. The awkwardness of trying to figure out who we were is lost to the memories of time spent with our crew. That evening at "Big Buns". Long bus rides home from away games, or meets. Sluffing class to go skiing or to simply fly kites at the park. Gone are the memories of insecurity and the nervousness of being asked to dance by someone you really didn't know - but may have secretly thought was totally hot. The endless hours of practice and workouts, with sweat burning your eyes. Getting the crap kicked out of you at practice and showing up the next day like it never happened in the first place. All stored in back where it belongs. Remembering with fondness the cheerleaders all out on the of the road at the top of Sardine Canyon, doing their thing on our way to a rare Saturday game - we felt like Vikings! Gone is the sting of having lost a fellow Scot and friend only less than one week prior to that graduation day. Ingrained in my heart is the Baccalaureate service only a few days later, with a prayer by our class president - on the heels of that loss, as well as having to deal with potential litigation that threatened our very graduation (Andy was a stud and was made for that very moment in time). And finally, when it was all over, outside in that warm and very comfortable outdoor setting, running into each other knowing there was nothing holding us together anymore. Some things did not have to be said. The firm embrace....hell, the warm and overdue hugs - everything was conveyed without saying a single word. Some relationships were nearly a lifetime at that point, whereas others only three short years - in the end we are bound by that of which we together endured and conquered.  I personally can't imagine it any other way.

Cheers

To you all - and I hope you all do get this message, life is short. Make the most of every single moment. Take nothing for granted. Be the hero you have always been meant to be. We have lost far too many and that will only continue at a faster rate. Live your individual lives looking forward - always. Be proud of what we all are, but don't be prideful. In those quiet moments alone, take inventory of what matters most. Age may have crept up, but we are far from done. Be strong and determined through the finish line - as you really never know where it may be. Perhaps someday we'll look back on this all and laugh at ourselves. Until then, laugh anyway. It's been one helluva ride and we were all darn lucky to have had each other to get us started. Cheers to you all!

Click Here for "Baba O'Riley" The Who

Ride HARD!

Squeezing in the effort

 Making Things Work...when they otherwise won't.

What the view will be in only a few more weeks....

Time commitments being what they are, it is often difficult to get the miles in as one may otherwise desire. This past week was certainly the situation, with it culminating today - being out and about taking care of personal business. It seemed everywhere I went, there were road cyclists out doing what I desperately need to be doing myself. As the day dragged on, time slipped away - making it nearly impossible to get out on any kind of a ride. I did say nearly. As quickly as I could get everything put away from the day, I threw it all together and did a serious session of "pass/fail" hill intervals. Funny, when I perceive my back is against the wall, I tend to put out considerably more effort - and tonight was exactly that. The net result being impressive was one thing, but more so I pushed limits that I had been short of doing these same intervals. Taking quality above quantity can be productive.

Your Brand

Recently I have been reflecting back on how I have managed to land exactly where I am in this world. Along with that, I have stopped to notice what really sets some people apart. Back in the college days, we were taught that our "education" would be what defines us above others in our field. I learned very quickly that GPA contributed to getting in the door of your first job - maybe grad school. Truth is, you can waive the colors of your alma mater, but that really doesn't define you in the end. It is kind of funny how I notice more people wearing the swag of a particular school that they never have attended - call it "fandom". Truth is, you make your own brand over time - whatever it may be. You cannot run from the truth, it always catches up. Whether through relationships or reputation, given enough time your brand is made. so what is your brand anyway? Does it even matter at this point? The particular place I have landed is rather non-traditional - admittedly. When I look back at the various "forks" I have taken, I'd say luck has been on my side more often than not. But than again, I'm reminded of what Gene Simons has said in countless interviews (not that I'm a big fan, but you can't argue with success). People have said they were lucky. He would reply that he agreed. He would also go onto say he found the harder he worked, the luckier he became. In spite of my own bad decisions, I have somehow managed.

Going back 51 years

In 1975 I was doing my first paper route. They bent the rules for me as the company was desperate. They gave me that route when I was only 11 years old. Sure, I had to walk almost two miles to my first house, but hey - I was making it on my own (or so I thought). Truth is, Sunday mornings were hell in those winter months. Cold and dark. My dad helped me during those winter months, which made all the difference in the world. I played a ton of baseball that summer and was my last two years playing hockey. I learned to save money and put off buying stupid things for those that mattered more. After a few months I bought my own NEW baseball mitt. I saved up for my first shotgun - a used Mossberg 500A. About every other month I would buy a new vinyl album. One of those was "Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player" - Elton John. It was a couple years old by then, but was available as "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" was simply hard to find. It (Don't Shoot me) was a good album, but it was a bit too sophisticated for my undeveloped gray matter. 51 years ago to this very day, "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" was released. My album hording buddy bought it - if only for the album art. Talk about sophisticated for my mind - what was he even talking about with some of those lyrics. Its debut at #1 was the result of the momentum and inertia of "Yellow Brick Road". I threw that on this evening while doing hills. I can still remember the first time I heard some of those songs. I takes me back to those very long walks delivering papers on that first route. That year set the stage for things to come....

Click here for "Capt. Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy"

Ride HARD!

Milestones

 The importance of learning to finish

It can be assumed that training is generally about doing hard things - whatever they may be. Perhaps one of my weaknesses is developing a habit to finish. There have been some years that I'll do some long and enduring rides, only to call for a bailout from the last hour of riding. Too often it will be as simple as bailing on the final 4 - 5 miles. I'm pretty good at making those excuses to cover for it as well. The fact is, riding right out of my house for almost any ride is an ideal situation. A typical road ride drops almost 500 feet in elevation in that first four-plus miles. I have options to jump into some pretty good short duration climbs in the initial 20 minutes or so, that allow my heartrate to jump up before heading out on the course across the valley. Other days I can simply spin my way all the way out and back, or take it into a solid hour of climbing to Snow Basin. Regardless of what the ride is, I always have to recover that initial 500 feet of elevation back home. It gets progressively harder the closer to home I get, with a steep little section less than a half-mile from my driveway. There have been years that I would add a little more climbing by going up and around - driving it home even more. The point is; you have to learn how to finish. Going through the motions will get you nothing in this life - and that includes mailing in the finish.

It is also important to set yourself up for success. Being overly ambitious is not helpful, nor is taking the easy path. Yesterday's ride on the hardtail was just that - not overly ambitious, but geared toward one key metric: FINISHING! As weak as that sounds, it is about conditioning oneself to push through the end of whatever IT may be. Once finishing has been established as "non-negotiable" then you can stretch the effort more along the way. Save the bailout calls for when it really matters - not as a matter of convenience. Lets face it, not finishing is watered down quitting at best. But it is still quitting. That is not building on success.

The Left Sleeve of the 2020 Jersey.

Taking too much for granted

One of my riding buddies, kind of my barometer from the past, has been sidelined with an ailment that has kept him off the bike. This is a guy that would be stacking 300 miles a week by mid summer, with a solid showing at LOTOJA every year. The point to all of this is very simple - you never know when things will stack against you, keeping you from doing those things too often taken for granted. I suppose my situation is somewhat like that, albeit I can still ride. I just don't know that I have the confidence my ticker is going to allow me to continue somedays. I'm being more cautious about things I believe my trigger the issue, but I'm certainly not making the most of these opportunities - admittedly. I suppose at some point we tend to lie to ourselves, telling us how we would never take things for granted - but we still do. 2020 was a terrible year for riding. That same buddy and I went out to pickup our packets together that year. It was very strange indeed. We shared a support crew for most of the race that year, with me starting 12-minutes before him in my group. Once we were on our bikes, it was like that year never happened. Conditions were near perfect and was a welcome reprieve from the previous 5 months. That was also the year we had to traverse down a dirt road and across a wooden bridge about 22-miles from the finish. Man, that was a great year. Now I'm totally on my own and having to make it up as I go along. Talking to my buddy, he reminds me of how not to take things for granted - as he would give his eye-teeth to be riding anything this year. But somehow, I seem to miss the message. Call it laziness on my part.

Katies motivation

Katie is one of only a few that I will follow occasionally, as I'm impressed with her story and transition. She does have some legit advice from time to time. Watching her most recent post, she talked about reserving interval training for the indoor sessions - beating herself to failure, whereas she doesn't have to save some in the tank to get home. You know....she's right. Blowing up on a ride always leads to a struggle getting home - if not calling for a bailout. Blowing up on an indoor trainer, or spin bike - well, you are already home and can push those limits to their fullest. Doing hills does this for me as well, as I don't have to ride any distance to get back home. What it boils down to is my motivation - and that is lacking. I guess I shouldn't say she motivated me, but she sure did get me thinking about my methods. Katie is a stud - because she just is. Look up her YouTube stuff and see for yourself.

Lets hope for a solid couple days going into the weekend.

Click here for "Thunder Island" Jay Ferguson

Ride HARD!

Slow progress - but still it's progress.

Ideal trail conditions

 Time on the old reliable

I really didn't think I'd be riding the full suspension bike until well into the season - like perhaps autumn. But the past few rides have been a solid reminder of what it is I love to do. That bike is getting a bit old, but still a great machine. Truly more a trail bike than a cross country bike, but very comfortable to ride. In the day, a pretty solid - middle of the road outfit, that would take me pretty much anywhere I'd want to go. Sure, I have a crash or two on her, but aside from a broken ankle eight years ago - we've gotten along pretty well. I'm currently running some pretty heavy tread on my best wheelset - creating some serious drag, but excellent grip on the trail. I'm too old to bomb the descents, but still enjoy the fast flowing run from the top. Frankly, I don't know why I'm not doing it more often.

You can't buy this in a bottle

Overcoming the things that draw me backward

Being self employed comes with it's own challenges - different than going into the office every day. I mean, I did that for the better part of four decades before I finally decided to tell "the man" to go and piss up a rope (that requires significant surface tension). Having been with the same organization for well over 30 years, I wasn't prepared to accept that it had become my identity. Look, I did it on my own terms and am glad I finally bailed, but I didn't really expect the part which seemed to be missing every morning after that. Never mind the fact that I have been very busy since the day I left to go out on my own, but somehow it felt like a part of me had been taken away. Here I am some forty-four months later and have proven my own identity. There are still those days, somewhat reminiscent of 2020, when things just didn't seem exactly right. Those situations can result in a loss of several days progress - even creating a setback of sorts. Almost like clockwork, I get a stray and unexpected message from an old friend that seems to land with incredible timing. Other times.....its' just a matter of hearing a track that takes me back to a place that is wholly specific to that one moment - and I find myself smiling. I'm fortunate to have the fledgling little business that I do - and darn grateful for the clientele. There are no guarantees, and there are times it can be a bit stressful - but to have the ability to pull yourself along everyday is truly a blessing. I'll take the challenges - as long as those occasional messages continue to roll in at the right moments.

 "461Ocean Blvd"

Funny how somethings get better with age. It was at this very time of year,  fifty-two years ago Clapton connected with Tom Dowd to create the comeback masterpiece "461 Ocean Blvd". Eric had basically been holed-up in his estate for nearly three straight years - mainly following Duane's untimely death. Prior to that he had one helluva run with a number of different collaborations - including Duane (Derrick and the Dominoes). There was the mystical image of an unidentified graffiti-artist having painted "Clapton is God" that seemed ominous. Through those years he played a mix of Les Paul's, SG's and even an occasional 335. When he hooked up with Duane, he ran across a bunch of vintage Strat's that led him to build what eventually became "Blackie" - a mix of a '56 & '57 Strat with hand picked single coil pickups. That became the iconic sound he produced with "461". Of course "461" was a serious departure from his heavier work prior to his sabbatical - featuring a lot of acoustic and even a lap-steel guitar. It was recorded during April-May of 1974 - rolled out at the record stores in July of that same year. Needless to say, it caught a lot of traction. Some may say it was a tectonic shift in the industry. When you look at the other stuff that was released that same year, as well as the two years before - I think it can be a qualified trend setter for sure - leading to '75 that exploded with countless rivals. To this day "461" just seems to go down smooth regardless of the occasion.

Click here for "Please be with me" Yvonne with the beautiful harmonies.

Ride HARD!

In the dirt - Finally!

Atop Mules Ear

 Familiar territory

Living close enough to great dirt riding, that I can do it right out of my driveway, certainly has its advantages. The first single-track was cut around twenty-years ago. The trails were very limited and archaic by todays standards. Very few mountain bikers would ride what was there, as it was rough in many places, with a ton of overgrowth. There were probably more trail runners on average than cyclists, mixed in with even more horses. It was pretty quiet even on the busiest evenings. On rare occasions you may run across someone - that you most certainly would always know. It was rather quaint. About seven years ago they (whoever they are) hosted a race series up there - mainly on the original Mules Ear. This was in conjunction with more trail building - but on a still smaller scale. And then of course....COVID. That year from the first weekend the park opened until about the time school started back up, the place was "choked" with campers. Add to this the stimulus money flow that put tremendous pressure on the mountain bike market and....well, the place has never been the same. Sure, it has brought a ton of attention to the area, but they (again, whoever they are) have developed a lot of new trails, while improving some of the original stuff. I have learned to take the good with the not so good. The past couple years I haven't taken advantage of the close proximity, making excuses all along. A couple nights ago I just had the urge to pull down the full suspension bike and take it out for a run. As painful as it was, I felt surprisingly good about getting on the dirt again. Tonight I made a couple minor adjustments on the bike, that really needs a full service, took it up and pushed myself to the overlook area. Given the relative levels I have to push, there is no reason I shouldn't be doing this several nights each week. I suppose I tend to take things like this for granted too often.

Looking across Ogden Valley on the way down from the top.

What riding in the dirt does for the bigger picture

My best years have always been associated with a ton of dirt riding. The route I took tonight is notorious for being more like extended interval training than anything resembling a casual ride. Generally I can get a solid twenty-minutes warming up before I have to "gas it". There are a few technical spots in the first thirty-minutes that also require a little attention. By the time I hit the base of the main section (Mules Ear), I've already peaked heart rate a couple times and am settling in for a lengthy session of grinding. Throughout this first hour or so, I will be in Zone-4 a lot. When my leg strength improves, there are places I will punch into Zone-5 briefly. Generally splitting a balance between Zones 3&4 evenly. Of course the ride down is Zone-2 pretty much all the way home. So.....for now, I'm getting a harder workout riding in the dirt - on this particular course anyway. At some point, I will have to master this particular ride from start to finish. This will also have to include morning sessions that will be multiple loops consuming at least three-hours. When the road season is finally over, the autumn leaves will be falling - and that is when the best riding in this park really is. Having mastered this particular course makes the casual rides through all of the park a special experience. Call it an investment.

Stick around. More to come......

Ride, Ride, Ride.

Click here for "Let it Ride" BTO

Ride HARD!

Getting past the head games

Feeling it

I did an impromptu tempo ride Friday - because I could. The stats weren't overly impressive, but it was a consistent push for nearly 3-hours solid. Believe it or not, the boredom threshold is only about 20-minutes at the moment - meaning I really have to want to be out on my bike. Frankly the boredom really has a lot to do with success these days. That and having the daily thing that is life taking the wind out of your sails quickly. There are four basic levels that have to be met for success - all in time increments. 75 - 90 minute interval (mainly hills), 3-hour consistent tempo (near race pace), 5-hour century (100-miles) and the 6-8 hour plus endurance (typically Monte, or East Canyon). With all of that, you really have to be in the mood to be on the bike, as well as concentrating on the key points and milestones. If you don't feel it - go do something else productive and don't waste the resources.

The things you see along the way....

Things have not gone according to plan the past few days and it shows. Measurables are pretty stationary at the moment, as the input method has kind of sputtered-out.  Several distractions between work and home commitments are taking the toll. If character is what we do while alone - well, my character is certainly floundering. The need for inspiration has probably never been greater - and this is the time of year it is supposed to be easy. Probably needing to reinvent the input method - or maybe just lie to myself. One thing for sure, you can't by it - whatever it is. A precious commodity if you can find it.

Southern Hemisphere

In my previous life I was working on projects in South America - for several years. I'm guessing there had to be 24-25 trips to Brazil (Brasil) over the course of only a few years. Somehow I still managed to train with all that travel. Those trips were all business - typically 112 - 115 hours each week. Very early mornings, very light nights - all work and no leisure. So many evenings heading back to the hotel around midnight, driving through the darkness of cities and industrial areas - I never could see the stars of the Southern Hemisphere. I guess I had always figured there would be more trips, but I always packed them with a busy schedule. Through all of those visits, I saw three or four different hotels, a hand full of restaurants, a couple grocery stores and the same 145 miles of highway between the airport and the jobsite. I let that opportunity slip by without truly seeing the beauty that was literally all around me. Man.....if I had a dime for every time I've done that very thing.

Sometimes you don't realize what you've had until it is no longer there.  Speaking of that, this album speaks directly to the previous paragraph. For such a brief period, it sure brings back some special memories. Take it all in while you can - because you can.

From the Portland Rose Garden, 1982.....

Click here for "Southern Cross" 

Ride HARD!

Grit! - Just doing it....

Signs of the season.....

 Modified Tempo Rides

The roads and trails across the Valley are as bad as I've seen them for this time of year. Considering how mild and warm the winter was, I'd expect the conditions to be far better. There has been so much utility construction over the mild winter, everything is all chopped up. The normal early season tempo ride would generally consist of a lot of highway miles, with several backroads along the way. This still is a pretty fast pace - even early on in the season.  The conditions are definitely not suitable for the road bike, but very well for the hardtail. I've learned the lesson about trying to add too much climbing into the tempo ride so early. It turns into more of an endurance ride - which can come a bit later. Tonight was nearly 3-hours of cold and getting colder, continuous grinding. The stats aren't ideal, but better than what I had only a few days ago. I do manage to get a few miles of dirt on this particular course, with my return speed on that stretch pushing a pretty solid race-pace. I wouldn't say I bonked, but I could feel a difference right around the 2-hour mark. Part of this is likely due to a couple minor adjustments in cleat and saddle positions that are needed. Weather permitting, I'll try this again within the next 5-days.

This sign is only at MP22 - you get the picture.

Where does desire meet success?

Seeing the signs over on SR39 this evening really makes me yearn for those days going up and over the top. The snow gate on the west side is only 15 miles up the road from this sign. MP44 - well that math is pretty simple. The camp ground is just under 26-miles, with the snow gate on the east side just shy of 34-miles. I could go on about all the landmarks and mileposts, but that is a series of memories from many years of riding this road - all the way to Woodruff and back. Some of those have been very long days that spanned from complete heat exhaustion to freezing, trying to outrun torrential summer storms. As much as it costs physically (and emotionally), I need that experience to drive my success - however I may measure it. There are days when it seems like an eternity trying to get past each landmark. There are also days when my soul finds peace with being up there - and away from everything else. I never ride it with anyone else and have a lot of time to sort through things in my head. Sometimes I solve engineering problems in my head - which has been very fruitful on some stressful projects. Other times I contemplate relationships - both personal and professional. There is no cell service most of the way after you get past Atoka on the west side and the end of the powerlines on the east side. I often see a lot of wildlife along the way - making it special in it's own right. Most every time going over and back, I think about how I would write about that particular adventure. So many times it sounds like "And to think that I saw it on Mulberry Street", but by the time I get home it is all boiled down to the "horse and cart". When all is said and done, success isn't measured out in standard units, but rather the satisfaction of overcoming the thing that always pushes back.

Recovery with Intervals

Tomorrow will be an indoor spin session early, focusing on cadence. Hopefully being in the office all day, I can also get a couple sessions of spring and balance work. The next day will be early intervals with hills in the evening - weather permitting. I also need to work on the bike - both doing maintenance and upgrades. I'm also thinking about tearing into the road bike and completely redoing all the cables and guides. The key is to stay diligent without causing damage - plenty of rest. The diet side of things is doing better. Rides shorter than 3-hours don't require much in the way of fueling, but more on the hydration side of things. Keeping things clean - or at least cleaner than before. A ton of protein and some "good" fats. Creatine is only at about 10-12 grams daily, which seems to agree with my system. At the moment its not about total miles, but weekly hours and relative intensity. Maintaining 9 - 12 hours per week with moderate intensity seems to be a good combination for now. Mixing it up - even better.

Click here for "Sad ol' Love Song"

Ride HARD!