I'm clearly too cheap to purchase this photo from Zazoosh and Mandy had terrible luck getting any decent pics of me riding and crossing the finish line so this is the only picture I have to post at the moment. I apologize for the cheapness!
This was my second time riding LOTOJA, but the first year as myself. Last year Ben and I rode it, but I posed as one of his friends who had to pull out due to injury. Just to bring everyone up to speed on my very young biking career, let me share a little history with you.
I started riding April 2007 after some pressure from my uber healthy little brother (Ben). My knees had started killing me everytime I went up or down any stairs. That winter I hadn't been able to ski even close to a full day. My legs and joints couldn't handle the stress. I played basketball a few times and felt like I was 50! My mind thought it could do a lot of things, but my body would not cooperate.
My first taste of road biking took place during the Meltdown Race at Snowbasin. It was a terrifying experience. The one thing I had on my side was my exceptional girth (240lbs) generating extreme speed down the Old Snowbasin road (wasn't such a bonus going up hill). First time ever on a road bike, steep road, lots of sharp curves, sand on frost-heaved asphalt, and spring runoff...not a good combination! Miraculously I survived without any crashes. I rode on an older steel-framed Schwinn that I borrowed from my buddy Brad. Blaming all my difficulties on the bike, I immediatley began searching for something a little nicer. That first ride instilled in me a desire to get healthier and stronger as soon as possible so as to avoid any further near death experiences. I became obsessed with finding the perfect bike to get me to where I wanted to be. It took me almost a month and a half, but I finally found a great deal on a 2 year old Felt F-55 that had hardly been ridden. I immediately fell in love with my new toy! I even secretly called it my "Stealth Fighter"! It's definitely not the nicest bike on the road, but it is light and fast (had it up to 54.4 mph coming down Trappers Loop this summer)! I slowly worked my way into riding with small groups, mostly with Ben and his buddies. I actually did okay on anything flat and rolly, but as soon as we got on any long hills I would suffer. That first ride up Snowbasin was pure hell! Ben started talking about this ride they would do up and over Trapper's, around the Dam and back up the Old Road to Snowbasin...ya right...like I would ever do that crap! That's about 40 miles and 5000 vert of climbing. I kept putting in 60 to 80 miles a week on the flatter rides with a few climbs here and there. Pretty soon the pounds started to melt away. People at work thought I was on meth I think. I knew Ben was planning on doing LOTOJA that fall, but I didn't start riding regularly until two months after registration was closed so I had no plans to attempt such a ridiculous endeavor. Around the middle of August I got a little side tracked from the road bike with family vacations and water sports. We were up at Bear Lake for a week and Ben called me and informed that his riding partner wasn't going to be able to do LOTOJA due to an injury and asked if I wanted his place. The race was only 3 weeks away! It didn't matter that I had never ridden over 60 miles and that I was terrible at climbing, stupid me was more than happy to accept. I had no idea what I was getting my self into. I did manage to get one 75 mile ride in with Ben and a 65 mile solo ride from Park City to my house with a strong head wind the entire way. I had never ridden in a group of more than 6 people. I had difficu
lty drinking from my water bottle and eating while riding without swerving out into the road or slowing down. I was an extremely inexperienced rider! My buddies all thought I was insane. They probably thought I'd either die or cause someone else to die! My biggest fear was causing a 50 bike pile up on the first leg and boy did I come oh so close. Those damn water bottles are tough to get back in the cage when you're riding in a triple pace line at 25 mph. Luckily the carnage was minimal. I mostly just got a lot of angry yells and nasty looks thrown my way. Ben was great! He was right there next to me the entire way, coaching me on and giving me encouragement when I swore I couldn't go on. I am not going to lie, there were times when I was crying like a baby. Somebody had the brilliant idea of putting pictures of my kids and family on my water bottles with encouraging words. It was more than inspiring, but people must have thought I was losing it with all the tears and sobbing. Did I mention the cramping? Ben and I both had our fair share of the cramps (me climbing, Ben on the flats). I never new I had muscles in some of the places I was cramping. And the pain was unbelievable! Never stop pedaling!!!! Megan (Ben's wife) and my mom were a great support crew. They didn't miss a single feed zone and always kept us motivated to keep pushing on. I had a great surprise riding up the Snake River Canyon when Mandy drove by screaming at me. She was on kid duty all morning but was able to make it up for the last 50 miles and the finish line. That last 10 miles about did me in. I remember Ben commenting on the beauty of the Tetons as we turned down Teton Village Road. I think I replied "F the Tetons! Where's the finish?!!" Crossing that finish line was one of the greatest moments of my life. Up there with getting married and watching my children being born. Ben and I crossed the finish line together then hugged and cried like babies before our wives and mother came to congratulate us. It was a rough ride for the two of us, but the experience we shared fused a special bond between us that we will share for the rest of our lives.
Two weeks after LOTOJA 2007 I was down to a robust 192lbs! The following ski season was probably the best one I have ever experienced. Not only because of the amazing Utah dryness that pummeled us for weeks on end, but the fact I could actually charge for an entire day and be ready for more the next. I figure I probably extended my life by at least 10 years through my brief foray into the world of road biking.
2008 brought on new challenges and more amazing experiences. Ben was too busy with school so was going to have to take the summer and LOTOJA 2008 off. As soon as the snow had melted though, my boys from the Cottonwoods were ready to hit the pavement. That's one of the greatest things about where I live, our amazing friends and neighbors. By now I had a riding group of 8 or so great friends. All of us were able to get registered for LOTOJA together somehow. Thanks Biker Edge! We put in a consistent 100 to 150 miles a week throughout the spring and summer. Our wives all hated us at
times, but were still very supportive...I think. We rode a few centuries and entered a lot more organized races. We all pushed each other to get faster and faster. I felt a lot stronger this year and was hoping to finish in at least 10:30, possibly close to 10 hours if everything went perfect. It was weird riding it without Ben, but it was great to have the boys together throughout the race. I didn't feel great before the race this year and wasn't able to eat as well during it. I didn't suffer from cramping as much and I don't remember any mental breakdowns, but it was definitely a struggle. I got separated from my group about half way through and spent a lot of time alone. I have to give a huge thanks to Josh for waiting for me at Alpine. Together we were able to make up some serious time over that last leg. I finished right behind Josh in 10:34. I was very pleased considering how crappy I felt at times. Mandy was able to support me this year and she did an amazing job. I was so glad she was able to take part and see the fruits of all the time spent away from the family. I doubt she thinks it was worth it though... I was hoping this would be my last year riding this race, but that 10 hour mark is still out there. I hope Mandy can put up with another summer of long rides and hours away from home. I really do have a wonderful wife! Thanks for your support Mandy!
I was forced to add a post to move Seth's attempt at predicting the weather down the page a little. So, I figured I'd share with you all a few pic's from our recent trip to the pumpkin patch. My Mom & Dad's ward do a big ward party every year out at Day Farms in Layton & they let us all come pick a pumpkin. It is so much fun, and since we're all such mooches & love free pumpkins, pretty much all my siblings show up every year! That makes for about 35 Harwards milling around. I think the locals are used to us by now. Good times. Free Pumpkins. Happy Halloween!!!
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