More Snow

...and I'm getting tired of reporting on Denver's snow. Only 3 others are at work today, buses and mass-transit appear to be running fine, but no one is taking advantage. The city, once again, is closed.

Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas!

The family tree sans some gifts that couldn't make it due to the blizzard.
Looking good! And, better yet, no one blinked!

Justin very excited with his life-time supply of Dave's Insanity hot salsa. It's so hot that he never has to worry about sharing it.

Skate Skiing Eldora

Every cyclist talks about skate skiing as perfect cross training during the off-season. Finally, I gave it a shot...it was important to have a lesson since it's technical. It was great to hang out with some of my cycling friends in a totally different venue and skate skiing was super fun!

The City is Closed

At 4:45 this afternoon, no one is on the streets. Only 2 places are open that serve food, it's quiet, except for the sound of the snow whipping through the buildings. The snow is far from stopping.

Blizzard

12-14 inches of snow is coming today, and another 10-12 inches on Thursday! Yippee, this is functional snow, the good stuff...all schools are closed...
Most people have gone home for the day (it's a little after noon)...my co-workers decided it was a lovely day for a run.


Santa, believe me, this will fit under the Christmas tree. In fact, you can ride it to deliver it.

Dong Ngo

Dong Ngo touched so many lives through his work at Denver Spoke. I never met him, but have had multiple conversations with people from all over who had brought his name up in conversation (while he was living) because he was such a remarkable guy.

Can't Wait to Be on the Trainer Tomorrow

Ward was quite the sleepy town today. I only saw one cyclist up there. Not many people were out, but dogs were running loose all over the place.
I had a frightening incident with a pit bull that looked just like this one. Ironically, the dog in this picture is named Eddie. Basically, it came down to a game of chicken with the dog. He ended up being friendly...if a charging dog with a wicked bark that decides not to bite can be called "friendly."

Friday Night on the Trainer

The trainer was not a bad place to be tonight. After much searching, I've finally figured out how to enjoy the trainer: chocolate-covered espresso beans!
Tonight's movie was in English, but there was no sound...the soundtrack could be heard, but not the words. Hey, but at least it's quotable.Advertisement for a drug for Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). One side effect: falling asleep while driving. Sorry, I don't see the worth in this drug. Falling asleep at the wheel is as bad (or worse) than drinking and driving. It's not an insignificant side effect.
Big news! 3,000 santas on bikes. How many cookies will santa need to eat to fuel his Christmas Eve ride? Logistically, I'm a little worried Santa may not make it to my home this year.

O Christmas Tree... Fake, but Quite Resilient!

The Christmas tree is magical. This picture doesn't do it justice. However, the camera isn't what makes it look like it's leaning a bit. Moments after this was taken, it came crashing down. It's all better now. None of my house plants have survived...apparently, I'm not capable of keeping an artificial one, either.

Quitting Smoking

I ran into a friendly woman in the city tonight who was out walking to lose a couple of extra pounds which she gained when she quit smoking. She mentioned that she was under seige by her friends and co-workers who are making fun of her and ridiculing her for quitting. I appreciate the perspective that she gave me tonight.

Scrooge

Tonight I put up the Christmas tree.
Okay, okay, I'll unpack it tomorrow, fluff it up and plug it in (it's a fiber-optic tree). Yes, it will be given real lights and ornaments. Christmas music will be played.

Tis the Season

The Christmas party for work was held at Mattie's House of Mirrors. Mattie's used to be a brothel. Last year the party was at a nightclub. We were trying to decide if the company holiday party is properly representative of the success of the company.

White Elephant

The white elephant gift exchange at work was very entertaining. One gift given was a toy soldier Haloween costume. Ben, the guy who chose this gift, got to model it for everyone. Our creative director then turned his picture into a life-sized poster that is now displayed on the wall so that Ben can't ever live it down.And I ended up with a calendar.
So, if one looks at Spam every day for a year, does one then desire it at the end of the year? I've never tasted Spam. This should be an interesting experiment in brain-washing.

True Vacation

Last weekend was five, count em, five too-cold-to-ride days straight. The change in pace was welcome, however. It's pretty cool to vacation near home.
We celebrated Eric's birthday in Brazil, well, almost. Everyone here is from there and the food is authentic. Betcha it's warmer in Brazil, though.
We drove up Coal Creek Canyon and visited the house he lived in for a short time.

There was lots of hiking and snowshoeing all weekend. This is the backside of one of the Flatirons.
We rented a pretty sweet ride to kick around in for the weekend...but we returned it when it got a flat. Then we got a Jeep Liberty. Not bad, but the truck was the coolest.
I-70 was THE place to be Saturday evening. Hey, when you're renting a vehicle, might as well spend lots of time enjoying it, eh?

Playing in the Snow

It's too cold to ride, but not to hike, snowshoe and enjoy the crisp air. More posts and updates in a few days!

Velonews

Check it out, thanks Valerie! (I'm the little person 2nd to the end, basically, I can't be seen.)

http://velonews.com/galleries/contest51/image43.html

Thanksgiving

Today was a beautiful day. I had a very enjoyable ride with good people and a very nice time with family. I burned 2,300 calories (according to the heart rate monitor) and probably ate that much just on my dinner plate. Then there was the pumpkin pie, whipped cream, oh yes, the pumpkin pie and apple cobbler Cliff Bars on the ride this morning. The food at Thanksgiving was fabulous (thanks, all).

Justin and Dad made some "coffee." Or was it a science experiment? The ladies ran for their lives when the guys took over the kitchen, broke out the scale and calculator and set forth in their quest.

Arrick and I licked the beaters. Never too old.

Mom had dinner under control...Dad, however, wrestled with the bird to get it to the dinner table. Dad won, everyone was pleased. There will be 6 months of turkey sandwiches to look forward to.

This was certainly a holiday to remember always. Tomorrow is Black Friday, heading out to fight the crowds? You'll never guess where I'll be...

Home Cookin'

Cranberries turning into cranberry sauce. Entertaining to watch and quick. Look, ma, I can cook!

BLOG Slacking

Time has been scarce lately. More posts will go up for last week in a couple of days. Then there will be lots of turkey pics, too.

Let me give you a quick view of a typical (weekend) day during winter training. This is not an excuse if I have been out of touch, but it does explain the lack of "free" time.

6-7 am - Wake-up (this means no partying Friday night)
8 am - In the car, heading to somewhere to ride...
9 am - Meet up with friends to ride
2-3 pm - Finish the ride
4 pm - Drop by store for food. Eat.
5 pm - Go home, change clothes. Go to the gym.
7 pm - Clean up and put on "normal" clothes. Do laundry. Do something fun and relaxing.
10-11 pm - Read myself to sleep...wonder where the day went and why I couldn't get to sleep earlier.

Translation: This is exactly how I love to spend a Saturday or Sunday in the winter. It's great time to catch up with people, breathe fresh air, not worry about work or chores. Those couple of hours in the evening that are spent relaxing are absolutely great. If this weren't what I wanted to do for fun, I'd do something else. (hmmm...what would that be?)

The road coming and going

Not another bike

There's another bike I own, but, for some odd reason, haven't mentioned it. It probably weighs 50 lbs. However, it just thrills me to own it, as of today. The car is no longer necessary to live happily! With a (good) market within biking distance, I can stay fed and not worry that there isn't time to shop or eat.

Hallucinating?

Today was an epic Colorado-esque adventure on the bike. It started off cold, then small specks of snow turned into a full white-out, then the sun came out, white-out again, sun again...after nearly four hours out there, I'm almost home and I come across this lawn ornament. Is this some kind of strange dream?

Quotes

Quotes I like enough to post (because I want to remember them). This list will grow.

Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever.
~Lance Armstrong

You don't suffer, kill yourself and take the risks I take just for money. I love bike racing.
~Greg LeMond

I have always struggled to achieve excellence. One thing that cycling has taught me is that if you can achieve something without a struggle it's not going to be satisfying.
~Greg LeMond

There are few things that you can't do as long as you are willing to apply yourself.
~Greg LeMond

It never gets easier, you just go faster.
~Greg LeMond

To be a cyclist is to be a student of pain....at cycling's core lies pain, hard and bitter as the pit inside a juicy peach. It doesn't matter if you're sprinting for an Olympic medal, a town sign, a trailhead, or the rest stop with the homemade brownies. If you never confront pain, you're missing the essence of the sport. Without pain, there's no adversity. Without adversity, no challenge. Without challenge, no improvement. No improvement, no sense of accomplishment and no deep-down joy. Might as well be playing Tiddly-Winks.
~Scott Martin

Nobody wants to hear you whine.
~Mike Magnuson in "Heft on Wheels"

Another commuting option

Here's a shot from another morning commute that involved lots of climbing, an icy cold descent, but the best morning sun and views. Entirely worth the cold fingers (which took 5 hours to thaw.)

The "Long" Way in to Work

Not to worry, I'm riding at about 5 mph up this climb this morning.
This is the turn-around to descend...luckily, no slow signs. What takes 45 minutes to ride up takes 5 minutes to fly down.

No better way to wake up!

Now that we're in the age of technology and electronic voting...

I waited in line for 2 hours today to receive a free sticker.

Crank Brothers Cyclo-Cross at its Best in Boulder

Yesterday and today were UCI cross races in Longmont and Boulder. Hundreds of people showed up to cheer on the racers, the courses looked like serious fun and a lot of work.

Ryan Trebon rocks. This is him a minute or two ahead of everyone else, everyone else includes very fast pro cross racers.Todd Wells being interviewed after the race.
Art, thanks for the low-down on cross racing. Hope you got to enjoy the brew in Colorado.
Me & the ladies at today's race.

Twin Peaks End-of-Year Party

The Twin Peaks end of year party couldn't have been more appropriate after the season the team had this year: most of the team showed up, there was tons of recognition to go around and everyone was so happy to see each other. Jen and Krystal show off their awards: Jen is the keeper of the "Layin the Wood" trophy for 2007, along with best attitude or something along those lines. Krystal was MVP. Many others received trophies and awards, all well-earned. It says a lot about what everyone did this year to contribute to the team's success. The Cat 4 women rock for winning BAT (Best All-Around Team).

Dan from Bicycle Colorado spent the evening with the team. TPRT donated $250 and a jersey. These guys are great. Thanks to them, bicyclists may now call the Road Rage hotline, ride two abreast and they saved large rides like Ride the Rockies, Elephant Rock, etc. by killing a law that would have capped the number of riders in organized events.

Seth, Josh and Chad...what can I say, you guys certainly add a different dimension to racing.

Pic of the Hammer trophy coming soon. It's awesome to have a symbol as a reminder of all of the work, great teammates and the memories of two long seasons together. Thanks so much, guys!

Happy Halloween!

Tricks and treats came to me this evening! What a splendid surprise. I almost went through the whole day without eating candy or seeing anything that resembled Halloween. Raisinettes--perfect pre-training food. Speaking of which, time to get on it!

Longest ride, possibly ever

Sunday was spent on the bike, first with the MOB ride, then solo up Golden Gate Canyon. 7 hours pedaling, 8500 feet of climbing. It was a beautiful day.

VeloSwap

VeloSwap filled the National Western convention center (not sure what it's called), they expected something like 15,000 people.

Here is the Twin Peaks setup. Not too much stuff sold, but it was a ripe opportunity to recruit new team members.
Top pic: Paul, Christian, Seth (thanks for smiling at the camera), David. Bottom pic: Orlando, Nikki and Jules.

My "big" purchase: Yeah, this solves my sock-matching issues, and they have flames. 8 pairs for $20. I also picked up the documentaries: "The Hard Road" and "Pro." More motivational material to get through the long trainer sessions this off-season.

Where, oh where, did all the big buildings go?

This morning I awoke to what sounded like a garbage truck. No such luck, the road crews were out! Still, there's no accumulation. The snow is blowing and coming down right now, though. Considering it's supposed to be 70 degrees Saturday, it's hard to take it seriously.