OK, this is a post that is opening up discussion on one of my favorite topics to shoot my mouth off about: prize money at races. Coach Curly opened the can of worms with his post at one of the best blogs going: http://www.coachcurly.com/2007/07/p-fu-more-like-it.html

I wanted to really open up the can of worms so I am pasting my comments to his post below. Please chime in, I am rubbing my hands together in anticipation:

"Oh boy, you have pretty much put some blood in the water for this here shark because I love talking about prize lists at bike races.

1. First to Curly's point of the lack of any $ at races in Europe, that's right, there is none, but...and you pointed this out yourself, the entry fee is only a couple of bucks, not $20-$40 a pop. Used to be back in the day a promoter could only charge a % of the prize list for the entry fee, then the districts voted for a "free market" where promoters could charge whatever they wanted. This was good and bad, good because promoters could charge what they wanted, could put on a race at a profit and suddenly there were more promoters putting on more races, bad, because entry fees went through the roof.

2. From e@thec: "If someone were looking to turn race promoting into a livelihood, then they'd be promoting Ironman-distance triathlons.". Well, there are a number of promoters (Team Columbus in Ohio is one, Threshold, Tailwind, etc. something tells me Douglas puts some pretty good coin into his pocket as well) out there that have turned race promoting into a livelihood, and, most do it because it grew out of their love for the sport.

When I was asked to help put on races here in Kitsap by a local business man I told him up front that I would help but under a few conditions: 1. I was to be paid a fee, 2. We would run it as professionally as possible 3. We would not run our events at a loss or even break even, we would make a profit on the event.

To insure those 3 points were covered, we had a job to do, and it was to secure sponsorship, and we did it. Whenever I put on a race, I determine what I would like to offer as prize money and then, at a min, I double that number to fill out my budget and that is the number that I go after. So, for last year's Blackberry race that paid out $7500, we raised $15,000.

Why go to all this trouble? Because it is my job as a promoter to do that and, I hope that by putting on what I think is a good race and soliciting feedback from the riders I can help raise the bar of races here in the NW.

I believe that most of the griping by riders, and by myself, is that there are many promoters out there that do not run their event in a professional manner and don't do their due diligence in securing funds to put on their event. You should not have to pay $25 or $30 for a race that does not start on time, takes forever to get results, gives out 1 tire and 2 inner tubes for 3rd place in the main event, etc, etc. And for crying out loud, at least have the last paying place equal to the entry fee. We (the riders) are not racing "for the money" we race because we love to ride our bikes fast and because we have a competitive drive to beat down our fellow rider and talk shit about them after, but, is it wrong for us to have a certain level of expectation from the promoters. We are paying $13 per rider at Pacific Raceway every Tuesday night and Rory can't even get the lap cards right for the races then tells us that we need to look at our clocks so we know when the race is ending. No Rory, that is why we are paying you $13 a rider every Tuesday, to do your job.

So promoters: do your job, the riders are doing theirs by training hard and paying their entry fees to your events to put on a good show for the crowds that show up and for the sponsors.That's all...for now. I am pasting this onto my BLOG to really open up the discussion.

Now to add to this post, I want to say, it is not all about the money, it is about the atmosphere at the race and the quality of the event. Prize money is just a part of that, not the whole pie. You also need a good course, good atmosphere and good prize money that is in line with what you are charging for an entry fee. At the very least, try to get 2 out of those 3 and your event is on its way to being a success.

SEIGLER CARBON TRACK FRAME, IT'S HERE!!!

CHECK IT:

THIS IS WHY WE LOVE AMARA:

Because she takes photos like this one of Downtown Gary Brown beating out Rob C. for a $100 prime at the Derby Days. The way I heard the story it went something like this:

Announcer: Looks like Brown got that one.

Chief Ref: No, I think Campbell got it.

Amara: Um, you might want to look at this.

Chief Ref: Oh. Looks like Brown got that one.

Keep up the great work Amara. You make us all look like superstars.

Even if you look like this guy:

Speaking of the Derby, I have two things for you.

• Did anyone at registration actually check licenses? There was a guy who started the Pro1-2 race who was wearing a t-shirt, what looked like running shorts and had some pretty pasty white hairy legs and who was handling his bike like it was the first time he had ever gone around a corner at speed. He got lapped in about 10 laps.

• What happened to the prize money at the Derby? It used to be one of the top paying races in the area and paid 20 deep. This year they only paid $1250 over 10 places but still charged $30. More egregious of a crime however is that 9th and 10th place paid $25, so if you made through the melee and scored a money paying place....you still came out $5 poorer for your efforts. Hey promoter of the Derby Days, WTF?!
  And one final note for the officials: get a grip. The whole WSBA Number crusade is ridiculous. More on this later.

TUESDAY NIGHT CHAMP

That's right Pruitt, it's me, on the Flats, a sprinter's stage. I won, a non-sprinter, solo. Who cares that there was only like 20 guys in the race? And I guarantee that my victory salute was longer than Pruitt's, because it was for the last 300 meters, probably a record. Take that Pruitt. Now if I can just get one on the weekend, you know, where it counts.

Another Weak Attempt at a Post:

This is from a Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2258201150 and was sent to me by my buddy Billy. It is pretty funny (and I can cut and paste it so now I have 2 posts in 1 day). Enjoy.

********* -THE OFFICIAL EURO CYCLIST CODE OF CONDUCT- *********

Created by Dom Guiver and Mike Flavell

1. Image and style shall be your primary concern. When suffering, one must focus first on maintaining a cool, even composure, and second on performance. Winning races is an added talent, and only counts if said euro cyclist wins with appropriate style.

2. You shall NEVER, under any circumstances, wear plain black spandex shorts or any team kit containing non-prominent Logo's.

3. The Socks must extend no less than 2cm below the main bulge of your calf muscle, and shall never extend further than 1cm past the primary calf muscle bulge. All socks shall be white in colour with prominent logo placement.

4. Cycling shoes must be of white colour only! Exceptions are:-colours combinations such as world cup stripes in cases where title has been earned-shoes which are custom-made by companies endorsed by this group. These shoes will be accessible to the particular cyclist only, and shall contain a high degree of Euro style.-It is important to note red and yellow shoes are NOT ENDORSED by this group.

5. If white cycling shoes are not available where you reside, white booties with prominent logos shall always be worn.

6. Your bike frame must contain more than 3 colours, and must always fit tastefully with your wheel selection.

7. Zipp's are to be used as training wheels ONLY. You shall race only on Lightweights and occasionally Bora's if no lightweights are accessible.

8. Ridiculously stylish eye wear is to be worn at all time without exception.

9. In most circumstances, hair shall be kept neatly short, and matching helmet shall be worn (again with prominent logo placement). Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES shall a clashing helmet colour be worn with your euro kit.

10. In several cases, it is deemed acceptable to have long hair. In this event, hair shall be neatly slicked back in maximum euro-styling, and helmet shall not be worn. Stylish sport eyewear shall be worn at all times while exercising this option.

11. A prominent line where your kit ends and where your tan begins is essential to your image. Artificial tanning is banned, the tan shall reflect the level of training commitment.

12. All podium shots (pictures) shall be taken with the euro-rider wearing team kit and appropriately matching casual euro shoes (such as puma's). Socks shall remain within the guidelines above. The rider is expected to display an appropriate degree of bulge while receiving kisses/trophy.

13. The seat shall ALWAYS be white along with the handlebar tape, and must be made in Italy or France. - Exceptions to this rule are seats or handlebar tape containing the following colours: WorldCup Stripes,Olympic Gold, Italian flag colour combo (green redwhite).

14. You shall not, under any circumstances, acknowledge the presence of a cyclist riding a bike costing less than €3000 in a public place. This could be severely detrimental to your image.

15. Legs will be SHAVED year-round. ABSOLUTELY NO EXCEPTIONS. In some cases, certain hair removal creams endorsed by succesful euro's are deemed to be acceptable.

16. A rider will ALWAYS have liniment applied to his legs before appearing in public.

17. Facial hair will be restricted to a goatee, and even this is discouraged. Moustaches are EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED.The only exception to the facial hair shall be SHORT sideburns--these are acceptable at the discretion of Cipo or a similar authority figure, on a case-by-case basis.

18. Ceramic bearings shall be used at all time on both training and race bikes.

19. Campagnolo shall be the only acceptable componentry and is hereby deemed superior to ANY Shimano product in ALL circumstances. You are expected to have nothing less than an ENTIRE campy grouppo. Crank substitutions are NOT permitted.

20. ALL wheels shall be equipped with tubulars, regardless of your ability in gluing them.

21. You shall NEVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, associate with triathletes. It is FORBIDDEN to have any number inked onto your body before a race.

22. Any physical activity, other than cycling, is STRONGLY DISCOURAGED. This includes any form of running or swimming and their derivatives (this includes walking).

23. You shall never rearrange your package while riding. Adjustments regarding seating/hanging comfort are to be done in private in order to preserve image.

24. In a circumstance where any cyclist ever displays aggression or disrespect towards you, you shall ride up uncomfortably close to them and slap them in the face with your team issue gloves. (Which must be white)

25. MTB gloves are FORBIDDEN in all instances. Cycling gloves will be slick, white (in accordance with kit), and have minimal padding. Padding will be beige or white in colour. In the case where said euro cyclist is wearing a leader’s jersey (This should be always) special gloves will be made to match the colour of the jersey while blending the team kit colours simultaneously.

26. In the event a motorist disturbs your ride, you shall proceed to ride up beside the car, form a clenched fist and bang the trunk of the car while doing your best attempt to sound irritated in Italian. Wild arm/head movements are strongly encouraged to enhance the apparent rage.

27. Training is based solely on feel while racing is be guided by sensations and instinct. A real Euro cyclist never gives in to scientific training methods.

28. Gearing is restricted to a titanium Campy Record 11-23 cassette with a ABSOLUTE MINIMUM of 42-53 up front. One shall never be seen pedaling at a cadence over 90 in case it detracts from your calm/smooth factor. The use of 25t cog is acceptable in special training circumstances.

29. ALL BIKES shall feature personalized nameplates next to ones home country’s flag located on the top-tube within 10 cm seat-tube ON ONE SIDE ONLY.

30. Pedals MUST be either Speedplay, Time, or Look. No other pedals are to be considered and ANY form of Shimano product is STRICTLY FORBIDDEN. If one is found possessing Shimano pedals, title of euro cyclist will be stripped immediately.

31. Coffee is a necessity and as such must be consumed strong (ie. espresso) on a patio in Italy in full kit, it shall be drunk black. Sugar is STRONGLY FROWNED UPON. The only milk present shall appear frothed on top (if at all).

32. All pre and post-race activity will be conducted under a gazebo (this includes massage, interviews, and looking fantastic) leaving one in reasonable distance of the Euro-sun to top up your enviable tanlines or pose for photo’s.

33. Post-race, you must be utterly tied to your mobile phone, making endless calls to your incredibly attractive euro-girlfriend or important executives from modelling agencies. This will be done under the protection of the post race gazebo.

34. ABSOLUTELY NO FORM of seatbag, frame pump, mud guard or mirror shall come within 2 meters of the bike.

35. Team bikes will be built up so that they violate the UCI weight limit, in order that weights might be attached to the frame to demonstrate its superiority and lightness.

36. White bar tape shall be kept in pristine white condition and NEVER extend further than 3cm past the hoods (exception during spring classics, where standard bar tape wrapping is allowed). This state shall be achieved either through daily cleansing or frequent replacement. These jobs will NEVER be performed by the cyclist as you must maintain your image.

37. Motivational music during training MUST consist of Late 90s house and power ballads, or deep-trance hard-style German techno hereby known as euro beats. NO EXCEPTIONS.

38. Nothing short of a naked black ALL CARBON water bottle cages (manufactured by ELITE CAGES) will be used. The only exception is special edition 24k gold cages which can be preferable in some situations (such as photo shoots or prologues) where colour coordination is key (this is always). Ex. Gold Cage with Olympic Gold/white team kit.

39. A gold pendant on a very long, thin chain bearing some form of religious icon is STRONGLY recommended for mountain races.

40. While soloing in for a victory, you will ensure your jersey is fully zipped and straight, so all title sponsors are clearly visible. You will then smile and flex arms while pointing skywards. The projection of ones fatigue is EXPLICITLY FORBIDDEN in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.

41. When appearing in a photo spread for sponsor’s products, one shall appear either fully nude or in full Armani 3 piece suits. Smiling is prohibited in these instances.

42. When riding, sans helmet, a team issue cycling cap (white in colour), shall be worn (depending on the hairstyle). The bill shall remain in the downward position at all times. Cycling cap can be worn forwards or backwards to coincide with current hairstyle. During spring training, cycling toques WILL be worn at all time in place of caps.

43. When appearing in documentaries, you must be seen walking around the hotel in your kit at all times. It is also recommended that you constantly be eating something in front of the cameras.

44. All stems must be a minimum of 120mm and a rise of no higher than -10 degrees. Stems shall be positioned no more than 0.5cm above the top of the headtube. ALL stems shall ALWAYS be oversized, made out of aluminum, and airbrushed in kit/frame colours.

45. When asked "how are you?" while riding you must proceed with one of the following...-Complain about coming off a sickness.- Explain you're peaking for bigger races later in the season- Mention that this is a "recovery ride"-That you are on the tail end of your daily 6 hour training ride

46. When the Euro Cyclist feels the urge to relieve himself during a race, he will gracefully meander to the back of the pack, seat himself sideways on his saddle, and pee into the sunflowers. He must ensure that no cameracrew catches the act, for it could be detrimental to his image. Under no circumstances shall the rider dismount from his bike to urinate.

47. When climbing anything with a gradient above 20% and lasting over 8 kilometres, the Euro cyclist must fully unzip his jersey and let it flutter in the wind.

48. When dropping out of a race, you will avoid the embarrassment of entering the official broomwagon and will instead wait for his team vehicle. When asked why you dropped out, one will cite mechanical problems or oncoming sickness as the reason, as to avoid any bad speculation in relation to your fitness.

49. Kits will always be freshly washed, and you shall ALWAYS have applied a reasonable amount of european eau de toilette (cologne). It is, at all times, FORBIDDEN to ride in an unwashed kit, as it is extremely detrimental to your image.

--------------------Pending Rules-----------------------------

1. Training wheels shall consist of Ambrosio rims (alternately, Mavic Reflex) laced with 32 spokes to Record hubs, or a wheelset of similar weight/durability/euro-style. Mavic Open Pros or Fulcrum Racing Ones may also be considered.

2. If in doubt, the euro cyclist shall mention in an interview that his pollen allergies are acting up, and that he’s not sure that he’ll win the Giro this year. In this situation, remember to note that the sensations are otherwise good, and that eventually you’ll win a beautiful stage.

3. Moustaches, beards, and any combinations thereof are EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED. An exemption will be granted for Marco Pantani--RIP.

4. Team-building motivational camps will be held annually in the off-season. These are to place team members in as ridiculous a setting as possible. Photos will be widely reproduced to demonstrate team cohesion.

5. During the pre-TdF medical checks, star riders of each team are STRONGLY ADVISED to play doctor with each other while shirtless. Photos taken must strive to be as HOMEROTIC AS POSSIBLE.

6. In order to avoid the harsh European winter, you shall:-flee to the warmer climes of Mallorca/South Africa/Canary Islands/etc.-“train the mind, body and soul” with Kreitler brand rollers

7. Stubble is advisable in virtually ALL euro-situations, especially in the case of climbing stages or important time trials during a stage race. It is important to note: this DOES NOT apply to the legs!

**IMPORTANT NEWS CONCERNING SHOES**

Should a cyclist competing in the Pro Tour be photographed in red or yellow shoes without covers more then twice they will be placed on Euro Probation pending further review.---------

Rules will be added as they are sent in and refined. Try to refrain from contradicting rules above. Voice your opinion and the rule might be changed or refined. If you need assistance on anything not yet listed in the official rules, post it and one of our officers will be glad to address the issue.

Last Updated June 17, 2007 by Dom

I SUCK...

... for not updating my blog for almost as long as Pruitt went without updating his. Sorry, been busy, traveling to Ohio, racing and visiting with my parents (who have dial up internet).

I will have a real update soon. Topics to include:

• Tour of Ohio (it was fast and fun)

• Rolling in the Crowne Vic

• Reasons why Ohio is better than Seattle or anywhere else on the west coast (this is a short post but there are some, trust me)

• The best racing week in the Seattle area even though no body seems to be able to put together a decent prize list

• Why everyone should ride a Seigler bike

Always one for a good quote, here is another one:

A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play; his labor and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing, and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself, he always appears to be doing both.

-Francois Auguste Rene' Chateaubriand

Go chew on that!

BRI WEEKEND RACE REPORT:

Friday Night Track Racing

I ventured out to the track on Friday night to race for the first time since I busted my elbow last August. A Madison was on the schedule and after cajoling and otherwise bullying my team mate Gary Brown for 2 days straight to be my partner I was looking forward to some racing. When we got there though the powers that be decided that since there had been no Madison practices yet this year, there would be no Madison and instead we would ride a points race.

(an aside here: no Madison practice so cancel the Madison, are you kidding me? There was no attempt to talk with the racers on this one and frankly this decision seems typical of the wussy mentality prevalent around here. We are Cat 1-2 riders who are all experienced riding Madisons. For the first one of the year, we could have all made a gentleman's agreement to ride controlled for at least the first half, put on a good show for the spectators and thus have completed the first Madison practice of the year. And to those riders who were bitching that they did not know there was a Madison on tap b/c the program was not posted on-line, guess what, I called Harley on Wednesday to get the program. Be proactive next time.)

So the program ended up being a 16 lap scratch, a Keirin and a 40 lap points race, still not a bad program but no Madison either. There was almost 30 guys in the 1-2 field with some new fast guys which made the racing fast all night so that was fun. The BRI track squad of Gary Brown, Lief Clark and myself put in a good showing with the fast twitch duo of Brown and Clark making some coin. After the split I ended up racing for free so anytime that happens it's a good night.

SATURDAY NIGHT BALLARD CRIT

What can I say on this other than that BRI ruled the Ballard crit. Russell won and the team put 3 in the top 10 as well as ringing up a number of primes. Russell, Remi, Gary and Higgins carried the day as the rest of us found the damp course a bit to scary to negotiate over the bricks (me) or the pace way to rich.

As usual, the morning of Ballard dawned wet and....wet. It rained all day and only stopped just leading up to the Pro 1-2 race at 7:30. The course was actually pretty dry at start time with the exception of the hairy even-when-dry corners 1 and 4. My race was over pretty much the first time we went through turn 1 and my rear wheel slid over about a foot and four guys went down. Ever since my twice-busted elbow in the last 9 months I have been, how should a say this, a puss going through corners. This was a race where the puss approach would not work out well. Fortunately though, Russ, Remi, Gary and Higgins are no such pusses and were driving the pace at the front. It was great to see the guys pull off a win at one of the best crits in the area, nice job guys!

The winning break tackling the 10% wall at the Ravensdale Road Race. Photo courtesy of Amara, the best bike race photographer around.

RAVENSDALE ROAD RACE or A TALE OF THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY

The Ravensdale Road Race was yesterday, an advertised 68 miles for the Pro 1-2 race on a course that saw yours truly dropped out of the winning break of T. Herriot and OAD last year on the 10% 400 meter climb. Since I missed most of the good road racing this spring due to my busted wing I was looking forward to this one, plus it would get me ready for Tour of Ohio in 2 weeks.

The Good:

This part of the post almost didn't happen because for the first 30 miles or so of this race I felt downright bad and ugly. I usually don't come around in a race until after half-way but this morning I felt so bad that I was not even sure I would ever feel good. At around 20miles in I found myself covering a move and it felt like I was pedaling my bike through mud. When we got caught I went promptly to the back, and I mean the very back. I was the last guy for about 10k or so. When we went into the hairpin going into the two climbs before the feedzone I was last into that, I was able to move up on the first rise towards the front and then noticed a group forming up the road that looked dangerously big so I had a big dig on the next rise onto the false flat, rolled it across the gap to the group and just like that found myself in the winning move comprised of 2 Hagens guys (T. Herriot was one, we seem to like to get into the same move on this course), 2 Garage guys, 2 Wines guys and 2 of us from BRI. Sweet. By the time we hit the 400 meter 10% wall we had 1:20 on the field and although my team mate Doug got popped on the climb I knew this group was going to stick it to the finish. And, better yet, I kept feeling better and better. As we neared the end I decided to play my card and have a go (b/c I can't sprint) but unfortunately that card turned out to be a 2 of clubs and I was reeled in setting it up for a sprint between the 7 of us. Andrew Martin was the clear winner and I actually was not last of the group and ended up 5th! Needless to say I was feeling pretty good about the result.

The Bad

Let's just say that the warm fuzzies did not last long. Now I will first start by saying putting on and promoting a bike race is not easy. I know because I do it. But, if you are going to put on a bike race, do it right. If you are not sure how to do it right, have someone who does know help you.

• It took 1.5hr to post results. There were 7 of us in the break, they got the results wrong. WTF? Pay Dave Wamsley to come score your race, he is good and rarely if ever screws up. And he gets results done quickly. He is worth the money so pay it
• The Pro 1-2 entry was $30, in fact, I think all the categories paid $30. Now a $30 entry fee at my race gets you a $5000 cash prize list paying 20 deep, what does it get you at Ravensdale? For the Pro 1-2: $600 in cash and merchandise paying 5 deep, and I am here to tell you, it was mostly in merchandise. So, make your entry fee in line with your pay out. Now, it cost money to put on a bike race, especially a road race. You need more officials and they are not free, you might have to pay for the cops to help with traffic (although I did not see any at yesterday's race). But, don't gouge the riders, and that is exactly what went on yesterday. And if the lower categories had to also pay $30, they really got screwed.

• And when they finally did post results and handed out the prize list what did I get for my hard earned 5th place? A $50 gift card to a bike shop in Redmond, 2 rolls of handlebar tape (and not even good handlebar tape like cork ribbon or Fizik, it was some crappy FSA stuff) and some Hammer Gel Electrolyte Replacement drink. Now this is not the worst payout I have ever received (I once won a case of Sugar Babies in a prime at the Tour of Michigan Pro 1-2 race) but it is way up on the list. The worst though was what went to the winner Andrew Martin, his take on the day: $60 and a copy of Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007. The kicker here: Martin works for Microsoft. Now I don't want to sound like some whiny primadona in all of this, and for a $20 entry fee, these prizes would be acceptable, but not for $30. Once you cross the $30 threshold, you need to be paying out some decent cabbage. They only paid out money to the top 3.

Money sponsorship is not that hard to come by if you work at. We start making our race sponsorship packages in the fall of the year preceding the races we are putting on. We put together a decent package with a cover page, a description of what is in it for the sponsors with some demographic information which is easy to acquire, a budget and we even put a little DVD of our first race in Bremerton in to show what a bike race looks like.

My point in all of this incredibly long post? If you want to put on a bike race, remember who your customer is. It is the bike racer who, regardless of category, puts a lot of time, effort and money into doing the sport they love. When they taste that little bit of glory by placing in their local bike race, don't turn that sweet taste of accomplishment into a bitter one by putting on a bush league event with a prize list not in line with the entry fee.

The rider has done their job, promoter: do yours.

The Ugly

This is more of me being a whiny bitch than anything else, but a 9 AM start time? That is downright ugly, especially for a night owl like myself. I am a bike racer, not an age group runner, bike tourist or triathlete. No Pro 1-2 race should ever start before 11, but again, I am just whining here.

PNW BUCKEYE, over and out.

BIKE RACING KITSAP COUNTY STYLE (you know, with a decent prize list)

It's back, the 2nd Annual Whale of a Crit with even more money for the Pro 1-2 and Women's fields. Plus it is the final race in Pruitt's coveted Washington Cup Series. It is the same course as last year so bring your bike handling skills.

This is part of Silverdale's Cycling Sunday brought to you by Group Health. Bike activities for the day include the Tour de Kisap Bike Tour and the Kids Bike Rodeo as well as the bike race, so you see, there is biking for all.

Do it.

I have nothing humorous to add to this, it speaks for itself:

Thanks Coach Curly, I guess I have finally made it in the sport after 26 years.

For more Curly go here, you won't be disappointed, and you probably won't read my blog anymore.

HOT!

And I'm not just talking about my roguish good looks either. It was darn right hot here yesterday with the thermometer pushing to 90 degrees on the bank sign across the street from where I was enjoying an icy cold can of Coke on my ride yesterday. Good thing too since I am going to the land of heat and humidity to bike race in 2 weeks. Is summer here? Probably not yet. We still have Ballard next week so that means cool temperatures and rain will probably return soon. Until then, where is my sunscreen?

DOWNRIGHT GIDDY

That's what I was this past Saturday when no less than 9 people showed up over here in Kitsap County to do a bike ride. You see, although we have a fair number of bike riders over here, most are riding around on recumbents, so having 9 guys who have a clue doing a bike ride together made me happy as a kid on Christmas.

I sent out an email invite on Thursday night since there was no bike racing to be had in the area (what's up with that by the way, 3 day weekend and no bike racing?). Mike Hone loaded up the HB team van with Bing, Dakin and Brown. Bethel made the trek over on the ferry because he overslept his own team ride (it's ok that we were the fall back choice Jason), Higgins drove over and we met some guys on the road. And although Hone's girlfriend induced alarm-clock-tractor-beam meant shortening my planned route somewhat, we still managed a respectable 3 hour-100K ride and even delivered Bethel to the ferry terminal with 15 minutes to spare catching a boat home.

Hopefully this won't be a one time deal and more guys will make the not-that-far-away trek to experience the superior riding of Kitsap County. Do it.

NOT A SMART BUCKEYE, V 2.0:

That's right, it's me. And it's because I raced in the Pro 1-2's at Enumclaw this past weekend against the Symmetrics Pain Train. Well, I wouldn't exactly go so far as to say I raced, more like I registered and showed up on the start line at the same time they did. Although I look pretty happy glass cranking my time trial in this pic by Amara, that smile would soon be turned upside down when the sun went away for good, to be replaced by rain, lots of rain...and lactic acid. Mommy......

NOT A SMART BUCKEYE

My guess is that most of you that check out this blog are also following the soap opera that is happening in Malibu (perfect place for a soap opera) right now. That soap opera of course is the Floyd Landis hearings. The picture to the right is of Will Geoghegan and I will sheepishly admit that Will has some Buckeye roots. Will hails from the Cincinnati area and was known to do some bike racing there. Will was, until yesterday, Floyd's manager. That was terminated after it was brought to everyone's attention that Will tried a little phone intimidation on one of USADA's witnesses, none other than Greg LeMond. Trouble is, Will used a traceable number, namely his own cell phone. Not smart Will. Catch a Soprano's episode, notice that they use pay phones. Maybe it is all those years that Will has lived in San Diego that has dulled his brain power because no self-respecting Buckeye would use a traceable phone to intimidate any witnesses. Shame on you Will.

CLASH OF THE ALMOST TITANS FOLLOW UP

For those of you wanting to know the outcome of P-stache Vs P-dog last night at the Tuesday Night Speedway Championships, I will simply direct you to P-dog's account of how he and his minions fared.

CLASH OF THE ALMOST TITANS

P-dog versus Me at the Raceway this Tuesday night. That's right P-dog, you were victorious at the Raceway 2 weeks ago, I lapped the field last Thursday at Seward coming in 2nd, beaten by one of your newly hired minions. It's on, I am calling you out and coming in hot tomorrow night at the Tuesday Night Speedway World Championships. Plus, you dissed me and did not include my blog in your Friday synopsis. It's on P-dog, oh its on big time. Bring it, bring all you got, because you are going to need it.

Washington Cell Phone Ban Signed into law:

Good job Washington State law makers. Way to go on signing the bill banning using your hands to speak on your cell phone or to text while driving. I am sooo relieved that they have made it illegal to do that, drink coffee, apply your makeup, look at a map, talk to your passengers while gesticulating with your hands, rubber-neck while passing an accident or going through a construction zone, smoke a cigarette, as well as the entire list of other things that might distract you while you are driving. The roads are going to be so much safer out there.

What's that? What? They only made it illegal to use your cell phone unless using a hands free device? Now that seems kind of silly doesn't it? They better go back to the drawing board to make sure the roads are safe for everyone out there. Idiots.

Wow, you really can buy anything on Ebay, check it out:

NOW ON EBAY:

DIRECT TO YOU FROM MADRID by way of Italy, Germany, etc!! These slightly used, completely “clean” and still perfect blood bags can hold your supplies of hemoglobin-rich, EPO-infused, blood transfusions for your mid-season training “boost” (especially if you are competing in the NCNCA Masters races).

These are the very same Dr.Fuentes approved PROFESSIONAL Quality blood bags you’ve read so much about and were previously used just to store, and never, never, EVER, actually make available, blood doping supplies to their owners.
Your training partners and fellow competitors will be as amazed like Gibo was when you go flying past them on the slopes! You’ll climb like a god. Heck, use enough of these “products” and you may be JOINING the gods! Let’s face it! When it comes to winning a rare and valuable Leibold T-shirt, you have to put it ALL on the line, right? Who cares if your balz shrivel-up like a dropped clifbar on a sunny day? Unexpected heart-failure? Hey, just everybody stand back while I shout “CLEAR!”.
Keep an eye out for upcoming auctions and collect the whole Madrid series! We’ve got Ivan Basso, Jorg Jaksche, Oskar Sevilla (All except Ullrich’s, of course, that one sold already!) But we’ll soon have Valverde, Hamilton, and a whole S***-load of unheard of Spanish guys, (they’ll go cheap, those poor devils). Use “Buy-It –Now” and I’ll include several famous rider’s signatures that will be just as authentic as their recent Giro d’Italia and Tour de France and other Pro Tour race wins.

Bonus! Download soon I-tunes: the Manolo Saiz' Boys Choir singing:

Ninety-Nine Baggies of Blood on the Wall,
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Take one down, infuse it around,
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Click on the link to bid now: blood storage bags

And in other news: local boy Tom Peterson wins the Inner Loop Stage at Gila:

To quote Velonews: "The victory was Peterson's first since the 2004 road race junior national championships. "

Apparently no one alerted the media to his fine vicotry at Sequim this spring.

HORNER!!!

Check it: Horner grabs the lead at Romandie!

Quote for the week:

I am a sucker for a great quote. Here is one from an article in the May 2007 issue of Vanity Fair. It is from a short piece on Rush Limbaugh and his attack on environmentalism:

"...he has injected millions of semi-vacant American skulls with a cream filling of complacency that has helped thrust this country into the forefront of backward leadership"

Semi-vacant skulls and cream filling of complancency. Perfect.

AXLEY ON ABC TV VIRGINIA...THE SWEATER ANYWAY...AT LEAST PART OF IT

The Virginia based Seigler-Axley team (it's Axley-Seigler here on the PNW) participated in last weeks Tour of Virginia. Phil Robb from the team was interviewed on teh local ABC affiliate....is that the edge of an Axley sweater I see? If only that camera had panned down a little bit more.

Check it out here: http://www.wset.com/news/stories/0407/417391.html

US PAN-AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS SELECTION

The US has announced its team for the Pan-American Championships to be held in Venezuela in May. The US men will only be racing the track events while the US women will do both road and track. Among those selected for the men is Seattle area fast man Kenny Williams who has more National and World championship (Senior and Masters combined) than I can even imagine. Let me first say congratulations to Kenny on his selection. Now to my point: I think that it is a sad state of affairs for the US track program that a guy my age (39 for the record) has been selected to represent the US at an international competition. Now this is not a swipe at Kenny, good for him that he is still kicking ass and taking names. No this is a swipe at the US track program (and USAC in general) that they still have not figured out a way to find and groom the next generation of riders. What is up with that? Your thoughts?

WORTH THE READ, McGOVERN RESPONDS TO CHENEY:

No comment from me other than that I think some good points are made in this Op-Ed piece by 1972 Democratic Presidential nominee George McGovern in the LA Times and I think that it is worth the read.

BRI/WALLA WALLA & FAT TIRE REPORT

(courtesy guest reporter and BRI team mate A. Luhn):

Walla Walla is in the books and done. Joe, Gavin and myself made the Mecca to wine country to hook up with our newest teammate, Remi M. He was probably thinking WTF when he met us. Joe's scar is still pink, I have a gut and pinned my number on all noonen & upside down, and all 3 of us are over 40. He was probably looking in his bag to see if he brought another kit

Stage 1 was in a town outside of Walla Walla a bit because there seems to be more hills there. We headed out, registered, got our numbers and put the game face on for a 4:20 start.

At 7 miles there was a sprint, at 11 there was a KOM. It was pretty MF'n fast. I'm talking a lot of single file with a 100 guys. I popped at the KOM and gathered with the weak children for the rest of the day dropping 19 minutes. Gavin & Joe had some fun chasing on a few times but survived with the main chase group. Remi closed a gap to within a few meters of what turned into the winning break, thought he had it closed, waited for someone to pull through, then watched them ride into the sunset.

65 miles, 4000 feet of climbing. Finished at about 7pm

Stage 2 was a sharp 8:45am out and back tt for breakfast. After a hard stage 1 and a late night, less than 30 guys raced it (Joe went hard enough to beat me). Everyone else rode it...because we had a 100 miles to do in aft. Remi & Richter rode side by side and caught up.

8 miles, 400 feet of climbing

Stage 3 was the Queen stage if you will. 1:45 roll out for 1 k then we headed directly to a 3 k climb. The race started in earnest from there on and we were off for a wine country tour. Second time up the hill there was a split in the field but it came back together. 3rd time up Remi made the sharp end, Gavin and I went over with Strangland and another dude, and Joe "conserved" because he was around a group with "horsepower". Gavin and I chased hard for 20 minutes, collected a couple of buddies and got back on. Joe, who had better buddies, including Tubbs, Chad and Ryan Miller got back on shortly afterwards. That took care of about 3 hours.

Somebody poked Remi with a cattle prod because that guy just started go off. He attacked a bunch (more than 5) and got enough attention and a lead that the race leader finally chased him down while his teammates watched.

The group minus 20 drop outs hit the final decent into town compacto with the hill top finish waiting after a long day. Buckeye rolled up and said lets grab Remi "he was 5th over the climb last time". Ok. So we collected Gavin and cheated like a bastard passing the bunch on the left. We got to the front with 1 k before the s turns in town. I got along side Remi and said we're here and ready to sell out. He said thank you very much but he was fine where he was and in good position. Hopefully, the R-man could look at the color of his jersey and say I'm on the same team...with a bunch geriatric seniors all jacked up, but still at the front of the race with the leaders after 90+ miles reporting for duty.

The race up the hill totally split everyone up and Remi stayed with the leaders all the way to the final few feet and dropped a few seconds to the stage winner. Great performance after being as active as he was. Joe, Gavin and I hit the hill with the bunch but just tempoed up. Gavin did just enough to stay in front of Joe. Joe made sure he was in front of me. I...I thought about selling out and punking Joe ;) Our little race inside of the race. Joe and Gavin finished up around 2:30 back and I was around 3:00. Good day for all of us.

Stage 4 was the DT crit. It rained all morning and the mood was grim. Remi was jacked up for a rain crit and so was I, but by the time the gun went off it was dry pave. Buckeye was thinking about not riding for obvious reasons, but the man from Ohio lined up. Props.

My Clif shot hit the system when the gun went off and I sprinted to the front and lead the first lap. Did it do anything? Yes, it made me really tired for the next 55 minutes and got a few folks single file. 30 minutes of squirrelly crit riding by a bunch of tired guys. Then All Idaho started blazing near the front, then was in a break with 4 guys that turned into 3. The pack chased hard for 20 minutes but never caught Remi & the break. Remi got one more cattle prod and took the sprint for the V and a stage win.

60 minutes, 25mph +average, 27 miles

Great weekend of racing. Remi started to get his swerve on real good. The old guys rode well and like a team when it counted. Our GC placings sucked but I think we all drove away with a job well done, no road rash and a big stage race in the legs.

Fines-
1. $5 Luhn for noonen number pinning
2. 1:30 for heading to the pits for a "handle bar" adjustment and a rest in the crit
3. $10 Buckeye for none team issue socks & gloves (suspended unless another infraction) (editor: official protest as Seigler is BRI's official tubular tire sponsor)

First month awards:

For best off the couch, Remi & Toby
Rookie moves of the year...Luhn is leading. Chasing down Joe at Seward and number pinning.

Have one,

a

PINK IS FAST, OH SO VERY FAST

The Southbay Wheelemen Women's Elite Team went 1-2 on GC at the Conquer the Canyons Stage Race in Los Angeles on the who-so-eye-catching pink Seigler Komen bikes this past weekend. This picture (courtesy http://www.socalcycling.com/) shows eventual winner Jennifer Reither rolling off the start ramp during the 4 mile uphill T.T. up Mullholland.

At the same time that the ladies were kicking ass and taking names, Axley-Seigler Rider Joe Wiley was riding to a fine 2nd place at the Walla Walla Stage race, also on Seigler pink (you see, Joe is so fast and manly that he loves the pink Seigler and dares anyone to give him lip about it). Joe sent the eventual winner's team into a frenzy in both the road race and crit stages attacking off the front looking for those precious seconds he needed to win. (Joe W on pink photo by Amara)

So, if you are looking to go fast, maybe you need to get Seigler pink as well. Sure, I suppose there is training and genetics and all that other stuff, but, well, I'm just saying...pink is fast. Plus, 10% of the sales of any Seigler Komen frame or complete bike goes to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, so, you can be fast and help raise money for a good cause. I'm just saying.....

WALLA WALLA....ouch!

The team and I traveled to the Walla Walla Stage Race last weekend and came away with a win in the criterium stage on Sunday. Congratulations to Remi on a great ride.

It was pretty much a survival contest for me with the intent of getting through it and coming out the other side with some fitness. That almost all came to naught though in the very first stage on Friday. It was a 4pm start, 69 mile road race with an advertised 42oo feet of climbing. All I know is that at one point during the race, I looked down at my computer, saw 28 miles and thought to myself "oh my God, we are not even half-way". Not a good thought to have. This stage was a bitch, at least for me, and from what I hear, from many others as well. Saturday saw us return for a 10k time trial with 400 feet of elevation gain (first rider off at 8:45) and then we came back for a 2pm start of the 95 mile road race that had 5000 feet of climbing. Sunday we actually got to sleep in and race a 60min crit (again, we won).

Now, I think that this race has some potential, but the promoter has got to change the time and/ or stage format. Finishing a 69 mile road race that seemed to always be climbing at 7pm only to be back at 8am to get ready for a time trial just does not allow enough recovery time. You are way to jacked up to get any real sleep. Then to have us do over 100 miles in the afternoon (with the roll out and riding back after the finish) is almost inhuman, especially for a bunch of amateurs who pretty much do this for a hobby. I think he needs to either do a crit in Waitesburg on Friday night and then keep the rest of the format the same (he could probably do away with the short loop on the Saturday road race which would still leave us racing close to 80 miles). Either that, or he needs to do the Friday road race start a lot earlier in the day.

The other thing that gets me are time cuts for local stage races like this. Especially with a hell stage for the first stage. Just let everyone keep racing. It is not like we are tyring to earn UCI point or anything. Leave the time cuts to the big boys in the big races.

One thing I really like about this race though is the crit, great course in a great small town.

That's all I got. PNW Buckeye....out.

BRI WINS WALLA WALLA CRIT!!
New BRI member and former National Road Race Champ, Remi McManus wins the last stage of the Walla Walla Stage Race this past weekend.

(photo courtesy of Amara)

TST REPORT

Well, as you know, I raced TST over the weekend. Add a crit the next day and that equals that I was so tired from the weekend that it took me this long to comment on it.

The night before TST is was raining like crazy and cold, bringing back memories of last years snow fest. I packed the biggest single day race bag I have ever packed, throwing about every article of clothing and form of rain jacket I owned into it. Driving out in the morning I went through small patches of light drizzle which was exactly what it was doing in the morning last year. Fortunately though, the weather smiled on us and the sun actually started to poke out amongst the clouds. Still paranoid and scarred from last year, I was way overdressed once the racing began (which was exactly 1 mile into the race after we rolled out the half-mile, took a left and started to go immediately up hill).

I made it to to Holly Hill with the bunch, just getting tailed off over the top of Anderson, getting back on at the base of Holly and then having the legs finally come off. After that it was a training ride with 5 or 6 other guys to the finish. I was disappointed at not making the selection but at the end of the day, since it was 11 weeks ago that I was lying in a hospital bed following a pretty significant surgery, the fact that I was on the start line and made it that far was a good thing.

Sunday was the local crit at Seward Park. I actually felt pretty good, covered some moves and then....crashed. WTF?! I was covering a move with Chad and Strangelove, Chad skipped a pedal in the 180 turn causing Strangelove to panic, brake when fully leaned over into the turn, lock it up and high side. I t-boned right into him and flipped over, hitting my, that's right....elbow. Again...WTF?! Needless to say, I was pretty mentally shaken up and took a couple of laps to do full elbow inventory. Everything seemed to bend like it should so I got back in, taking a number of laps to get the head screwed back on. Then with 5 to go, the prime bell rang, I actually won it and got some hero time off the front for the next 2 laps. Nice.

A big thanks to everyone who asked if I was ok not only after the race but during. That means a lot.

The pic is of me during my hero time, taken by Amara (who takes all the best pics).

Next up: Walla Walla Stage Race (with the worst double stage day ever: TT in the morning, 80 mile road race in the afternoon, ouch).

MAYBE MIRACLES DO HAPPEN

The following was posted to our team email list on Jan. 26 by my team mate Andy:

I picked up Joe Holmes yesterday at the ferry dock and delivered him to his previous elbow surgeon to perform magic on his fleshly broken elbow. For those of you that don't know, Joe was cruising up a climb with his business partner and they hooked bars that resulted in Joe going down and breaking his elbow (same one he did last fall on the track). This required surgery and I am happy to report that the surgeon did not have toe re-break his first fracture to repair the second, which could have happened.

When I picked him up he did mention that TST is 11 weeks out. Very fitting and optimistic form the Buckeye. Don't put it past Joe that he is truly thinking about being on a 100% form for this spring classic that he covets. It would be a miracle, but he is a Buckeye and because of that anything can happen.

Well, TST is tomorrow, and I am registered. I may not be 100%, but I am at least 85%. So I say: Maybe miracles do happen, bring it on.

TST WEEKEND

TST or, Tahuya-Seabeck-Tahuya is this weekend. TST is a 64 mile road race on 1 big loop with over 4100 feet of climbing held on the roads of Kitsap and Mason Counties (or in other words, in my backyard). Classic. The promoting club likes to state that this race is supposed to remind you of the spring Belgium classics. We all know that sort of embellishment is tossed around by just about everyone this time of year. Races are held all over the US that try to bring some of the luster of the spring European classics to their meager attempts. From the Ronde von Toledo, Ohio to the Omloop de Madison, Wisconsin ,they turn out to be nothing more than a flat circuit race that might go over a short section of bricks. TST is not one of those races. As mentioned before, it packs over 4000 feet of climbing into 65 miles and is held on a course that is one giant loop. There are basically 4 major selection spots, starting with the climb that comes at mile 1. And then there is the weather, it is after all April in the Pacific Northwest. If you have any doubt just take a look at these pictures on http://www.wheelsinfocus.com/2006/TST.htm from last year's race. If you scroll down far enough, you will see the photos of it snowing in the feed zone.

I have always loved the early spring season hilly road races. When I moved here in the summer of 2003 and found out about TST I got all fired up since it sounded like a cool race that was held on roads in my new stomping grounds. Something always seemed to go awry though with my participation in it. 2004 I had to have emergency eye surgery for a detached retina, so no TST. 2005 I came down with a bad cold in the week preceding it, so no TST. Last year, no ailments, training going great and then the 40 degrees and rain which led to my complete come-apart in the snow that was falling at the top of Holly Hill in the feedzone. This year: a busted elbow requiring surgery a mere 11 weeks prior thus derailing my preparation and now some sort of sinus issue brought about by allergies.

No matter though, because I am registered and will be lining up with my Beneroya Research Institute team mates this Saturday in Tahuya. I have been waving my "No rain/snow and 40 degree temperatures" Talisman and keeping an eye on the weather report. I did all sorts of mind-numbing hellacious trainer workouts for 7 weeks straight followed by a blitzkrieg bloc of road miles in the last 3 weeks. So maybe, just maybe this will be the year for me to get through the entire race, make all the selections and be sprinting for the top placings at the end. No matter what though, I will be there, with a grin on my face.

A bitter pill to swallow instead of the sweet taste of a degree of revenge:

Florida 84, Ohio State 75.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/03/sports/ncaabasketball/03men.html

Florida beats Ohio State again in 2007 to win a college national championship.

GO BUCKEYES!!

Well, it's THE Ohio State University versus Florida for a national championship....again. This time it's roundball. Here is hoping we don't revisit the disaster of January. Oh revenge, it can taste so sweet.

FINAL FOUR

Whose it gonna be in the final? Prediction: OSU v. UCLA, because that's what my lady has in her bracket. And that's what it is going to be (and because I don't know if I could handle another OSU v. Florida final for a National Championship). Go Buckeyes!

ELLIOT GOULD CALLED...

And he wants his glasses back.

So Pruitt was in NYC getting his east coast education at an eyewear convention and brought these back for me (no they are not the latest in the Axley line). Apparantly he thinks I will be vacationing in Palm Springs sometime soon. He claims he wanted to get a pair that was big enough to protect my elbow. I think these will do the trick. Thanks P-Dog.

RACING!

So I saw my surgeon last Friday for my 8 week post-surgery check up. He looked at the film and told me that everything was healing up nicely, so much in fact that you could not even see where the fracture was anymore. He said that with most people he would have been worried about the elbow freezing up (you know, since I have busted it 2x in 5 months) but whatever I was doing seemed to be doing the trick. Furthermore, he said he was giving me the go ahead to do pretty much anything that would not result in any further trauma to the elbow (for at least the next 4 weeks).

So, my mind working the way it does, I thought to myself: "72 mile Pro 1-2 road race in Sequim Sunday on flat to rolling terrain in the rain shadow, buy a big Lacrosse elbow pad to wear....sounds like just what the doctor ordered."

Yep, I did my first race of the 2007 season yesterday and let me tell you, it was fantastic. The rain shadow phenomenon held true to form and I lined up with 40 or so other hopefuls for 72 miles of duking it out on the roads of Sequim. And, if I do say so myself, I would give myself a passing grade. I made it to the finish with the main bunch, contributed here and there, hell, I even made it into the first major move of the day sitting shotgun with a couple of HB guys, a couple of Wines guys, a couple of First Rate guys (OAD included) and a single Garage dude. Some young buck First Rate kid tried to get me to work to which I simply pointed to my giant Lacrosse elbow pad I was sporting, shook my head no and replied that this was exactly my 7th day riding on the road since January, what did he have to worry about? (note to First Rate Young Buck, since there were 2 of you FR guys, 2 Wines guys including Strangelove and 2 HB guys, even if I had been logging Pro-Tour miles I would have sat on that move, I have no idea what that Garage guy was thinking....). But I digress, the point is I got to race and it was, dare I say it again, fantastic. I am definitely lacking in the punch department (who am I kidding, I have always been lacking in that department) and the long hard effort department isn't there either. But I got through it and now I have 70+ race miles in my legs. I am starting behind all of you that have been racing but you know what that means....I am fresher.

So look out. P-Stache is back and coming at you like a spider monkey!

WOW! Down 17 at the half, the Buckeyes come back and beat Tenn. to advance to the Elite8! OSU (85) Tenn (84)

"All life is a pecking order and you might as well find out where it is that you peck" - Frank DeFord

Have a listen here. It is an older link that goes nicely with the last post.

EAST COAST SCHOOL YARD BULLY:

I was reading an article about The Sopranos and a quote from Sopranos creator David Chase struck me as right on the money. He was talking about the writers he had assembled for the first season and how he fired almost every writer on the show when his or her first draft came in: "We had writers from Iowa, California, you name it, and they just didn't seem to get this East Coast, schoolyard-bully thing, this level of verbal abuse. And savagery. It's called 'breaking balls' and it's what guys in Jersey and New York do." (from Vanity Fair, April 2007)

Now as most of you know (unless you live in a cave), I am from Ohio, not exactly East Coast, but east, and more east than Midwest. Plus my best friends who I grew up racing with are English, and I think they wrote the book on ball breaking with no mercy. Our crew in Columbus was especially merciless, if you did not have a thick skin you would be left sniffling in the corner, crying for your mommy (and filling out this report). And I bet we paled in comparison to those from further east than we.

Even a hardened pro who hailed from Portland and who found himself staying in Columbus for a few weeks commented on how ruthless we were when it came to busting balls.

What's my point? My point is that I think they raise them up soft out here on the left coast, the place where they are thinking about banning booing at high school sporting events and have banned playing tag at school, and the further east you go, the thicker your epidermal layer needs to be. Ask anyone who lives here and who hails from anywhere from Chicago east and I bet they will agree. Hell you should have heard the shit storm that kicked up on my own team when I busted some balls of my own team mates for not showing up for my cross race last November. You would have thought I said something against their mothers, their daughters and kicked their dogs all at the same time. My advice: get a little more aggressive, call your best friend an "a--hole", bust a ball or two and enjoy it. It doesn't mean you're a bad person, it just means that you are can dish it out and, more importantly, you can take it.

So I am training on the road again and that means I will need my pre and post training recovery drinks. Here they are:

Pre-ride Vitamin E.

Post-ride Vitamin G.

So, ride a lot, eat a lot, sleep a lot. And, remember my vitamins. That is my training mantra.

THIS IS THE FUNNIEST THING HAVE SEEN IN A LONG TIME:
And it has prompted me to link to Coach Curly's blog because it is pretty damn funny as well. Bravo Curly, Bravo.

Notice the sweet Seigler frame that Pruitt is riding. Nice. I heard that you can get those at Seigler Sports, now located in Bremerton, WA.

THE TIME LINE:

This was taken Jan. 24, 5 days after I broke my elbow again. I rigged some old Scott Drop-In bars so that I could rest my giant Fiddler Crab arm in a somewhat elevated position. I was due for surgery, again, in 2 days. This was my rig for at least 2 weeks following my surgery. The smile is forced. Joy is not my friend.

This was taken a couple of weeks ago when I was in LA. I am riding my buddy Harm's trainer on his patio, enjoying some sun and warm weather....on the trainer. As if I need anything else for Harm to make fun of me for. This is 5 weeks post-surgery. The splint (in BRI colors might I add) is removable and what I wore once I could put some more weight on the arm. The smile is not so forced in this one.

This one was taken yesterday. And no the smile is not forced, for I am on the road again. It was 60 degrees, sunny and I got to ride my bike on the road, for the third day in a row. 7 weeks post surgery (don't tell my surgeon, even though I am wearing a padded brace on my elbow). Hallelujah! The surgeon did not seem as conservative with this injury as he was with the last although I am not sure he would be psyched to know I am riding already. I did 50 miles, it was fantastic!

And note to those in the Seattle Cycling community that were paying attention to this time line, what should you take from this? That I was training. So beware. I am going to get all jacked up on Mountain Dew and come at you all like a spider monkey. You have been warned.

AN IMAGE YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE

A buddy of mine puts together training videos for fire departments. He used our house in one. This is a scene you definitely don't want to see in real life (and no I don't mean all the dandelions in the yard or the fact that we need new siding). Check it: House on Fire

BINGO ANYONE?

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME

The organization that oversees high school sports in the state of Washington is considering banning booing at games. Next thing you know they will start calling the losing team the "2nd Place Winner". I have said it before, and I will say it again, people around here are over-sensitive, passive-aggressive sissies. This proves it. Now go fill out the Hurt Feelings Report.

I love it when 2 posts dove tail into each other.

SHE DID IT!

My lady completed her very first marathon Sunday in LA. The photo is of the camera phone variety taken of her at mile 19. She came in a hair over her time-goal but I am giving it to her considering she came down with some sort of sinus infection the day before we flew there. Ugh. You train for 6 months for an event and catch something 4 days before it. I had a lot of fun cheering her on from various locations throughout the marathon. I don't even like running across the street let alone running 26.2 (her wrist GPS said that it was actually 26.39 by the way).

File This Report:

It has been mentioned in the past that I might not be sensitive enough to people's feelings. If anyone is of this opinion (Pruitt), I encourage you to fill this out and submit. Thank you.

LA BABY!

Me and my lady just flew into LA last night. You see, my lady is running the LA Marathon on Sunday. Me, I don't even like to break into a brisk walk. It's why I ride bikes, too lazy.

Anyway, we're here and I am smiling already. I was driving the rental car on The 405 (yes, it is THE 405) last night doing 75 mph...and I was not the fastest car on the road. Fantastic. Drivers in Seattle would have a heart attack down here. Pruitt...this means you.

On a side note: Andrew McD from WOW was on our flight to LA in route to Australia with his wife and little dude. Andrew got his Silca pump on in his carry on. Not his Silca frame pump...his Silca track pump. Good job security. Make me take my shoes off and let the dude with the steel blunt object get on the plane. The baby was just a clever distraction.