Color County Cycling Club Clair Jensen Tribute

I first met Clair nearly 30 years ago. I was still young and,
having had to grow up without a father, I got to choose my
own male role models. Clair was someone that I really looked
up to and tried to emulate. He had many qualities that I
admired and wanted to cultivate in myself. I don’t remember
the exact time that I first met him but I do know that it was in
the context of competition; running and racquetball. Both
were sports that I had taken up and being young and full of
myself I always thought that I should be able to beat that “old
guy.” He loved those kinds of challenges and just thrived on
those types friendly competitions.
Some of the things that I really admired about him were:
• His absolute love of life and the challenges that it brought
• His enthusiasm for life and new challenges
• His positive attitude and outlook on life
• His willingness and desire to help and mentor others
• His being able to always give 110% percent to anything
he did
• His pride in what he accomplished
• His love of the outdoors and the skill he had as an
outdoorsman
• The way he always sought and relished new experiences
and friends
Some of my favorite memories are:
• Running my first marathon with him in 1982 and wanting
so badly to beat him
• Going with him to half marathons and 10 Ks. He always
pushed me to be my best because I wanted to beat him so
badly.
• The Utah Summer Games. I remember one year when
they used to have a marathon and Clair being Clair ran the
marathon and came directly to the cycling events and
completed a 40-mile road race.
• His races with Joe Pust and Stan Swallow — two friends
that he couldn’t always beat — but he would stay close to,
and sometimes sneak past at the end.
• All the times he would run the St George marathon and
then just a few days later compete in the Huntsman Senior
Games
• His fake sympathy when that’s what you needed, and his
real empathy when you needed it
• The Grand Tour in California. He was riding the 300-mile
event and I was riding the 200-miler. The first 140 miles
we spent together with him trying every trick in the book
to get me to do the 300-miler with him.
• The Amtrak Century also in California. I had broken my
leg the week before but he still insisted that I come just to
be there. He nursed me and brought me ice packs and saw
to it that I got to still ride on the train.
• The time when we were riding in Las Vegas and he fell
into a cactus and got a bunch of cactus spines in his
Color Country Cycling Club 4 February 2008
behind, he made me pull down his shorts and pull the
spines out.
• Riding home from Spirit after morning spinning classes
and just enjoying his company. We always said that that
was our time to solve the problems of the world.
• All of the great hikes we did together to places like The
Narrows, The Subway, Mystery Canyon, and Pine Creek.
• All of the years in Las Vegas at Interbike, the bicycle
industry trade show where we provided First Aid for the
“On Dirt Demo.” He just loved helping others and
meeting people from around the world. He loved to take
people on tours of the strip and show them the sites of his
hometown. I particularly remember one year, we go up
early to do a run on the “Strip” and a drunk women
grabbed his behind then turned to her friend and
exclaimed, “See I told you runners had hard buns.”
• All of the great trips we took to places like the White Rim
and The Maze in Canyonlands National Park and the old
St. George-to-Mesquite mountain known as the “Ride
Beyond All Reason.” Clair made it a point to be the first
one up and get the fire started and the coffee going. He
would even bring the coffee to your tent for you. I was
also an early riser and would often try and get up before
him. We would then take nice long walks in the cool of
the morning.
One memory from the White Rim really stands out. It was the
year that Clair tried to teach GQ Boyer how to make Dutch
oven desserts. They ran out of charcoal and were trying to
finish the cooking by burning any paper they could find. GQ
always called Clair “Mr. Myogee” after that and, GQ was
called Grasshopper.
Group dynamics in group trips like these can sometimes be
tricky but Clair was like the glue that held everyone together
and it was on these trips where I learned some of Clair’s
philosophy of life and several Clairisms. (See the whole list
on page 11.)
I’m sad that he left us too early but I know that he didn’t get
cheated in life. He lived more than many people could live in
a 100 lifetimes.
Quinn Pratt

When someone that has touched your life departs
unexpectedly, it causes one to contemplate many things. Some
superficial like the need to always have your matters in order
so you do not leave a mess for others and that you take care of
those that are important to you.
But on a much deeper level, you ponder such things as the
legacy you will leave behind. Will you be remembered as a
positive or a negative force on earth…a contributor or a
parasite? In the case of Clair there are no doubts. There were
many aspects to his life and in each he left a lasting positive
legacy. Most of us know the cycling Clair and all he did to
make cycling in Cedar City something enjoyable for many of
us. Whether it was organizing rides, leading rides, dropping
back to help someone who had fallen off the pace, fix a flat
tire or mechanical, providing pointers, a word of
encouragement or just being there to talk. Whenever we ride
in Cedar City we will be reminded of Clair when we see a
bike lane. Who else would have had the dedication and
resolve to fight through the years of bureaucracy and
disappointment to finally see the efforts pay off? Even without
the cycling Clair there is a significant legacy from his career
protecting the natural resources that we get to enjoy in Utah,
his involvement with his grandchildren and the example that
he set for them and the others that came in contact with him
on a daily basis. There would be no Desperado Dual without
Clair and I hope it lives on without him, but he leaves some
big shoes to fill.
As word of his passing spreads through the distance riding
circle in southwestern US, there will be many fond memories
and positive thoughts that will come Clair's way.
It's been said more than once on rides that if it is our time to
go we would like to be while we are on the bike and we want
it to be swift. We have to agree that Clair did it to perfection.
I know we all thought that it would be many years in the
future.
Name withheld by request

Clair expected to be toeing the line in Paris less than 4 years
from now to assuage the disappointment of not completing his
first attempt at Paris-Brest-Paris. The conditions had to be
absolutely horrible to stop someone that was always prepared
and tough as nails.
The one thing that stands out the most to me about Clair is his
smile. I never saw Clair without the smile. He smiled no
matter what — when riding through the heat, the rain, the
wind, at the end of a long 200-mile ride, heck I even
remember seeing the smile on his face as he trudged through
the snow, rain, wind, and cold during the 2005 LOTOJA (he
was one of the few riders that finished the race that year).
I got to know Clair through my brother Brian, his wife Chanda
and through bicycling with the Color Country Cycling Club
and I am glad I did. There are many life lessons that I have
learned from Clair. One of the most important is how to give
of yourself. I constantly saw Clair giving of himself and
serving others. In fact, I remember right after Cedar Cycle had
caught fire I called my brother Brian and asked if there was a
need for me to come down for a few days and help him out
with moving his inventory and cleaning up his shop. He told
me that he had plenty of help, and that it wasn’t necessary for
me to come down. I found out that one of the biggest helps my
brother Brian had was Clair.
I remember another time that I woke up early one morning to
travel from Las Vegas to Cedar City, so that I could get a ride
with Clair to Provo for the ULCER century ride. I rode in the
car with my sister-in-law Chanda while Clair drove. I was
amazed at Clair’s knowledge as we chatted, he was full of
advice. But one of the things that impressed me most about
Clair on that trip occurred as we headed back to Cedar City.
We were all anxious to get back, especially me, because I still
had to drive from Cedar City to Las Vegas. We were just
north of Parowan, when Chanda mentioned that she really
needed to use the restroom. Chanda said she was hesitant to
say anything, because it was only another 15-20 minutes until
we would be in Cedar City. I remember Clair telling Chanda
that he would gladly stop at the upcoming rest stop, that there
was no reason for her to be uncomfortable for the last 20 miles
of the drive. Even though it was a little thing, I was so
impressed with how caring Clair was.
I haven’t ridden with Clair near as much as other’s have, but
from the rides I have done with Clair I saw just how strong he
was and how much love and zest for life he had. I remember
one time doing the Las Vegas Century on a particularly HOT
and WINDY October Saturday with Clair in the group. He
had recently just gotten a great deal on a set of egg-beater road
pedals, cleats and shoes at the Interbike bike show. He loved
how his new pedals felt and road, but more than that, he loved
that he had gotten such a great deal on them. He talked and
talked about his pedals, but I think what he loved was getting
out and ridding and being with people, it didn’t matter what
pedals or shoes he had on his bike. He loved to ride and make
friends, and that is something I learned from him that day that
has stuck with me. As we left the last rest stop of the ride to
finish the final 20 miles I commented how I wasn’t looking
forward to heading southwest right into a strong head wind.
Clair looked at me and said why not, it just means we ride a
little slower and get that much more time on the bike riding
with great people. Since then I have tried to see the big
picture, the way Clair sees it. Enjoy the ride, enjoy being with
family and friends regardless of the circumstances, because
that is what makes life fun and worth living.
Thanks Clair for all the wonderful rides and more importantly
for the lessons you’ve taught me. I will always remember
them and your infectious smile.
Theron Jeppson

During the past few days of mourning for a dear friend, I have
learned that everyone Clair associated with felt the same way I
did. We all felt that we were Clair’s best friends. The
conversations that we have had always started with tears and
ended with smiles and laughter as we looked back at all the
good he did for each one of us and how he was a part of most
of our good memories out on the road or in the gym. I am so
sad to loose my biggest supporter the man who encouraged
me to keep going and to never give up.
Clair has taught me dedication. Whether it was collecting
meters for a challenge in preparation for a marathon or
training for the next big event on his bike, he would set his
mind to a task and do what it would take to prepare himself. I
went on several rides with him while he was preparing for
Paris and it was just time on the bike for him. They were some
of my greatest rides because there wasn’t a fast pace we had to
try to keep. It was riding side-by-side and just visiting.
I learned preparedness from Clair. He caught some flack from
everyone on packing weeks in advance for an out of town
event. I often wondered where he slept if he had it all laid out
on the bed for weeks to make sure he had it packed. I know I
relied on his knowledge and experience to know how to pack
and what wear for certain conditions more than once. I dare
say that there is not a person that has been on the road the
same time as Clair that has not benefited from his
preparedness whether it was a tube, some type of fuel, or
clothing.
Clair was a hard worker. I got the opportunity to work with
Clair and Lonnie in Panguitch for the Desperado Dual. He
worked for months to get all the details ready and then knew
down to the last strawberry what needed to go to every stop
that day. I enjoyed spending those two days with them and be
a part of that great event. I am also reminded of Clair’s hard
work when I drive down the streets in Cedar City and see the
bike path signs. He worked long and hard to get a route set up
for bikes here.
Clair always had a good attitude and stated often “life is
good.” He always made the best of any situation no matter
what life would throw at him. It didn’t matter what the
conditions were during a ride it was always the best ride. He
would tell us in his rowing class that if you couldn’t have fun
during his class you shouldn’t be there. Clair had a “good life”
and made all those around him do the same.
Clair was a very devoted husband, father, grandfather, and
friend. I felt that I knew his family through his stories he
would often tell us. He was very proud of his children and
grandchildren. Recently I had a conversation with him about
his trip to Disneyland with his family and how much fun he
had with them. He rarely missed going to the gym but always
had a good excuse such as a dance recital or taking a
grandchild to reward them for their efforts in school.
I am going to miss my friend. I feel blessed to have had him in
my life.
Jennifer Young

John, my wife and I were deeply saddened at the loss of Clair.
We first met Clair and Lonnie a couple of years ago in
Golden, Colorado as we were all prepared to ride the Grand
Loop (a ride put on by RMCC that is 192 miles and loops over
Trail Ridge Road in Rocky mountain Park). The weather was
grim and most likely snow was going to close Trail Ridge
Road. Obviously, the Color Country riders had come a long
ways for this ride and we all regretted having to abort the ride
because of weather but it was the correct decision.
The next time we met Clair and Lonnie was at one of Susan
Plonskys' brevets and we all shared dinner in the evening. The
stories these two Utah riders shared were so much fun to hear
and they obviously were best buddies. Both of them were
sooo excited about the upcoming 2007 PBP ride. We had no
doubt that the two of them could accomplish anything that
they set their minds to do! Tough as nails.
We went to visit Cedar City and do the Killer Loop ride with
the club and had a ball. Fantastic scenery, challenging riding,
neat people, and best of all for me, I rode a good ways with
Clair talking his ears off and enjoying his stories of his life.
As we climbed towards Brian Head he urged me to go on
ahead and climb faster as he felt he was holding me back.
Well, reluctantly I did ride on ahead and in retrospect, he
probably enjoyed the peace once I was out of his hair. And I
bet I was not THAT far ahead anyway. Visiting with him
while riding was the best part of that ride...(Also, I baled out
at the shortcut and you have to know that Clair rode the entire
route....tough as nails, like I said...)
The last time we saw Lonnie and Clair was at the 2007
Desperado. Clair was happy as he could be and looked good.
PBP thoughts filled his head and it was great to see the
enthusiasm. It was obvious that Lonnie and Clair were gonna
have the time of their lives. I know that PBP did not go the
way they planned (or not the way LOTSA people planned
with the weather...) but I still was happy for them that they got
Color Country Cycling Club 10 February 2008
to ride together and experience the event together that they
had dreamed about....Finishing or not pales in comparison to
their friendship. Those two riders epitomize what cycling is all
about.
We can only imagine the enormity of the loss that all of
Clair’s family and friends must feel. Carol and I lost one our
special friends in 2006 who was a riding partner also. All we
can say from our experience with that loss is just be so very
grateful for every moment that you had with your friends and
family.
There really are no words that we can say to convey how
much we sympathize with you at this time. We just feel lucky
to have met Lonnie and Clair and wish all of you who were so
close to him the best.
Robert and Carol Havrda