Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Still Can't Sleep

Here are some more photos from the last month or so.


Eric (Targetraining) has no time for the paparazzi!


Um! I was sitting there cat!


John Ecks, Jean Brennan, and Tina's dad, Albert!


How does the self timer on this camera work again?


Okay everyone! I think I figured out the self timer thing. Get ready!

Trying to sleep


Group photo in front of Floyd Landis's childhood home


Going up the Manayunk Wall at Philly. Lots of people and they only get more intoxicated and louder as the day goes on.


Learning to scratch behind the ear.


Sarah with her impression of slipping on a banana peel.


I thought I'd post some pics and reflect on my day off in Lake Placid since I can't sleep. I've been all about comfortable beds lately. I think I'll start a rating system. I'm staying with my friends Joe and Jan in Lake Placid and I have to give the guest room bed a solid 7 (1-10 scale) which means its darn good. I slept till 8:00am this morning which is also a sign that it is quiet here too. Lake Placid is such a gem of a place. It hasn't been ruined too much. Someday it may but it is still small enough and out of the way. I was a little bummed to see that a Starbucks coffee is opening up on Main Street. Tourists will love it but I think it is out of place. It's the corporate stuff i don't like seeing. While i'm on the subject of Starbucks I think their latte's are lame too. I'm not the expert but I definetly like the espresso poured over the milk rather than putting milk on top of the espresso. I feel like they rush it. Like I said I'm not a barrista so someone correct me if I'm wrong about the technique.

It was pouring rain in Lake Placid today so I was not that motivated to go for a ride. This gave me the chance to do laundry, catch up with some friends, vacuum the van, Febreeze the van (it smelled like sweaty people), do some blogging, etc. Went to the Lake Plaicid Pub and Brewery for dinner with some friends and a couple of the riders who are here too. Saw more of my friends there too. Lake Placid feels like home to me. Spoke to a couple of local fellas that competed in their first Olympics this past winter. I've known them since they were junior skiers so it was interesting to hear about their stories and catch up on what the Biathlon scene is like for them. Although it's a winter sport I noticed similarities with the stuff cyclists go through with all the training and travel.

All in all it was a good day of catching up. Looking forward to coming back in 2 weeks for an extended stay to do some riding and more catching up.

Cheers,
DJB

Couer D'Alene


Riding in Idaho was awesome!

I started the ride down there.

More riding!

MY SPACE!

The swim start. Looks daunting and beautiful all at the same time.

For about the last week I’ve been in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho for the Ironman Triathlon event. Coeur D’Alene is a beautiful place and I had enough time for a few bike rides out into the mountains and along the lakes that are in the region. On Wednesday we did the expo set-up, which went well since we had 4 people this time. Keith, Ben (the new manager of the team) Shane (the intern) and myself. I had 10 athlete’s bikes to go over before Saturday and one complete build for another guy spread over 3 days so the workload was busy but manageable. No major bike concerns. The athletes brought their bikes clean to me, which was much appreciated. I think my seminar in April worked. I wonder if they thought I would charge them the “dirty bike charge?” My only stumper was a Power Tap that stopped working. Not being all that familiar with them do they ever work consistently?

On race day I spent some time re-charging my batteries with a nap and went for a bike ride. In the evening I went back to the finish line venue to hang for a while. I highly recommend anyone to check one out someday. It’s such a great vibe at these things. It’s not about winning. Most of the 2000 athletes know they are not there to win so the pressure is within oneself to just finish and have a great day. There are so many variables that can happen, even if you’ve trained right, so the attitude to except whatever comes your way is the biggest lesson to learn. For example, my pal Cassidy Phillips was on track for a personal best and within minutes he passed out at mile 14. Twice he refused medical attention. Many cups of chicken broth later he was able to finish. I happened to see him finish and he looked like he was a zombie and had to be carried away. After an IV to hydrate him he was back walking around and hanging out at the truck. Man!

I’m currently waiting to board a plane in Chicago that has been delayed. Jim is picking me up in Albany, NY and then driving up to Lake Placid to rendezvous with the van. Tuesday will be a day off spent in Lake Placid so I’m pretty psyched to catch up with some friends and go for a ride (if its not raining). Wednesday I drive over to Massachusetts for the Fitchburg stage race.

Wow! It’s almost July. Do you know what that means? TOUR DE FRANCE time. I’m not ready to make any predictions since I feel like I’ve been out of the loop lately. Of course Basso is a consideration. Landis is my sentimental favorite but maybe in the top three. Ulrich MAY put one in but I think he may falter to Basso.

Congratulations to my niece Kristin who got married this past Saturday in Buffalo, NY. I was in Idaho so wasn't able to attend another family function. Have fun on your honeymoon Kristin!

Here are a few photos from this past Ironman week. I still have to post some from the last month and will try to do that soon. Keep checking back.

Monday, June 19, 2006

BERNOUT!


Hail storm uses. Instant ice.

I'm not going out there! It was tough to watch the bikes get blown over and see ice balls bouncing off the tubes.

The team holding the tent so it didn't blow away.


Hello!

I see that the last time I posted was quite a while ago. I’ve had little time to keep up with the blog. I won’t mumble and grumble about it, but this has been the burnout time of the season. The races come one after the other which require travel logistics on top of keeping the bikes race ready. It can really affect ones state of mind with all the traveling, staying organized, and sleeping on floors. Sleeping in a bed is so much appreciated these days. I must be getting older because I used to be able to sleep on a concrete slab with no bad affects. I remember the day weeks ago I knew I was in trouble with the “burnout” when it took me 1.5 hours to drive a half hour drive because I couldn’t concentrate enough to follow the road signs. Then to top it off I stopped at a grocery store to buy some juice and snacks. When I got to the house I was staying at I realized I’d left most of the items at the store because I only grabbed the one bag. I really wanted that juice too! I felt a little better knowing my comrades on the other various teams had similar feelings of burnout even some of the riders too.

I have to thank Chris Davidson. I hope you’re still reading my blog buddy. I read his diary entry last night on cyclingnews.com and it reminded me that I have a cool job even if it’s draining at times. Glad to hear he felt similar after connecting with another cycling enthusiast he met. For you cycling geeks give it a read. It’s a good insight into the world of mechanics and a Dickies spokes model.

I think the “burnout” may be behind me so I’ll try and fill in the blanks of the last several weeks. Keep checking back. Right now I’m traveling to Idaho in the TIMEX truck for an Ironman. Shane picked me up in St.Paul, Minnesota an hour after the last stage of the Nature Valley Grand Prix. Talk about switching gears. One moment I’m Colavita/Cooking Light and the next I transition into Timex. At least with two of us driving I get to sleep and replenish some brain cells

Since I’m coming off of a 5-day stage race that is what’s fresh in my memory (anything before that I’ll update later with some pictures probably). This year’s race will go down in the journal as epic. Mostly because of the weather (thunder storms, hail, wind) which tested the ladies fortitude and legs. Unfortunately we did not have luck on our side for this race. Oh well that’s racing. An un-timely crash and chase in the crosswinds hurt our overall team strength a bit. Although I’m not a runner, when one of my girls is in a crash or needs a wheel change (which by the way is not often) adrenaline takes over and I turn into Carl Lewis sprinting from the car with wheel sets in arms. We even orchestrated a sweet bike swap in about 15 seconds. Nice! It’s quite a rush but I really should train for such moments with a little more stretching because one day I may blow a hamstring. Jim posted some great race reports, which I will plagiarize because they say it all.


Hard day in the saddle

by Jim Williams

The second stage of the Nature Valley Grand prix was nothing short of epic. The day played out like stories and lore of days past. A huge wind greeted the 130 women who lined up for the start of the Cannon Falls road race and the Colavita/Cooking Light team had its sights set on winning the stage and gaining the 15 second time bonus to move Tina Pic up on the GC to challenge for the overall win. What seemed like a reasonable plan was derailed like a speeding freight train on a kids toy track. Colavita/Cooking Light's first mishap of the day occurred when Sarah Tillotson was able to miss a crash that occurred in front of her only to be slammed from behind by a rider who had her head down and was not watching ahead. Sarah quickly got on her bike and started pedaling but soon needed a bike change as her derailleur was close to getting stuck in the spokes of the wheel. At the same time as this was happening Gina Grain also had the misfortune of getting hit from behind and dragging a rider, whose handle bars that were stuck in her wheel, for about 50 feet. It wasn’t but another mile or two up the road that another crash occurred in the vicious cross winds and this time Meshy Holt, nursing a sore tailbone from her crash in Philly once again went down, also involved was Tina Pic who had tried to ride her bike but was unable. Realizing that GC threat Pic was down, the Lipton team went to the front of the field and drove the pace taking advantage of the misfortune of the Colavita/ Cooking Light Riders, and attempting to eliminate GC threat Pic. Teammates Iona Wynter, Sarah Tillotson and Sima Trapp dropped back to pace their team leader but the chase back on was interrupted by a 2 and a half mile cross wind gravel section which detonated the Lipton lead field. When the damage was finally surveyed, there were 4 groups on the road and only Sue Palmer Komar had made the front selection. With the majority of the Colavita/Cooking Light Team driving the third group, a desperate chase ensued but would never come back together. On the finishing circuits Sue Palmer Komar fought hard and was able to finish 6th on the stage and moved up to 5th on GC. While the Colavita/Cooking Light Team seems to have had a bomb go of in its string of good luck the team will continue to defend Sue’s GC position and go for stage wins as the tour continues.


Gina Grain celebrates birthday with 3rd place finish and a storm for the ages

by Jim Williams

The Nature Valley Grand prix is turning into a survival contest for the Colavita/Cooking Light Team. Tonight was supposed to be a downtown cycling celebration in Minneapolis but it turned into a little bit of everything with an emphasis on wet and wild adventure. One hour before the race a sprinkle started from what was expected to be a quick passing thunderstorm. The sprinkle grew to a hard rain and then to sideways sheets of rain. The staff had set up the temporary race camp sandwiched next to 2 big buildings and huddled under their race tent with Sue Palmer Komar and Gina Grain to weather the storm through. The rest of the team was out warming up and had to seek shelter in a bus stop. Every minute when the rains seemed as though they should be letting up they some how managed to come down harder until the rain turned to hail and then the hail got larger and larger. Form the loosely protected area those in the tent were able to watch tents from other teams blow apart and then had to run out and rescue equipment that began floating away after the streets flooded over the sidewalk. Sue Palmer Komar the wise experienced racer put on her race helmet to protect her from the flying chunks of ice and Gina Grain laughed and claimed, “this is the best birthday present ever” When the storm finally passed and the damage surveyed, the only lose for the Cola vita/Cooking Light team were the race radio’s that got a drenching even though they had been put in zip lock bags. The upcoming race was shortened and for the third year in a row would be contested on slippery wet roads. Nerves were high as a wet crit course usually means crashes but the team had been equipped with high friction Michelin rain tires and everyone stayed up right during the race which was fast and aggressive and strung out single file for its duration. Colavita/Cooking Light rode a conservative race and at the end rain specialist Gina Grain gave it a go at the line and was able to earn a spot on the podium and even more reason for the team to celebrate with her. .