Watch your back Lance

So Lance IS going to do Leadville again this year. And I suppose he thinks all this "racing in France" stuff is going to help him get in shape for a quick 100 miler on the dirt. Well, Lance, all I can say is watch your back. Fast Dan and Captain Nails have been on a secret little training schedule of their own. (which just might involve us riding our CompuTrainers every day with the same stage you're racing in the tour pre-programmed into our bikes. Except we don't have domestiques to draft off the whole time...)
So when push comes to shove, and you're happy to get close to 6 hours...we'll just see who's smashing the 5 hour mark...

See video here

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid17217221001?bctid=27761490001

Missing Dork Discs

Check this out:
http://reviews.roadbikereview.com/blog/cannondale-recalls-road-bicycles-due-to-fall-hazard/
OR
Click Here


This is hilarious. Cannondale is having to recall almost 1,300 bikes because they were shipped without the dork disc. The first thing anyone who actually rides bikes does is take the thing off. Poor Cannondale.

New Do

Completely Obsessed

(Basically the point of this post is to prove to myself and both of you who read this that I am hardcore...if that kind of vanity upsets you, please skip reading this)

I spent last week in Seattle for a school research conference. I was there Tuesday to Saturday.

I got to see my mom and dad which was really nice.

I got to learn a lot about science and stuff. That was really nice too.

I didn't get to ride my bike every day. That wasn't very nice.

I did get to rent a sweet mountain bike and ride one evening after the conference was over. I pretty much warmed up for 30 minutes, rode my brains for 30 minutes, then cooled down for 30 minutes, somehow hoping it would make up for the 3 days off I was forced to take this week. That was kinda nice.

I missed a couple of races that week because of the conference. That wasn't very nice at all.

However, it's never done any good to complain, whine, or otherwise lament things you can't change. So I just accepted the fact that I was going to miss a few races (one of them being the Intermountain Cup race at Sundance....missing that=not very bloody nice one frickin' bit)

As I got home Saturday evening, having been off the bike for 2 days straight, I promptly turned on my computer, started up iTunes, and started packing my little shuffle full of songs to take me around the alpine loop. Never mind it was 9:00 pm. Never mind it looked like a bit of rain might kiss the valley. Never mind all I had eaten was some airplane biscott and a Fresca. I was going.

While my computer was on, a friend started chatting with me. They asked how my week was and how my races went. I explained that I had been in Seattle all week for school stuff and hadn't gotten a chance to ride much, let alone race.

"Oh good" my friend replied, "if you can miss races like that, it shows you aren't completely obsessed"

"Sure" I typed back. "I'm not completely obsessed"

I almost took it as an insult.

I figured it would just be best to leave it at that and not mention how I sleep with my bikes in my room, how I make social plans around training, how I've skipped major family events for races, or even how I actually feel dirty when I'm forced to skip a day of riding....

Oh, yeah, sure....I'm not obsessed at all

Shameless Plugs

Today I am here to put in plugs for 2 guys that saved the day for me:

Elden "Fatty" Nelson and Brad "Biggest Stud I"ve ever met" Keyes
First off, I've been rather sick the last several weeks and my stomach has not been able to handle a whole lot. Not exactly conducive to racing bicycles, where food seems to be a necessity as far as providing energy for riding. (I've tried other substances such as Boonen's "Cocaine Diet", Tommy Simpson's "Speed Diet" and even Racer Gibson's "Candy Diet", but my tummy doesn't seem to like to take anything in lately.

So you can imagine it was with some hesitation that I drove the hour to Soldier Hollow (or let Mark drive me there, anyway), paid an entrance fee, and signed up to race, having not eaten anything solid in a few days. However, to my rescue came CarboRocket, the ultimate drink created by Brad Keyes. I'd been on the CarboRocket diet for a few days preceding the race as it seemed to be the only thing my tummy liked.

I was a bit nervous on the start line as I wondered if my tummy would cooperate for at least the 2 hours I needed it to for the race. Well, needless to say, everything went just fine, thanks to the wonderful, sweet, fulfilling, (not to mention delicious) concoction known as CarboRocket. I made it the whole race with zero tummy aches, plenty of energy to hold a good pace the whole race, and a sweet taste in my mouth. Thanks, Brad! Best stuff ever invented.

Next shamless plug goes to Elden. After the race we thought it would be a good idea to go ride around Lambert Park in Alpine. However, to our dismay we discovered I had a bit of a mechanical issue going on with my bike. As we sat there trying to figure out what to do, Mark remembered that Elden lives only a few blocks away.

So we ventured over and asked for a hand. He was more than helpful in gettting us back on the trail and I tip my hat to him for being the super ride saver of the day. An absolute gem of kindness. Thanks, Elden! Nicest guy ever.

Well, now that that's done, I'll go back to riding my bike....

5 Mile Pics

A face not even many mothers could love
Joy

Secret Training

The first year I raced bicycles, Kyle and I had an ongoing battle for who could ride up Squaw "Puke" the fastest. I held my own for a few weeks until he threw down a 23 minute climb time. Nothing I could even come close to without a V6. Since that year (2006) I haven't really tried very hard to best my Squaw time...until now. My new secret training ride is just that...Squaw.

(Now that it's not a secret anymore, I'm fully aware everyone in Utah county will start kicking my trash at the ICUP's...)

Either way, I forgot just how pretty it is up there...

(Really the entire purpose of this post was to post a picture of my bike...you could maybe say I am slightly infatuated with it)