Redlands Crit Day

Woke up today and checked the email. Went for a ride with the team at 9 to spin out the legs. Got back and relaxed. Left for the crit via bike at noon (it's all downhill into Redlands from the host house). Got set up with the radios during team the team meeting. Warmed up on the trainers next to the port-a-potties.

Mechanic, Chris, is standing next to me while I'm on the trainer. He says: "have any of you been to the bathroom yet?" Routine pre-race question. "No," I say. "Well everyone is reading about you while they're in there."

Come to find out, our media guy posted this inside the port-a-potties so people could read about us while they pooed. Not sure how I feel about that.

Then I raced. We did well as a team. Led Kori out for the first sprint and covered some attacks. Got a flat tire, went to the pit, got back in. Covered another attack. Then got swarmed and rode the last few laps at the back. Alison got top 10. Kori is doing well in the sprint competition now.

Went home, showered, stood in the freezing cold pool as an alternative to an ice bath. Saved a lady bug from drowning. Tortured an ant by encircling it in a ring of water and slowly making the ring smaller and smaller. Thought about the convection heat transfer coefficient between my legs and the water and tried to increase it my moving around.

Got a massage.

And now I'm here, about to go to dinner with the team at another host house, the one some of the staff are staying at.

All in all, a very good day.

Delicious

http://www.bonkbreaker.com/

Kept me going before, during, and after the stage today. Basically, they're awesome.

They come in three delicious flavors:
Peanut butter and dark chocolate
Peanut butter and jelly
Peanut butter and banana

and my favorite is the peanut butter and dark chocolate. To answer your question: No. Nobody is paying me to say this. They really are good!

Today's stage was awsome for the team. Kori was in a break for a good while and Alison moved up into 3rd in GC. The 30+mph sustained winds made it brutal, technical, and sketchy, especially on the 1st lap when we still had all 140 riders.

My legs were on-and-off today. I could go hard for forever, but I had trouble going up the second climb after resting on the decent from the first. I'd start pedaling and my legs wouldn't do anything until about halfway up. I think I need to do more interval training.

Tonight, looking forward to a lovely dinner with the team at the host family's place. The host father, Kevin, is grilling swordfish and salmon for us! I've never had swordfish before, and I can't wait! Also, there's rumors of a chocolate cake for desert. I love food.

I belong

a long way from here...

That's the first line of the Sheryl Crow song I play on my ipod every time I head out on another trip across the country. It's true really - I get antsy if I stay in once place for too long.

Just got back from the Prologue at Redlands - seriously, I just got back. I'm sitting here in my chamois at our host house looking at the pet lizards in their glass aquarium in front of me and the Darth Vadar figurine on the dresser next to them. I'm staying in a young boy's room.

I don't know yet what my time was in the TT, but my legs felt awesome. I was chasing Emilia Fahlin of Highroad, and I don't think she gained that much time on me. We'll see... Alison, my team mate got 4th, so she'll be our GC rider. I'm going to bust my butt tomorrow.

Alright, gotta go shower and get a massage!

Spring Break: Touring the South

First stop: Exit 62 in Georgia for a Moe's burrito only to discover that they have a new menu with smaller portions. I don't like change and I definitely don't like smaller portions of good food, especially when you have to pay more for them! I was stunned and thought about crying and begging the burrito artist to make me a good old fashioned "Moo."

Second stop: Clemson, South Carolina for a South East Collegiate Cycling Conference race and party. I won Saturday (yay!) and got to celebrate by going out Saturday night. Here's some photos that I'm going to put up here to make me feel better about myself. I can look back at them and say: See! I did do things other than ride, sleep, and recover while I was in college.

Here's one for Heather:

Team Florida: we take the party to the roof.
The moon bounce! Even better after a margarita (so I hear).

Me doing the Medusa.

Sunday's course was on a car racing track. Would have been more exciting if the turns were banked. I won again thanks to some luck and brains. I didn't have much strength to back myself up. I'm definitely going to need this week of training in the mountains to prepare for Redlands.

Bike racers like to race everything. This was the perfect opportunity:

Next stop: Highlands, North Carolina.