SNOW!!!

Yesterday it was in the upper 60's/lower 70's. Today, 20 hours later, it's snowing. A testament to the power of Midwest weather. --not riding outside today. Hello computrainer.

New Team for 2007

Justin got it right; Turin will be my team for next season. I don't know much for sure yet, but the deal is pretty sweet so far. I was able to spend a few hours talking to the manager, Chris Dimmick. It turns out that Josh, Jeff, Zach, and I all found places to ride for '07, which is a good thing. Nobody got left behind or without a team. Once I get the goodies, I'll detail the deal.

Back from the holiday

Thanksgiving was a blast. Erin and I got to see Blue Man Group on Wednesday night, had great dinners on Thursday and Friday nights, and went to the MCA and a Costa Rican restaurant on Saturday.

Wednesday was spent running errands for my mom and stopping by Turin to chat with my former boss. The weather was nice, but I didn't get out for a ride. Thursday was nice too, but I didn't get out for a ride. I spent most of the day setting up my parents' new computer. Friday was even nicer, but again I spent the day running errands and playing with the computer. Saturday morning I got up early for the Judson group ride. I got throttled by the guys who never race, but go faster than I like to go in the winter. Luca was there, riding a nice new Wilier. It was good to see him. Sunday morning I did the Turin group ride and was surprised to see Marshall, an old friend and formerly my guitar teacher. We had a lot to catch up about and spent much of the three hour ride talking.

The last bit of news is about my team situation for '07, but I'll save that for later.

Home for the Holiday

Drove to my parents house last night for the Thanksgiving holiday. Erin and I had to take Toby to a kitty kennel because all of his usual cat-pals were also going out of town. Apparently he'll be living in style -- A three story cat condo. Erin and I didn't get to actually see the "condo", but I'm sure he'll have a good time. He's better off there than causing the nails-on-blackboard style stress while yowling all the way to Chicago.

Even though I was glad to be home, I had trouble sleeping due to an unfinished construction project. I was able to get to Home Depot this morning and finish up. There'll be lots to do to day! I hope I can fit in a ride that allows me to go all the way to Lake Bluff. On to the errands...

Still Wondering...

As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, my cycling situation for next year is up in the air. At the time it was a shock, but that wore off pretty quick. Then I went into a phase where I wanted to create my own team. That didn't last long as I quickly learned how difficult it is to convince people to give you money to ride your bike. Then I began to explore the options with all the other regional teams. This began to feel much like applying for jobs. You enter into a conversation where you tell people about yourself, what you expect from the situation. Then they ask you some questions. Back and forth. Then you wonder, agonizingly, how the prospect will work, if at all.

Another parallel to applying for jobs is: when you don't get the job, you rarely get the courtesy call you let you know. You just never hear back. Searching for teams so late in the year is bad because most teams have filled all their spots. The only firm "no" I've gotten so far is from Mercy. Conversation is still open with a handful of other teams.

Again, as I said before, if you're interested in pouring some money into a young, dedicated rider, let me know.

Every Little Incline Hurts

After a decent ride on Saturday, today was rough. I can tell that I'm not recovering overnight as I used to be able to. I think that once my body gets used to the big weight shift, everything will even out. On the other hand, I felt pretty good in the gym. The only problem was that they closed early. I didn't get to do my max sets on the free squat rack or the hamstring machine. Eh... Whatca' gonna do?

Cats & Gnomes

Erin found this picture on a website recommended to her. Funny shit. Oh, yeah, and the ride today was cold but good.

(Credit due to the website in the picture.)

Eggs and the End of Rest

Part of my regular diet is hard-boiled eggs. Not the whole thing, just the white. They're a good source of pure protein, being low in sodium and most other things bad for you. It turns out that Toby, the cat, also likes eggs. He likes to go into the trash and get the yolks which I have discarded. Nothing sucks more than to wake up in the morning to a floor like the cat's dinner plate.

In cycling news, today is the last day of rest. No more easy stuff. This week off has been only somewhat relaxing, as I've been working hard finishing up other projects. I haven't quite finished my other work, but I'll certainly be heading back out on the bike tomorrow morning.

Trapped Inside

I've felt trapped by the weather the past couple of days. When Erin and I went to campus this morning, we couldn't find any parking. I mean, couldn't find parking. We were driving around for a long time before we found a spot. Now normally I would hate that, but not today. It was so nasty outside that I was content to drive around in parking lots as long as it meant that I didn't have to get outside and walk from the car to the buildings.

CAN'T WAIT till I don't have to deal with this weather. I know I'm being a baby, but come on, this sucks.

The Concert Is Here!!!

The Robert Randolph concert from last Thursday in St. Louis is online and absolutely incredible. It can be found on Archive.org. During the show you can hear him say that it's the best concert of the tour. I believe it. Download and enjoy!

R & R

This weekend was some much needed rest and relaxation. The first four weeks of base were done. I had friends in town. Everything came together for a nice, relaxing weekend. Unfortunately, the superb weather we were enjoying here in St. Louis has left. It's just a few more weeks of training before I can start to move south for the winter!

That said, if you have a lead on a good place for a cyclist to stay in a good place to train, let me know. I'm still looking.

Robert Randolph at the Pageant

Went to the Robert Randolph show at the Pageant last night and it was amazing. Best friend and former roommate Nat Felder came into town an hour before the show. Which only sweetened the experience. It was a great show with TWO encores. I was exhausted by the end of it all. There were lots of people taking pictures, so I'll post them once Google finds them online.

Midwest Weather

You gotta love the weather we're getting in St. Louis. I actually got a tan yesterday, and if I can actually turn the pedals over after I lift, I'll be back out in this beautiful weather!

I Voted!!!

It took 3 hours, but I cast my vote yesterday night. There were "problems" at my polling place to say the least. Even though it took way too long, I'm glad I did it. I get to continue to complain about public policy!

New Specs

Found some new sunglasses that I really like: Oakley Whisker. Too bad I'm not gonna see the sun for a while...

SaturDate Night

After some recovery Sat. afternoon, Erin and I decided to do dinner and a movie. Mmmmmm. Canyon Cafe for dinner:

PANCHO’S ENCHILADA PLATTER
Roasted chicken, Monterey jack cheese and green onions in flour tortillas. Topped with a 3-pepper cream sauce and tomato salsa. Served over southwest rice with a cup of tortilla soup and tossed salad greens.

All I have to say is that it was real good. We saw The Departed at the Moolah later in the evening. For those in St. Louis who haven't been to the Moolah, it's a great place to go for a date. I wouldn't do it for a first date, as the couches could be intimidating, but it's a great change of pace.

Today was another long ride with lifting for dessert.

Tough Ride

So I had planned on doing a ride with teammates this morning. It was going to be a long but relaxed ride. Problem: one teammate had to take care of his sick daughter and another had to work. 4-2=2, too few for a long ride.

I get a call 45 minutes before I had planned to get up, telling me the ride is two hours earlier than I had planned. I rush out of the house with only a cup of coffee and a bowl of oatmeal. The two of us had to haul to the meeting point of a different weekly group ride. We got there just as the ride was leaving. Now, we were hoping for a relaxed pace, but we got nothing of the sort. We were dragged around for 2.5 hours before we couldn't take it any longer. I haven't been put in difficulty like that since the last time I raced. These guys are still in gear for cyclocross, so there's my excuse.

I'm still glazed over at this point, so I'm just gonna sit here, watching some Simpsons.

Hummm.....

So, I have been informed that my team from last year, the team I was kinda hoping I would continue with, is not going to be the same team. Business decisions have been made. Decisions that have lead to a down-scaled elite program. Let me sit and think on this for a minute.

Well, I have only respect for the decision made. I would like to continue to follow my goal of being a professional athlete and therefore seek to expand my cycling team/involvement. Mesa has always been a great shop to me and after two years it'll be sad to see it go. I have no idea where or who I'm going to ride for next season. If you're interested in becoming a team or personal sponsor please contact me.

Well, I'll update when there's updatin' to be done.

Open for Business

Today I open this blog to the public. For first timers, the history posts are my history, and provide insight into just that, history. Enjoy.