Hitting Bottom. It doesn't take me long to hit bottom going in to the off-season. This year it only took 5 off the bike, eating junk, and drinking beer. Of course the push over the edge was the burger and fries at Fatburger on Friday. It is my usual tradition to have an annual fast food burger and fries at the end of the season.

And this is the result. I don't see how people eat this stuff all the time. It made me feel bad, real bad. In fact I didn't eat another meal until dinner on Saturday.

And Mike discovered what is wrong with American society with this baked potato he orderd. Who needs this much food?

So the sun has already set on my time off because I'm not sure I can stand it anymore. It goes so quick between not wanting to see my bike again and feeling like a fat sloth. I think I'll be back to working out again by Monday as my pants are already getting snug. That's just enough weight gain to motivate training, but not so much that I need to wear sweatpants all the time.

I really wish I had something to post about today. I really, really do.

The slippery slope. Since I finally made the decision on Monday not to go to track nationals I've officially started the off-season. I haven't touched my bike since Sunday, although Monday and Tuesday I don't think I physically could have. I was completely wiped out from the 12-day stage race I had just been through (Fred Cappy, Parker, Track camp with no rest days).

Have you ever been so tired you just wanted to cry? I have been only a few times in my life. Once I remember was on the last day of Redlands back when it was a 6-day race. It was either the first or second time I had done it and I had to rush to the airport after the last stage to make my plane. I got to the gate and just started balling uncontrollably. Now anyone who knows me, knows I'm not one to cry, but this was especially embarrasing because Mari and Dean were on the same flight, and I really didn't want to give Dean any more fodder for making fun of me. (Dean's a guy I work with at CTS and he makes fun of everyone as his hobby, and Mari of world champ cyclist fame Mari).

So on Tuesday I am that tired, and that's after taking the whole day off on Monday. I'm just sitting at the light on the way to the store and I am starting to cry. We're not even talking PMS crying, this is just I'm so tired I can't drive my car to the store crying.

So I am going to the store to pick up something to eat for dinner, and of course I chose cake. No, I don't mean cake for dessert, I just mean cake (beer, of course, was for dessert).

I know it's a slippery slope to food coma with cake for me, so I just got one piece (Caroline takes after her Aunt Renee). I think I'm going to eat as much junk as possible this week, maybe I can put on a good 5lbs before the end of the month. I need some kind of motivation to keep me going through the winter months, and fear of getting fat is the best one there is.

In things that are not cycling this week...

I just rented the first season of The Office. Hilarious! I'm sure everyone else in the free world is already watching it, but if you're not it's good funny stuff.

And the Broncos beat the Patriots and pretty boy Tom Brady last night. Woohoo, go Broncos!

Track Camp Day 6: The last day of the '06 season???

Peak update, clear skies, crisp air, at least it was warmer than yesterday.

It was still chilly in the morning so the girls decided to "borrow" some of the CREF kids clothes to stay warm.

Upon further inspection, Sarah Caravella borrowed Friedman's Homer Simpson slippers too.

Lara contemplates warming up for the mass start test... The mass start test is a 2k effort but you have to do the first 500 meters of the 2k really frickin' fast to make a time marker at 500, but keep going pretty fast to make the 2k time goal. It's a performance standard to make the talent pool for the national team. I've never tried it before, but Kelle Murdin's instructions were to" just go as f*%ing fast as f@#*ing possible for the first 500 meters", then just try to hold on for the rest. Apparently I wasn't that fast as I was 2 sec off by the first time check, but no one was fast today because I think we're all pretty blown from the last week of camp.

Oh well, the day ended well with the time trial effort in the morning then a wicked fast motor paced scratch race in the pm. It was so fast there was no girl that didn't get dropped at least once. Most of us got dropped multiple times, some more than others. Oh well, screw it. The season's over, time to go out for sushi. And yes that is my gigantic beer you see.

Track Camp Day ??? - I dunno, but it's too damn cold to be riding bikes around in circles

Colby gives instructions in between teeth chatters. Note the additional accumulation of snow on the peak since yesterday.

I wish I could remember what the joke was it looks like it was real funny.

Creed's super duper secret aero bars for his "breakaways" in the mass start events at natz.

In the workout we did some sprints and flying kilos. I was not flying in the workout though.

In the afternoon we went to watch a few laps of the cross race in the midst of doing our road ride. A couple of guys from camp, Mike, Steph and just about everyone else in town raced too. Steph did awesome too to start off her cross season in style.

Later we went out to dinner at Il Vechinos. Note, I am not sticking my tongue out at you but rather trying real hard to take a good picture.

Track Camp Day 4: Abort! Abort!

"Seriously? Are you serious? You want me to take all 25 bikes back in to the cages after I just brought them all out?" Poor Andrew (the mechanic) just gets the bad news from Colby that the morning track session was aborted due to rain right after he had just spent the last hour bringing all the equipment out.

Plan B was soon aborted after that because doing a road ride in 40 degrees and pissing rain in September is "useless" according to Coach Colby Pearce. Phew, because about 5 minutes in to the ride I started to think it was a real bad idea as my toes and fingers were going numb, good thing Colby decided to turn us around after about 7 minutes.

The day wasn't all bad, there was a Zir-mullet sighting. Sorry Brad, the MC Hammer stripes on the side puts it over the top.

There was a rumor we'd be doing roller races in the mechanics room in the afternoon.

Instead we did some testing on the ergometer. We did some 10 and 30 second all-out sprints. Lucky me I got to do it twice because the first time the SRM wasn't plugged in. I'd like to say I would have recorded about 1,000 watts if the SRM had on for that first one. Truth is the ergometer doesn't lie, and I'm just not all that powerful.

So although it's still technically summer (until tomorrow) it's time to cuddle up by the fire, crack open a beer, and eat some pumpkin pie. I am so over riding my bike hard. I think I will abort on the idea of going to nationals and instead start my off-season in about 42 hours and 37 minutes.

Track Camp Day 3: Winter Arrives

What a difference a day makes. It was shorts and short sleeves yesterday and today there's snow on the Peak.

Even Lara thinks it's cold and she's from Colorado.

The view from the back where I spent most of the day as I was off-the-back in the workouts. Phew, I'm flippin' tired. I think 5 days of racing before the camp was a bad idea.

Lipton Tea vs Victory Brewing. Today's head to head battle to finally answer the question what's better for performance, tea or beer?

To my surprise, tea won. The Lipton girls celebrate with a little break dancing.

Go Lipton, Go Party, Get your groove on...

Sima cheers them on.
Part deux: Green Tea vs Herbal Tea???

I don't know but all that tea drinking makes them have to go pee a lot.

(oh I almost forgot that whole sarcasm notification policy. most of this post was b.s. I mean except for the part about it snowing and me feeling like poop)

Track Camp: Day 2, Fashion Day

So today was all about fashion as many of the riders were trying to start new trends.

Katharine Carroll starts in with the single knee warmer look.

That was soon to be copied by Alison Powers who incidentally has beaten the world TT champ in a time trial this year. (Congrats to Kristen Armstrong on winning World's today).

Clay took his in more of a"stay away from me because I crash a lot" look with his "lucky" shorts.

But Kelle Murdin wins the day with her "laundry day" multi-colored, multi-team ensemble.

Here Sima Trapp prays that we don't have to do any more 2k efforts today.

Later Brad Huff (left) entertains us with stupid human tricks on our recovery ride.

And Mike Friedman proves that it's not just funny for a normal size person to ride my bike around as Lara Kroepsch's bike is nearly as small as mine.

Track Camp Day 1: Pedal around in circles, turn left

I wish I had more to report than that, but that's about all we did today was pedal around in circles on the track today, and all I know is that I'm tired. You'd think I had just done the equivalent of a 5-day stage race. Oh....

I do have a goal for the week though and that's to capture a picture of the Zir-mullet. We're going to have a little contest to see who is rockin' the best mullet, Sir Brad Huff (pictured above) or the Zirbeast, the Tom Zirbel, who is trying the track for the first time this week.

Parker Omnium Race Report: Holy Criterium, I can't believe it's the last road event of the season!

I'd call today the dog days of racing, because I worked like a dog today. My assignment: Go after the cash primes and cover EVERY move. Turns out I am the champ of getting 2nd or 3rd in primes as I only won one of the $100 primes but got second or third in about 5 others. I did my best covering the moves too, but unfortunately one of the moves I covered was the Lipton tea mixer in turn one as a one of them crashed and took out about 6 or 7 of us. No harm, no foul. I just got a little road rash and a couple lap breather in the race.

I think this dog is a CREF fan.

...and so am I. Here I am giving Meatball and Teton a show. Don't ask, don't tell. Seriously, it wasn't very risque. It was just payback for Friedman and Huff flashing us in our race.

"Go this way!" - This race was so well run and put together. They even had these stick men all over town telling us which way to turn.

To top it all off, Beth landed on the final podium for the overall. FANTASTIC! Alison Powers did an overwhealmingly great job of dominating the weekend, and Sarah Uhl sprinted her way to second, while our little bfisk rode consistent and strong all weekend to finish 3rd. Way to go Beth!

Parker Omnium Race Report: Day 2

Folks, if you're not a member of the Hammer Nation yet, it's time to join! Sharon the Hammer Allpress (stock photo) did a stellar ride today, made the very tough break and finished 3rd. Beth also pulled off a very nice ride to finish 7th. I on the other hand didn't have the best day. I did however win the first lap in a short lived breakaway with Miranda from CPT.

Even the juniors know it's important to pre-hydrate before the race. Too bad we did not get our pee stop because some lady thought she'd attack when we called pee break . Bad form, very bad form.

The break in the men's race. Go Meatball!

The town has been great in supporting the race. They even had a band playing.