A pretty big boost.....

 

Anyone for a "Star-Burger"?

A reliable supporter.....

As has been the case for sooooo many years, one of the sisters jumped in again. Yep - a true stud in my book. It has been a crazy three years, dealing with some mutual issues, but we are finally through it - COMPLETELY! And now on to the next chapter, whatever that may be. What is for sure; I'm absolutely grateful for all she has done over the past 60 plus years. One of my most favorite exchange, Christmas gifts of all times was nearly 50 years ago (actually 47, but who's counting?) - "Band On The Run". Thanks for everything sis. You are truly an inspiration. (see the link below for the track selection)

Tire mods on the Hardtail

A different kind of riding - for now

Having swapped the dirt tires for the "Serfas - Drifter" commuter tires, I've been doing virtually everything on the hardtail. I added an inexpensive cycle-computer as to have a better idea of real-time rolling ground-speed. Definitely not anywhere near as quick as the road bike, but kind of fun to ride all the same. The rolling resistance is not too bad, especially on the new gravel over on SR39, but the lack of anything "arow" really cuts back on the overall speed. What are normally quick tempo rides out and back in the mornings have become a serious leg workout, as there is literally no letting up. Unfortunately, I'm not really pushing the heartrate up at all. As a matter of fact, my overall heartrate is staying sub-aerobic nearly 90% of the ride. That goofy little "bike trail" that so many people think is meant to keep ALL bikes off the road, is a bit of a joke. The hardtail is a very good choice on that thing, given all the inconsistencies, variations and general obstructions encountered. Some of the other bike riders on that trail are sketchy - to say the least. So much for general trail etiquette. 

The end of a session on the hill - Top of Durfee

Back to the old reliable - RACKS

Many an evening spent running stairs in my younger days. It's not glamorous and generally rather boring, but there is no substitute for interval training. Anymore, the only way I can seem to get my heartrate up is to do hill intervals, which are pretty much like the old days of stairs (racks). Even there, I'm gradually losing ground with the heartrate, as I track it very closely with my Garmin. I've not been in Zone 5 for nearly five weeks and am now starting to spend more time in Zone 3 than Zone 4. I'm told this means I'm getting stronger, but I think I'm just adapting. It may be time to add a few twists to that part of the program, as to push it even harder. Darn boring, but a necessity all the same. I can't count the number of times I have done that stupid hill.

More to come

Time is getting short and I need to make some improvements. Moreso, I need to get out of the Valley, whether up Monte, or over Trappers. At this point it is matter of, will be on the hardtail or the Six-13. Also need to start pushing the "swag" and other Porpoise things. We're darn near near out of July! Before you know it, the kiddos will be back in school and it will be time for the Cache Valley Century. Time just flies by.........

True inspiration and motivation......

"Band on the run" was the third complete studio album by "Paul McCartney & Wings". I've said it before and will stand by it; Paul's best work was definitely with Linda - say what you will. She was the reason - the impetus for everything he did from 1969 until here untimely death. Sure Denny was a solid contributor during Wings, but had it not been for her, there wouldn't have ever been Wings. Sometimes there is simply no substitute for true inspiration and motivation. "Helen Wheels" was a song about their trusty Range Rover. If you've read some of my previous posts from many years ago, you'll also recognize "Helen Wheels" from that same period in my very young and impressionable life. Hell-on-wheels............

Click here for "Helen Wheels"

Pulling for Reed. Ride HARD!

Adapting

 Familiar Places, Changing the Methodology

The image above is from the main gate of the former Trappist Monk Monastery. Early morning rides up this way have always been more a tempo ride, than anything too stressful. Given the conditions of some of the roads this year, I'm still not crazy about taking the road-bike out. A very good work-around has been to swap tires on the hardtail for some extra wide commuter treads, still going tubeless. Along with navigating the numerous construction sections, it is also riding on the notorious "bike path" part way across the valley. This is technically a pedestrian pathway, as it is not conducive to riding a fast road-bike - for multiple reasons. The hardtail with the faster rolling treads allow for quick transitions in and out of the trail. The variations in elevation also make for a bit of an interval type thing. I'll pickup up the trail just off the end at River Drive, cut around Eden Park and jump across the highway to catch it again by the elementary school. On it around the back side of the lake to SR 39 at Huntsville. Aside from that, it is still pretty much the same route I'll take on the Six-13. The hardtail does run out of gears on one downhill at about 38 MPH. Aside from that, it is a constant effort pedaling - quite a bit more than on a road-bike. I still need to replace the front ring with a couple more teeth. It's a great ride early in the morning - the earlier the better.

Wild Onions....

Recent light rain sprinkles have really brought out the familiar smells. Sure, it is a little sticky in the mornings before the sun breaks over the mountains, but it is that reminder of what I knew as a very little kid. Early mornings trudging through the dew laden sagebrush to go fishing with my dad....it still smells the same. Our house is built in the middle of a lot of Gamble-Oak and Maples. The wild onions take root in that rich soil with a tiny flower and a very large smell. It is only for a very short period when it does happen. Some years it doesn't happen, but when it does - it is home. Sure it's hard to get motivated some mornings, but I know it has to be done. Whether it being longer rides, or 90 minutes of hill intervals, you just have to push past the lack of motivation and inspiration and shove-off. It sure gets lonely some days. But then the smells take me back to my youth and put my mind almost right.

...tell him your plans.

The Vanzant bothers did a little thing a few years back that deserves a little attention. How true it is; "You hear God laugh? Tell him your plans". I guess sometimes we do get a little full of ourselves. It is better to have a plan, as it at least gets you going in that general direction. Just be prepared for a little disappointment along the way.

Click here for "Help Somebody" ...& Get right with the man.

Pulling for Reed. Ride HARD!

Making it work....

 Improvised Riding 

I've done this long enough to know about training conflicts. From having to travel in the middle of the season, to just scheduling conflicts - you have to flexible and willing. On normal years (whatever that means), I would be stacking some longer rides on the road bike, but it seems I haven't been anywhere close to normal in maybe...... the last decade - and getting worse. Training rides are sometimes hard to get up for, as it is anything but recreational. Add to that, the garbage road conditions in the upper valley, dragging the Six-13 out for a spin is just not attractive.  The hardtail is getting a lot of saddle time, as it is a good substitute for the road bike. Sure, I run out of gears, as well as the added wind resistance from sitting more upright, but for 40+ mile tempo rides, it is non-stop peddling. Still this morning, I caught sight of a couple roadies up ahead into Huntsville that presented an opportunity.  Forearms over the straight bars and into my fastest gear - well, lets just say they were a little humiliated when they heard the trail-bell blowing by. Not that I could have kept that pace for a solid hour, but I'm sure I could have given it a pretty good try. 

Sunday evening's ride was on the full-sus, up the oldest trail in North Fork - the original Bicentennial Trail. There are a ton of newer trails all around that same area, with faster and easier riding features, but knowing where to watch for the original trail is an advantage. We placed that sign (and about five others) up there over nine years ago. Something about the old and familiar that has a certain sweetness that is just hard to explain.  Sure, steep and rocky in a few places, but that is the way I remember from well more than 40 years ago - before anybody had mountain bikes. I remember the first time I rode that on my original full-sus (DB-X2), I thought how gnarly it seemed to be.  Ah, but the reliable Trek Fuel EX is a worthy machine for the task. Just look at all the nicks and scrapes on that thing. Paint worn off the seat-stay triangle, paint worn off on the 172 crank-arms...that has been a workhorse for sure. The Conti Der Kiaser's have a lot of drag, but man can they hook-up! I whish I were heading to Colorado, or even Wyoming this year, but those darn scheduling conflicts are making it less than possible this year. I still have North Fork - I just have to share it with other riders these days. It's not fair that I can live right here while others have to drag their bikes up from the netherlands. Oh well........

It never gets old

As much as I try to get a good burn with these rides, sometimes it is just a good thing to stop and look around. Especially in the evenings when it has been hot during the day, I can usually get a couple hours on the trails in the shade. Even those evenings that I have to suffer through hill climbing intervals, I can generally do it with out any annoying traffic. Hills are the equivalent of the many evenings of my youth, running stairs by myself. Having the discipline to push yourself harder than you really want, takes a ton of willingness and desire. No crowds to cheer you on. It is the price to be paid for any success. All that said, the suffering and endurance is worth every bit of the resulting temporary discomfort. Sure, while in the midst of it all you really can't see the end result, but when you are done.....it is done. The payoff doesn't come for yet another day - along ways away.

Lets see what the next week looks like. A lot of ground to regain, but very doable assuming things don't get too sideways.

Click here for "Bodhisattava" -

Pulling for Reed. Ride HARD!

Things are just not lining up

 Unforeseen obstacles

Looking at the most recent post, it is obvious I've gotten a bit off track. In fact, lets call it sideways.  The details really don't matter, rather it has been one challenge after another. Add to that, getting past some physical obstructions. It takes focus to stay on track and diligence to remain focused. But having things constantly pile-up is taking all of my energies to simply stay a-float. That is just life. I looking to turn a few corners in the next week or so....

Commuting.....

I'll take the hardtail out whenever I can -be it a ride to a ball game, or over to a neighbors house (several miles away). It takes more effort to ride than on the road bike, but it fly's compared to the full-sus. Usually by now I will have stacked some really good base miles, but not this year. Still, the hardtail is enjoyable given the garbage conditions of the roads in the upper valley this summer.

An evening hardtail ride out to Point Bluff, on my way to a ballgame in Huntsville.

Back on the Mule

For the past twenty or so years, there has been a section of rough (and getting rougher by the year) climbing single-track that I can ride from right out of the garage. I've talked about it countless times over the years, but the overlook atop of Mules Ear is my quiet place. Sure, you can walk it, but pushing the old body as hard as possible just makes it a little more sweet - or so it seems. A lot has changed over last several years, but the last mile or so to the top is still as rough and gnarly as ever. Again, this year, they have made several trail improvements down lower and even added trails halfway up the switchbacks. Long sweeping turns with sections wide enough to expect curb & gutter - it is a far cry from when it was a quiet little trail for bush-whackers. There were a couple places that bucked me off, but it is to be expected for my first time up during the year. At that, its kind of late for it to be my first time up to the top. Looking at the Garmin stats, I get a much better session in about the same time period by doing simple repeating hill intervals, but there is something about getting to the overlook that brings a little peace to ones soul. Of course the ride out is always fast and fun, but just that moment at the top is all worth the effort alone.

..How old would you be...

We lost Toby this last winter to the Big-C. That one kind of hit home, as there were so many things I could relate to in his story. We've lost far too many over the years....it's hard to keep track. When Paul lost Linda some 25 odd years ago, that was truly the end of the band. Add to those my personal friends and associates, it sure makes one feel less than immortal than when we were younger. But am I really that old? Perhaps I can feel the lack of mitochondria, but other times I feel like the youngster bucking hay. I suppose it's all in the head - until the body says otherwise. As Toby said; "How old would you be if you didn't know when you were born?" I suppose some day it will end, but until then, ride like you are still a little kid - just don't crash.

Click here for "Don't let the old man in"

Pulling for Reed! - Ride HARD!

Waypoints & Guidance

North Fork in May?

 Drawing Forward

Three are times that writing just doesn't come at all. Despite having a lot to say and more to reflect...it just won't formulate a sentence, much less an entire post. If there is one thing that endurance events develop, it is a character trait that compels one to keep driving ahead. Over time, you will learn to keep driving toward the great unseen thing well over the horizon. Always respecting the here and now, you have to keep that vision of what is known to be, but yet cannot see - always driving forward. Moreso, the pain and affliction along the way have to be taken as only temporary. The object, hard to see but only in your mind, has to remain as clear in your soul as though it defines you and by default - you define it in the end.

A brief little Sunday afternoon get-away to Utaba.

A light has gone out

Sunday morning I caught the news I new would come someday - although not appreciating the inevitable and absolute emptiness that always accompanies such life events. Perhaps that light flickered for those close to the situation, adding to the anguish of what was happening - only to eventually be completely removed. Regardless, a light that shined ever so bright for too many people, has been removed. A beacon of truth and direction that gave a certain guidance, that only could be appreciated after an enveloping darkness has replaced it - or has it? As that light has gone it's course, it served to guide us forward into the open, that we could see without it's brilliant illuminance. What we thought would have been a remaining darkness is actually an enhanced ability to see the brilliance of what does in fact remain for us - those left behind.

I took a few minutes this evening to swing by and pay my respects - but to also see a dear old friend. He just celebrated his 90th birthday, but is left to make it without his better half of nearly eight decades. One of the last to be left standing, its hard to explain how difficult it is to think that someday that light will also be gone. As with his other half, that light guided so many, so far back, it is only with sentiment that we long for those days of our past - when that light was always our guide. I have been fortunate - blessed to have had those lights in my life. 

A storm lowing in over the Black Mountain

Seeing "it" come....

Watching that storm blow in over the Black Mountain Sunday evening was a cold reminder of what we know is coming, but dismiss as just another storm. We know what's coming, but yet shrug it off as just another squall. Perhaps we can learn to appreciate all opportunities and not walk past those that may never come our way again. Perhaps we never will - until we can no longer reach out and touch that of which we now take for granted. Lets not let that next opportunity blow by again.........

A helluva week trying to beat the weather. More hill intervals for now, with regular indoor stuff to bridge the gap. A few minor adjustments to the hardtail, with the new saddle. I think a good long ride is in order. Suck it up, dress for the weather and just get passed the minor inconveniences we think set us back.

Click here for "Play Me" Neil Diamond

Pulling for Reed - Ride HARD!

Pushing Through Setacks

 

As if it weren't hard enough...

Between schedules and intermittent weather, one must learn to improvise while remaining diligent. Such has been the case thus far this season. Trying a new type of saddle on the hardtail, doing some hill interval training, I'm still not getting my heartrate up where I want it. Add to that some delayed onset heart-rhythm things and it just seems to keep getting harder every year. I'm still clear to ride, but am having to take blood-thinners for a couple weeks to setup for some more tests. This means I have to be cautious when riding - especially in the dirt. This has been more annoying than anything, but I still have to pay attention to what I'm doing. Truth is, there is a serious chance I may get pulled for part, if not all of the season. I'm having none of that garbage. We'll see what the next couple of weeks brings along.

Going with what has worked before

Intervals have always been a good "go-to" for me. This goes back many decades when I would run stairs by myself, to the point I would nearly puke. The 1/2-mile hill climb has always been a reliable leg builder. It also helps with form and some great anaerobic training - when I feel like pushing it harder. It takes immense concentration to really drive to the point of extreme physical exertion, but it can be done. I'll give it another shot later this week - when my schedule permits. What I would give to have a training partner sometimes.....

A lot of people have the idea that you just simply ride a bike and that constitutes some sort of training. Maybe it does, but I'll call it passive, if not coincidental training at best. All rides have to fill a specific purpose and objective. Recreational riding doesn't do it. There are times I'll be doing a fairly long ride and somebody else rolls up and wants to get "frisky". There is a fine line between "chasing the rabbit" and staying on task. Blowing-up can result in a setback and should always be a measured response. At the end of the day, there has to be tremendous sacrifice to train rather than just stacking rec-miles. That's how it is with every sport; you train a lot more than your event will ever require. At that, you can't expect to perform any better than during training. If you truly want to ride hard, you have to train harder yet.

Talking gets you nowhere

I was at a soccer game a week ago, watching a little kids team get pasted. After the game, I overheard the coach say "we have a lot to talk about next practice". It then became clear; this guy was a lecturer and not really a coach. Talking is only good for basic and immediate instruction. Our bodies need constant repetition of correct functions to learn how to do something. Call it muscle memory, or simple learned behavior - you can't talk your body into something it's not used to doing. Perhaps this is where culture and behavior come together? Sure you have to say it at some point, but if that is all you do is talk, be prepared to fail - at least not exactly succeed. 

Moving Along.......

This week appears to have some interesting aspects. Lets see if I can make it through without totally screwing-up again.

I'm not sure why, but this one seemed to be the pick for the week.......

Click here for "Galveston" - Glen at his finest....

Pulling for Reed - Ride HARD!

Hard Tail Adjustments

Limited miles & still adapting

No major component changes yet. Swapped the saddle for an ugly white "Race-Lite" that fits the old sits-bones a little better. Pushed the saddle up and back a bit more, while adding the top-tube bag. Up until today, the front shock has been completely locked out. I don't really care for the dynamic adjustment, not to mention the mass it adds to the front of the rig. I'll run it for a while yet. The front 30-tooth ring is definitely too small, whereas I can't see needing that low end ratio with that ridiculous big gear on the back. Add to that, it spins out at about 35.8 MPH as it sits. Going to a 32-tooth ring up front will give it better speed on the down hill and in road-groups. I've yet to push it up into the big gear, and second from the top simply because I wanted to see how it feels. Definitely changing that ratio sooner rather than later. The bars are too wide for cross country as well. They are the same width as my bigger full sus, which it fine for that beast. I think I'll take as much as 100 mm off the bars and drop the stack by one disk. Still running "roll-overs" with flats & pins on one side and Egg-Beaters on the other. Tire pressure is gonna take a little time on some serious dirt to figure out. A work in progress.

Another Bike for the Collection?

I've never had much desire for a "fat-bike", but through a series of misadventures, I now have one of those novelties to deal with. A business owed me a stack of money and was in the process of going into receivership. The owner offered the bike and some other stuff.. that made me nervous. In the end, I was "small fry" compared to the other people he owed money and would likely get nothing in the end. So... along with a reasonable tailgate-hanger, I now have an RSD 1X, complete with dropper, front sus and mitten inserts. It's kind of like having an old Volkswagen Super Beatle; not something you'd use on a regular basis - but who knows. What was I thinking....... At least I don't have to feed it and scoop up its poop!

 

Snow at the top of the canyon...still

After not having the opportunity to ride most of the previous week, it seemed like a "good idea" to incorporate a jaunt up the Avon/Liberty divide road. I used to do this stretch alone, in the evening, but today I went over there after a solid ninety-minutes of climbing and flats. Lets just say it resulted in some early suffering. At that, the road had snow about 3/4 the way up. I made it to a snow patch at the top of the canyon, which is where one may expect snow. Getting past that wouldn't be too much of a problem, other than the 900 feet of mud that follows. It looks harmless, but you only have to do it once to realize the consequences of peanut-butter mud. I think I did it once with one of my sons about 15-years ago, only to spend several hours servicing bikes - both on the trail and at home later. Give it another week. On the way down, I passed a chick on an E-Bike coming up from the gate. What's the point? UGH.....

People that make a sunny day a little brighter

I unexpectedly ran into a dear friend from not too many years ago (who's counting). It is certainly amazing - the brightness that some people can bring into your day. That encounter had me thinking about a trip to the Unita's, College days and a couple classic concerts. But that's not what makes people shine . It has to do with being a true friend - through the thickest of thick and darkest of days. Moreso, I really had to stop and assess why some people are just like that naturally. I think in this case, it is absolutely a genetic trait. Her mother.......an absolute angel. Her brother......rock solid and another life long friend to this very day. Perhaps it has always been my admiration of the example she's been to me. Diligent like nobody else I know. Putting herself through college in a very demanding program. On to be a balanced professional, wife and mother..........yes, those people do exist. Perhaps that all adds to the brilliance and light. You are nothing short of AWESOME girl. It was great to have run into you again. A solid friend forever.........

Losing another great

We lost Dickey Betts this last week - the perfect guitar foil to Duane Allman. Thy are all gone now; Duane, Berry, Greg, Butch... At one time they were refereed to as the "House Band" at the East (Filmore East). Their all-nighters were things of legend, regularly playing until the light of day. I know everyone either picks "Travel'n man", or "Jessica" as the essential Dickey, but without Duane, there was no essential Dickey. Shit-kickers and cowboy hat, Dickey was a legend!

Click here for "One way out" Fillmore East 1971

Pulling for Reed - Ride HARD!