Finished up another solid block of climbing mixed with some intensity stuff (e.g. the Short Tracks) and had a helluva lot of fun this week. Za plan is amazing in that it keeps EVERYTHING in balance. Family, work and riding have become a veritable 3 sided sea-saw and all 3 kids are perfectly weighted the same. Nothing is clawing at the other and the stress is way reduced. It's good. It wasn't always like this. Trying to flail at training, life, family, work is bunk and is a recipe for disaster. Predictability to your family and communication of it all is at the core of the success I've found. My lady is way happier and that makes the walls of the home smile.

Yesterday was rad. Went hard with T on this ride. ALL this (below) is within 3 to 3.5 minutes from my house by bike. Sick. T is studying the physiology, pedal stroke, everything as I am doing it so it is amazing to have a friend/coach/supporter in my corner...literally as I am engaged in these workouts. I attacked him on the top of Lee Hill before Deer Trail and threw out 1106 watts for 15 seconds to get the gap which was quite fun if not stupid before he reminded me that I just shot my wad before Deer Trail's slog. Had to be done though. Ride we did is on MapMyRide:Week of slow stuff coming up and I may not be mad about the M & C updates as I have a bunch going on this week. I'll see what I can do at night.

Mad style points:

• Rare 26" Dugast and Custom Ritchey Carbon Rims: Check.
• White Radars, Helmet, Gloves and White Sex: Check

A mini-Frischi protege' indeed.

Some very very good photography from the Boulder Short Track Series and other cycling events in the area can be found here at Lori Photography.

Tuba Brown and I warming up in the dust bowl.

Tuba Brown told me I have to scope out Ride with Nick Martin. It's awesome. Local Boulder MTB Pro with a lot of good thoughts, pics and things to say. Not sure if I met this guy before but I think I saw him hit the deck at our Short Track the other night. We also share nice MTB-inspired bloody mess knee wounds. Nick, just what precisely is this body part you snapped a photo of? If it's what I think it is, you should really wipe better. (kidding). Mine was not unlike this mess after Ned took a piece out of me one day.
Anyhoo, Nick's got a rad blog for Class-A time wasting.

That is precisely what za plan prescribed today and za plan wasn't joking. NCAR, Flag/Amphitheater, Lee Hill/Deer Trail finish up with the humiliator of Olde Stage. Then home. I literally ran out of liquids. 90 degrees by the time I was rolling into my garage. The sensations were good. 2 minutes and 46 seconds faster than I've ever done Flag/Amp. All by watching the Tap. Finished up the day 3 pounds down from what I woke up at and am already 10 + pounds total body weight lost since initiating za plan. Amazing. Who'd've thunk it: eat more, ride 'less' yielding weight loss and becoming demonstrably faster. I likee.

It's fun again.

My team mate and Slipstream soigneur Jonny C in full cowbell mode at last years GP's. Priceless:
I think we're going to have to hunt down this guy's shiner one:

T-minus 3 months 'til cross.

That is exactly what I'm calling Piti's weak-ass sock selection. What sport is this? Tennis? Shit even tennis players are wearing real socks these days and not the ankle panties Valverde is sporting. I CAN'T STAND IT! And now I'm seeing all these euro-fools go low on the sock. It reminds me of that scene in Good Morning Vietnam when the bartender is telling Robin Williams how he loves the curve of the soldiers ankles in their combat boots. But I digress on that tip. Weak. I think hey should all just go back to wearing the pom-pom ankle socks my sister wore in '82.

So let's inspect some style. Who else to go to but our main anti-doping advocate and style maven, Geoff Kabush. OK, so he's Canadian, but I won't hold that against him (D'oh! Kidding Kabush!). But seriously, this is 2007 and there is style to be applied to your ride.

Let's study this pic for a bit shall we? Here we have Geoff killing it in some race. Anywhoo, Geoff has embraced 2007. Note the white saddle. I guaran-frickin-tee you he's got white grips under those hands. Any self respecting bike style junkie's got to match the saddle and the grips (mtb)/tape (road). C'mon! You're squirming in your chair right now wasting time reading this blog 'cause you agree. Shoes: White. C'mon! You know you want white shoes. You need white shoes you bitches.

And the piece de resistance? You know it: Brandon's Limited Edition, 6" Tall boy PINK Doper's Suck socks with stylish T-Mobile Magenta embroidery . Made just in time for Bjarne's confession AND the Giro! What timing! They're just high enough to be uncool, just low enough to be rad. Balance. Don't be weak. Say no to ankle panties.

Kabush photo from CyclingNews

...has the only known pic of me in the dust bowl at STXC last night:
Walt has himself a good blog and even better frames. Cult status here in The Republic.

Nice! I got my beautifully repaired Dugast Rhino back from Ron at Tire Alert. I will let you know how it all works once I get them all glued on but the inspection of his work is nearly flawless. Hard to tell the difference between the original Dugast and his repaired version. All said and done it was like $20 bucks and about 2 weeks. Super fast!

Tire Alert on the left, original on the right.

Barley noticeable re-stitching.

Ik ben! Ik ben!

24-7 x 365. That is when you should be thinking 'cross. ST last night got my intensity juices flowing. For my peeps in the Boulder area, I'll be getting the annual 'cross clinics going on again. Again, my goal is to ensure you look as good a s you feel during your racing and avoid the nonsense you see in the pic which for me is as enjoyable to watch as it is for me to chew on tinfoil.

More info in the coming weeks on times/places.

Photo by AbbiOrca