Change of the seasons

This is my favorite part of the year. Just riding without a plan, no coaching, no pussatron, doing group rides, not really caring about anything...except....my favorite am fuel. SCONES, light, flakey, moist, warm blueberry scones. Nothing better to me then riding for a couple of hours this time of year in the early am when there is a bit of a thermal inversion and finding a perfect blueberry scone.

After all as Tracey says I'm a fat man in a skinny persons body.

Eric and I always laugh about this time of year when the fitness falls off..."like falling off a cliff". It takes so long to get that fitness and in just a moment, poof its gone. I felt it falling off yesterday, in fact I got off my bike on a climb. I didn't get off because I couldn't pedal, just because I didn't want to believe that I was pedaling in my smallest gear (40x26). I thought for sure it was a (40x23).

Oh well, maybe I'll be able to fake it for the next few weeks.

F-it, I'll just eat more scones.

Morgan Stanley/Specialized/24hrFitness & TeamSpine unite

Now don't that just roll off the tongue. Its a mouthful, but its making my mouth water and I'm so excited for next year!!!!!

We're going to have some fun- new bikes, new kits, some new guys to race with along with the guys I've been racing with since 2002. We just faded for a couple of years, now we will be back stronger then ever in both the 45's and 35's.

I do wish Safeway was still going to be around, but I'm sure there will be plenty of other changes in the next few weeks. I did see Pasco spending alot of time with Bosch at Timpani, makes me think they are up to something..oh well looks like changes are happening around here in the Masters.

This merger is for the better!

Birthday girl!!!

Its Tracey's Birthday today!!!!

Not sure what she's up for, but I'm ready. Gotta love it when the girl says she wants to spend the day at the track riding

We will probably be in a fog all day from the 24 hr trip back from Austria.

I hope there is a big breakfast and carrot cake somewhere along the way.

World of hurt!

Not even close, no cigar or rainbow's for me. I gave it one hell of a go..eyes were crossed after the first 10k and did the last 10K in 12 min.

That's 50k per hr. The German that won beat me by a full minute and I ended up 3rd of the 80+ starters.
I did have the fanciest bike.

Hell-Monster Man 2nd
Metcalf-6th
Bev-2nd
Gianna-2nd last I heard
Me-3rd


Thats it for now.

Stay tuned.

Ready...5--4---3---2---1-------go Time!

So far so good.

The numbers have been picked up despite a minor heart attack for both Tracey and I. The people at reg need to spend a few days of on the job training with Velo promo. Tracey checked in and they told her that she couldn't race because it started in 15 minutes (this was two days earlier then it was listed) and when I was standing next to her getting my things sorted, they said that I wasn't registered for the TT and the cutoff was a week earlier. Minor details..anyway they had our names "pre-registered" wrong.
Yesterday was great, maybe a little too great! There were hundreds of TT-ers riding the course, back and forth, back and forth. I ended up probably doing a bit more then I should have, but it was really fun. The riders from all countries riding in pacelines, motor pacing, etc.
I did meet a friend of Mick's who had a really cool name. Case Beers. I swear, the guy's name is Case Beers (my spelling sucks) I'm sure this is not how you spell it but he is a wheel building legend. My grandfather would like to meet Case, the only way his name could be any better is if it was Free Beers

When we arrived for dinner the first night, we were sat communal like with two women and two girls ages 11 and 13. At first we thought it might be a bit uncomfortable if the didn't speak english..because Tracey and I don't speak much other then...

Locals women are TT-ing today Go Bev (GBR) and Gianna!!!!!


We've been really enjoying their company at dinner and saw Carolyn start and finish her TT today. I hope she did well.
I have a start at 3:16:30 today and hope to be celebrating with the AMD crew later tonight at dinner. There are 107 riders in the field and the weather is perfect here in St Johann

Austria- arrived at last!

Ok, lost bags with the bikes for a day..car rental problems, and it all started with a bitchy lady when we checked in on the Un-Friendly skies of United.

The first day when we drove, it was the worst hail storm that I've ever witnessed. Today I'll ride the TT course with Mick & Metcalf a few times. Tracey will be riding te road course. It's beautiful here!

http://www.masterswm.org/v4/
I swear I'll figure out the linkage stuff one of these days.
Gotta go ride!

MJH

I'll be back..

Tracey and I are out of here for a short week to the gov's home country. First we fly into Munich then St Johann, we race Wed, Thurs & Friday. Then home bound. Wish we had more time, wish us luck fitting all the bike stuff in & on the car to and from the airport.
I was able to figure out how to download the maps into the GPS yesterday after about an hr with the customer service agent.

When we get back the kitchen should be totally demolished. I'm sure there will be a suprise or three with that too.

I swear she wrote that anon comment yesterday:)

Good luck racing and riding.