Le Tour

Both Jenny and I have created our tour teams for the 2007 Fantasy Cycling Tour de France on Cyclingnews.com. Anyone else?

I don't know how our teams will stack up. It's expensive to buy good riders. I can't believe the time I put in to making these two fake teams. And now, looking back, I don't even know if I did a good job. Crap! Oh well, it's just a game......right?

No news on Landis yet...no big surprise. I am sure that some official will run up to the sign in table panting and waving their arms around saying they have the leaked decision from the arbitration panel. That way we can all start off the tour on a really sour note. Then again, my brother pointed out that no government official would be caught doing work on a Saturday, not even leaking a big story, so maybe we all get to wait until monday for news.

Jennys Baby.......

She's not quite done (still waiting on a fork, rim strips and pedals) but she's coming together. Mulv is very excited to try out the cross bike and we will soon be commuting to work every day via two wheels.

Shout out

Check out the best blog ever...........

www.bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com

Scrapper bike.........where do I get one?

Think Strong could fabricate one?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=geIsWq5xOSE

The updates are coming fast and furious!!!!!!!

Since returning from the honeymoon Mulv and I have been racking up the fun weekends. We have gone camping twice up in Hyalite, gone on some great mountain bike rides and cooked some great meals at home. So far so good.....

It is hard to remember a lot of what has gone on in the last month so I will just share some photos from the last few weeks. Hope everyone living on the Mississippi is doing well!!!!!!!

I will try and see some of you when I am home to provide pack fodder for the real racers at the St. Cloud Omnium and criterium. Just don't laugh when you see me off the back, I really am trying........

Introducing.........

My new baby. Well, not completely new. New frame and fork. What a difference it makes. Once you go custom you will never go back. Expensive layers of carbon fiber and composites can't hold a candle to this TI rocket. I feel kind of stupid talking about it so I am going to stop. I will just say that I have never been happier with a bike. Get one. John got one and he can't say enough good things, I got one with the same result and now Ryan has one on order. Coincidence..... I think not.

Please ignore the offending white bottle cages, I know they are terrible.

Belize? I think I swung through there once.....

Yeah, nothing like being a month behind on the blogging (althouth this is significantly more up-to-date than a certain Santa Nube bike shop owner).

Belize.....go there. Enough said. Hot, clear water, great people, great food, etc..etc...

Mulv and I didn't do much except lie on the beach for six days. We did manage a full day trip out snorkeling which was killer. We saw 6 sharks, several huge sea turtles, jelly fish and innumberable exotic fishies.

The Turtle Inn was over the top and worth every penny. We were waited on at every step without feeling like we were being pressured to buy drinks or food. Can't recomend this place highly enough.

The beach at the Turtle Inn

Snorkeling day

Iguana

Cottage 2: Home sweet home

Outdoor shower in the private garden. Notice the bamboo spigot sticking out of the rock wall.

Flowers on the bed when we arrived

Married Life

I know you have all been on pins and needles waiting for an update so here is the first of many in the next couple of days.

I am married. Took the plunge, hooked up to the ball-and-chain, got hooked, hitched, taken........

Couldn't be happier and married life is addly similar to the life I was living before except now I can rest assured Jenny isn't going to run off with that good looking diving instructor from Belize.....

The days leading up the wedding were a blur and I don't remember too much except that there was a lot more to do last second than any of us anticipated.

The ceremony itself was short, sweet and fun. My dad did an awesome job with the service and all of our friends were in attendance. My only dissapointment was that the night went so fast. I feel like I hardly talked to anyone and I know for a fact all I did was talk the whole night. How does that work?

The next day was a quite brunch at jennys parents house and then off to Belize the next morning.

More about that later.................

Teaser........

Cabin Retreat

Two weekends ago Mulv and I headed north of Bozeman to a forest service cabin in a canyon next to a creek. It was awesome. We made food, drank wine, read books and slept a lot. We were worn out from work and had to gather some energy. It was a great getaway and felt like we were on a major vacation despite being only and hour and a half from Bozeman.

We will be visiting several more times before the summer is out.

Bechtle Slade Cycling Team is kicking ass so far this year. We have placed 1st or 2nd in every race and last race we had 4 guys in the top ten, best of any team around!

It's the Final Countdown

Been awhile since I last checked in. I can hardly remember what the last few weeks have been like. I have started racing, visited Minnesota, been stressed at work, riden a lot of miles and connected with long lost friends. It has been stressful and also really fun.

Jenny and I are getting married two weeks from today and our days for the next two weeks are booked solid. The wedding is going to be a blast and everything is falling in to place nicely. Big thanks to our Parents who remain the calm in the storm and are solely responsible for making this happen. I love you all so much!!

Biking has been going as well as can be expected. Considering that my only speed work during the week has been at the races I think I am putting in some good efforts. Ryan continues to be the early season superman. Ryan has raced two out of three races and placed 1st and 2nd. I am a bit further back with 6th and 8th and an unkown placing in the TT. What I am happy to report is that I shaved 1.5 minutes off of my 20k TT. That is a huge step forward for me and my sustained power output.

Jenny and I have been hitting the roads quite a bit in our new team kits; getting in some good LSD training (Long, Slow Distance).

Our team was featured in the local rag this week and we have been getting a lot of positive feedback from our volunteer efforts in the community. Team Bechtle Slade is running the Tuesday night TT as well as the upcoming Kids Bike Rodeo. Big UPs to Paul for running the show.

Last weekend we were in St. Paul for the wedding of one of my best friends in college. It was a great time and a beautiful ceremony at the St. Paul Cathedral. He is making a heroic effort to be at my wedding in two weeks. He lives in London and came to St. Paul for his wedding. He is now honeymooning in Sardinia and will fly back to be in my wedding and then is flying right back to London to work on monday. Thanks Matt, means the world to me.

While I was home over the weekend Ben checked out a BMC Team Machine from QBP. Full Campy Chorus and Zipp 404s. I had a blast on the bike and I think that the new Strong will eventually be adorned with full Record and Zipps. The shifting with Campy is so perfect and it is instantly responsive; even under the full pressure of hammering up a steep hill. Speaking of the Strong it is currently residing Spectrum Powder Works waiting for its special bead blasted logos and flames.

Jenny and I are off to a forest service cabin that we rented about an hour from here. The website looks great and it's in a moss covered canyon with a trout stream. This should be a nice little get away before things really get crazy.

Until next time.............

The Tax man cometh..........

Wow, I sure do love taxes. Can you say, Payment Plan? I just about fell out of my chair when I saw what I owe...............

Last week was not fun at work and my training suffered. Logged thirteen hours on the bike and most of that was this weekend.

Had a 4.5 hours sufferfest on Saturday. Ryan and I both brought our hammers on the ride and took turns beating each other over the head. The good news is that I am able to recover at a really high heart rate.

Sunday was a relaxed ride in Yellowstone. Had to turn around and head back to the car at the 40 mile mark because two buffalo were standing across the road and had no intentions of moving. Headed back towards West Yellowstone and spent some time doing hill repeats and ended up with 85 miles on the day.

Our team gear showed up today and we are really happy with the results. Voler did a great job and now it's time to prove that we deserve the gear. Pictures to follow shortly...........

Jennys trip to St. Paul was a success and she said that the wedding dress is not crushing her ribs. We can all focus on having a good time now that Jenny is comfortable!!

Only 5.5 weeks until the big day. I am really, really looking foward to the week in Belize. We are staying at the Turtle Inn which the guide books say is the most luxurious place in Belize. I'm not going to do anything except swim, eat, read, drink and relax.

It's snowing right now and I am having a little trouble dealing with the bi-polar weather. Yesterday was sunny and fifty and now it's freezing cold. Just when you think the major layers can go away...

Managed to paint a couple more walls this weekend. The house feels so much more inviting with some color so I think I will find time for a couple more this coming weekend.

That's all the boring stuff I have for now.

Another boring bike update....

Yeah, you already know what I am going to write about. This week I trained a lot, blah blah blah, heart rate this and average that.

Well, it's true. This year I have been biking a lot and I am loving every second of it. Work has been pretty hectic so far this year and it has been a great relief that my employers (and now my official bike sponsors) have been understanding of me leaving work at five to puruse my passion on two wheels. I am feeling better on my bike than ever before. I think that after a year and a half my lungs have finally caught up with the altitude and are able to process oxygen. Combine that with not hammering away on the bike every ride and I am starting to get my legs back.

Ryan and the guys on Bechtle Slade Cycling Team have been patient with the slow training regime and I think that everyone is starting to feel that the winter fat is melting away and we are on our way to a great season.

We are sponsoring a junior rider this year named Akeo. This kid is an all star cross country skier and decided to use his power on the road for some fun and excitement on two wheels. He has seriously impressed my with his power on the hills and his willingness to tuck in and drop like a stone down the hills.

We have regular Tuesday / Thursday rides and Akeo has been attending them and showing everyone that he is commited and excited about the bike. Some of the Thursday night rides have also turned into the designated speed work night so I have been limping home on some pretty tired legs.

Last Saturday was again a long distance day. Headed out at 9am with 5 guys and Drew and I finished out the 106 mile loop. The last 30 miles was straight into an absolute viscious head wind. I am starting to think that the Livingston loop is a bad idea until later in the spring when we can start earlier and get through Livingston before the wind really picks up. Imagine riding along at 12 mph with your heart rate at 150. Not fun and a total waste of time. The ride was great for the most part thought because 60% of the ride had a wicked tail wind.... 28mph without even trying. Did the loop an hour faster than last week.

Our new team kits ship tomorrow so my Grandstay stuff is finally going to collect some dust. Not going to recognize myself when I look down to grab a water bottle.

Wedding planning is in full swing and Mulv and I have to dedicate our time to get things organized. Our parents have been saviors in this regard. We cannot thank them enough for steering the ship and keeping us on track. Mulv is heading home for the weekend to get the dress fitted one last time. I am staying behind and working on song selection and looking through our ceremony material. In the next couple of days we are finalizing food for the grooms dinner and reception. Hope everyone likes McDonalds.

Hope this finds everyone doing well and keep the rubber side down.

Bar tales.......

What better way to cap a day on the river than a few hours at The Happy Hour Bar on Hebgen Lake. We decided to try our luck with the food and atmosphere and were not dissapointed with either!

After putting back a couple of brews we dove into a rousing couple of rounds of Wheel Of Fortune on the dvd player. The locals showed us a great time and told us that we were OK people despite being from Bozeman. The Happy Hour Bar is an absolute must for anyone travelling through the Hebgen Lake / Yellowstone area.

Fishing and the Happy Hour Bar made for a 12 hour day and I am hitting the hay..

Until next time....

Fish tales........

Woke up at 6:30 today, packed the car with our fishing gear and buzzed over to Rons house to coordinate our efforts. We took Rons truck over to the Ennis hole and had the doors blown back in our face just trying to get out. There would be no fishing in the Ennis...

We hopped back in the truck and continued south and only stopped to snap a few pictures of a small Mule deer that was cowering from the wind.

Next stop was somewhere below Hebgen Lake where we decided to try our luck for the day. Ron made out like a Pro Tour Bass Wrangler and landed himself some nice trout including a monster that was his last catch of the day (19 inches). The weather was sunny early and then clouded over and the fish began to strike.

In true form I only managed a nibble on the line. I have to say that I don't care about striking out because just being on the river for the first time this year was worth it. Mulv caught one Whitefish and also enjoyed the time in the sun.

Props to Ron for landing 8 and showing us a great time on the river.

Wa Wa Wee Woo

Another day, another 106 miles. Saturdays are turning into century day.

I hit the road at 7am for the "Around the Block" ride. Headed up and over Bridger Canyon then blasted down into the Shields River Valley north of Livingston. I had a nice tail wind through Clyde Park and Wilsall. Then, of course, I battled a murderous headwind starting 6 miles outside of Livingston until I was up over the pass between Livingston and Bozeman. Once I arrived at Jackson Creek it was another 15 mins uphill and then a fast cruise back down Bridger Canyon and back into town.

7 hours on the bike, 50F, 15 mph average (seems pathetic but between my heart rate and the climbing, I had to go slow), lots o' calories burned. No McDonalds today, just recovery drinks, yogurt, asparagus and bison burgers. 5200 ft climbed. 1 picture taken before my camera officially bit the dust. 17 hours on the bike this week.

Mulv also got out on the road bike and rode Gooch Hill Road then out past Gallatin Gateway. A beautiful 35 mile jaunt that takes you high up over Bozeman for killer 360 mountain and valley views. Another upside is that there is hardly and traffic or houses so you can feel really alone and still be in the middle of the valley.

The weight is coming off and I am looking forward to some racing. April 14th is the start of the Tuesday night races in Bozeman. First race is the road race up and down Bridger Canyon. WIth all of the nice weather I expect that a lot of people will be fast from the start this year. Could be scary fast..... St. Cloud is still looking like a major goal and September 9th is the Granny Grinder race in Red Lodge.

Wind in my face.....

No matter where I ride or who I ride with the wind always seems to be coming at me. People always complained about the same thing back in MN and now I have brought the issue to Montana.

The difference yesterday was that I was doing my first 100 mile ride of the season. Yellowstone National Park allows only cyclists and hikers to use the park for a whole month before opening it to cars. I had the entire park to myself for the whole ride. I think 10 park service trucks passed me and only a few other cyclsits. 7 hours on the bike whithout any worries was awesome.

Stats:

100.9 miles

3,800 ft climbing

15.5 mph average

5 hrs of headwind

127 average heart rate

Two close encounters with Bison and Elk

100's of piles of poo dodged

1 large coke, 1 Big Mac, 10pc McNugget (right after ride)

1 huge Chicken and Pear salad, 1 double Baileys on the rocks

1 grilled cheese sandwich

The ride was great and I will be back there for another go next weekend. Let's hope the wind dies down.

Ryan and Duncan were kind enough to let me stay at their place on Hebgen Lake so I only had a short drive to Yellowstone in the morning. Duncan is learning to play the guitar and made huge strides by mastering two chords on Friday night.

Training is going well. 19 hours on the bike this past week. While I told you all about the LOW land speed records of last week, this week was a different story. Wednesday night was interval training and Ryan and I had a tail wind going UP Bridger Canyon. We were hitting 35 and 36 mph uphill on the lower roads. I don't think I will ever see that sort of sustained uphill speed ever again. In fact, Ryan was pulling so hard at one point that blood came pouring out of my nose and we had to pull over. That guy can haul a**. Total of two hours over Level 1. Recovery times are starting to shorten and base riding is getting faster. Racing starts April 15; one month from now.

Until next time........

Pugtastic!

Pugn' in Minntuckey