Just got home from awesome dinner at Sundogs – sat outside and it was PERFECT!!!
The boys, Drew and I rode bikes there and Bone was so tired that Shane had to go get a car as he fell asleep at the table…
Shane pulled up and Drew said “Are we getting in?”
I quickly shut the door to Shane’s car and said – “Hell no – free baby sitting:)”
I got to do something I have not gotten to do in a while – go out and “play” with no agenda, no plan, no purpose and no requirements for what is “next”…
It was really fun…a beautiful night in AB – out on bikes cruising around checking out the TPC drunks and night crawlers heading out to “feed”. I guess we are getting old – instead of hitting the Lemon bar or Rag times – we opted for One Hot Cookie and soft pedaled home stopping to meet Danielle’s new puppy a Pomeranian named “BO”…
WAIT – are you kidding? He is a Pomeranian – his name is BO?
He is a Serge or Sven or Lord Byron even but BO? Dude - I can drop kick him like 30 yards…BO is a name for hunting dogs – try this…Fetch BO go get the duck…hell the duck would kick this little yippers a$$ all up and down the lagoon :) He is cute as hell but BO – no way…I’m 100% sure her or her mom did not share my sense of humor or fascination with the name but I laughed my a$$ off :)
I digress…
Now I am drinking a cup of coffee and I am watching the GIRO while getting my a$ kicked in scrabble…(I am seriously out of practice as I am good at very few things – Bread pudding and Scrabble and I am getting schooled tonight…I need to concentrate but this is fun…)
Oh yeah and Comcast…show up anytime you want from now on - SERIOUSLY – don’t feel limited to those totally reasonable 4 hour blocks AND you can also raise my rates – YOU GUYS NOW ROCK!!! The NEW Universal Sports Channel (200) is incredible and it’s shows triathlon, track and field and tonight it has the team time trial start to this years Giro – 2 hours of coverage- yes – in America – we have cycling coverage.
This is great - the boys are happy - Drew is happy – I am happy (I would be happier if I wasn’t losing so badly) - it really doesn’t get much better than this :)
OK - enough rambling...
To quote Hercules – OOOHHHHHHH MMMMMMMMM GGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!
What a week + (9 days) for results!!!
1st let’s rewind to last weekend…
Congrats to the shaved legged tough guys in all the Speedweek races. Karel and Curtis toed the line again last weekend with the crew from Rock Racing and the rest of the biggest domestic pro teams and they did fantastic. Karel actually made Velonews…ok – his butt did :) – it was a slug fest every race and these guys did great.
Curtis’ team was actually mentioned as well as one of the Athens Twilight possible sprint winners. This is domestic pro cycling at its pinnacle and these guys were there…wait until next weekend and the State Crit – look for some HUGE results from the whole crew!!!
On the tri side…in south Florida, Blain Peerson showed up and used an incredible swim to jump start his race and went on to win his AG – congrats Blain – way to start off the season.
Down in the Caribbean James Sweeney had a great race at the 70.3 St. Croix. The course is one of the hardest in the world and James was up against the best in the world. Why is all this talent in one spot? Kona spots…a bunch of them. It brings out the best of the best and it was game on. James had a great swim, great bike and was running his way to a top three and the heat took its toll.
He ended up in 8th place in AG and sixty something overall…great race on a tough course against the best in the world…that’s impressive – Ironman CDA is next and he will be ready!!!
In the 2nd biggest kid’s race in America, 501 local kids put down there Xbox’s and Playstations long enough to race the YMCA Kids Triathlon last Sunday.
Freddie does the honors of Coen's 1st bodymark...
The event was awesome. For it’s 1st year – incredible organization.
Bone's brothers where on hand to help him stretch before the race...
The distances varied by age but the youngest ones did 100 yard swim, 3 mile bike and ½ run…it was a pretty long race considering their ages.
Of course - everyone takes this is VERY seriously!!!
Out of the swim and on to the bike...
OK - outside assistance is allowed when you can't tie your own shoes :)
I have to admit – I was pretty geeked for the Bone’s first race.
He had a smile for the entire thing and was really happy to finish.
Cody Kopp blazed through the bike (wonder where he got that from?:)) and went on to win the AG.
One of the other highlights for me was getting to meet and watch Tim Houston race. He is really cool and I am stoked to have been able to meet him – he is inspiring.
Bone finished and celebrated in style...
Post race ice cream is a HUGE hit!!!
Fast forward to this weekend and JC does it again at Gulf Coast Triathlon. An AG win and 6th place in the overall female ranks in a 5:03. She would be a great pro if she wanted to be (hint hint hint). The day had a rough swim but JC’s swim has gotten so much stronger and she did great. On to the bike she picked up a bunch of spots and brought it home with a tough run on a really HOT course. I have no doubt she will be in Kona and Clearwater this year – congrats JC and Louisville is next.
That’s all for results – coming up next weekend is the State Criterium Championship, the BFAS, and the Florida 70.3 and we have a BUNCH of the crew on the course – I think we will need more blog space.
That’s it…Stop reading here if you have anything better to do…you have been warned :)
So – what else is new…well - not too much…
Oh except…the two best looking bikes I have seen lately are in my bike room – yup!!!
Marisol and Bianca are home!!!
It is really cool to get new equipment and for me buying a new bike is a real undertaking. I research all of the models, sizes, components, features, reviews, referrals – you name it – I read it. This year I knew I needed to upgrade both my play (road) and work (tri) bikes and I wanted to get something with a unique advantage. I looked at the Scott’s, Felt’s, Orbea’s, Ridley, BMC and the Look and I thought I had it narrowed down.
I guess I just kept trying to picture myself on these and I just couldn’t.
It was getting pretty frustrating and I asked Rich (the best bike geek I now) and he said, “Dude – I like my ride…if I were going to get another – I would get the same bike again.”
With that – another brand was in the mix – Trek. I looked at the TTX and even at Levi’s dancing bear and I kept saying “man – I just don’t like the look”. I really dug Chris Lieto’s bike – it looks super cool but that is not available.
I have coached and worked with Jeff Kopp for 2 years and I always joked with him that I just didn’t like the TTX’s – they looked – well – not my style…not from a functional standpoint – the best rider in the world has been on them for like 9 years?
It was just the colors that I didn’t like…nothing against orange – it was just not for me.
Jeff laughed as only a salesman can when the hook is fully set…
”Dude, have you heard about the NEW Project One…”
I drove over at lunch and we sat down for 20-30 minutes looking at options on the website www.trekbikes.com – he explained the new “End of No” concept…basically if you want it and it can be done…they will try.
I asked him if I could get something not shown anywhere in the catalog and he called the head of Project One and the conversation went a little like this – Jeff says…
“You know that Lance guy…well my friend wants something that will look like his bike only a little different…you did it for Lance - can you do that for him?”
The Trek Project One manager said “Yeah man – we can do that and I think it will look cool.”
We finished the spec’s – SRAM RED – Zipp Bar’s – Quarq Power Meter and Aeolus wheels (these are SICK fast wheels) and Bianca was conceived.
I asked Jeff to have them email me a rendering photo of what we discussed and I was stoked…so stoked I decided to do the same thing with my road bike.
The process is SUPER cool…you can pick everything from frame color to bar tape…all of this is custom – you design your own bike.
The came in 1st – the stealthy girl I named Marisol – all black - no paint just nude carbon – no gloss – SRAM Red and Aeolus 9.0 clincher wheels – she rides like a dream.
The TTX was next – all white – no gloss – SRAM red and Aeolus wheels.
Jeff called and said Bianca would be in on Friday morning and Karel would build her for me…I took the afternoon off – picked up some Native Sun wraps for the crew and headed to the shop just in time to see the UPS man rolling her off the truck.
I love creating things…I think a lot of creativity stops when we put down the crayons and people think too much in “real” terms. I do this daily at work but it was amazing to be able to do this with a bike. I had closed my eyes and picked what I wanted…sketched it out in my head and now they are both “real”.
I am so stoked about these rides…they are smooth, fast and VERY VERY FLY :)
BIG PROPS to the TREK Project One guys…they really created something cool – digital crayons for bike geeks.
Thanks to Jeff for “talking me into it” – I did this myself I think - and for Karel for all the attention to detail in putting her together - she is sweet Bro – thanks!!!
Welcome home Bianca...
She spent her 1st night in the pain cave alone...maybe I should have slept on the floor with her :)
So…that’s all for now…
1 week until Ironman Florida 70.3 and I have no doubt I will be having fun…Bianca gets to roll out – 2 weeks later at World Toughest ½ in Auburn – it’s Marisol’s turn…
Oh yeah and I almost forgot - best thing of all…
Both of these bikes match ALL of my kit’s PERFECTLY!!!
Saswata you are SO jealous :)
No comments:
Post a Comment