Le Blog Revisited

Still Here

2011-12-23T21:07:00.001-08:00

I had a good comeback, but unfortunately it didn't last. But the fall semester is over now, although I won't know how it went for a couple of months. Nevertheless, I survived, so I may as well make another attempt at this blog. after all, it's bound to stick one of these times.

For now, here's a video of Elliott. She's excited for her first Christmas.

Tired, Not Dead

2011-10-16T00:22:00.000-07:00

Last year, Catherine and I decided to try to save money over the winter by heating the rooms we were in with space heaters rather than heating the entire apartment with central heating. So when we fired up the furnace last Thursday, it was the first time we had done so in this apartment.

The next morning I woke up feeling sick to my stomach, and immediately assumed there was something wrong with the sandwich I ate the night before. By the afternoon I had a ripping headache and the chills, so I started to wonder if I had a flu, despite the fact that I didn't have a fever. On top of everything, Elliott was as fussy as I've ever seen her. I finally managed to get her to fall asleep in my lap at about 3:00, and once she fell asleep, I did to, and we slept for about an hour and a half.

When I woke up I saw that I had missed about six phone calls, several of them from Catherine who by that point was starting to worry. I called her and explained what had happened, and she suggested I turn off the heater, so I did.

When I talked to Catherine I felt like I couldn't even leave the house, so we cancelled our plans to meet my parents for dinner. By midnight, I was almost completely back to normal, and I even went out for my usual late night run.

The more we read, the more we worried. I was clearly fine, but Elliott was not acting like herself. She wasn't making eye contact, chattering, or smiling the way she had been for the last few weeks. Although we knew she was probably fine, we started to wonder if carbon monoxide poisoning had caused some sort of permanent damage.

On Thursday, our carbon monoxide detector woke us up. I silenced it, and it went off again almost immediately, so Catherine outside while I called the fire department. They sent two engines, an ambulance, an SUV, and a police car for good measure (it must have been a slow morning). After checking our house and our furnace, they decided that it must have been a false alarm, and that was that.

On the plus side, we now know that our heater is fine (and, by extension, that Elliott and I were not poisoned last week). The downside is that we no longer know if we can trust our stupid CO detector. Even so, if you don't already have one you should probably get one, because dying in your sleep would be a bit of a bummer.

Also, Elliott is back to her usual self.

They're Using Real Bullets

2011-10-03T22:28:00.000-07:00

I couldn't find the video clip that goes with the title, so you get this instead:

Same movie, just as funny, not at all relevant.

Anyway, I got out for a quick ride on the Dry Canyon Loop this afternoon. On the descent down Trail 51 into the canyon, I almost took out two guys wearing camo and carrying guns. I ran into another similarly equipped guy near the Pipe.

Last year, I remember the first time I ran into hunters while running some trails up around Squaw Peak. I figured that the area was far enough from civilization that I should expect to see hunters, so I made it point to wear brightly colored clothes from then on.

I was more surprised to see the hunters on the trail today. I'd never really thought about it before, but I assumed that people wouldn't be hunting so close to a residential area. Obviously, I was wrong.

Anyway, now I'm thinking about ways not to get shot. Google turns up plenty of articles like this one, although I think I'd rather get shot than follow some of that advice. (Orange safety vest? Pfft--whatever. And if I don't ride at dawn or dusk, when will I?) Sean's advice is a little more practical:"just don't wear Elk antlers on your helmet, or a turkey tail coming out of your pants...then all should be good."

And of course, that reminds of an article I saw in some mountain bike magazine back in the day (probably Bike, because MBA and Mountain Biking wouldn't publish anything so funny). Basically, it was a one page photo spread: what to wear/what not to wear during hunting season. On one side was a guy who pretty much looked like a deer. On the other side was a guy who looked more like Las Vegas at night. Or something.

Anyway, google couldn't find it. But if anyone knows what I'm talking about and has a copy, I'd love to see it.

Occupy Wall Street*

2011-10-01T22:45:00.000-07:00

Sean, Catherine and I have been closely following the protest all week. I hope it never ends. Seriously, this stuff is pure comedic gold. Who knew that a bunch of stupid unemployed hipsters (sorry--freelance photographers/artists/graphic designers/film-makers) could be so entertaining. They don't even have any coherent message or agenda.

For a quick primer, read this article Sean sent us today:

Consider the case of Erin Larkins, "a Columbia University graduate student who says she and her boyfriend have significant student loan debt." Ms. Larkins is one of the hundreds of protesters who "sleep on air mattresses, use Mac laptops and play drums." (Is it fair to say that anyone with a Macbook has no business complaining about their life of poverty?) Those same protesters regularly "march down to Wall Street, yelling, 'This is what democracy looks like!'"

According to Ms. Larkins, "I don't think we're asking for much, just to wake up every morning not worrying whether we can pay the rent, or whether our next meal will be rice and beans again** . . . No one is expecting immediate change. I think everyone is just hopeful that people will wake up a bit and realize that the more we speak up, the more the people that do have the authority to make changes in this world listen."

Or, as Sean summarizes it: "Like, I'm smart, I go to Columbia...someone as important as myself is above having to face the realities of life. Like, I think the government should re-pay me for the years that I have lived off the money that wasn't mine...because, I'm like smart and...you know, I go to Columbia."

I'd love to know what she's studying. Maybe she should have thought twice before "investing" in an overpriced graduate degree.

Anyways, read through these profiles of the protesters and tell me if you think I'm being unfair.

EDIT: Catherine points out this article, which isn't as "mean" to the protesters. Which is not to say it does their cause any favors. Watch the video. The big problem problem with this "movement" is that every time these people open their mouths, you end up wanting to punch someone. (My favorite is the guy running around in a mask and bandanna [pictured above]. He apparently thinks he's actively seeking employment, and he seems to wonder why no one is hiring him.)

* The pictures are from the New York Observer article I linked to.

** I don't get what she's complaining about. Catherine and I eat rice and beans all the time, and we like it.

Last-Minute Dental Work

2011-09-29T22:53:00.000-07:00

After Friday, Catherine and I switch from health insurance through her job to the student plan at BYU. In addition to higher monthly payments and less-awesome coverage, we'll also lose our dental plan. In anticipation of that, Catherine went to the dentist a few weeks ago to make sure that anything that needed to be fixed was fixed while we were still insured. Me being me, I didn't make it in until this week.

Because it was so last minute, I ended up choosing a dentist at random from the ADA website. And I was shocked when the dentist told me I needed 7 fillings and one crown a a cost (to me) of nearly $700. (The crown is because apparently I grind my teeth, and I've worn holes into the top of several molars).

Thinking that couldn't be right, I headed up to Catherine's dentist (and the guy I saw last year) for a second opinion. According to him, I needed four small fillings. Because the holes on top of my molars were free of decay, they could fix them with a bit of sealant (at no additional charge). Guess who I let fix my teeth?

Of course, since my insurance ends after tomorrow, I had to get everything done today, and that involved numbing my mouth completely. The dentist told me the anesthetic would wear off in 3-4 hours, but more than 12 hours later my lower lip is still numb. Also, my cheek hurts because I took a bite out of it when I tried to eat something while my mouth was still numb. Live and learn, I guess.

My Beloved Tank

2011-09-24T23:32:00.000-07:00

I sold an old road bike a couple of months ago and used the proceeds to buy this on clearance from Jenson USA:

I call it my tank because of the color and because, according to my bathroom scales, it weighs over 28 pounds, which I think is shockingly heavy for a hardtail with no gears. But since I'm not doing any racing (nor do I plan to anytime soon), I guess that doesn't really matter. Besides, I can still climb reasonably well, heavy bike or no.

With school back in session, I haven't had much time to get out and ride, but it's great when I do have time. There are few enough moving parts that I can ride without worrying about mechanical issues too much (although I think I did just strip the threads on one of the post mounts on the fork), and it's perfect for the trails in Corner Canyon, where I spend most of my time.

Best of all, Sean has a single speed, too (and has for years), so we've been riding together a lot. Overall, we're at about the same level. I smoke him on the climbs, and he returns the favor on the descents, so we end up at about the same speed over the course of a ride. Someday I'll figure out how to descend, but he'll probably catch up on the climbs by then, so I doubt much will change.

Anyway, I'm not sure what the point of this post was other than to post something. Maybe I just wanted to mention that as far as I am from racing these days, I'm still riding when I can, and enjoying it as much as I ever did.

Red-Eye Express

2011-09-18T11:59:00.001-07:00

This weekend I went down to Las Vegas for a few interviews at a job fair the school put on. My original plan was to drive to visit my grandparents in St. George on Friday night, and then to continue to Vegas in the morning.

Unfortunately, thanks to a few unexpected events, by Friday it was obvious that this was not the best week for a trip to Grandma and Grandpa's. We decided not to go as a family, and I decided that instead of driving to St. George by myself on Friday, I would wake up early and drive by myself to Las Vegas. So, I went to bed a little before 10:00, woke up a little before 1:00, and, after a quick shower and a Red Bull stop at Seven Eleven, I was on the road at 1:15.

I love driving late at night. The roads are so empty, and that makes the trip much less stressful, as long as you're not too tired to enjoy it. I had a rough time through Utah County, where there were not only cars on the road, but rain and construction, too, but by the time I hit Payson the road was wide open.

I debated flooring it and gambling that there would be no police out so late at night, but I decided against it. Despite my conservative pace, the GPS still gave me a 6:00 ETA. I was worried that that meant it was broken, but as I rolled through Parowan I remembered that I gain an hour traveling to Vegas. Which meant I could have slept for another hour. Oh well.

Anyway, despite a gas stop, a bathroom break, and a 20-minute nap at the side of the road, I arrived in Vegas a just after 6:00 local time, which means that the entire trip took less than six hours.

I had planned to grab breakfast and then sleep in the car for an hour or so before getting ready for the interviews, but after I ate I realized I had forgotten to bring copies of my resume and some other documents, so instead of sleeping I set out in search of a FedEx/Kinko's or whatever they're called now. Then, I changed into my suit in a parking garage and headed in for my interviews.

The interviews went well, I think. I spoke to three very different people from very different firms. I guess the interviewers are trying to sell their firms as much as I'm trying to sell myself, and I think they did good jobs. I could see myself being happy at all three, for different reasons.

Anyway, I guess this is going to just be a travelogue post. At the job fair I picked up two passengers for the return trip, which meant I didn't have to drive on the way home--a good thing, given my lack of sleep.

We made it back to Prove at about 7:00, and I headed up to AF to pick up Catherine and Elliott, and then we headed down to Orem to watch the BYU game with Kelsey and Matthew (who, by the way, is catching up with Elliott fast and will probably outgrow her within a month). If you're reading this you already know how things turned out, but I'll say it anyway: Worst. Game. Ever.

By the time we made it home and I made it to bed, it was almost midnight. Talk about a long day.

Late Night False Alarms

2011-09-15T00:17:00.000-07:00

I was just about to go to bed, but I realized that would mean two days without posting. And considering how well I've done for the past two weeks or so (quantity, not quality,),that's a slippery slope I don't want to start down. So, here's a story without a point.

Our refrigerator is loud most of the time (although it doesn't bother me, it drives Catherine crazy). But sometimes it's very quiet. For example, it decided to get very quiet sometime after midnight last night. I noticed because I was out in the kitchen finishing up a reading assignment and getting ready to go for a short run (my schedule these days is neither normal nor healthy). But when I heard the refigerator go silent, I panicked. I'm not sure why, because the refrigerator goes silent all the time (in fact, it's not making any noise as I type this). But for some reason, last night I was sure that it had broken.

We have about 400 ounces of milk for Elliott in the freezer, and losing it would not be cool. So I jumped in the car and drove to Wal-Mart, where I bought two coolers. They didn't have any dry ice, so I decided to buy 30 pounds of regular ice (better safe than sorry). As I left the parking lot, I thought that maybe there was dry ice at Smith's, so I took the long route home through Alpine, only to find out what I already knew--Smith's was closed.

Anyway, I got home a little before 2:00. Naturally, the refrigerator was running when I opened the door. So I left the coolers in the car and set the ice out on the doorstep to melt. Then I went to bed.

And that's the end of my story. Like I said, I don't think there's any point to it. Then again, maybe the lesson is that I need to sleep more. It's a lesson that I obviously didn't learn, because it's 1:30 right now.

Good night.

Elliott on her Belliott . . . in HD!

2011-09-12T21:11:00.000-07:00

I'm sure this is boring to many, but not to me. I could watch her do this all day.

It's hard to imagine something so simple taking so much effort. Then again, I haven't been three months old for a while.

(The video works pretty well in full-screen.)

Not Cyclists -- People with Bikes

2011-09-10T21:23:00.000-07:00

I went out for about as early a ride as I have in a long time. I was supposed to be on the road at 6:00 (still dark) so I could meet Aaron and Ryan at the mouth of Provo Canyon at 6:30. I got off a few minutes late, which stretched out into a few minutes more on the road to Provo, but eventually we all found each other in the parking lot by Will's Pit Stop.

The parking lot was surprisingly crowded for a Saturday morning before sunrise, and the River Trail was correspondingly busy as we headed up toward the Alpine Loop. Once we turned onto the loop, we climbed at a nice, conversational pace, hitting the summit in 57:xx.

As we started down the American Fork side, a white SUV was right on our tails almost immediately. I was bringing up the rear, and since we were going way over the speed limit anyway, I didn't think there was any reason for us to stop and let the driver pass. When we hit the sharp 180 degree turn (anyone who's ridden the route knows what I'm talking about), I took the outside line, and the driver stomped the gas, sliding his tires through the inside line and cutting me off, before blowing down the road (one lane, with two way traffic) at about 60 mph, barely squeezing past Aaron and Ryan on his way.

I've been riding long enough that there are plenty of jerks in cars, but this was a pretty blatant example of bad behavior. But what was most disheartening was that the SUV had a rack with several mountain bikes on the back. In a way, I felt betrayed, because I've always thought that at least some of the drivers on the road are fellow cyclists who wouldn't risk my life to save a few seconds.

The most likely explanation is that the driver and his passengers were not cyclists but people on bikes. Whichever trail they rode, I hope they crashed.

Speaking of cyclists, I consider myself one, even in my semi-retired state. But you know what? I'm not very good at riding bikes. I can put the power to the pedals--it's pretty straightforward, and I seem to be pretty good at it. But when it comes to basic things like turning, not a chance. Seriously, every time I ride with other people I'm reminded of what a terrible bike handler I am the instant we start descending. There's a reason I couldn't cut it as a racer . . .

On a completely unrelated note, Catherine and I went to the temple with her grandparents, her cousin, and her cousin-in-law. It was the first time we've been in a while. (Last time we planned to go, we ended up going to the hospital to have a baby instead.) While we were there, Amy watched Elliott for us. It seems like Jin has taken a liking to Elliott. It's nice to know that she won't grow up afraid of big dogs.

All Is Well

2011-09-08T21:19:00.002-07:00

Whether Catherine's procedure was a success or a failure depends on how you look at it. On the one hand, we know her heart is healthy and ready to handle some serious stress. On the other hand, the doctors were unable to induce any irregular beats and therefore unable to perform the ablation, so the possibility remains that Catherine's condition could come back in the future.

We got a late start this morning, but only because of some miscommunication. The appointment was at 6:30, but somehow I thought it was at 6:45. Catherine couldn't understand why I was so relaxed and sure we'd be on time until we figured that out. Despite the mix-up, we were only a few minutes late, and really we were there with plenty of time to get set up.

Catherine's mom was there to watch Elliott, which was a huge help. She and Elliott stayed in the lobby, while Catherine and I headed into the bowels of the hospital. The prep went quickly. Catherine was lucky enough to have a fantastic team working today; the nurse set up the IV without a hitch (often a much bigger problem than you might expect) and the anesthesiologist was excellent. At about 7:30 they wheeled Catherine out and that was the last I saw of her for a couple of hours.

I knew Catherine would be gone for at least 2 hours and possibly as long as 7 hours, but there was no way to know for sure until the procedure was done. So after they took her away I went and ate some breakfast at the hospital cafeteria, then I hung out in the lobby with Elliott for a bit while working on a law review article. After about an hour I headed back to the hospital room so I would be there for sure when they brought Catherine back. Right as I got there, one of the nurses came in and told me they had been unable to induce a bad beat after one hour, so they had put Catherine under a general anesthetic so they could try some heavier stuff. The nurse said that the last thing Catherine did before going under was ask her to go find me and tell me that she loves me. I thought it was very sweet.

About an hour later, the team brought Catherine back, and I knew then that there had been no ablation. The plus side was that I got to see her sooner. Also, she's pretty funny under the influence of anesthesia, although she doesn't remember much of anything she said. When they came into the room, the anesthesiologist tested her alertness by asking if she knew who I was. She told him I was her "awesome sexy husband." He thought it was hilarious. I was embarrassed.

While under the influence, Catherine was pretty convinced that she could still make the procedure work. Back in the room, she was actively bargaining with the nursing staff to see if she could get them to try a few more things. (Catherine: "He has a few more tricks, right?" Nurse: "What?" Catherine: "You know--the tricks. That he has up his sleeve."

The staff and I had a great time laughing at the things Catherine said. I guess it was so funny because even though she wasn't making much sense, she was so serious about what she was saying. At one point, a nurse told Catherine there was nothing more they could do. Catherine emphatically declared, "that's crap." The nurse explained that the reason for her earlier arrhythmia was the hormones related to pregnancy. Catherine thought about that for a minute and then suggested that if they took her back in she would pretend she was pregnant. Eventually the nurses managed to explain why that wouldn't work.

When the nurses were leaving, Catherine asked her favorite to go "advocate" for her so she could try another procedure. The nurse tactfully told her that she would tell the doctor everything she had said. Catherine thought about that for a while and decided it sounded like a fair compromise.

By the time the doctor came in, Catherine was still coming around, but not there completely. We discussed future options (if Catherine gets pregnant again and the arrhythmia returns, they can operate without x-rays), and then somehow the conversation turned to the lack of cooperation between the IHC hospitals and the U and how it's been that way for more than 50 years. With a very serious expression, Catherine suggested to the doctor that he could change that by inviting someone to lunch.

Anyway, after the doctor left, I went out and brought Elliott and Catherine's mom in. An hour later they let Catherine go home, and that was it. On the one hand, I'm happy that her heart is healthy and that she didn't have to have surgery. On the other hand, it would have been nice for them to resolve the problem once and for all. Of course, after today they say there's a good chance that the condition may never come back, so hurray for that.

Big Day Tomorrow

2011-09-07T21:46:00.000-07:00

Catherine, Elliott and I will be at the hospital tomorrow morning at 6:45 for a heart procedure. (Heart surgery, actually, but that sounds so serious.)

Basically, the tachycardia that Catherine had during the pregnancy has gone away, which would be a good thing, except that it will likely pop up again during another pregnancy, which would mean more medication, which might be bad for the baby, etc. Arrhythmias such as Catherine's can be fixed pretty easily through ablation, but there's a catch--they can only perform the procedure if they can see where the irregular beats are coming from. Since Catherine's condition has cleared up, they're going to shoot her full of adrenaline and hope that her heart goes crazy. If it does, they can perform the ablation and the problem will be gone forever. If it doesn't, we cross our fingers and hope the condition is gone for good.

Elliott and I are confident everything will go smoothly. (That is, I'm confident, and I'm projecting onto Elliott.) But as you might expect, Catherine is pretty nervous, she being the one who has to have heart surgery. Please keep her in your prayers.

Back to Work

2011-09-06T21:33:00.000-07:00

After a long break (I only have classes on Monday and Wednesday, so thanks to the holiday I haven't been to school in nearly a week), I started my externship this morning. This semester, I'll be working twice a week at the court in American Fork. I took the position because I thought it would be convenient and because I thought it would be a good way to expose myself to a wide range of legal issues. So far, it looks like the position will deliver on both.

The courthouse is no more than a mile from our house, so I was able to head out the door at 7:45 this morning and walk over just in time to start at 8:00. Convenient.

I'll be dealing with civil issues, criminal cases (on my way in I walked past a dude in an orange jumpsuit and manacles with a huge tattoo on the back of his skull), and family law. In other words, I should experience a much wider range of legal issues than I did over the summer.

Right now I'm helping with what seems to be a particularly nasty divorce. I read one side and I'm convinced the husband is a jerk. Then I read the other side and I'm convinced the wife is a jerk. (Of course, I guess they can both be jerks.) Then again, I'd expect things to be nasty when so much money is at stake. I hope that someday I make as much as the husband is paying in alimony and child support alone. Yikes.

The Faceless Ghost

2011-09-05T21:12:00.001-07:00

I googled "faceless ghost" a few minutes ago. (In case you think that was some sort of ego trip, let me explain. I was looking at results from the Park City Point to Point this weekend and I noticed some pretty funny names in the "representing" column of the results. I googled some of them--my favorite was "really fast donkeys"--and then I got to wondering if there were any Faceless Ghost teams anywhere. So I googled "faceless ghost." And now, back to my post ...)I think this blog came up fourth or fifth.

Anyway, I was most interested in the first hit (wikipedia). Apparently, "the Noppera-bō, or faceless ghost, is a Japanese legendary creature." Pretty cool, I guess. For a minute I thought that meant I was part Japanese, but then I remembered that I'm not really the faceless ghost. I just stole his name.

In other news, Sean and I went mountain biking this morning. We decided to go to Spanish Fork to explore some new trails. Things didn't go quite as planned with the route finding, but we still had a good time. It usually turns into an adventure when I decide to try a new route.

Why I Hate Cycling

2011-09-04T22:38:00.000-07:00

I don't actually. In fact, I love it. But I do hate bikes.

More specfically, I hate bike ownership. It's fun to see all the new bikes that come out, and to covet something newer and shinier than whatever you already have. But once you own the bike, the problems never end. It could be that I've just had a tremendous run of bad luck. Or it could be that I'm overly sensitive to mechanical problems. But it seems that once you have a bike, things start breaking. And then it seems to get to the point that you can never just go out and ride because you have to patch a tire, replace a chain, fix a spoke, etc.

Obviously, broken is not a bicycles default condition. As long as I'm reasonably diligent about maintenance, my bikes are usually in good shape and ready to ride. It's just that when something breaks at an inconvenient time (is there ever a convenient time for something to break?), the experience sticks with me.

The reason for this post is a busted disc brake on my mountain bike. While I was lubing the chain and inflating the tires for a ride with Sean tomorrow morning, I noticed a rasping from the front brake. As I tried to figure out what the problem was, the brake seized completely. It turns out that there's some loose piece of metal in there jamming things up. I can't tell for sure, but I think the problem will go away with a new set of pads. But for now, the brake is unusable. Which means that instead of going to bed at ten I've been up trying to swap brakes over from another bike so I can ride tomorrow.

I've got that problem taken care of, but now I've noticed a loud, occasional pop coming somewhere from the front end. I can't tell if that's a sign that something is about to break on me, or just that a new sound is about to drive me crazy. And early this week the bike was out of commission because the wheels were knocked out of true and the bearings in my front hub were loose. With bikes, if it's not one thing, it's another.

Mechanical issues were one of the main reasons I switched to running last year. But then I discovered that mechanicals happen there, too. They're called injuries, and you can't fix them nearly as quickly or easily as a you can a broken bike.

I won't be complaining when I'm on the trail tomorrow morning, but for now I want to cry about it.

Alpine Loop

2011-09-03T21:02:00.000-07:00

Really, this is another one of those post-just-to-post days.

I got out this morning and rode the Alpine Loop for the first time in a while. In fact, the last time I rode it was during the 2009 Tour of Utah. Come to think of it, after a week of racing that climb hit me so hard that pieces of my racing career are still scattered along the side of the road. I guess there's a reason I haven't been back for a while.

Anyway, the climb is still there, and still as good as it ever was. I rode from our house in American Fork to Provo Canyon, then up the Sundance side. (I've been riding in Utah for at 8 years, and I've still never ridden up the American Fork side.) I felt strong on the climb, but I hit the summit in 50 minutes flat, so I only felt strong. I think the compact crank helps a lot with that. Maybe I should spend more time on the back. Then, I might actually be strong instead of just feeling that way.

In other news, Elliott has slept straight through the night for two nights in a row. We're hoping this is the beginning of a new era.

The Time Multiplier

2011-09-02T22:09:00.001-07:00

I know I'm stating the obvious to anyone who's had children, and this isn't something I just discovered today, but things take a lot longer when you have kids.

After last night's botched trip to the library, I had to head back with Elliott today. The first delay was waiting for her to wake up and eat. I figured that if I let her sleep until she was hungry and left right after she ate, I'd be able to make it to Provo and back before she got hungry and fussy again.

She slept through the entire drive in, and she was pretty calm when I walked over to the library with her in the Baby Bjorn. (I noticed during the summer semester that I get all kinds of "isn't that cute" looks when I walk around campus with Elliott. It was funny then, but now that there are so many people on campus it makes me a little uncomfortable.)

As soon as we set foot in the periodicals section of the library, however, Elliott decided that she would scream every time I stopped moving. This made it very tricky to get things done.

I still couldn't get the moving shelves to move, so I asked a librarian for help. She came over and pressed the same button I had been pressing and the shelves moved, so maybe the problem was me. But it turned out that the volume I needed was in an auxiliary storage area, so I wouldn't have had any luck last night even if I had figured out the shelf thing.

Anyway, once I got the article I needed I had to figure out how to scan it. Normally, that's pretty easy. But as I already mentioned, Elliott had decided to start screaming every time I stopped moving. And since I was in a crowded library, that meant I couldn't stop moving. After several attempts to get her to be quiet long enough for me to scan my article, I gave up. I tried calling Amy, but she was unavailable. I decided my only choice was to hang out on campus until she was done with her class or her meeting or whatever else she was up to so I could leave Elliott with her for five minutes and scan my article.

Fortunately, just as I was leaving the library I ran into another guy from law review who took five minutes and scanned the article for me. And that was that. In short, I ended up spending over an hour to do what should have taken ten minutes. Daddy-daughter bonding time, I guess.

And of course, Elliott fell asleep as soon as we got back to the car and didn't wake up until after we got home.

Daddy's little monster.

Posting Just to Post

2011-09-01T23:22:00.000-07:00

I was all ready to go to bed, and then I remembered that I hadn't posted today, so here I am. And guess what--I don't have much to say tonight. I stayed home with Elliott today and studied while Catherine went to work. Of course, being on daddy duty cuts my productivity in half, but the advantage is that I get to spend time with my daughter. It's a good trade. Especially this early in the semester, when finals are so far away.

I did run into campus tonight, because I needed to pull one article from the periodical archives on campus. But once I got there the sliding shelves were broken and the staff had gone home for the night, so there was no way for me to get at the article I needed. I guess it's possible that the shelves were fine and I was just too stupid to figure it out, but I've been in a library enough that I'm pretty sure that's not the case. Anyway, it was a bit of a wasted trip. I guess I'll be taking Elliott in tomorrow, which is exactly what I was hoping to avoid by going in tonight.

Peach Cobbler v3.0

2011-08-31T20:03:00.000-07:00

Even after Monday's cobbler catastrophe, I wasn't ready to give up. And everything went right today: I didn't destroy any personal property, and the cobbler survived long enough for us to eat it. And it was delicious.

I got out of class earlier today than I did on Monday, so I was able to pick up peaches at the Allred Orchard place on University. Much better than the peaches at Harmon's, and much cheaper, too.

Of course, they were even better after stewing in their own juices, with a cup sugar thrown in for good measure.

Last time I mixed the batter, it cost me $400. It went better today.

Like most things, it's better with butter.

And peaches.

Here's the finished product. Unfortunately, some of the mix boiled up onto the side of the dish and burned in the oven. The cobbler turned out fine, but it didn't look as nice as I had hoped.

It looked fine with ice cream, though.

And that's the end of my cobbler adventure. The recipe turned out to be pretty simple, once I eliminated all the mayhem, and I think I'll use it again sometime. Cobbler is one of Catherine's favorite desserts, but I don't usually eat much of it. This one is different, though. I think it's the fresh peaches that make the difference.

This last picture has nothing to do with cobbler. But I've posted a picture of Elliott every day this week, so why stop now?

Worst. Interview. Ever.

2011-08-30T19:57:00.000-07:00

It's interviewing season at the law school right now. I was going to go into more detail about that, but I changed my mind, at least for now.

This afternoon I had a phone interview with a large firm in Southern California. I'm pretty sure the big firm path isn't for me, but the attorney I worked for this summer advised me to pursue opportunities in the biggest firms in the biggest markets available to me, so I figured I should at least apply. (In the off chance that they don't say no to me, I can always say no to them if I want to, right?)

Anyway, I scheduled the interview for this afternoon because Elliott was supposed to be with a babysitter, and that way I wouldn't have to worry about what to do with a fussy baby during the interview. I was especially worried about that because I knew that if she started crying during the interview, I would have to not only ignore her until I was done, I'd have to move to a different part of the house so that the I wouldn't have to be competing with a screaming baby for the interviewer's attention. That seemed like a bad idea to me.

Unfortunately, something came up, and Elliott was with me this afternoon rather than with a babysitter. And as expected, she woke up and started fussing about 30 minutes before the interview. I fed her, but that didn't help, so I put her in her little Bumbo chair on the table where she could watch me work, and that seemed to do the trick.

Elliott was still happy five minutes before the scheduled interview time, so I decided to leave her in the chair (although I put her and her chair on the floor in case I had to leave her unsupervised for a bit.) I was sure things were going to work out, but less than two minutes into the interview Elliott started to fuss.

I moved into the kitchen so that the interviewer wouldn't be able to hear anything, but a few minutes later Elliott started to cry and I had to move out into the yard. I think moving away from your crying baby is the most counter-intuitive things you can do as a father

Needless to say, I don't recall much of the interview. I remember answering questions, but my mind never left the living room. At one point, the interviewer was giving a fairly lengthy response to one of my questions, so I covered the mouthpiece on my phone and ran inside to check on Elliott. I felt like the worst parent in the world when I stepped inside and saw her sitting there alone and crying her little head off.

But it was even worse when I stepped back in a few minutes later and she wasn't crying any more. Instead, she was slouched in her chair panting with her eyes red and tears streaked down her cheek. As for as I could tell, she had cried until she couldn't cry anymore, and then she just sat there wondering why no one was coming to get her. I'm not sure if I've ever felt so bad in my life.

The interview ended shortly after that and I ran inside, pulled Elliott out of her chair, and sat with her in the rocking chair until Catherine came home 45 minutes later. As I write this, I'm pretty sure she's forgotten the whole thing. But I haven't, and I won't, either.

As for the interview, who knows. Honestly, at this point I'm not sure I even care.

One of those Days

2011-08-29T20:58:00.000-07:00

Today is Catherine's birthday. Last year, Amy got some peaches from a roadside place in Provo and gave them to Catherine as a present. They were some of the best peaches we've ever had, so I told Catherine I'd get her some on my way home today. This afternoon I decided I'd do one better and use the peaches to make her a birthday cobbler (Catherine loves peach cobbler).

Unfortunately, I don't get out of class until 6:00 on Mondays, so the peach place was closed by the time I got there. Not to be deterred, I picked up some peaches at Harmon's and went home and got busy in the kitchen.

As I was preparing the batter, I knocked my mixing bowl over, spilling the contents on my computer and destroying it. (It being my computer, not the cobbler. Although the cobbler was pretty dead, too.)

Since I'm at a point in my life where I can't be computerless (and since Catherine is one of those Mac people, I can't really borrow her computer), I had to run over to Costco to see what I could find. I was lucky enough to find a screaming deal on a computer comparable to the one I had just destroyed (better in some ways). Although it was a bummer to have to shell out so much on short notice, I can take comfort in the fact that (thanks to Costco's 2-year warranty) I now have a computer guaranteed to last me through law school. Unless I spill cobbler on it.

While I was at Costco, Catherine called me and I could hear Elliott crying in the background. Catherine had left her on her little play mat, as we always do, and Elliott had then kicked herself back hard enough to bop her head on a bookshelf. She was fine, but it was a bit of a scare for us first-time parents. The silver lining here is that Elliott is showing the first signs of mobility. We're proud of her for that, and we're bracing ourselves for the fact that this won't be the last time she bops her head.

Also while I was at Costco, Catherine had pulled my cobbler v2.0 out of the oven and set it out to cool. Because we have limited counter space, we usually let things cool on the stove top. Unfortunately, I had been so flustered after destroying my computer that I forgot to turn off the stove. A few minutes after Catherine set the cobbler down, it exploded. There's no silver lining here--it was an awesome cobbler, and we were excited to eat it.

Happy birthday, Catherine. I love you, and I'm sorry things didn't go more smoothly today.

An Experiment

2011-08-28T20:32:00.000-07:00

For the past year or so, Catherine and I have been slowly reading through mission journals together. And while mine is not as interesting or as detailed as hers, it is pretty complete in the sense that there was only one day throughout the whohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifle two years that I didn't write, and that day was in the MTC.

Since I got home, I've never managed to keep a journal with any consistency. The lack of motivation has carried over into my blogging.

Of course, the key to my writing on the mission was that I wrote something every day. Sometimes that only amounted to a sentence or two. Other times I wrote pages. But I always wrote.

So following the example of another blog I read, I'm going to try this week to write every day. Even if I have nothing to say, I'll put something down. After all, I can always post baby pictures:

Speaking of babies, today was Elliott's blessing. The comment I heard most about her blessing afterward was "short and sweet." Which I guess means that I had a noticeable lack of things to say. But I was nervous (I hate public speaking). And besides, quality over quantity, right?

2011 Speedgoat 50K - So Not Cool

2011-08-03T14:28:00.000-07:00

I signed up for the Speedgoat 50K last year, shortly after a successful run at Sapper Joe. But I injured my knee for the first time a couple of weeks later and ended up deferring my registration. Unfortunately, I've spent most of this year injured, too, so I was going to defer one more time, but a few weeks ago Jared called and peer-pressured me into running. So, after a couple of weeks of light training and a longish run a few days before the race, I found myself heading up to Snowbird with Catherine and Elliott bright and early on Saturday morning.

Here's the elevation profile for the Speedgoat:

And here's my training mileage for the year up to the day before the race. Can you spot the problem?

Anyway, Jared talked me into running by telling me that he hadn't run much either. Of course, his not running much involved a ton of backcountry skiing, including a new speed record on the Grand Teton, whereas my not running much involved not running much or doing anything else.

We decided to take at easy on the opening climb and stay together until the tram. (Andy said he would do the same, but he was gone fifty feet into the race—probably a good call, as he would go on to finish seventh). And we mostly stayed together, I ditched Jared twice on the way up—once when he stopped to figure out how to get water from an aid station with no cups (how's the no bottle strategy working now, Samurai?) and again when he stopped to figure out how to cross a stream without getting his feet wet—but we were still together as we came into the final half mile to the tram station. But then we overshot the trail while climbing straight up a snowy slope, and Jared opened a small gap that would hold for eight miles or so when he slid back down to get on course as I tentatively picked my way after him.

I reached the aid station at the summit and paused long enough to drink some soda before tackling a quick, steep descent along the ridge and then climbing to the top of Baldy. From there it was a longer descent into Mineral Basin, which included a rocky shoot with ropes set up to help me and the other runners not die. Scary stuff.

From Mineral Basin it was a short climb over a ridge, followed by a long descent into American Fork Canyon. The descent was infuriating. I guess you could call it a fire road, but it was covered in rocks and super technical, making it impossible to maintain any speed or develop any sort of rhythm. Also, the course had been heavily flagged up until this point, the flags on the descent were few and far between, making me wonder if I had wandered off course. I reminded myself that I could always just run home if that were the case, but that turned out to be unnecessary, as there was a course marshal at the bottom directing me to the feed zone at the turnaround.

I arrived at the feedzone, comfortably in the top 20, just as Jared was leaving. I loitered for a while before setting back out on course, because I just couldn't bear the thought of the climb in front of me. Although I had felt pretty good for the first half of the race, the long descent had trashed my quads, and 16 miles was about as far as my training had prepared me for. I ended up hiking almost all of the five-mile climb back to Mineral Basin. I wasn't the only one hiking, but based on how many people passed me, I must have been hiking slower than almost everyone. (I say almost everyone because I caught and passed Jared about a mile out of the feedzone.)

I stopped at the feedzone in Mineral Basin to stock up on Jolly Ranchers, salt capsules and water, and I actually felt a lot better for the brtually steep climb straight up a ski slope to the tunnel. But the following descent took everything I had left, and by the time I hit the climb back up to the tram station I was done.

As I shuffled up the ridge, Jared blew past me, then another runner, then another. I eventually staggered into the aid station with my head pounding (from the altitude, the dehydration, the lack of carbohydrates, or some combination of the three) and unable to to walk in a straight line. One of the volunteers asked what I needed and I said a chair. As I sat there with several cups of soda, a tram arrived at the top, and I seriously thought about hopping in and DNFing, thinking I still had 8 miles and another climb to the finish. But when one of the volunteers told me it was only five miles, all downhill, I knew I had to get up and finish.

The descent was slow and painful and slow. And did I mention slow? My quads were so trashed that 12 minute miles downhill were a struggle, and I may have even walked a few stretches. For the last two miles or so I checked my Garmin every 10-15 seconds, wondering why the stupid miles were passing so slowly. But finally I hit the finish line in 7:26. Catherine and Elliott were there waiting for me, and I don't think I've ever been so happy to be done running.

Honestly, this was not a fun race. I was woefully unprepared, and I think I got lucky it went as well as I did. But although I promised myself repeatedly throughout the day that I was going to quit doing this to myself, I'm already planning to go back next year. Assuming I my knee will let me put in the training miles, I know I can do much, much better. My time was the time I deserved, but it wasn't even close to what I'm capable of. Watch what happens next time.

Guest Post: Mt. Olympus West Slabs

2011-07-20T19:59:00.000-07:00

This blog suffers. It's not that I can't blog--I write at least a little bit on my training blog every day. But I have no theme here, and that makes it hard for me to be consistent. If you have any ideas, please let me know. In the meantime, here's a guest post from my brother, Sean.

After hearing about the West Slabs of Mount Olympus from Jared, I have been itching to climb them. Jared recently free-soloed the route, so I felt that was the best way to do it. The timing was finally right the day after my birthday, and having no one to come along with me, I made a go for it solo. I had never been anywhere near the route—I had just seen it from the U of U hospital in the distance—so I gathered whatever beta I could off the internet and from Jared, and then set out.

Originally, I had planned on taking a 30 meter line with me in case I got in over my head on either the ascent or descent. But, after loading my pack up with that equipment, I decided it was too heavy and I’d rather have a lighter load to move quicker. Having told several people, who worry about me, that I would have a rope in case of trouble, I second guessed the decision the whole time on the approach. How dumb would I feel if something happened that a rope could have prevented…but the light pack sure felt nice on my back.

The approach was really straight forward. I followed the trail from the parking area up, then picked up a nicely maintained trail to the east that ended in a dry river bed. I followed this up until I hit the snow field that led to the base of the slabs. I have very limited experience on this type of terrain so I was a bit hesitant at first. But, once I realized that my shoes would hold in the small steps I kicked out, I felt pretty secure.

Once I hit the top of the snow, I found a good boulder to sit on and strap on my climbing shoes. After letting a couple siblings know that I was starting the climb, I began my ascent of the West Slabs. From all the beta I gathered, the route basically goes wherever looks good. So I looked up, saw a good hand hold, and started going up. The second I started climbing, I found the zone. Every doubt and uncertainty if I should be there alone disappeared quickly. All that was on my mind was my dance with the stone. I stopped occasionally in ledges to look down at my progress, but the draw of the climb kept me going up. The first few hundred feet was the most fun. I wish that the route was that steep the whole way, but it mellowed out the higher I got and eventually became a 4th class scramble to the top.

Once on top, I nearly missed stepping on a rattlesnake poking his head out from a hole on the ridge, ate a cliff bar, took a couple pics, then began figuring out how I was going to get down. Jared had suggested that I traverse the ridge, eventually hitting the South Summit, and then descend via the main hiking trail. But the rattlesnake spooked me a bit and the last thing I wanted was to be alone on the ridge with a rattlesnake bite. So instead, I decided to go down the gully just west of the West Slab route.

There were several trees with rap slings, but the descent was easy enough that I was able to down climb the gulley back to the base of the climb. From there I descended the snow field I had gone up. This was the scariest part to me. Some snow spikes on my shoes would’ve been nice, but I made do with a flimsy stick as a trekking pole instead. One part of the snow field had collapsed during my time on the rock, and getting around it became quite a task. I had to descend a corner system on the side that rolled off under the snow into the river beneath it…and one slip half way down gave me a nice shot of adrenaline. But, it turned out well and I was able to finish the descent with no problems.

I got back to the car in about three and a half hours; no speed record by any means, but one site I looked at suggested the time from the car to the top would take 5-6 hours. So, 3.5 car to car was alright by me. Now that I know the route, I want to head back and do it under 2 hours. The descent took the most time, the snow field especially, so I think I could easily shave a lot of time.

The climb was a great way to celebrate my birthday. If anyone is looking to do an easy free solo with very limited risk, this is the place to do it. I’ve done a lot of climbing, and this rates among the best.

Filler Post

2011-06-22T18:03:00.000-07:00

I've been slacking in the blogging department. So, until I come up with some new material, I give you demon baby:

Elliott Isabella

2011-06-06T10:05:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Catherine walked past the employee health center in the Church Office Building and fatefully decided to check her blood pressure. It turned out to be 160/100, and because Catherine was 8.5 months pregnant, we had to take her to the hospital.

We got to the hospital at about 4:00 and within two hours the staff had diagnosed preeclampsia and decided to induce labor. So, rather than enjoying the date we had planned for the night, we made some calls, got a few changes of clothes, and settled in for the long haul.

At 6:28 on Sunday morning, Catherine gave birth to Elliott Isabella. At 5 pounds 6 ounces, she's tiny. But her height is right in the 50th percentile, so she's pretty lanky. We're not sure where she gets that from.

Catherine may want to share her story later, but for now I'll just say that things have been going well: Catherine is recovering quickly, Elliott is healthy, and we're thrilled to have her.

At Least My Knee Will Heal Itself

2011-06-02T21:47:00.001-07:00

A week or two ago I realized that, thanks to my left knee, I haven't had a single solid week of running all year. And now half of the year is gone.

But I managed to run every day in the week leading up to the Grandeur Fun Run, and every day in the week after, too. And although I didn't run a lot (high 30s and low 40s), I did log plenty of vertical, and I started thinking my knee was finally coming around. But after my run on Monday I could feel trouble brewing. Things were a little worse on Tuesday. And yesterday I finally had to admit that I pushed past the limit and now I'm injured again.

Based on past experience, there's a good chance that this will pass quickly if I just stop running for a week or two. So maybe it's good that I'm actually injured rather than sitting on the cusp of an injury, because now I'll do what I should have done before and take some legitimate time off. And if I can get my knee back on track quickly, I may not have to defer my Speedgoat registration for another year.

Anyway, for better or for worse, since yesterday evening I've been cross training at the gym (specifically, logging time on the stair stepper) rather than running. Which leads me to what I was going to write about.

Earlier today Catherine and I took the Mazdarati to the car wash. So I was surprised when I stepped out of the gym tonight and walked over to the car and saw that it looked pretty dirty. I looked closer and saw this dent running from the rear quarter panel to the passenger door.

I thought, "you've got to be kidding." I went back into the gym and told the employee that someone had sideswiped my car. I filled out an incident report while he went out to have a look. He pointed out that it looked like blue paint on the car, and suggested that I take a look at the blue cars in the lot to see if any had white paint on their bumpers.

That sounded like a good idea, so I took a look around. There were a few cars of the right color, but none had white paint on their bumpers, so I headed back to the car, feeling justifiably angry.

I got back to the car, and something didn't seem quite right. Then it dawned on me: same model, same color, same trim, but not my car. I looked over a few spots and saw my car, as clean as I remembered it.

Anyway, I went back in and told the employee what happened. We both had a good laugh, he tossed the incident report, and I went home.

It's funny how a false alarm can make the status quo seem better than it did before. Right now, I'm just happy my car is okay. My knee is still injured, and that still sucks, but at least it will heal itself, and at no cost to me.

Grandeur Peak Fun Run

2011-05-22T20:26:00.000-07:00

I ran my second Grandeur Fun Run on Saturday. It's a bit of a misnomer, because it hurts too much to really be fun, and much of the course is far too steep to run. But I had a great time this year just like I did last year, even if I was ten minutes slower. I miss my pre-law school fitness. Sigh.

Anyways, Jon carried a camera during the race, and his video is below. Look for me in the yellow shirt at the start. If you miss that, look for the bloody knee at the end. Because apparently I need training wheels.

It's Over. For Now.

2011-05-01T13:28:00.000-07:00

This week was the law review write-on, and at the recommendation of several reliable sources, including my uncle, I decided to participate. Basically, the contest involved two parts: writing a 15-page article based on a series of sources provided by the law review committee, and performing a technical edit on the footnotes of a sample law review article. Both parts were difficult. Both parts were frustrating. And there wasn't really enough time, either (especially since I spent so much time this week taking care of other, more important things, like a death in the family and maternity appointments with Catherine).

But I got everything done by the 5:00 deadline on Friday. And after I read my article, I realized it wasn't awful, which is much better than I had expected as I was writing it.

The best part of the competition was the relief I felt when it was over. It was exactly what I hoped to feel (but didn't) after finals ended last week. Because now, at least for the rest of the summer, I have some breathing room. Sure, I'll be busy--I start my internship next week, and Baby is coming next month--but for the next few months I can leave my work at work. For the last two semesters, I've been living with this feeling that I should be always doing something. I think I did a good job of balancing school with the rest of my life, but I could never truly enjoy my time because there was always a paper that needed to be written, a class that needed to be outlined, a case that needed to be read, or notes that needed to be studied.

After turning in my law review materials, I locked up my carrel, picked up my Nook, walked over to a couch in the library and spent an hour or so reading a novel while I waited for Catherine to come pick me up. I don't think I've ever enjoyed the simple act of reading so much.

I'm Back ... Again

2011-04-21T20:16:00.000-07:00

I can't remember how many times I've tried to keep this blog going over the years. But Catherine asked me to start it up again, so I promised I'd start this one again as soon as finals were over. And as of this morning, finals are over.

Technically, that makes me a 2L. And although I am relieved to be done with the testing, the relief really isn't as great as I would have hoped. Because now I have to wait and worry for two months for grades to come out, because apparently grades are everything in law school, and apparently last semester went well enough that I kind of dread (and expect) that I didn't do as well the second time around.

And besides, being done with finals doesn't really mean much. Tomorrow I have something like 5 hours worth of mandatory meetings. On Saturday, I'm taking the GMAT, cold (the story of why I'm taking the test now instead of two months ago would have made a great post by itself). All of next week belongs to the law review write-on. And the week after that I start my externship. And so on.

So anyways, that's school. As for running, I've been plagued by recurring knee injuries, of which there have been four or five in the past 10 months, depending on how you count. Despite the injuries, and the resulting gaps in my training, I managed to finish the Buffalo Run 50K a few weeks ago, and I even managed to do so only a few minutes slower than last year. But the result seems to be a new and exciting knee injury, which means my training continues to be less than it should. Which is troubling because I'm supposed to run the Squaw Peak 50 in six weeks or so.

Anyways, I'd say I'm starting to feel off topic now, but I don't think I was ever on topic to begin with. And that's pretty much why I've never managed to get this blog to stick--lack of direction. I don't want or need this to be a training blog (I already have one of those), and I don't want this to be a law school blog, because nobody wants to read about that. But this may wind up being a bit of both, or neither. I guess it depends on what I feel like writing on any given day. For now, I'll just say that I'm going to write something once a week. And we'll see where we go from there.

Also, Catherine and I are expecting a baby girl eight weeks from today. If you're reading this, you probably already knew that, but I thought I'd throw it out there, just in case.

Coming and Going

2010-07-31T16:24:00.000-07:00

Catherine dropped me off at work yesterday morning, and I called it a day around 4:00.

It's a strange feeling when something ends after being a major part of your life for a long time (for me, 3 years and 7 months counts as a long time). I'm looking forward to going back to school, but I'll miss going to the office every morning, as strange as that may sound. And I'll miss my coworkers much more.

I've been lucky to work with some great people for the last few years, and I consider all of them my friends. We went to lunch on Thursday and we ate cupcakes and said our goodbyes on Friday, but after that I went home and that was that. They'll be back on Monday, and I won't. I guess that's life.

At about the same time I was leaving one part of my life behind, I decided to revisit another. I renewed my cycling license on Thursday and I raced the Tour de Park City this morning. It went about as well is you'd expect, given my preparation, which means it couldn't have been more different from last year's race. I guess I should be happy I at least managed to finish before the masters pack ran me down, although just barely.

Being back in the pack felt a lot like visiting LA after having been gone for so long--it used to be home, and it could be again, but it definitely isn't right now. And although it's nice to visit, you don't want to stay too long.

I don't know if I ever said so, but I thought I had left cycling behind, at least for this part of my life. And as I rode over Bald Mountain Pass all I was thinking about was the trails and running in the mountains, so maybe I have. Who knows.

For anyone who's interested, I've posted a rambling, yet more detailed report on my FRB page.

Me and my support crew. The day wasn't all bad.

Sapper Joe 50K

2010-05-30T11:29:00.000-07:00

Catherine and I both ran the Sapper Joe trail race yesterday morning out at Camp Williams. Catherine ran the 15K, and I ran the 50K. It was a good day for both of us: Catherine finished top 5 in the women's 15K, and I won the 50K and set a course record. For anyone who's interested, I've posted a full report of my race on my training blog.

After all these years, Landis comes clean

2010-05-19T23:01:00.001-07:00

I woke up in the middle of the night and decided to check my email before returning to bed. The first thing I saw was an email from Mark with a link to this article in the Wall Street Journal.

Regarding doping, I became a cynic long ago. I always knew something like this would happen someday, but I'm still surprised now that it's happened.

Before I go on, I should acknowledge that none of Landis's accusations have been substantiated yet. But I don't doubt them. Cycling is full of rumors and vague accusations, but Landis has been very specific in naming names and describing exactly when and how the doping took place. After his prolonged legal battle, I'm sure Landis learned enough about libel laws to know better than to make stuff like this up. Besides, what he says is much easier to believe than the alternative (that Armstrong et al are clean). You don't have to trust Landis or even like him--it's hard to believe he's making this stuff up.

It's disheartening. If everything Landis says is true, can anyone believe that any ProTour rider (at least, any rider who wins things) is clean? And if not, that means that every developing rider with genuine talent will at some point in his career have to choose between integrity and success. That's sad.

I wonder why Landis chose to come forward now. After all, he still has (had) a career in cycling (although not like he used to, or like the riders he accuses still have). And his emails will no doubt lose him many friends and cause him plenty of trouble. But I'm glad he came forward, because someone needed to do it.

Of course, it's not like riders haven't come forward before, and I doubt this will change anything. The European cycling world will probably use this to discredit American cyclists while celebrating the accomplishments of riders like Contador. And the sporting world in general will probably use this to discredit cycling while celebrating the accomplishments of other "clean" athletes (does anyone know exactly how many soccer player were implicated in Operacion Puerto? Why do we never hear about them?). And life will go on as usual.

Oh well.

Anyways, it's late and I've been typing away without much thought. But I felt like I needed to write something before I went back to sleep, and I stand by everything I've written (except the typos).

Red Mountain 30K

2010-04-28T11:21:00.000-07:00

It's been too long. But not because I haven't had anything to write about. For example, since my last post I shaved my beard (and my head), Catherine started her new job full time, I committed to law school at BYU, Catherine and I had our body compositions measured at the University of Utah's exercise science lab, and I finally met my brother and sister in law. Any of those could have provided material for a blog post, but I was lazy, so instead all you get is this paragraph. Sorry.

Anyways, Catherine and I went down to St. George this weekend for the Red Mountain 30K. I originally signed up for the 50K, but I decided that I'd rather run the shorter race and train through it than run the longer race and take a week for recovery afterward. Since I'm still new to running, I though this would be better for me overall, and half a week later I stand by my decision.

The race started at 7:00, but because the course was a point to point we had to be at the finish in Ivins by 6:00. From there, the race volunteers shuttled us to the start, just west of Veyo and up the canyon from Gunlock.

The course was not technical, but it was fast and beautiful. From the start, we ran about 12 miles down the canyon to Highway 91, which we then followed back into Ivins. The course ran long (19.1 miles instead of 18.6) and descended 1,500 feet while climbing only 500.

Catherine and I knew this would be a small race, but we were surprised to see that there were only 12 runners at the start (there were about 50 runners in the 50K). Small fields like that don't usually provide fierce competition, but they do make for a friendly, low-key atmosphere, and during the 20 minutes or so we spent waiting for the start I think Catherine and I met all 10 of our fellow racers.

When I decided to race the shorter distance, I decided to treat the race as a fast training run. Instead of going out too hot from the start, I wanted to force myself to settle into a hard but comfortable pace so that I could still have enough left in my legs to speed up at the end. Based on my times from other races, I thought breaking 2 hours was a reasonable goal--on a true 30K, that would require a pace of
6:27 per mile.

When we finally started, I found myself alone immediately, and I stayed that way for the entire race. The downhill grade and the perfect weather (it was freezing at the start but things heated up quickly) let me push harder than expected. I ended up averaging 6:11 per mile for the entire race and came in comfortably under 2 hours, even with the extra half mile. And I felt good enough at the end to crank out the final mile in 5:55.

I was a little embarrassed when I crossed the finish line, and even more so when the organizer gave me a big trophy. I didn't (and still don't) feel like I deserved any special recognition--I won because there wasn't any competition, not because I'm especially fast. (To drive that point home, the second finished came in nearly 30 minutes behind me, and he missed a turn and cut more than a mile off the course.) Still, my performance does tell me that I'm getting faster.

After eating and drinking a little food, I left my shoes and headed back onto the course to wait for Catherine. When she came along she was looking strong, especially since she had just run farther than she ever had before. She was the second woman across the line, too. As always, I was happy to see her.

We went back to Grandma and Grandpa's house for a shower and a nap, and then we stopped by the Saint George temple (Jeppsen-history enthusiasts will recall that that's where I proposed to Catherine) on our way home. It was a busy weekend, but we had a good time. We'll probably be back next year.

New lengths

2010-03-30T06:06:00.000-07:00

This weekend's Buffalo Run 50K was my first baby step into the world of ultra running, and as such it was a bit of a learning experience. But it was a most positive experience, and I'm already looking forward to more. I've already written a race report on my other blog, so I'll just record a few more observations here.

The initial results showed me in eighth place overall and first in my age group. By the time the results were posted online the next day, I'd moved into seventh overall, and by the time the official results were posted I was in sixth (at this rate, I may win the race by the end of the month). I'd say I did okay, considering that I've only been running for two months, and earlier this week I was questioning whether I should have even signed up for the 50K instead of the 25K.

Of course, it's not like I'm completely new to this. Fitness is transferable, and all my time on a bike over the last few years certainly counts for something. And I finished 40 minutes behind the overall winner. But he seems like a legitimate (and much more experienced) trail racer, So I'm still pleased with my results this weekend.

Although I'm happy with the results, the race was far from perfect. For one thing, I somehow managed to get lost in Bountiful on the way to Antelope Island. As a result, we didn't even make it to the race until 10 minutes before the start, which left me rushing for a bathroom and barely making it to the start on time. In my hurry, I also failed to tie my shoes properly, which would cause blistering later. And of course, I didn't eat as much as I should have. Surprise.

Anyways, I felt pretty good when the race started, and as I approached the end of the first lap I found myself comfortably in fourth place and feeling good. Unfortunately, I was a little confused about the course, and I didn't realize I was supposed to return to the start before beginning my second lap. (I later found out I wasn't the only confused runner on the course.)

Even more unfortunately, I didn't realize my mistake until six or seven miles into my second lap. Obviously, by then it was too late to backtrack. At first I was crushed. I figured my race was over, so I decided to walk and wait for Catherine, who was running the 25K, and finish with her. But then I thought that maybe if I finished the lap and then ran the missing section of course before crossing the finish line, my time would still count (it did).

So I started running again. But by then the damage had been done, and I was no longer in the game mentally. Which was too bad, because by then I was starting to feel the effects of running farther, longer and faster than I ever had before. Without my focus, I had a hard time pushing through the pain, and the last ten miles were a mix of shuffling and walking, with some real running thrown in sporadically. In fact, as I approached the finish I thought I'd rather just cross the line and take a DNF rather than run back up the hill I had skipped earlier in the lap. But Josh, who was waiting at the finish, offered to run back up with me, and that provided enough of a distraction for me to finish the race in 4:32:37.

Catherine crossed the line about 30 minutes after I did, and she did it with a more spring in her step than I did. Her race was the farthest she had ever run, too, and we both agreed it was more pain than pleasure. But still worth the effort

After, the race, we spent a little time hanging out with Molly, Marcus and Josh, who had come out to watch us finish. It's amazing how much it means to have a little support at the race, and Catherine and I are glad they could make it.

After a long day on the trails, neither of us had any appetite for the buffalo stew waiting at the finish. Fortunately, Tigger was more than happy to eat our share.

With my first 50K in the books, I'm already looking forward to my second. Catherine and I are heading down to St. George in a month for the Red Rock 50K. I'll run the 50K, and she'll run the 30K. I predict faster times for both of us, thanks to a course profile that looks like this:

instead of this:

GPS Report - March 27, 2010 (Buffalo Run 50K)

Buffalo Run 50K

2010-03-27T18:43:00.000-07:00

Details to come.

Fall plans

2010-03-24T19:31:00.001-07:00

First, I realize that the details of my training are boring to a lot of people, so I'm going to stop posting training updates here. Besides, I've been posting them somewhere else for the last two months, making updates here redundant. I'll still talk about races, training, and adventures on this blog, but it won't be the focus. I'm not sure what the new focus will be, but I'll come up with something. Or maybe I'll avoid a specific focus and just write about whatever is on my mind. Or maybe I'll run out of ideas and go back to posting training updates. We'll see.

Second, I mentioned last week that I'd been accepted to law school and that the formal acceptance letter, as well as a scholarship offer, were in the mail. They both came today, and I'm happy to say that I've been offered a full-tuition scholarship to BYU's law school. Which pretty much means that's what I'll be up to in the fall.

I haven't committed to anything officially, but it's hard to imagine what it would take to get me to pass up this opportunity. Even if I get accepted to one of the other, more highly ranked programs I've applied to, I doubt any of them will offer to pay my tuition. And even if they did, I'm not sure if it would be worth it for us to leave Catherine's full-time job here in Salt Lake.

I'm excited about going back to school. I'm also a little anxious, especially since I once had a roommate who was a first-year law student. I love my free time, but it looks like I won't have much next year. But the degree will open some doors for me, and I think BYU will be a good fit.

For years I've been saying I'd like to go back to school. It looks like I'm finally going to do it.

And this relates to what?

2010-03-19T09:47:00.000-07:00

While reading the latest Mailbag entry on velonews.com, this letter struck me as odd:

Dear Velo,
Here is an incident that would have happened only in a women’s race. A few years ago, during the Cascade Cycling Classic, downtown criterium, a rider was forced wide on a turn. She hit the curb and had a scary crash, landing flat on her back. After missing a lap, she got back in the race. Between the curb and her landing, she and her bike hit my wife and son-in-law.

After the race, she rode back to see if all of us were OK, even though she was hurt (and abandoned the next day).

I really can’t imagine a male pro doing that.
Dennis Krakow
Bend, Oregon

I don't frequently read the letters on velonews.com, so maybe I'm reading this out of context. In fact, I hope I am. Because by itself, this letter makes me think that some guy suddenly felt the need to proclaim that because one female racer was nice to him and his family several years ago, male racers are jerks.

And that's kind of weird.

At least someone wants me

2010-03-17T11:39:00.000-07:00

This morning I had an interview over the phone with an assistant dean from the BYU law school. I was a bit nervous because I had no idea what the interview was about (when I asked the administrator who set up the interview, all she she told me was that the dean just wanted to ask me a few questions).

Anyways, the interview was quick and painless. I've been accepted to BYU, and I'll receive my formal acceptance in mail soon. The dean also told me that I'll receive an offer for a "substantial scholarship." I like the sound of that.

This is the second school I've heard back from and the first I've been accepted to (I was put on the waiting list at Duke). I won't be making any decisions until I've heard back from other schools, but if I'm not in school in the fall, it won't be because nobody would take me.

Another run cut short by lack of foresight; or, Catherine's introduction to Eric-style winter training.

2010-03-13T16:16:00.000-08:00

With the Buffalo Run 50K in just two weeks, I decided that today would be good for one last long run. I wanted to run a relatively mellow 25 miles or so, but I didn't want to be running around Rose Park or doing laps at Liberty Park, so I decided to run the Canals Loop, featured on Davy Crockett's blog.

(Davy Crockett is a local 50-something ultra runner. From what I can tell, what he lacks in speed he makes up in prolificacy. He runs a lot. I haven't met him, but I first heard about him several years ago when Jared sent out a link to an account of his winter run across Utah Lake.)

The Canals Loop (for those who don't follow links) starts west of Point of the Mountain, near the National Guard base. From there, it's a simple matter of following an old dirt road north along one canal, and then returning south along another. The course seems nice--flat and gently rolling roads through the fields in the southwest corner of Salt Lake Valley. Although it's right by civilization, the route (or the part of it I saw) has a very rural feel. A perfect way to make up for last week's Liberty Park adventure.

Of course, after a week of warm, beautiful and dry weather, the forecasts called for more adverse conditions today. But from the report I read, that meant high 30s/low 40s and a little rain. The forecasts also mentioned snow, but considering the temperatures, I expected that to stay up in the mountains. (Can anyone see where this is going?)

Before I left our apartment, Catherine asked if she could come along. Instead of running laps at Liberty Park, she would set off on the canal roads after me and turn around at the 6-mile mark for a 12-mile out and back. She'd get back to the car before me, but she and Tigger would wait for me and then we'd grab lunch together on our way home. It sounded like a good plan to me, so we hopped in the car and headed south.

Because of the weather reports, I was disappointed, but not surprised, when it was raining at the trailhead. I warned Catherine that it might be a little uncomfortable, but we both agreed it was no big deal and set out on our runs.

It wasn't uncomfortable at all, at least at first. The path was enjoyable, and the light rain kept me cool. For the first four miles or so, I cruised along at an 8:00/minute pace, pausing every two miles to mark the difference for Catherine. But somewhere in the fifth mile (about where I passed the small buffalo farm), the rain started turning to snow. And by a couple of miles later, it was snowing hard. Because it was cold, to state the obvious.

At several points I thought I should turn around and head back to the car. But I convinced myself that Catherine, the one with the common sense, had already turned back and was well on her way back to the car.

But she hadn't, and she wasn't. At about 7.5 miles, I heard my phone ringing. It was Catherine, and she was cold, and she wasn't happy about it. She told me she was heading back to the car, and I told her that was a good idea. I was worried she might be in trouble, so I turned around and ran back as fast as I could.

I met Catherine at about 5.5 miles. By then, Catherine was doing much better, but I was a wreck. I was shivering violently and I could barely use my fingers, so Catherine and I hopped off the trail and I knocked on the door of the nearest house. Luckily for us, the woman who answered the door had just returned from her own run in the rain and snow, so she let us in and Catherine and I warmed up in the foyer until Molly came out and rescued us.

It's been a while since I've had one of my bad weather winter disasters, and this was Catherine's first. And while it probably won't be my last, it will be hers. Like I said, she's the one with the common sense.

Then again, she's also the one who jumped out of the car at a red light and ran across two lanes of traffic to buy a box of Girl Scout Cookies.

GPS Report - March 13, 2010

Back-to-back on the BST

2010-03-08T12:27:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was our two-month anniversary, and since I had one vacation day I needed to use by the end of the month, and since it was our two-month anniversary, I took yesterday off so Catherine and I could spend time together.

We went to the temple in the morning, and then Catherine went off for a long run. While she was out, I decided to go run the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. I ran up to the Dry Creek trailhead via Virginia Avenue. From there I ran the BST all the way into City Creek, and then straight home via E Street.

Conditions on the trail ranged from dry to muddy to snow packed, but other than a few sections that were so mucky that I was forced to walk, I ran the whole thing. Just over 10 miles and 16,000 feet of climbing.

Catherine got home from her run shortly after I got home from mine, but unfortunately she got sick shortly after that. That put an end to most of our plans for the rest of the day, but at least we were able to spend time together.

Because I enjoyed yesterday's run so much, I decided to run the same trail this morning. This time I ran the course in reverse, from City Creek to Dry Creek. Roughly the same pace, even though the climb out of City Creek seems steeper than the climb up Dry Creek. It's probably because the trails were drier this morning than they were yesterday.

It rained pretty hard this afternoon, so I don't think I'll be on the trails tomorrow. Instead, I think I'll go for an easy run on the treadmill before work, and if the weather clears up, I'll run up the west side of City Creek on Thursday.

GPS Report - March 8, 2010

GPS Report - March 9, 2010

*Edit: My brother points out that I misstated the vertical gain. I'll let you figure out what it should be.

Liberty Park monomania

2010-03-06T18:53:00.000-08:00

Back in October or November, when the weather started looking more like winter, I decided that I didn't want to ride my rollers this year. SO, to hold me over until there was enough snow for skate skiing, I bought some running shoes and started running laps at Liberty park a couple of times a week. When the snow started falling, I stopped running at the park. And when I started running again in the middle of January, I didn't go back to the park. Until this week.

I was ready for a recovery run on Wednesday after my longer runs on Monday and Tuesday, so I ran over to Liberty Park after work and did a few easy laps on the cinder track (5.5 miles or so). And since I've been running a lot more lately than I was in the fall, I discovered that I like running in the park now more than I did then.

So the next morning I ran to the park from home, ran four laps, and ran back home for a total of nine miles. After that, I started thinking about doing a long run in the park. It sounded boring, but it also made a lot of sense. There are bathrooms (you never know when you may need one on a run), and the drinking fountains and the 7 eleven on the corner make it so you don't need to carry any supplies (gel, water, etc.).

So, this morning I decided to try it (I was on the treadmill on Friday). My plan was to run to the park, run 15 laps and then run home, for a total of 25 miles. I came up a little short (12 laps and 20.6 miles) but it was still a good run. As expected, it was boring. But it was also a perfect place to put in some long steady miles. And I think running on the cinder track (instead of the road) prepares the legs for running on trails.

As a side note, I was about to bonk by the end of the run, surprisingly. I guess easy access to food and water only helps if you use it. Oops.

Anyways, I'll be running in the park a lot more from here on out, but I don't think I'll be doing many more long runs there. It starts to get old after about an hour.

GPS Report - March 3, 2010

GPS Report - March 4, 2010

GPS Report - March 6, 2010

City Creek: door to door

2010-03-02T06:51:00.000-08:00

As expected, my early morning run yesterday left me tired in the afternoon and evening. And even though I went to bed reasonably early and slept reasonably well last night, I didn't feel quite ready to climb out of bed when my alarm went off just before six this morning.

Of course, I did get out of bed, and I did go running as planned, and I'm glad I did. The weather in Salt Lake has been fantastic lately, and this morning was no exception. But because it's still March, that could all change in a second, and it would be a shame to miss an opportunity to get outside.

Anyways, I repeated my run/climb up the west side of City Creek Canyon this morning, but this time I ran to the trailhead. I also continued past the ridge where the trail tops out to the first of three consecutive summits (I'll get to the next two on my next two trail runs). The route to the top is steep enough that running is faster than walking, but there's nothing like a summit to add a sense of closure to a route.

In a little more than one hour, I wound up with just under 8 miles and just over 1,500 feet of climbing.

GPS Report - March 2, 2010

Early start Monday

2010-03-01T05:57:00.000-08:00

I planned to do my Bonneville Shoreline run this morning, waking up just before six so I could run to and from the trailhead. But I woke up an hour before my alarm went off, and since I couldn't get back to sleep I decided to head out early.

Unfortunately, Catherine's headlamp (which I've been borrowing) isn't strong enough for serious trail running. And because starting at five guaranteed that it would still be dark by the time I was descending the trail, I decided to skip the trail run and put in some road miles instead.

I starter with my usual 2nd Avenue to Virginia Street to 11th Avenue to Bonneville Boulevard, then I ran two laps around the capitol and retraced my route back home. I ended up with just over 11.5 miles at an average pace of 7:14. And I was done and in the shower by seven.

Maybe should set my alarm for five every day.

GPS Report - March 1, 2010

SLTC Winter Training Series 15K

2010-02-27T15:03:00.000-08:00

Catherine and I have been racing in the Salt Lake City Track Club's winter training race series, and today's 15K was the final race (we raced a 10K two weeks ago, and a 5K four weeks ago). All three races took place on the frontage road out by Saltair. The only difference was the turnaround point.

Looking back, I think I've progressed steadily throughout the series. I ran the 5K at 6:05 per mile, the 10K at 6:07 per mile, and the 15K at about 6:14 per mile (I won't know my official time until they post the results online tomorrow, but it was around 57:55). From what I can tell, a runner's pace should decrease by about 10-15 seconds per mile with each extra 5K, so I think I got noticeably stronger at each race.

Speaking of stronger, the guy who dominated the first two races today got beaten (bad) by a newcomer this morning, a 17-year-old high school student and one of the Sudanese Lost Boys (Catherine found this story about him). The guy who won the first two races is impressively fast, so I think this kid must be something special.

As for my race, I wasn't anywhere near those two. And despite my progress, I wound up farther down in the overall rankings than I was in the 10K (although higher than I was in the 5K). Maybe it was the nice weather, maybe it was the longer distance, or maybe it was something else altogether, but it seems like there were more elite runners at today's race. I could be wrong, though.

Anyways, once I settled into my groove I ran pretty consistently, but I went out too hot, which cost me at the end. From the splits on my GPS file you can see that while I ran miles 3-7 between 6:11 and 6:14, I was significantly faster for miles 1 and 2 and significantly slower for miles 8 and 9. I'm sure there's a lesson to be learned.

Now that the series is over Catherine and I are both glad we participated, but we're both also glad to be done running at Saltair. Very flat and very boring. I can't wait for the spring so I can get out and start doing more of my running on the trails.

GPS Report - February 27, 2010 (SLTC Winter Training Series 15K)

*Update: Results are online. My official time was 57:52.2 at a pace of 6:13 per mile. I was 3rd in my age group, 13th overall.

One for the road, one for the trail

2010-02-20T11:54:00.000-08:00

The weather has been fairly nice lately, and I've been able to run outside twice since the last time I posted.

I set out on Saturday to run farther and more slowly than I did on Monday, but I did neither. I ran essentially the same route, with a longer loop through Rose Park. Unfortunately, my intestines began acting up as I ran back up to the capitol. At first I thought I could just push through, but by the time I came off of Bonneville Boulevard and onto 11th Avenue I felt like I was risking a potentially embarrassing (and messy) situation. Instead of continuing along 11th Avenue to Virginia Street, I ran straight down B Street and then home. I was disappointed to have to cut my run short, but I stand by my decision.

Yesterday morning I was back on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. Although the sky was clearer and the trail drier than last time, it was much colder, and my hands were freezing until the sun came out halfway though my run. Still, I ran farther on the trail than I did last time, all the way to the ridge above Ensign Peak. Next time, I think I'll run to the radio towers on the summit.

GPS Report - February 20, 2010

GPS Report - February 23, 2010

Testing the trails

2010-02-18T09:28:00.000-08:00

After talking to a few people, I realized that most didn't notice the link to my GPS report at the top of my last post, so I moved it to the bottom. That's where it will be on all posts from here on out. You don't have to click through, but I think the reports are pretty cool. Someday I'll ask someone to show me how to post the routes directly to the blog.

Rather than running on the treadmill this morning, I drove up to City Creek Canyon to try some little trail running. (Yes, I know it's lame to drive a mile and a half to go running, especially since I finished with about that much running on the road, but running down from 11th Avenue destroys my legs and I don't want to try it again until I'm fully recovered from last time.)

I hopped on the Bonneville Shoreline trail and ran one mile up the west side of the canyon before climbing some switchbacks up to where the trail overlooks some very large houses behind the capitol. I was surprised at how slow I ran up the trail, especially considering my level of exertion. At first I assumed it was because of the uneven terrain and the mud (about two pounds of which ended up on my shoes), and both certainly slowed me down, But looking at my GPS file, it's obvious that what really slowed me down for that first mile and a half was the elevation gain. Which explains why the return trip was so much faster.

After running back to the mouth of the canyon, I finished with a trip down Bonneville Boulevard and a loop around the capitol, for a total of just over 5.5 miles. I was pretty tired afterward, however, so I don't think I've recovered completely from Monday. Just to play it safe, I think I'll take tomorrow off so I can do another long run on Saturday.

GPS Report - February 18, 2010

Long run in the rain

2010-02-15T13:25:00.000-08:00

I decided to use my birthday money to buy a Garmin Forerunner 305, and after using it the first time on a long run this morning, I'm pleased with my decision. The 305 seems like be a good fit for me. I don't want to monitor my training too obsessively, but I do like knowing how far and how fast I've run. Plus, I can use the unit for cycling, skate skiing, hiking and just about anything else that involves my moving from one point to another.

Another advantage to the 305 is the Garmin Connect software. The reports (click the link at the bottom to see today's) are pretty useful. Garmin Connect automatically maps my route on Google Earth, because I set up the 305 to start a new interval every mile, I can see how fast I ran each individual mile, and how much elevation I gained or lost. Cool stuff.

About today's run (for those who have known me for a while, yes, running)--this was my first non-race run outdoors this year. The weather reports last week predicted nice weather for today, so I decided to take advantage of the holiday to get off the treadmill and onto the road. Unfortunately, today was gray and drizzly, but not bad enough to keep me indoors. I looped up through the Avenues, down past Memory Grove, around the state capitol and down to Beck Street before looping through Rose Park and returing (mostly) the way I came.

This was the longest I've ever run in my life, and my legs held up pretty well, although I ran into trouble in the last mile and a half. It wasn't the fatigue (although I was tired) as much as it was the strain of running downhill, which I haven't really done before. Living in the Avenues, I imagine I'll get used to it, but today it was agony.

I also had some trouble eating and drinking along the way. Meaning that other than a handful of Jelly Bellies after one hour and a can of Coke after 90 minutes, I didn't eat or drink anything. In the summer, I can use the drinking fountains along the route, but for now I'm going to need to figure out a way to carry my water if I want to finish strong.

All in all, it was a good run. I'm still new to this, but I seem to be progressing nicely, and I think my cycling fitness should be mostly transferable. It had better be, If I'm going to survive my plans for the next two months . . .

GPS Report - February 15, 2010

Better late . . .

2009-12-17T09:09:00.000-08:00

I'm late with my update. Again. But if I'm writing at least once a month, the blog isn't dead. Is it?

I wrote most of an update after Thanksgiving, but I didn’t publish it then and it feels too late to do so now. But in case you’re wondering, I had a good time in St. George: I ate plenty of good food, I visited with my family, I rode my mountain bike with my brother and I rode my road bike with my dad. I also got engaged.

Which helps explain my lack of writing. With my wedding a little more than three weeks away, cycling hasn’t been my top priority. Plus, it’s the off season, and I have no coach and little motivation to train. Can you see why I haven’t been doing much worth writing about here?

But it won’t last. Next week Catherine and I will spend a few days in LA, where, among other things, I hope to do some more mountain biking with my brother, even if the El Prieto trail is no more. And now that winter is here, I’ll be able to start skiing soon. And I’ll write about that when it happens. But for now, you’ll have to settle for updates like this.

Late Update: Mueller Park, Volleyball, Skate Skis and More

2009-11-17T09:56:00.001-08:00

I'm looking forward to riding in Saint George this weekend, but my bike season is basically over. Now I'm thinking about the winter. This year, that means cross training instead of rollers and DVDs. With that in mind, I've canceled my Netflix subscription. I've also bought a "new" pair of used skate skis. I had hoped to buy a rando setup this year so I could join in the back country fun, but that turned out to be more expensive than I'm comfortable with right now. Maybe next year.

Since the first time I rode the Mueller Park trail, I've wanted a chance to ride it without the weekend crowds. So two weeks ago I took Wednesday off for a long ride. The plan was to ride the Bonneville Shoreline Trail from Dry Gulch in to Bountiful, then up North Canyon and down Mueller Park before turning around and riding back the way I came.

Everything went well for about four hours. The trails were great, the crowds were small, and weather was perfect. But as I was riding back into Salt Lake on the fire road that makes up a a portion of the BST, my left pedal started sticking. Then the bearings seized, which I didn't realize until I had pedaled the pedal right out of the crank. Fortunately, none of the threads on in the crank arm were stripped, but because the bearings in my pedal were completely shot, I had to walk to the top of the hill, then coast through the neighborhoods behind the capital and back home.

The broken pedal wasn't a big deal, but it was disappointing to have to retreat an hour from finishing the ride. And the singletrack back to Dry Gulch probably would have been more fun than coasting down a paved road. And I'm sure that the upper parts of the Mueller Park and North Canyon trails are snowed in by now, so I guess I'll have to wait till next year to complete the ride. Lame.

I haven't ridden a bike since my Mueller adventure. That Saturday the weather canceled my plans for a longish road ride, so instead I hiked a chunk of the BST in the snow. It was fun, but it made me sore enough to take most of the next week off, other than a few mellow runs in Liberty Park.

Last week I wound up in a volleyball tournament at the Salt Lake institute. My ward didn't field enough players for a team, so I wound up on a small team with some other players in the same situation. It turned out to be a sweet deal, because we ended up winning the tournament, much to my surprise (and everyone else's, I'm sure).

Since Claremont eliminated my team from the playoffs during my senior year in high school, I haven't played much volleyball at all. In fact, I don't think I've played at all in the last four years. But on Saturday I was surprised by how much I miss it. I was also surprised that I can still play well after so many years, and by how sore I can get after not having jumped or swung my arm for so long.

And now I think I'm caught up for the last two weeks. My "top-secret new bike," a Misfit diSSent single speed, has had problems with the frame, and thus remains a "top-secret assortment of parts in boxes." It's too bad, because I was really looking forward to riding it on the trails in Saint George. Instead, it looks like the Anthem gets the nod. Should be fun.

Over the Hills and through the Woods

2009-11-08T00:03:00.000-08:00

My parents were staying at my grandma's house for a few days, so on Saturday I decided to ride my bike up to meet them for lunch. I had originally planned to put in a few hours on the road before finishing at my grandma's house in Bountiful, but because the weather has been so nice I decided to grab the mountain bike and take another shot at Mueller Park.

It turned out to be a good decision. I hit the Dry Gulch trailhead at about 9:00. From there I rode the Bonneville Shoreline into City Creek, where I picked up the trail on the west side of the canyon and rode the switchbacks up to the radio tours before continuing along the dirt road into Bountiful. From there it was a quick ride on the road to North Canyon, and from there a climb up to the saddle, where I picked up the Mueller Park trail for what is easily one of my favorite descents.

Conditions were great, as they have been all week. Temperatures were in the mid sixties, and except for a little mud at the bottom of North Canyon and a little ice at the top, the soil was perfect. The only downside to such perfect conditions is that they tend to draw people outdoors, and the Mueller Park trail was more crowded than I've ever seen it. And it's been pretty crowded every time I've ridden it.

Still, it was great to get in a longish ride. And because the weather has been so perfect for riding, and because I have vacation time I need to use before the end of the year, I may go ahead and take Wednesday off so I can see what Mueller Park looks like without the weekend crowds. If I do, it will be the perfect opportunity to break in my (not really so) top-secret new bike.

Back on the Road

2009-10-31T16:18:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I went for a 3-3.5 hour ride that was, believe it or not, my first ride on the road since September 4. That means I went nearly two months without riding my road bike, which I think is longer than I've gone in at least four years.

Of course, that's not to say I haven't been riding. It's just that after I turned in my team bike, I didn't feel like reassembling my Ridley, so instead I've been riding my mountain bike. With a few exceptions back in September (notably, the Park City Point to Point, where I received the thrashing of a lifetime), I've been riding almost exclusively on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail during the week, and venturing on to Mueller Park (by way of North Canyon) on the weekends.

The primary result of all my time on the dirt (besides the fact that I could probably ride the BST blindfolded by now) is that I've achieved a level of marginal competence on the mountain bike. I've still got a long way to go, as I was reminded on a recent trip to California to ride with my brother and some friends, but I'm looking forward to spending more time on the singletrack next summer and breaking eight hours at the Point to Point next fall.

For the past two years, the start of November has meant the start of my training for the next season. This year, however, I have no desire to train. So instead I'm just going to ride, at least until the snow falls. Then, maybe I'll ski. Or maybe I won't. But I'll find something to do, and now that I'm back in the saddle I thought I should rejoin the blogosphere, too. So check back if you'd like. I can't promise that this blog will interesting, but I can promise that it will be here.