Tour of Utah, America's Toughest Stage Race

I couldn't attempt to document the rest of our summer without plugging the Tour of Utah. BD gets so. very. excited. for this race each summer, and this year was the most excited I've ever seen him. Few things in life get him this pumped. He talked non-stop about "the Tour" for weeks leading up to the race, and well, the cycling chatter didn't exactly slow down during the race itself. There were some big names in the field this year, many of these guys had just been at the Tour de France. Fun to see a small race grow in our backyard. We saw as much as we could live, and BD was glued to his phone or computer otherwise. Admittedly, I did a lot of eye-rolling during the event but truthfully I love that he is so passionate for this sport. The final stage was my favorite, with a big mountain loop and hill climb finish to Snowbird. There were hundreds of screaming crazy cycling fans at Tanner Flats up Little Cottonwood Canyon cheering on the riders as they passed. Go Levi!

Let's pretend my face isn't that chubby normally, mmmkay?

 

Happiness is

watching BD blow that blasted plastic vuvuzela like it's his job, and it basically was this weekend at the TofU!

Logan to Jackson {or bust}

BD rode LOTOJA again this year. He might be nuts. But there is no mistaking his passion for all things biking. I must not have been a complete delinquent last year as his official "support crew" and therefore was hired for a repeat performance. I was thrilled each time he came through a feed zone in good spirits while we swapped water bottles, wrappers, and a salty kiss. At least he's having fun, I thought, despite the self-induced pain. The whole Duncan clan came to Jackson to see him cross the finish line. It seemed the perfect excuse to have everyone together for the weekend and we loved every second spent with them.

We are all laughing/smiling in this picture because the passerby who kindly took this shot hollered "say... GO COUG'S!" Maybe you had to be there, or be a Duncan, to really understand that humor.

We stayed the night in Jackson at a cozy lodge near downtown and after a yummy dinner and a splurge at Haagen Dazs we called it an early night. Someone was tired and it wasn't Ellie or Cody. I'm in love with those quirky mountain lodges, where the hot and cold is always switched backwards on the shower and it takes 10 minutes to solve the puzzle. The next day we sauntered around the open-air art fair and Taste of the Tetons. I scored some turquoise earrings that I may never take out of my ears. We made quick work of 3 large pizzas at Mountain High Pizza Pie before hitting the road for home.

A big thanks to Grandpa D for making it all happen. Jackson was so beautiful and the weather was just perfect, I'm still dreaming about it. It was fun having the babes there as well. High fives to their parents who braved the first road trip with them in tow. Ellie gave me a big hug right before we left that basically melted me right on the spot and Cody was a good sport to allow his auntie no less than one million kisses on those cheeks of his. I'm preemptively making up for that day when he's not going to allow me do that anymore. BD and I opted to take the long way home in search of a huckleberry milkshake at the Ashton drug store. We stopped several times to snap shots of the beautiful Teton valley in which we were passing through. Absolutely gorgeous. Naturally my thoughts wandered to my grandparents as we passed their resting place and my heart warmed.

The rolling fields of gold seemed endless. One after another. We were dismayed to find that the drug store in Ashton had been renovated into a pizzeria and was inevitably closed on Sunday. Through the window I could see that the old-fashioned soda fountain was intact and the locals we accosted on the street vouched that the food was decent, so not all is lost; we'll be back. The milkshakes were the best thing that drug store had going for it anyway. Our search for huckleberry milkshakes was successful down the road at some Frosty Top car hop or something of the sort. And yes, at the last second BD sneaked in an order of onion rings and I could not for the life of me find any good reason to object.  

 I love road trippin.'

LOTOJA 2009

Please excuse me, but I'm about to have a proud wifey moment right here on this blog. Big time. BD raced in the 27th LOTOJA Classic on Saturday. Decidedly, he loved all 206 miles. When I passed him on the last uphill towards Jackson at roughly mile 175 he was still smiling and I felt a rush of pride drench the whole front seat of my car. It felt good to see him enjoying the race entirely despite how painful all those mountainous miles sounded. He's been training and planning for this event practically all year. It's ALL he has talked about for months and months. The few days leading up to the event he was a nervous and excited wreck. So was I. He was a first-time rider and I was a first-time support crew so neither of us knew what to expect. Other than sending him off at the start line without water bottles {oops} I did a pretty descent job of keeping him fed and hydrated along the way. And I'm only trying to give myself an ounce of credit here because the feed stations were stressful! I would arrive early and plant myself at station 9 {as instructed} and wait and wait. After about 6 false alarms of other riders flying by in red/white jerseys, finally BD would come pedaling up frantically searching all the faces until he found mine. Now both of our adrenaline was pumping. In less than 7 seconds he would throw out all his empty bottles and garbage while I shoved more food, water, and Gatorade into his pockets. A sweaty kiss {if lucky}, a slap on the rear and a Way to GO babe! You look HOT in spandex! Keep up the pace! and he was off in a flash. A quick wipe of my brow and and I was rushing off to the next feed station with a long line of support vehicles. It was actually nice to have all that alone time in the car, driving through the remote farm lands of Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming. Small towns make me feel nostalgic and I always picture myself living there. I'm sure people in the country have the same old problems that people have in the city, but on a quiet Saturday morning when the early sun is kissing the fields just that way...it sure doesn't seem like it. I was almost certain that I could have knocked on any door only to be offered fresh huckleberry pancakes served over a red gingham table cloth. There was lots of beautiful scenery along the way. Lush farm lands, winding rivers, green hills, rocky mountains. The weather was cooperative and absolutely gorgeous; all 206 miles were sun-shiny and pleasantly warm. I was just grateful to be a part of it.Dan and Ali were there at the finish line anxiously waiting for him to sprint through. We missed the others who would have come; Lee, who is battling a wicked kidney stone, and Michelle and Ben who were nursing him better back home. BD felt their support along with many others throughout the day with lots of good luck text messages and phone calls. I have to give a BIG thanks to my aunt Polly and JoAnn who not only fed us, but let us sleep at their house in Logan the night before.We hooted and hollered like wild hyenas when BD came sprinting over the finish line at 4:20 pm with a super fast time of 9:37:49. I am so proud of him for accomplishing this goal. Covered in at least 1/4 inch of salt-sweat and grime, he was exhausted to his very core, but in true form...still smiling. Perhaps beaming wider and brighter than I have ever seen before.

Memorial Day Weekend Wrap-up

BD and I had a very low-key, yet action packed Memorial Day weekend. It was so very nice. The long weekend involved our favorite take-out and a red box {or three}, a sweet baby girl's one-year birthday bash, the all-time best nap, getting my best time up Little Mountain on my bike, and roasting marshmallows with friends up the canyon. Our little canyon bbq was somewhat crashed by a schizophrenic {no, seriously} homeless man. We thought if we fed him he would merrily be on his way, but alas he stuck with us all night until we were rained out. He even offered the blessing over the food, and nailed it actually. BD raced in the Sugar House Crit on Saturday and then we were both treated to lunch and gelato with his Dad.On Sunday we met my family {the diligent ones at least} in the Heber Valley to visit the family graves in Heber, Midway, and Center Creek. This is a tradition that my family has been doing ever since the dawn of time, or somewhere around there. I remember charting the graves with my sweet Grandma, now we go to put flowers down for her. My mom recites the great family stories from our strong pioneer heritage as she traces the lines back. She gets choked up when she recalls stories about her dad romancing her mom or memories riding in a horse drawn sleigh while visiting her grandparents in the winter. I've always loved my great-great-grandfather George Muir's epitaph, which reads:

"Upright and just he was in all his ways, a bright example in degenerate days."

Wow, if my great-great family thought that 1831-1908 was degenerate times...I can't imagine what they think of the world today. It must be shocking. I'm a sucker for family folklore and next year I hope to video my mom telling stories. I think it's important that we never forget where we came from and I'm so grateful to have had a day off work in order to do so.

Cycle Salt Lake {almost} Century

BD and I hit up the Bike Bonanza on Friday night and on a whim decided to register for the Cycle Salt Lake Century the next morning. Since I haven't actually been out on my bike yet this season, we didn't expect to finish the full 100 miles. Even if my legs could take it, I knew my butt wasn't prepared for 7+ hours in the saddle. No amount of chamois butter can save you in those situations. I've concluded that organized rides are a dream because they shut down the roads to traffic, provide feed stations along the way, and support vehicles if you happen to get a flat. In the end, we rode 73 miles total. It was a good thing we didn't go for the 100, because my legs were screaming like firecrackers those last 10 miles.I loved spending 4.5 hours of a beautiful Saturday on my bike with BD at my side making me laugh so I didn't notice the miles tick by. He's so patient and doesn't care how fast we're (not) going, just as long as he's on a bike. Really, he's that easy to please: Bike=Happy. I'm looking forward to completing my first full century in June for the Bike MS: Harmons Best Dam Bike Ride (check your inbox because you'll probably be getting a fund raising email any day now!).

Plus, he's cute with a walkie

We've been fully immersed in cycling 'round the clock this weekend. Since last October when the U of U team was awarded the opportunity to host the conference championships BD has been acting as Race Director. He did such a great job with all three events despite terrible weather setbacks. They had to cancel one race due to high elevation snow and quickly re-route a new course. It's been a lot of stressful work for him but it paid off and the riders had a great time. On the way home this afternoon he promised not to direct a race again. Until next year.

Tour de Logan

Saturday was the Bike MS: Harmon's Best Dam Bike Ride in Logan, UT. BD and I joined Team Iron Myelin to help support our good friend Liz who was diagnosed with MS in 2005. I was so proud of our little, albeit strong, team because together we raised over $1,000!
First and foremost, I want to say a big THANK YOU to all our friends and family who donated generously to our ride. We are so thankful for your support to help make this day special and rewarding for all.

[WARNING: if you have been known to have an allergic reaction to seeing people in spandex, do not proceed to read this post.]

2008 Team Iron Myelin

Liz and I busted out an easy-peasy 40 miles (ha!) through the lush farmlands in beautiful Cache Valley. It was a darn-right perfect day for cycling and between the chatting and rest stops, 40 miles was over before we knew it. And if I do say so myself, we are pretty dang awesome. But especially Liz, and here's why. Oh, and our studly-macho-manly husbands rode 100 miles! Good effort boys, and way to bring up the team average! We had so much fun this year that we are already planning next year's ride. And YOU should join our team! Think about it, you could be awesome like us by this time next year. Spandex and all. Or not.We Rock! [pump fist in air]

My commuter wifey

I usually don't post on our family blog, I leave that to Gina since she's better at it. But today I had to brag about her. I get up early to work a few hours from home before I go to class, but when I woke up today, Gina was already up and she said, "I think I want to ride to work today." After I pulled my lower jaw off the floor I said, "Honey, that's wonderful! And since I have to be to school early for a test anyway, I'll ride with you." She really liked that idea because she hadn't ridden to work yet and didn't know what bike route was the best. One good thing about Salt Lake City is that there are so many bike lanes. So we rode together to her office (Click to see the route) and then I took off for my test. Of course, 700 feet of downhill on the way to work will put a smile on anyone's face, hence these pictures on the way to work and at the office. (note the smiles at 8:00am! That's rare.)

Now coming home is a different story because you have to go UP that 700 feet of elevation to get back home. See pics below (note Gina's expression... you may think that's a smile, but in reality 700 feet of climbing does NOT, I repeat does NOT put a smile on Gina's face. That's really her trying to convince me to pick her up in the car).

I really am proud of her and she even says that she wants to do it more now! It's such a great way to get exercise and we didn't even have to drive at all today! That's pretty amazing, and it actually feels really good. We're lucky that we live close to most of the places that we need to go every day, and Salt Lake City makes it even easier to ride instead of drive. They say the average person is supposed to get 30 minutes of exercise most days each week. That did it for Gina and me today and it felt good.

More Collegiate Cycling

We just got home tonight from Grand Junction, CO where the U of U Cycling Team competed in the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Cycling Conference Finals. The team did great overall, but Brad especially rocked! But I am a little biased, being his not-so-secret admirer. He came in 6th in the road race, 3rd in the team time trial and 6th in the criterium, each event was out of about 40 racers in his group. To be honest, these races are not necessarily super fun to watch because 1) they are generally long (were talking hours here), and 2) the road races and time trials are not spectator friendly (you only get to see them for seconds as they fly by...and then you wait). But it is all worth it to see the pain and suffering on Brad's face during the race turn into complete and utter joy as he finishes. He turns into a little boy who just won a Big Wheel race against the neighborhood boys. And because I have willingly accompanied him on several of these cycling road trips I have earned plenty of "good wifey" points that can be cashed in at a later date. Everything else aside, Brad really pushed himself this weekend and I'm so proud.

Cycling at Colorado State University

This weekend we drove 7 hours to Fort Collins, CO with the U of U cycling team. Despite being stuck in a car with 5 sweaty, smelly boys it was a lot of fun to see Brad race. He did amazingly good and the Utes were well represented at Colorado State. The first race day, Saturday, was hellish to say the least. They did 2 different races that day. For the Road Race it was 40 degrees, pouring rain...and they rode over 50 miles in 2.5 hours. Almost 1/3 of the riders dropped out during the race because they couldn't take it anymore. But not our Brad! When he came through the finish line he was looking purple-ish to say the least. Once he removed all of his wet clothes it took his body about 25 minutes to stop shaking and finally warm up. The other riders were in the same boat. It was pretty miserable. Here are a few pics along the course that I snapped from the car-which was warm, dry, and safe. Did I mention it was raining?




Here is the mass start for the Sunday Crit...what a beautiful day! Brad placed 5th out of all these guys! Not bad eh?

Saturday ride

It was such a beautiful day a few days ago so we decided to go out for a nice flat ride out West of the airport. We needed something nice and flat because we've gotten lazy over the winter! Only in Utah can you go on a beautiful bike ride with snow capped peaks that allow you to go skiing that very same day if you want.