Weather Blues

Not only has Seattle set the record for the wettest month on record (November or otherwise), the Emerald City was not so green for the past few days because it was under a blanket of white. Snow and ice = no motivation to train. The dreary rainy days, the cold weather outside, and my recent sickness have made my training days few and far between lately. I'm just having a hard time picking between suffering in bad weather or suffering on the stationary trainer. The better option of late has been neither and spending some quality time with SLR. Hopefully, I get some more motivation to train soon or I'm going to be a slow racer come Spring time.

One thing I do have to look forward to is that I'm definitely heading to CA for a training camp in February. I'll probably be pre-riding a stage or two of the Tour of California before the race rolls over the same course. We'll also be hitting some serious mountain passes to get some climbing mileage in too. Maybe a solid 20-hour week will compensate for my lax November. I have my fingers crossed for some beautiful, warm, sunny weather the week of the camp.

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Germ Warfare

I typically get a mild sick bug once a year. Generally, it happens mid-October. This year I thought I made it through my sick season with no problems. Well, I started counting my chickens too soon. Sunday, I awoke feeling a bit run down. I thought it was probably just the 3+ hour ride I put in on Saturday followed by a few too many glasses of wine at dinner. As the day wore on, the sore throat set in and I knew it was time to batten down the hatchs and get ready to do battle. Antioxidants, multi-v's, and lots of calories to fuel the fight. Today, the throat is still scracthy and I'm laying low on the couch hoping to hold the line at the throat and stave off further problems.

I'm bummed because this is usually a big volume training week for me. This season's base training is getting off to a real slow start with all the nasty weather, lots of hours at the j-o-b, and now this bug thrown in the mix. Let's hope I can kick it soon and start putting in some mileage.

Looks like the Stumptown Cup USGP race this weekend was a classic in true NW style. Check out some pics here.

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Tempest

Yesterday, a dubious record was set, the wettest November in recorded history for the City of Seattle. That's saying a lot considering Seattle is infamous for its rain. The even more amazing thing is the record was set on November 15th, which begs the question: what will the next 15 days bring? If Mother Nature keeps her pace up, then this will likely be the wettest month in Seattle, period. 11.62 inches of wet stuff has fallen and the record for the all time wettest month is 15.33 inches. Not too far to go. If I see a guy building a large boat and herding up animals in pairs, I'm jumping on board.

What does this meteorological aberration mean for me? Well, my base training volume is down from this time last year, but my trainer time is up. I'm only able to tolerate about 2 hours on the trainer at a time (maybe three if I'm really in the zone). So my trainer rides lately attempt to compensate for the decreased time by increasing the intensity slightly including some moderate but sustainable power efforts.

The sun does manage to make an appearance for 5 or 6 hours in between storm systems before the rains start again. However, the three or four times that has happened this month occurred between 10am and 3pm during the work week. Curses! But, I can't complain, because I chose the Emerald City as my home with full knowledge of the propensity for dreary winters. Assumption of the risk, I guess. Plus, the natural beauty and the amazing summers more than compensate for having to strap on Gore-Tex for 8 straight months.

The frustrating thing is that despite nearly unanimous agreement among scientists, the White House continues to adhere to the position that there is no evidence to support that human activities are the primary cause of global warming. Maybe its because these guys have GWB's ear and back, but the reality is something different. I wonder if 100 years from now people will look back at this administration's position on global warming like we do with issues such as segregation, granting women the right to vote, or prohibition. Time will tell.

I hope the rains can recede a little next week. Thanksgiving is a good time for me to crank up the training volume because I actually get a couple of free days away the j-o-b without having to incur dire consequences.

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Ellsworth Scant

The beautiful Ellsworth Scant. The frame is less than 1kg, with shaped scandium tubing, and Easton carbon stays and fork.



I can certainly find some room for one on the double-tier rack in my garage.

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'07 Race Schedule

My racing schedule for 2007 is starting to come together. I plan on hitting most of the NORBA Series stops:

• Phoenix, AZ -- March 31- April 1, 2007: I've won here in the past, so I'm hoping to pull off a big early season result. Podium or bust!
• Fontana, CA -- May 5-6, 2007: The inland empire strikes back again. Hopefully, no flats this time around. Also, it's almost like an altitude event trying to extract 02 out of the smog filled air.
• Park City, UT -- June 16-17, 2007: Flatted last year and suffered the year before because of the lung-imploding altitude. I expect more out of myself this go around because I picked up a secret weapon.
• Sonoma, CA -- July 7-8, 2007: The course sucks, but I pulled 4th at Nationals here last year. So, I will make the trip to try to earn some valuable series points. Can't complain about the red anti-oxidants available in the area though.
• Sugar Mountain, NC -- July 28-29, 2007: Skip it. Too much travel for a course that received less than stellar reviews last year.
• NMBS Finals Snowmass Village -- August 11-12, 2007: Colorado Rocky Mt. High. The two major climbs on this course are just brutal (especially when wet), but the venue is awesome. Hopefully, we can score a condo on the course again.

In addition to the NORBA series, I'll toe the line at:

• Sea Otter Classic, Monterey, CA -- April 12-15: The marketing line has changed to, "A Celebration of Sport." Marketing spin aside, this race is a lot of fun because of the festival atmosphere, huge race fields, and the amazing course through the hills of Monterey (when dry).
• USAC National Championship, Mount Snow, VT -- July 19-22: My favorite race course of all-time hosts the quest for the stars and bars in '07 (and '08). It doesn't get any better than racing in the Green Mountains and then having a recovery meal that includes a lobsta' at Poncho's Wreck. Maybe some CT family will be there to cheer me on as well.

I'll hit a couple of local Indie Series or OBRA races as my training schedule permits. I have to manage my recovery a little better, which may have me missing more of the local races than I have in the past. My goal is to put up some good results at the major events this year and make the transition to the semi-pro ranks without finishing DFL at every race. Wish me luck.

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New Training Tool

If this weather keeps up, I'm looking at one of these so I can actually train outside:

XTR and First Endurance

Things are starting to come together for next year. Sponsorship proposals went out a few weeks back. Now its a waiting game.

I do know that I will have a complete '07 Shimano XTR group and wheelset on one of the race rigs next year. I love XTR because it works really well. Some notable features this year include a ti/carbon middle chain ring, lighter wheelset, and a more durable finish on the cranks.



Also, I got word that First Endurance will continue to be my nutrition product sponsor. I am looking forward to trying out their new EFS bar.



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