Clyde's Comeback!

65 mile ride up around Gunlock and Veyo. Left the house at 3:50 a.m. Solid effort this morning as things clicked for the most part. It was super hot and I did drop one of my water bottles which sucked down the stretch... but still kept a solid grind without really feeling hammered. 

30 min's on elliptical after Mik'L got home. In the 45 min's while she was gone my hip got super, super, super tight and hurt just to walk. So I about bagged everything. But decided to get on the elliptical for a while and see if it would loosen up.

5 miles on the treadmill. After a half hour on the elliptical my hip seemed to feel runable so I switched to the treadmill to finish the workout. Didn't want to got outside as it was now around 90 F. Ended up running pretty solid by the end.

48.8 mile ride out to the airport and back (twice). I flirted with the idea of doing the same ride again as yesterday and even set my alarm for 3:30 to do so. But I woke at 3:15 and decided I wasn't going... at all. Fell back a sleep and woke at 4:30 to go potty. Then I re-commited and rushed out the door as fast as I could to get in as much as I could before 7 a.m. Legs didn't have much in them but I did get in a ride. 20.7 mph avg. 

7.2 miles on the treadmill after the ride. Basically got home and fed the chickens went potty, and changed my clothes. Then hit up the machine while Mik'L was out on her run. When she got home I was only 2 miles into it but just didn't feel like going out into the sun so I finished on the belt. 

15.3 mile run early this morning. Hit a few before and a few after solo and ran the middle DC loop with Billy boy. It really felt hot and dry. Even in the darkness of the morning I was super uncomfortable. Hip was killer today... hurt from about the second mile on. At times it was almost crippling. 

13 mile Super EZ ride after Mik'L was done with her stuff. It was at least an hour and a half after I finished my run that I got on the bike. Just really wanted to spin the legs out and try and loosen up the stinking hip. Seemed to help a little. 

The annual 4th of July run. Big group this morning. I think there was around 40-45 crazies who showed up to catch the vans at 4:15 a.m. It was super hot today. The hottest morning of the year so far. 93 F when I left the house at 3:40 a.m. But once we got up there it was a little cooler and there was a breeze. Plus some cloud cover kept the sun at bay until well after I'd got home. 

Took it really EZ for a couple miles but then worked into a groove with STeve and Tom. With just under 6 miles to go and after all the hill climbs were done Stephen dropped the hammer and was pounding the downhill to the finish. I fell back but then worked through the flatter sections to catch back up. Then we both just kind of jogged the final mile together. Still hit like a 7:02 avg or something for the run. Lots of climbing and ALL dirt roads+ half in the dark. 

Good run. My hip had sections of super painful jolts but as a whole felt pretty stable for the run. Happy about that.

75.3 mile ride up in Torrey. Actually had to do a full Tour de Wayne County to get the mileage. Took my Tri bike up and it was nice to get back on it after riding the BMC for the last 6 weeks or so. Had some nasty wind during the first 20 miles then it kind of tappered off. I really was sucking air on all the big climbs... the low part of my ride was 6,800 and up to 7,400 or so. A big jump when you live at 2,600 ft. But had a good ride and for the most part good weather in my old stomping ground. Ended with a solid 20.8 mph avg.

Got up and didn't know if I wanted to run or not... really didn't know if I wanted to race or not. Today was the Torrey Apple days 5k and when I'm here I usually run it. So I went out running about an hour or so before it started to get warmed up and see if racing would be an option. After about 3.5 miles I headed over to see what was happening at the starting line and there was no one there. I was a little early but still someone should have been there. So I looped around a little more checked again and still no one. Then I decided to just bag it and went back to enjoy the rest of the day at temps under 80 degrees and beautiful surroundings. Later that day I learned that I had the time wrong about the race and I had shown up over an hour early.... the race happened without me. Oh well. 

64.4 mile ride up around Gunlock and Veyo. Started with Bob and I then we picked up Stacy. The three of us road up to basically Veyo together then Bob fell off and Stacy and I took it down to the Snow Canyon entrance. Then he turned and I kept on back home. Felt strong at times and super weak in others. Road the tri bike today again as my days with the BMC are basically over. My tri bike only holds one water bottle and that just wont cut it with these temps. So I busted out a new hydration pack that I won more than a year ago in some race. It's a UltrAspire pack and seemed to work pretty good all things considered. Still felt bulky and hot but did help provide the much needed H2O. Not sure what I'm gonna do to remedy my bikeless situation as I really don't want to buy a road bike. Ended the loop at a 21 mph avg- a PR on that beast of a track.

  11 mile run shortly after the ride. Hit the treadmill for .8 while I waited for Mik'L to get home then hit the 10.2 mile DC loop. No watch but pace was pretty honest. Even though I didn't get out running until around 8 am the temps didn't seem too bad where it did feel really muggy out on the bike.

54 mile ride everywhere this morning. Out through the fields to start then back down to Sun River via Tonoquent, back and forth up the river trail and then back home. Had nothing in the legs so took it EZish most of the ride but did hammer a couple sections to try and get a KOM on Strava. 

8 mile run after. Mik'L stayed indoors for her workout so after feeding the chickens I was able to get right out to run. Temps were down to 68 F. The coolest morning in about 15 days. Felt good. I wish I would have felt more lively so I could have gone longer to take advantage of it. But I was super low on fuel and spent. 

Ran here with the Circle of Trust. Did a few before and a few after and the DC loop with them. Hip was so so but overall legs were just gone... zero flow in the roll today. Still nice to get out with the guys. Another decent morning too at 71 F. 

53.4 mile ride around a weird track. Started out heading up through Green Valley and into Ivans. It was so bloody hot I could barely ride. 89F when I left the house at 3:50 a.m. Plus there was a choppy breeze that felt like a blow dryer in my face. So the first 20 miles were hellishly slow. I wanted to get off and hitch hike home, but there wasn't anyone out to ride with. Ended with a 19.5 mph avg. Road Luke's Look bike and it didn't help the speed either. 

10.2 mile run around the DC after the ride. Got er done. 

38.4 mile ride. Cooler but very very humid today. I sweat my butt off and then some. I road the Look again today to see if it was just yesterday that was slow... still the same. I just can't get going on that thing. It's a size or so big and set up way off my mark. Oh well it was worth a shot but I still need a bike. 19.8 mph avg. 

7 mile run after. Overcast kept it nice and I love the smell of fresh rain. Looking forward to only running tomorrow. 

No real running. I did test ride my new bike down in Yorda Linda, Ca for 1.1 miles. Left the house at 3:30 a.m and drove to San Luis Obispo with a buddy to pick up his new Escalade then we both drove down to LA area to pick up my new bike. And the headed back to STG. We didn't clock it on his car but google maps says it's a journey of 1,125 miles. We got home at 11:58 p.m. This was the biggest car travel day of my life. 

64.4 mile bike ride up through Gunlock and Veyo then back down the marathon and eventually home. It was hot and humid today and I really labored. Was sweaty early in the ride and had no response in my legs. However the pace was faster and the new bike rolled it out pretty good. It was a hammer fest and I ran out of fluid way too soon but still hit a PR on the course at 21.5 mph avg for the ride. 

10.2 mile run around the DC after. Had stomach cramps, potty stops and was super low on electrolytes but the run seemed to roll off pretty good as well. Had an honest clip all the way through. Got home and really started to cramp up so I drank pickle juice.

30.5 mile bike ride. So I've never done a "bike race" before so I'm not sure about how to go about my week with tapering and such. Today I just decided to wake up whenever without an alarm and ride whatever I had time for. Woke at 5:08 and the baby was crying. So fed him then got out as soon as I could. Looped through the fields down the river trail around Sunriver and back through the Southern Parkway. Decided to take it super EZ as I trashed the legs and system out yesterday. But once on the river tail at the very top I decided to hit that section hard all the way to Man-o-war bridge to see if I could own the KOM's on that section on Strava. So I did and now own all 5 for now. But other than that I road EZ and let the legs recover.

6.6 mile run after. Super smooth and ez run with some good running vibes flowing... until my hip really started sending some sharp pains with about 2 miles to to. Ugh. Just a quick reality check to let me know where I stand.

Big boys run. I hit one lap around the park before hitting the DC loop with the Circle and Billy. Humid and hot. Bill and Logan were as sweaty as.... Bill also took it upon himself to run right through the middle of 4 females on their run. The sad thing is that we had to be seen with him doing it. 

6 mile run. Did the inner B-hills loop and Secret street at the end. Had some major stomach issues as a result of some excellent Mexican food yesterday. Stomach was bad news this morning. 

15 miles spinning the bike while getting fit at the shop. Didn't make a ton of changes but brought the set up pretty good and dropped the bars up front. I guess we'll see what happens on Saturday. 

Up early to bike but... had some issues with the electric shifting unit. So I was home in less than a mile. Messed with it for a half hour and got frustrated so I went for a run. 5.6 miles around the inner B-hills loop. Nice and ez and felt good for the first time all week. Hip has been horrible and today there was minimal pain. 

Got home from the run and read online forever to try and figure out what the heck was wrong with my bike. Finally figured it out. Yesterday when I got fitted at the shop Ian rolled my bars forward just enough to unplug the wires under the hood grips. Even at first glance they looked plugged but were not. Plugged them in snug and presto. Works like a charm. Glad I found this out today and not tomorrow. 

First bike race ever. Starts in Panguitch and loops up red canyon turns at Ruby's inn and heads north behind the Dunton mountains all the way to Otter Creek, then down Kingston Canyon to Circleville and back down to Panguitch. 

So the race started out with BIG drama for Clyde. Got to the start at 6:50 a.m and thought the race started at 7:30. Got out or the truck and started getting my bike out and shoes on and everyone vanished. Still needed to pump up my tires to the right tire pressure and go potty but rolled over to the starting line and the guys says "is everything ok". I said what's going on... he said the race started  like ten min's ago. Then all hell breaks loose as I just jump on the bike and start blazing my way down the road. Couldn't believe I'd made this mistake. Left my wife sitting there scratching her head and I was just screaming all the way through town now well back over EVERYONE. After two miles of hard pounding a motorcycle came up (guy for my home ward) and told me to hold on and he'd pull me to the lead group. I didn't know what to think but at this point I just wanted the experience of the day more than the result so I did it. That was the scariest things I've done in a long time. I swerved all over holding on with one had and trying to steer the bike and balance with the other. With a lot of luck I didn't go down and he pulled me for about 5 miles down to the lead group. 

I quickly peddled up the masses and found Bob told him the story and then tried to settle down and make the best of the day. Within about a mile of joining the group we all merged from the road to the bike trail that runs up Red Canyon. This was super tight, shoulder to shoulder, wheel to wheel all the way up. But it wasn't fast. Very ez and I wanted then to use my strength in climbing and mover up but it was impossible. You were just caught in the river of riders all the way to Ruby's inn where the road comes to a junction and we went north.

Soon after hitting the road I was right up in the lead. But something was up because NO ONE would go. Nobody lining up, nobody pushing the pace at all. Turns out that 3 of the big dog riders for a local team got flats coming up red canyon and because of this the entire led group of about 40 riders wouldn't push the pace. Everyone was content to just sit in and wait for those guys to catch back up so they could control the race. This was super frustrating for me. I kept trying to get a group together to take off and nothing ever got going. There were a several riders who also wanted to make something happen but it just didn't for miles and miles and miles.

Meanwhile by mile 30 I had to go potty... bad. Other riders would pull off and go and then work to get back with the group. This happened several times between miles 30-75. But I was too scared that if I pulled off that would be when "they" would take off and I'd be left. I also couldn't bring myself to "go" on the bike as I've come to learn is an option as well.

By mile 80 I was in sever discomfort. Having missed my pre race potty and now just grinding out a race it was killing me. I led the race over and over again getting up and pulling and at some points creating a pretty big gap between me and the group but no one would ever come with. So I'd let up and fall back into place. There was no way you can break a lone with the last 20+ miles of this course fairly flat and wind exposed.

I started to think about how the race would end. I knew my fitness was great and legs felt pretty good through 80+ miles. I was only fighting the bladder issue and a sore bum. But I couldn't break a lone. Not with the headwind we were pushing and a 40+ rider group licking it's chops and I also knew that I wasn't a sprinter. And in the end would get eaten a live by all these sharks who've been riding our wheels the whole race.

With 1.5 miles left I was in the led taking my last and (worst) pull of the race. As I slowed from that pull and waited for someone to come around so I could recover... Everyone started breaking! Super strong surge that left me way back in the group as people started flying past. I pushed hard and got on someones wheel but it got dangerous. Bikes cutting each other off here and there. Handle bars hitting each other and I was boxed in. With about .6 to go I rallied and got around to pass my blocker and hammered it passing most of the people who had just passed me. I worked really hard and was now in around 5th but then Everyone started hammering again and I had no answer. I finally got tired of fighting for place and just cruised in right in the middle of the big group. The finish line was a super dangerous left turn at full speed that saw several wrecks during the day.

In the end bike races are dumb. Not a true reflection of the guy who works the hardest, trains hard. Not because I didn't win or I think I'm this total bike stud. But because there were 20+ people who road in that race in our group who NEVER could ride like that without being pulled. Anyways I like riding, training. But I don't like cycling races. I'm doing LOTOJA and that may be my last regular bike race. I like Tri's where every man has to do his own work.

64.5 mile ride up around the Gunlock/ Veyo loop. Temp started at 81F when I left the house at 3:50 a.m. It was hot and humid. Legs felt sluggish too. But the ride turned out pretty fast as I hit a 21.4 mph avg with very little drafting. Must have had good air or something today. But I pushed it hard too and got home with no drink left... I'd ran out up by Winchester Hills and was needing some hydration. 

10.2 mile run-Waited about 45 min's for Mik'L to finish her run and then I took off on mine. Regular old DC loop.  Legs felt super heavy and hip was naggy but by mile 5 I had a good flow going. Just dripping with sweat the entire run. Forgot to get on the scale but I'm sure I was low due to dehydration. This was a tough morning on the ol' body.

26.2 mile ride this morning. Left with the intentions of going about 50 but within about 3 I could tell something was up. Really struggled to get the peddles to go round. Just felt totally bonked and by the time I got out by the dump road I just turned around. It was the hardest and slowest ride I've gone on so far. 18.1 mph avg. Legs had nothing. 

10.2 mile run. Got home way earlier than normal and started to to yard work out in the darkness at around 5:35 a.m. Did that for about a half hour and just kept getting more and more frustrated with the results of my morning ride. So I finally just decided to try a run. It seemed too hard for a few miles and then it felt doable by the end. But the whole system is in recovery mode. I got way too dehydrated yesterday and now I can't recover. 

Sick day. Woke up at 4 a.m to head out and do a group ride and head felt like 1000 lbs. Neck, shoulders and everything hurt with a pounding headache. Had a big bite on my leg and it could have been from a spider... not sure if they are at all related but nonetheless I took today off. Spent it with the family and went to the parade early then breakfast after. Came home and had a BEAUTIFUL 2 hour nap. Much, much needed for sure. 

Woke up feeling much better than the last couple days. Both head and body. Went out solo today into the fields then back out to the airport, down into SunRiver and back up the river trail and again around the fields back home. Kept an honest effort but nothing in the red as I need to fully recover for a long, crazy ride planned on Saturday. Finished with a 21 mph avg. Felt good throughout. 

10.2 mile run around the DC. Again this was just a smooth effort but seemed to have a nice clip all the way through. After feeling crappy for a couple days just feeling normal today felt like I was Superman. Felt like I could have doubled the workout without too much strain. 81 F at 4:20 when I started today. 

51.5 mile bike ride out into the fields then up around Green Springs over to Ivans and back through Green Valley and the fields to make a big loop of the valley. 19.8 mph avg. Lots of hills and rollers. Took it super easy for at least 25 miles then picked it up a little but no real push today. As tomorrow is a LONG ride. 

5.6 mile run around the inner B-hills loop. Just a formality today. Want to try and be as rested and ready for tomorrow as possible. 

Woke up at 2:30 a.m to go ride from here to Mesquite NV and back. 125 miles round trip. But... it was raining. Decided to wait til 4 and try again. Still raining. So tried again at 5:20 and still rain. By 7 a.m the rain had stopped and I was sick of trying to go for a ride. So I went for a run. 

19 mile run. Started through the fields on our summer tempo loop (that hasn't seen action all year). Then extended down to the Dixie Center and back on the normal DC loop finish around the park. Had a good run. And in a way I'm glad the ride didn't work out because I've been needing a good long run to square off the body. Just wish I would have know and I could have gone and ran the marathon course. I could really use some downhill training to get ready for STG. Pace this morning was above avg. Not sure because I didn't wear a watch but had some solid mild tempo miles from 5-15. Guessing the avg pace was under 7 min's for the run. Really muggy so I was dripping with sweat by mile 4... by the end of the run I might as well have gotten out of a pool. Hands and fingers were wrinkled from being soaked. 

60 mile ride this morning around the Gunlock/ Veyo loop. For some of the ride we had a motorcycle leading us to aid the drafting. It ended up being hard to line everyone up and make it work so I'd say I maybe only got a good draft one third of the time. But we were still flying. And even though we were going faster the effort wasn't easier. As we were killing it all the way through. Ended with a 22.1 mph avg.

13.2 mile run. 3 on the treadmill while I waited for Mik'L. Then hit the regular DC loop. Hip was tight and naggy but I pulled off a solid clip as I made the loop. Enjoyed the 70 F temps and dreamed of winning a race again.... someday. 

53 mile ride very similar to last Fridays big loop of the valley. Bob was with and we were just at conversational pace with really no pushes. He talked me  into doing the Tour de Park City this weekend. Guess it's pretty hard. 157 miles and 10,000+ feet of climbing. So I'll try and taper off throughout the week and give the legs a chance. 19.8 mph avg

60 min's on the elliptical after the ride. My right knee has kind of been hurting (IT bandish) and I decided to break from real running. This will also help with the recovery and taper. 

DC loop with Logan and Billy. It was earlier than we normally go and I felt like crap. Glad the guys were cool with going slow. Pace was very conversational. Hip hurt like #$%%. But it was good to get out and socialize with the likes of those two. I just about bagged it this morning but glad I decided to head on out. 

19.3 mile ride after the run. I don't normally ride after running on Wednesday's but today the hip hurt so bad I wanted to try and spin it out. So I just road the same loop I ran on last Saturday. Totally tried to keep it EZ to the point of insanity. But it worked because when I got home the hip felt much better. And I chased a deer on the river trail up behind the Washington Dog pound.