Slow Going

Still, no road miles......

A combination of weather, road traffic, and schedule have made it hard to get back on the road bike. Mixing it up on the mountain bike is making for some pretty good cardio, with a little leg strength, but I need to get used to the road saddle.  Normally by this time of an average year, I can manage a 42-mile loop without having to stop.  Endurance is one thing, but there is always a little "learning curve" when overcoming posture fatigue.  It'll come.

The training schedule will definitely be different this year as Trappers Loop will be under construction all summer.  This will mean limited rides to East Canyon and Morgan, but worst of all, my regular late season rides to Snow Basin will likely get cut back.  Generally, by about August, I can do a quick 50-something mile with a few thousand feet of climbing - all before going to work.  I'll figure something out.

Speaking of work, that place is really starting to get to me.  After a long day at the office today, I really couldn't muster the interest in another dirt ride.  After all, I seem to be losing ground.  It was too windy with a chance of rain, to consider a road ride.  After having my tail kicked at the office today (again), I decided I needed a little break.  Being ups since 03:00 didn't help much either.  A good hour on the spin bike was suitable for the occasion.  I did a little routine this morning as well, but nothing too hard.  Tonight was basically speed intervals.  I've been asked what I listen to when riding the spin bike.  It all depends; if you need a way fast cadence - MotorHead.  If you need a super fast cadence - throw in a little "Girl School" with MotorHead.  Truth is, I can only take so much MotorHead (sorry Lemmy).  Generally, I just leave it on shuffle and take what comes along.  Spinning is spinning.

Way back, I used to spend my evenings over at the football field, kicking a bag of footballs.  I'd then do a pretty intense stair workout.  By the time I'd walk home, it would be dark.  I'd be so worked up from the intense stair workout, I often couldn't sleep for hours.  Back in the day when FM radio was the "thing" I'd catch a station that didn't have any commercials and would play the deepest tracks. There for hours, or so it seems, listening to the very low volume, crystal clear signal, that seemed to be from somewhere far away.  You could listen for weeks on end and never hear the same thing twice.  Funny; as complicated as things seemed to be at that time, they were truly simple times.  There is this one number by Peter Green (before he lost it) that was almost haunting.  Funny thing, it was never cut in multi-track, which made it even more mysterious - in a way.

Click and listen to the entire Part one and two.....

 Ride HARD!

Progress

More trail riding................

Usually, by now, I've been stacking 40+ mile road-rides.  Weather and other factors are not working in my favor.  So...........more dirt riding.  That said, the trails are pretty good and getting a pretty good workout, albeit kind of short.  What I miss on time, I try to make up on the spin bike with regular interval sessions.  That with some other conditioning sessions seem to be helping.  The key is that every minute has to count.  Using the Garmin keeps it honest.  What I lack in time can be made up in intensity.

The flipper feels better some days than others.  Finally able to stand and pedal, but can't really sprint - yet.

Took a look at some Youtube stuff from 2018 True Grit.  Kind of a bummer, but looking at the terrain, I could have easily crashed much worse there than where I did.  Small consolation.  Still, it made me pretty anxious to do it next year.  That with other little things, here and there, seems to get me going - but I've got a long way to go.

The campaign should kick-off in earnest this week.  Just waiting for a few things from the printers and then.....................

Here's a little something I ran across a while ago. Click to enjoy a little IZ - RIP Bro............

Pain is temporary.  Ride HARD!

Familiar Dirt

Mules Ear

Home early enough to get a quick ride up and over Mules Ear. Not a bad little tune up ride under normal conditions.  Not nearly as technical as the stuff I was riding in January and February, but a pretty good burn.  1006 feet of climbing, enough to get the heart rate up for a while.  A little slower than I'd expect, but then again, I'm not anywhere near 100%.

The trail is in pretty good shape considering how much rain we've had lately.  Still, the run-off is pretty low - like way dry.  No bueno!  I think I need to knock about 10 minutes off this one before I can feel comfortable.  Maybe a couple more weeks.

Still haven't been on the road bike this year.  We'll see what the next few days bring.

BTW - Thanks to the totally awesome VB for the muy generous donation.  A dang good guy and the best engineer I know.

Click on this one: Clear as the Driven Snow - The Brothers!

Ride HARD!

Return to the scene of the Crime

Not the Best of ideas

Saturday afternoon I had a little spare time, so I thought I'd try to get a ride in between rain showers.  I started by just getting the mountain bike back to the dirt and before you'd know it, I'm climbing up the single track at the south side, near the north side of Ogden Canyon.  Admittedly, this wasn't the best of my recent ideas.  The trail is generally quite confined with little room for error.  Still, I needed to start somewhere.

I was being careful, as I know this trail fairly well.  This particular part I've not seen for about ten weeks.  I stopped at the little spots that would be technical and walked through, which turns out wasn't smart.  I soon realized how easy I could damage my ankle again - even while walking.  After getting through the less technical side, I took more risk by going into a far more difficult section.  About halfway through, I decided to take the first trail down, which was also pretty steep.  What started off with a "charge" quickly turned into "I'll sit this one out".

All the stopping and walking gave me a chance to take in the vistas that I used to take for granted.  Plenty of indications the Rattler's have been out.  A couple more weeks of warm to hot weather and there will be enough snakes on the trail to make it not worthwhile.  Play it by ear for now.  Colder weather at the moment is a great time to go wander these trails.  Pretty spectacular.

Easy riding back to the base, I'm quickly realizing how little confidence I have in the dirt (and rocks).  Maybe next week will be a good time to get on the road.

I've developed a pattern of starting out fast and hard and slowing way down.  It's kind of like a Robin Trower piece - up-tempo and hard, slow and deliberate to the end.

Try a little Trower from a long time ago. A stitch in time.......I think I'll sit this one out.

Patience!  Ride HARD

First Post 2018

Year of the "Bent Flipper"........

Did somebody say something about April?  Okay, so I'm a little behind schedule, but some things are unpredictable - or maybe unforeseeable.  Well........... let's be honest, there are two types of bike riders; those that have crashed and those that will.  Maybe it was simply inevitable, but still - here we are anyway.

The reason I waited so long to post was simply to get back on a bike - any bike, before I officially started the season.  Before the crash, I had a pile of hours riding the foothills on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail.  That ended eight weeks ago, so I'm pretty much starting over.  I've been spinning for the past three-plus weeks, but only with marginal results.  The ride tonight was just a little scoot with the new mountain bike.  Enough time to know where my limits will be, so no hard single track for the next few weeks - at least.  Back on the spin bike tonight, I did have a little better attitude.

I'm really looking forward to this year, as I think we have a solid plan.  I'd be lying if I said I'm not nervous, but I'll get through that eventually.  Confidence is low and I'm still hurting, but that is just an excuse.  I can choose to turn the pain off when I get over-cooked, but that goes against what I've always said.  I need to suck it up and put it behind me.  Eventually, it will pass.  No scars, at least not from this crash, just some residual swelling.  I've got to keep a focus - all around.

So..........for those that are new to "the porpoise"; stick around.  This is gonna be great!  Those returning.................thanks for keeping the faith.

Click here - Keep the Faith!

The Porpoise Rides for ALL!

Hang around, we're ride'n HARD!

Final Post of 2017

HOPE

 A link to start off with - while you read. Click here and then return to the main page to read - Every body hurts.

Couldn't sleep - again.  There's a lot on my mind, so I thought this would be a good time to clear things up.

This past weekend was a complete wrap-up for the past year - in  a sense.  Cancer has played a significant roll and it started early in the year.  Turns out, about the same time my wife's mother was taking her final breaths in this life, a family very close to us was hit with a diagnosis that would prove to be equally devastating.  Saturday morning, I sat with literally many hundred others, paying a final tribute to a little soul and her family - that brought an entire valley together to promote hope.  Hope that a precious five year old would have a fighting chance to beat a diagnosis that was terminal.  It wasn't to be.  As I sat there, trying not to tremble with the emotion that filled my body, her father spoke to the congregation and explained; "Nobody is strong enough to do this before it happens.  You become strong as you go along and learn to fight it."  From my wife's mother, to a friend, to finally this.................  I've been searching within.

Last year I decided well before the season, to ride for Huntsman again.  In fact, well before this whole series of events started I reluctantly decided to do so.  My heart wasn't really in it from the get go.  Around the first of July, I was "mailing it in", all the time thinking this was a mistake.  Rides were not easy and I wasn't sure I could do it.  At that point it was all about "having to keep a commitment".  As I rode, I started to write again.  It was kind a reminder of why I started to do this in the beginning.  Then.............that day in August.  I recently went back and read the post for August 17.  With a few months perspective, I began to see what things were really all about - kind of.  I knew what was coming and it almost became clear - in the peripheral anyway.

Sometimes we don't know the reason, but we've got to be prepared.  The purpose may not be there, nor the desire to fight, but we've got to be prepared to pick up and take action when it comes.  "It", being that thing that may seem too big to over come - so overwhelming that there may not be any hope.  That is where it takes a hero - to restore hope.  And from hope, a little faith will follow.

We do hard things because we can - because we choose to do them.  There are those of us who have no choice and cannot.  Your own strength is of no value if you choose not to defend those that cannot defend themselves.  It is the strength of the individual that must come first, before there can be the collective muster of all.  It is that amalgamation of individual strength that will make a difference.  Simply relying on others can't do it.  At some point, we all have to face hard things and do them - because............there is no choice for somebody else.

After this weekend, I have no doubt; the purpose (the Porpoise) will continue.  I have no idea what the future has in store, but I know I have about nine months to prepare for another LOTOJA - and during that time I intend to make a difference.  My effort alone can't do it and I will need all the support I can get.  That said, I need to give it my all before I expect anyone else of giving.

Suck it up!  It's time to prepare - prepare for a fight!  Follow the link below & "tune-in" around April.

Follow this link for "Hope"

"The Porpoise" 2017

Winding Down

Going Back.......................

So................The season is getting late.  Since the last post, I've done a ton of riding on the mountain bike.  A week in Park City at the end of October provided some new trails, with the kids.  Some adventure rides for sure.  The local trails have been getting muddier with every storm.  Snow comes and melts, but then somebody thinks its smart to take horses up the greasy trails - bad combination. 

The above picture is from a little ride I had Thanksgiving afternoon.  This around a lake where I spent considerable time - 40 years ago.  The single-track was pretty greasy, but like the idiot I am, I had to keep driving.  Needless to say, I found out I'm strong enough to bend a ring on my bike.  All the same, it was a really nice get-away.  The place sure has changed in just the past five years.  It's hard to imagine what it was like 40 years ago.

40 years ago; a theme that seemed to resonate from way back early last winter.  Man, 1977 seems like last week, but it was literally a lifetime ago.  The summer before I started 9th grade.  That fall I dis-located my little finger on my left hand one week into the football season.  I couldn't play until the City championship game.  I couldn't use that finger to play guitar for nearly 20 years.  I had a great year hunting and bagged my first Swan.  I taught myself to play the tuba (Eb- base) at the request of my band teacher.  I found my first true love - skiing.  My first exposure to truth - Led Zeppelin IV.  I could go on, but it doesn't matter anymore.  Still, '77 was a pivotal year for me and it all seemed to resonate this past season.  Funny, as much as I thought I had found, I was equally lost.

There is something fundamental about riding my bikes - any of them.  For that time, everything kind of disappears out of my mind.  Because I ride alone almost all the time, my mind can clear and just enjoy the moment.  It's hard to explain, but as much as it may hurt, it still takes me to a place away from my troubles.  Looking back 40 years ago, that was just it; those troubles seem so insignificant and far away.  Life was good, regardless of the challenges.  On my bike............I can be 14 years old again.  I just have to work harder in the off-season.

If '77 was a good year, '78 was a banner.  It's hard to believe that all happened so along ago - to me.

The last post for the season will go later this week.  Time fly's..................

Ride Hard!  In my life.........Enjoy this one