MAN, did we really ride through all this?

PCRs, the season of early morning/late evening training came to a crescendo last week as we participated in the 31st annual LOTOJA. For some it was a threepeat, and others the 13th time. (Val, you are a STUD) As you have read and seen, we have had a GREAT time preparing for this EPIC event. For me, the JOURNEY is ALWAYS the BEST. However, when we finally finished the 206 miles, 3 states, in 1 day, we REJOICED it was OVER.

As we drove home and had a chance to really see the scenery we rode through rather than the thin tire in front of us, there was one who kept saying, "MAN, did we really ride through all this? This is really a LONG WAY"

 

 LET THE GAMES BEGIN

 HIGHs and LOWs of training for this day... and LOTS OF LAUGHS

 

 Happy B-Day, Captain....

 

 

 

After dinner the serious riders went to bed, but the PARTY ANIMALS hit the campus in search of more FUN & EXCITEMENT..... :-)

 





 Hailee Bradford, who worked with Woody, is featured in a new mural in the athletic building

 

 The Professor is a NIGHT OWL and is treated like ROYALTY

 

 The "A" - where a kiss is more than just a kiss... here it is a rite of passage. The "A" was built in 1916 by a group of enterprising young men. It's purpose was to serve as the site of an initiation ritual wherein each young man had to kiss a willing young lady atop the "A" under a full moon at midnight.

This ritual spread across the entire campus and become known as the method by which one could attain True Aggiehood, and A LITTLE MORE ENERGY FOR THE RACE... :-)

 T minus 47 seconds


 

 

 The Draper Athleta, Power to the SHE, helped us all ride a little faster.... THANKS!

 

 LOVE OUR SUPPORT CREW

 "Tell me again, WHY are we doing this?"

 

 "Hey GIRLIE MAN, I'm here to PUMP YOU UP"

 

 Eric #1

 I'm so hungry I could eat this medal....

 ... and remember, it's all about BRANDING

 THE REAL WINNERS - WE LOVE YOU!

 

 Some go to Bubba's for REAL FOOD......

 .... others go for the fine art

 

After breakfast we headed into Jackson Hole to participate in another fun event, "Taking It To The Street"

 "Hi, I'm Bob, that's with one O"

 

 

 "See this is where we had to ride up this KILLER HILL and that's after 100 miles... GIVE ME A BREAK!"

 

 

Some say you are what you eat, but I say, you are how you SLEEP..... :-) 

 

Do You Ever Feel Like a Pinata?

This weekend's ride took us to the MOUNTAIN as we met Max Wood prior to his Point 2 Point mountain bike ride. What an ANIMAL... 75 miles, 14,000 vertical, 10.5 hrs. Boy, what it would be like to be young again... :-)

After bidding farewell to Max, the PCRs in full uniform took off for a tamper ride of 50 miles, Park City > Browns Canyon > Peoa > Kamas > Park City. The weather was perfect and as you will see we practiced everything necessary for next week's BIG LOTOJA..... Break Aways, Flat Tire Repairs, Fueling and Keeping a POSITIVE ATTITUDE...  You NEGATIVE riders, you know who you are. Some of the riders this week made comments like:

- Consistently Inconsistent
- Man I Feel Like a Pinata when Wood leads
- The "HATE" word was mentioned twice in one sentence.... :-(
- Some try hard to learn certain things about bike mechanics and feelings are HURT... :'(

So, here is what we learned, DON'T BE a SNIOP

 

"Now remind me, how many PCRs does it take to change a flat and what is Dr. J doing??"

 

Proper fueling is KEY when riding with the PCRs

 

"LOTOJA HERE WE COME"
 

The Happy Valley Loop

This week's rides were done in two different groups. The SPLINTER group, headed up by the Professor, rode on Friday and attempted to ride 100+ like the "WORKING group" did.  However, strong winds and a slower pace prevented the SPLINTER group in reaching their goal.

SPLINTER group: 84 miles, 17.4 mph
WORKING group: 103 miles, 17.9 mph

Not sure if there was a lot of talking, sight seeing and eating with the SPLINTER group, but the WORKING group, as you will see, had another EPIC ride with entertainment, history lessons, sight seeing and SINGING as always... :-)

 Where is Val, does he not know about the 5 min rule???

 

 Riding with the PCRs is the FUNNEST thing I do all week

 

 Utah County PCR FANS - GO AGGIES

 

 It's LONELY being a BYU fan.....

 

 ALWAYS stop and read the monuments.......

 

 .... AND visit the local bakery..... SWEET

 

 "How do you like the NEW outfits??"

 

 I'm HUNGRY

 

 Porter Rockwell Trail and Murdock Canal Trail

 

 

HARD WORK this year has created MAJOR POWER for some riders

120 Miles + 3 Canyons

PCRs, it's been a couple of weeks since we have posted the crazy places ridden and people we have met. I know for some, not having a weekly read of the blog is difficult on the morale.... :-) However, as you read, look and listen to the last two weeks, we hope you all will be re-motivated to GET OUT and RIDE.

Last Saturday was a special day for one of the PCRs as he rode with his classmates and celebrated his 40yr high school reunion. He is telling everyone that he was nominated the least changed, BUT we all know how he likes to stretch the truth. While he was on his "Ride & Giggle" up Emigration Canyon, the rest of the team took off for a 120 miles from the Hood >Big Mtn>Henefer>Evanston>Coalville>Caulkcreek>Coalville.... YES, they are CRAZY!

The Billy Goat of the group, Professor (a.k.a. M. Glauser) was riding uphill SO STRONG he blew-up the transmission on his bike which caused the gears to explode, ripe into his spokes and crack his frame. Long story short, he is now riding a BRAND NEW machine, which has made him even faster than before...

Yesterday's ride was another crazy route, which took us up the 3 canyons, Big Cottonwood, Millcreek and Emigration. 85 miles and 8,500+ vertical feet was not enough for some, so they took DR home to make it an even 101 miles. (see below)

As you will see from the pictures/video, the team stayed together for the 1st summit and on the 2nd summit recruited "Berkeley" to replace those that didn't stick around for pictures. (I could be wrong, but we are all smiling pretty BIG that Berkeley has joined the team. How quickly you are forgotten Dr. J & Professor) The ride to the 3rd summit was VERY lonely for some as the fellow PCRs said, "I'm going to go ahead and ride slow and you can catch me"........ NOT!  Remember, there is no I in TEAM and when climbing uphill, the LITTLE MEN rule.

 1st Summit & we're ALL still together

 

 2nd Summit & Berkeley...... :-)

 

 3rd Summit & some got TIRED of waiting
 

 

  

 



WE'RE NOW AN OFFICIAL TEAM......... SWEET

Annual July 24th Wasatch Crest

Yes, another year has come and gone and it was time to go back to the mountain. The OLD MAN was left alone to smell the flowers as the YOUNG LEGS bolted down the mountain. Let's hope we can do this for many more years to come.... :-)

 "Hey, you guys are killing me"

 

I'm KING OF THE HILL

 

 STOP AND SMELL THE FLOWERS

 

HEAD DUNKING A MUST!

 

 End of the trail

 

 



Wolf Creek Summit and BEYOND!

This week's blog is being posted under official protest:

 

1. - Since when do we start changing the names of the riders that were given under inspiration by the BIG MAN. (Fast Man??? COME ON,  maybe Fast Little Man, but remember he LOST the last stage against the BIG MAN)

 

2. Sean, whatever your last name is... (picking up strangers is kinda scary, he might have had a squirt gun) Don't believe everything they said about the BIG MAN. (I would have at least gotten your last name, email and invited you to dinner)

 

3. Riding to the top TWICE... What's that all about?? I remember when Bruner had problems and we made him ride Trax home. (Man, I leave for one ride and you all turn SOFT on me)

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Dear Brothers (meant in the biblical sense; you know, Cain and Abel (you can read all about it in Genesis chapter 4): where one is willing to kill the other, just to come out on top) of the Bike:

                Yesterday was another adventure.  We lost the Big Man (where’s Woody?), and we picked up two new riders: Sean (we never got his last name) and Chris Nelson.  During the entire ride Sean and Chris heard stories about the Big Man (there are so many that it would take thousands of miles to tell a fraction of them).  They listened to so many that at the conclusion of the ride they said they felt like they have known him all their lives.  Brothers of this clan know that if you do not show up to protect yourself you will be thrown under the bus many times, and if you do show up, well, it will only likely happen a few times.

                The route was chosen by the Fast Man (fka Small Man).  We larger people should never let smaller, and hence, faster people chose the route.  They invariably select hills because they have less weight to lug up them.  Our first goal was to conquer Wolf Creek Pass.  Shortly after commencing this odyssey we had the first casualty (some argue whether it really was).  Hale was stung on the lip by a bee. (click on link to see another fellow PCR that got stung on the lip and she didn't CRY.. :'( )  His lip began to swell to the point he could barely talk.  The group rode on, concluding that the risk of him going into anaphylactic shock was worth the peace and quiet they enjoyed from his temporary verbal incapacitation.

                Then a miracle occurred on the second climb--Weber Canyon.  As we were making our assent, just 5 minutes from the summit Nelson’s tube gave out.  He claims that it was a defective valve stem, but some of us older folks think it was contrived excuse for his inability to keep up with most of us.  Whatever the case, he was left behind--no surprise.  When we came back, about ten minutes later, we found him still wrestling with the tire, leaving some us to wonder whether he graduated from the same school of bike mechanics as Jensen, or if it was a further ruse to buy him more time during which he could rest.  Glauser, using his business analytical skills organized a circle to watch the young lad (by comparison to the average age of the group) attempt the repair, offering words of encouragement.  Then the supernatural event occurred.  Bruner, who has enough energy to shame the Energizer-Bunny, suggested that the entire group accompany Nelson BACK UP the mountain we just come down.  Somehow he was able to persuade the group to do so.  Now I do not know how many times this group has left my dying carcass to rot in the hot summer sun to be the target of ravenous vultures, but the band of brothers did not want Nelson to feel left out.  I think that the Fast Man agreed only because he had ascended 4,950 feet, and being an accountant who likes round numbers, wanted to hit 5,000 feet.  Brian Lloyd suggested it could only be one of the two following causes: (1) they like Nelson or (2) Wood was not there.  I tend to think this rare moment of togetherness was caused by Wood’s absence.  Wood where were you when I needed you?

 

Chris Nelson, pictures are only taken ONCE.... SORRY!