It's always good to know the rules for your sport. It would stink to do all the training, then get disqualified for breaking a rule you didn't know exists. Here is a link to a blog I just completed for the First Triathlon group. Some of you might be interested too.

Did you know you can stop and hold onto a boat or kayak during an open water swim?

On Saturday night, recipients of the 2008 Estes or Bust Elk Turd Trophy Awards were invited to a banquet hosted by Pam and Kirk Leamons. (Okay, it was snacks and an informal gathering; but this year was a huge improvement over last year when the gala event was held on my driveway, pre-ride.)

The emcee of the ceremonies was Todd Singiser, father of the once-per-month-12-months-of-the-year Estes concept. Below is a photo of Todd congratulating Lee Rhodes as Lee holds up his award.

Award recipients oooed and aaahed when they saw the awards this year. The stunning awards (photo below) were manufactured by Pam and Kirk Leamons. The hanger is made from old inner tubes and allows the wooden ornament to be proudly displayed in any location. Secured to the wooden platform are a few links of chain, a pine cone, Juniper sprig and a hand-picked elk specimen. Details of properly curing and caring for elk specimens will, perhaps, be covered in a future blog. This can be preceded by three easy tips to distinguish the difference between elk and dog specimens.

In 2005, only one rider (Todd) made it for 12 consecutive months. In 2006, there were six riders and nine in 2007. There were 11 riders receiving the award for January to December of 2008 and one more rider (Scott Barrow) is expected to receive the award in April for an April 2008 to March 2009 push. In the photo below, from left to right, are Kirk Leamons, Peter Stackhouse, Lee Rhodes, Nick Hansen, me, Scott Ellis, Pam Leamons, Todd and Chad Brent. Missing from the photo are Jo Campbell, Dave McClure and Scott Barrow.

Plans are already being made for the 2009 awards banquet. From what I know now, all of the 2008 recipients are planning to shoot for the 2009 trophies. In addition to that group of 12, I am aware of at least nine new riders giving the goal a shot.

In addition to the trophies, award recipients received some wise words from the elk:

Below are the official Estes or Bust rules for 2009. Good weather and tail winds to all.

Estes or Bust

Rules to achieve the world famous Turd Trophy Award

• Ride to Estes Park once per month for 12 consecutive months.

• The starting point can be from anywhere in Loveland, Ft. Collins or Windsor and no further west than the Big Thompson Elementary School.

• Either route, Highway 34 or via Devil's Gulch Road (Larimer County Road 43 known as the Glen Haven route), is acceptable. If you ride via Highway 34, you must ride west to at least the Estes Park city limit sign near the Olympus Lodge. If you ride via Glen Haven you must ride west to at least the top of the switch backs where you can see Longs Peak.

• A return trip sans car and via bike back to Loveland is not mandatory, but encouraged when conditions are safe and fitness allows. (This means you only have to ride up (one way) to have the trip count towards your trophy goal.)

• Riding from Loveland to Lyons to Estes Park via either Highway 7 or 36 counts. This ride can be one way just to Estes or round trip back to Loveland.

• The honor system is strictly enforced - ride with or without the group, with a buddy or solo.

• You can start any month of the year and go for 12 consecutive months or begin in January and go for a calendar year.

Rule clarification questions or rule change requests can be sent to gale@galebernhardt.com . The Rules Committee will review change requests.

You may not live near Estes Park Colorado, but you can still scheme up good, challenging goals.

Today on the Sunday group ride, we stopped at our favorite Estes Park restaurant, the Notchtop Café.

It was a tough ride up to Estes, cold and windy. We were hungry. One discussion about food lead to another and I told the gang a bakery in Boulder made bacon cupcakes.

Don't believe me? Check out the story below from CBS News 4:

*_Tee and Cakes bakery tops chocolate cupcakes with bacon._ *

Bacon is usually considered a breakfast food, but a bakery in Boulder is putting the pork in their cupcakes.

Tee and Cakes bakery is busy Saturday mornings and it's no wonder why, sure they serve breakfast, but cupcakes are the reason the crowd lines up.

Owners Kim Boos and Brian Wood found a way to combine breakfast with dessert after tasting a chocolate bar with bacon.

"It kind of like blew our minds and we're very picky about food," Boos said.

That's when the bacon cupcake was created.

"They're definitely not for the faint of heart, I would say," Boos said.

Not many were sold at first, but it only took two months for the treat to really take off.

"The people who want a bacon cupcake want a lot of bacon on their cupcake."

To keep with the breakfast theme, maple syrup is blended into the batter.

"It's really a buttery nice maple flavored cake."

The cake is baked, then the frosting is added.

"Chocolate ganoush is really nice because we use a bittersweet chocolate and heavy crème."

Another layer of chocolate is added. Then comes the key ingredient -- crisp and crunchy bacon -- almost sprinkle-like.

"We like to load them up, but not make it too overwhelming."

Finally the taste test.

"I like bacon, I like chocolate, I like cupcakes, so why not?" a customer said.

Tee and Cakes only makes bacon cupcakes on Saturdays, but they can be custom ordered any day of the week.

They cost $2.65.

As you head into 2009, fresh with resolutions, the first week is usually pretty easy to stick to your resolutions. The second week is usually tougher and unexpected challenges pop up. Near the end of this second week is when the first waivering thoughts, temptations to quit, push their ugly way into your mind.

It doesn't matter whether you are dealing with changing behaviors for your New Year's resolutions or you are dealing with a new racing challenge next summer, there will be tough times.

Times you want to quit.

Times you ask, "Why am I doing this anyway?"

Times that non-supporters try to tempt you away from success.

Times that fatigue strips away your resolve.

Times when your job takes more energy than it normally does.

Times when family members need extra support from you.

Right when you feel like giving up, tell yourself:

"Tough times don't last, tough people do"

Then take just one more step toward your goal.

The quote is credited to Gregory Peck. You may not need it now, but stash it away as you might need it later.