Bill's Blog (Web Log)

Repo

This morning I realized that I have paid my last payment to V.W. that I can afford. If I don't score a job in two weeks it will be repossessed. It is not like I am sad, just mad that I paid so much for that thing. $600.00 a month to be exact. $400.00 for loan and $200.00 for insurance which was canceled last week. It is still baffling to me and my friends why a beetle costs so much to insure.

Well it seemed that is all over and I am excited to finally keep my money for things like food. I am thankful to live in Missoula where I can ride my bike every where. The job search is going ok with more opportunities than I expected. Just have to find the right place at the right time. I suspect it will take at least a year to find a good job. Unemployment is ending in a couple weeks so Ill be downgrading the ol lifestyle but that wont be hard. Today I hope to go mountain biking and job searching.

Dump Bush Rally in Missoula

Wow, I fall in love with Missoula more and more each day. It is nice to see so many people doing what they think is right and not what they are told. There was a march complete with drummers. I still have flashbacks to my racing days when I hear the rythmic beat. Sunday there were 3,000 people in attendance. "Yee-ha is not a foreign policy", "After the war Dick Cheney will have a job - will you?", and "Kerry Hero. Bush zero" were some of the signs thrashing about. Sounds like, "Join me brothers and sisters, hug your fellow liberals." established the fact that you were in Missoula and being hugged". Speakers included William Kittredge which is a Montana writer and others.

Western Montana Hill Climb Championship

I have heard about the Hill Climb up Pattee Canyon but when I had learned that it was going to be held on the up and coming weekend I realized that maybe I should have planned in advance. At least this one would be full of participants that were just doing it for fun. I thought to myself, "How bad could it be"?

I figured on Friday afternoon I would ride the course on my old Cannondale road bike. I took my watch. I didn't go all out but thanks to the climb I was challenged. The course seems to just get steeper and steeper. Its not that it is so steep but so short. The record is 12:54 so I figured there would be no messing around saving any strength. I figured I would climb it in at least 15 minutes as I love to climb and I had been riding and hiking all summer long.

Western Montana Hill Climb Championship

I have heard about the Hill Climb up Pattee Canyon but when I had learned that it was going to be held on the up and coming weekend I realized that maybe I should have planned in advance. At least this one would be full of participants that were just doing it for fun. I thought to myself, "How bad could it be"? I figured on Friday afternoon I would ride the course on my old Cannondale road bike. I took my watch.

I didn't go all out but thanks to the climb I was challenged. The course seems to just get steeper and steeper. Its not that it is so steep but so short. The record is 12:54 so I figured there would be no messing around saving any strength. I figured I would climb it in at least 15 minutes as I love to climb and I had been riding and hiking all summer long. I got to the finish line in 17 minutes.

Saturday I woke up thinking that maybe I needed to plan the route and get serious about cutting off a couple minutes. I rode the course again and believe me this course was getting longer every time I did it. A minute of suffering is worth a hour of riding hard. I rode the course in around 16 something.

Ok so I wasn't going to set the record this year but now my concern was that I would be caught by the riders in Missoula that regularly climb the course in 14 and 15 minutes. I decided to go on a spin down the gravel road to Deer Creek Road (down the other side of the canyon) to East Missoula and then home.

I was thinking how hard the Paris Robeux must be as I screamed down the gravel road bumping down Deer Creek when my front tire blew out. Suddenly I had no control as I shifted my weight to the rear. Locking up the rear would careen me out of control and possibly toss me to the gravel at speed. So I road the rim squirming down the gravel until I slowed to a stop. I changed the tire and used a rock to grind the burrs off the rim so I wouldn't rip off the break pads. I went home and stayed off the bike until race day. Jeeze!

Sunday was cool but warming. I had my plan and rehearsed it in my head. I took of like an elephant trying to jump rope. It was awkward and then it wasn't and I pumped to the first what I call flat spots. They are not flat but not as steep as the climb before. This hill climb is full of big efforts and then it lets off for a while before getting steeper once again.

My heart was jumping out of my chest and the cold air burned. I had a thought ... What if I don't recover before the next big effort? Darn I had gone out too hard, the next effort started and I was not recovering. I approached Larch Camp Road turn off and I knew that is where it got steeper. Just after the turn is the steepest part of the course. I sold the farm and geared down.

What a disgrace I thought, me in my granny. The rest of the course was made up of true grit. I knew it would end and soon. If I could gear back up and keep steady it would end. Just had to set little goals. Next little riser, next corner. Suddenly there it was, the finish line. I stood to sprint ... Yea, right!

I crossed the line at 15:51. I spun up the road to recover and thanked god it was over. Ok next year I will prepare and not go out so hard.

Slow Fat Guy in Pattee Canyon

Last night I tried the hill climb route for Sundays race. I did it in 17 minutes and that is discouraging. The average Missoulain does it in 15 minutes and the record is some 12 minutes. I didn't think I was that slow. This is going to be a disgrace but maybe next year I will be stronger and with less body fat.

Today is Saturday and I will ride the course again today early afternoon and then ride down the other side to East Missoula and then home. Short and sweet ... Rest up you know!

Next week I will attempt McCloud in one day instead of this weekend. It is good for me to spend a week end resting. Specially with the pressures of job searching.

Another development that is stressing me out is that my house mate upstairs is moving out. I am terrified that the new tenants will be partiers or heavy walkers (the worst kind of people in the world).

I am at the Liquid Planet right now and doing some job hunting and fine tuning of my resumes. I submitted two last night and one I am hoping for specifically at the University and a web person. Well the day is beautiful and the ram must not stay pent up too long.

The Ram ... Tyler Hamilton

I just finished "Wild Animus" [link] and I was kept up a little last night with the deep hole it left me with. This morning I would of advised not to read the book by Rich Shapero. But now that I have read the current events of today I realize the importance of this book and how many people sometimes go too far to find themselves.

Tylor Hamilton is a hero of America mostly overshadowed by the high profile Lance Armstrong. Tylor is not just Tylor the bike racer though, he is a product of those that surround him and their support "his dream". All I have to say is read "Wild Animus" folks. It will be hard but read it and then go to Tylor"s website and read the post by his wife [link].

I am reminded of all of us who have reached for our dreams and those that sacrifice so much for it. Tyler is the ram, the wolves are the cycling factions that have been politically mis- aligned and dis-allusioned. When you read his wife"s story you"ll realize who Lindy is.