whew - that was a long hiatus, eh? That's what happens sometimes when you don't own your own computer - the internet time gets cut down to just enough to check your 20 email messages every 4-5 days. Plus, I've been pretty busy heading back and forth between LA with the track stuff and Los Olivos, CA where our team has rented a sweet ranch/house/estate for a month. As of 10:30A this morning, I am a full-on roadie again! I finished my last track race for at least 2 months. I was pleased with the LA World Cup results where I finished 8th with a surprising time (for me anyway) of 4:34.2. That 8th place was good for some UCI points and a possible qualification for the World Track Championships in Spain in late March. But we won't know for sure until the end of Feb. Now my focus is 100% on the Tour of California!!!! THE biggest race on U.S. soil. We're coming in as probably the biggest underdogs of the race so we'll have to prove to everyone that they made a good choice in selecting us to compete. I'm feeling very fortunate to have the opportunity to line up with the best this sport has to offer but also a fair amount of pressure to compete against these dudes that I watch doing the Tour on OLN. At least I could beat most of them in a no-holds-barred UFC match...and that's really what matters at the end of the day. So anyway, if you want to reach me in the next couple of days - it might prove difficult because I'm going to be taking the "Cliff Notes Guide" to base fitness in attempts to get ready for ToC. Here are some various pics from the last month:
My new ride! (the bike not the Vibe) picture different seatpost/saddle, carbon bottle cages, no pump/saddlebag, and aero Easton race wheels for a sexy racing machine.
Here's Brad Huff lining up for the scratch race final at the world cup. he finished 9th - which basically means that I'm better than he is (remember I finished a stellar 8th in my event)
A view from the top of a climb near our house in Los Olivos. Not bad, eh?
A look out at the ocean from the top of a different climb.
I passed this on a solo ride in the area and thought the sign was disrespectful to the cows.
Meatball Friedman, always the crowd pleaser, showing his track stand skills on a bike that is probably only a 1-2cm smaller than he regularly rides.
the only thing the LA smog is good for: consistently impressive sunsets.
My new ride! (the bike not the Vibe) picture different seatpost/saddle, carbon bottle cages, no pump/saddlebag, and aero Easton race wheels for a sexy racing machine.
Here's Brad Huff lining up for the scratch race final at the world cup. he finished 9th - which basically means that I'm better than he is (remember I finished a stellar 8th in my event)
A view from the top of a climb near our house in Los Olivos. Not bad, eh?
A look out at the ocean from the top of a different climb.
I passed this on a solo ride in the area and thought the sign was disrespectful to the cows.
Meatball Friedman, always the crowd pleaser, showing his track stand skills on a bike that is probably only a 1-2cm smaller than he regularly rides. 
the only thing the LA smog is good for: consistently impressive sunsets.
