Friday

after you win a race...

pop off a few doughnuts!!


posted by Benjaminiac at Friday, July 28, 2006 4 comments  

Monday

a video of chase

here's the little guy having fun with mommy:



i know, this kind of stuff is sickening to all you out there, but parents will be parents.

posted by Benjaminiac at Monday, July 24, 2006 4 comments  

Sunday

Hot Hot Hot!!

i think i picked a good weekend to take it easy, 105 degrees out my door and 114 in livermore. crazy. screw biking, i'm going to the pool.

posted by Benjaminiac at Sunday, July 23, 2006 1 comments  

Thursday

2007 Amgen Tour of Cali


they've just announced the starts and finishes, it looks to be about the same, maybe a bit more racing until we get south as the TT is near the end. the stages look bigger, i think the mileages will be closer to ToGeorgia distances, which is a good thing. No short lame stages here. as always, i'm thinking about the hardest way to get from point A to point B and there could be some damn hard routes here, but it's feb and they don't need to kill anyone and there could be a bunch of rain (don't think the freak nice weather from last year is coming around again...) so sending a peloton over the biggest hills available might not be a great thing. i think there could be some tight racing unless a silly 30 man break goes on day one and the GC is decided straight away...

posted by Benjaminiac at Thursday, July 20, 2006 4 comments  

Back home

finished up with superweek, it looks like 4th is the lowest we'll go all week as we scored another 2nd with dan and a win with Jackson. great job boys.

i'm back home and enjoying the cali heat, it's warm but much drier then WI, on the ride yesterday i felt like i could push hard and my head never felt like it was going to explode, something i haven't felt in a while. hard riding in extreme weather makes for a great experience when you get back to normal.

a bit of rest this weekend, then i'll be hitting it hard in preparation for crits, USPRO and the TT nationals, i think if i can prepare well i could go well there. it all seems a ways off but i mapped out the training schedule and there's not much time to lose.

posted by Benjaminiac at Thursday, July 20, 2006 0 comments  

Saturday

Meat Orgy

we went to this place called Sabor, a Brazilian Churrascaria in Milly-walk-ay.  you get these cards that look like coasters which are red (no, thanks) or green (bring it on!) for the assault of brazilian gauchos in boots with swords full of delectible meats.  lots of lamb, filet, sirloin, little slices here and there but it's like every 30 seconds a new meat arrives.  plus, the ambiance was great it looked like the wine cellar was huge, and service is otherworldly.  have not eaten that much meat in a very long time, and never with such flavor and variety.  everyone was comparing their favorites ( i liked the leg of lamb best) and really getting into it.  Wow.
 
i still think i'm digesting it all.

posted by Benjaminiac at Saturday, July 15, 2006 1 comments  

Friday

more crits

so tuesday was a weak RR where the break went with Scotty in it and we were riding around at 12 kph and we pulled out when it atarted raining. Scotty was 4th, a real 4th this time, keeping up our consistent tally.

wed was the Shorewood Crit, which was 2 minutes from where we're staying. have you seen the movie "Mr. and Mrs. Smith?" yeah, we're staying with them, but their names are Paul and Beth, not Jane and John. otherwise, it's basically the same. anyway, the race was super fast and i made a break and rode 48-50 kphfor a half hour or so, but we were ridden back and it was all i could do to hang on for 5 laps or so. i thought i was done for sure, but i came around and evenhelped Dan and Martin get into the top 10. did we get 4th? yes.

and tonight, the famous Schlitz park with a wee hill on order, much shorter lap and a surprisingly short race, it ended up being about 50 miles or so. i lapped the field with 5 others, a good effort for sure and i was feeling good on the hill. coming into the finale there were three competing leadouts so the pace was live and i ended up getting waxed by the sprinter who we let sit on for some reason, all the other guys were going for GC and didn't feel like riding too hard. wierd. did i get 4th? no, i'm moving up in the world and i scored a podium, 2nd place and second on the KOM too without even paying attention.

the boys are riding good snd getting better, the coordination is improving and i'm thinking we're going to be scoring some wins in bunch kick this week. it about time, we've been good but unlucky several times this year with flashes of brilliance here and there. it's gonna happen...

posted by Benjaminiac at Friday, July 14, 2006 0 comments  

turning stoopid

at stoopidweek.

i'm finally getting around to some posting, i've been out in WI for about a week or so now, i can't really remember. crits and wierdos are mind numbing.

had an ass-crack early morning getting out here, but arrived in time to do the lame 4 corner crit that evening. it was a crashfest, but could have been a lot worse as a pelting t-storm rolled through 20 minutes before the srart. if that had kept up i probably would have been one the ground for sure.

and what's up with the wierd names of towns? Manatowoc? it just rolls off the toungues of the locals with their cheesehead accent (i think it's kinda cool, actually) but we cali folk stumble every time. it's like learning a new language.

then monday was Alpine Valley, my first road race in 2 months and i sure felt like it. i was good until the last lap, active and in the break, but there was just one hill too many and i knew i was fisted for the finish. yup, 8th out of 8. but no, all the J-bobs who attacked me were relegated for crossing the centerline and basically attacking into oncoming traffic in the last 2 k or so, so i got 4th in the official results.

posted by Benjaminiac at Friday, July 14, 2006 0 comments