Whoa, whoa whoa... I keep forgetting about this thing.

Well, I don't have a bike. I sold my Madone over a month ago because there was some miscommunication about the availability of the new ones. In short, I've been sitting on my (very) fat ass for a while now with no bike to ride. I guess the up side of it is that the new one will be here this week and its probably going to be a little cooler than the one I was planning on getting. I'm getting a Tarmac instead of a Madone. I loved my Madone more than any bike I've ever ridden but I'm really looking forward to riding something new.

Another bike-related dissapointment is that I'm getting rid of the track bike I ordered last fall. With the new bike coming in and just general expenses of being a broke college kid, I just can't afford to keep the track bike at this point. Since I've never actually ridden it I should be able to make my money back on it but I'm still really upset that I keep having to defer serious track racing away each and every year.

So the bottom line is, I don't own a bike and I'm out of shape but life is great other than that! I'm taking summer classes in Kzoo so I'm staying here for at least half of the summer. So far its been really nice but I do miss my friends who went home for the summer.

Well, I'm off. Believe it or not, I have homework to do on this lovely Saturday morning. I wish I was racing this weekend...

Don't worry, there'll be a day... hopefully this year yet haha.

Later

Today is a great day. I mean every day is a great day but today is just... gravy... yeah I said gravy.

Tomorrow I leave for Colorado to do some skiing and boarding with my padre and all the rest of the family out there. I'm super excited, they've been getting quite a bit of snow as of late so it'll be an awesome time. I'll try to take more pictures this time. It just so happens that the Pistons have an away game in Denver on the 9th and its looking pretty likely that we will be attending. That would make the trip in itself.

Levi wrapped up the Tour of California the other day. The battle for the yellow shirt wasn't too terribly exciting but it was still a good race. Its kind of tough to have a stage race of that caliber in February. You never really know where people's form is. The online coverage awesome and it was also televised so that's pretty sweet. Its fun to see guys like Basso and Bettini racing in the states.

Well, my favorite band (OAR) was supposed to play a show in Kalamazoo on their current tour and the show was cancelled the other day so I'm pretty bummed about that. My friend Rose knows the drummer's aunt so we were getting some free tickets and dinner with the band after wards so I was way pumped about that. Unfortunately the campus activities board eff'd it up so its not going to work out but hopefully I'll get to see them in Chicago instead. They played a show on their last tour at the Garden in NYC and they're making a DVD/CD of it and I got a sneak preview of it today. Lets just say that its nothing short of amazing.

Also in the music area... My tickets for the Dispatch concert in New York City came in the mail. I can't even fathom how spectacular that day will be. If you don't know them, Dispatch is an indy band that broke up in '04 and they're playing a reunion concert at Madison Square Garden this summer with 100% proceeds going to charity. Their free break up concert in Boston drew 110,000 people- the biggest concert in independent music history. They're just three guys that are so incredibly talented its mind boggelling.

Well I have a basketball game to play in a little bit and I also have to get all my shit together to leave tomorrow so I'm off.

Later gator.

The real world...

That's my reason for not riding much right now. I may not be there just yet but right now my main focus is doing well in school and looking ahead to my future in-yup that's right- the real world. Lately my schedule has been wake up, go to class, study, go to class, study, go to class, study, go to a meeting for a class, etc. Unfortunately this leaves very little time to ride the ol' two wheeler and as I said in the last entry- I'm pretty outta shape at the current time. But have no fear, I am by no means throwing the towel in on racing. Last year was lost, yeah I got over that but I do plan to make a re-appearence onto the "Michigan Scene" as they say. I think I'm just going to have to focus on the latter part of the season. I remember how pumped I was in '05 for the Spring Training Series to start up and how fit I was compared to '04, man I couldn't wait to race. I miss that.

I was digging through some old race pictures from the glory days as a mountain biker and my first road season and all that jazz. Man those were some fun times. I will never forget in 2004 after I had a good race at Cedar Creek, Tony told me that I earned the right to represent the team at Tour of Ohio. That trip was the most fun (and humbling) race trip I think I've had. Sure I crashed on the first AND second days and got dropped like a freakin rock on the 3rd day which was the "Queen Stage". I guess it was too much for my twice crashed 17 year old legs. The one thing that I remember through all of that was just how much fun I had. When I think about all that, I just take the time to realize how much I truly love the sport of bicycle racing. You know, its just about the love of the competition and pure beauty of going toe to toe with your friends and seeing who comes out on top. I love this sport- I always will.

The Tour of California starts today and I'm pretty excited about that. I love it when big dudes come over and race with the domestic pros. Even more exciting is the fact that two friends that I grew up racing with are getting the chance to race. Scott and I raced mountain bikes together since the very first year I ever started a race. He's always been an awesome person to hang out with at races and we've gotten to know eachother pretty well over the years. I couldn't be happier for him. I first met Brent when he was racing with my older brother off and on the road. He's a really cool guy to be around and race with. I'm even more excited to follow the race with those two guys in there. Congrats guys.

Well its NBA all-star weekend and I better get some homework done if I am to be able to watch the game tonight. Go EAST. Lata gata

How about that Jonathan Page? After coming away with an impressive silver medal at worlds, I'd say JP is pretty happy with how his season finished up. I couldn't be happier for him, he's such a good guy and great racer. At the start of the '05 Pro-Am at crit nationals he told me my chain was off. I had no idea that it was, but that could have been quite the disaster of a race had he not saved my ass haha. So JP is allright in my book! Word on the street is that he may be making an appearence at the MI UCI race next year.

Spring break couldn't come sooner.

This semester is going absolutely outstanding with respect to my grades. However, with the extra study time and busy life I've been leading I have been in really poor physical shape lately which is something I need to address very soon. Racing starts in a little over a month and I'm in the worst shape of my life! Hopefully I'll be able to get on my bike soon and start to take care of that, I need to get my focus back. This last year was really hard being sidelined for the whole season so I really would like to come back where I left off.

This weather is terrible. I was going over to the dorms today and I decided it would be a good idea to walk because I stayed inside way too much today. Well, lets just say that that decision was probably the worst one I've made in a while. After getting there I checked Weather.com which said it was 0 degrees and "felt like" -1 degree. Well it must have been that extra degree that did it in for me because I think I lost all feeling in my appendages after that little adventure. I couldn't imagine riding a bike in this weather. If there is anyone out there who has been riding outside this week (paging Robert Herriman), you're insane.

Well it is late and I have to try to get some sleep, which is something I don't get much of these days.

PS- Go Pistons. Chris Webber is just what they needed.

Well, well. Its been too long...

I got back from Thanksgiving in Colorado only to figure out that I left my lap top in that lovely state, so the internet access has been limited. Buuuuuut now my computer has been sent to me and I'm going again. I didn't take that many pictures in Colorado, but I got a few. The skiing/boarding was good out there considering how early in the season it was. Ben and I also did some good rides around Colorado Springs. Some spectacular hiking was done as well. Ben and I climbed about half way up Pikes Peak on our last day there. We didn't have enough time to do the whole thing but I hope in my next trip to do that once. By foot its a marathon distance to go to the top and back, climbing something like 7,300 vertical feet reaching a summit elev. of 14,100. Now that's a long day of hiking.


<--- A picture from a ride at Garden of the Gods. Notice Pikes Peak in the background.





<-- Hiking at Cheyenne Mountain, fresh mountain water...mmmm....








<--- skiing at Breck. The imperial lift is the highest lift in the world from what I understand. We hiked a little higher yet and did some crazy steeps and stuff. Good times.




This past Jon Card kicked everyone's nuts and took over the MI state 'cross champion title from Jer. Jon as a cool ass dude and I'm glad he won the race. I'm having a good laugh about all the bitching going on TMS blog about Jon not being from Michigan. That brings me to my next point: anonymous comments. Why the hell can't a person use their name when talking trash or making contradictory points? That, in my honest opinion is some crap.

I was reflecting a little bit about this years' cross season. I think MI 'cross is the most organized and well layed out of any of the MI race scenes. Hats off to Robert and all the people who show up every weekend for all that madness.

Well I have finals next week so I better get prepared for that. Check back soon for another update.

Well, well. I have been really busy and fell behind a little with this thing.

Iceman has come and gone. The flippin SIMONSTER won that thing! I am pretty excited about that. Its been a long time since a homeboy took that race, especially in such a fashion that he did. Mikey is the maaaan.

The MI 'cross scene got rocked last week by Weinert, Jonny Card and Foshag. Those guys worked everyone over and Rob took the win in his hometown. I'm really happy for those guys. All 3 of them are really awesome dudes and are some good folks to be racing with. They show up to the road races with 3 or 4 guys and still end up putting Card on top of the results most of the time.

Looks like Tree Farm took home another win this weekend. 6'5" of pure 'cross madness.
I guess there was a North Carolina UCI race this weekend and some guys from around here headed down there. I'm excited to see how they did.






I leave for Colorado on Tuesday. Gonna go do some early season boarding and skiing and a little bit of riding too if the weather isn't too bad... but you never know in CO until you are actually on your bike.

Well I'm off. I have to read the novel "Sun Diata; An Epic of Old Mali" by 7:30 tonight. I'm pretty pumped for that... .naaaah. God bless elective classes that have no purpose towards my major. I'm sure when I'm 50 years old running my own financial planning services business I will reflect on the Sun Diata novel and be so incredibly happy that I read it... yeah eff that. Peace y'all.

Iceman weekend...

It's here and I'm excited. I'm not even racing and I am still flippin pumped. This is one of my favorite weekends of the year. Good racing, good people, good food and of course... good parties.

As far as I'm concerned, Adam Craig will stomp everyone. That guy is cool as hell. I had never met him before last year but we got to talking during a pre-ride and at the expo. Basically we spent a good amount of time making fun of DOUCHE BAG Ryder Hesjedal and how he has sand in his vagina and that's why he didn't win Iceman when he raced a couple years ago. Screw that ass hole

But as far as the Michigan dudes go... well obviously Simonson is going to have a good race. The guy has ripped a whole in the Michigan MTB scene this year, not to mention his good 'crossin as of late. I think the Simonster can break top 5 with a little luck and a good day. That's of course assuming that the fast guys show up again (JHK, Travis Brown, Craig, etc). Tristan Schouten is riding well right now too.

How bout Wells and Compton beating some ass in Boulder... that's pretty sweet.

Hey Wells... sweet shirt.

Jon Card is riding like an animal right now.

Sven Nys is still a god.

PS- Wearing Safety glasses in a bike race is a definate party foul. Anyone who wears safety glasses in a bicycle race is a faggot.

Good luck to everyone this weekend.