A New Team for a New Year

Notice the new link to the right. Ski Utah will be my new cycling team for 2008! I looked at some other teams, including ones that would help me pay for my races, but decided on Ski Utah (formerly VMG). Brandi (Black chick on a bike) raced for them last year and was very happy. She said there are lots of great women to race with and to learn from. So I'll be paying for my own kit and race entry fees but it will be worth it to have teammates out on the road with me!

Merry Christmas!!

The kids had a great time Christmas Eve opening presents but the most fun is just being with family.

Here is a sweet video of Isabelle on Christmas Eve. She dressed up in her new Dora dress up clothes and had fun playing with her new interactive baby.

The New Hair Do

Before and after. Ashley used the giftcard her Dad gave her for her birthday to get her hair professionally cut an colored. It looks great. The only problem is she looks too grown up!

CX Finals pics

Here are some great pictures of Sam. It was slick and muddy. Notice the mud streaks up the guys backs.

Video from Saturday

Not video of Sam or me but you get the idea. More video and pics of us to come!

http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=23616100

http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=23615413

More cycling in a Winter Wonderland

More Pictures are coming! They are all on Sam's computer.

Ft. Bueneventura 12/7 race report. I felt good at the start. I rode with my big fat Kona flat pedals and hiking boots instead of trying to clip into pedals full of mud and snow. I got off to a good start (one of my less cordial starts) but fell back off the pack once we hit the slick mud. I forgot to change my back tire and was racing on a very slick, almost road tire on the back. Any time I geared up and tried to use power my back tire just spun and slipped. My only hope was to gear down and spin through the course. Brandi got a good lead on me but thanks to her fall and the barriers I was able to catch her. We went back and forth for a while but I was finally able to drop her in the last lap for a 5th place finish.

Sam raced well. As usual he was hot off the start line. However, by the time he raced the entire course had turned into a big mud field. By the end of the first lap his mountain bike was no longer shifting and he was having to work hard to cut those fat tires through the mud. He switched to his cross (really more of a commuter bike) and got back on course. He held onto third for most of the race but towards the end the mud drained his power and finished 4th. Watch for muddy, snowy pictures coming soon!

Tag! You're it

I've been tagged by my sister Casey! The name of this game is to answer the following 10 questions and then tag 4 other friends to do the same on their blog pages...

1. Best thing you cooked last week. This is bad but I don't think I cooked at all. Okay, Stauffer's frozen lasagna really can't count. Pathetic!

2. If money, time and babysitting were no object where would you go and who with? I would like to go ride my bike in Europe for a while. I'd take Sam with me.

3. When was the last time you cried? Yesterday when Sam said he just wanted to be alone on Christmas.

4. 5 things you were doing 10 years ago. Being a Mom to an 8 and 3 year old, teaching aerobics, managing a clinic, married to Brian. . .

5. 5 things you were doing 5 years ago. Being a Mom to an 8 year old and a 13 year old, trying to make ends meet as a single Mom, teaching aerobics, managing a clinic. (Okay, now you can see why I only write about biking- everything else is the same old stuff!)

6. 5 things you were doing 1 year ago. Riding my bike, being a Mom to a high school senior and a 6th grader, managing a clinic and teaching aerobics.

7. 7 of your favorite hobbies. Road cycling/racing, cyclocross, hanging out with my kids, hanging out with Sam, reading, watching movies, playing video games with my family.

8. 5 favorite foods. Sushi, pizza of any kind, pasta, chocolate, strawberry shortcake.

9. 5 places you've been. San Francisco, Tuscon, Las Vegas, Florida, So. Cal.

10. 5 favorite memories. Giving birth to both of my amazing children. Seeing them grow up into the wonderful individuals they are today, all of the beautiful things I've seen on my bike, finishing Lotoja.

I don't know too many bloggers so I guess I'll tag Brandi.

Tomorrow is the last cross race so you'll get a little break from all of the bike stuff. You may have to hear about trainer rides and some cross country skiing.

Over the River and Through the Snow. . .

Cycling in a winter wonderland!

What a stud. Be sure to read full details of the race in the previous post.

Here are the awesome cross pics from last weeks snowy race. There is also a great video on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuxnUZyzs30

Oh the Weather outside is Frightful- so let's go race Cross!

Soon I will have some awesome pics to go along with this post. . . .

The race was insane. I changed my pedals right before because after half a lap I couldn't clip in anymore because my shoes and clips were full of snow. My heart was pounding the whole time but it wasn't because I was working hard- just scared. On the gravel roads there were big ruts in the snow that would grab your tires and pull you in different directions (usually one tire in one direction and the other the opposite way). Because of the snow you couldn't tell where the dirt ended and the pavement started until you hit the icy pavement and started sliding. I went down so many times. I felt like I was trying to stay on a mechanical bull! My shin is black and blue from one fall and on another I got my calf run over by someone on another. I went back and forth with one girl for a while and thought I had 6th wrapped up. Then on the last stretch I wandered off into some deep snow and couldn't pedal my bike up the hill. The girl in 7th passed me so I quickly got on my bike to chase her down for the finish. Well, the chase didn't work so well and I crashed again 10 yards from the finish line. I didn't even try to get back on my bike I just ran across the finish. The really awesome thing is Sam got my whole terrible finish on video. I'm so proud.

Here's the really crazy part- Sam killed everyone in the snow. They started his field an entire minute behind the pros. He caught all but 5 of them. He lapped his own field 2x!! Everyone else is slipping and sliding and he's just riding along like it's a bright sunny day. It was unbelievable. Everyone in the crowd was cheering for him because they just couldn't beleive how fast he was going. Of course I'm jumping up and down and running around and screaming my lungs out for him. It was a blast! I got some great shots of him but he downloaded them onto his computer and then erased them off my camera. So he'll have to email them to me then I can update my blog. Brandi got some cool pics check them out on her blog at http://blackchickonabike.blogspot.com/ Everyone crashed several times and lots of people had snow packed into their helmets! Insane!

Last week's cross at Wheeler

It was another great day of racing at Wheeler Farm. It was very cold when Ashley and I started but by the time Sam raced it had warmed up to about 40 degrees! I forgot my camera but Dave Iltis was there and got some good shots of all three of us. Click on the Zazoosh link on the right to see the great pics. I didn't label them, but if you can't tell who's who- Sam is the one that looks like a stud, Ashley manages to look beautiful even while racing, and I'm the one with my mouth hanging open suffering to hang on. Sam took 5th, I took my standard 7th (although it was closer) and Ashley took 10th. With only two more races in the series Sam is in a solid 2nd overall in the Masters 35+ A, Ashley is in 8th in the Juniors 14 and under, and I'm hanging onto 4th in the women's B. This weekend we're back at Wheeler for another cold and possibly snowy race.

Cool link about Cross at Wheeler!

http://166.70.44.68/multimedia/2007/1110_cyclocross/index.html

Ashley takes 2nd in State Championships!

Way to go Ashley! It was a beautiful day of racing at Wheeler Farm. Ashley rode well taking 2nd in the Jr. Girls category. Sam took 4th in the Master's 35+ group and Shanna struggled through her race and finished 10th in the Women's B field. We'll have to look for some Zazoosh photos. We were too busy handing off water bottles and feeds to get any pictures of yesterday's race. In a few weeks we'll have Ashley's podium pictures up.

Shanna takes a surprising 7th!

Back to cyclocross this week. It was a beautiful day for racing even if it was a bit chilly in the morning. After lots of practice and great coaching from Sam I did a lot better on my mounts and dismounts. Also, my bike was so much faster (again, thanks to Sam) and I rode a much better race. Hopefully if I can learn to be less "cordial" off the starting line and place a little higher next race. Sam raced well (as usual) and finished 5th. I forgot my camera though which is too bad because the sun was shining on the snowcapped peaks of Mnt. Timpanogas. So, here are some pictures from the very wet, muddy race in Ft. Bueneventura two weeks ago.

Happy Halloween!

What a fun month! Dancing at the Loft, carving pumpkins, decorating cookies and dressing up!

One Got Fat- Monkeys teach bike safety

http://youtube.com/watch?v=cQgAMkMmsfg

Great video! I think these monkeys know more about bike safety than most people! They did forget their helmets though.

Quiz stolen from Casey's blog stolen from Ashlie's blog

I am stealing this
quiz from Casey's blog. I have mostly bike stuff on my blog so I thought I'd mix it up a bit. Actually most of my cool blog ideas are stolen from Casey.

1. Height? 5' 5"
2. Have you ever smoked? Not cigarettes
3. Do you own a gun? No, more likely to injure myself.
4. Favorite kind of music? Alternative
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Yes. Hate the doctor (I see enough of them every day.)
6. What do you think of hot dogs? Ick.
7. What's your favorite kids movie? Shrek
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Starbucks Venti Latte no flavors.
9. Can you do push ups? A few girl ones, my elbow is still weak!
10. Is your bathroom clean? Mine is but the kid's is questionable.
11. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? My chainring necklace.
12. Do you like painkillers? No I still have some from the ER.
13. What is your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex? Road rash scar on my face?
14. Do you have A.D.D.? Yes, this quiz is actually about 30 questions long but I'm getting bored with it so I'll have to answer the rest another time!

7th again. . . and again!

Both Saturday and Sunday were cyclocross races this weekend. Ashley opted for a wet football game and I went with Sam to Ogden to race in the mud. (Yes, I'm seeing Sam again! We are doing well after a rough summer and it is so nice to be with a guy willing to spend his weekends standing in the rain cheering me on while I flounder in the mud.)

Saturday's race was so wet and muddy. I was soaked to the bone. By the time Sam raced (the good people go last) the course was thick sticky mud. Sam had to change bikes halfway through because his was so gunked up. He rode hard and managed to pull off a brutal 3rd. I rode well and ended up 7th once again.

Sunday we were out racing at Wheeler Farm. Ashley decided to stay in her warm bed. I was tired and didn't feel like I put out my best effort. I also have a tendency to get lost and ride in circles which doesn't help. Still I finished 7th once again. After riding hard on Saturday, Sam just didn't have the push he needed to hang with an incredibly fast 35+ field and had to drop out.

We are hoping for a nice dry weekend of racing next week.

More Crazy Cyclocross!!

Our second cross race was at RMR. It was my first time racing there since my season ending crash at the criterium race on May 30. Fortunately this race stayed away from the drag strip and my speeds were slow enough that even though I fell down alot there were no injuries! This was a hard course with lots of short steep sections, the usual barriers and the "Green Monster". The "Green Monster" was the terribly steep grassy section that we had to run up and traverse across (see below).

Ashley did awesome! She was the only girl in the 14 and under catergory. Out of 10 kids she took 5th (as she says- she beat 4 boys). And since she was the only girl she officially took 1st. I managed to place 7th. Which sounds better than DFL! That is all right. It was a fun race and I can only get better.

Very Scary!!!

Corey Rushton's website? The cost of Austin's college tuition? 2 Months until Christmas? Not sure what is so scary but I had to share this great picture of Mom.

Austin and Ysenia

Okay, I know it looks like I favor one of my children over the other. . . It's not true! I love them both the same. It is just that Austin hates to have his picture taken. He even managed to miss his Senior picture at High School. Said he had mono or some such excuse!

Austin has submitted an original design of his for a competition for a billboard. Voting starts this Friday. If he wins he'll get $1000. That would really help with college. Go to http://www.971zht.com/pages/zoobillboard/ to vote. His design is #42 with the animals.

Happy Birthday Ashley!!!

She's officially a Teenager now! Happy 13th!

The weather was crummy so we decided not to race this weekend. We still had a great day shopping and going to the movies. In the evening we went to dinner with some of our family. Ashley had a great birthday and tonight she gets to have another party with her family.

Practice, practice

Last night I went to the park and practiced running and jumping onto the bike. It made me very glad I'm not a guy! Ashley, of course, had the technique down almost immediately (aaah youth!). I'm going back to practice some more tonight. I seem to be good entertainment for the men's soccer league that practices at the park. And I wonder why I dont' have a boyfriend?!?

Ashley's First Bike Race

Today was Ashley's (and Shanna's)very first cyclocross race at Fort Bueneventura. Ashley did great! She took 6th place in the Juniors and Shanna took 7th place in the Women's B field.


It was a beautiful day. We are going to practice our mounts and dismounts and do it again next week.

Here is a video that gives a little bit of an idea of what cyclocross is all about. Ashley and I still need some practice and I need to get a lighter bike but soon we'll be flying over those barriers.