HUUUUUGE errand list today. Will it be completed 100%? Will it be completed in maximum efficiency (max effish)? Will I execute the shortest path algorithm around town, minimizing gas and stoplight sitting?


Errand Monday. A tradition among us pros. Do it up.

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With February just around the corner, it feels like the season is coming fast. Since Rite Aid's first major race isn't until March, I'm not going ballistic with training like some of guys racing California in Feb. But, I'd say that I'm training harder now than this time last year. I am not 100% sure about my training plan. I have always coached myself, and I suppose it has worked pretty well thus far, so I can't find a solid reason to go out and find a coach. I don't think I'd trust a new coach. I've gotten to know my body so well over the last 4 years that, at this point, I don't think I could put my faith in a new coach. But, in the same light, I'm at a point that I sorta wish I had a coach I could trust.

My thoughts aren't too clear about training volume any more. They say that you shouldn't spend all your time training what you're good at. I know that long (4+ hour), steady, high-aerobic zone rides are my strong point. My biggest weakness is in the 15-45 minute anaerobic realm. During the season, I can generally make the selections when they happen, going hard for a few minutes while something gets established, but when it is blown out for like 25 minutes, when it's flat, I might not be able to hang on. Of course, when it's strung out on the flats with a crosswind, everyone is hurting, but I'm pretty sure that I'm hurting, relatively, more.

So, I think I need to focus on improving my middle-distance anaerobic ability. So from here on out, I think I'll do two or three long (5 hour) steady-hard-aerobic rides per week, and spend the rest of the on-days targeting my <1 hour anaerobic capacity. How? Not sure. But, that's the plan.

In other news, I special ordered a case of Brown Cow Nonfat Lemon yogurt from Whole Foods, because they don't usually stock it. My goal is to finish one 2-pounder a day for the next 5 days. One down, 5 to go. Man I love yogurt. Check out the awesomeness of the packaging:

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Christoph comes home from Europe tomorrow. Yesssssss!

Ian training update... I've been training a lot, and with a lot of specificity. lately, I've been focusing on high aerobic zone training, strength training (in gym & on bike, and have been doing lots of jumps. A group of us are heading to the Tour of the Bahamas during the first weekend in Feb. It will be a lung-bleeder. It will be the first true anaerobic blowout of the year. The inside of my body will be bleeding. I can't wait. Can't wait to test-pilot the new Merlin, too.

Mini-camp Fotos: (Thanks to Mike & Marty @ n-Tieractive for the fotos.)


Discussing how to give the appearance of having an important meeting.


Durrrrr.


Spin class led by world-famous Josh Taylor. Seriously, he's my idol. The guy IS spinning.


Elliston prepping for the impeding max effort test. Thank you Spencer for bleeding lungs.


Here is the Subway that I threw-up in my mouth during the max-effort test.


The Rite Aid jersey is like the Ring of Power. Thanks Dark Lord Sauron!!!

The jersey feels good. Real good.

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The new Rite Aid Pro Cycling squadra assembled for a 2-day mini-camp this past weekend in DC/Maryland. Holy smokes. I had a feeling that the team would be pretty rad, but within an hour of meeting each other, it was clear that we were a bunch of long-lost brothers, reunited for the single purpose of kicking ass (and entertaining one another.)

Apparently, our team management had orchestrated the cultivation of our bombastic team chemistry long before it was even on our radar. Hats off to Jon, Jamie, Josh, Arch, & the dudes and babes who made the team poss.

Sadly, the weekend was marred by the absence of a particular man: Christoph Herby. We all bowed our heads in a moment of silent reflection for ol' Sea Bass.

The weekend activities included: 1) photo shoot, 2) team-building activities, 3) performance testing, 4) spin class 5) rally car driving through DC 5) drinking wine on an empty stomach & meeting people 6) eating Chinese food 7) riding 3 hours in 27 degrees 8) rally car driving home in a snow/ice storm. It was awesome.

Since I don't have photos of all the teammates that I met, I'll just give a brief description of each. (not everyone was at camp, so more descriptions to follow)

Clayton Barrows: An ex-CIA agent who was discharged honorably because "he smiled and laughed too much." He's built like an OX, but is soft and thoughtful like a teddy bear rendition of Einstein.

Ryan DeWald: Might actually be in the CIA, or perhaps work for The Queen. He's put-together like a male model, but has enough brains to refrain from gasoline water-gun fights. He has no game, but smells pretty good.

Bill Elliston: He comes off as sincere, wise, and driven by honorable motives. However, when I woke up in the middle of the night to pee at our host's house, I caught him stealing silverware and coffee filters. He whispered to me, "There's a huge cache of travel toothpastes under the bathroom sink."

Stephan Kincaid: Ironically nicknamed "Geronimo," he is actually a great negotiator and keeper of the peace. He performed a selfless act when he announced me as 'single, and a maker of delicious buttercups' to a room full of teething women. He seems to be well-connected and is one fine physical specimen.

Michael Norton: Michael is difficult to caricature because he, himself, is a caricature of himself. He claims strong ties to Canada, but everyone sees right through his weak attempt to come across as "international." His patient and relaxed demeanor is actually the result of great gastrointestinal pain caused by him buying underpants two sizes too small.

Jake Rytlewski: Holds multiple cards up his sleeve, including his ability to perform a Vulcan mind-meld on you even when you're wearing a helmet and Rudy's. His signature sign-off, "Breeze on", is actually code for "I just cut the cheese." He's a super nice dude.

Josh Taylor: Having already figured out the meaning of life, Josh tries to share it with others via spin classes. He remains incredibly positive and hi-NRG during the daytime, but has very dark dreams at night in which he is an evil Director Sportif who hacks into the race radios of other teams and broadcasts violent techno into their headsets until they explode, and Rite Aid wins.

Mike Beers: "Speedy" is a crossover between MacGyver and Indiana Jones. Actually, he bears striking resemblance to Indiana Jones. Speedy cemented his role as the Master of the Universe when he broke into Clayton's locked car with a clothes hanger. He also is Kiefer Sutherland's stunt double.

Brad, Seba, Alejandro, & Guido to follow. I will not caricature management. (although, they deserve to be!!!)

I am hoping to get some more photos of camp, but this one pretty much sums up the experience (fun!):



A big thanks to the new ABRT squad for a fun ride and my hosts Chris and Gina Harshman.

Also, check out this cool eBay auction.

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Whoop-dee-doo, we did a 4:15 ride today. I did not have my wizzy-tizzy-mizzy on my bizzy, but I estimate my watts for the duration of the ride to be about 248 watts. Top Sirloin joined the Rog and I on a stead-roller up to Stanardsville, VA. It's a crappy destination, but they have a DQ there. Top Sirloin is a big man, but he rode like the fine cut of beef he is, juicy and satisfying. If you know anyone who can ride in a juicy and satisfying style, then you know what I mean. The Rog dressed up like a ninja, claiming that wearing black increases his solar absorbion coefficient, keeping him warmer in the cold. Ya... sure, but it is worth it to look like a goomba? What if we all wore full-black. We'd look like the friggin ninja bike team, or worse yet, just a bunch of dumb-ass badly-dressed cyclists out on a friggin cold day.

I had a huge mexican dinner with a friend here in town, but upon returning home, I needed to have a second dinner. So, I searched through the pantry and pulled out some pancake mix. DF was quick to point out that we had blubs in the fridge. Blub-panks filled up the stom and we watched medical mysteries about the morbidly obese. Appropriate. During the commercials, we did some Mad Libs. Here's what DF & I came up with:



"In 1981, the U.S. launched the first real Space BIKE. It was named Columbia and was piloted by two brave BUTTERCUPS. The had practiced COOKING for two years and were expert GINGER SNAPS. Columbia took off from ROME using its powerful first-stage BERRIES and soared off into the SCINTILLATING blue OBESITY. At an altitude of 900 feet, it went into orbit around the EARPLUG. For people watching from Earth, it was a FAT sight to TRAMPLE! Who could really SNORE that there were two SHISHKABOBS in space? It was mind-GOLFING. After -15 orbits, the shuttle landed JOKINGLY at an air force PANCAKE. It was a CHUNKY day for the U.S. Space Program."

hehehe, s'funny :)

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Sorority rush at UVA starts this week, and Happy Rickshaw will be out there to ease the blisters resulting from walking miles in high heels. I posted this flyer on Facebook over the weekend, and messed around with happyrickshaw.com... but it still needs loads of work.



The line "Fly Wheels for High Heels" was a collaborative effort. A certain L. Crocker first described the pain of wearing heels, and the P-Hen & the Cool Honey over at Proofrock Copy pieced together the slogan. Spank you very much, y'all.



In other news, I launched off a couple bottle rockets from my deck, pointed in the direction of the fire station. (which is visible from the deck) Bearing witness were my new roomie, DF, and her mom, DF^-1. DF is studying at UVA to be an (incredible) math teacher, hence the appropriateness of the negative exponent on mom. Anyway, the first couple bottle rockets did not launch and exploded in my face because I stuck them in a shoebox instead of sand. So, DF sacrificed one of her cactii and, 3, 2, 1, we had a grand liftoff. The cactus was smoking afterwards, but, I'd image that the cactus was pretty excited to have been a launch pad for about 3 minutes of fun. DF & DF^-1 prepared me a yummmmy dinner, so, I figured that bottle rockets would be a great thankyou.

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Meister!

I'm still alive and well, though I'm missing you even more after reading your latest blog. I'm headed down to France with tears welling up in the corners of my eyes. I'll be riding bikes, and spreading drops along the Riviera. Then I'll drop a couple more along the aged cobbled streets of Riomagiore in Eastern Italy. After that, I'll flood the canals of Venice with the saline of my sorrow.

Life's good over here, but it's not the same without my bro.

And now... I hope to ease your worries with some photohighlights from the last 10 days:

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So, Christoph is still in Europe with his girlfriend until the end of this month. I've only received a quick email from him saying that he was alive & well. I, however, am not doing as well.

Since Christoph stepped back from elite cycling, it has been a different around here. I used to train with Christoph 3 out of 4 long rides. It was all an aspiring goofball pro cyclist could ever dream of, and we never got tired of talking about nothing. We talked about nothing on rides for hundreds of hours over the years. Christoph and I could talk about nothing like no one else. I've ridden with other big C-Vegas ballers like Hardman, Andrushka, the Rog, etc... but it's just not the same without Christoph.

I guess that one can't hold on to things forever, but I wasn't ready to let go of Christoph quite yet. At least not this year. *tear* This is a photo of us together, just a month ago. It seems so long ago.



Anyway, this blog is supposed to be funnier. So, check this schnikle out... I was SERIOUSLY considering these license plates back in 2001 when I titled & registered my car in VA. Seriously, guys & gals. I almost pressed the button on these. This image was generated on the VA DMV website back in 2001. I saved the image to email it to my dad to get his opinion. Luckily I got good advice. I would be a different person today if I actually got these plates:

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1) Wake Up
2) Have Breakfast
3) Go Riding
4) Come Back
5) Go Shopping
6) Make Dinner
7) Eat Dinner
8) Browse the WWW
9) Eat Dinner Again
10) Mess Around on Internet
11) Go to Sleep

It's gonna be fun!!!

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For those of you who don't already know, I am America's biggest Genesis fan under the age of 30. Genesis is the worlds greatest prog rock group of all time.

Formed in 1967, the original band included Peter Gabriel, who left in 1975. Phil Collins wasn't in the original formation of Genesis, but was the drummer from 1970 & on, taking the front-man spot in 1975 when Gabriel left. Anyway, old Genesis is amazing, new Genesis is amazing. Genesis.

Genesis was featured on the front page of Wikipedia today:



Please read the whole wiki because I know you really care.

Lately, I have been trying to dress more like Tony Banks.


Genesis is doing a reunion tour this year, getting together for the first time in many years. Their tour will include 20 shows in the US. You better believe I am going to see several... no matter what NRC race is on the schedule on those weekends. Ain't everyday the greatest band of all time rolls into town. Word.

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Hmmmmm... I don't know what to do today. Will my readers please give me a suggestion?

Also, the UPS man just delivered a pair of Shure E2c's to go along with the iPod Nano. So far, around-the-apartment performance is incredible. We will see what happens out on the road. Thanks to D-Gal & Sheff for scoping these out. I am looking forward to wearing these around the supermarket with a black suit, CIA style.



I totally stunk up my place last night when I forgot about the 2 fillets of perch that I dropped on the stove. I went into my bedroom for a minute, and shut the door so that the fishy smell wouldn't come in... then, 10 minutes later, I realized something was terribly awry. Perch stinks when it's near its fire point. Fortunately, warm weather has allowed for full airation of the apartment. My new roommate, yet to be nicknamed, moves in tomorrow. There's nothing better than entering an apartment-stairwell and smelling someone's burned fish... well, except maybe opening the door to your new apartment and realizing that it's your apartment that reeks.

Fortunately, I was able to avoid this:

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To those who have given me support in the last couple years:
Whether you just posted a single supportive comment on the blog, or were one who helped me tie my shoelaces when I broke my shoulder, your support has meant the world to me. Cycling is a difficult sport, and I couldn't do it alone. I wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year.

Yours in Cycling,
Ian


ps: Sheff just posted a must-read to the CAT 3 Corner

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