And now we return to the races...

Today Ellie was finally healed enough to race. Now, she was still a bit sick from the stomach puky thing she had earlier in the week, but she raced anyway. It was Kohlton's first ever bike race. We were all very excited for him, and very proud of him, too. Ellie went 12 miles; Kohlton went 24 miles - a long ride for a boy who has only been on a bike a few times.

It was an uphill start and Ellie was doing well, until she had to puke. That set her back to second place.

Kohlton had a much harder time. I think had only ever ridden his bike about 5 miles. He had a bad leg cramp and thought about quitting, but Ellie (who had already finished her race) rode up the course backwards and found him. After a bit of encouragement, he finished the race. He was a hurting unit.

Eric, one of the coaches, raced for the first time.

We were so proud of how hard the kids did. After eating and resting a bit, Ellie, Kohlton, Mark, Brit and I went to dinner. Even before dinner was over, we were planning the details for the next race that happens in two weeks.

Green Mtn Composite Fall 2011 Racing Season

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Baby, It's Cold (and Foggy) Outside - Just Right for Cyclocross

We had all kinds of things on-tap for this weekend. Most of them were outside. Saturday Ellie raced and Ethan had round #2 of his Eagle project. The boys were pouring the concrete pylons for the pergola.

We had check the weather forecast on Friday. It said that the high for Saturday would be in the mid 50's, so we dressed accordingly. However, as we drove south we found it getting colder and colder. By the time we stood in line to register we were chilled to the bone. Since I lost my winter coat, All I had was Larr's wind jacket. I also recently cleaned out the car and only found an extra pair of socks. By the time Ellie raced fog had rolled over the course, making it so that the riders could not see very far ahead of themselves. However, just as quickly as it rolled in, it rolled back out. (It reminded me of a giant fog-cloud kitty ambling through the park.)Ellie's form and speed are continuing to improve and I am relieve that the string of illness seems to be behind us now.

The podium for the Alpha Cyclocross race was a lot of fun. They gave each person a bottle of sparkling cider which they shook up and sprayed, just the like pros who win the various stages at the big races. It added a lot of fun to the race.

That afternoon we went coat shopping and picked up some of the stuff to make lip balm.

Sunday we were back at the races, this time at the Union Reservoir in Longmont. This time we were more prepared for the cold. The fog blew in again. Parts of the course ran next to the water and the promoter worried that a confused, tired or cold kid would loose control and go into the lake, but that did not happen. Most of it burned off by the time Ellie's group was midway through their race.


Part of the course was on an old BMX track. All of the kids thought that was a blast!

You can see that the promoter took care to make it a cool race. The t-shirts, mugs, glasses and website are all very cool.

After the race, both kids went to a birthday party at a place filled with jumpy castles and other fun, tiring things. They were pooped by the time we got home. We had a quiet evening with Don. I started to make soup for a family who have two members who will have operations on Wednesday. I will post those recipes soon.

A Bit of Biking

I've been remiss on writing about our biking adventures of late. Ellie has been racing pretty regularly. Nearly two every weekend now that we seem done (hopefully) with the run of strep in this house. (Three times a charm, I hope. It is crazy to think that Ellie and Larr have each had it three times in the last two months!)
Each race she is improving. She still have her technical groove so the technical courses are good for her. The breathing and cardo are what is slowly kicking back in.
This photo is from the Boulder Cup, a big national level race that took place outside of the Flatirons Mall. She took 4th place. On Saturday she took third and got a swag bag of loot, her favorite thing from it being a Polar Bottle that is hot pink!

It was a touch course that zig-zagged up and down the steep grassy bank that leaves off from the parking lot and down to the little stream. Nearly everyone crashed. Here Maxl, the ever happy and smiling boy that he is, carrens into the trail tape and takes out a chunk. I love that he laughs about it, instead of getting stressed out.

We race each weekend with Stephen, too. He and Ellie have been racing together for years. He is very serious when he rides, but a ton of fun, too.

Ethan was going to do this race, too, but we missed his start time. The kids had a bit of time to run around together after their race. They had fun, as usual.

Toddling and She's Been Skunked - a Title I Hope To Never Have to Repeat

First off, I have to tell you, our lovely dog, Reisha, got sprayed by a skunk, in our own back yard, notheless. Poor thing. She really did not know what hit her! As I was driving home from Parent Teacher Conferences (a day where I am at work for 14 hours straight with only 25 minutes for lunch and no other breaks) I get a rapid succession of phone calls.All of them urgent. "Mom, Reisha's been skunked!!! She is upset. Her eyes are red and droopy and she is drooling!" "Mom, its bad. Leave now!" "Tam, Reisha can't come in the house. You know what happened, right? Tomato juice only masks the odor. " You get the idea. I call Ellie back and tell her I will get stuff to clean her off. Our neighbor's dog has been skunked three times of late. They figured out that the Goop cuts the oil from the skunk spray.
It took me three stores before I found someplace that was open past nine at night where I could purchase more Goop. By the time I arrived Midge, our neighbor with the knowledge and experience, was there helping the kids clean up the poor dog. She looked so pathetic. The kids and Midge worked quickly and with care. Instead of rinsing her with the garden hose they brought out buckets of warm water. I imagine Reisha was reminded that she is so very loved. However, she did not feel so loved when she was not allowed to go upstairs to bed. Instead she had to sleep on the main floor where there is no carpet. Ellie slept on the couch in the big room in order to offer some comfort. When we went to bed the back yard was litered with tufts of dog hair and perfumed with skunk. Mother Nature delivered a windy night that blew much of that way. What a relief!

This past weekend we did less biking than usual. The race on Saturday was not a Best Cross Racer/Team race and the kids were tired, so we stayed home. It was really kind of nice. They slept in until pretty late. I made some food for the week and picked up the house. We've had so many weekends where we are gone all weekend that I forget how much can be done in a single day at home. Just as we were getting ready to go to bed Ellie got an inch long piece of metal wire in her foot. We pulled it out quickly, but it still really hurt.

Sunday morning we were on the road at about 5:00 a.m. so that we could make it to Buena Vista by 7:45. I fretted a bit about driving in the mountains in the dark. I thought it might be difficult since it was so early in the morning. I found, much to my surprise, that it was quite lovely. The stars were twinkling and the sky was clear. It was kind of magical. As I drove deeper into the mountains the sun began peaking over the mountain tops. Once I reached the top of Kenosha Pass I was able to bask in the glory of the trees set ablaze they the pink sunrise. The quacking gold on the Aspen trees was at its finest. A gentle breeze tumbled through the air. I rounded the bend to take in the open space of South Park. On my right the ponies scampered while the adult horses quietly grazed. On my left groups of antelope meandered in there journeys to some unknown location. With time to spare, we pulled into Bango Billy's for coffee and fresh cinnamon rolls. By that time Ellie was awake and lamenting that her foot still hurt. "My foot hurts and I need a break from racing. I don't want you to ask me a thousand times if I am sure that I don't want to race," she whined. She was even too grumpy to come into the coffee shop. Shortly there after we arrived at the "Cross at the River" race. It is a new venue that we were excited to try. It was a great course with some steep berms to climb over, woodsy paths, wide open spaces, tight turns and excellent barriers. It felt really weird just registering one kid instead of two. Ethan was the only one in his category so he thought he would take it easy, feeling like it was a guaranteed win. So he toddled instead of raced. He went fast when people were near. Otherwise, he took his time. Little did he know that 11 year old dynamo, Cade, had decided to race up and was in his category. Once results were posted he was chagrined to find that Cade beat him. When they called people up to the podium Cade had to stand on a large rock to receive his first place prize, a brand new Rudy Project helmet. Ethan was gracious and was cool about it. However, I don't think that will ever happen again. He could have easily taken the whole field of all of the racers on the course if he had only tried. Driving home we discussed the race. Ellie regretted not racing, just as I knew she would. Ethan regretted not taking it seriously. Ellie was still tired and she managed hurt her leg when she was playing around on her bike. By the time we were driving home she was full of bruises and a few large bumps. It makes me wonder if she is getting ready for another growing spurt.

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On a completely different note, here's a video that I think is pretty incredible. It is from Ukraine's Got Talent. The 24 year old artist displays her interpretation of the German invasion during WWII.

Mad Biking and Super Mac-n-Cheese or What More Could a Boy Want?

This past Saturday we rocked our way into the 2009 Cyclocross season. It was hotly anticipated. Both kids are on bikes that are much better than the ones they race on last year. Ellie has the bike she uses for both road and cross. It is about five pounds lighter than her Fuji was. Ethan got a slightly used Scott Racing frame and built up most of it himself. I am pretty proud of how he did it. We had the fork built up by the folks at our favorite bike store. That was too expensive to screw up since the fork needed to be cut precisely, it is made of carbon and it is worth over $500.Ethan had some guidance from Walt, the bike mechanic who seems happy to help Ethan learn. I was worried that it would not run correctly, but it performed nicely on Saturday.

Saturday was hot and dusty day at the Green Mountain race. The course is pretty technical, but also a lot of fun. Ethan placed second in his category. He seemed to be running much better than last year. Ellie was tired from having been ill earlier in the week and from babysitting the night before. However, she did great, too, even though she looked like she was hurting a bit.

That afternoon we drove up to Breckenridge to spend the night in the Pearson's cabin home on the ski hill. It is such a lovely spot that we felt like we were on vacation. Sunday morning the kids did the Brecktober race at the Breckenridge Nordic Center. I think it is one of my favorite races since it is so lovely. The race weaves through the forest on the cross country ski trails. One main challenge on that course is the woodchips that litter the course. They seem to absorb so much of the energy you put out on the bike. Both kids came in second. We had hoped for the first snow of the year. The closest we came was a bit of heavy rain and a short stint of hail. We were happy to take a soak in the hot tub after race. It was a nearly perfect weekend.


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Here's a new recipe that Ethan absolutely loves. It comes from the Sept. 2009 edition of Cooking Light. I've made changes based on what my family likes:

Super Bacon Mac n Cheese

3 1/4 tea Salt, divided
12 oz. Penne Pasta
4 tea. Flour
1 1/2 cups Milk
2 cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1+ TBL Hot Sauce
1/4 tea Pepper
8 slices Bacon, cooked and crumbled

Bring 6 quarts of water to a heavy boil. Cook pasta until al dente and drain.

In a sauce pan combine flour and 1/2 cup of the milk. Warm with medium heat while stirring. Gradually add 1 cup of milk and keep stirring. Cook until it begins to thicken, stirring all the while. Remove from heat and let it cool to 155 degrees *. At that point stir in 1 1/2 cup of cheese along with 1/4 tea salt and the pepper. Stir to melt the cheese. Next, add the hot sauce and the bacon. Stir to combine again and then add the pasta. At this point you can serve it or you can spoon it into a pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray, top with a bit more shredded cheese and broil for 7 minutes. Serves 6.

* The study the folks at Cooking Light conducted proved that heating cheese up too much can cause it to take on a grainy texture when combined with the white sauce. At 155 degrees the heat is enough to melt the cheese but not break down the bonds that results in the grainy texture. If you find this interesting, you might enjoy reading the entire "Cooking Class: Mac-n- Cheese Basics" article in the Sept. 2009 edition of Cooking Light.

A Tale of Racing, a Mountain Bike, A Few Medals, and a Lost Wallet or Having Fun in Salida

We love going to Salida. In May Ellie and sat down to chat about whether she wanted to go to Bend, Oregon for Road Nationals or Salida for the State Games of America races. I figured either one would be fun. We go to Salida a few times each year and have an absolute blast. After some consideration she decided that Salida would be the place to go. We made it a fun family vacation. Last year Larr could not join us because of his work schedule. This year we all went together. What a difference that made. We've driven the same way so many times that the kids anticipate and reminisce about past trips.

We got out of the house early. The day was lovely and bright. The kids made drawings that they photographed to make a stop motion movie. They cracked me up. Ellie has a tiny rubber gecko and fly. She had the fly on an island. The gecko swam over to the island and ate the fly. I was surprised that she ended it with a death. Another one features a person who looks around and finds a fly on his head. The fly goes down to the person's nose. He reaches up. grabs the fly and eats it. Ethan did a take on a guy flying around like Superman. She also made several macrame necklaces. It took us a while to remember how to do the weaving, but it was fun once she got the hang of it.

We got settled in quickly, checked in with the race promoter and headed off to the Time Trial. The course is lovely, smooth and free of cars. Last year there was a huge storm, so we were prepared even though we had a rocky start. It is my habit to say to the kids "Have you got your helmet, shoes, gloves and your glasses." This prompts them to check for all of their gear. They are usually wearing their team kit so I don't ask about it. This time I did not do the regular drill and Ellie went to pieces once she realized that her jersey was in the washer at home, four hours away. This forced her to race in her cold weather jacket. We called Anna, who was already planning to come to the race on Sunday, to see if she could lend Ellie a jersey. Crisis avoided, we were back on track. Ellie was anxious about who would be there. They had the kids race in age groups that were arranged alphabetically so Ellie was last. She sped past all but one girl, one who started three minutes ahead of her. She returned quickly, clearly winning first place. She joined a group of us cheering Jessica on. We've watched Jess go from finishing last every time to really having a shot at getting on the podium. It makes us happy when she has a good race. Ethan had an awesome race, too. He returned much faster than I expected. His form was great. He came in 6th place. He has happy with that. After the race was over we putzed around town and had a fun time. We had a lovely dinner at Moonlight Pizza. Some friend won a gift card in the race last year. They could not go this year so they gave the card to us. The pizza was some of the best we've ever had. One of the ones we tried was the Cosmic Hawaiian which had BBQ sauce in place of the red sauce. It also featured small bits of Cream Cheese, Pineapple and Canadian Bacon - Yum! That evening we sat on the porch. We are pretty sure we saw Mars. (This month it will be very close to Earth. You can see it by looking for the second brightest thing in the sky past the Moon. It has a slight red tint to the glow.)

We had lots of ideas about what we wanted to do with Saturday, a race free day. Larr thought about going to the Royal Gorge. In the end we rode around town some. We hung out at the Farmer's Market.




Ellie and I spent time in Bead Song and came away with stuff to make many pairs of earrings.

The guys rode bikes over to an old mill and took lots of photos. After lunch we all went to the river so the kids could play in the water.

There were lots of bikers there who had just finished the road race. It was a brutal one. I was kind of glad that it did not have a junior component. I was amazed at the number of adults who could not finish the course. Ethan met some U23 guys from another team and hung out with them a bit. He also enjoyed riding some of the bikes in the shallow part of the water.
I spent my day on Ethan's mountain bike since my bike is broken. I was a bit afraid to ride it, but soon found it to be a lot more fun than I expected. I kind of wish I had a modern mountain bike. I have one that I bought the year I graduated from college. It is okay, but the Trek, with its shocks, is a lot more fun. We also went to the Absolute Bike shop several times. We love visiting different bike shops just to see what they have. This has a print from a cover of Dirt Rag Mag. that Ethan is drawn to. Ethan decided that he would take the borrowed Yeti and do a photo shoot over by the mill. He wanted to make his own version of the poster.




we rode around town a bit more and spent the evening enjoying each other's company. Once we arrived back home I realized that I was missing my wallet. Ethan and I retraced our ride, but did not find it. We called the credit card company and cancelled our cards. I talked with a police officer who said nothing had been found. However, he strongly encouraged me to make a report so as to protect myself from identity theif. When I called I discovered that a woman had turned in my wallet. Everything was still as it should be. I wished that I could have thanked her for her honesty. I had to be happy with the fact that I did not have to replace my driver's license, a long and bothersome process.

Sunday was a busy race day. Ellie raced her criterium at 8:30 a.m. She was the second JR 10-12 and first girl over the finish line. We were excited to find that Jessica came in second place. It was the best we had ever seen Jessica race. Anna had a great race, too. Once that was done the girls went off to play in the river and cooled down. Ellie won two really lovely medals, two passes to the Mount Princeton Hot Springs and a girl's helmet.


Ethan did not race until 11:15 so Larr and I did a bit of casual reading in the park. Ethan hung out with Max, another Black Sheep rider. Ethan's race was an intense one. There were over 30 kids at the start, about 15 of whom were in Ethan's category. A front peloton was off straight away. Ethan was just behind the second group, battling it out with another rider. It was exciting to watch during each lap that he rode during the 25 minute race he got closer and closer to the next group. By the end he was firmly with them. As they turned the last corner he put all he had and won the sprint in his group. It was a great thing to see. He ended up placing fourth in the crit. and fifth in the Omnium. I always love watching my kids race, but this weekend it was much more fun than usual. After a bit more water play and photoshoots, we were on our way home.

We stopped in Breckenridge to see Mark, Lilia, Cousin Jeane, Greg, Claire and Ingrid. We had not seen Jeane and her family since Eleanor's funeral. We had dinner and a nice visit. The girls swam in the pool while Ethan told stories of his trip to Jamaica. We also listened, spellbound, to Greg's tales of his ride of the Paris Brest Paris, a 750+ mile ride that must be completed in something less than 90 hours.

We pulled into our garage at something close to 11:00. The weekend went both quickly and seemed to last for a long time. It was so great to have such a simple and wonderful vacation.

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Here's today's recipe. It is a simple, but yummy one that I found via allrecipes.com. It is fast to make.

Hamburger Salad Sandwiches

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup chopped dill pickle
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 cup Cheddar, shredded, optional
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
6 hamburger buns, split or toast
Lettuce Leaves

DIRECTIONS

1. In a skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic until meat is browned; drain. Cool. Add the next six ingredients. Spoon about 1/2 cup onto each bun; top with lettuce.