Bik'ER Dad

Deja Vue

2012-03-02T21:12:00.000-08:00

In 2010 around this time I had some bad medical news. I messed up my right shoulder and couldn't make it for the first ICUP race. Well guess what? The first ICUP race is tomorrow in St George AND I am not going to be there. I have another medical problem- on the other side!

Here's the story-

We were down in Mexico last week- It was great by the way and I wish I would be blogging about that trip instead of this. Jonny and I had a great day of beach volleyball and all was well- until I headed to bed. All night, I had severe pain in my left shoulder keeping me from sleeping. I awoke with left shoulder weakness. I couldn't lift a half gallon of milk over my head. I've been having trouble with my left shoulder since I dislocated it 18 years ago (although this was the strongest it's ever been) so I thought maybe I tore my rotator cuff muscles. I wish.

This week I had MRI's of the shoulder which showed no tear and then of my neck. "CRAP!" says the radiologist as we sit down to read them together. My heart sank when I saw this.

I have disc herniation at several levels and its likely pushing on one of the nerves going to my shoulder thereby the pain, weakness and numbness. That was 10 days ago. I went to a non surgically oriented orthopedist so as not to influence a recommendation for surgery. He saw the MRI, looked at me and said, "On the outside you look like your 30 but your skeleton looks like it's 60" - Thanks doc. I think he was being generous on both ends.

Funny. The first thing that went across my mind was, "There goes your MMA career" No Duh! As if I ever had one!

So right now I am just waiting. Waiting to see if this goes away- not yet. Waiting to see how I can (must) tone down my activities. Waiting to see how I am going handle this psychologically. Waiting to see.....

We'll see.

Good Luck to all the Desert Rampagers tomorrow!

The Gym

2012-02-07T19:20:00.000-08:00

This weekend I went biking in St George during Camp Linda (a loose gathering of MTB -fun- fanatics going on long rides everyday) It was great! I did over 90 miles of riding and felt pretty good considering I really haven't ridden since the last time I was down there (three weeks).

Interestingly, however, I kept catching myself thinking about how the biking was a good RECOVERY WEEKEND- from training in the gym- that is. As a matter of fact these two seemingly disparate sports activities mesh rather well together. I get really burned out in the shoulders and core during boxing and MMA training. I've also been doing a lot of Cross-fit workouts before the morning training sessions which work the quads a good deal. So by the end of the week my body just says "recover!". And biking works out well at that point. It is good cardio conditioning and changes the leg work out away from squats, running and jumping.

Here's a few pics of the gym for those who haven't been.

It's pretty new, nicely lit up and very functional

I love the boxing bags! You can really take out a lot of energy on'em!

The tires are a bitch when coach puts them in the cardio workout

Maybe someday......

THANK YOU MAD DOG RACE TEAM!

2012-01-23T21:27:00.000-08:00

Thank You Mad Dog Race Team for a great 7 years! I was taken in as a very green beginner, and patiently nurtured by so many of you along the way. I have learned so much from so many of you. You became my trusting biking family I could depend on for support and for a push to work harder. But also for a hand up from my falls- which there were many. Along the way I developed incredible memories that will endure into senility (who knows maybe its already here). A special thanks goes out to Keith, without whom there would not be a Mad Dog Race Team.

But at this time I must part ways with the team. And I hope it is only the team I leave and not the individuals I have made friends with. I have come to a fork in the road of mid life and changes seem necessary. For one, my fitness and mental focus has transitioned to MMA training. Where it will take me I have no idea, but with limited recreational time, biking has unfortunately taken a bit of a back seat. With that limited time my ride time will need to be closer to home. Therefore, to find riders nearby I have chosen to sign up with Team Revolution. Remember, I am only leaving the team NOT the individual members. I hope to ride with you all again soon.

Best wishes for another winning year to all!

Confession

2012-01-05T21:56:00.000-08:00

When does a biker fall from the grace of bikers? I have a confession that I am afraid to make here. I've been hiding this information since the 24 hours of Moab. I am just not sure how to even begin. I don't want to lose the friends I've made in the biking world. But, to be fair to everyone and myself I have to come out. Here goes...

I have not ridden my bike since the last post on Thanksgiving. AND to make matters worse I signed up at a gym- to train- in mixed martial arts combat! I've been hitting people- like hard! And I think I enjoy it!
But I can't help it. I've gotten into it so much that I am doing twice a day work outs until I can't even move the next day and have to take a break. What is happening to me? I am sooo ashamed.

Am I worthy of being called a biker -even though I am probably the only one that calls me that?

Will I ever be accepted into the circle again? Can I face them without wondering what the real bikers are thinking of me? Feeling sorry for me? Or even AFRAID of me? Are they thinking of ways to convert me back (not that I am quitting biking)?

But as I write this at least I feel cleansed. I have been honest with everyone and myself. Maybe I will be accepted for who I am.

Who am I?

Maybe I'll find out this weekend. I am heading down again to St G. Just to ride- no fighting.

Thankgiving in Sunny St George

2011-12-03T00:24:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics from our trip down to St G for TG. The weather couldn't have been better.


What a find! Anasazi trail system in Ivins


The trails were pretty easy so the whole family went. The petroglyphs were amazing!


It was good to go riding with the family. Dot and I even got away for a couple hours to do the Stucki, Rim Rock, Race course.

Making a Difference

2011-11-18T21:03:00.000-08:00

15 years ago I met my little brother, Joe. He was 10, having anger issues and his father was out of the picture. We met regularly and had some good times, like- going fishing, hiking, 4 wheeling and just doing stuff. We did this for about 5 years until he moved out of state. The last I heard he was partying a lot, had an accident, lost his drivers license and just was not doing well. I had always wondered if what we did those 5 years, the time I spent with him, ever made a difference. Did anything I said or exemplified help this kid?

Well he came back to town this week and called me up. We went out for dinner and went to my 11 year old kid's soccer game (how time flies). At age 25 he says he has stopped partying, has had a steady job and girlfriend (and NO children out of wedlock!). He has dreams of saving for and opening up his own business.

So I asked him if the times we spent together when he was young ever made a difference to him. He said, "You were the only one in my life that accomplished anything or had anything. You were the one that showed me that I can do something if I work hard at it." He says his favorite thing to do when not working is going up in the mountains hiking and 4 wheeling.

I guess it was worth it :)

Sometime it may take a while but caring makes a difference.

Try it.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah

Light at the End of the Tunnel

2011-10-29T23:16:00.000-07:00

Finally! I've had to hike across Suncrest too many times over the last month waiting for them to open up the tunnel section to get to the sweet ride on the other side. And now it's done! I think Anne's is now my favorite ride in Draper. Riding it up to the top of Corner Canyon has a great grade that you can stand up and pound a good pace. It is long and a great sustained work out. But now I can cross to the other side and climb her the other way but at the same grade. So far that section hasn't been discovered by too many, so the I can open it up on the return. Draper does it yet again.

And MORE!

Draper has opened up parts of a pump track and downhill course! This little pump track was a bit much for the long wheel base of the Arantix, though. I wonder if they'll make one to fit a 29'r?

What's wrong with these pics?

2011-10-16T21:11:00.000-07:00

Just think how fast my lap would have been if I wouldn't have posed! Just kidding- this was a pre-ride lap

I'm walking! And I'm smiling! Wrong!

This was Nose Dive Hill. I've never seen anyone ride it, although heard of it.

24 Hours of Moab - Take 8

2011-10-11T22:38:00.000-07:00

Keith, the man, the leader, the guy who made up the winning team

It took me 8 years of racing the 24 Hours of Moab to get on a team that was able to take a first place finish! Due to a multitude of factors going our way, we were able to take a solid first and 4th overall. It is a good thing that it all came together because there was a lot of grumbling that this may be the last 24 hours of Moab. It's truly said since this has been a tradition for the team as well as myself. I looked back at the results for my 8 races starting in 2002 at the young age of 36. Looking at my first lap times I started out rough in the 1:20's (before I joined Mad Dog). Then in 2005 my times were not much better but the guys let me stay on the team. By 2006 I was feeling good but it was the rain year and I couldn't tell much about how I did. Then in 2007 I hit 1:14's and plateaued there until last year when I hit 1:13 and this year I reached 1:12.32.

The LaSal's were nicely covered with snow

Really, for the first time, this year I felt comfortable with the course. I didn't have the "pucker" factor on the technical stuff that I have had in the past. That can be good or bad. I pre-road the course Friday, with Jen our wonderful Chef, and I realized it was a very pleasant course- when you are not busting your butt.

Jen way up ahead of me- "putting it down"- a deceivingly pleasant ride

For the second year I didn't have to "run". I slyly suggested the race rotation should go by age and the guys bought it! Reed took the run and kicked butt getting back and then Tim took off and did not disappoint. Carson was to be next but he was still hacking up a storm from a recent cold (the same one that prevented us from doing Frog Hollow last weekend) so we left him for last. As it turned out he put down a 1:09 on his lap so we should have left him in third. Keith, however, went third and ended up setting down a respectable 1:13:04! That laid down a big challenge for me. I did not want to let the team down and I was really worried I'd be "the weak link". So with some nervous energy I headed off. Luckily I was able to find a few challenges from racers on the course that helped push me and I put down a 1:12:32. That's the best time I've ever had in all those years of racing. I have to admit that the course conditions were probably the best I've ever seen as well.

"Small" but cozy camp

After that I was able to relax and enjoy the team and the venue. The Mad Dog turnout was smaller but more intimate, plus being on a 5 man team that extra hour seemed like we had all day to get ready for the next lap.

We had time to "kick back" and enjoy the time with family


and friends

Our man, Chris, Coming in FIRST on the first lap!

Then came the night laps. Until then we were 6th overall but within seconds of 5th and 4th. This is where our experience shined. Our night lap times only increased by a few minutes from the day ones but the other teams' gaps were greater and we quickly pulled to 4th over all and 1st in our class. After that is was just a matter of avoiding mechanicals.

Finally- 1st

And when the dust settled by noon on Sunday, the best thing was, that every team Mad Dog sponsored took first! Brad, Dwight, Craig and Bill took the Grand Master (and 37th overall) and Chris, Josh, Matt and KC took Pro Am/Coed (and 2nd overall!). How cool is that?

I have a lot more pics that will be posted on the team site- as soon as Carson gets me the password.

Night Ride

2011-10-01T21:43:00.000-07:00

If you haven't tried night mountain bike riding, your missing out

The 6 hours of Frogs Hollow was derailed for this weekend- Buddy issues. So I joined some good old boys for an early morning (5:30a) night ride up at Park City today. It was a VERY pleasant 2 hour ride up Glen Wild, 24-7, Flying Dog etc. I haven't been on this trail system before so it was exceptionally "interesting" doing it in the dark.

I've got one last ride tomorrow before recovery starts for 24 hours of Moab. I'm looking forward to it even more- having missed this weekend.

Bike vs Dog- Again!

2011-09-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

This helmet probably saved her life.

This is getting ridiculous! I just finished with a poor gal who hit a dog that chased her, wrecked, and sustained a seizure, concussion and broken elbow. This is the third case this year just in our ER of severe injury to bicyclist vs dogs. And last year one of our docs had multiple rib fractures and a collapsed lung from hitting a dog. This is more than we have seen from bicyclist being hit by cars!

My question is, can the negligent dog owners be responsible? None of these cases have resulted in any attempts to hold the dog owners responsible despite very large bills and lack of insurance in some cases. Is there a law that can hold the owners liable? If so, why don't we enforce it? If not, when will the biking community stand up to enact some protection or even awareness of this issue? All bikers have some bad experience with dogs. When will there be a movement to control this problem? Does someone have to die first?

Bugs

2011-09-21T13:47:00.000-07:00

What do you tell a patient who swears she has bugs and worms crawling under her skin for 4 weeks, brings in hydrogen peroxide mouth washings to prove it-showing nothing AND swears she is not crazy but makes all of my ER staff itchy all over?

Wonder Woman Dot

2011-09-17T22:22:00.000-07:00

That's NOT me next to Dot!

She's back! Today Dot rode 100 miles! That's big in and of itself, but for those who know her medical history this is awesome! Physically, Dot has recovered from her garden hose surgery a long time ago and I would say actually has become stronger. BUT, the theory was that competitive biking was the contributor to the clot, so mentally, she had been fearful of returning to competitive riding. So when I forwarded her the information on the Wonder Woman ride in Utah County, I was surprised when she decided to do it.

While officially it wasn't a race, she rode hard and strong. She finished well despite not having anyone to draft with (I guess Wonder Women don't draft since she tried a couple of times and freaked the ladies out).

I'm pretty excited she did it. Who knows what's next?

During that 6 hours the boys and I headed down to Lambert park and rode Spring and Rodeo and then headed to Utah Lake to try our luck at fishing.

The most we caught was this pizza

I think we need some tips about how to fish this lake.

Don't anyone make a comment about his hair. He gets too much positive feedback about it, as it is.

Simul-rappel!

2011-09-12T11:26:00.000-07:00

This weekend I had a last minute invite to do some Conyoneering in Moab. I couldn't pass that up. I headed down with Rich and Stuart to the Moab Retreat House Friday morning. We headed out to do the Medieval Chamber. It was pretty incredible all the way around but the best part was Simul-rappelling off of Morning Glory arch. Rich and I were tied onto the same rope and went off one on each side of the arch. The next day we headed up to the La-Sals to do the Pleiades. It was a series of 7 waterfalls.

The trouble was it was 51 degrees when we got to them when we were expecting 90's. Needless to say we were a bit cold dropping through the waterfalls. It was incredible scenery, though!

After this drop I even had enough time to ride- Bonus! I 'found' Pipe Dream just outside the steps of our condo. It is a new single track that runs all the way along the West side of Moab and is nicely technical. Then the next morning I did the classic Slick Rock a couple of times. Way cool for a last minute getaway!

Simul-rappel!

2011-09-12T11:10:00.000-07:00

Rich and I "Simul-Rappelling" off of Morning Glory Arch- Moab

The trouble was it was 51 degrees when we got to them when we were expecting 90's. Needless to say we were a bit cold dropping through the waterfalls. It was incredible scenery, though!

Professional Volunteer

2011-09-07T21:16:00.000-07:00

Today, I spent a large part of my time between doing my charts from last night's shift (so I can get paid) and doing a lot of free work and planning for the organizations I volunteer for. That got me to thinking that I actually volunteer (free) as much as I actually work (for pay). So, I am going to outline my free work here to give you an idea.

I planned and helped Lay 3200 sf of fundraising pavers- April 2011

Channing Hall
The largest organization I volunteer at is the boys' charter school- Channing Hall. I am on the board and on two working committees- Fundraising and Strategic Planning. Last school year I logged over 220 hours there. I also run the school blog.

Church Expansion Planning Committee
Sit on the Unitarian Church expansion and fundraising planning committee.

Utah High School Mountain Biking
I am sponsoring and on the committee for the new initiative to bring high school mountain bike racing to Utah.

Teaching
I am medical director and lecturer to Canyons School district high school EMT classes and take on medical students to do ER rotations with me at work.

NonProfit (Global Emergency Medicine Support- GEMS)
Though not active in the past few years due to the kids, 9/11 etc, I have a nonprofit that's provided emergency medical training in several developing nations: Peru, Guyana, Nepal, Samoa, Fiji. Dot and I did this for over 6 years before the kids came along. As the boys get older I hope to restart this group and do more training and travel.

10%
Dot and I also contribute the local going rate on charitable giving of 10% of income on top of the above.

The point is that these are things I (we) believe in- Education, Social Justice and of course mountain biking- and I am willing to put time and money into it. I enjoy it and there is definitely an unending need for volunteerism. And, ultimately, I hope to set an example for my kids.

The frustration: I have been involved in a fair amount of fundraising and volunteer recruitment activities and what I have trouble with is how hard it is to get people to give of their time and money. There always seems to be an excuse: I already gave to the church, That's what I pay taxes for, I am too busy etc. Well I do all of that too.

I am proud of the contributions I am fortunate enough to make and wish more of our citizens would volunteer in this society. Many times the personal reward is greater than the contribution.

Thank you for listening.

PCP2P

2011-09-06T09:17:00.000-07:00

I survived- barely. This was the hardest race I've endured ever. And that's comparing it to my first Leadville 100 race-10 years ago in the blizzard and 3 inches of mud. As soon as I started I was a bit worried because both my quads were feeling tight and even a little strained. I was hoping it was my imagination. I think I had made the mistake of doing an extra Karate session Thurs which ended up involving a lot of jumps and kicking. So I took it pretty easy up to Deer Valley to make sure I was good and warmed up. But then I thought it was time to test the legs out. The quads just wouldn't respond and by the time I got towards the top, along a narrow traverse my Quads cramped up. I froze in mid pedal and was balancing there for what seemed like minutes. I couldn't do anything. Then the wind blew- in the wrong direction- and I toppled off the side of the cliff. Luckily there were some good sized bushes to catch my fall. All I could do was lay there upside down with the bike on top of me-still clipped in. Finally, I got disentangled just out of sheer embarrassment and limped off along the trail, popped a handful of electrolytes and tried to spin it out.

Finished and heading home.

From there on (mile 27 ish- out of 80!) I kept wondering how I was going to finish. Actually, it was how I was going to quit with some dignity. The only way was if the bike broke. But the Arantix wouldn't give. What saved me were the descents. The one thing I feel that I have improved on this year have been my descending speed, and despite how rough some of the downhill was, I felt good and was able to consume a lot of miles that way. Then I would gingerly spin up the climbs. I finally got to PCMR feed zone (mile 57) and with the encouragement of Kendra, Dwight and Craig I felt maybe I could make it. I sure couldn't quit with all of their enthusiasm and help there. I was very heartened when I reached the top of Spiro having ridden the whole thing! For 20 miles I was picturing myself walking up the whole thing! The final 20 miles along mid mountain were OK and I was able to inch along to the finish.

It was my hardest ride mainly because I was in pain physically and psychologically for most of it. It was NOT fun. Will I do it again? Yup- Stupid me.

Side note: I had to hurry home to meet up with Dot to see the show-Saturday Night Voyeur by the Salt Lake Acting Company. It's not dirty as it sounds but if you see some of the idiotsyncrocies in Utah politics you'd appreciate it. I couldn't stand up after sitting there for 2 hours, though.

Recreational Biking

2011-09-01T22:53:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot what it was like. Riding recreationally- that is. Being on the team and having upcoming races, gets me in a training state of mind. Every ride has the main focus of pushing hard, getting stronger, improving. Sure, every once in a while I'll look up and marvel at the incredible scenery or great trail conditions, but for the most part it's about riding for the next race. Wednesday I went up to do Bennie Creek with a couple guys from work. One hadn't been up there at all and the other rarely. I was in my recovery mode for the P2P so did not have much intention of riding hard. So we shuttled to the top and headed on down.

Tom. Thanks for planning the ride.

We took it easy, stopped a hundred times, talked and exchanged some pointers. We got down that 4 miles in about 45 minutes later. Interestingly, the trail seemed completely different than when I rode it last with a team member. It was fun. But when we got to the bottom, I finally broke down and had to sprint back up to the car. 25 minutes up and I was back in my training mode. I think I actually started to have withdrawels.

Dr. Jake. Glad you survived.

I'd do it again under the right circumstances since it is fun introducing new riders to the sport.

Clipless Pedal risks

2011-08-31T21:55:00.000-07:00

Can you see the fracture?

Here's a case report about a Hip fracture from a guy unable to unclip fast enough. Who hasn't this happened to?
Also, they say as far as they know that was the first case. I saw a lady with the same thing just this past Spring. She was new and went to unclip. Didn't. And broke her hip. I should have wrote it up and been the first case.

Proximal Femoral Fracture in a Man Resulting From Modern Clipless Pedals

A Case Report

James Parker; Neil Patel; Ganesh Devarajan

Authors and Disclosures

Abstract Introduction The use of clipless pedals amongst recreational cyclists has become increasingly popular in recent years. We describe a hip fracture, that was sustained due to inadequate set up of such pedals. To the best of our knowledge, this has only been described once before, and this was in the non-English language medical literature.(Maybe the English know how to use the clipless pedals better?)
Case Report A 38-year-old Caucasian man who was a club cyclist sustained a displaced intracapsular fracture of the hip whilst cycling. As a direct result of the incorrect set-up (Do I hear "Lawsuit"?) of his clipless pedals he was unable to release his feet whilst slowing to a halt (In the main body of the article it said he slipped on some ice- what did he expect?). This resulted in a loss of balance and subsequent fall with a direct impact onto his left hip. The resulting fracture was managed successfully with early closed reduction and fixation. At six month review he was walking unaided without pain but, as yet, has been unable to return to cycling.
Conclusion This case highlights the dangers of clipless pedals even in experienced cyclists, and underlines the importance of proper information for their correct setup to minimise the risk of potentially serious injuries, especially in the region of the hip.

Family Cross-training

2011-08-30T16:48:00.000-07:00

Dot, going for the single ski and powering right up.

Sunday we took a break from our soccer and biking to do something different. We headed to Rush Valley (yes there is water out there-some) for some water-skiing with some friends who take skiing as seriously as I do biking. We haven't tried water skiing for exactly 10 years and therefore, the boys haven't had a chance at all.

Joey was next, getting up right away and laying down the challenge to his older brother

Jonny, focused on getting up.

Jonny was up to the challenge

I was last. I too got up after a few attempts and did a couple runs. It's impressive how sore the lats were the next day. It was fun challenging ourselves with something new. I was pretty proud of our little studs for making it look so easy for the first time. Thanks Milford's!

Now back to biking and soccer. Both boys have a big tournament this weekend and I have the Park City Point to Point (80miles). Stay tuned.

First Night Ride of the Season

2011-08-26T20:43:00.000-07:00

I finally tried out the new AYUP upgrades I got this spring. Carson and I headed up towards Diamond fork up past the Hot Pots. A thunderstorm passed by just before we headed up. Luckily it soaked in quite well except that the wet leaves and plants kept us nice and cool/cold. We did a little "extra" riding at the top while looking for the turn off. It's funny how things look so different in the dark. It was a good 2.5 hr night ride.

Biking and Volleyball

2011-08-21T07:15:00.000-07:00

The Race:
The 4th UCSC 35 mile race at Corner Canyon started a little after 8 and went on for 3hr 39 minutes. Climbing Clarks (the third time) I thought, " How am I going to play Volleyball for 6 hours? The race went as well as can be expected I eased into it the first lap on the climb up Clark's then just had a great time on the down hill. As a matter of fact it's the downhill that kept me in the race. This course is near home and my training area so all the trails are very familiar to me. I felt I raced it well, giving it my all but not blowing up at the start like I usually do.

I came home and finished setting up for the V-ball party. And wow what a party it was! We a very eclectic group of folks filter in for some play time. Some were pretty impressive players and others had a great spirit. The kids seemed to have a great time between playing and swimming. I was soo energized with all the folks that came that I forgot to be tired. Once everyone left though, I crashed and was exhausted. Dot and the boys all voiced what a great time we all had. Here's some more pictures of the party.

Dot with some good form bumping

Jonny, with a flailing dive return

Joey watching Brock's diving return

We had a pretty serious thunderstorm that cooled things off and gave us a chance to rest and get some food

We went back after the thunderstorm and played into the night until we couldn't see anymore!

FULL Saturday

2011-08-13T21:44:00.000-07:00

Like most families our weekends can be busy. But today was really a FULL day. Here's a quick recap-

0700 Went up to Park City to meet with some team riders to pre-ride part of P2P. I got in a couple hours and a couple crashes before I headed to Jonny's tournament soccer game.

1000 Soccer tournament- Murray

Win- 11 to 0 on to the championship game at 1830

1230 - Tour of Utah downtown

Dot scored us some VIP tickets right at the start


They looked tired already

1600 Went Fishing with Joey at Spring Lake- Payson area

The big one came later

1830 Championship game

Doggy pile with couch Dot watching

Happy Champion- First place in 2-1 overtime

I must brag that Jonny scored the first point with an incredible sliding kick.

That's how to live the day to its fullest- with family.

Alone

2011-07-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

I was down in St G Tuesday. To beat the heat I got up at dawn and headed out for a ride. I rode 3 hours and just shy of 30 miles. I did not see a single sole. I like the freedom of having the open space to get lost like that. That is a big part of the reason moved out west. Space. I think it is taken for granted when we live out here.

Some might say it is foolish to head out into the wilderness alone. Perhaps, but sometimes the calculated risk has rewards: confidence in ones independence, peace, reflection and just enough of an adrenalin rush to make you want to do it again-as long as you survive.

I recently had the discussion that humans are a social animal and are dependent on each other, which in the long term I agree with. But sometimes you just have to escape-For therapy.

Park City 50

2011-07-09T20:06:00.000-07:00

5 hrs 30 minutes.

This was the line for the restrooms 10 minutes before the start. I wonder how many got to go?

I finished the PC50 today by 12:30pm. This was my first long distance race of the year. I really need to do more. It was a fun one. It was planned well. It had most of the climbing (8000 ft) up front when we were fresh, crossed Mid mountain trail and ended with the a screaming downhill into the Canyons. I started strong and steady towards the front and settled into a good pack with similar ability as mine. However by mile 25 I started to cramp. Luckily I was able to spin it out for another 10 miles and then I was spent. But by then I could feel the finish coming and I held on. I finished 1/2 hour before I expected.


This was some of the climbing near the start. Carson's ahead. I rode with him most of the race until he started to have tire issues. Then I gave him my CO2 and took off.


Someone ahead of us missed the turn and we ended up taking this 100 yard hike a bike section. Can you say lemmings?

This blog post is dedicated to Dot

2011-06-25T21:53:00.000-07:00

The family- with wife- the medal around her neck is an Awesome Wife Award :)

Today on the way to the race Dot said, "by the way I do read your blog." Huh? I wondered. Initially, She was too busy and the Arantix thing was too frivolous so I am sure she didn't. But I wondered if she peaked every once in a while. Well I guess that's OK. Right? Everyone else does- I use the term 'everyone' loosely since it is more the 'one' than the 'every'. It's just that at first I could pretty much assume she didn't and I didn't have to include her in it as much- plus I assumed she didn't mind the anonymity.

So today on my third lap I had run out of water, I was all alone, I was in survival mode and I hit this great curvy sage brush section that really got me into a zone and I thought about her and our conversation. I had the great idea to dedicate today's blog to her! PLUS she and the boys came along to the race- rare- AND she hung out along the course to take pictures of me- rarer! Don't get me wrong she is an awesome wife and mom but she doesn't get into the pandering the husband thing. I'm Not complaining........much.

Boys at the start

So I asked her what she thought about the blog. She said it sometimes seems that I am obsessive about the boys. Well; I guess I am in a way. I have the luxury of working evenings and nights so I have the luxury of being with them a BUNCH relative to most dads. I guess in many ways I fit the Mr. Mom bill. And when moms are with their kids most of the day they are the focus in life. Plus I really enjoy doing stuff with them and for them. Like Karate, making them a Volleyball court, a bike track, bike trips, camping trips etc. etc...... OK. Maybe I am obsessed with them. But I am a parent for pete's sake. Luckily, I don't thing that equates to spoiling them. Most anyone will know I am strict with them and make them do chores, and keep them on a short leash with attitude problems -(e.g. I made them pull weeds for an hour today and pick peas yesterday!) I guess in the end, I may be guilty as charged- but I like it :)

I also heard from the wife that she is not mentioned much in my posts (except on occasional- "the wife" notation in parenthesis. Well I thought she wasn't reading them so why bother! - not really. Again, I thought she enjoyed the anonymity. and realistically the activities I do with the boys are generally when she is at work. Oh and admittedly just from the egocentric nature of blogging bloggers its all about ME, ME, ME! Should she start one of her own? His and Her blogs? Interesting.

Joey crossing the finish line with Mom chasing him

Either way, from now on I vow to TRY to make my posts more WC (wifely correct). I love you dear! :)

By the way, the race was way fun, the course was great and I generally felt strong. Just not strong enough. I initially finished 3rd but someone wrote in a name ahead of mine so it was really 4th- I guess. Bob puts on a great show.

Epic ride with the boys

2011-06-24T22:29:00.000-07:00

I took the boys up CC. We started at the top rolled down to shoreline, played in the roaring river/stream, and headed into town. We stopped at Dancing Yeti Coffee shop for some smoothies to replenish the "lost" calories since my boys don't have much to spare on them. Then rode home- 11 miles and 2.5 hours- total. Quite a journey. Then I rode back up Ghost to get the truck. Just trying to keep to my commitment to them to ride more for fun with the boys. It was good. Now let's hope I have some legs left for tomorrows Round Valley race.

Belated Father's Day

2011-06-20T21:35:00.000-07:00

Father's day was wet and I had to work anyway. So I had a good day with the boys today instead. The weather was better and we broke in the Volleyball court with the kids. What a great way to spend a day playing with the kids.

I think father's day is becoming my most favorite holiday. Normally I think these are made up for commercial waste and expense but the way we've been celebrating it with the boys is on home activities and if they buy anything I request it to be something we can use together. The boys (and Dot) got me a planting science kit we can set up together and learn from. Even better, I liked the cards the boys made for me (Dot made a great one too that I can't share :)

Family ride coupons! Sweet!

Deer Valley Race

2011-06-11T22:32:00.000-07:00

Gourmet after the race- Guess I gotta do another race to be calorie neutral.

This is June 11th at Deer Valley! Moguls are still evident at the base! The race course had to be redirected in a couple place but was in pretty good condition- except for the start. The start was straight uphill and in mud and steeper than the usual ridiculous climb. I cleaned it but had to take what seemed like half the first lap to recover. I cleaned it the next two laps- surprisingly- and had a good race giving it a good effort. Yes. I still ended towards the back but not last. I'll keep training. I can only improve from here. Right?

Rulon and I

2011-06-05T08:26:00.000-07:00

Dr Jacob Poulson, Rulon Gardner and I

I got to work an MMA fight with Rulon Gardner. He MC'd it and I got to be one of the docs to examine the fighter afterwards. It was a fun little local event with a big guy guest. Some good fighting- including the gals who had some of the better technique!

Let me die! - When should families let go?

2011-06-01T22:29:00.000-07:00

When a loved one is so ill that they voice the unthinkable, "Let me die", it can be traumatic to the family. Too often than not, what happens is that the family guilts the sick into "doing everything, every time". So not only does the sick family member have to live with the pain that made them make the declaration, but now they have to live with all "the life-saving" measures thrust upon them. They will be destined to many extra needles, the side effects of the $50k per pill magic medications that may give them another 6 months of agony and the humiliation of the family watching them waste away to nothing. Then in the end, because the discussion of end of life is taboo, they will suffer the last insult of ending up in the ER where we will be required to put the body through the last heroic attempts of drugs, shocks and compressions. We, fighting to give them more suffering and they, fighting for rest. In those times- I hope they beat me.

Recently, I had a case like that. JS (not the real name) was so ill that she would end up in the ER every week or so. We and she would do what the family wanted. She would get patched up. Sometimes she would be admitted but most times she would refuse. This kept going on for over 6 months. There would actually be yelling fights in the ER between her and the family. I respected that at least she had the spirit to fight them. Finally, when she became sick again, she didn't tell the family and delayed coming in so long that her heart stopped while the family was driving her to the ER. The ambulance was called, she didn't have a living will (DNR) so the final assault was begun. We knew it was JS when the ambulance called. We continued the resuscitation briefly but all along I was rooting for her. I placed the Ultrasound on her chest. The heart was still. She won- finally. Now you can rest in peace........

Please give your loved ones the final act of respect and mercy when they ask you to let them go........

Memorial Day Race

2011-05-31T22:41:00.000-07:00

The color was symbolic of the shivering mood at the start

Snow line just above the race line

Monday was the Stan Crane Memorial XC Race, and, well, it was par for it's tradition of cold, wet and muddy.

It was delayed by an hour because of ??? maybe the snowline was too low! WTF?

But surprisingly by race time the parking lot "was dry" as the ICUPracing tweet reported.

After lap one- still smiling. Thanks Jamie for the pic

The race ended up being fun. I tached out my heart rate early trying to keep up with the group and by the second lap (after this picture) I was anchoring the group. I just don't have the stamina. I pushed hard, dealt with a bit of chain suck and finished wore out and glad to have done it.

A bit muddy and not smiling so much by the third lap

I headed home, down the hill to the backyard party. The cold scared many away but the ones that showed had a good time and good food. My one lament... It was too cold to try out my new Sand Volleyball court :(

The Journey- Poison blowdarts and More

2011-05-23T22:54:00.000-07:00

The team was just landing on the dirt air strip having brushed the runway to clear any cattle off so that we and they didn't turn into hamburger. Already, Within the last 12 hours we had flown into this little known country and hopped onto a rusty box with wings to enter this remote region on the Northern border of the Amazon rain forest. Our journey was just beginning. We spent the night camped in a school building (if you could call it that).

The next morning we took jeeps further south for 4 rough bumpy hours. Little did I realize that was the smooth part of the trip. The semblance of what was termed a road gradually lost its meaning. The road ended at the next village. After stretching a bit and transferring our gear we headed off sitting in an old wagon which was pulled by an even older John Deer tractor. How they keep those things running so long, so far away from the nearest dealer or fuel station, I'll never know. For 4 more agonizing hours I was jostle back and forth trying not to keep slamming my back against the wagon rail. Finally the thick jungle was looming and even the tractor could forge on no more. We still had daylight left and decided to keep to the schedule and continue on, on foot, until we would make camp. It was refreshing to stretch my legs. Initially, the way was relatively open and avoiding tripping on the slippery roots was my main focus. Gradually the Jungle began closing in on us and the air became thick and musty. Now the obstacles were all around; including vines, bugs, and webs above. We finally stopped to set up camp. While the guides were clearing the deep jungle to allow for our tents they advised us to do a tick inventory. A what? I looked down at my legs and they were peppered with ticks! We were informed that it was easier removing them early before they really drove their heads into our flesh-not to mention healthier! It took me about 20 minutes to find and remove about 24 ticks with my knife. It got to be fun after the initial shock of it wore off. I ate and slumbered down into my tightly zipped tent. Alas it wasn't tight enough. I felt a severe burning and stinging in my right arm and saw an ant crawl off which was at least 3/4 of an inch long. My arm ached and throbbed incredibly until finally the Lortab and the cacophony of the jungle noises lead by the Howler monkeys lulled me to sleep.

As the green of the jungle began to lighten in the morning, I awoke refreshed, without pain and ready to go for more. We packed up the damp tents and continued the hike. By mid-morning I was out of water. We couldn't carry enough water for the whole journey so we planned to dip into the multitude of puddles, treat them with iodine tablets and go for broke. I was REALLY thirsty before I could stomach drinking the stuff knowing I may have gotten some of the tadpoles-at least that's what I think they were- into my bottle. For lunch the Amerindian guides "treated" us to turtle soup. Not too bad. Only later did I find out that it was an endangered species. Finally, after about another hour we reached the river. It was a beautiful, wide, rapidly flowing river which we were going to float down to our destination. We were handed off to the Brazilian tribe at that point and we parted ways with our Guyanese guides. Our new hosts and guides came up the river in huge dugouts. These were truly trees that were dug out. They were over 20 feet long and and nearly 3 feet wide. Each dugout took 3 of us, two guides and equipment. At least that was my last tick inventory.

After a few fun rapids our hosts wanted to stop and go fishing. OK! I was all over that- until they pulled out 1 1/4 inch steel hooks on thick steel leaders. What the..? I was nonchalantly informed that we would be fishing for Parana! I had just been wading in that water! But Wow! Was that ever fun! We baited the hooks with some bloody fish and threw in the line. That's all it was, was line, that we would hold in our hands- no pole. Within a few seconds the water was boiling and I was pulling the line in as fast as I could without falling in. The disappointing thing was how small those bloody bastards were! They weren't much different than an overgrown sunfish or bluegill- WITH RAZOR SHARP TEETH. I quickly gave them my respect, though, when my steel hooks would come back bitten in half- Ouch! After about an hour the fish were bagged and we headed down again- with arms and legs firmly in the boat.

A short while later I heard some excited shouts in the dugouts ahead of us. Our guides pointed out a Tapir was swimming across the river. Oh cool, I thought, we can watch it gently swim across and take some pictures. Ah well all of a sudden our dugout started moving pretty fast right towards the mammal. Oh! And the guy up front was pulling out a cute homemade bow and arrow set! OMG! We were on a hunt! It was incredible how focused and frenzied these hunters became. We did not exist and were just along for the ride. By the time the tapir lumbered onto land it had 4 arrows in it. We hit the banks and our hosts were gone, leaving us white folk slack-jawed and looking at each other in amazement. We heard a warrior-like scream that even now sends chills up my spine. By the time I stumbled out of the dugout and hiked about 100 yards to the kill, the hunters were starting to dress the deer-sized animal.

We were at the village in another 20 minutes or so. The hunters were welcomed as heroes, having brought home fresh meat, fish and white men- or was that white meat :) ? The kids were swimming out to greet us! What the....? (Side note: later I noticed that some kids were missing toes and I asked the head teacher why- Paranas! Crazy.) Over the next three days we set up a clinic and saw everyone in the village, discussed all of their ailments they had over the past year, mostly couldn't help them with them but pulled what seemed like hundreds of teeth.- short version. We ate with the villagers and left the inch and a half cockroaches to do the dishes. We did some first aid teaching and played with the kids- no swimming.

The village we went to apparently was so isolated that just about 5 years prior was the first contact they had with the outside world and shortly thereafter, they got a village shot gun for hunting. Prior to that they were hunting with poisoned tipped blowguns which now they felt were obsolete. I was able to trade for one of the last two they had left in the village. An souvenir to top all souvenirs.....

EPILOGUE:
I reflect on this trip as the greatest journey that I ever had and likely ever will have. I cannot imagine a trip more exotic. There are so many times I get jolted by these memories, that I had to share them.

Soldier Hollow Race- Why do I do it?

2011-05-21T22:58:00.000-07:00

CLASSIC! Keith, the hanging bibs, the view, the dressing teammate, sum it up. We all have our reasons to be there. Mine: Well because it makes me hurt- Really. Before the race today I flippantly asked several racer why we pay for the anticipated pain. Well during the race I thought about this deep and hard. I was doing a'right for the first two laps (that's a relative term) then all went to pot when the rest of the group passed me on the third to leave me alone thinking among MANY other things, why do I do this? I was soo hurting that I thought about quitting, hoping for a flat, having to go to the bathroom, where else I'd rather be etc...but I finished- last. At the end I did wonder why... Well where else can I make myself ride so hard for 2 hrs 37 minutes to the point my legs cramp, tell me F.. U when I ask for more and barely let me finish. NoWhere! Being in a race-even placing last- makes me ride so hard that there HAVE to be benefits to it-conditioning, strength, improved lung capacity, better living etc. I just can't make myself hurt so bad if it is a simple training ride. The race hurt so bad, it was good. Maybe someday I'll see the results of this.........

DAD- Resolution

2011-05-20T22:16:00.000-07:00

Joey cruising Bear Claw Poppy in St George

This year I made a 'Dad' resolution to go on more family rides and race less. So far we've been on a couple awesome family rides. I can't say with the weather the way it has been that I've raced much more than that.

Jonny with my little sister behind him

Dot's been doing really well back on her bike but still not willing to push it racing.
(read here for historical details)

The fam after the ride----good times

Draper family ride.

Too bad Joey couldn't look past the front wheel to enjoy the view

I'll have to ride with him alone next time. He was waiting too much for Joey and I.

Another revolution around the sun

2011-05-19T20:01:00.000-07:00

I had one of those days that come around once a year whether you want it or not. It serves only as a marker of the number of revolutions around the sun that we've survived. But in the end, it is just another day- actually a hard one for me since I put in a 14 hour shift that day. But what made it special for me was the cards my boys made for me. Joey (8) used the computer importing pictures and clipart to design a card all by himself. And Jonny (10) in his "finest" writing- I say tongue in cheek- designed a card with 'work' coupons and an awesome sentence at the bottom. Translation, "Your the fitest 45 year old I know." It's a good thing he doesn't know many of my fellow racers that kick my arse routinely....

ER moment

2011-05-16T11:28:00.000-07:00

I love the special statements that come from some of the kids I see. Here's a recent good one.

A 4 year old little boy came in with a cut to his chin. As with all kids at this age he was terrified and he cried. He cried while we were setting up. He cried through the numbing. He cried while I was washing it.

And then I put the first stitch in and told him one was done.
He immediately stopped crying, took a deep breath and sputtered, "I cried for nothing!"
He didn't cry anymore the rest of the time.... :)

Little man- Black

2011-05-15T22:35:00.000-07:00

5 years, nearly 5 grand and my little man- Jonny earned his Black belt. I don't think the significance of it has sunk in for him. It has been half his life that he has been working towards this point. What he will do with it- time will tell. As with everything else he does he has been intense with Karate and it shows.

I missed the Mad Dog sponsored race at Soldier Hollow, but it was worth it. It was a proud day for his father- me.

His favorite part: a sword given to him by his instructor.

Welcome

2011-05-08T22:15:00.000-07:00

I used to blog about my mountain biking with a cool bike. It was a great era. But I am more than biking. I love my job and I am passionate about my boys. And therefore this blog: Bik'ER Dad

Biker: I still love mountain biking and racing mountain bikes. However, at this time I am somewhat in a transition mode. Due to many reasons- health, time, passion, and bike issues I need to step back a bit. I intend to race and be part of the Mad Dog team which is an integral part of me but the the intensity may be more limited and thereby my training and subsequently my performance.

ER: I love working in the ER. It is full of incredible experiences-both funny and sad- that I've been wanting to share. Yes, I vow to keep my patient information private, but the general cases and events can be intriguing, heart wrenching and even uplifting. Then there is the team of dedicated health professionals I love to work with. Without them I could not do my job. When it comes to treating multiple critical care patients in the ER a team approach is indispensable.

Dad: My boys are the reasons for all I do. I had a good life before they arrived. I feel I lived it fully- indeed more so than most. But now my focus is to be the best dad I can be. That includes feeding, sheltering and protecting them as the basics. But I feel I also owe them the skills to survive emotional and physically in this world once I am not there. That includes education in school and the real world. It includes showing them right and wrong and maybe the in-between. And it includes showing them the boundless love that I have for them.

And that is perhaps the biggest reason for this blog. I am not a very fluent conversationalist and fear that what I communicate to them verbally is limited. All kids to a certain extent have short attention spans and very little of what we tell them is retained. I too forget many events in the past and will appreciate reminders of my thoughts and reflections of our activities. I will strive to make this blog a chronicle of my thoughts, feelings and actions in the journey of their upbringing. This is in the hope that some day they may stumble across our documented history and perhaps glean a better understanding. A better understanding of what we experienced as a family-perhaps from the parents point of view. And maybe this can serve to strengthen our love and family bond even greater.

So why not just write a private journal? I am not delusional that I will have a large audience and perhaps that is better. Nevertheless, I feel that putting this information out in a public forum would keep me motivated to write as well as help draw out topics of general interest. It could provide an open forum and even feedback to help me channel the conversation. To keep it more honest and interesting.

I hope not to be soo serious in further posts. I was caught in a contemplative mood.

Keep tuned in if you'd like.