Racing Season Is Here...Are You Ready?

Okay all you TS5VVer's, are you ready to race? Today is March 30th and the April Racing Season is upon us. We've got Frozen Flatlands this weekend and THE GRIZZLY TRIATHLON in TWO WEEKS! Not to mention the Roubaix and Ironman Arizona for out resident Pro. The races come on fast and furious, so hold on for the ride.

Time to start upping the intensity of your workouts and putting in those miles. Now is NOT the time to try and learn how to swim! Maybe that's the reason I'm not doing the Griz...

So does this mean that I'll have to start shaving my legs? Well I guess so. April 1st comes quickly and marks the beginning of racing, and therefore, shaving season. Contrary to popular belief, men despise shaving their legs EVEN MORE than women do. You women have it rough. All of this maintenance. But you have to admit that the sleek, fast look of shaved legs on men has to have some appeal, wouldn't you say?

So who is training for a half or full Ironman? I know that there are several of you who are training for the big distances, so today's workout would have been a good one for you.

Dean McGovern (host of the Sunday long run) and I did a double today, because it was truly an amazing day to get out. Today was one of those "spiritual" days as he said. The day began with Dean, Riki and I (plus doggies Chloe and Lewis) running Woods Gulch. We were the only ones up there. It was peaceful running through the trees and up into the fresh snow. We broke trail and even did a little postholing as we worked our way along the back side and back to Mount Jumbo saddle. It was an Epic Sunday run. It reminded me of the times that long-time Sunday runner, Joe Campana, would come with us. He'd be wearing his baggy, cotton shorts, sweatshirt and Wrestler's jacket. He'd sound like an ESPN announcer in his slightly East coast accent as he talked about the Buffalo Bill's or Sabers and he'd sweat off at least five (if not ten) pounds of water. But his smile and laughter would keep us all going. He was my marathon training partner for several years and we ran countless Sunday long runs together. I miss his presence and I hope Joe, his wife and daughter are enjoying their new life in India. Hopefully Susan and I can visit them some day...

So back to the run. It was cold, wet and tough on the IT Bands, but it was good strength training. All-in-all we ran about 10 miles in just under two hours.

After the run and a good meal, we met at Le Petit at noon for part two. The sun was beginning to warm us up and today's ride was 1000% better than yesterday's ride. And for all of those who bagged on riding 'cause of the cold, you missed out! We rode out to Miller Creek, up Trails End (but not down to the river), then to the end of the pavement and back. Two hills and 32 miles was plenty of spinning and climbing practise on our tired legs. We finished back at MBW in 1:45. For me, today was a perfect day, long and slow, and a good endurance booster.

The afternoon was spent lazing around in the back yard with my wife and three dogs and now writing this blog. It doesn't get much better than that.

Thanks to Dean and Amy for hosting the Sunday long run, to my wife for letting me ride and run for several hours and to the team, for being such a source of positive energy and a great network of talented and fun folk to hang out with. Cheers.

Training Race #2 - BUST!

I awoke at 7 am today to assess the weather and was, to say the least, skeptical. I walked outside and slid my foot on the walk...slick. Nope, probably won't be a race today. So I called up Howard to tell him as much and he decided not to make the drive down from the Flathead. I made breakfast and waited for the confirmation email. I felt a little like Paul Revere waiting for a sign. Then the phone rang, it was Twohig, wondering, had I heard? Then Kyle buzzed in and confirmed, " the race is on!" Really? So I got ready and headed to MBW to see quite the crowd. I thought that it must be so, but as soon as I got inside I heard from Jed that the race was officially off. Too much ice on the road in Clinton for a safe race.

So here we are, twenty plus of us all decked out in our lycra and dressed for the cold, and for what? No matter, we'll all just go out for a training ride then! So after an hour or so of waiting for the latecomers, we decided to head out to Frenchtown to get a few salvaged miles in. I think that there were 16 of us total as we rolled up Higgins and onto the ICY pedestrian bridge. I wasn't even down off of the bridge and the group was around the corner, and noticeably hauling tail! I wasn't even sure I had a pulse yet! Oh well.

Seems all this adrenaline from prepping for the race and worrying about ice on the roads made some of the guys (and gals) a little antsy, so like a 2 year old filly, they were out of the gate and moving! So I guessed that this would be a good training ride, and it was.

The weather got colder and more windy as we made our way to the Wye. Nadia (NRO) and I decided to head out to the Mill and back home as I was really beginning to rethink my choice of even coming out here in the first place. We came back in at 30 miles, not quite frostbitten, and you can be sure I'll be counting all of my teammates' fingers and toes the next time that I ride with them.

So if that sounds like something fun to try, we're meeting again tomorrow, Le Petit, noon. Come on out and give it a whirl. Just be sure to dress appropriately and carry your emergency contact info, next-of-kin, you know, the essentials!

Big Thanks to Brent Ruby for the Pic!

My Ride With A Pro

Well I couldn't have asked for a better day to get out and ride. Last night seemed just a little too blustery for me, so I decided to head out today during the warmest hours. I put out a "call for all riders", but I only had one taker. It was, however, none other than Pro Triathlete (and Missoulian) Linsey Corbin. We met at Le Petite Outre bakery for some carbs and caffeine and began to plan our afternoon ride. Both of us wanted an easy two hour ride, so while I was sipping my americano and she, her hot chocolate, we decided that we would head out to the mill.

As we rolled out it occurred to me that this would be a GREAT time to ask Linsey a little bit about what she's been up to these days. You know it's not very often that one gets to ride bikes with a pro, and for it to be just the two of us was perfect.

I'm sure it was obvious that I'm such a neophyte when it comes to understanding professional sports by the questions that I asked her, but I'm just really fascinated by the concept of training and racing at her level. I guess that I like to live vicariously through the Linsey Corbin's, Matt Seeley's, Adam Jensen's, Teejay VanGarderen's and even the Brendan Halpin's that are (or were) so local and have seemed to have risen so high. I feel honored to have had some interaction with their lives. And to have the opportunity to ride with them is icing on the cake.

Linsey was very kind and willing enough to put up with me and my questions, like:

Who are you sponsored by? Turns out she is sponsored by Clif, Saucony, Scott Bicycles, FSA cranks (my fav's), cycleops, Big Sky Brewing and Xtera wetsuits. Wow!

How much are you training right now? Linsey just finished three 30+ hour weeks in her build up to Ironman Arizona coming in April! Yikes, I'm training at 12 hours per week, Gulp!

What do you consider today's ride? A recovery ride, followed by a 30 minute run. Yesterday Linsey ran 23 miles. I ran 4.

Do you have a strict eating plan? Yes and no. Linsey ALWAYS eats good healthy food, and she eats regularly. She has to because of her training and the need for fuel. But she splurges once a week for that ice cream craving, or something equally tasty. At the ironman training level you can really pack away the calories. I should've asked her how many Kcals she consumes. You guys don't want to know what I eat...I guess that's why I'm not in any of the magazines.

We spun the pedals out to the mill lickity-split and Linsey commented that it's not that often that we have a tailwind going out. And a tailwind it was, because as we turned at the mill to head back to town, it was like a cold hand slapping us in the face. I moved to the front to break the wind and give Linsey a little break after running long yesterday, but when I looked back, she wasn't there. She had drifted out of my slipstream! She just smiled and said, " I don't draft in races and I'm not going to do it now." I think that shows how committed (and tough) she really is.

We turned onto Big Flat to round out the two hours (1:55 actually) and headed home. I really enjoyed talking to her, learning a little about her life as a pro and also getting to know her a little better, too. Thanks for the ride today Linsey!

PEACE

Tuesday-Late Edition, read all about it!

Hello all you cycling and triathlon fans. This just in...The Hell Ride went off in full form tonight! Spring is here, complete with fast moving pacelines, lots of hammering and sprinting and hills that make you want to lose your lunch. Sounds like fun? You bet.

Tonight's dose of hell was courtesy of the Northern Rockies men and women. They sure know how to dish out the hurtin'. Shaun, Steve, Bob, Tamara, Nadia, Megan, Blair and Jeremy were up for the challenge, while FVV had John's W and M, JT, Kyle, Elliot, myself, and our adopted Jason Ames. I think there were 15 tonight, a perfect sized group.

Big Flat Rd. was an exceptionally fast roller coaster tonight. Sometimes these early spring rides take off and tonight was no exception. Shaun and Jason pushed the pace and kept our heart rates up. As an aside, tonight would've been the PERFECT night for me to wear the HR monitor, but I was on the 'cross bike and just wasn't interested in bringing it this am when I went to work.

Note to self: Bring the racing bike next time. All these guys (and gals) are driving their Maseratis and I've got a VW bus! That's okay as I was just using this as a strength-training ride vs. a race training ride. But hey, who wants to show up under dressed?

Mullan Rd. was smooth as silk. They group was working well and we just flew out to the Mill. Radley took the sprint ahead of Elliot and Twohig. Pulp Mill Rd. was a power climb to the false flat and Shaun takes sprint #2. I'm in the second group wishing I had my Orbea...

At the Wye a few turned for home, but the majority of us headed for Frenchtown, for the TRUE hell ride course! No time like the present to get in those miles. From the Wye you're looking at ~35 miles, and Frenchtown is a solid 50+ miles back to town. On our way to FT, Shaun takes his THIRD sprint. I think we're going to have to start watching this guy, boys.

On our way back, however, Weyrich and Jason took the last two sprints. I kept it in the same time zone, but still have a couple more weeks of riding to get into some resemblance of form.

Since I'm out on the bike so much these days, I only hear a few passing words about the Tuesday Night Track Workouts. How are they going? I hear that Courtney is pushing you guys hard. Hope they're going well and feel free to comment about what type of workouts you've been doing and how you're feeling.

So that's about it. Hopefully the weather will keep improving and we can just keep getting out there more and more. See Ya!

Weekend Update

Just wanted to let you know that I've put up a link for the team photos on the left. You have to have a Yahoo account to view them. Some of the photo albums are a couple years old, but they are still nice to see. Enjoy.

Congrats again to all those who raced in Clinton yesterday. It was fun to watch...Let's have another good race next weekend.

So, the Griz and Roubaix are only three weeks away. It's time to get out there and run, ride and swim. Remember that the recovery ride goes off tomorrow, but we may be battling with Mother Nature again. That's okay, bundle up and we'll keep it short. Meet at MBW at 6 pm.

The Frozen Flatlands roster is beginning to take shape. This is a GREAT race for anyone interested in racing. If Clinton RR #1 whet your whistle, this one will make you feel totally satisfied!

That's about it. More news as news comes available.

Missoula Training Race #1...It's a Beautiful Day

So you know things aren't going to go well when you flat on the way out to the start...hmm.

Today's racing should have been flawless. After all, today was arguably the nicest day we've had all year, or at least all week. I froze my @$$ off on Tuesday night, did a little sprinting on Thursday and what for? That's okay, at least there is next weeks race.

So today was a GREAT showing. I don't know the numbers, but it looked like more than a hundred riders came out to Clinton, Montana for the first of two road races. There were three groups of riders ranging from novices "C Group" to the experts, the "A Group." It was good to see a few women (at least 7) and a bunch of juniors.

The C's were massive as were the B's. Lot's of up and coming riders. Our A group was the smallest at about a dozen. I was riding with Elliot and Miles, NRO had three, Montana Velo had two, Bill Martin (Mr. Unattached) and a few other guys (???). It would be our job to chase both groups and try to catch them. Each group headed out at 10 minute intervals. The gun sounded and we were off.

So this is how it went down as I understood it. The C's had a major blowout by team member Kevin. This caused quite a scene for the juniors who began to swerve and...CRASH. Carnage. Bodies and bicycles flying everywhere! And this was within the first two miles! This was unfortunate, but was a learning lesson (remember, TRAINING race). Rule number 1, NEVER take your eyes off of what's happening in front of you and NEVER look back. This split up the peloton and also caused several riders their race.

The B's raced clean, but had some problems working together to reel in the breakaway. Good job to all the women that hung tough in this group! Five Valley Velo was representin' in this group with about 6 guys.

The A's were small and it would take a miracle to catch the B's. At the gun we rode off and almost immediately hammered. Elliot and I pushed it hard to keep a gap from forming and I almost immediately felt my rear wheel go soft. ARRGH! A mile or so into the race and I was flat again. So I rode back to the start and began to change out my flat. My race was technically over, but I hoped to rejoin the field and get in a little practise. I got back in and chased for half a lap and then had to wait for the train...then I flatted, again! I think that maybe I was supposed to watch this one.

The C's had a few really strong riders that will certainly race "B" next week. My man Travis to 2nd in the sprint.

The B's got a breakaway that included Jason, Scott from Spokane Rocket Velo and a guy I don't know (Saeco). Saeco took it, Jason was in 2nd and Scott, 3rd.

The A's came in together and the sprint seemed to string things out a lot. Elliot just missed the win. Montana Velo's Frank Gonzales was 3rd. First was another out-of-towner.

So there you have it. I hope to get some pictures posted on Yahoogroups. I'll get a link for you soon.

Sunday ride tomorrow at 10 am. Sunday run at 8 am. I'll try and do both, since I was shorted the better part of a good workout today.

Thursday Night Group Rides...to the Kettlehouse!

Thank you Mother Nature for being kind to us last night. The first official week of Thursday night rides went off without a hitch. It was a good group of about 12 of us who headed out there to get

a little technique practise and team building.

The girls met at Bernice's and the boys at MBW,

but the girls couldn't stay away (can you blame them) so we all rolled out to Fort Missoula for a little jump practise, lead by John Weyrich. We got a lot of recovery time in between the 6 or so jumps to talk about everything from babysitters to caravans to race venues. We have such a great mix of people who are a part of the Stampede! We missed Jeff Twohig tonight. This stuff is right up his alley. Jeff, I hope you can make it to Saturday's race. Also, I've talked Susan into bringing her camera, so I'm hoping to get some good action shots to post after the race!

After out workout, it was time to head to the bar!

So we all hurried over to the K-Haus to make the

8 o'clock last call and order up. Now this is the

reason I signed up. At least I can chill after going

through all the suffering beforehand (although tonight was easy).

I hope to see LOTS of you out there for the race this Saturday.

Tuesday Night Torture

Well, it's that time of the week again. Yes, it was time for the Hell Ride. Emails went out...is there, isn't there a ride...you know the weather looks iffy...

So I was glad to see seven other brave souls rolling west toward McClay bridge this evening when I joined the group. This would be hellride #2, still leaving at 5:30 pm for another week, before going to 6pm in April. I don't know, but I'd be keeping it at 5:30 for a few more weeks due to lack of sunlight, if it were me.

So the sun was intermittent and there weren't too many clouds. Tamara commented that maybe the clouds would blow over. Not a chance! But off we went with high hopes.

So there were lots of faces there that were starting to become quite familiar. Jason and Travis, Kyle and Willie, me and Greg Larsen, Tamara and Geraldine. But where were the veterans? And, how about the NRO men? Doesn't this ride leave from Open Road? Seriously, it was good to have all of those who came out, and I'm sure the vets got a chance to see the weather report and decided that their level of fitness could afford them a night off. I hope you boys at least had a beer, or something!

The ride went off without any major hitches. We kept it single file along Big Flat Road and called out all of the cars. Once we were on Mullan, we kept a tight paceline and didn't have any problems. That's the good thing about so few riders as we take up less space. I really think that when the numbers get larger, we think of splitting the group up into two groups, perhaps with 5 minutes in between them. I know it's not quite the same feel as a race-pace peloton, but it's a lot safer and more car-friendly.

The route had it's usual, westerly head winds, but we got the privilege of experiencing a nice downpour for the second half of the ride. I put a big lead out for teammates Greg and Travis heading to the mill and Greg got the sprint. Pulp Mill hill hurt as bad as usual and we made haste to get back home as the heavens opened up and just dumped it on us. Yuk!

I'm thawing my toes out now as I write this entry and I just downed two homemade burritos packed with jalapenos and hot salsa to try and warm me up a bit.

So the Tuesday night Hell Ride is always tough, but tonight was a character builder. It's the best way to improve your fitness and test your peripheral circulation. My toes are still white, hmm?

The Saturday Evening Post

There were a lot of things going through my mind when I was thinking about today's blog. What to write...

I've been giving everyone a little slice of what I've been up to so far this spring, so why stop now. Well, first off, I hope everyone was able to get out and do a little extended training. It is Saturday, you know.

There were a group of riders doing some VO2 max testing today. Please post comments on how things went. Inquiring minds want to know!


As for me, I headed out to UM for the PT School's annual pancake breakfast, yum! This year they decided to run a 5K and I decided to do it. Now I haven't been running any kind of intensity, but I thought it about time to get off my @$$ and give it a try. My goal was to break 20 minutes, bon chance!

I got there in just enough time to register and jog from the church (breakfast site) to the campus oval. I'm moving a little more slowly these days...long story..wife...no more coffee...

Then it was, "Ready, Set, Go!" and we were off around the oval. But no one was racing. They were just jogging, so I decided to move to the front and push the pace (bad move #1). This was followed with the winner of the race passing me at, oh, mile 1. Then I was passed by #2 at the half way point, then by numbers 3 and 4 at mile 2. Damn, I say! See what happens when a cyclist tries to run a foot race and puts the hammer down too soon! Oh well, fifth place is okay for me and I made my goal of sub-20 mins with a final time of 19:46. Not my best 5K, but I did have an impressive first mile of about 5:30 something...Oops!

Good to see budding triathlete, Lisa, there to get in some hard miles. Kudos to you, girl! There were also several Tuesday night runners, notably Dean and Brian, both who beat me. Yeah, just get'em on the bike.

Afterwards was an awesome breakfast with lots of heart-healthy bacon and sausage. Back home to prep the road bike for workout #2, THE GROUP RIDE. Okay, many of you haven't even been out to ONE of the group rides. People! The group rides are there to make you better, stronger, faster! You know, six million dollar man stuff! Well this is how it went down...

We met at Le Petit Outre at high noon. We've started to meet here to give these guys a little exposure (like they need it!) They only have the best bread in town. Don't worry if you roll in to Bernice's, 'cause we can see you, and we'll all head out together. Here's what it looked like.

The decision was to head south into the Bitterroot and maybe to do some hills off of eastside hwy. We strolled out of Missoula at 14 mph, see not bad at all. After the Tour de Walmart (thanks for humoring me boys) we headed south on 93 towards the resort town of Lolo.

We kept the paceline going at tempo for most of the ride. I took out my baby today and since it doesn't have a computer yet, I decided to wear the Garmin 305. I don't normally do this, but found it really interesting after I got back and downloaded the stats. The ride today was exceptional. There were ZERO angry motorists, ONE woman (Nadia White), TWO counties traversed, and at least THREE big surges while going both down and back! It was also good to have some different scenery and get to chat with the other riders.

NRO was out in force again this weekend, with Josh, Shaun, Jeremy (hey, I thought he liked Orange?), Steve and Nadia. Hey Cat4 girls, you had better get dialed in on her, she's looking fit and riding well. FVV was representing too, with David, Dean, Kyle, Greg and myself, plus Jedi-in-training, Willie, so we were feeling alright. Helena/Oregonian, Jason was also there and contributed to the day's shredding.

So let me talk about the shredding. After my nice-n-easy lead out of town, the guys (and girl) put the hammer down as we headed out of town. Wow! Here I am tired and starting to get stiff from this morning's 5K and they want to hammer. Oh well. The ride lasted 2:42, averaged 19.3 mph and covered 52.0 miles per my Garmin.

And for those "technos" in the bunch, I spent 11 minutes in Zone 1, 54 minutes in Zone 2, 58 minutes in Zone 3, and 27 minutes in Zone 4. My max HR today was 169 bpm. We climbed a total of 2035 ft. today. Good job to all who made me hurt.

I really enjoyed riding with my teamies, hanging out with the NRO folks and sharing in the pain that is so unique to cycling. Adios!

Upcoming Races

Don't let the snow flurries scare you, 'cause the Spring racing season is just about here!

You'll have plenty of early season 5K's to get those legs turning and get you ready for those triathlons, half or full marathons! Tomorrow am is the Bust-A-Gut 5K at Christ The King Church in the U-Area. It goes off at 9 am sharp and included in the $10 entry fee is a pancake breakfast, yum! Sign me up.

Next we've got the Run for the Trees 5K on April 5th at McCormick Park. This one's a local favorite and attracts quite a crowd. Sorry boys and girls, but I'll be racing Frozen Flatlands that weekend in Spokane. This is the first official race of the Five Valley Velo squad and it's a great course!

But first, anyone who wants to try out bicycle racing in a low-key setting should sign up for the Missoula Training Races. The first one is next Saturday, the 22nd. Sign ups are the morning of the race at Missoula Bicycle Works, then drive or ride out to Clinton for the noon start. These races are geared towards teaching new cyclists the ins-and-outs of riding in a peloton while getting a real racing experience. Sign up for the "C" group and you won't be disappointed!

These are the major, early spring races that are sure to draw a bunch of folks. I'm hoping that we'll get some good pictures and hot race reports from those of you who participated. Feel free to post your stories on the blog for all to read!

See you at the starting line.

Correo al Infierno

The Tuesday Night Hell Ride! It's finally here. I guess that the spring racing season is upon us and soon the roads will be littered with Lycra wearin', leg shavin' characters that are bound and determined to get in the way of angry motorists and generally be up to no good at all.

I raced to get out of work by 5:30 and would backtrack until I met up with the group that leaves Open Road Bicycles at the same time. Today's forecast was for winds and weather, so I wasn't sure how many would come out. I met five other brave souls and wondered where everybody was. I know that we're getting the pm rides started early this year, but I expected a few more of the veterans. But we had a good group that included John Weyrich, Steve and Willie Zellmer, myself, Travis and newcomer, Caroline. The weather was holding for the moment and we were going to make the best of it!

I made the first break while climbing up Big Flat and I was pleasantly surprised to see Willie right on my wheel. Willie is our Junior, Cat 4 racer and tonight's ride really impressed me. He is maturing nicely, getting some legs on that lanky frame and his bike handling was as smooth as silk tonight. Great riding Willie! I'm looking forward to racing with you this year.

Veteran riders John and Steve kept up a smooth paceline at tempo and we all cycled through. Caroline may be a newbie, but with John's instruction, was taking a few pulls herself and held a good line.

The sprints and subsequent hills hurt as usual. Tonight's ride was my sixth day on the bike and although only two of the days were "hard" days, I was feeling it on the tough sections. Note to self: bring out the road bike next time!

Travis and John battled it out on the first sprint, even after I left him out front a little longer than usual. I must have been daydreaming. We headed for home after the Wye and did the Goodin Ln hill to the top before rolling back to Missoula. All in all, it was a good workout. Not too hard for this time of the year and definitely a good training ride. For all of you who thought that the weather would suck, you missed a beautiful ride. Better make it out for the next one!

A few more announcements: looks like the ladies will be riding on Thursday nights at 5:45 from Bernice's. This starts in a week. 3/20?

The Team ride takes off from MBW, Thursdays at 5:30, starting this week. This has historically been for TS5VV members, but we haven't been discriminating the NRO riders or anyone who just wants to check us out. It's an easy day, so anyone should be able to do it.

Frozen Flatlands RR registration is now open. The Orange Crush will be there in force and we welcome anyone and everyone to sign up and race. It's a two day event, but you can do only one day if you like. Saturday 4/5 is the 60 min circuit and Sunday is the 50 mile road race.

Track workouts started tonight at 6pm for those of you who like to take sledgehammers to your knees. Did I just say that?

Have a great week!

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

So what did you do today? Did you sleep in? Nine am came a little earlier this morning and I think we were all feeling it, especially Bookwalter. Our group did take a decent picture though. We had a nice run up Lincoln Hills, down Tamarac, then up Rattlesnake Drive to Sawmill Gulch Road. We took the road up to the trailhead, then turned and retraced our steps. Total miles: 9.5

Most of the time the Sunday Long Run is a trail run. It saves all of us old timer's joints, if you can hear what I'm sayin'. But with Mount Jumbo closed and a runner nursing an ankle sprain, we decided to keep it on terra firma. Next week we'll be free to roam up onto Jumbo and we're all looking forward to it.

So see that guy with the goatee up there in the picture? That's David. He suggested to the running group on the way down the valley, that we should go out for an "easy spin" this afternoon. Maybe it was the sunshine, or the word easy, but Dean and I really thought that his suggestion would be great. So after doing my weekend puttering around the house I rolled over to Jeff's house to meet the group. Then it was off towards Clinton and I was off the back! Hey boys, what about the "easy ride?" See David's got one speed, fast. And I should have known what I was getting myself in to when he suggested the ride, but I really thought that this time...

David and his buddy Dan where good sports and kept the pace to a tolerable speed for Dean and I. I think that I can say for both of us that we appreciated it. We had a splendid ride out and back for the better part of two hours and I enjoyed every minute of it. It just doesn't get any better than being out in the sun, especially after a long winter.

It sounds like there was a good group that rode from Bernice's at noon today. Where did you all go? Like I said before, you just can't pass up these golden opportunities to get outside!

Oh, and Dean wanted me to remind anyone and everyone that next week we're shifting the Sunday Run to 8 am. This should allow folks the extra time to get off to their other Sunday business at a decent hour.

Erik

Saturday Group Ride Anyone?

Wow, after missing last week's group ride, I was quite surprised to see about twenty riders show up at Bernice's Bakery for the ride today. It seems the Saturday nooner is a hit among the local masochists, um, I mean cyclists. I guess spring is just about here and cyclists are sprouting up left and right. And Kudos to all of you triathletes that came out for a spin. I'd have to say that it was just about 50/50 today. Also represented in big numbers were both Green and Orange. You all know who you are.

So Tamara headed west along a familiar route. I thought to myself that it was kind of reminding me of a certain Tuesday Night route, hmm. We spun out to McClay bridge and then headed up the hill and onto Big Flat Road...and it was either spring jitters or a little too much muscle memory, but we started to go! Man it feels good to go. I guess cyclists must share some DNA with thoroughbreds or something.

So along Big Flat we rode, but we were beginning to fragment a little, so first Kyle and then I went back to regroup with anyone off the back. Good job Lisa for coming out and trying to hang with the "Big Boys." Pushing yourself to ride with us is great training and you're getting stronger every week.

Mullan Road was it's usual struggle for your piece of asphalt. Lots of cars today, but surprisingly few angry motorists. My personal observation is that we were a little squirrely, took up a little too much of the road, but kept things together pretty well, and without anyone going down. My body's observation was that this was a hard training ride. We had lots of surges and sprints which were really challenging. It was feeling more like a Tuesday as the ride went on!

We rode out to Frenchtown, then out to the end of the pavement up Six Mile. A couple NRO riders decided to go on, probably scouting out the Roubaix course, while the rest of us were content to turn it around and head on home. A good pace back to Frenchtown and retracing our steps back to Missoula. It was roughly 60 miles today for the bunch. There were a couple of riders that pulled off at the mill, for 32+/- miles, too. A little something for everyone.

So see what you're missing? I couldn't think of a better way to punish myself for two or three hours on a Saturday than this!

See you Sunday or next week at high noon.

Bike Riding Etiquette

Well I'm seeing more and more bikes on the road. Good job to all of those who are getting out! I took an easy, hour long ride last night after work and started to think about things. First, as I was riding on Blue Mountain Rd. I thought of how much I love riding the bike. It felt so good to be out there riding on a country road with minimal traffic, enjoying the scenery and feeling alive. I could do this forever, I thought, until I was buzzed by a big truck. That brought me back to the reality that I wasn't the only one on the road.

As wrong as it was for him to gun his engine and pass me very closely, I didn't let it get to me (much). I just kept on riding my line and quickly got back to my daydreaming...It did make me think that as spring approaches, there will be many more groups of riders out there and also more cars as tourist season begins in May. So I thought that I'd say just a few words about bicycling in traffic.

First, I'd like to acknowledge that as cyclists we do have rights on the road, but I have always followed the law of sizes and a bicycle just doesn't have it against a car.

1. Groups of bicycles should ride single file, unless someone is passing. This is particularly important on some of our narrower roads with little to no shoulder. I'm talking mainly about Big Flat Rd. and Mullan Rd. This also happens to be where the Tuesday Night Hell Ride goes and is a common spot for biker/driver conflict.

2. Cyclists should obey ALL traffic laws. This includes stopping at all stop signs and lights, riding on the right side of the road, staying off the sidewalk (unless you're under 15), signalling before changing lanes, etc. The more obvious it is that a cyclist is following the rules of the road, the more courteous the drivers will be. I have seen this many times and this is the Numero Uno reason that motorists get pissed at cyclists!

3. Stay as far to the right as is possible and safe to do so. I know that our roads are crappy, especially this time of year, but cars DO NOT realize this and they will get angry. Good communication in the group to announce an approaching car from behind is crucial to getting the group in single file and to the right BEFORE the car gets right up behind us. It also shows the motorist that we are trying to do the right thing.

4. Do not antagonize the motorists. It's like trying to pet a bear. First off it's never a good idea, 'cause Bubba may just have a gun, or be a former heavyweight boxer. And face it, most of us aren't the buffest of individuals. Now I have been guilty breaking this rule, but have been trying over the past few years to break myself of this habit. I just smile and wave now and realize that it's not me who has anger management issues! What I do take with me is a cell phone to call 911 if I do have a bad confrontation. I have also gotten good at remembering license plate numbers.

So there you have it boys and girls. This is just a friendly reminder to be alert of your actions as a cyclist when you head out there. We can all be good Ambassadors of the road and help make Missoula's roads more friendly. Have a fun time out there this weekend and throughout the summer, don't let those pesky cars get to you and remember that having a positive attitude about sharing the road will make for a much less stressful outing.

The Thursday BRICK

This has long been the staple of many a triathlete's training regimen, that is, going out there and pulling a double workout, back-to-back. Midweek is good because you are likely going to do some longer distance workouts over the weekend and the first of the week is recovery.

I'm not much of a triathlete, but I enjoy both running and cycling, and I am into the whole endurance thing. So I've done bricks for

many years now and I'd have to say that I like them.

I like them because they're hard and make me tired

(cuts down on the medication). I like them because

they really boost my confidence as an athlete and are

such an accomplishment. I like them because not many

people can/will do them. I like them for their training benefits.

So why do a brick? As Jeff B. said, it's the best way to train your tired legs to get up and go after being on the bike for a while. And this is just what we have to do in a triathlon. Also, it should force us to work on our hydration and nutrition, as the distance has now lengthened beyond our glycogen stores. Nutrition and hydration are extremely important in multisport races or endurance events.

So where will you be biking and running on your next brick? I think I'll ride up to Potomac then run up the Rattlesnake...but maybe not tomorrow!

PS. Thanks to Dean for the photos. Remember, the Garden City Triathlon is set for September 6, 2008!

Mother Nature Strikes Again

Well, this week was a good one for me, was it for you? Mother nature seemed bound and determined to give of some challenging weather if we wanted to be outdoors. The weather turned a little bit colder and stormier on my Wednesday ride after work. I've been pushing myself to get outside if the weather is anything better than just plain old crap. I rode until dark instead of hitting the last trainer session at MBW. I hope it went well for you guys.

But I missed what must be hailed as an EPIC ride on Saturday as the gruppo headed out to Huson and attempted to ride the Roubaix course. I guess there was something for everyone! Nasty headwinds heading out (and a nice tailwind coming home! Except for Jen, oops), rain, hail, mud, pavement, gravel, encounters with motorists. It made me jealous hearing about some of it while on the Sunday run this morning.

But alas, I had the chance to sneak away for a couple of days and do a little beer drinking, um, I mean fishing. Morgan and I went over to Idaho

and had a blast. Here are a couple of snap shots of

our trip. I know that Twohig and Crouch can

appreciate them!

So I hope everyone had the chance to get out and enjoy the terrific weather we've had lately and I'm planning on heading out again tomorrow evening, if the weather's not too ugly! See you out there.