New Moon

Sorry Sutt, no man date this time. Brooke couldn't go to the premier with her friends, so she toted me along. Fellas I don't recommend you seeing it - pretty dramatic.

This is pretty funny though. We went early so that we could actually sit by each other in the movie theater. So we got to the mall and the line was already pretty long. Brooke decided she wanted to go look around for a little bit at some of the stores. That was fine with me because I had planned ahead and brought my book along. I pulled out my book and started reading away. I was reading one of the OBOB books that is required for our middle school competition. I didn't think much of it. After a few minutes of reading I look up and realize that I was a lone man standing in line to watch New Moon, surrounded by all these excited girl "tweeners", all while reading a book titled, Wild Girls!

Turkey ride?

GC Connection, are we going to try and ride on Thursday? I was thinking around 10:30 or maybe we ride down to Peterson's after Turkey around 2:45. I'm in, but I'm only in if we take it easy (I'm out of shape and up a few pounds).

Out of shape justification- I'll be getting my masters on the 11 of December (Yea!!!!!! I'm almost done) and early morning basketball (starts at 6 am every morning). I hate to ride in below freezing conditions.

P.S. Bub, I was wondering if you went on another man date to NEW MOON? (I'm still laughing from your last man date).

Cottle Cross Weekend

This is a couple of weeks ago at the Weber Fairgrounds race. I was going great until the last lap and I crashed into one of the log barriers. It wasn't very pretty but I finished OK.

Tanner was going to take some pictures of the State Championship races this week, but my camera had a dead battery. I took a few with Daren's camera so go to his link and you can see a few pictures. The State Championships were at the Heber Fairgrounds this year. It isn't my favorite course but it was set up very good and favors power over technical. I got a good start and three of us got away from the rest of the field. I knew the one would attack, and in the past I have been fearful of going with him, but this week when he attacked from behind me I went with him and we gapped our third. It was a fast course and I was hanging in ok and had decided to hang on til the last lap and then attack, but he had a mechinal and I just attacked as hard as I could. When I came to the finish line there were four laps left and I thought, can I do this. I just rode hard and tried not to make any stupid mistake. I was able to stay clear and really buried myself on the last lap, I didn't want to be caught. It was great to win and I was going to raise my arms, but I was afraid I would crash. After an on sight interview it was time to cheer for Daren, as a Cottle sweep of the first two races would be nice. Daren was off the front and raced hard. He slid out on one soft turn and got gapped. This CX racing is hard to close gaps as you are red lined most of the time. Daren thought he got back to the leader and so did I as I watched only to find out that the leaders brother who looks like him and rides the same bike as him was in a different catagory, was who he had caught and passed. Daren ended up second and rode a great race. The announcers got our names mixed up all day but it was cool. Tanner then rode in the very fast A group and took 12th. If he had raced his age group he would have won also. Later that night when I called Brady to tell him about the races he also won his first cross race of the year in Oregon (read below for details). It was a great weekend and the GC Connection did great. Two more races til nationals so the excitment and pressure are building. I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving and looking forward to being with many of you. Ride Safe. Doug

Finally

I finally have something to write about other than my Duckies (even though the Oregon v. Arizona games was one of the best college games I have seen - go Ducks). I was able to take my cyclocross bike on its first ride of the season. I really didn't even ride it until the race. I had a worn out rear cassette that I had to swap out of my rain bike before the race.

Before I could leave for the race I had to finish some household duties so I could got the pass out the kitchen door. I pulled up to the race with only a few minutes to spare. I didn't even check my tire pressure or pump them up, I just went. With a this lack of time I didn't get to pre-ride the whole course. I did manage to get almost half a lap in though.

It had been raining all week, so the course was a mud whole - all the way through. I got a bad start, but quickly caught and passed the leaders. I was gaining a good lead when I hit a corner to quick and went down hard. I got up quick, jumped on my bike and noticed my chain was off. I got off again and put it back on while watching three guys pass me. I was able to pass the first two pretty easy. As I barely pass the leader I was climbing up a hill and my chain falls off again. I watch the one guy go passed me again. Darn luck I was having.

I caught the leader and passed him by the end of the second lap. I was getting a good gap on him again when he crashed and didn't finish the race. I ended staying on the bike without my chain coming off in the final lap to win the race. Good times.

I love my Ducks!

Good laugh - great team! What a great sight to see the "O" in the background. Love those Ducks. I get to ride by it every day on my way to work. Go Ducks!

Seagull crap!

Yes, I titled this seagull crap. Last week Liam and I were going to ride over to Autzen stadium, where the Ducks play, for ESPN's college game day. I was pulling him in the trailer while I was riding my old mountain bike. I haven't traded out the tires in a while, and infact the tire in the back is bald. It is done for. While I was riding I got a flat. I got off the bike, reached down to check the tire and put my hand on some seagull crap that got stuck to my tire. Nasty.

We had to bail on our strong desires to see Kirk Herbstreit in person and go home. I didn't have a spare tube or patch, so I knew we were in trouble. The tire was leaking out quickly. I felt like Lance riding the last 7 miles of the Leadville 100 on a flat tire. I was trying hard to pull a four year old on a flat tire. We almost made it home before we had to stop. Unlike Lance I don't have sponsors to get a new rim if I destroy mine, so I walked the rest of the way. I quickly got home and washed of the bird poop that was still stuck to my hand - priceless.