Carbon dreams

Our sweet Yeti ASR carbon frames have arrived and are now decorating our living room! I can't wait to get it built up and RIDE!!!!!!! Just dropped the frame off at Green Mountain Sports for the build- it will be done Wednesday! Chris is building up his own frame in our basement... he wants the real "hands on" experience.

How Sweet is 16???

Washington State 61
Notre Dame 41

On to the Sweet 16 baby! The first time since 1941! GO COUGS!!!
Check out this link

Ouch! It's hot!

6 weeks left in the semester, and suddenly I feel like I'm sitting on a burning stove everyday. In other words, things are heating up, fast. I had a lovely 3-day weekend in front of me, but reality set in. I had to forfeit the team training camp, and stay home and study all weekend. Woe is me... my ass is growing roots into this chair.

Cougs in Denver!

My alma mater rolled into town for the NCAA tourney in dominating fashion. Washington State 71, Winthrop 40. Enough said. GO COUGS!!!

This is your brain...

This is your brain.

This is your brain cut in half.

This is your brain on a plate with pins in it.

Ah, the joys of neuroscience. I need drugs to get through this...

Foiled Again!

In my quest for adding variety, hills, and getting off the crowded bike paths, I have attempted to find some new road loops in Golden. And since I'm not very familiar with Golden in general, my plan began by arbitrarily mapping out my intended route on Google Maps. Next, I donned the fluorescent yellow vest (hoping cars would avoid such an obnoxious moving target), and charged into the foothills for 3 hours of lactate bliss. However, both last Saturday, and today, I've been stopped short where the sidewalk ends. Today I was only mildly disappointed when the road in front of me turned to dirt and I was forced to turn back around. I had failed to consider that climbing 2,000+ ft would equal a serious drop in temperature, and I was ill-prepared in the near-freezing chill. Needless to say, the descent back into town was less than pleasant, and it took a good 20 minutes before I could feel my fingers again! Oh well! Still, I got in almost 2 hours of climbing, and now I know better than to trust that all the roads will be paved, and that my route-finding skills are less than perfect!

On a final note, the new Crank Brothers Quattro pedals were awesome!! I finally have float and an actual platform! Yeah!!

'Spring' Break?

I have to admit, of the 4 colleges I have attended, this is the first time I have a Spring Break that is not actually in the spring. In fact, not even close! We're still 3 weeks away! I was really looking forward to getting outside on my road bike this week, but it's been snowing and freezing cold, so I am relegated to the indoor trainer once again. I have now watched the entire '08 Tour of California, and most of the '07 Tour de France (again), not to mention countless movies and the occasional lame talk show on TV. When it comes to existential motivation, watching the pros (especially the close-up lycra crotch shots) climbing in the Alps does wonders to ease the monotony of indoor training! Well, at least when I return to Regis on Monday, we'll have gone back to daylight savings time, so it staying light longer will trick me into thinking it's spring sooner.

On a happier note, the weather is warming up, and it may crack 50F tomorrow, so I have something to look forward to. I also just got my new Crank Brothers Quattro road pedals last night. Chris is going to put them on my road bike today. Ever since Chris first got me into mountain biking, (and as part of my ACL rehab) many moons ago, I have loved the ease of use and comfort of Crank Brothers pedals. I was stoked when they finally came out with road pedals, and now I can scrap my cheapo shimanos! I also got a new Ritchey stem for my road bike, and my position on the bike will be far more comfortable during the longer rides. Todd did an awesome job during my Retul bike fit, tweaking the geometry of my seat and stem, and it's already made a huge difference! A well-fitted bike makes a very efficient and happy rider!

Getting Out

It's the end of February in Colorado, which means nothing short of wacky weather... one day sunny and 70F, the next day snowing! I've essentially been cooped up on the trainer indoors since I started my training on January 1st, so getting outside for a "real" ride was a treat! Last Sunday, I optimistically joined a few fellow CoMo riders for a hilly 50-miler. I soon discovered just how much the dynamic elements of the outdoor world played havoc on my body, and how comfortable I have adapted to the windless indoor environment! In a bit over 3 hours on the road, I got the legs spanked off me, and struggled just to turn the cranks in a hypoglycemic, staggering, woozy state. I had not felt such pain since the Firecracker 50 last July! Other than being thoroughly trashed for the next several days, I am glad to be keeping my training consistent and challenging, in spite of the rigors of school.

Spring break started today, and it is some much-needed time off. I took advantage of the warm weather, (as it is going to snow tomorrow), and rode some more hills in Golden. My legs still feel a little sapped from a week ago, but at least I can sleep in for a full week and recover!