Whew - It's Over!

After being in Hood River for just one year, I some how managed to find the courage to race the Mt Hood cycling Classic ( http://www.mthoodcyclingclassic.com/ )

If you have never heard of this race it is a four-day, leg-breaking stage race renowned as much for its incredible difficulty as for its breath-taking beauty.

The first day is a circuit that totals just over 47 miles and over 5100 ft of climbing (My gps data: http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/8377911 ) I blew up trying to hang with the front group on the first climb but finished strong and rode away from the small group of five I was with most of the day.

The second day was the time trial. For those of you that don't know, this is purely a race against the clock. No drafting, no riding in a peloton. Just you, you bike, a NASTY headwind, 19 miles, and almost 2000 ft of climbing. I rode with aero bars on my bike and did OK despite the amount of guys with full time trial bikes and aero helmets - like my friend/teammate below who beat me by 10 seconds!! Must have been the helmet!! ( http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/8383179 )

After the time trial was stage 3 - the BIG day. 92 miles with 10,500 ft of climbing!! A monster of a day. I held on with the lead group and the yellow jersey for about 67 miles but then it turned into a LONG uphill climb to the finish and I fell off. I still feel I did pretty well and am happy to have finished! I finally settled into a group of five guys again and we rode together until the last 5 K and it turned to every man for himself. 2 finished before me and 2 after. Below is the start and finish of the day - Mt Hood Meadows right on the edge of the mountain.
( http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/8390138 )

This is what a group of guys looks like after riding this stage. The asphalt was warm and it just felt good to lay there and soak up the heat:

The last stage was the downtown crit. It was FAST - 27 mph avg. Pretty good when you consider it had 2 small climbs and a CRAZY turn that was almost a complete U-turn! I was nervous going into it but actually had my most fun of this whole race with it. I finished with the main group and even moved up 2 spots on GC (General Classification - overall race standings)

Overall, this race was very fun and challenging. I hope to ride it again next year! My performance was not the best but for racing Cat 4 I did OK. Finished 26 out of almost 70 who started. (only 40 some finished) I'm happy to say I finished and had fun doing so!

As always - a quick pick of Cam. He got new biking gloves like daddy!!

The Pro Teams are already calling

As anyone who has ever read this blog knows, I am a cyclist. I love the sport, the exercise, the camaraderie, the views only seen from a bike and the true sensory experience that riding a bike is. None of the great rides or races can compare to the bike race we had this past weekend!

The Mt Hood Cycling Classic has kicked off with The Kids Race in the Dalles. We asked Camden if he wanted to "race like daddy" and he jumped on the idea. Seeing him get second place and stand on the podium with his red ribbon was more excitement than I can explain! I was shaking for an hour afterward!

It was a very hot day - in the 90's - when we headed out to the race. We got Camden registered - with the same OBRA forms I fill out to race - and got his number pinned on.

From that moment - IT WAS ON!!! He was hilarious and all business. When he saw all the bigger kids doing "warm up" laps on the course around the downtown city block, he just had to go with them.

He was focused and probably rode 10 times the distance of the race at "warm up"

He even managed the slalom course of cones without a problem

Finally, about 15 minutes before start time we had to pull him aside for some proper hydration to get ready for the big race!!

After he had done so many laps on the big kids course we found out that the 3 yr olds were only doing a straight part of the course - A SPRINT. We knew Cam was more of an endurance guy but still had high hopes for his chances today!

Everyone lined up:

And just like that - they were off. Cam had started right in the middle, but got bunched up in a small group elbowing for position at the start (or in other words, a couple kids wobbled their bikes sideways into Cam as they got started)

Camden quickly moved to an outside lane that he found open and then saw that the pro racer who was in place to pace the leaders was just in front of him. He put his head down and his little legs pumped faster than I had ever seen. He quickly moved into second place where he and the leader had opened a huge gap on the main field! As he approached the finish line he knew he could sit up and relish in a podium spot of second place!

He and the days winner (biggest 3 yr old in the race - I want to check his birth certificate) pulled off to the side for a photo op with the races sponsors......

and then it was off to the podium for a few kisses from the podium girls (in this case - mommy) Obviously from the photo you can tell my level of excitement seems to be outweighing Cam's by just a bit:

I don't think he was to sure as to what was going on here and he asked me if he could race again.

I'm very proud of my "bestest buddy" and look forward to many more of these days.

This race was awesome and I was totally overwhelmed with the amount of kids/families that were at this event. They raced every age group from 3-12 yrs old. It is fun to be part of a community like this and one that promotes a healthy lifestyle. We love where we live, work and play!

Stitches and Memorial Day Weekend

With all the sun we've had in May we have been outdoors every day. Even days that I am working, I make time to at least do something like taking Cam to the skate park. These little hour or two breaks during the day help tire him out and let me get some work done (not to mention they are just FUN!!) He has become the king of the skate park on his scooter and flies through the place, over ramps and up on walls. Most of the time he is scaring me to death as he has no fear and is really moving. One day this week while there, he stopped on a ramp to watch another kid and somehow lost his balance - just standing there!!! He fell at just the right angle and popped his forehead on a concrete wall right under his helmet. When I scooped him up there was that moment of panic from me as I saw a big pool of his blood on the concrete. (Head injuries bleed!)I rushed him to the ER - only a mile away - driving with him in my arms so I could keep pressure on his eye. I wish I knew the name of the kind dad that was there with his son that day and helped me get loaded in the car and clean him up - don't know if I could have gotten it all if not for him!

Amy met us at the ER and Cam was still quite upset. It was about half past noon as we were just getting ready to leave the park for nap when this happened. By the time the Dr was ready to stitch him up, the poor little guy was exhausted. I was not liking how this was looking either. The doc came in with two nurses and an extra blanket. They laid Cam down in the blanket and wrapped him like a mummy with his arms at his side, and then they turned to us and told us that we could leave if we wanted as this is sometimes not easy to watch - yeah right! They were not going to be able to drag me from my little, best buddies side on that day! We both elected to stay as the two nurses got in position to hold Cam down.

Amy did have to sit down as they started but I stayed right in Cam's face, patting him on his chest and talking to him: "Close your eyes little buddy. Everything is going to be alright, just keep your eyes closed" As the doc gave him a quick shot to numb the pain, I could see him tense up and he let out just the slightest whimper. He was doing a great job of lying very still with his eyes shut. As they started the first stitch he was looking very relaxed and breathing slow and calm. By the time he was starting the second stitch we realized he had now fallen asleep!!

Yeah, only our tough little guy could play so hard that he would fall asleep on the ER table while getting stitches. He was a trooper through the whole experience - more so than I. Whenever I think about that first second when I scooped him off the concrete I still cringe and feel a bit sad. There is not a worse feeling than seeing your own child's blood - and this was just a few stitches. I couldn't imagine having to go through something more serious. My heart truly goes out to all parents who have had to endure more serious matters with their children.

Cam got his stitches out 5 days later without so much as a whimper and life was completely back to normal. So much so, that we took off for a long weekend in Seattle on Memorial day that included a trip to the aquarium with Cam's girlfriend, a Mariners game and a trip up to the blast zone on Mt. St. Helens.

Cam had a great time at the game and held up his glove yelling "Hit it to me Griffey" and he just about did. Ken Griffey hit a homer just a few rows away from us!

We had a great time at the game drinking beers and eating junk food. Cam even got his very own cotton candy.....

that he would shove his whole face into when he took a bit - he was a blue-boy when he finished!
I'm still trying to get in a good amount of riding in for the Mt Hood Cycling Classic stage race in June so on Monday Amy and her family let me get a couple hour head start on them with my bike and I rode from Kelso up Rt 504 to the blast zone of Mt. St. Helens. It was a great ride and even on a busy weekend it was not bad as the shoulder is huge, clear and smooth! It was about 70 miles with some great climbing that started less than 100 ft above sea level and finished at about 4300 ft with two good climbs in the middle!

The views up there are amazing and you can still see the devastation from the eruption even after all this time:
We had a great weekend and are very excited that summer has arrived in the Gorge!!

April Showers and May Sunshine!!

It seemed like the rainy months just wanted to keep hanging on as we went through April. We had lots of play time outside but things were pretty soggy. The sun came out when we needed it to though - as you can see in previous posts. We had sun for the Cherry Blossom Race and a few hikes. Amy even got in a long hike with some friends from work and managed to stay dry for it:

They hiked up Hamilton Mountain on the WA side of the Gorge and enjoyed some great views of the mountains:

And of the Columbia River Gorge:

A Gorge hike would not be complete without waterfalls. This is just one of many they passed:

As May came in things started to dry out some. We still had some cloudy days but even those stayed pretty dry. Early in the month we went into Portland and had dinner on the water with Amy's parents for Mothers Day.

Amy, Cam and I had spent the day in Portland walking along the river and seeing the sights. Cam had brought his scooter with him so we were able to cover a lot of ground

The little guy just keeps getting cuter - and he knows it!!

Easter in the Gorge!

We had a great Easter weekend! Amy's sister Serena and her boyfriend Jason stayed with us for the weekend and we did a bit of wine tasting and enjoying Hood River.

This is Serena and Jason at Multnomah Falls for Easter Brunch

Camden woke up on Easter to find that the Easter Bunny had come while he was sleeping (and spoiled him rotten) He had a few toys and enough candy to feed a small army.

And the best part, was this was not all. His grandma called to say that the Easter Bunny left something for him at their house too. He would be able to collect at brunch!

The bunny brought him some cool GI Joes (that mommy did not like - daddy played bunny shopper this time!) so Camden and I got to have a small war with his new guys!

Then it was off to meet Grandma and Grandpa at Multnomah Falls for brunch. It was beautiful despite the rainy day. Food was good and we all had a great time.The happy family:

We asked Cam to smile for a picture but he wanted his new GI Joes in it instead!!

After eating Camden and I ran up to the bridge at the falls (twice) to burn off some of that sugar energy! This is a shot of he and I looking down toward everyone else.
Here is Amy and her family with a good shot of the falls behind them:

Cherry Blossom Classic Stage Race

The sun was shining all weekend in Hood River and even hit the 70 mark for the first time this year!! We took advantage of the great weather too!

It was a biking weekend for Camden and I. He did a little mountain biking and road biking this weekend and I did a ton of road biking in the form of a 4 stage road race: The Cherry Blossom Classic. 4 races in 3 days.
Camden hit the dirt track above the skate park this week with absolutely no fear. We have been going there a bunch lately with the great weather as it is a great place for him to ride his bike, scooter or skate board!

I raced in the Cat 4 (http://allanti.com/page.cfm?pageID=128) group for this race. I had not planned on racing this weekend until just last Monday when I showed up for a group ride with the bike shop I take my bikes to here in Hood River: Mountain View cycles, and they asked if I wanted to join them. I jumped at the chance as I have been wanting to get more involved in the local cycling scene.

The guys were great and we all rode pretty well together. On the first day, I was a bit anxious as I was not sure where my fitness level was this early in the year and I had not raced since last March because of our move last year.

Lining up for stage 1 Amy drove out Friday to see me off on the first stage. Our nine-man team led out the 86 racers for the day and stayed at the front for the first 7 miles or so. Then the race turned a corner into the wind and the first of two climbs on the 40 mile day. A couple guys jumped for a break and I tried jumping after them - this was a mistake! My heart rate was already through the roof before that just from being anxious and now I totally maxed it trying to catch these guys. It ruined me for the race. I fell back on that first climb and then finally fell in with a small group that had 2 of my teammates in it. We worked together well and I led up the next climb feeling much better. I sprinted to the line with a small group - racing for 60th place on the day!! (why?)

The next day was a short time trial in the morning and a criterium in downtown The Dalles that afternoon. I did OK on the time trial but was amazed at how many cat 4 riders showed up with TT bikes and even disc wheels!! Come on - it's a cat 4 race!!

I was nervous for the crit as it was my first one and my plan was to sit back on the main group and try to hang on with them.

This is early in the crit - I am in the left/rear of photo (the only guy looking for the camera and not watching the race in front of me!!)

The crit was super fast - registering 28 mph when I looked at the radar gun! Being at the back was hard as it was a constant sprint - brake - sprint - brake! I got pulled with 3 laps to go. Cam saw me come across in the finish alone and stop when the official pulled me and thought I won (as long as he thought so - that's all that matters to me!)

By the end of two days of racing I was 63rd out of 86 starters - pretty bad!! Going into the last day I felt pretty good and it was finally my type of race. Long and with two big climbs!

I felt better today and held on with some of the guys on our team that were way ahead of me in the overall standings. I almost wrecked coming down the first climb when I pulled my foot out of its cleat and went into the oncoming traffic lane at about 40 mph. I held on but lost the group I was with.

I caught up to that group later in the day when one of my teammates and two other guys caught me and we shared some really hard pulls to catch up to the group in front of us that had our other teammates. We all stayed together for the final climb and most of the way to the finish. Our small group splintered up a bit the last few miles and I finished by myself.

It was an OK day for me and I finished the overall race 53rd out of the original 86. In my team of 9 guys I had 4 finish ahead of me and 4 behind me so I feel pretty good about riding with these guys. I need to start training more if I'm going to do more but this was a good test for me to see where I was fitness wise. I have been riding pretty good but mostly just to enjoy it and not really training - time to change that!

Hopefully these guys will keep inviting me. they seem like a really good group and I enjoy riding with and hanging out with them all.

After the race, Amy's parents came out to enjoy the great weather with us. We took Camden and his bike to the Old Columbia Highway where it is closed to cars and let him ride it while we walked (or ran after him) and enjoyed the day.

Camden thought it was so funny to go way ahead of us and make us run to catch him - which my legs were not helping me with after the race, so grandma had to go!

The Happy Family!!

Camden: "Betcha can't catch me!!"

Coming back to us after grandma chased him down

Another GREAT weekend in the Columbia River Gorge!!