#10

I decided to help everyone get motivated for Lotoja that I was going to do an update a day for top 10 moments/things learned/stories over the past few years. So number 10.

#10 - We are only as strong as the weakest rider!

Now matter how fast some riders may be we always stick together. It is hard for people to believe that we actually wait for each other. I have talked to quite a few people who are shocked that we stick it out. I love the motto - The family that rides together stays connected. Hopefully, DZ stache power will be with us.

I Couldn't Take It!

Dave Z on the left in his DZ Nuts kit. He drilled it out front for the first few laps then latter on he killed it in a brake away for 30 minutes. He was working out for the US TT race held this weekend in which he won by a big margin. He also led the roadrace for the first half solo off the front. What a stud.

Start of the crit stage of Tour of Utah.

Burke Swindlehurst finishing second on the Snowbird stage. We were sitting on the road not far from the finish and Burke's mom was setting next to us. She was so nervous, and wanted him to win so bad. We felt terrible when he was not first around the corner.

Tanner drilling it on the Snow Bird Hill Climb before the Tour of Utah finished on the hill. T took an impressive 8th overall.

Six days in, hard to live with.

I couldn't take it, I made it one week to our group ride and Sunday morning off it came. Sorry I'm weak, but I couldn't stand it. I am inspired after your posts to let the stache grow til lotoja. Ride Safe

Doug

stache update

Alright you might need to pull out the magnifine glass to see mine, but it is there. I know it is pretty pathetic, but atleast I have the kahoonas to try! I did cave in and shave the sides though. I little bird told me on the phone that Doug shaved his off. I am going to tell you a funny story though about him with a beard that he told me today.

This is the story, as told by Doug.

Jill called and asked me to meet her at the Home Depot to look at some stuff. I had been working at the office doing sheet rock and painting. I was dirty, had paint on me, and sheet rock mud all over. I had been growing out my beard all week ... (Betty interupts) and complaining about it all week... Any way there were some homeless guys standing at the corner down from me as I waited for Jill. I took my hat off to scratch my head and a guy walked by and put five dollars in my hat. I told him I didn't want his money and he said, "You need it more than I do."

Pretty funny! I laughed pretty hard about it.

Road 85 miles solo on Saturday. Felt alright. The new shoes are helping my knee feel better. It is the first time I have ever had shoes that fit! Hopefully, my knee does alright. 13 days to go!

Stache / Lotoja update

I had the full beard going, but I caved and shaved off the sides.

Don't worry I'm keeping the stache for Lotoja.

The plan right now is to sport a handlebars stach with a middle goat, and long sideburns.

Although a simple cop stache might get the greatest laugh.

Team GC Connection out on a 100 mile training ride yesterday.

If you haven't seen a pic of Doug and his beard (I hope he took a pic) you need to ASAP before he shaves part of it off (please keep the stache). Every time I looked at him on the ride I had to smile and laugh (power of the stache).
Only 2 weeks until it is done.

The team dynamics of GC Connection
Russ and Adam- Founders and brain trust of the Logo and route changers.
Kim and Doug- CEO's/ group ride directors
BUB- Blog director and Kit designer
Bonnie- Support director (Lotoja)

GC Connection's (Men's team)

Lotoja Team/Family Team Training Members

Kim- Road only. Co-Team director on the road. Strengths- Never quit determination, flats and downhills.

Doug- Road/ Mountain/ Cross. Co- Team director. Strength- Endurance (Nobody on the team puts in more miles than Doug and it shows this year)

Daren- Cross/ Mountain/ Road. Strengths- Loves pain (the harder the effort the better he does)

Adam-Road Domestique. Strengths (non-tandem)- Ok at everything, great at nothing.

Tandem strengths -descending/flat.

Mindy- (Tandem) Road Domestique/ water support (we carry 6 bottles on the Tandem) Strengths- Motivator/ encourager

Russ- Road Domestique. Strengths- Grit and determination get him to the finish line, because it's not his training schedule (although he does more than he gets credit for)

Bub- Road Domestique. Strengths- Climbing and long pulls. Strongest all around member of GC Connection.

Robbie- Tri guy/Road Domestique. Strengths- Climbing

Tanner- Mountain/ Cross/ Road (He will now kick any of our butts on a mountain bike) Strengths- Climbing (watch out)

All other family members who ride, but don't do Lotoja.

Adopted Members into GC Connection

Rick

Dave- (Family to Mindy)

Tour of Utah

Local stud, Dave Harward, over the top and loving every minute.

Leading chase group over the top of Big Mountain.

KOM on big mountain, only to be caught soon.

Our support car view of the break away around East Canyon Dam.

Descending the Snowbasin Road on to Trappers. Some serious speed

The big guns on the Snowbasin Climb.

Peleton crossing Pineview Dam.

Dave Clinger rode great.

Burke Swindlehurst doing some last minute adjusting. The boy needs something to eat.

Bissell has some nice rides!

Rock has nice vechiles, but equipment is a mess. Race leader riding a year old bike.

Nice lip. I may have to get Betty a walker.

Betty fell walking and put her top front teeth through her lip. Chipped her front up good and displaced them back about 3 mm. I had to put 10 stitches to close her up.

Tanner, Adam and I got to walk around the start area on Wed. first road stage. It is cool to see all the bikes and riders getting ready. It is quite a contrast to see teams with buses and others with uncle harry's van. Adam had to go back to work, what is that all about, while Tanner and I tried to keep one step ahead of the racers. We watched at Pineview Dam and then half way up the Snowbasin climb. Then we got over to trappers as they came down from Snowbasin. We had to drive behind them til the Peterson split and tried to get ahead of them for the East Canyon and Big Mountain climbs. When we got to the East Canyon road the two man break went by and since there was no one stopping us we dropped in the race line and really had first hand seats to the race. When they started up the big mountain climb an official on motorcycle came up to me and told me to follow the marshall forward as the peleton was closing. They lead us to the top and we got out and watched the race come over. It was very cool, even though Tanner thought we were going to get arrested. Ride Safe

Doug

tribute

Here is a tribute to the z-man moustache. Like I said my gene pool doesn't have the beard power.

The man Rollie Fingers.

Tom Sellic - dude is hot with that stache. I wish I could grow the hairy chest thing as well.

Lotoja Mustache

With three plus weeks until Lotoja I have decided to start growing out a mustache. Reason for this idea came from two sources, first- to funny not to and secondly-Dave Zabriskie was quoted as saying, "the mustache can unlock power" (interview with Floyd Landis a couple of years ago). Power I need, so mustache I must. Just think of how you'll laugh every time I finish a pull and move to the back (you won't be able to took away). I can't wait to see all the fantastic looks I (we) will get as the GC train cruising past. The only thing that could top my stache it is if we all (excluding Mindy) sported a stache.
I haven't decided what type of a mustache I will sport yet, so I'm growing beard for now. If you have any suggestions on how I should sport it let me know. I'm also thinking about adding some chops (tribute to Kim wedding pics) to go with the mustache, but I guess you'll have to wait 24 days to see the finished product.

WHITE LINE FEVER!

Started the divide at mile 90. Tough climb at any mile.

White lines every where!

Saturday's rides got all messed up with the rainy weather. Adam, Mindi and Russ went out and did the bad weather training. I opted out, as us old guy's have to worry about our health for lotoja. I was sick for two months after our last rainy ride. The weather turned out great by mid day so I headed out solo and as we planned to go long, I keep riding and the weather was perfect with a slight west wind, before long I was heading up Pleasant View Drive at about mile 87, I decided the only good way to get 100 miles in, was to head up north ogden divide. I thought it is about the same distance to lotoja's Salt River Pass, so up I went and finished with 100 miles, 5.5 hours. Great day. Congratulations to Brook and Bub as number four is in the hopper! It must be the Oregon water, Bub says many more to come! Ride Safe.

Doug

Quick Month!

Specialized apprecited my work! I did send it back.

2010 Tarmac SL3 Ulta light, 13.2 lbs. It was a sweet ride.

Adam before surgery, I think?

This was our home. A lot of $ under that tent!

This is what 170 miles does to me. 10,5 hours in the saddle. Betty's finished sewing room!

We all haven't been the best blogger, so I am going to update you on the last month. Adam and I worked the Specialized dealer meeting. Bonnie and Kim were also working to meeting. It was at Snowbird and was very beautiful. Adam and I worked in the road bike area and we organized all the 2010 bikes (250) in model and size. It was our job to find the bikes the dealers wanted to ride and get it set-up properly. It was a lot of work with long hours, but they feed us great and our condo was very nice. Adam had emergency appendectomy so he didn't get to do the dealer group rides at night. It was fun to ride the latest in bike technology, the only problem was you have to go down and up, no flats. I went down little cottonwood 5 times while I was there. I have never ridden it before, but when you go up as slow as I, you learn it well. Our schedule was so different than Kim and Bonnie we didn't get to ride together. We met a great bloot from New Zealand, Andrew Young. Andrew is seeing the world for a year and with his professional tri background has a lot of connections. His blog is: kiwiadventuresabroad.blogspot.com the man has quite the engine and alot of fun to be around. We have had a lot of injuries to the connection so I ended up riding tour de park city by myself. 170 miles with a 50 mile climb from Evanston to the top of Bald Mountain, and of course into a head wind. I made it and even lead the race for 50 miles as I started early and it took the cat 1,2,3 50 miles to catch me. I rode with them to Evanston and then it was solo to the end. We have had some great group rides and even got Daren and Tanner too ride with us last week. We made the Centerville to Big Mountain climb. It was a lot of fun being together, and the tandem of Mindi and Adam can descend like a rocket. I have been doing some remodeling for Bonnie and Kim, Jill and Robby and my patient wife Betty. She now has her customized sewing room done. Hope you are all well. Tyra is having collar bone surgery tomorrow so we all hope things go well. She crashed monday and will have the reduction and plate screwed in tomorrow. I guess she is a true biker now. 29 days to lotoja. Ride Safe. Doug

Climbing on the tandem

Climbing up Monte last WedDoug going up Monte

A few Pics of the Moose and her calf

When I'm not on the bike, I'm on the water

The last few weeks have been crazy. I've been on the boat more than on the bike, yet I still put in a good 182 miles last week (Only ten miles less than all of July). Doug talked Mindy and I into climbing Monte on wed (26 miles up in 2 and a half hours and 30 min back down) and by the end I was a bit worried for LotoJa. Mindy was having troubles on the back with her saddle. So when I heard the team was going to climb Emigrations and Big Mountain I knew we had to go to rebuild some confidence (we were going to go boating). We made a few changes to our saddles and the tandem setup and that made all the difference (I'm filling ok for LotoJa again). We don't climb fast, but we can descend pretty fast if the road conditions allow for it. I think we hit 48 mph coasting down Monte and 49 mph after the last switch back off big mountain. Mindy gets nervous when we go that fast (she stiffens up on the back), but she is getting a lot better with her balancing and descending (Although she still reminds me about our kids after we go that fast).

Only 33 day to get ready to ride Lotoja. Time to start training, I hope it's not to late.