ride ride ride

THE UTREKKERS!!!!




snapped a shot on ride to work yesterday



rode to work every day.....in the cold........rode the bike sat and sunday.........mountain and road and cyclocross....ride ride ride ride..


nuff said

T minus 1 week to Utah roadtrip

1 down and 1 to go for a full weekend of back in the saddle

View from top of Cline...you could see mountain all around and Smith Rock..blue skies


Spent Saturday morning hitting a new trail to me. I have known of the trail for long time but never really had a reason to go as it is a downhill only trail, not really any cross country riding and meant for dudes with a shuttle truck and 6 inches of travel. Cline Butte. I had limited option of any trails due to snow coverage but this was a dry area according to Chris Crash. Chris and Eric and I headed out and rode to the top of the butte ( gravel road....think steep access road) and I was in the little ring. topped out and after getting the beta ( much needed) we headed down. there are several routes but we took the tamest which was only triple back diamond instead of 5 black diamonds).

think I started used my brakes after 5 feet and dropping about 1000 vertical do not remember actually letting them off. technical committing single track with rock drops that rolled fine as long as you committed but you needed to drop you seat and get way back ( good beta by Crash). first run a little tense.......bottom section sweet slalom big hits and table tops. second run climb felt a bit longer not having been in the saddle. the run down was sweet. Now that i had done the line it flowed well and was great. In my winter "i just had knee surgery" whiny voice I bagged out of the third loop to ride another day.

good day and outing and set today to head out east on the roadbike with the utreks for a 2 hour spin......

17 miles

got the Lemond out for a nice easy 1 hour spin today with training partner Bruce. knee felt 100% and body feels like it has been drinking beer all winter. I guess I need to actually train eh? ok ride for Saturday planned and 2-3 hour ride on Sunday planned. We are in the groove now.

no mas excuses

2 full ski runs on the old telemark boards!!!! Yeah the knee is solid. I must admit I felt like day 1 for the season even though it is Feb….but then again it was day 1 for me and the ski legs. I felt a little quad burn with just two runs…..i guess the biking and running helped but the training for skiing is still skiing.

Also today was day 1 of riding the bike to work. So I aired up the tires on my cyclocross bike and got all my gear ready. Warm clothes, nitrider helmet lamp charged up. Studded tires in place and mud guards set. I set out at 6 am to beat traffic to the office and was doing fine until I hit a glassy frozen patch in my own neighborhood and down I went. At least I was going slowly. The rest of the way was pretty well worn by cars and had sand on the roads so not a problem. Nice crisp morning and a run via the river trail to the office. A nice 25 minute ride. Now full sunshine warm day and the same ride back. That should start shedding a few pounds as I get in 4 daily commutes a week ( I work from home one day a week).

I would say the excuses are gone and let the workouts begin!!!!!

ohhh there is waldo!!!!! rock on!!!!

putting the knee to the test

Between rocking out and slamming around at the local punk scene on Friday...( for the where is Waldo fans you can see my right above the singers head in the black beanie)...and then breaking trail in a very deep snow hile on a family outing the leg feels good and the knee feels good. I am going skiing next week for sure and will test it for some uphill and downhill backountry telemark.

Sunday today so a longer row on the concept 2 and then shovel the driveway and make an igloo with the munchkin!!!!! a good day to be had

Snow workout

Got another 12 inches last night, school is cancelled!!!! I had to pull out the dreaded snowblower to do the driveway...still took 45 minutes.....YEEEE HAAA!!!! might be a week to start swimming again with all this snow.

here are some shots in the backyard...pretty nice looking eh?

almost back to normal

so I am back only 5 weeks post knee surgery to everything I was doing before except skiing. Doc said to take about 3 more weeks before I start that up again. with the amount of snow we have had I will get in plenty of skiing this year so no loss ( other than some sweet powder days recently). I think starting next week I am also going to work in some crossfit days. I think I will start with 2 a week along side my basic base training. since I am not training fr any particular event just general fitness to get in a lot of mountain biking this summer for fun not race. I need to get a yearly plan outlined...I am wandering without focus,,,maybe I need to find a few key weekends I want to peak for not just to race but to go on some epic funrides??? need focus.

next week I will start with:

"Cindy"
Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
5 Pull-ups
10 Push-ups
15 Squats


but this morning I am going to go ride the bike for 30 minutes, do some light upper body and then finish by shoveling the snow off the driveway.

let it snow

The knee gets better and better and I actually got to run a bit the last 2 weeks. I was on a semi Physical therapy type running program...run 4 minutes, walk 4 minutes and build up to run 10 minutes and walk 2 minutes. so I have been off doing about 40 minutes of running. also the knee flexibility is up to about normal so I have hit the rower a few times. I am working on getting my 2000 meter times better as a goal. this is a brutal distance that they use for contests because it is short enough tthat you want to go faster but long enough that if you do not pace yourself you are toast. Having only been on the rower a few times i did it in 9:34 as my winter starting place. according to www.concept2.com average Time: 8:11.8. So i am not brutally off the average but I need to work my way down.

current podcasts listening to:

jaimies podcasts
zentri
jetpack
kpunk
DSC
the age grouper
tacoboy and bigun
TWIT

So off to the surgeon today to have my final appt regarding my knee and since I am running and jumping and doing everything except skiing I think that should work pretty well and no bog deal.

This Friday seeing my buddy Sean in his punk band : link to his site here: Hands on throat

super carbo load

WOW did I ever carbo load? this new beer made here in town is the bomb and it better be at $120 a case!!!!!!

I got 4 bottles and drank one tonight: YYYYYUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!


info:

This exceptionally popular imperial stout, aged in French oak, pinot noir, and bourbon barrels since March, has immense depth with its rich and complex flavors. True to its name, subtle notes of coffee, chocolate, molasses and licorice pull you in deeper and deeper. Cherry bark and vanilla bean added during the dry-hopping process are the proverbial “cherry on top”!

Early December was originally publicized as the release date for the 2007 version of The Abyss. Perfection cannot be rushed though. Emails from excited fans continue to flood the Brewery asking, “When is it coming and where can I get it?”

The Abyss has developed somewhat of a cult following with reports from some bottle shops where six or seven cases have already been reserved through single bottle orders.

In addition to being a beer aficionado’s favorite, The Abyss has been showered with industry and consumer awards: the “Best Stout in the World” by Men’s Journal’s October 2007 issue, Top 10 on BeerAdvocate.com’s World’s Best rankings, “Gold Medal Imperial Stout” at the 2007 Great American Beer Festival, and “Best Beer Above 7%, International Champion Beer & Supreme Champion” at the 2007 International Beer Challenge.

“The Abyss was one of those beers I didn’t want to end,” said beer writer and Men’s Journal contributor Christian DeBenedetti. “I was totally blown away - this is precious stuff.”

carbo load

I love to make and eat fresh home made bread so while getting better ( by the way actually ran a little today at the PT and have a week of run/walk this week so getting better) I made afew loaves of no Knead bread.

No-Knead Bread 2.0

From Cook's Illustrated Jan/Feb 2008

• 3 cups (15 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting work surface
• ¼ tsp instant yeast
• 1 ½ tsp table salt
• ¾ cup plus 2 tbsp water (7 ounces), at room temperature
• ¼ cup plus 2 tbsp (3oz) mild-flavored lager
• 1 tbsp white vinegar

Whisk flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add water, beer, and vinegar. Using rubber spatula, fold mixture, scraping up dry flour from bottom of bowl until shaggy ball forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 18 hours.

Lay a 12-by 18 inch sheet of parchment paper inside 10-inch skillet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead 10 to 15 times. Shape dough into a ball by pulling edges into middle. Transfer dough seam side down, to parchment-lined skillet and spray surface of dough with nonstick cooking spray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until dough has doubled in size and does not readily spring back when poked with finger, about 2 hours.

About 30 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place 6- to 8-quart heavy bottomed Dutch oven (with lid) on rack , and heat oven to 500 degrees. Lightly flour top of dough and using a razor blade or sharp knife, make one 6-inch-long, ½-inch deep slit along top of dough. Carefully remove pot from oven and remove lid. Pick up dough by lifting parchment overhang and lower into pot (let any excess parchment hang over pot edge). Cover pot and place in oven. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to bake until loaf is deep brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 210 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes longer. Carefully remove bread from pot; transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

hard=fun

I guess i like to try things that are hard. i get satisfaction out of the accomplishment. growing up asthma boy i must say i get something different out of all these athletic accomplishments. I took Japanese in college because people said it was too hard. I started whitewater kayaking a few years back beacuse it scared me. you get the idea. right now I have to admit the guitar is really getting me excited...because i am good at it? no because it is hard. simple things i see teens doing on you tube with their guitar are taking me time to figure out. i got a guitar from a friend that is from the mid eighties that would have been the guitar I would have bought back in my big hair metal days. It was also the original brand that Van Halen used for his crazy striped guitar that most would recognize. Old school red Kramer! ( mine is the red one in the middle of the pics there)I will try and figure out how to embed a vid on this blog ( I know it can be done as my bro did it on his) but too early in the morning to do that.

I am going to go play a few pentatonic scales and then I am off to my 7 am Physical therapy appt for my knee. I got some great tips from KT as she does PT back in NB.......OK?

have a killer day and my plan is to try and go swim next week and maybe even get back on my bike ( studded tires and all as we have a ton of snow here.)

182

So I noticed as did my buddy Bruce that I had a few extra pounds going for the off season..I admit I embraces the off season by having a lot of drink and a lot of be merry. I also have not worked out much with the knee issue and decided that day 1 of ly PT that I did last night would be the start back. Bruce and I were laughing and I decided to hit the scale for the first time in months...HOLY SCHNIKE!!! 182 and that without shoes or anything. I went from a ironman race day weight of 167 to this in a matter of months. I admit it am not concerned as I start on the path of the workout again it will come off pretty quick. I laughed out loud though when I saw the number....man did I enjoy that off season and I must say that has me motivated again for 2008. without a true off season I do not think you mentally or physically are ready to start another season so if you have not had one take a 4 week break and be stupid,.,,,,,,your body and mind will thanks you.

now back to guitar practice and stretching on my knee.

2008 update

Knee feels a little better everyday though hard to go up and down stairs. I will hit the physical therapist this Friday and work to getting some skiing in before the season is over since we have mucho snow here.

My good Bud Bruce and also Dave got all American for xterra this year along with Jdub so pretty psyched for those guys:

http://www.insidetri.com/portal/news/news.asp?item=111601

My plans as of now for 2008 is to get into basic shape the first half of the year and play more guitar and camp with the family...about mid year I will ramp up, likely with Kyle Will training again and start the season with the 2008 cross crusade cyclocross series. I think to be smart I need to scalke back to be successful at 2009 Idaho.

I will still do most of the local races here for mountain bike and some running but will use as social training events not really races

success

Well i went in and a short wait for the surgical team to get me in about 1:30....and I was getting picked up by 5 pm to head home...moder science i tell, ya...like drive through suregery.

I had an anesthesilogist ( "Ed") who had done his residency in San Dieago and had done a few shorter sprint triathlons so that was good. My doc is an official surgeon for the Us Ski and snowboard team so I think I was in good hands.........( side note the nurse did not look like below).

I triued to see how long I could stay awake when they gave me the meds in the operating room so I started counting....1.....2.....3....4.......................thats all I remember.

I woke up and I was quite woozy and out of it and felt druggy and as best i can remeber i started telling the nurse how hot all the nurses look here. As i sobered up i realized what i had been saying...oooooops.

My pain level was about a 2 on a 1-10 and i was ok with it but she said lets get you to a zero and gave me some more dope.

headed home, knee is in an ace banadage with stitches underneatch I am told ( will look in a few days an all went well. I am actually walking on it with the aid of a ski pole.

that night had a few pain pilsl and a martini.....ooooops again.

feeling pretty good actually. got up at about 5 am this morning after a solid nights sleep and took a few pain pills again even though did not really have any pain but will driving to Portland today so want to be ok for the drive ( as a passenger).

i will have to scan in my arhtroscopy pics when I get back into the office.


Thanks doc and thanks friends for the thoughts and words....Happy holidays!!!!

cut

so I will l go in and get the knee done today and then 8 weeks before i ski the doc says but likely can ride the trainer by weeks end. The thing was my insurance paid 100% this year and only 90% with a large copay next year ( read two weeks away) so I scrambled with the doc center to get in and they worked a scheduling miracle and got me in so that was good. I have to admit when they ask what happened I do not have to say well "being overweight................" or I was in a car accident or anything else i just quietly say "well a few marathons and an ironman......wore it down......" like it was nothing ( just like Bruce would throw it in.....right Bruce?) so I get a little respect as I am sure they see a lot of people who either made a mistake or are out of shape all day so nice to deal with an injury that is from trying to stay healthy. I guess that is? So coffee this morning as much as I want to 10 am thank god and then in at 4 for the cut. should be straight forward....headed to Washington to visit family the next day and enjoy the holiday while I sit around and practice guitar. just think 100 years ago I would have a bum leg and based on my past likely I would be an old man with no lungs from childhood asthma and a very ugly face from a broken nose....modern medicine...got to love it

surgery this friday

Well tried skiing and knee felt great....until the next day. it was sore for three days and I can feel the same spot again. I will not be able to resume my running at all until I get this fixed. I looked into my insurance and if I get it done by the years end ( 2 weeks!!!) they will cover 100% and if I wait until 2008 they will cover 90%. Well that was easy so in I go on Friday.

I have a feeling my nurse will not look like this.

Van Halen....off season fun

Winter adventures begin

25 degrees out and the adventure continues. Riding by bike 6 miles is not that bog a deal but riding to work with all your work crap and its 5:30 in the morning and its 25 degrees out can be a challenge at times. I made the big changeover to studded tires this morning and the traction on those things are the best. I am on season three with them ( Nokian W106 studded cyclocross tire) ands they still have a ton of tread. I am using a niterider headlamp as well as my bar end led lights and a flasher ob my messenger bag…but of course I still ride like I am a ghost because I assume they do not see me. In Oregon we have had a rash of cyclists get killed in the last few months so I am extra super aware.

http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=33300

so be careful but I will keep riding my bike to work for health and sanity in the workday.

Punk rock and single speed

Well the knee has been doing great ( since I have not run on it i two months) I guess the real test will be in the spring when I start running again, But lost of biking and other sports have not seem to bother it so we may be ok.

So I have been riding a bout every other day and lifting some weghts but no real structure. I plan in ramping up structure likely about late spring. My tentative goals right now are having lots of fun during the year and then race for the shear joy of it and then ramp into the cyclocorss season at the end of 2008 ( www.crosscrusade.com )

With the super ramp up time to 2009 Ironman in Idaho which is in mid 2009.

I had a great Thanksgiving and Rob and I got up and rode at 7:30 in the morning and it was about 22 degrees out and very cold, i guess tat was redunant. great spin on the single speeds and I broke a chain cranking up a short hill. So I ask ROb what he would do if this was survovorman television ( since I had a space blanket and a fire starter and some extra food) and he said he would just fix the chain and pulled out a SRAM add a link kit and had a fixed in about 5 minutes....I mean sure you could go that way if you wanted to I guess.......


Been playing me electric and acoustic guitar a lot and my friend who is teaching me some songs and techniques is in a Punk rock band Hands On Throat and it rocks. It is the same loud music I rocked out with in High school and not sure how my parents put up with that and my drum set but they did. The show was great...loud and tons of energetic kids. I got right up front and we rocked out. What a great show. I tried to record some with my Mp3 recorder but in the darkness I failed to push the right button.


so the plan for the rest of the winter before skiing??? Punk Rock and Single speed!!!!

another moto-bike combo from a fellow triscooper

http://ironmanhumanspirit.blogspot.com/

Lets root for Scott!!!!!!

I need..I need....I need...I need

trick or treat

on the road again

Well its been a few weeks and I have been mountain biking almost everyday and no issues. zero running may have helped as the knee feels ok, so we will see what it feels like if I try and Telemark ski in a few weeks. we are slowly starting to get snow and i do not want to miss the ski season. follow up with doc is Nov 5th.


anybody want to hire me to work virtual out of my house in Bend? i am willing to travel during week......wow some times work sucks eh???? well I should say its not the job that sucks it the people at work that do not have a clue.

back to the grind...............( not on the knee though)

KNEE

Ok so off I went to the doc today and after reading a few magazines ( dirt rag and trail runner....its a cool doctor office) the doc pulled in a laptop and showed me the MRI....a tear. Well no surprise but at least it turned out to be a small one. He even said we could try and just take it easy for another 3-4 weeks and see how it goes. no running but swimming and cycling ok. so not down for the count. He said if not better in that time minor arthroscope procedure and should be skiing in January. So a mixed bag but really no surprises.

So I will bike like mad and ,maybe even get in the pool a few times ( have not been since Ironman almost 6 weeks ago. But something to mix it up. A few weeks until Bruce heads off to Hawaii for Xterra Worlds....pretty cool.

update

Great chalk on the road rooting me on


Overlooking penticton from my camping spot


Almost done


Had the MRI yesterday and have a doc consult Friday when I should know whats up for sure.

I think it is screwy for sure....Running is a no go but cycling does not bother it, I just got back from a 1 hour mountain bike ride in fall colors and temps and LOVE IT!

So here are some more great pics from Ironman I just got from My Great buddy Dave!

DAMN!!!

Looks like a meniscus tear and the doc will know for sure after an MRI on Monday or Tuesday....so I guess hey I got through ironman so that is good and this is the off season so could be worse....likely will need some surgical and rehab and back for late ski season.

will keep you posted

Knee

Ok so my knee got to the pint that I went for my last run before the marathon on Sunday and I was on a biz trip and could not even get three blocks from the hotel and it was hurting and I was clearly favoring my other leg. It hurt. I realized I need to check it out. I had tried rest, I had tried ice and Vitamin I ( Ibuprofen)......so now I will go see the doc. I was able to get into a specialist today and will see what he says. I had knee surgery on my left knee about 15 years ago after a skydiving accident ( night jump...it was dark...hit the ground wrong) but after that the knee on that side has been 100%.

So I will keep you all posted.

more photos

Bruce and Super Dave


Not my haircut from Paul Mitchell


Who has thumbs and thinks they are pretty cool?


Lot of bikes still on the course.........GO BRUCE!!!


Stoltz taking it in a dominating way


Poor Jdub hurting bad

Xterra national championship

Mealanie McQuaids panties ( or swim cap)


getting hair cut for a good cause


GO MELANIE GO!!!!!!



Bruce getting the regional jersey for the Northwest at the "Night of Champions"

Spent 48 hours with a super roadtrip driving to Reno and Tahoe to accompany my Bud Bruce Rogers to Xterra Nationals. I did not race but was there for support. My support included drinking and gambling and taking pics. I do not really gamble because I have never won so I limit myself to $20 for pure entertainment value. We ended up playing roulette and I walked away with $150 for that $20 investment. YEEEEE HAAAA. We went up to Tahoe and drove through snow....now not much of it but still Bruce had to race the next day. It was cold and white.

That evening I accompanied Bruce to the race meeting and got to meet fellow triscooper Jdub
who was one of the original triscoopers ( #39.....I was #6) anyone in the first 100 is pretty rare.

After going to the "night of champions" dinner and watching Bruce get his regional jersey we went to bed early.

Race day was warmera nd I was in my t-shirt within first hour. While Bruce was racing I got a haircut for charity. They were giving free haircuts for donations to the Challenged athlete foundation.

They had a a few athletes in the race and watching a guy with one arm swim alomng side Bruce and keeping up with him was both comical and inspiring.

The funny thing in the race was when Melanie Mcquaid ( World champion) ran by after the swim and I said "Go Melanie!!!! Go get it!" and we locked eyes and she handed me her goggles and swimcap and a black thing that looked alot like a thong!!! I mean I have heard of rockstars getting underwear thrown at them but I just had the Xterra world champion hand me her underwear....a black thong at that!!!! ( upon later inspection I realized it was a warmer swim cap) oh well..........I later just set it next to her bike and we never met.......oh well unrealized love.


so back to the race.....Bruce and Dave both killed it and both met their goals racing really hard. Jdub came in right after Bruce. Jdub who is really fast and we expected him to be way ahead of Bruce due to his running speed and he came across the line and He was DONE!!!! I mean He was down on all fours and crawled to the medical tent. I felt really bad for him and it was clear he had spent all the matches in the book.

Now I get to drive 6 hours home....but the Xterra race stories kept me awake.



Now I am 4 days from the Portland Marathon.....Knee is so so....May be a Meniscus issue, We will see how I feel after a run this morning