Moving

Into this:




Too busy for this crap

Burnout?

No, I don't mean that kind of burnout!!
It seems that every year about this time many cyclists burnout and take time off. Many of my teamates are deep into burnout and off time, hoping to revive something for the remainder and 'cross. I however am not burnt out but have planned on a little break/vacation. When on a break it is important to rest, drink plenty of fluids, stretch, and massage. Emilie and I planned a great family oriented vacation that would allow me to sit doing nearly nothing for up to ten hours a day. All I had to do was push my right leg on the accelerator for hours, creating sharp pains and serious imbalances in my body. I like driving but I hate what it does to my body.

We drove to Montreal then to Atlanta visiting family and friends along the way.



Mary was nice enough to bless our trip.


They aren't French but they sure to look it.


Whatever you do, don't open a can in Montreal. Not even a can of whoop-ass.



What is up with that guy in the park??


????Iron Diarrhea????


More fun with rebar


BreakDancing Crews we say at UnderPressure


This kid had the best seat in the house


Put that rock in your pipe and smoke it!


The Best Breakfast ever, courtesy of Choo Choo. Emilie's step-mom in Maryland.


I got crabs at the Farmer's Market in Atlanta

TOONA

So we decided to take a little vacation in the coal mining hills of Pennsylvania.



Dave and I drove my car.


Stan, Tommy, and Brad (Stan's brother and our fabulous feeder) drove in Stan's car.



Brad loves driving.



We arrived Sunday evening and went to the Olive Garden, a virginal experience for all of us. Salad and breadsticks dissappeared like Guatemalan Union Organizers. Dave thouroughly embarrased the waitress but paid for it all.



Monday we rode around with the CCB boys and Keith, our guest rider, to warm up for and check out the TT course. The racing started at 6pm that evening.



This is the lovely apartment we rented. The girls upstairs partied until 6 AM.



We all TT'd poorly and Monday's stage was fast but not too furious. One rider down and one more feeder.



It was a hot week.




The feed zones are where all the action is at.





The Groovey Goolies signify the forthcoming of the Peleton.


Then it's back to the action.



Luke lets the air out of Stan's tires before the stage in Hollidaysburg.



I took the sprint for 97th.




The Ladies loved us.



I forgot to bring the charger for my camera so the pictures end there. It was a extraordinarrily hard race with 40% of the field dropping out after the 6th day. Keith and I made the cut for the final stage, but we decided to skip the short crit and head home early.

We had so much fun that our stomachs hurt from laughter. I'll miss the trips to sheets, whatching Stanimal knock down two Schmonsters, hanging in the "fort," and drunken wiffleball. Oh yeah, the racing was fun too. The organizers put on a good show and take good care of the racers. I would recomend this race to all who are capable of following the top Pro teams around at an average of 27 miles and hour for 700 miles.

Thanks to our sponsors and of course Brad. We couldn't have done it with out you.

I love that movie Poison Ivy

The week before the Elite Team went to the International Tour de Toona we went 3 hours west to the hilly Hudson River Valley to race at UnionVale. The long car ride was made tollerable by Bicycling Magazine on tape. Well...Greg read the Landis/Zabriski article to us. If you haven' had a chance to read it, you must go out and find a copy now. It is probably the only good article ever in a bike magazine.

So, anywhoo...The race was really hard, the air was hot and the field was small, making the race even harder. I was at the front for most of the race, gettin in one last day of hard training before toona. Tom Hopper was doing a great job in the feed zone for us but alas, I got all tingly from dehydrationa and had to ease up on the last lap. I stopped at the car for a coke and refill bottles and rode up the final, 2 mile climb with Greg to watch the finish. Dave was the only IF rider to finish of the 20 or so finishers. While we were waiting, I sat on some poison Ivy. DOUGHT!