Ricky's Hub

Great Team, Ugly ITP

2011-12-15T22:55:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered what a person's arms and legs look like when they have ITP? I didn't think so. But if you want a peek, look way below. Warning, it's not pretty.

The Look of an Expert Phlebotomist...

Another afternoon at American Fork Hospital for a round of jousting, I mean, a blood check. The Phlebotomist had forgotten that Thursday is joust day and left her jousting shoes at home so it was game off for jousting, game on for "one-hand" blood collection. Yes, one hand. I've never seen that before. She did the whole thing with one hand, trash talking the whole time! I'm telling you, these people are experts.

She Collected My Blood with One Arm Tied Behind her Back

I waited around for the lab results. They were not good - my platelets had dropped to 19k, which resulted in a call from Dr. Rich. He's putting me back on the Dexemethasone, which I had sworn off last week and redrawing the game plan. We'll discuss in the morning.

A Look at ITP
On September 19 2011 a good-sized group of us rode Frank, Dragon's Back, and the Dry Loop. Collectively, we have done this literally hundreds of times - we know the trails start to finish really well. On this day, as we were pushing through a downhill transition part of the system, my tires washed out on a fairly tight left-hander and I ended up in the dirt. Fortunately I got my hands, arms, and legs out in front of my body to break the fall. The crash was mild but the marks it left were puzzling as you can see from the pictures below. Rick S and Dave asked if we needed to stop. My answer was, "Why?" I felt fine.

I finished the ride in fine form. A tad bloody, but just fine. In retrospect, knowing then what I know today about ITP and, simply, if I had known that I had ITP when I crashed, I would have been less likely to let my pals make jokes about my blood-letting. Incidentally, Dave B crashed in the same place about one week later. This time he was in front of me so I got to make the jokes.


The Arm of ITP: Mild Scratches Underneath the Blood Flames. Photo: Rick S


The Leg of ITP: Hmmm, what is that thing?

Platelets: 19k

(down from 56k two days prior)

meds: 20MG Prednisone and 40MG Dexamethasone (steroids)

Tomorrow I will lift my car just because I can.

It's all in the tagline!

2011-12-14T18:50:00.002-07:00

The tagline for my blog is the wheels on the bike go round and round.
The tagline for my body is the platelets in my body go up and down.
Ah, I love consistency. Could it be that my platelets are simply mapping to my blog's tagline? I can't wait to tell Dr. Rich to stick that in his stethoscope and analyze it. Two days ago down, yesterday up.

My Platelet Count from November 3, 2011 to December 12, 2011
From 3k to 56k and all points in between

Platelets: 56k

(up from 46k two days prior)

meds: 30MG Prednisone (steroid)

My Trend, It Makes No Sense

2011-12-10T19:49:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was the second greatest day of my life (ok, slight exaggeration but no sarcasm)! My work day was busy and productive from beginning to end and as the day progressed it just got better and better. Great day.

I did my lab check at noon. Unlike the day before with the mass confusion, I felt really good and confident that my numbers would continue to trend up.

Surprise! My numbers took a step backwards to 46k. Somebody wanna explain that? I mean, seriously. Next lab check and Dr. visit is on Monday.

I celebrated the lab's fascinating news by going on a ride. Absolutely perfect conditions for a ride in December in the canyon. I'm beginning to think platelets are overrated. Loved the ride. Loved it.

Platelets: 46k

(down from 59k two days prior)

meds: 30MG Prednisone (steroid)

Mass Confusion Today

2011-12-07T22:14:00.001-07:00

I've come to accept that until we get this ITP problem figured out, I'll have good days and bad days. I'm ok with that. For the vast majority of days since I was diagnosed with ITP, some 30 days ago, I have felt mostly good.

Yesterday was challenging. The physical discomfort I felt yesterday induced a level of anxiety and paranoia. I'm not saying I had a terrible day, just rough. I'm surrounded by loving family members, awesome coworkers, and great friends. Even if I wanted to have a bad day, they wouldn't let me.

By the time I got to the lab for my check, I was really nervous. I assumed my platelets were tanking again. I was wrong. My platelets, in fact, climbed and my other levels were in acceptable tolerances. Great news, right? Then why did I feel off yesterday? Confusing.

Speaking of Confusing
We proved this week that we could confuse my antibodies into thinking that there are other things in my body that they should interested in. At least I think that's what we proved. See, now I'm starting to get confused.

Key learning of the week: after just four days, I'm willing to concede that the steroid I started Saturday knocked me for a loop. So we're saying bye to the Dexamethasone and going back to the Prednisone. Have I mentioned how much I hate these steroids?

The medical team needs a day to digest yesterday's results and come up with a revised game plan. I'll see the team tomorrow for an update.

Platelets: 59k

(up from 48k two days prior)

meds: 30MG Prednisone (steroid)

The Audible Worked :: 20k Platelet Gain!

2011-12-05T23:21:00.001-07:00

So there we were. I was in the big chair, Jayme had already gently set the IV needle in my left arm (thanks Jayme, you're good!), the bag of Rituxan was ready to be connected and infused, then the lab results came in. That's when Dr. Rich called the audible.

Today's Lab. I Must Admit, I Still Hate the Little Pinch

I was anxious all weekend anticipating today's lab results, which are posted below. Bottom line, my platelets got a big jump and my other hemo and hema levels are...OK. It turns out the WinRho and Dexomethasone seemed to have worked.

Next Steps
Switch back to Prednisone for a few days, lower dosage (tapering, remember). We'll do another lab check on Wednesday to see where all the levels are then adjust the game plan as needed.

Dr. Nancy W. Mortensen, Oncology FNP, ANP
Nancy's on the team trying to figure out why my antibodies are destroying my platelets. Today's news brought a smile to both our faces. I like Nancy - she claims she's not from the East Coast but I think deep down inside she has connections. She cuts to the chase. She explains things in ways I can easily understand. And when there's nothing to explain, she doesn't fabricate. Remember, the "I" in ITP means, "We don't know." I'm ok with that. Nancy's another expert. I tell you, I'm surrounded by experts!

Platelets UP, Smiles All Around. Nancy W. Mortensen (Oncology FNP, ANP) and Me.

Last Week's Ride
By the way, last week I mentioned I went on a ride. Rick S, Dan Z, and Kenny took me on a Dry Loop. Oh it felt good to get off the spinner and ride outside. The trail conditions were a tad sloppy but it sure felt good to be outside. I was noticeably slower compared to the last loop I had completed about a month and a half ago. I can see that after we get my ITP conundrum solved, I will have to dig out of a bigger hole than I anticipated. No worries.

The downhill felt exhilarating. For the collective group I ride with, the ascent has always been more important than the descent. Don't get me wrong, we all love the downhill. This downhill was special. It was the first time I had ridden in a long time with an acceptable platelet level. I felt like I didn't have to hold back so I opened it up.

In my efforts to keep Dan Z in trash-talking range, I may have pushed a little too hard. A few yards below the pipe I was too high on the left side of the single track entering the little embedded rock garden, which, by the way for you locals seems to be getting bigger - am I right? This shot me to the right, back across the single track, and into the trees and bigger, non-embedded, rocks. I crashed. Fortunately I did not bump my head or body. I landed softly in a web of branches. My Superfly, however, was not so lucky. She found one of the big rocks and didn't fair well. I ruined my front wheel and had to nurse my bike down to the trail head. On the way down we ran into Aaron, who shot some footage of my front wheel. Watch the front wheel closely.

Platelets: 48k

(up from 28k two days ago)

Meds: 40MG Dexamethasone (Steroid)

This Note Got To Me :: From the Altar

2011-12-04T14:35:00.001-07:00

Those of you who roll in the UC (Utah County) are familiar with the Rock Pile, which over the years has also been referred to as the Altar. All great trails that originate in the UC ultimately end up at and go through the Altar. At the Altar we pay our respects and say our prayers. When we're done catching our breath we roll on. I never expected to be on the Altar but I'm grateful Brandon put me on it. I think it's the reason my platelets jumped up 2k yesterday. Thank you, Brandon.

Brandon Literally Put Me On the Altar Yesterday and I Had A Sudden 2k Platelet Boost
Photo Credit: Brandon Smith

From Brandon's Saturday post
[http://southcountyciclista.blogspot.com/2011/12/3-ps-of-riding.html]

Platelets: 28k

(Up from 26k earlier in the morning)

Meds: 40MG Dexamethasone (Steroid)

Total Change of Direction x2 - Dr. Rich Calls an Audible

2011-12-02T22:11:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I mentioned that my doctors and I were changing our direction today on our mission to get my platelets up to functional levels and keep them there. We ended up changing directions, twice.

I reported to Dr. Rich's lab this morning to start a new (to me) treatment called Rituxan (Rituximab). Rituxan is administered through an IV injection and used to treat certain types of non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. In my (ITP) case, the plan was to use it to increase my platelet count because the plan I was on wasn't cuttin' the ketchup. I was excited and nervous at the same time. The side effects of Rituxan can be harsh, especially during and after the first dose.

Meet Dr. Rich's administrative staff, Kelly and Jamie. Both are the best in the biz!

Kelly and Jamie - There's Nothing They Can't Solve!

Reporting for Duty - December 2, 2011

Bad Bad Antibodies

Jayme - IV Expert and Super Nice

The first item of business was to set up my IV. Jayme, not to be confused with Jayme at the front desk, did the honors. I have to say, she's an expert. I didn't feel a thing. OK, maybe a slight pinch. Jayme took a blood sample, as is customary every time I step in the door, for a quick analysis. The results showed that my platelets had dropped to 26k from 43k where they were two days ago. My body just insists on destroying my platelets.

Dr. Rich Calls an Audible
With the platelets on a rapid decline, Dr. Rich went Peyton Manning on me - he called an audible. He took a look at the defense and audibleized. He changed the plan on the fly. I love that! Instead of an offensive strategy, a 5-hr infusion of Rituxan to increase platelets, he switched to a flanking strategy. Consulting with other cancer experts, he decided to target my evil antibodies.

Dr. Nathan Rich, Oncologist - Moments After He Called the Audible. Expert!

The New Plan
Let's get some WinRho in there to divert the antibodies' attention. WinRho's tagline is: Upward and Onward: Supporting Platelets and Patients for More Than 15 Years. I look for two things in taglines: Cheese and Buzzwords. WinRho delivers and makes me feel sooo good. I also like WinRho's administration instructions, WinRho SDF must be administered via the intravenous route for the treatment of ITP. Viva WinRho. Woot. I'm pumped already. Let's get it in!

Dear Ricky, What the Hell is WinRho?
Good question. From the Internets (so you know it's true): WinRho SDF is an immunoglobulin (Ig), which contains antibodies to the Rh_o(D) antigen. Exactly how it works is not known. Very consistent with me: Exactly how I work is not known. Dr. Rich explained it to me this way. WinRho is a blood product that will coat my [positive] red blood cells. The reason WinRho will behave this way is because it will be extracted from negative blood types. The negs don't like the pos and the pos don't like the negs. When my evil antibodies see that action, they will stop their feeding frenzy on my harmless platelets and go attack my red blood cells. See, my evil antibodies want to be heroes after all. Since my bone marrow factory is doing its job properly, cranking out platelets, and my now heroic antibodies are busy working my red blood cells, my platelet count will climb. Brilliant!

What About Your Red Blood Cells, Ricky? Don't You Need Those?
Yes, I do need my red blood cells - they carry oxygen, iron, and, uh zzz... and that's an equally important job. Dr. Rich explained the answer but my head and other parts were bumping so hard that I don't remember it. It's on my list of questions next to, When do I get my prescription for marijuana? and Does EPO come in pills because I'm really sick of needles?

WinRho Doesn't Feel Good
I finally got my WinRho injection at 8:30pm. It came straight out of the fridge and into my arm. It went down cold but smooth. In all, it took about 15 minutes to get it in. My nurse had to literally squeeze the bag with force to get it all in. I think this stuff has the viscosity of like Pennzoil 10W-40. I'm a Quaker State man myself. Because of the crazy list of potential side effects that come along with this "we don't know how it works" WinRho, I had an eight-hour observation period. I spent the night at Utah Valley. This place is starting to feel like Marriott to me. My side effects included hot and cold flashes, sore throat, slight back pain, really blurry vision, then extreme hot and cold flashes, followed by a laughing epidemic. Sounds like a normal day back in my office.

One other change to the game plan includes weening myself off of Prednisone because it's not doing anything for me and switching to Dexamethasone. Dex is 4-5 times stronger than Prednisone. We'll ramp it up though so I don't go too kooky too quickly, starting with 40MG. Prednisone's for kids. Wait, I really don't mean that. It's nasty!

Chad, High-end Photographer. Expert!

Other fun things today included a trip to the imaging studio for an exciting photo shoot. We took close-ups of my lungs, abdomen, and pelvis. I told them no Photoshopping me - I want to be all natural just like the celebs in mags. CT scans are always a pleasure because I get to drink the worst concoction ever invented designed to create internal contrast. You get better pictures that way. I went with the warm, delicious, and always gaggy "Berry Smoothie." Settle down, Jamba Juice, you don't need to call the bankruptcy lawyer yet. But if you don't bring your prices back down to reality, don't lose that number. Thank goodness Chad didn't make me drink the Avagard again. Kid's got a warped sense of humor.

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Special Bonus...Affirmations
Now this is going to freak some of you out. Brace yourselves. Sitting down? Right before my 3:45am urine sample, my PCT, Nicolli, came in and whiteboarded some affirmations. Then she made me help her pound out some new ones...for me. They're on the board. Wow, this Dexamethasone rocks! Hey Stuart Smalley, I like you. I really like you. If I'm lucky, I'll get my chakras adjusted before I get out of here.

Nicolli. Expert PCT and Affirmation Maker

I Feel Better Already

Platelets: 26k

(down from 43k two days ago)

Meds: 40MG Dexamethasone (Steroid), 3.75MG WinRho

Platelets and Cream

2011-12-01T22:10:00.001-07:00

First, a word about my newest sponsor: TruckerCo.
Chuck andGreg are on a mission to deliver quality bike parts and apparel. In fact, beginning in the Spring of 2012, they will have expanded to include a custom team cycling clothing line. Get your orders in now!
Oh, and they continue to race bikes anddominate. Visit TruckerCo for their goods.

Today, kids, we’re going to learn about platelets.

Special Bonus: you’ll meet some of the valley’s best healthcare experts alongthe way.
Let's meet the first experts now.

The Lab crew at American Fork Hospital. They take your
blood without a pinch but make you joust first.

What are Platelets and why are they important?
I’ll use myfavorite analogy, which also ties in my newest sponsor, TruckerCo. The R&Dteam (cough-cough) at TruckerCo invented Cream, which is the best and lightest tubelesstire sealant on the planet (thanks, Greg, you can send the pallet straight tomy house). You simply add a small serving of Cream to your tubeless tires,mount up, inflate (high psi), and you’re good to go. If your tire gets a tearor puncture, Cream finds the puncture, coagulates, and plugs it. Sometimeswithout you even knowing it. Brilliant. When your Cream gets low, which it doesover time, its special sealing power diminishes and you flat. That could ruin aperfectly good ride. Take away: make sure you have plenty of Cream on hand.

What does this have to do with Platelets?
Easy. Cream is totubeless tires what platelets are to your body. You get cut and your plateletsband together and rush into action. They converge on the cut and plug it up,thus preventing you from bleeding. Sometimes they do this without you even knowingit. When you have too few platelets, you bleed a lot when you get cut, scraped,or for no reason at all, internally and externally. This totally sets you up forrude comments from rude friends. More importantly, it poses a serious threat inthat you can’t sustain too much blood loss and expect to be productive. Youjust can’t. A pop in the head could pose a big problem because blood hasnowhere to flow up there.

This is where my analogy stops.

With tubeless tires, TruckerCohas not yet invented a way for Cream to auto-replicate and maintain optimallevels. In most human bodies, there issomething in place to auto-create platelets. It’s called bone marrow. Your bonemarrow’s job, among other things, is to create the platelets you need to notbleed every time a tree branch waves at you. Brilliant!
This week I got results back from last week's bone marrow biopsy. The news was positive - my bone marrow's doing its job. This ruled out, to a degree, other complications and certainly rules out the need for bone marrow transplants.

Dr. Freestone and his partner Chris - the bone marrow experts.
These guys know how to inflict exquisite pain!

At the end of October, I was feeling really weak.
On November 3rd, my doctors discovered that my platelets “appeared to be nonexistent.”
At that time I had 3,000 platelets.
“Normal people” have 250,000 to 350,000.
Mycondition was/is diagnosed as ITP. Today, about four weeks later, my doctors arestill trying to figure out why my body destroys my platelets.

Platelets: 43k
(down from 78k two days ago)

Meds: 70MG Prednisone (Steroid)

Because my platelets keep dropping, we’re changingdirections tomorrow.
I’ll tell you about that later.

Publicly Humiliated...Again

2011-11-29T00:03:00.001-07:00

Note to self and the rest of you who think you can go toe-to-toe with the self-named Comedian Mastermind: step down now and save yourself the public humiliation. Evidently Fatty had issues with my FB comments yesterday.

With trepidation I direct you now to Fatty's latest post wherein he, Fatty, shames me and other kind, loving, and sensitive friends again: FatCyclist...

Hey, I did my first real mtb ride in my new "life with ITP" yesterday. Details on that tomorrow.

Platelets: 78k

(down from 94k last wednesday but safe enough to ride with confidence)

Meds: 70MG Prednisone (Steroid)

FatCyclist Strikes Again

2011-11-27T17:35:00.001-07:00

Hey, look what just came in the mail - my very own signed copies of Fatty's new book. Here's a little secret: in this case, the forward is better than the book. Shhh, Fatty's kind of sensitive. Get your copy here.

I can't believe he did it. He really did it!

Good to know that despite his grandeur, he can still spin

Keep Those Plates Spinning ... Please!

2011-11-18T00:06:00.006-07:00

Recently there have been some changes in my life. Most notably, I’m dealing with the onset of what we believe to be Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP). ITP is a blood disorder. For reasons we have not yet figured out, my antibodies have decided that they no longer like my platelets. To show their disdain for my precious platelets, my antibodies are killing them.

To make my problem more complicated, my body decided to join in on the fun and stop producing platelets. I can’t get my body to talk to me about this so I don’t know why it’s acting this way. Over the next few days, weeks, and months the story will become clear.

This has been going on for several weeks and maybe months – I just didn’t know it until I was admitted to Utah Valley Hospital in Provo, Utah on November 3, 2011. But hey, I’m getting ahead of myself. Over the next weeks, I’ll describe what has transpired (backwards-looking) and provide progress updates.

The two most compelling items, which I track nearly daily, are my platelet count (as a reference, normal is 150k-300k – but for the sake of simplicity we'll leave off the k) and daily dose of meds to help keep my platelet count up. Why are platelets so important? I’ll tell you next time.

Today’s Numbers

Platelets: 58k (trending up)

Meds: 350ML Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IV IG) and 70MG Prednisone (Steroid)

Immunoglobulin and Prednisone increase my platelets.

Lime green today

Today we decided to crank up the intake a few notches to speed things up. Bad decision. By the end of the IV session I was jacked-up and shaky. For the next several hours I was edgy and cranky. Apologies to those who had to deal with me. Really, I'm sorry.

Getting juiced - Landis would be impressed!

Crazy Friends, Crazy Trails, Crazy People

2011-09-28T23:07:00.001-06:00

Executive lunch ride on Monday was crazy fun. DGroom showed us some new trails, DanZ tried to take out a sweet innocent hiker dressed in her African safari kit, and we smoked the pipe. Great way to spend the lunch hour. DBagley captured it all on tape. Enjoy.

Dry Canyon - Trail Building UC Style from Dave Bagley on Vimeo.

Make or Not Make?

2011-09-14T23:44:00.000-06:00

We made it up to the Champ on today’s corporate lunch ride. The Champ is a mean switchback about a mile above the Rock Pile (aka the Altar) on the Great Western trail in Provo [Utah] Canyon. It’s a tight right-hander on about a 25% incline that comes after 2,300 feet of climbing spread over four miles. The Champ decides who masters it and who doesn’t, not the riders. No doubt technical skills come into play but it’s ultimately up to the Champ.

Here’s Aaron. In the first picture you can see him beginning the Champ. In the second picture, well that’s where you [and the Champ] come into play…

Did the Champ let Aaron make it?

Favorite Local Ride

2011-08-16T13:28:00.001-06:00

My buddies and I have an ongoing discussion about our favorite mountain bike rides. For the most part we agree—our Top 5 lists have a lot of overlap. But because we are geographically dispersed there is some variation. Bobby, for example, just added a local (Seattle) ride to his Top 5 list. The only reason I have to think that that ride is list-worthy is because it has a cool name: Volker's Loop/Duthie. Well, that plus I trust Bobby most of the time.

Here in Utah County we have an epic mountain bike ride that should be on everyone’s local Top 5 list. It’s the Rock Canyon to Squaw Peak loop. Maybe some day when I’m not so lazy I’ll describe why this ride is epic. Until then, here are some pictures and stats.

Rock Canyon September 2010

Goodbye Sean

2011-06-05T00:06:00.002-06:00

Sean Peart, #91 (#1 in my book)

I lost a friend this week: Sean Peart.

"To Live. To Love. To Learn. To Leave a Legacy."

Covey coined, Peart personified.

I’ll see you on the other side of the mountain.

Contributions? Hit the Peart Family Memorial Fund
at any Family First Credit Union in Utah.

The Definitive Word on Frank

2011-05-26T12:42:00.003-06:00

Recently, a longtime friend, Dug Anderson, came back to Utah County for work. In fact, he and I are at the same company, on the marketing team. What's more, we work in the same buildings we worked in nearly 20 years ago. The other day we rode the trail we rode most frequently back in the day, Frank. Fatty (Elden) joined us. It was a grand reunion on multiple levels. Full circle sort of thing, I guess.

As I was reacquainting Dug and Fatty with the tremendously improved Timpanogos Foothill trail system, we discovered that many of the UC riders refer to a segment of the trail as Frank but really have no idea why the trail is named Frank. Dug imparted his knowledge today in his post. He not only offers Frank's origin, he takes you on our ride. Strap up and keep your arms and legs in at all times.

Frank to Dry (Or Whatever They Call It Now) from Dug Anderson on Vimeo.

Has My GPS Gone GP-Out?

2010-05-12T22:08:00.002-06:00

Take a look at this elevation picture from today’s ride up Squaw Peak. I’m not good at interpreting fine art or reading x-rays but this one’s pretty easy to see. There’s a nubbin at mile six on the picture. Either I rode straight up and down a 250-yard 2x4 or my GPS is just messing with my mind. I don’t remember riding on any 2x4s. I’ve done this ride lots of times and have never downloaded a nubbin like this. I’m genuinely excited!

Any explanations?

By the way, today was a great day for a ride—crisp, clean air. Check the view from the top. And say hello to my sweet Felt 14.3-pounder.

Back in the Saddle

2010-05-10T18:55:00.001-06:00

Big gap since I last posted. I'll do better. Lots of updates, little time. I'm taking the easy line today because Miles' video of recent Spring rides is better than anything I could post (also because I'm being lazy).

SWOT not SWOT

2010-01-20T18:22:00.003-07:00

The storms are upon us, sort of. They haven’t hit as hard as we all thought they would. This makes it challenging to figure out if the effort it takes to get ready for a snow ride is worth the payoff.

After today’s ride, several fellow cyclists were curious about the road conditions. To provide answers to this very important question, I decided to put together a SWOT analysis on today’s ride. I quickly realized that in this case a SWOT analysis is overkill. I decided to go with a simple “3-Ups, 3-Downs” format. This is a format a former boss used successfully to get quick updates in our daily status meetings. He was so sharp that he’s now the VP of Marketing at a local company that extends the concept of “community” to knit organizations and their customers and enhance communications. Now that’s kewl. (You can pay me my $5 now, Geoff.) The format’s pretty simple—list the top three and bottom three issues.

Now that I am completely off point, here are my three-ups and three-downs for today’s Squaw Peak ride.

3-Ups

1,768 vertical feet over 4.8 miles with no recovery—solid 55 minute cardio workout
Semi-sticky snow provided “barely enough” traction
Rode outside—avoided the indoor trainer for yet another day

3-Downs

Did not reach lookout point—climbed 2.4 miles then dropped to base, twice
Potato flake snow chunks pelted my face on the descent—felt like cat scratches
Mike broke his chain

The Ups clearly outweighed the Downs. If I can, and if the outside conditions stay relatively the same, I will ride again tomorrow.

Riding with Mike is always good. In sharing our work-related issues and stress, I was reminded again that the stress I deal with at work is like Kool-Aid compared to the stress he and others deal with at work. Mike’s an ER doctor.

The Snowpack Changes Everything

2010-01-16T01:03:00.001-07:00

Riding outside in January is bonus in these parts. Normally this time of year I’m either suffering on the indoor spinner or packing on some unwelcome pounds. This January has been different. My buddies and I have been able to ride outside nearly every day.

Squaw Peak Road, just inside Provo Canyon in Utah County, is a four-mile, 1,700-foot gain gem. Because the road’s closed in the winter, it’s a popular spot for snowmobiles and ATVs. The snowpack created by these machines, combined with the freezing elements, make it possible to reach the lookout point on bike. The bike of choice for this snow-packed route is a single-speed mountain bike with tires set at 15-20psi. The upside of the ss is that with only one gear, nothing can disturb the drive train. The downside is that it hurts.

Miles has not only elevated his speed and other essential riding skills, he has also developed unique on-the-fly filming skills. His latest creation is here. Once again he has captured what it feels like to ride in the UC.

Winter Riding from atomicmiles on Vimeo.

Good News and Bad News

2009-12-30T14:44:00.002-07:00

The good news is that I’m down to zero packs a day. The bad news is that the Squaw Peak road was not climbable yesterday. OK you’re right, this doesn’t qualify as bad news, but sad. Two days ago, Squaw Peak road was blanketed with perfectly compressed snow, which made it climbable up to the lookout point, but I was up to two packs. So what does this all mean? Check the pictures for the answer.

Top of Squaw Peak looking North (photo credit: Kenny)

The air looks clean

Top of Squaw Peak looking West (photo credit: Kenny)

That's Utah County under the split pea soup

The air quality in the UC has been horrible. We have an inversion layer above us that is trapping smog in the valley. Riding outside two days ago was like smoking two packs of cigarettes, not that I know what it’s like to smoke two packs of cigarettes. Just saying. Yesterday a weather system moved in and helped open up the layer so the air quality wasn’t as bad, hence the ride was like smoking only one pack of cigarettes.

By the way, I discovered yet another use for CarboRocket: Antifreeze. While my fingers, toes, and other parts froze during the ride, my CarboRocket remained fluid. Amazing.

Today, snow is dropping from the sky like you would expect at the end of December. Sad news, I don’t think the ride will be great. Good news, the smoking will be minimal.

My Son Called Me Potato Boy

2009-12-14T23:01:00.001-07:00

I’ve been called lots of things in my life but this takes the cake, or, in this case, the soup. Yesterday my 10-year-old son, Stoney, called me Potato Boy.

Things were crackin’ in the kitchen yesterday. Well, my wife and Stoney were crackin’. Stoney was craving potato cheese soup and was willing to do whatever to get it, including peeling potatoes. The process was simple—he peeled, she cleaned and cut. The rest of us were doing exactly nothing to help.

At a certain point, I asked Stoney a very important question. OK, maybe the important question I asked him was not really a question. Maybe it was really a point, which I thought was a really important point. I told him to be more careful because he was missing the can and getting peelings on the floor.

Without dignifying my excellent point, he looked at me and said, “Here, give this to Mom, Potato Boy.” He's 10. Ten!

No rides to write about. It has been stormy. I have to admit, it’s nice to see snow on the mountains. Against the blue sky and scattered dark clouds, the white rocky mountains look very majestic. When things calm, it will be time for lunch meetings on the ice.

Can I Be Selfish for a Moment?

2009-12-03T11:28:00.002-07:00

If you've been reading the local blogs or attending the daily lunch meetings, you know how sweet the UC singletrack has been. Yesterday was no exception. Yesterday’s lunch ride was exceptionally good because 14+/- riders attended. I believe that everyone’s trying to cram as many rides in as they can before the switch turns from [extended] Fall to Winter. I do believe our remaining quality rides are limited and that our riding season is near the end.

This leads me to what’s on my mind. I don’t want the snow to come. There, I said it. I know, I know. The resorts need the snow. People’s jobs depend on the snow. Christmas wouldn’t be the same without the snow. We need the snow pack for our water reserves. It’s really really hard to ski without the snow. The snow.

I would happily go without the snow if it meant I could ride year-round. Selfish?

After yesterday’s lunch ride, I had a new piece of car bling. Thanks Brad!

And speaking of CarboRocket, Mark is the winner of last week’s mega quiz. CarboRocket to you!

Quality Rides and Quality Riders...in November

2009-11-27T21:41:00.007-07:00

I’m amazed at how many sweet local rides I’ve been able to do in November. NOVEMBER. The Timp Foothill Trails have been above average the entire month and on some days they have been better than they are in peak season. Another thing that amazes me is how many riders have been attending the local lunch rides. I have not ridden alone the entire month, except today, which was a Dry Loop TT day for me (45:00, if you're keeping score at home).

The riders come from various walks of life. On most days there has been a set group of riders, whose occupational profiles consist of the following: account execs, product managers, corporate counsel, investment and lending experts, small business owners, real estate title executive, emergency room doctor, and a student (who’s supposed to be working on a document to submit in support of candidature for a degree presenting his research and findings. In other words, he’s working on his master’s thesis…wink wink). Here’s the thing, in addition to hooking up with the regulars, throughout the month it has been common to meet riders who simply jumped in for a one-off lunch ride.

At the foundation of all this is our common interest in bicycles, dirt, road, and inventing alternative uses for CarboRocket. In fact, thanks to my good friend Brad at CR, here’s a little challenge with a sweet prize.

Be the first person to match these people, who represent the riders commonly seen cranking on the Timp Foothill Trails at lunch, with the occupational profiles above and win a large, 25-serving package of CarboRocket. Guess, win, then rub yourself down with CarboRocket. Its super wellness powers are one of its best kept secrets. Riders: Kenny, Dan, Rick S, Brandon, Mike Y, Keith, Miles, Dave B, Adam, and Aaron.

Great Week in the UC

2009-11-22T21:59:00.026-07:00

November 2009 in the Timp Foothills

Photo/Video credit: Miles

This last week in the UC was outstanding for mountain bike rides. We were between storms, as is usually the case in November around these parts, and had a nice window in which to ride. The trails were sloppy at the beginning of the week, which made my bike weigh a few extra pounds because of the mud hitchhikers. By the end of the week the trails were much firmer and faster and my bike got progressively cleaner.

Miles captured the week nicely in his BST Lunch Meeting Summary video. His video features several UC execs shredding various pieces of the Timp Foothill playground.

Miles shows what it looks like to "smoke the pipe"

Photo/Video credit: Miles

Indeed it was a great week in the dirt in the UC.

Let's Grove Tonight

2009-11-19T19:52:00.002-07:00

I started saying a few weeks ago around the beginning of November that we’re on bonus time. It’s that time of year when, under normal conditions, the trails are too muddy and snowy to ride. Well, if that was bonus time then we’re officially in the bonus with an additional year-end factory rebate. It’s almost Thanksgiving and the local trails are relatively clean. Grove Canyon is not only clean, it’s nearly perfect.

Getting out today was a little challenging. The usual suspects in the UC were split today with executive ride meetings. One group, including Aaron, Brandon, Sunderlage, Dave, and Nick, met at noon to cover the Provo trails. Another, including Keith and Adam, met in the afternoon. I couldn’t attend either meeting and had resolved myself to not getting out today. I had a to-do list so long that I worked straight through lunch. The life of a marketing grunt at a tech company is busy busy. Hey, I’m not complaining at all. I’m happy to have plenty to do.

As the afternoon progressed, I learned that Mike Young’s plans changed. He was no longer going out with the afternoon crew. Instead, he called his own meeting at 4:30 at the base of Grove Canyon. Now I hate to see a brother have to meet alone at something like Grove, which is in my top 5, so I scrambled to the meeting and met up with Mike.

Grove Canyon's in my top 5

Photo credit: Aaron, 11-4-2009

It’s a known fact around here that Grove is steep. What might be a little less known is how fast Mike is. Sure, we all know he’s an endurance freak, having turned in several top finishes at the Leadville Trail 100 and other events. But he’s also fast on the shorter XC courses and has solid technical skills. Two miles into the 1,800-foot climb spread over 2.6 miles, Mike rolled away from me and hammered his way to the top. Nice job, doctor, it’s time for closing music. We were both fueled by urgency—we had kids to pick up and darkness to avoid. Grove’s not the kind of trail you want to descend at dusk. The penalty for failure ranks 15 on a scale of 1 to 10. If you wish to get a feel for Grove click here and watch the video (courtesy of Fatty). Round trip time was just under one hour.

So here’s the word for the locals. Based on the reports coming in from the execs on the local trails today and my meeting at Grove, Grove is the cleanest trail running in the UC right now. It’s nearly perfect. No mud, no drips, no errors.

Alone in the Mud

2009-11-18T20:04:00.010-07:00

I rode alone today. Why? Well, two reasons. First, there were the normal excuses—I started a new workout program three days ago and my body is in shock (I’d cut/paste the actual text message here but this is a g-rated blog) and Hey, I’m stuck in meetings and can’t get out. Second, there were the naysayers, the ones who question my ability to judge trail conditions, which is tricky this time of year because of the snow and the sun and the sun and the snow. OK, so maybe I made a slight misjudgment on the trail conditions yesterday. I thought the big boys, the UC execs, would be able to deal with a little clean mud. They didn’t like it so much and decided to stay out of the dirt today: Sources.

So I rode alone. My plan was to ride a few laps on the local race course. The race course is always a safe bet this time of year. It’s not very exiting but it’s a good solid ride. On the way to the race course, on the dirt road, I could hear the voice of Dry Canyon calling me, tempting me. I followed it and before I snapped out of my trans, I was at the top of the Dry descent licking my chops.

Was it messy? Yes. Did I smoke the pipe? No, not completely, I dabbed up top. Was it cold? Not really. Was it sweet? Oh yeah. Will I do it again tomorrow? Yes, unless I start a workout program between now and then and my body goes into shock or I get stuck in meetings or I have immovable deadlines.

Day 2

2009-11-15T18:58:00.001-07:00

Nearly three years after my last post, which really wasn’t a post, here’s my second post. OK, this isn’t really a post either. It’s a facelift.

Stuff is on the way.

Day 1

2006-12-05T23:59:00.001-07:00

Getting started. Come back later.

Ricky