Don't Be Like This Guy

Turkey, stuffing, beer, CU football, more beer. Enough said.

Get On It

Getting back on the bike after a prolonged absence is a bit like breaking the seal on a can of spaghetti sauce. You have to force that sucker open with all your might and feel ridiculous that that can of sauce is kicking your butt. But it does and yes, you are weak.

I've started riding again after about a 2 month absence from riding, spending most of my time in the gym doing strenght training and the like. Went to Copper Mountain last week for the first day of snowboarding this season. I know that's not exactly a cardio workout, but my quads were pretty toasty after a couple of runs on the packed, man-made early season groomers. Looking forward to the "pow pow" as they say out here, but heck, no snow on the ground means an "opportunity" to get some early season bike riding in.

My Boulder team, Horizon Organics presented by Al's Barber Shop, is starting to get out and go for organized group rides on the weekend. The e-mails are starting to ferociously hit, with taunts of "I'm faster than you and it's November" coming at a rapid pace. I had to skip out last weekend due to a nasty little cold I picked up while working an overtime shift at work. At least I was getting paid to be sick.

So, here it is mid-November and I'm already stressing about putting miles on my bike. When I hesitate to ride, all I have to think about is the 2008 Race Across America, and I just jump right back on like a good soldier.

I'm headed out for a ride today out by Golden, nothing fancy, but it is miles and those count this time of year. Into December and January my Cat III team will be picking up with the devils who ride Cat I and II for our team, so I need to ride early and ride often and turn those pedals over.

Keep the rubber side down.

TC

Re-Up

Hi there,

Just got back late last night from a quick vacation down to Florida to visit Grandma Case. Was greeted with super high winds, geriatric drivers and a bunch-o-rain.

Spent a few days resting and recovering from a CRAZY couple of tours at work, which culminated in a rather large apartment fire where my comrades and I rescued 4 people from the third floor of the building that was on fire. Check this out...

Decided to go for a run and remembered, quite immediately, just how much I love cycling and just how much I hate running. I just don't get it. Okay, I was running on the beach and all, but my Chariots of Fire delusions just didn't cut it after a while.

Well, the e-mail flurries from my Boulder based cycling team are falling into my inbox just as readily as the white fluffy flurries dropping out of the sky up at my mountain chalet, I mean, house. Planning for 2008 is already underway, the biggest local announcement being that my Wild Oats Cycling Team will be sponsored by Horizon Organic for 2008. No Wild Oats (vis. Whole Foods buying them out) means no sponsorship. No worries! Horizon Organic is a solid company and my team will be going strong through next season. For heaven's sake, our first group ride of the year is already this weekend! So much for the "off season."

Team Strong Heart and yours truly have a whole bunch of work coming up with sponsorships, donations, budgeting, etc., but we are all extraordinarily excited about the upcoming year. There isn't a day that goes buy without thoughts of the 2008 Race Across America.

Bring it!

Tim