We did it - we finally had a full night’s sleep (and then some: 10 hours!) and you want to know what the best part of waking up is? No, not “Folgers in your cup” - it’s seeing the sun shine down on Munich. It is a gorgeous, bustling city and although we’d seen a lot in the rain, it was entirely different under sunny skies. Thus, we decided to go on a bike tour around Munich (no hernia will keep Mike off the bike, even if it’s just a cruiser).
If you’re ever in Munich you need to check out Mike’s Bike Tours (yes, it is funny!), and he also has bike tours in Amsterdam, Paris, and Barcelona. They’re so much fun - a great way to see a city! Our tour guide was this crazy, young Irish guy named Steve (with red hair and lots of freckles) who just got back from spending the winter months in Belize doing whatever work he could get. Our group of 12 was a mix of Brits, Austrailians and Americans. And Mike, being the expereinced group ride leader he is, immediately volunteered to take up the rear and pick up the stragglers: thus he was known for the duration of the Tour as: “the Ass Man”.
Steve was a talker, especially with stories including the trials and tribulations of being a bike tour guide — which were hilarious! But he also know a lot about the history of Munich, and it really seemed like he loved the place. Near the end of the tour we rode through the Englisher Garten, which is a gorgeous 1,000 acre city park (33% bigger than Central Park) and stopped at the second largest beer garden in Munich for lunch — which of course included Bavarian liquid bread: beer! They also had these Bavarian pretzels that are twice the size of your head. They’re super yummy and super salty, which makes you want to drink more beer. Hmmmm . . . . those Germans are so tricky! We sat in the garden and hung out for about an hour, which was super relaxing and great people watching. The garden (which holds up to 6,000 people) was full of families, tourists, groups of teenagers, and locals. A guy who came and sat down by our group was actually a musician from Chicago (named Mike, of course) who had lived in Munich for over 20 years. He was just hanging out having a beer and reading “The Brothers Karamazov”. Swigging beer is pretty standard operating procedure in Germany: from the rowdy “football” fans to the trendy clubgoing crowd to the white collar workers, blue collar workers and the intellectuals. Eventually we pushed on (although the group would have been quite content to just hang out in the gardens and talk for a few more hours), and had a quick ride through the streets of Munich until it was time to say goodbye.
Instead of taking a train we decided to rent a car. How fun is that? Mike is driving this zippy little Audi (a free upgrade-thanks Avis!) that kicks ass on the AutoBahn. We were cruising along with traffic at 160km (about 100 mph) without even realizing it. Germans are very safe and very good drivers, so as long as you just settle into the flows it’s no problem at all. However, Rosa will probably not be doing any driving because she doesn’t know how to drive a stick shift. But, what better place to learn than on the Autobahn... with a rental. The 2-hour drive to Mittersill, Austria was beautiful - everything is so green and the mountains are enormous. The pictures we took from the car will not do it justice.
The reason we are in Europe is because Mike’s best friend Matt is getting married on Saturday and Mike’s the best man. The wedding will be at Schloss Mittersill which is a castle that serves as a Christian retreat center. The castle is on a mountainside looking down on the town of Mittersill and is absolutely beautiful. We can’t wait to explore the castle and the city over the next few days. But, there was no time for exploring or anything else, except for Rosa getting to carry the luggage up 3 flights of stairs (that damn nernia!) As soon as we got here Mike was sent away with all the other men to the bachelor party and Rosa hung out at the castle with all the women folk drinking wine and eating cheese and crackers. She’s not sure if that’s a typical European bachelorette party or if it’s more tamed because of where we are at. All in all, it was a nice evening talking to Natalia (the bride) and Matt’s family who also flew in from the States. But, Matt does have an older brother who lives here with his family in Mittersill and works at the castle. That’s how Matt met Natalia, when a couple years ago Matt came to live with his brother and work at the castle. So, that’s our adventure so far. There will be more exciting castle wedding news to come, especially since it’s 1am and Mike’s not back from the bachelor party. Oh, those boys!
Ciao
5.11.2007
Rain, rain go away, come again another day...
...say like next Thursday when we’re back in the States.
Our first full day in Munich (actutally Hallbergmoos, which is on the outskirts of Munich) started at 4am, thanks to Rosa who was too excited about being in Europe and couldn’t go back to sleep. The very early start to our day began with a delicious German breakfast of museli with 3 1/2 % milk - we’re pretty sure we saw the cow tied up behind the restaurant. The coffee is, of course, fantastic. Maybe not as good as Italy (says Rosa), but pretty darn close. They even serve cheese and meat slices with hearty pieces of bread.
So, with our belly’s full (and Rosa carrying the bags) we took a train to the heart of Munchen. It was on our train ride that we decided it would be a good idea to learn some common German phrases like “I don’t speak German.” “Do you speak English?” “Where is the toilet?” “More beer please.” - you know the usual stuff. Ok, we probably should have learned this before we came to Germany, but it gave us the opportunity to work on our gesturing skills.
Even though it was a gloomy, rainy day in Munich we were still able to do a lot of sight-seeing and stay mostly dry. In the afternoon, we took a short train ride to Dachau to see the concentration camp memorial site. Dachau was the first Nazi concentration camp and was the model for all the other concentration camps - every horrific thing that happened in concentration camps began here. It was quite the experience - to be in the rooms where these people ate and slept, to stand where they stood naked waiting to die in a gas chamber. Sure, we knew what went on at concentration camps from history classes, books, and movies, but when you’re there it’s almost like you can still hear the distant cries of these people calling out for someone to save them. The memories are forever locked in the walls, in the grass, in the leaves of the trees - they’re there forever.
By the time we left Dachau our shoes and pants were soaked. It was still raining and we couldn’t wait to get back to our hotel. So, after a hot shower, a power nap and dry clothes we headed out again for some German food and beer. On our way to dinner we saw more of the city because Mike took the “scenic” route. But, it was worth the long walk - the food and beer were excellent. Don’t ask us what we ate because we’re not really sure. Mike chose a place that was far away from the touristy sections of town, so our waitress didn’t speak English and there were no English translations on the menu. We were so glad we practiced our gesturing skills, if not we would have been those dumb Americans who didn’t know the universal sign for beer. We think Rosa had some kindof risotto dish with spargel (which we found out later is white asparagus) and Mike had some type of chicken brat with bacon in the middle and these yummy potato things - they’re like a tater tot but with mashed potatoes. Whatever we ate, it was good and we were ready for sleep, all that walking (and beer drinking) wore us out. Back at the hotel Mike was actually dozing off between beer sips. And there you have it . . .
Our first full day in Munich (actutally Hallbergmoos, which is on the outskirts of Munich) started at 4am, thanks to Rosa who was too excited about being in Europe and couldn’t go back to sleep. The very early start to our day began with a delicious German breakfast of museli with 3 1/2 % milk - we’re pretty sure we saw the cow tied up behind the restaurant. The coffee is, of course, fantastic. Maybe not as good as Italy (says Rosa), but pretty darn close. They even serve cheese and meat slices with hearty pieces of bread.
So, with our belly’s full (and Rosa carrying the bags) we took a train to the heart of Munchen. It was on our train ride that we decided it would be a good idea to learn some common German phrases like “I don’t speak German.” “Do you speak English?” “Where is the toilet?” “More beer please.” - you know the usual stuff. Ok, we probably should have learned this before we came to Germany, but it gave us the opportunity to work on our gesturing skills.
Even though it was a gloomy, rainy day in Munich we were still able to do a lot of sight-seeing and stay mostly dry. In the afternoon, we took a short train ride to Dachau to see the concentration camp memorial site. Dachau was the first Nazi concentration camp and was the model for all the other concentration camps - every horrific thing that happened in concentration camps began here. It was quite the experience - to be in the rooms where these people ate and slept, to stand where they stood naked waiting to die in a gas chamber. Sure, we knew what went on at concentration camps from history classes, books, and movies, but when you’re there it’s almost like you can still hear the distant cries of these people calling out for someone to save them. The memories are forever locked in the walls, in the grass, in the leaves of the trees - they’re there forever.
By the time we left Dachau our shoes and pants were soaked. It was still raining and we couldn’t wait to get back to our hotel. So, after a hot shower, a power nap and dry clothes we headed out again for some German food and beer. On our way to dinner we saw more of the city because Mike took the “scenic” route. But, it was worth the long walk - the food and beer were excellent. Don’t ask us what we ate because we’re not really sure. Mike chose a place that was far away from the touristy sections of town, so our waitress didn’t speak English and there were no English translations on the menu. We were so glad we practiced our gesturing skills, if not we would have been those dumb Americans who didn’t know the universal sign for beer. We think Rosa had some kindof risotto dish with spargel (which we found out later is white asparagus) and Mike had some type of chicken brat with bacon in the middle and these yummy potato things - they’re like a tater tot but with mashed potatoes. Whatever we ate, it was good and we were ready for sleep, all that walking (and beer drinking) wore us out. Back at the hotel Mike was actually dozing off between beer sips. And there you have it . . .
5.08.2007
Time Zone Travel
Welcome to Rosa & Mike’s European Vacation blog. Thanks for checking it out. We’ll be updating our blog with pictures and audio clips, so please stop back.
Mike had never seen "The Sound of Music" so we watched it on the plane ride over, and now he's hoping that we'll break out into song every 10 minutes in Austria. That's what 4 a.m. movies will do to you.
Right now, we're sitting in Nero’s Caffe at London’s Heathrow airport (which smells like a lounge) enjoying some coffee and trying to recover from the past 10+ hours. We have come to the conclusion that first class sucks (because we're not in it). Heck, we'd gladly settle for business class. Really, we just loathe all those people who were able to sleep vertically... because we didn't.
-Rosa
Mike had never seen "The Sound of Music" so we watched it on the plane ride over, and now he's hoping that we'll break out into song every 10 minutes in Austria. That's what 4 a.m. movies will do to you.
Right now, we're sitting in Nero’s Caffe at London’s Heathrow airport (which smells like a lounge) enjoying some coffee and trying to recover from the past 10+ hours. We have come to the conclusion that first class sucks (because we're not in it). Heck, we'd gladly settle for business class. Really, we just loathe all those people who were able to sleep vertically... because we didn't.
-Rosa
5.07.2007
The Lowdown: Something's Gotta Give...
....and in this case it was my lower abdominal wall. As in: I gave myself a hernia the Saturday before we left for Tour of Virginia. I tried to pass it off as some inexplicable lymph node inflammation that would pass -- but after a poor race performance, complete uncomfortability in the saddle, and no reduction in swelling, it was time to go to the doctor.
The solution, surgery. But that means up to a week of recovery, and my buddy Matt's wedding is in Austria this weekend and if I missed it I would never forgive myself. It would be the equivalent of missing a brother's wedding, and Rosa and I have planned one of our first real vacations around it.
So what does that mean for the hernia? (or "nernia" as Ben DeMong thinks I should call it)... well, it gets to go to the wedding too and will be dealt with the week of the Memorial Day holiday when I return. In the meantime, Rosa gets to carry all the luggage and my counterpart on the other side of the aisle (the maid of honor) will be responsible for all dips and tosses between us on the dancefloor. The recovery will take me into the Winfield Weekend, and then I should be back on the bike and right as rain. In total, I'll be off the bike for up to four weeks, but I've always come back from downtime pretty well so I'm really looking forward to Superweek.
One other bonus to the injury? More Blog-time, baby! Expect to see more regular updates here at "Ebert Checks In", which for the next 10 days will be "Ebert & Rosa Check In" from Munich, Salzburg and London! During my "off-the-bike" time I'm also going to be posting some dribble regarding training, the P-R-O's and some upcoming events.
Thanks for reading.
The solution, surgery. But that means up to a week of recovery, and my buddy Matt's wedding is in Austria this weekend and if I missed it I would never forgive myself. It would be the equivalent of missing a brother's wedding, and Rosa and I have planned one of our first real vacations around it.
So what does that mean for the hernia? (or "nernia" as Ben DeMong thinks I should call it)... well, it gets to go to the wedding too and will be dealt with the week of the Memorial Day holiday when I return. In the meantime, Rosa gets to carry all the luggage and my counterpart on the other side of the aisle (the maid of honor) will be responsible for all dips and tosses between us on the dancefloor. The recovery will take me into the Winfield Weekend, and then I should be back on the bike and right as rain. In total, I'll be off the bike for up to four weeks, but I've always come back from downtime pretty well so I'm really looking forward to Superweek.
One other bonus to the injury? More Blog-time, baby! Expect to see more regular updates here at "Ebert Checks In", which for the next 10 days will be "Ebert & Rosa Check In" from Munich, Salzburg and London! During my "off-the-bike" time I'm also going to be posting some dribble regarding training, the P-R-O's and some upcoming events.
Thanks for reading.
5.03.2007
ToV Wrap: Baumann Keeps His Cool and U-23 Jersey
Finally a chance to write a Tour of Virginia wrap. The last two stages went pretty well, but were very tense affairs. The gaps separating the top riders were all pretty close and there were only two chances left for the sprinters to show their stuff.
For Saturday night’s crit it even looked like it might rain, so I just worked to keep the guys calm and prepared for whatever could happen. We decided to run race radios again too just in case there was anything I needed to say, but fortunately it was actually a pretty uneventful race. I even had enough time on my hands to make a stop at the beer garden on the course and enjoy a nice cold beverage to benefit a local charity. It actually turned out to be a great spot to watch the race as it was away from the noise of the start/finish and I had a chance to chat with some locals who wanted to know more about what was happening.
My sister Bridget also came down from Georgetown on Saturday with a couple friends and had dinner with us. If there was an upside to not being in the race anymore, it was being able to just relax and hang out with them.
And speaking of relaxed and hanging out, after Stage 4 the team and I moved off the “hotel circuit” and into the home of former ABD’er John Semmelhack and his wife, Amy. We all had a great time staying with them. John took me out for a little ride around Charlottesville the morning before the crit too, and it’s a really beautiful area.
Sunday’s final stage was another road race that departed and finished right in Charlottesville, and the guys said it was probably one of the hardest stages of the race, despite it’s lack of any categorized climbs. They had to tackle an 80 mile loop followed by 3.5 finishing circuits. Here’s a breakdown of this soap opera of a stage:
- Ryan crashed 20 miles in but was able to jump up, work his way through the caravan, and rejoin the group.
- Alex put in his bid as a Sherpa when he came back to the car and loaded up half his weight in bottles and food.
- A group of 10 riders had a 2 minute gap on the field, but was mis-diverted on the circuits so that they actually ended up behind the field.
- The caravan was diverted onto open roads which resulted in a “Mad Team Managers at Thunderdome” scene between team cars and unsuspecting residents also caught in traffic.
- The various groups on the road were given a lot of conflicting information on the circuits regarding what lap they were on.
- A frustrated field neutralized themselves the last lap as they’d already sprinted once, but one rider attacked the neutral field for who knows what reason.
- A fists of fury, bloodshed, smashed carbon bikes, fight broke out 20 yards from the finish line, right in front of the mayor, sponsors, organizers, police and spectators between said rider and others.
- 4 riders were ejected from the race, three suspended from USAC, and over $1000 in fines handed out.
- Oh yeah, Ryan kept the U-23 jersey!!!
After the race it was quick showers, a delicious meal courtesy of Amy, and the start of the long drive home. We finally made it back to the PPC parking lot at about 5:30 on Monday afternoon, and I had a Board meeting that night, Dr.’s appointment Tuesday morning, Multisport meeting Tuesday night, and a flight to LA Wednesday morning – from where I’m writing this report… exhale.
So that Dr.’s appointment? That’s tonight or tomorrow’s update.
4.28.2007
ToV: Stage 4 & 5
Ahh, a morning off. After two, 105 mile road stages, we get a respite this morning and Alex and Ryan have a measly 35 mile crit to tend to this afternoon. As for my view from the "manager's seat" here, I've gained some perspective on the neverending job a ProTour team support staff faces.
It's funny, but the mental attitude of being an off-the-bike part of the team is the exact same one you have as a domestique on the bike. You constantly ask yourself, "What can I be doing to make sure the riders have it as easy as possible, so that when crunch time comes, they are rested and ready to fight?" There is always some job to do: bikes to be checked, bottles to cleaned and prepped, laundry, maps to be studied, GC standings to mull over. And through it all I keep having to stop myself from being too motherly with the guys, "Alex, stop doing dishes and get your feet up!", "Ryan, get out of the sun for that post-race interview!". But like a mother, it's all love. The guys are putting in great rides at a very tough race out here, and we just want to make sure they've got plenty of fight left in them for the final stages.
However, I remember that those overbearing recommendations are what can make an American rider's trip to Europe so tough. Everyone really just wants to help you succeed, but that means even the little old lady at the grocery store barks advice at you or scowls at your dietary decisions while she rings you up. So, I'm trying to let the guys just feel it out and learn for themselves, and they are doing just fine.
The biggest indicators that they are holding up well came after yesterday's Stage 5 - the third 100+ mile stage in a row. Whereas I expected two riders who were just relieved to make it through another tough, rainy stage, Ryan was as chipper as ever and cleaned-up and changed into his podium clothes in record time. And Alex was all full of spit and vinegar and I think wanted to fight anyone in sight because he thought he could have done way better in the hairy, uphill sprint that had 10k of a 40+ mph run-in to a one-lane left hand turn. There's definitely plenty of fight left in these guys.
As for race details, Stage 4 was the "queen" stage with two, killer Cat. 1 climbs: Montebello and Reed’s Gap. Both the guys climbed in the main lead group, with only a few “super-climbers” sneaking off the front. It was mostly the gaps on the descents that forced the splits you see in the stage results. They were insane, steep, twisty mountain descents that even a moto official couldn’t handle! The caravan stared in disbelief as we flew past the beautiful BWM bike mangled in a ditch. Fortunately, the driver was up and o.k., but at least one rider was taken the hospital after high-siding over a guard-rail - nasty, nasty stuff. Alex and Ryan both said they had no problems at all and had complete confidence in their trusty Madone’s outfitted with Aeolus 5.0 wheels and Bonty Pro Tubulars (which, at five stages and two, 5-mile technical gravel sections into the race, are straight as an arrow and cut free!)
Yesterday’s Stage 5 was a much flatter stage, but the challenge came in the form of almost two hours of rain, wet roads, and one of those gravel sections. Alex fell over in one turn after an inferior bike handler’s antics, but worked his way back up through the peloton like a seasoned veteran. There were also some wide-open windy sections and the aforementioned super-high speed run in to the finish (all gradually downhill), but again, the guys had no problem.
I’ve got quite a few pictures to post, and will do my best to get them before tonight’s crit. Thanks for reading.
It's funny, but the mental attitude of being an off-the-bike part of the team is the exact same one you have as a domestique on the bike. You constantly ask yourself, "What can I be doing to make sure the riders have it as easy as possible, so that when crunch time comes, they are rested and ready to fight?" There is always some job to do: bikes to be checked, bottles to cleaned and prepped, laundry, maps to be studied, GC standings to mull over. And through it all I keep having to stop myself from being too motherly with the guys, "Alex, stop doing dishes and get your feet up!", "Ryan, get out of the sun for that post-race interview!". But like a mother, it's all love. The guys are putting in great rides at a very tough race out here, and we just want to make sure they've got plenty of fight left in them for the final stages.
However, I remember that those overbearing recommendations are what can make an American rider's trip to Europe so tough. Everyone really just wants to help you succeed, but that means even the little old lady at the grocery store barks advice at you or scowls at your dietary decisions while she rings you up. So, I'm trying to let the guys just feel it out and learn for themselves, and they are doing just fine.
The biggest indicators that they are holding up well came after yesterday's Stage 5 - the third 100+ mile stage in a row. Whereas I expected two riders who were just relieved to make it through another tough, rainy stage, Ryan was as chipper as ever and cleaned-up and changed into his podium clothes in record time. And Alex was all full of spit and vinegar and I think wanted to fight anyone in sight because he thought he could have done way better in the hairy, uphill sprint that had 10k of a 40+ mph run-in to a one-lane left hand turn. There's definitely plenty of fight left in these guys.
As for race details, Stage 4 was the "queen" stage with two, killer Cat. 1 climbs: Montebello and Reed’s Gap. Both the guys climbed in the main lead group, with only a few “super-climbers” sneaking off the front. It was mostly the gaps on the descents that forced the splits you see in the stage results. They were insane, steep, twisty mountain descents that even a moto official couldn’t handle! The caravan stared in disbelief as we flew past the beautiful BWM bike mangled in a ditch. Fortunately, the driver was up and o.k., but at least one rider was taken the hospital after high-siding over a guard-rail - nasty, nasty stuff. Alex and Ryan both said they had no problems at all and had complete confidence in their trusty Madone’s outfitted with Aeolus 5.0 wheels and Bonty Pro Tubulars (which, at five stages and two, 5-mile technical gravel sections into the race, are straight as an arrow and cut free!)
Yesterday’s Stage 5 was a much flatter stage, but the challenge came in the form of almost two hours of rain, wet roads, and one of those gravel sections. Alex fell over in one turn after an inferior bike handler’s antics, but worked his way back up through the peloton like a seasoned veteran. There were also some wide-open windy sections and the aforementioned super-high speed run in to the finish (all gradually downhill), but again, the guys had no problem.
I’ve got quite a few pictures to post, and will do my best to get them before tonight’s crit. Thanks for reading.
4.25.2007
ToV - Stage 2 & 3: Getting by and Lows and Highs
Tuesday night's Stage 2 Criterium in Lynchburg seems to fit the current standard for US stage races: ridiculously narrow sections of road with a few intense turns. Courses that are perfect for very challenging, spectator friendly events that come down to who's the toughest (or craziest). However, a bit wacko for 150+ guys in a multi-day stage race. It doesn't make sense to test guys cojones on top of their ability.
Fortunately, since this is a stage race on time everyone was pretty well behaved and just grabbed the wheel in front of them to go along for the ride. There were about 20 guys gunning it up front to keep it really fast, and then a two block long line of riders just following their wheels. Near the last couple of laps, I even started easing up a little bit to save the legs for Stage 3. Thus, I finished second to last in the field on the day, but with the exact same time as first place and I probably spent a lot less energy, easy peasy.
Unfortunately, saving the legs didn't help me much today. To make a short story shorter, I just never hit a rhythm and by the third significant climb of the day I was done. I couldn't hang with the group I was in, couldn't hang in the group that caught me, and ended up just hanging it up. I climbed into the van at the second feed zone 85 miles in and went into manager mode - racing towards the finish with James, a local who's helping us out. A quick stop at the convenient store and we had Coke, Water, snacks and cold towels for the guys at the finish. I'm glad we did too, they faced a brutal 25 minute ascent between that last feed zone and the finish, and it was a long, hot brutal day for them.
And the payoff? Our man Ryan Baumann is now in the Under-23 leader's jersey. It's a big deal at an event that prides itself on showcasing America's up and coming talent, and a great motivator for Brett, Alex and Ryan as they face a monster stage tomorrow (Thursday).
The official race photos aren't up yet, but Ryan has a race report and few photos over at his blog.
Fortunately, since this is a stage race on time everyone was pretty well behaved and just grabbed the wheel in front of them to go along for the ride. There were about 20 guys gunning it up front to keep it really fast, and then a two block long line of riders just following their wheels. Near the last couple of laps, I even started easing up a little bit to save the legs for Stage 3. Thus, I finished second to last in the field on the day, but with the exact same time as first place and I probably spent a lot less energy, easy peasy.
Unfortunately, saving the legs didn't help me much today. To make a short story shorter, I just never hit a rhythm and by the third significant climb of the day I was done. I couldn't hang with the group I was in, couldn't hang in the group that caught me, and ended up just hanging it up. I climbed into the van at the second feed zone 85 miles in and went into manager mode - racing towards the finish with James, a local who's helping us out. A quick stop at the convenient store and we had Coke, Water, snacks and cold towels for the guys at the finish. I'm glad we did too, they faced a brutal 25 minute ascent between that last feed zone and the finish, and it was a long, hot brutal day for them.
And the payoff? Our man Ryan Baumann is now in the Under-23 leader's jersey. It's a big deal at an event that prides itself on showcasing America's up and coming talent, and a great motivator for Brett, Alex and Ryan as they face a monster stage tomorrow (Thursday).
The official race photos aren't up yet, but Ryan has a race report and few photos over at his blog.
4.24.2007
Tour of Virginia-Prologue
Sorry for the two and half week delay in reports... with the thaw of the Midwest finally it was time to log some miles in preparation for this week's event: the 6-day, 7-stage Tour of Virginia.
This morning we had a prologue that was originally posted as 5 miles, made it to as long as 5.8 miles by the time the first copy of a race bible was published (yesterday afternoon), was shortened to 4.1 miles in a subsuquent copy of the race bible handed out at the manager's meeting... and in actuality was less than 4 miles. For a TT guy like our own Ryan Baumann, I believe that succession of information lead to an emotional rollercoaster as he worked to prepare himself for the effort at hand. As for me? Well, a TT is a TT. They could have lengthened it to 40k or shortened it to 1k, I'd despise it either way. But you know what happens to guys with attitudes like that? Out of 174 riders, the "luck" of the draw is that I got to be first rider off at 9:01 AM. Good, I say, let's get it over with.
The number that sticks out in my mind in regards to TT's isn't something like 90- for a cadence or 400- as in wattage... it's 111th, as in the place I seem to get whenever I do a TT like at Nature Valley or Valley of the Sun. Today I figured I'd go all out, throw some trick gear on, and shoot for a solid placing among a mostly amateur field out here.
My result... 109th. Damn TT's. In reality, my placing 50 seconds back doesn't mean much when faced with the mountainous 100 mile stages on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. So I got that going for me.
Fortunately, TT's aren't about me and are all about guys like new teammate Ryan Baumann. Ryan finished 15th and is quite possibly the U-23 leader going into tonight's 50 minute crit. If Ryan does indeed get to pull on some new threads prior to the start, I'll definitely post some photos.
Stay tuned....
This morning we had a prologue that was originally posted as 5 miles, made it to as long as 5.8 miles by the time the first copy of a race bible was published (yesterday afternoon), was shortened to 4.1 miles in a subsuquent copy of the race bible handed out at the manager's meeting... and in actuality was less than 4 miles. For a TT guy like our own Ryan Baumann, I believe that succession of information lead to an emotional rollercoaster as he worked to prepare himself for the effort at hand. As for me? Well, a TT is a TT. They could have lengthened it to 40k or shortened it to 1k, I'd despise it either way. But you know what happens to guys with attitudes like that? Out of 174 riders, the "luck" of the draw is that I got to be first rider off at 9:01 AM. Good, I say, let's get it over with.
The number that sticks out in my mind in regards to TT's isn't something like 90- for a cadence or 400- as in wattage... it's 111th, as in the place I seem to get whenever I do a TT like at Nature Valley or Valley of the Sun. Today I figured I'd go all out, throw some trick gear on, and shoot for a solid placing among a mostly amateur field out here.
My result... 109th. Damn TT's. In reality, my placing 50 seconds back doesn't mean much when faced with the mountainous 100 mile stages on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. So I got that going for me.
Fortunately, TT's aren't about me and are all about guys like new teammate Ryan Baumann. Ryan finished 15th and is quite possibly the U-23 leader going into tonight's 50 minute crit. If Ryan does indeed get to pull on some new threads prior to the start, I'll definitely post some photos.
Stay tuned....
4.07.2007
Cold Weather Thoughts
A rainy & windswept John Fraser Memorial TT was just the beginning. As everyone in the Midwest knows, this past Wednesday the deep freeze came in.
After two days off the bike I went to bed on Tuesday with plans for a long 4 hour ride on Wednesday, and the windows were cracked open a little bit after a somewhat humid day. Thus follows my re-adjustment to the bitter cold:
Wed, 7:14AM: Still in Bed. Did I just see my breath... inside?
7:21 AM: Look outside. you've got to be kidding me.
9:30 AM: Damn it's cold, time for another cup of coffee
12:00 PM: E-mail from Susan Peithman, she rode 4 hours inside... Oh hell no, I'm going out.
1:00 PM: Call from Farrell, "Ebert, you ride yet? It's 22 degrees and dropping..."
"Shutup Farrell, of course I'm riding, I'm just waiting for it to warm-up."
"Bulls&*#, you ain't riding"
2:30 PM: Still 5 hours of daylight left... alright, dig out the thermal gear.
3 PM: Roll out the door, neoprene-ed to the gills. Yeah, I'm tough. Headed to the Fox River Trail for a scenic ride and some shelter from the wind. 4 hours of Tempo so I stay warm.
3:01 PM: I'm crazy, this is the stupidest thing I've ever done.
3:02 PM: My PowerTap head doesn't even want to be out when it's this cold. It's all faded.
3:03 PM: I can't feel my hands. Actually, the wind is so bitter cold I can't feel anything.
3:04 PM: Susan really rode 4 hours on the trainer... must push on.
3:05 PM: How long does it take for frostbite to set in?
3:15 PM: Quick stop at PPC-Batavia to grab an extra pair of gloves that I know Mom has in her car. I won't make it long with my hands like this.
3:18 PM: Oh, that was the trick. An inch of neoprene and fleece on each finger and I'm golden.
3:45 PM: Reach down for a bottle: so that's what those Gatorade Slurpees at 7-11 taste like.
4:15 PM: My blood has finally warmed up after 75 minutes and is circulating to every part of my body. I'm even able to strip off an extra pair of gloves.
5 PM: East Dundee Coffee Shop, 2 hours in: Holy cow I'm hungry. If I sat down to eat a hot panini would I ever leave this place? Better just stick to decaf and a scone.
5:10 PM: Dang, blood stopped flowing to the fingers again.
5:20 PM: Ahh, thermal engine warmed up again, that wasn't so bad.
6 PM: 3 hour mark, granted, I'm pretty toasty and cruising along nicely, but who's really crazier, Susan or me?
I got my long ride in, and then after heading up to my Dad's place in rural Wisconsin, did another 2.5 hours in 28 degrees and 25mph winds on Thursday.
Oh, but how the cold sucks it out of you. During Thursday's ride I found myself comparing the effort to 2 & 3 hour ski workouts I've done. As long as I keep moving I'm fine, but if I let up just a hair the cold sets in fast and regardless, I am one tired dog at the end of the day. Thursday night I was in bed before 10PM, the first time I've done that in months. Then when I tried to do some intensity on the Computrainer Friday I started out strong and I was stoked about the numbers... but then I hit the wall about 30 minutes in.... oh well.
This morning? Woke up to snow. At least it will keep me from trying to be a tough guy.
Have a great Easter.
After two days off the bike I went to bed on Tuesday with plans for a long 4 hour ride on Wednesday, and the windows were cracked open a little bit after a somewhat humid day. Thus follows my re-adjustment to the bitter cold:
Wed, 7:14AM: Still in Bed. Did I just see my breath... inside?
7:21 AM: Look outside. you've got to be kidding me.
9:30 AM: Damn it's cold, time for another cup of coffee
12:00 PM: E-mail from Susan Peithman, she rode 4 hours inside... Oh hell no, I'm going out.
1:00 PM: Call from Farrell, "Ebert, you ride yet? It's 22 degrees and dropping..."
"Shutup Farrell, of course I'm riding, I'm just waiting for it to warm-up."
"Bulls&*#, you ain't riding"
2:30 PM: Still 5 hours of daylight left... alright, dig out the thermal gear.
3 PM: Roll out the door, neoprene-ed to the gills. Yeah, I'm tough. Headed to the Fox River Trail for a scenic ride and some shelter from the wind. 4 hours of Tempo so I stay warm.
3:01 PM: I'm crazy, this is the stupidest thing I've ever done.
3:02 PM: My PowerTap head doesn't even want to be out when it's this cold. It's all faded.
3:03 PM: I can't feel my hands. Actually, the wind is so bitter cold I can't feel anything.
3:04 PM: Susan really rode 4 hours on the trainer... must push on.
3:05 PM: How long does it take for frostbite to set in?
3:15 PM: Quick stop at PPC-Batavia to grab an extra pair of gloves that I know Mom has in her car. I won't make it long with my hands like this.
3:18 PM: Oh, that was the trick. An inch of neoprene and fleece on each finger and I'm golden.
3:45 PM: Reach down for a bottle: so that's what those Gatorade Slurpees at 7-11 taste like.
4:15 PM: My blood has finally warmed up after 75 minutes and is circulating to every part of my body. I'm even able to strip off an extra pair of gloves.
5 PM: East Dundee Coffee Shop, 2 hours in: Holy cow I'm hungry. If I sat down to eat a hot panini would I ever leave this place? Better just stick to decaf and a scone.
5:10 PM: Dang, blood stopped flowing to the fingers again.
5:20 PM: Ahh, thermal engine warmed up again, that wasn't so bad.
6 PM: 3 hour mark, granted, I'm pretty toasty and cruising along nicely, but who's really crazier, Susan or me?
I got my long ride in, and then after heading up to my Dad's place in rural Wisconsin, did another 2.5 hours in 28 degrees and 25mph winds on Thursday.
Oh, but how the cold sucks it out of you. During Thursday's ride I found myself comparing the effort to 2 & 3 hour ski workouts I've done. As long as I keep moving I'm fine, but if I let up just a hair the cold sets in fast and regardless, I am one tired dog at the end of the day. Thursday night I was in bed before 10PM, the first time I've done that in months. Then when I tried to do some intensity on the Computrainer Friday I started out strong and I was stoked about the numbers... but then I hit the wall about 30 minutes in.... oh well.
This morning? Woke up to snow. At least it will keep me from trying to be a tough guy.
Have a great Easter.
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