I am going to go ahead and follow suit with a lot of what has been going on in the blogger and twitter worlds. Everyone is saying good by to 2009 and hello to 2010.
Overall 2009 was a great year for me. My love for mountain biking has gone through the roof and I can definitely say I am addicted. I was able to join a fantastic bike team in that of the Trek Bicycle Store of Boulder. These guys truly love cycling and really put themselves out there to show their love of the sport taking care of so many riders. The owners, the employees, and the riders are amazing people and a lot of fun to be around. Thanks for everything guys and I look forward to 2010!
In 2009 I also met an awesome girl by the name of Ellen as most of you know. I met her for the first time almost a year ago through mutual friends in Steamboat. I was up there to do some snowboarding and hang out with friends like I usually do each year and she caught my eye from the beginning. I didn't hang out with her again until June when our friend Jenny moved out to Steamboat from North Carolina, worked her magic and next thing I knew we were hanging out in Steamboat and Boulder over the summer. She has since moved down to Ft. Collins to head back to school at CSU to get her 2nd degree and we are doing great!
Another highlight was when my Dad come out to go to the Drag Races at Bandimere Raceway. We hadn't gone to the drags since I was a kid in Indianapolis. It really took me back in time with the sheer thunder those cars produce and I LOVED IT. Pops also went to one of my Winter Park races and it was amazing to have there to see what the races are like.
My Mom also made a memorable trip out with her friends. They all came out to explore the Colorado high country and attend my Breckenridge 100 race. We had a good time wandering the town and hanging out. I bonked out of the race this year which was disappointing I couldn't finish for all of them but some days you just don't have it. It was still awesome to have them all there. My Mom also got to meet Ellen as she came down for my race and she had a half marathon trail run of her own the next day at Vail which she completed!
These were just a few of the great things that went down for me this year. The end of 2009 wasn't so pleasant for me as many of you know. Mono and Strep have had me in the cellar for the last two weeks. I was able to work from home this week which kept me occupied some what from thinking about not being able to do anything active. However, as I said from the beginning of the Mono experience I am looking at this as beneficial. When 2010 arrives it is like a fresh beginning and rebuilding period. I am feeling much better and can now say I am ready to take 2010 head on.
It will be a slow fresh beginning but I am looking forward to it. I hope everyone is safe tonight and I'll see you all on the flip side!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Well Crap Group C Strep
I just got a call from the Boulder Urgent Care this morning. My fingers were crossed they were just checking up on me but nope. Turns out that mess I saw in my throat a few days ago turns out to be Group C Strep. The Urgent Care just got my throat culture back from the lab.
From what I read right quick and what the lady at the Urgent Care told me Group A Strep is the strep throat that usually causes the nasty pain and really crazy sore throat and Group C is a lesser case I guess you could say. Either way I am going to pick up Z Pak antibiotics in about 20 minutes from the pharmacy. This will hopefully finish off the bacteria that has been causing the problems in my throat. The Z Pak will not doing anything for the Mono since that is virus related. I do still sleep better and feel better but I really hope these antibiotics take care of this nastiness. I am starting to go slightly crazy looking at my bikes and not being able to ride them though I still have a while for that anyway.
I guess for now I am just happy that the symptoms are down. I will continue doing what I have been which is taking it easy eating, drinking water, and getting sleep.
From what I read right quick and what the lady at the Urgent Care told me Group A Strep is the strep throat that usually causes the nasty pain and really crazy sore throat and Group C is a lesser case I guess you could say. Either way I am going to pick up Z Pak antibiotics in about 20 minutes from the pharmacy. This will hopefully finish off the bacteria that has been causing the problems in my throat. The Z Pak will not doing anything for the Mono since that is virus related. I do still sleep better and feel better but I really hope these antibiotics take care of this nastiness. I am starting to go slightly crazy looking at my bikes and not being able to ride them though I still have a while for that anyway.
I guess for now I am just happy that the symptoms are down. I will continue doing what I have been which is taking it easy eating, drinking water, and getting sleep.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to everyone and I hope your day is fantastic!
I believe I am currently on the mend from the Mono. I am keeping in mind that though I am feeling better there is still a long way to go. I can't get to carried away too soon. The last two nights I have been able to sleep clear through the night and the swelling in my lymph node has gone down considerably and my throat is feeling much much better though it is still swollen and jacked up on the inside. I continue to drink absurd amounts of water and use the bathroom every 45 minutes to an hour. I was all too lucky to be able to keep my appetite through the worst of the symptoms.
This morning I awoke and opened the presents that have been sitting in my room for over two weeks. The big kids in my family aka Reagan, Leslie, Ryan, Matt, and myself decided to do an exchange of sorts in that we drew one name and spent a set amount of money on that one person.
Ryan was my Santa this year and he got me this Fox Racing T-Shirt:
This fantastic drive train cover to protect my dérailleur and chain from dirt when traveling called the Chain Condom! Lastly, these awesome Oakley Factory Gloves which will be my race gloves.
My parents got me a Helmet Cam which I have used once already and will actually be putting together a time lapse of me opening the presents once I get a script from my buddy Robert. They also sent me a care package with goodies from the Dutch Essen House in Shipshewana, IN (Amish Country). I got Banana Bread, Snickerdoodles, Homemade Egg Noodles, Beef Base, Peach Rings, Chicken Corn Noodle Soup, and Apple Snitz! Pretty bomb care package if you ask me!
Also my girlfriend Ellen left me a package in her car as she went home to Alamo, CA for Christmas and is currently traveling to AZ to visit family. I went out and got the present this morning after she emailed me it was in there it was "The Cyclist Training Bible!" Sweet!! A fantastic Christmas Morning it was!
This afternoon Abby is cooking up some lunch so I am going to hang out with her and Brendan since they have both had Mono there is no big worry of getting them sick. We will watch some snowboarding movies I am going to take over at Brendan's request and enjoy the day.
Once again Merry Christmas to all and have a GREAT DAY!
B
I believe I am currently on the mend from the Mono. I am keeping in mind that though I am feeling better there is still a long way to go. I can't get to carried away too soon. The last two nights I have been able to sleep clear through the night and the swelling in my lymph node has gone down considerably and my throat is feeling much much better though it is still swollen and jacked up on the inside. I continue to drink absurd amounts of water and use the bathroom every 45 minutes to an hour. I was all too lucky to be able to keep my appetite through the worst of the symptoms.
This morning I awoke and opened the presents that have been sitting in my room for over two weeks. The big kids in my family aka Reagan, Leslie, Ryan, Matt, and myself decided to do an exchange of sorts in that we drew one name and spent a set amount of money on that one person.
Ryan was my Santa this year and he got me this Fox Racing T-Shirt:
This fantastic drive train cover to protect my dérailleur and chain from dirt when traveling called the Chain Condom! Lastly, these awesome Oakley Factory Gloves which will be my race gloves.
My parents got me a Helmet Cam which I have used once already and will actually be putting together a time lapse of me opening the presents once I get a script from my buddy Robert. They also sent me a care package with goodies from the Dutch Essen House in Shipshewana, IN (Amish Country). I got Banana Bread, Snickerdoodles, Homemade Egg Noodles, Beef Base, Peach Rings, Chicken Corn Noodle Soup, and Apple Snitz! Pretty bomb care package if you ask me!
Also my girlfriend Ellen left me a package in her car as she went home to Alamo, CA for Christmas and is currently traveling to AZ to visit family. I went out and got the present this morning after she emailed me it was in there it was "The Cyclist Training Bible!" Sweet!! A fantastic Christmas Morning it was!
This afternoon Abby is cooking up some lunch so I am going to hang out with her and Brendan since they have both had Mono there is no big worry of getting them sick. We will watch some snowboarding movies I am going to take over at Brendan's request and enjoy the day.
Once again Merry Christmas to all and have a GREAT DAY!
B
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Mono Update/Leadville 100 Wager
I continue to have my appetite which has to be helping with the recovery. Yesterday I picked up some advil and vicks nasal spray which have both helped curb some of the symptoms and I felt a bit better yesterday. I was really hoping to get some good rest last night and I did for about 5 hours. Then it was back to the night sweats and waking up every hour tossing and turning.
Today it feels like the swelling in my neck is finally holding steady. Still have a bit of a sore throat and some drainage but I don't seem to be getting any worse. Still feel worn down but the body aches have seemed to subside.
To pass the time last night I was looking at more races for the 2010 race season and was checking out registration for the Leadville 100 as it has opened for the the Lottery process. There are so many applicants for this race that they do a lottery drawing. Last year I didn't get in so I was amped to sign up again this year. However, when I looked at the entry fees they upped it $25 and are charging a $15 application fee. I found this to be totally bogus and was starting to second guess entry. Lance Armstrong has raced in the Leadville 100 the last two years and the applicant entry numbers have gone crazy since.
The thought of racing in this race because of Lance has never been a thought in my mind because who cares. You see the guy at the starting line and then again on course when he is like 3-4 hours ahead of you on the return leg of the race. That isn't a pleasure it's demoralizing haha! The lure to this race is not the course either as there is not much singletrack. The lure is the fact that you are racing at 9,500 ft up to 12,000 ft above sea level for 100 miles. This makes the race extremely challenging not to mention the amount of climbing involved. The lure is purely the extreme nature of the race in my mind. You will go through so many highs and lows during the race mentally and physically it's a real fight to the finish.
Matt my bro-in-law saw my post on Twitter last night that I was contemplating not entering the race because of the price tag to enter. He was kind enough to enlighten me again on the fact that I need to take the opportunity to do such a race while I can. So I made a wager with him. If I get into the race and complete in the 12 hour time limit then he picks up the entry fee. If I get in and do not make it then I am stuck with the tab. So game on keep your fingers crossed I get in!
Alright nap time. Hope everyone is doing well.
Today it feels like the swelling in my neck is finally holding steady. Still have a bit of a sore throat and some drainage but I don't seem to be getting any worse. Still feel worn down but the body aches have seemed to subside.
To pass the time last night I was looking at more races for the 2010 race season and was checking out registration for the Leadville 100 as it has opened for the the Lottery process. There are so many applicants for this race that they do a lottery drawing. Last year I didn't get in so I was amped to sign up again this year. However, when I looked at the entry fees they upped it $25 and are charging a $15 application fee. I found this to be totally bogus and was starting to second guess entry. Lance Armstrong has raced in the Leadville 100 the last two years and the applicant entry numbers have gone crazy since.
The thought of racing in this race because of Lance has never been a thought in my mind because who cares. You see the guy at the starting line and then again on course when he is like 3-4 hours ahead of you on the return leg of the race. That isn't a pleasure it's demoralizing haha! The lure to this race is not the course either as there is not much singletrack. The lure is the fact that you are racing at 9,500 ft up to 12,000 ft above sea level for 100 miles. This makes the race extremely challenging not to mention the amount of climbing involved. The lure is purely the extreme nature of the race in my mind. You will go through so many highs and lows during the race mentally and physically it's a real fight to the finish.
Matt my bro-in-law saw my post on Twitter last night that I was contemplating not entering the race because of the price tag to enter. He was kind enough to enlighten me again on the fact that I need to take the opportunity to do such a race while I can. So I made a wager with him. If I get into the race and complete in the 12 hour time limit then he picks up the entry fee. If I get in and do not make it then I am stuck with the tab. So game on keep your fingers crossed I get in!
Alright nap time. Hope everyone is doing well.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Another Day Down
Last night was not a great night. I was very uneasy sleeping and kept waking up in a full on sweat. My throat was hurting more with drainage that I couldn't seem to get out. So I tossed and turned all night with an uncomfortable neck but was able to get a few bouts of sleep.
Today involved lots of couch time and two naps. I still have my appetite which is awesome. I think that is making everything a lot easier. The sore throat is still manageable and actually feels pretty good when I am eating or drinking, just seems to dry out pretty fast otherwise. Body aches continue and I have to change position a lot. Definitely have to rest my head or the right side of my neck with the swelling starts to ache.
Other than that I am in good spirits and will continue taking it easy all week. More updates to come as the week progresses.
Thanks to all those who are offering help though I am doing well. I will let you know if I need anything.
Today involved lots of couch time and two naps. I still have my appetite which is awesome. I think that is making everything a lot easier. The sore throat is still manageable and actually feels pretty good when I am eating or drinking, just seems to dry out pretty fast otherwise. Body aches continue and I have to change position a lot. Definitely have to rest my head or the right side of my neck with the swelling starts to ache.
Other than that I am in good spirits and will continue taking it easy all week. More updates to come as the week progresses.
Thanks to all those who are offering help though I am doing well. I will let you know if I need anything.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Been a long time
Well been like 8 months since my last blog post because I got caught up in the simplicity of twitter and wasn't really having much to write about. Not going to try and back track to what has occurred in the last 8 months but rather move forward.
Four weeks ago I went to the Dr. for the first time in a long time because had come down with some serious congestion for two weeks and decided it was finally time to see if the Dr. couldn't clear things up a little sooner with an antibiotic or something. Dr. put me on amoxicillin and I headed off to Chartlotte for a pre-Thanksgiving visit to my sisters to see my her as well as my niece, nephew, and bro-in-law as well as my friend Kate. I figured that would be the end of it.
Fast forward 4 weeks and I all of the sudden get a really swollen lymph node on the right side of my neck and was really starting to feel fatigued at work. It continues to grow so 3 days later which would have been yesterday Friday morning I decided I need to go to the Dr. again. Not happy as I hate the Dr. and usually get through small sicknesses with no problem. Dr. has a look and takes a throat swab and gets blood for blood work. I wait two hours and call back. Diagnosis = Mononucleosis positive?!?! WHAT REALLY?!?! Yup all other levels looks good as far as white blood cell count and electrolytes etc. Well doesn't this suck.
I had just gone to our Trek Bicycle Store Team meeting the night before and was getting pumped to really start riding for the 2010 race season. As I see it you can look at this situation in two ways:
1. Sit and sulk and let the virus tear you down until 4-6 weeks passes or
2. Realize this is one of the better times it could happen and plan how you are going to really take care of yourself and rebuild from it
I chose the latter. I have great support from work as my boss has had Mono before and he knows what it is like. I also have a lot of sick days left so with the support of my boss as well I will have ample time to get over the worst of it before going back to work. I am looking at this experience (though my body is fighting a strong virus) as recovery and planning time. I know it will be hard work to get my full body back into the demanding shape endurance mountain biking requires so planning will be key.
I am going to be very patient with this recovery and try not to work too fast to regain my strength. Mono can tear you down and stick with you for a long time if you don't give your body the proper time and care to recover. Not to mention most of the activities I partake in have a good chance of collision injuries which can make the spleen burst as it is sensitive because of the virus. Snowboarding and biking are both in the waiting pattern for a while.
All that said how do I currently feel? I am definitely in the early stages from what I can see. I have body aches and feel weak and fatigued. Minor sore throat but nothing bad yet. My neck is a bit stiff and achy from the small potato sized swollen lymph node on my neck (this is what bothers me most). I am hoping this all holds steady and I can get lots of rest and nourishment this week since I will be home from work and I will hopefully make the turn.
Sorry to those of you who I haven't returned your calls. Stephanie and Justin. I will try to get back to you tomorrow or this week. Just haven't felt like talking much but don't worry I'll get back to you.
Four weeks ago I went to the Dr. for the first time in a long time because had come down with some serious congestion for two weeks and decided it was finally time to see if the Dr. couldn't clear things up a little sooner with an antibiotic or something. Dr. put me on amoxicillin and I headed off to Chartlotte for a pre-Thanksgiving visit to my sisters to see my her as well as my niece, nephew, and bro-in-law as well as my friend Kate. I figured that would be the end of it.
Fast forward 4 weeks and I all of the sudden get a really swollen lymph node on the right side of my neck and was really starting to feel fatigued at work. It continues to grow so 3 days later which would have been yesterday Friday morning I decided I need to go to the Dr. again. Not happy as I hate the Dr. and usually get through small sicknesses with no problem. Dr. has a look and takes a throat swab and gets blood for blood work. I wait two hours and call back. Diagnosis = Mononucleosis positive?!?! WHAT REALLY?!?! Yup all other levels looks good as far as white blood cell count and electrolytes etc. Well doesn't this suck.
I had just gone to our Trek Bicycle Store Team meeting the night before and was getting pumped to really start riding for the 2010 race season. As I see it you can look at this situation in two ways:
1. Sit and sulk and let the virus tear you down until 4-6 weeks passes or
2. Realize this is one of the better times it could happen and plan how you are going to really take care of yourself and rebuild from it
I chose the latter. I have great support from work as my boss has had Mono before and he knows what it is like. I also have a lot of sick days left so with the support of my boss as well I will have ample time to get over the worst of it before going back to work. I am looking at this experience (though my body is fighting a strong virus) as recovery and planning time. I know it will be hard work to get my full body back into the demanding shape endurance mountain biking requires so planning will be key.
I am going to be very patient with this recovery and try not to work too fast to regain my strength. Mono can tear you down and stick with you for a long time if you don't give your body the proper time and care to recover. Not to mention most of the activities I partake in have a good chance of collision injuries which can make the spleen burst as it is sensitive because of the virus. Snowboarding and biking are both in the waiting pattern for a while.
All that said how do I currently feel? I am definitely in the early stages from what I can see. I have body aches and feel weak and fatigued. Minor sore throat but nothing bad yet. My neck is a bit stiff and achy from the small potato sized swollen lymph node on my neck (this is what bothers me most). I am hoping this all holds steady and I can get lots of rest and nourishment this week since I will be home from work and I will hopefully make the turn.
Sorry to those of you who I haven't returned your calls. Stephanie and Justin. I will try to get back to you tomorrow or this week. Just haven't felt like talking much but don't worry I'll get back to you.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Monday Funday
Got in a ride after work tonight... little bit of climbing... saw two foxes got within a few feet of one of them... he was more worried about catchin a mouse in the weeds... would have taken a picture but didn't want to shut down the stats on my ride.
You should be able to view the route in more detail now as I made them public.
You should be able to view the route in more detail now as I made them public.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Map My Ride Preview
So I did a quick ride today to test out map my ride on my iPhone. I was hoping to get in a big bigger ride but the snow flurries were threatening and I didn't feel like getting quit out in the snow with a road bike. I ended up bringing it inside and jumped on the trainer for a bit more of a work out. Anywho here is a preview of what is to come with some bigger ride this summer. It's a pretty cool tool so that you guys can really see what I am up too when I am riding.
You can click on the map on the view elevation link and it will open a new window so you can see the route in hybrid, topo, satellite view etc. It will be really cool to see what kind of elevation I am climbing once this snow melts and I can climb into the mountains.
You can click on the map on the view elevation link and it will open a new window so you can see the route in hybrid, topo, satellite view etc. It will be really cool to see what kind of elevation I am climbing once this snow melts and I can climb into the mountains.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Fruita Bound
I must say the weekend can't come fast enough! OK OK I know I almost always say that but this weekend is the first bike trip of the year! I haven't had my mountain bike for two weeks and the weather has been beautiful and it is driving me crazy. I have been on the road bike the last 4 days for over 100 miles and Saturday and Sunday combined for 70 of those miles. My legs are considerably fatigued and it feels good to have some soreness in them cause that means I am coming back!
Just a reminder of what Fruita is all about!
Greg (the old man HA!) and I will be heading out to Fruita to enjoy 60-70 degree weather in the Bookcliffs on the western slope just east of the Utah border. Tim can't go because he is going on a spring break rafting trip though he really wants to since he finally got another mountain bike. Rob can't go because his Dad is coming into town and they are putting in final preparations for the Boston Marathon which Rob and his Dad will be running in April. Jon can't go because he has to work to pay the bills as he has taken much of this week off with a friend in town. I am not sure if any of Greg's other buddies are going to join us. I guess we'll find out tomorrow when a group of us meet up at Boulder Beer for some drinks after work.
When I was in the shop today finding out when I will be getting my bike back for like the 3rd time (yes I am persistent when it comes workin with the guys at the Trek Store) Joey made a call while I was there to Fox and they said I was covered under full warranty which means either they put all new internals in the shock or I am getting a whole NEW Shock! AND it will be there tomorrow! Either way it is like a new shock and I am stoked! While Joey was making the call I was talking tires with Matt for my up coming races in may. We talked over a few I might want to use and he ended up tossin me a barely used pretty much new tire to try out! $50 bucks saved! That's what I'm talkin about! So I am going to throw that on for this weekend and see how I like it. While I was paying for some other odds and ends I needed for this weekend like tubes (incase I blow my tubeless off the rim like last time I was in Fruita), quick links (in case a chain snaps) and some more Stan's Sealant (for running tubeless tires) Matt told me how the store was putting together a little store team for some races. They are keeping it pretty small just some of the mechanics and friends but he said he would see if I could be a part of it if I was interested. I said heck yeah if they don't mind havin a straggler on the team. He said it was pretty much for fun Joey would prolly have a tent sent up drinkin beer and fixin our bikes if we needed it. He said they have put together a pretty sweet cycling kit (jersey, shorts, socks) and he would see if he couldn't get me one. He said you just have to commit to like 5-6 races and I already have 3 planned on the calendar and 2 I am registered for! So hell why not right?!?!
After all I would love to ride around and represent those guys! It's the least I could do since they have always taken care of me with smiling faces! Although they don't really have a choice since I am pretty much in there what seems like at least once a week. If they are working on my bike I am pretty much there everyday seeing how things are going trying to pick up on this I can do myself. Although since I am a preferred customer my stuff always goes to the front of the line when it comes to maintenance along with about 25 other people... they know how to run a business!
Anywho three more days of work to get through and then it's out to the smooth packed single track of Fruita!
Western Slope Desert Splender!
Just a reminder of what Fruita is all about!
Greg (the old man HA!) and I will be heading out to Fruita to enjoy 60-70 degree weather in the Bookcliffs on the western slope just east of the Utah border. Tim can't go because he is going on a spring break rafting trip though he really wants to since he finally got another mountain bike. Rob can't go because his Dad is coming into town and they are putting in final preparations for the Boston Marathon which Rob and his Dad will be running in April. Jon can't go because he has to work to pay the bills as he has taken much of this week off with a friend in town. I am not sure if any of Greg's other buddies are going to join us. I guess we'll find out tomorrow when a group of us meet up at Boulder Beer for some drinks after work.
When I was in the shop today finding out when I will be getting my bike back for like the 3rd time (yes I am persistent when it comes workin with the guys at the Trek Store) Joey made a call while I was there to Fox and they said I was covered under full warranty which means either they put all new internals in the shock or I am getting a whole NEW Shock! AND it will be there tomorrow! Either way it is like a new shock and I am stoked! While Joey was making the call I was talking tires with Matt for my up coming races in may. We talked over a few I might want to use and he ended up tossin me a barely used pretty much new tire to try out! $50 bucks saved! That's what I'm talkin about! So I am going to throw that on for this weekend and see how I like it. While I was paying for some other odds and ends I needed for this weekend like tubes (incase I blow my tubeless off the rim like last time I was in Fruita), quick links (in case a chain snaps) and some more Stan's Sealant (for running tubeless tires) Matt told me how the store was putting together a little store team for some races. They are keeping it pretty small just some of the mechanics and friends but he said he would see if I could be a part of it if I was interested. I said heck yeah if they don't mind havin a straggler on the team. He said it was pretty much for fun Joey would prolly have a tent sent up drinkin beer and fixin our bikes if we needed it. He said they have put together a pretty sweet cycling kit (jersey, shorts, socks) and he would see if he couldn't get me one. He said you just have to commit to like 5-6 races and I already have 3 planned on the calendar and 2 I am registered for! So hell why not right?!?!
After all I would love to ride around and represent those guys! It's the least I could do since they have always taken care of me with smiling faces! Although they don't really have a choice since I am pretty much in there what seems like at least once a week. If they are working on my bike I am pretty much there everyday seeing how things are going trying to pick up on this I can do myself. Although since I am a preferred customer my stuff always goes to the front of the line when it comes to maintenance along with about 25 other people... they know how to run a business!
Anywho three more days of work to get through and then it's out to the smooth packed single track of Fruita!
Western Slope Desert Splender!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Spring Race Schedule is Set
So a little update on the happenings of recent. I pulled the trigger on a race after hearing about not getting into the Leadville 100. I will be doing the Gunnison Growler again Memorial Day weekend and my buddy Greg will for sure be doing it with me and his wife might do the half Growler. Our friend Jon will probably be doing the race with us as well. He will probably put us both to shame as he has been doing races for a few years and is a phenomenal rider.
Today I also finally committed to doing the 12 Hours of Mesa Verde May 9th. I want to do well in the race however I will be doing it more as a training race for the Gunnison Growler which will be two weeks later. The 12 hours of Mesa Verde will be down in Cortez, CO which is 40 minutes west of Durango and right outside of Mesa Verde National Park. I have wanted to visit that area for quite sometime and this is a great opportunity to do it. I have taken Friday off before the race so I can perhaps take a peak into the National Park as well as ride the course and see what it is all about the day before the race. The objective of the 12/24 hour races is to ride as many laps as you can on the usually 11-13 mile course in the time alloted. It should be a great time.
Until then I will be trying to get on the bike more and more. I also got my plane ticket for Lester and Ryan's wedding in Ft. Myers, FL at the end of April. I am having flash backs of Florida last year which was two weeks before the Breckenridge 100. HAHA!
Alright all for now. See the Fam in Chicago in a week for the Bachelor and Bachelorette parties!
Today I also finally committed to doing the 12 Hours of Mesa Verde May 9th. I want to do well in the race however I will be doing it more as a training race for the Gunnison Growler which will be two weeks later. The 12 hours of Mesa Verde will be down in Cortez, CO which is 40 minutes west of Durango and right outside of Mesa Verde National Park. I have wanted to visit that area for quite sometime and this is a great opportunity to do it. I have taken Friday off before the race so I can perhaps take a peak into the National Park as well as ride the course and see what it is all about the day before the race. The objective of the 12/24 hour races is to ride as many laps as you can on the usually 11-13 mile course in the time alloted. It should be a great time.
Until then I will be trying to get on the bike more and more. I also got my plane ticket for Lester and Ryan's wedding in Ft. Myers, FL at the end of April. I am having flash backs of Florida last year which was two weeks before the Breckenridge 100. HAHA!
Alright all for now. See the Fam in Chicago in a week for the Bachelor and Bachelorette parties!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Yes I have joined yet another electronic craze. I now have a twitter account which lets you know what I am doing at all times... well whenever I update it. You don't need an account to see what I am doing. Here is the link and you can go to it whenever you want. https://twitter.com/BrandonNewcomer Sorry no blog post. Nothing exciting to write about. Been a slow winter, not really much worthy to type about. Hopefully smaller updates on twitter will lead to bigger stories to write about.
Quick tid bits. Bobby and Jess are engaged! Jenny is coming to Steamboat this weekend and will head up there for a couple days of fun. Went down to Denver over the weekend and went to the Galactic, JJ Grey, and Mofro concert. Was a good time with Rob and Megan. Went for a muddy freakin ride with Rob today. Both decided we should not have been on one part of the trail. He has a single speed and had to hike some of it. I dug through the climb and my chain, gears and bike were literally coated with thick mud and my gears weren't working right. We nursed the bikes home squeaking the whole way.
Back to work in the morning. I should been sleeping. Good night.
Quick tid bits. Bobby and Jess are engaged! Jenny is coming to Steamboat this weekend and will head up there for a couple days of fun. Went down to Denver over the weekend and went to the Galactic, JJ Grey, and Mofro concert. Was a good time with Rob and Megan. Went for a muddy freakin ride with Rob today. Both decided we should not have been on one part of the trail. He has a single speed and had to hike some of it. I dug through the climb and my chain, gears and bike were literally coated with thick mud and my gears weren't working right. We nursed the bikes home squeaking the whole way.
Back to work in the morning. I should been sleeping. Good night.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Holidays are over
It's been a while since I have posted as many of you have probably noticed. Glad the Holidays are over is all I have to say. I will start with the day after my last post.
The day after Christmas I headed up to Vail to meet up with Jaime, her husband, and her husbands sister. We were delightfully greeted with about 6-8 inches of new snow which made the conditions fantastic. We skied pretty hard all morning and headed in for lunch. After lunch the weather took a bit of a drastic change as the winds picked up and the clouds moved in which made the visibility in the back bowls next to nothing. We had the complete vertigo feeling going on and you couldn't tell where the ground was. You lose all of your senses and it is a pretty wild feeling. Jaime and I actually ended up above a cliff and couldn't tell how far down it was to the landing. We worked our way through it and when we looked back up at the cliff it would have been about a 15-20 ft drop which would have been interesting not being able to tell where the ground was. We took a few more runs and then it was time to head home. All in all a good day.
After a pretty lazy weekend and one day of work I flew out to Detroit for Laine and Caseys' wedding. Justin and Erika picked me up from the airport and we headed to the Hotel where the wedding would be and where everyone was staying. When we arrived we went and met up with all of the family members who were already there including one of my favorite parents Mike Gordon. He was excited to see me as well and I had a lot of fun with him over the couple of days. Some other fellow Eddies who were there included Kyle Bartosiak, Risa Zander, and Jason Ball. We all had a great time and rang in the New Year during the reception. During some of the reminiscing Mike brought up a point that he remember most about me in High School. It was the day we graduated when he was handing out our diplomas. He shook everyone's hand as usual but when I came up I told him to come in for the "real thing" and gave him a big hug. He said I choked him up with that which was pretty funny! He's a good dude! It was good to see everyone and a great trip over all. I spent the whole flight and the next day sleeping and recovering from the nights festivities.
The day after I got back I headed out on a muddy bike ride with my buddy Rob. The weather was nice and it felt great but a bit awkward to get back on the bike. Most of the trail was pretty dry but there were some muddy spots and eventually on the north facing slopes it go to be a bit much in the corners and we decided to turn it around.
Over the next several days I actually got on the trainer which made me feel a lot better. It's amazing what the bike can do for you. Even though it is sheer torture to sit on the trainer inside I just put a movie on and make the best of it.
This week was a busy full week of work. We are currently into our year end reporting with deadlines next week. Other than work we had an eventful week here in Boulder and the winds were absolutely crazy. There were gusts of 100mph recorded in Boulder which lead to power lines and polls getting knocked down which eventually sparked several wild fires. One of the fires burnt over 1,100 acres, 2 houses, and 3 out structures including a barn. Thousands of animals were evacuated as there were lots of ranches around the fire area. The fire was in North Boulder just beyond residential areas many of which had to be evacuated. I first noticed the fire from work out in Broomfield. We had a good view of the fire making its way up the mountains. When I got home I could walk out of my apartment look to the North and see the fire raging furiously. We had sustained winds of 40-60 mph hour which just fueled the fire like crazy. Below is a picture of just how close it got to the Dakota Ridge subdivision. The fire fighters did an absolutely stellar job of saving structures and peoples lives. Kudos to them.
Today I am going to get on the mountain bike down by Red Rocks with a buddy that lives down that way. I told myself if the mountains don't get more than 6 inches over night I wouldn't make the trip up. Vail and Beaver Creek got 8-9in but I didn't feel like driving out that far at 5:30am when I checked the snow reports. I am going to head up to Copper Mountain Tuesday night to stay with Rob Habicht and his friends to ski Wednesday and then we are planning to go to Steamboat next weekend so I am not to worried about heading up this weekend unless a storm moves in over night.
All for now.
The day after Christmas I headed up to Vail to meet up with Jaime, her husband, and her husbands sister. We were delightfully greeted with about 6-8 inches of new snow which made the conditions fantastic. We skied pretty hard all morning and headed in for lunch. After lunch the weather took a bit of a drastic change as the winds picked up and the clouds moved in which made the visibility in the back bowls next to nothing. We had the complete vertigo feeling going on and you couldn't tell where the ground was. You lose all of your senses and it is a pretty wild feeling. Jaime and I actually ended up above a cliff and couldn't tell how far down it was to the landing. We worked our way through it and when we looked back up at the cliff it would have been about a 15-20 ft drop which would have been interesting not being able to tell where the ground was. We took a few more runs and then it was time to head home. All in all a good day.
After a pretty lazy weekend and one day of work I flew out to Detroit for Laine and Caseys' wedding. Justin and Erika picked me up from the airport and we headed to the Hotel where the wedding would be and where everyone was staying. When we arrived we went and met up with all of the family members who were already there including one of my favorite parents Mike Gordon. He was excited to see me as well and I had a lot of fun with him over the couple of days. Some other fellow Eddies who were there included Kyle Bartosiak, Risa Zander, and Jason Ball. We all had a great time and rang in the New Year during the reception. During some of the reminiscing Mike brought up a point that he remember most about me in High School. It was the day we graduated when he was handing out our diplomas. He shook everyone's hand as usual but when I came up I told him to come in for the "real thing" and gave him a big hug. He said I choked him up with that which was pretty funny! He's a good dude! It was good to see everyone and a great trip over all. I spent the whole flight and the next day sleeping and recovering from the nights festivities.
The day after I got back I headed out on a muddy bike ride with my buddy Rob. The weather was nice and it felt great but a bit awkward to get back on the bike. Most of the trail was pretty dry but there were some muddy spots and eventually on the north facing slopes it go to be a bit much in the corners and we decided to turn it around.
Over the next several days I actually got on the trainer which made me feel a lot better. It's amazing what the bike can do for you. Even though it is sheer torture to sit on the trainer inside I just put a movie on and make the best of it.
This week was a busy full week of work. We are currently into our year end reporting with deadlines next week. Other than work we had an eventful week here in Boulder and the winds were absolutely crazy. There were gusts of 100mph recorded in Boulder which lead to power lines and polls getting knocked down which eventually sparked several wild fires. One of the fires burnt over 1,100 acres, 2 houses, and 3 out structures including a barn. Thousands of animals were evacuated as there were lots of ranches around the fire area. The fire was in North Boulder just beyond residential areas many of which had to be evacuated. I first noticed the fire from work out in Broomfield. We had a good view of the fire making its way up the mountains. When I got home I could walk out of my apartment look to the North and see the fire raging furiously. We had sustained winds of 40-60 mph hour which just fueled the fire like crazy. Below is a picture of just how close it got to the Dakota Ridge subdivision. The fire fighters did an absolutely stellar job of saving structures and peoples lives. Kudos to them.
Today I am going to get on the mountain bike down by Red Rocks with a buddy that lives down that way. I told myself if the mountains don't get more than 6 inches over night I wouldn't make the trip up. Vail and Beaver Creek got 8-9in but I didn't feel like driving out that far at 5:30am when I checked the snow reports. I am going to head up to Copper Mountain Tuesday night to stay with Rob Habicht and his friends to ski Wednesday and then we are planning to go to Steamboat next weekend so I am not to worried about heading up this weekend unless a storm moves in over night.
All for now.
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