You can see Dennis in the background while Liz and the little ladies play in the foreground.
Checkin’ IN!!!
Well, we sent Dennis of to encampment and with that, I have been at work helping Liz around the house and yard with things. I was able to finish up the pantry with re-positioning the flooring correctly and finishing the trim. Last Week I helped her get two new grape vines and creating space so she can finish planting our deer buffet garden. I was able to get the hills bushwhacked mainly and still need to cut in a few paths to the trees on the hill.
Juniper using her eye binoculars to find Dennis!
It is amazing how driving and yard work just deplete you. We drove to Wendover,Utah to fetch Dennis and attend his encampment graduation ceremony. Now, that is a LONG BORING and MONTONOUS drive. The girls didn’t kill us! And the girls also made it through the ceremony in the dry heat of Wendover. We brought sunscreen and avoided our typical failure of sunburn city.
Dennis seemed to enjoy his time. He was ready to share and blurt out random story after story. He was fairly hungry and ready to go home.
As for my training, I have been just trying to string a few things together. It’s time to get back into the wheelhouse of things. But this past week was about making sure family first, and Liz’s needs in front of everything else. Work has been erratic from high needs to valleys of quiet and the stress associated with the high needs has been a bit tolling.
I was able to get out on a group ride with Joyride Wednesday night rides. It was a nice ride. When I showed up, and old neighborhood frined Robert came right up and said hello. Where i had no goals for this ride, I let him go out in the “A group” and I decided to help with SAG on the “C group”. It was good to run into and officially meet a local tri person – Tammy. I had connected into her triathlon club group on Facebook I rode behind the group for about 80 percent of the ride and only really spun in 1 solid interval. That interval tho was solid. 1 minute at high 90 percent effort and I cruised in the farm field flats at approx 30 mph. It was great to get one high spin session in. I am ready to awaken the legs and get back to work.
So, a necessary topic that needs to be addressed in the cycling and triathlon communities. It even goes so far to runners. I was in my car running errands. I was taking Juniper and Astrid to go get soft serve at Macey’s. I left Liz behind so she could have some space to get some Liz things accomplished. As I came to a stop sign in the middle of town something happened. Here are my thoughts from Facebook:
It pains me to post this, but here we go…
The disappointment of watching 15 LRC (Logan racing club) cyclists blow through a stop sign and they all had the chance to stop, à few thought about it but they pushed through. When you wear your kits and you blow through, it’s even more frustrating when you raise hand shake head and they jest back but one realizes who you are. C’mon gentlemen, this doesn’t make my rides any easier, nor the grief I get to contend with when other folks in automobiles get too close. And this was at 3rd south and 1st east in Logan, the most chaotic intersection in town.
Simple reminder how we all can be better or ruin the community.. Yikes. Poor form. I dislike eating crow. Argh. So frustrating to witness.
Look, at the end of the day, we all make mistakes. Oft-times when I show up to a group and I have my TT bike as that’s what I normally train for, I get looks of – Can you handle that thing, oh you are one of those tri guys, you know this is a group ride right?
Yes, I am aware, of the type of ride and it’s also why I tend to ride SAG for a group, or will even get out and work and pull a group if they are practicing pacelines. But, I have taken a lot of heat through the last few years as I promote and ask folks to please be kind and give me space and fellow cyclists and runners space on the roads. I have had too many close calls. At the end of the day, I just want to get back home to my family, safe and unmarred from any crisis/accident/ill-will that may occur.
One commenter in my thread remarked –
It happens often. There I’ve said it. Thank you for this post.
I tend to follow the rules and be quite defensive in my riding. Yes, I stay as far tot he right as possible – when and where that is safe – following Utah code. I rarely ride two abreast unless in a larger group and riding two abreast presents a more condensed grouping to pass than a LONG single file line. There is only one stop sign in the valley I don’t often stop at, but the rest I do. The stop sign where this incident was witnessed was 3rd south and 1st East in Logan, Utah. This stop sign is pure chaos. With the recent density and saturation of Conservice, schools, high-density housing and the construction of a new hotel and retail space, this particular intersection is rife with mishaps. The other day, Liz was with me when a high-school/college-aged driver just blasted through and was surprised by my Yukon’s blaring honk of wowsers.
Again, I know I am not perfect, but we should all strive to be better no matter how we share the road. Many of us humans are engaged in many life choices that others just don’t care about. But, at the end of the day, some indiscretions and poor form and to be frank – being a straight up douche canoe puts me in a precarious position. I get ribbed for riding my bike, I take heat for unknown strangers who execute poor form and represent all others in the minds of those that rib me. All I can do is do my best and try to get better with each ride, similar to how I drive and interact with other humans.
Another commenter isn’t wrong in this observation:
it only takes 1 to make a bad name for all. I would like to see cops patrol cyclists as well as motorists that would change a lot of bad habits.
I also know it isn’t isolated to just local cyclists and or runners or walkers, groups of college kids and families. It just happens. It’s about being self-aware and knowing that there is a world bigger than my isolated “Ego” and that my actions and interactions have an impact bigger than just me.
Another commenter – a fellow tri, runner, cyclist friend commented:
The Red Rock group in St George is famous for this. I almost mowed them down twice in a weeks time in my truck when they blew the light in front of me at 5:30 AM. It really is irritating to say the least. They make drivers mad and that is when it gets dangerous for the rest of us.
I was quite bewildered, I threw up my hands and shook my head. To which one of the cyclists sees me after I honk in disbelief – mocking until he recognized me. I wouldn’t have cared as much, but this is a local racing club. They represent a lot of us in this valley. IF, it was just 2 or 3 riders I wouldn’t have given it much notice or time, but it was a group of about 20 riders. They DID NOT have the Right-of-way and were foolish in a prominent and dangerous local intersection. What’s more, is many were wearing their local cycling kit. I’m sure the TNR Worlds ride up to BlackSmith Fork Canyon was epic. I’m sure stories were told and shared. But I am also sure, not one of them is making a living at their hobby, nor am I or many folks I know, and they had about 5 -6 cars in the intersection witness this poor form.
Anyway, things come and things go. The reasoning of my blogging about this event is that in the hobby/sport of triathlon we participants are presented with multiple equations and decisions. Sometimes, we have to make a snap judgment decision and hope it is the right thing to do. Other times we represent something much bigger than ourselves. Folks are watching as we ride, run or swim – and either look to us as examples of what may inspire them to do or not do. I was mad for my friends that are justified when they rib me, and I ask them to be kinder especially for my sake, and for my family’s sake. I get that it happens, and most of the time when I throw up my hands it’s to wave and let someone know they we just a bit too close – mostly folks with trailers going way too fast anyway.
Well, I dunno what can be done, but I do know the ROAD RESPECT movement is awesome here. There will be a lot of upcoming events for the triathlon communities, runners and cycling communities. Do our communities a favor and represent in your best way possible. I know that at times things go sideways, but those should be isolated incidents. I much rather see folks defend me before I have to defend myself when the topic of rude cyclists comes up. I have a few friends even go so far to say now, we’re not talking about you Shane, but all those other gear-heads and road maggots and folks that can’t ride in a single-file line. GEneralizations happen for a reason, and I for one try to rise above, and to that end – hopefully come home safe after each activity – whether swimming in open water, riding my TT bike or running the streets in my NOXGEAR Tracer 360 or other obnoxiously bright clothing.
I mean, in another circle, Fairlife and coke had an animal rights incident. Folks are blasting them, yet the leader of Fairlife was taking actions long before the undercover incident went viral – and the mob was still pissed. The dude was in the process of doing – arguably – the right things, and the mob was still crying foul. The ability for folks to get beyond self is slipping just like common sense. I don’t like it, but its part of the equations I encounter in my triathlon activities. I try not to give the noise much attention or pursue the conversation more than is required, but the noise and the filters are growing. Yes, like Ferris Bueller once said “
Anyway, be safe out there folks. I also re-tooled my blog and it has a few cool to me things built in now. Happy training and reading – if you happen across this post. Cheers!
Activities –
I use the following trackers:
- Garmin Connect (which pushes the files to the following services):
- Training Peaks
- Strava
- and the ones I don’t remember (Map my stuff via Under Armour and things like the Great Bicycle ride initiative stuff)
Honestly, I mainly use Training Peaks as I pay for an annual subscription on it now, and it is the most detailed in data and other helpful information to keep me where I want to go. Use the ‘Links’, then ‘Track me’ section to find and stalk me if that’s your thing.
Relevant Pics
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#photo #Checkin #2019 #Reflections #mv
