Bicycle Race

How about a little video from the Tour of Utah this past August? I guess if I'm not riding, I can at least watch great bikers ride.

Nothing

"Nothing" seems like a strange title for a post, but there's something behind nothing.

You see, "nothing" is what I've been doing for any exercise, or biking, or healthy lifestyle. I'm ashamed to admit it, but that's what I'm doing. I did look at my bikes last week. Well, I think it was last week; maybe it was the week before. Anyway, I need to figure out how I'm going to stay in shape in the off season.

I don't have to stay in shape, I mean there's the old book, "The Season Starts When?" that has since been memorialized in an Old Guys Who Get Fat in Winter jersey as well. However, I got fat during the season and don't need to keep that trend going.

I was thinking the other morning that I really need to get some strength built up for skiing, and dropping a few pounds would make those jump turns through deep powder so much easier. Then last night I actually got to be at a decent time for the first time in, well since before I last looked at the bikes, and I figured that I could get up and spend a few minutes on the NordicTrack this morning. Well, that lasted until the second snooze on the alarm clock. Stupid apathy, made me look bad. (If that sounds familiar, then you, too, watched Courage the Cowardly Dog on Cartoon Network.)

I'm not sure what it will take to shock me out of my apathy, but I hope I can figure it out pretty quickly or else I'll be spending this entire ski season on the bunny hill with my wife, and none of it in the open bowls or tree lines with my brother. (Not that I mind skiing with my wife, mind you. I actually quite enjoy seeing her pick up that new skill and get a sense of accomplishment. It's just that I also enjoy tackling the more daunting parts of the hill as well to build my own skills and be able to look back up with a similar sense of accomplishment.)

Now, in case anyone reading this doesn't already read the Fat Cyclist blog as well, there will be a great new way to win cool schwag and support the fight against cancer at the same time by joining Team Fat Cyclist: Fighting for Susan starting in December. If you feel so inclined, join or donate as you are able.

Amid the Falling Snow

I've been amid the falling snow, to use the Enya song title. I'm reminded of Monty Python's Quest for the Holy Grail when in the course of the quest Fall is given a bye and the seasons jump directly to Winter. I think that just happened over the past three days.

I could have ridden my bike up to last week, had weather been the only concern. However, today was definitely not riding weather. Today was early season snow that stuck. I thought about riding this morning just to spite the snow, but now I'm glad that I didn't since I lack fenders and I'd be shooting nearly-freezing spray up my back on the trip home. I keep thinking about a commuter / urban bike as an option for my stable as I get rid of my mid-1980s Centurion LeMans and my early-1990s Specialized S-Works M2. I don't think either is worth a whole heap of cash now, but they're taking up space in my garage that I could give to an inclement-weather-friendly bike. I just don't know much about the available options, aside from the Novarra that I got my Dad last year.

But for now I'll just drive my gas-guzzler on the I-can't-drive-in-snow traffic clogged roads cursing all the Utah drivers for my entire commute. Woo Hoo!

With a Little Help from My Friends

I do, indeed, get by with a little help from my friends. So, I'll ask for some of that now. I've been realizing that easy riding for the year has gone past. I've been dealing with dark mornings, and now dark evenings. Now the mountains are powdered white with snow. Anyway, I don't want to totally let this little record of my riding hibernate, but I'm not sure what I should write about until I can get riding again (like February in St. George).

Should I write about skiing, which is largely my cross-training for cycling? Should I talk about the frustrations of having to drive more, even if the price of gas is dropping like the stock market? Would you read about my lusting after new gear and bikes? Is some strange mixture of all of those reasonable? I'd talk about indoor training, but my trainer broke in storage this summer. (That reminds me: I should probably try to find a replacement resistance unit for that.) I could talk about using the NordicTrac, my only other cardio, off-season training, but there's only so much to say about staring at the basement walls while iTunes pumps out marginally motivational exercise music. Maybe I'll get the motivation to try the Graeme Street videos that I ordered a few years ago to increase my core strength, flexibilty, and general fitness; I guess I could write about that if I can find the motivation to do it.

"Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?" No, wait, that's Charlie Brown's line. Isn't there anybody who can tell me what to do with a cycling blog during the dark, cold winter months? This is where you, whatever readers I may have, act as my loyal Linus and declare, "Sure, Lanterne Rouge Rider, I can tell you what a cycling blog should be about during the dark, cold winter months." You don't even have to step on stage, or say, "Lights please." You can just tell me in a comment what you would want to read.

Dreamer

Wow, autumn came quickly. I guess now it's time to wax up the skis and begin dreaming of another cycling season.

I've already started making plans for 2009. Nicole has decided that she wants to ride the Zion Country Early Spring Century family ride again. Maybe we'll take some friends this year. The wives can do the 25-miler and the husbands can do the 50-miler (with Beth in the trailer). Maybe.

Or, I could get my first exposure to Gooseberry Mesa. I have heard and read wonderful things about the riding there, but have yet to get there myself.

Ooh, then there's always Moab a little later in the spring. And there's the Showdown at 5-mile Pass.

I still think that a great, unexplored mountain biking destination is Glen Canyon Recreation Area. There are nearly unlimited riding possibilities, just off the front of a houseboat. And, if you're in the Page, AZ area, check out Lakeside Bikes. The owner's an awesome guy and runs a slot canyon tour company as well. Oh, and it's the only bike shop I've ever visited that has promotional shot glasses rather than water bottles.

Anyway, I guess this is kind of an end of season post that has me thinking, even dreaming, about things to come in the next year. Will I  get in more mountain riding? Will I knock out a century ride or two? Will I just get in the commutes? Will I get to do more rides with my family? Will we do some Jordan River parkway rides with neighbors? So many options, so few weekends and evenings it seems.

I guess that time will tell what will happen.

BTW, the title for today's post comes from a Supertramp song.

Oh, and a shoutout to my cousin Brad Keyes. I don't think that I ever properly thanked him for making me feel like I belonged at my first mountain bike race lo those many years ago.

Sorry that the posts are slowing down, but it's harder to find cycling related content in my life when I'm off the bike and burning gas.