Happy Christmas Everyone!

Happy Christmas everybody! We had a really nice Christmas here. Frank, Mary and Alex all got here safely shortly before the big man in red on Christmas Eve. We had a nice morning of presents and a Christmas Day walk in the woods over the road, before Frank cooked us a delicious Christmas dinner. The afternoon was given up to the Bondathon on the TV, and the the traditional, inevitable Trivial Pursuits, won this year by Summer...next year, it will be mine....

The kids had a great time, and got all they wanted from Santa. They are still enjoying playing in the snow, although we are starting to look forward to it clearing. Hope you are all enjoying the festive season, and thanks to all who sent us cards, gifts and good wishes.

Winter wonderland!!

We've has a lot of snow over the last few days - it looks like it might be a white Christmas!! Here's a few pics of the kids playing in the snow:

Ailsa making a snow angel!
Is that my good scarf??

Present ideas for Drew and Ailsa

Hi all - for an easy solution to gifts for Drew and Ailsa, click on the two links for Ailsa and Drew. There is a choice of books and toys and they will get sent here direct from Amazon.

Here goes:

Ailsa's list:



Drew's list:

Our First Thanks Giving

On Thanks Giving we all went up to Longmire on Mount Rainier. We really earned our dinner by going on a very hilly 5 mile hike! When we returned from our walk, we were all very ready for our turkey and pumpkin pie. A couple of pictures from the trail...

The future of 'cross!!

Drew and Ailsa took part in their first bike race on Snday in Tacoma. They were both great, and both much faster than their Dad. I think I might try those training wheels, though...

Seattle Cyclocross # 7 Spinker - now a Cat 2!!

Last race of the season for me and my last as a cat 3. I felt fine before the race, started well and just got slower and slower. I'd like to think it had something to do with being ill last week, but I'm not sure it has. Anyway, it wasn't my day. the course was pretty flat with no mud or sand to speak of, but there were a lot of fairly tight 180 degree turns, some of them quite tricky with loose rocks and stones. I got out of the gate fine, and probably lay about 5th or 6th after the first lap, but then just went backwards, and ended up 17th :(



Still, I've had a good season, starting off as a cat 4, and ending up as a cat 2, so I'll be making up the numbers next season with the 1 and 2's. I know I'll take a good thumping, but it's a good incentive to be in good shape for the start of the season, and the longer races should help to bring my fitness on.

Highlights for this cross season include a bronze in cat 3 at the sate champs, and a win in cat 3 in the Starbucks Grand Prix. Best mountain bike result was a win in the Indie Series final at Greenwater in the sport category. As for the road, I think my best result was was taking silver in the cat 5 state champs after being in a crash in the last 10 miles - that and 3 wins in 3 weeks in the cat 4/5 at Pacific Raceways.

I don't know what next year will bring, but this one has been a good one all round on the bike. Right now, it's time to get a job!

Seattle cyclocroos series #6 Monroe

I drove with my friend Mark up to Monroe yesterday, some way north of Seattle. It was a beautiful clear day, so we got a great view of the snow capped northern Cascade mountains and Mount Baker.

When we arrived it was foggy and cold. I was helping Mike yesterday with some logging, so with that and a raging head cold, I was very close to curling up in the truck and going to sleep. Anyway, I manned up and started, and seemed to go pretty well. The course was a good mix of flat grassy sections, some paved sections and 2 run ups - not a bad course for me. It was based around a car racing track. I started off steady, and by lap 2, I was up with the leaders. I held the lead for a lap or 2, and then lost it to the cat 3 state champion. It was very tight at the front, but on the last lap, I pushed through 2 riders on the run up to get into 2nd, and held it until the last 50 yards, when I was pipped into 3rd place. Still, I was chuffed to bits to get my best series finish yet, and I now have enough points to upgrade to cat 2!! I think I'll race my last race (next weekend in Tacoma) as a cat 3 and then decide.

On the way home, I paid the price a little with a raging fever. Luckily, Mark took care of me, got me a hot drink and drove me back - thanks mate!!

Leading....just!

At the finish line.

Mark battling away

Bronze at State Champs!!!

I raced in the Cat 3 35+ state champs today at Pacific Raceways in Auburn. It was a similar course to the one that I won on 2 or 3 weeks ago, although I wasn't feeling all that great today.

James Johnson and I were at the front for most of the race, but we were with a big group of 8-10 of the front. The last lap was fast and tight, and when it came to the sprint, I just didn't have enough zip left. I was pretty happy with a third place finish, after someone was dq'd for being too young!! The first phot is of the finishing sprint.

Another 3 points this season and I could upgrade to cat 2...

Trip to Wolf Lodge

Summer has a conference in Centralia last week, so me and the kids went too and stayed in Wolf Lodge. It's a kind of wold themed hotel, and the kids loved it. they had a wolf den with bunk beds to sleep in and a huge indoor water park which we all enjoyed.

On the Saturday, we all went to the wolf sanctuary.

First win as a cat 3!!

I raced at Pacific Raceways on Saturday, where I race in the summer on the track. The field was small and the course was fairly straightforward with some long straights, but also with a couple of tricky descents and turns. Me and another fella led from the off, and we pretty much fought it out between us until the last. On the last lap I got a 20 yard lead on the run up, and I managed to hold him off pretty much until the line. Here's a bunch of phots from the race including the finishing sequence:

Aaaaand, a link to a video of the crash!! I was in the crash on the right, it happened about 20 seconds sfter the start: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmW2H11L0D8

I also raced on Sunday at Donida Farms. Unfortunaltely, I had a big crash in the first corner, on the grass and got passed by most of the large field. Bacause of the impact of the crash it also meant I rode the rest of the race with my rear brake on!! No wonder it was so hard going. Anyways, I managed come through the field to finish 11th, totally exhausted. Here's one or two of the mud fest:

Happy Hallowe'en

We had a super first American Hallowe'en. We had a liitle wolf and a scary skeleton trick or treating around the neighbourhood, and everyone really got into the spirit with lots of little kids out in fancy dress, and all the neighbours had their pumkin lanterns out and creepy graveyards in their front gardens. Here's a phot of our ghoulish little monsters:

Also a sneaky bit of video shot with my 'phone showing Ailsa doing some jumping jacks at her karate class - very cute! She is doing really well and has moved up a class to train with the older kids. Future boyfriends, be warned.

quiet one in USA - business as usual in Scotland!

I was looking for my mate Tom' results in the CX races back in Scotland and came up with a couple of phots. Nice war face, Tom!! And, is that an Old Town cycling cap I can see there under the helmet?? That must be worth a couple of places!

I took a break from racing this weekend - its been a pretty full on year for cycling, especially durung cyclocross season, so it was nice to get up on a Sunday and laze around for a while while we decided what to do.

Drew had a good game on Saturday. It was a close game and our team won 4-3. No goals for wee Drew today, but he kept loads out during his spell as goalie in the first half. He's a natural at marshalling his defense!!

Ailsa at gymnastics

There's been a lot of cycling and soccer lately, so here's one of Ailsa in her gymnastics gear. She really enjoys her classes, and parctices her handstands at home...you can probably hear her! Hope you like the saltire in the background!

First race in higher category

I raced for the first time as a category 3 cyclocross racer yesterday after upgrading. Longer races and better riders. I was racing with one or two other guys who upgraded with me and a fellow jock (Ross) who I have raced with on the mountain bike.

The course was at Seatc which I know very well. It was a tough course with 2 run ups and a sand pit which really drains the legs. On the start line, I was three rows back as I had no seeding having only raced cat 4 previously. I had a poor start and lost places if anything, and was probably 20 back when we hit the singletrack, but soon made up time and worked my way through the field. I found myself conserving a fair bit though, to save energy for the sharp climbs and the sand. I made some places up on the long run up known as the "thigh master", although I lost some time when I had to jump off and sort out my rear brake which stuck under the rim after a re-mount. I ended up in 6th after catching 2 guys on the last run-up before the finish. Not bad for my first cat 3 race. Hopefully next time, I'll be further up at the start.

Drew: social climber

Some pictures from Drew's "Fit Climb" class - he really enjoys and is now pretty confident. He doesn't seem to have inherited his old man's fear of heights!!