Friday, May 26, 2006
www.garrettpeltonen.missingsaddle.com
I have officially moved to:
for good.
later,
g.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Ambien Bird Flu
Jones taking off his "travel socks" outside of Atlanta's Hatfield Jackson Airport. 
Hollywood back at home this morning and I quote "looking good despite not have showered in several days and only getting five hours of sleep last night".Hollywood and I made it back to Folsom last night at around 12:30 AM after flying out from Brussels about a day earlier.
Nothing too exciting happened on the way home except that I was "probed" by security at the Brussels airport for having a CO2 cartridge in my bike bag. I was a bit nervous when two dudes and a lady escourted me into a large stainless steel room and started interrogating me but I survived.
Then on the flight from Brussels to Atlanta I was awoken from a peaceful sleep by a dude who passed out on his way to the bathroom. He passed out, collapsed, and hit his head on my knee which woke me up. The guy did not die or anything but I guess he had some heart problems so they gave him oxygen and sent him to first class (I would put money on the fact that he had a headache the rest of the afternoon).
The rest of the flights/connections were really long but eventually Karl and I made it to Sacramento. I wonder if Sayers made it back yet? He had problems with his ticket and put on a different flight than Karl and I which had an extra layover in LA. If it makes you feel any better Mike, Karl and I sat on the runway in Chicago for over an hour waiting for baggage to be loaded.
As a side note I would recommend not taking a cab from Folsom to the Sacramento airport because it will cost you about $90 dollars................and that is without champagne.
Now it is time to drag my "Ambien Bird Flu" ass to the doctor so I can get fixed up for philly week. I wonder if they have ever heard of it before? Jones diagnosed me.................
later,
g.
Monday, May 22, 2006
Petri Dish of Disease on the Loose
I was allowed out of quarantine today and went downtown Kortrijk to do some shoppeing with staff (Jeff, Kim, and Chad). I still don't think I am allowed to be around riders or maybe everyone just runs and hides when I come around ;-(.
Jeff Corbett told me this morning that, "It is not that we don't like you Garrett it is just that you are a big petri dish of disease!" That made me feel all warm inside!
It was nice to get out of the house and walk around a bit. I tried on a really expensive pair of pants at a store just for the hell of it and they fit great..........go figure! I have concluded that anything over $250 no matter what size will fit you great. Instead of buying the pants I purchased two Coca-Lights which made me happy for about thirty seconds.
Now I should get ready and pack for the flight home tomorrow. I think that we are leaving in the morning and we should get back sometime Tuesday evening?
later,
g.
PS. I believe it is Frank Pipp's birthday today so happy birthday old man.
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Peace Race
The hotel that we stayed at in Oudenaarde, Belgium had a crazy bike that would go the opposite way you would turn the handlebars. No one on the team was able to ride it. 
Arriving at the airport in Belgium on our way to the start of the Peace Race in the Czech Republic.
Jeff "afro" Louder's passport picture. Honestly, I wish I could have hair like that.
My grapefruit art. I was impressed but everyone else thought it was childish.
We thought we saw Gord at the airport but then realized it could not be him since he was winning races in Arkansas.
Jones saved Kim and I seats in the exit row on the plane so we had more leg room.
Snow covered mountains in Austria.
The terrain on our way to Ceske Budejovice, Czech Repbulic where we stayed for the first few nights of the Peace Race.
Jones and I in the town square of Ceske Budejovice.
Franky (our assistant director over here and owner of cyclingsolutions.com and all around good guy) and Jones eating pizza and drinking beer in a Czech bar.
A big cool looking building in the Czech Republic.
Chad thinking about what kind of beer he wants for dinner.
Testing out saddles on local commuter bikes to see what one feels the best with my saddle sore. We had to wait until evening before going down and jacking the saddle from the bike though.
A Mexican restaurant that we ate and and the waitress that several memebers of the team thought was rather attractive.
Sunset over the city in the Czech Republic.
Jeff and Kirk having a coffee before the start of stage 4.
The finish of one of the stages in the Czech Republic.
Mike Jones trying to please all of the members of his fan club.
Bec, this one is for your friend Tricia. Jones spotted the sticker on one of the team cars so I took a picture. I thought she would like it.The Peace Race is officially over and we are all back in Belgium for a few days before flying back to the States.
It ended up being pretty successfull for us with Kirk getting third on the sixth stage and Hollywood getting second the following day. Getting on the podium over here is really tough so awesome job guys.
I had a bit of a rough Peace Race personally or at least the last few days. I came into the race without riding due to the massive growth on my ass and was not too confident how long I could go before it got worse again.
Considering that it rained almost every day of the race my ass was not doing that bad. However, halfway through the race the antibiotics I was on ran out and from there things went down hill.
I made it through stage six and that evening I got SICK. I seriously thought I was going to die and even had to go and wake Kim up at 3 AM to have her check that I was not dying. She assured me that I was not dying and sent me back to bed with no drugs! Apparently what she gave me before I went to bed was suppose to last all night but I took them all at once! More is better anyway, right?
Jeff did not allow me to start the next stage even though I felt better in the morning. I was/am bummed but I have to say I think that might have been a good thing since I got worse over the next two days.
Today I am still garbage but at least I can move. I really don't know what else I can say.........I am frustrated and bummed but sometimes things are out of your control..............I think? Who knows or maybe I am just a "soft cock" like Menzies says!
I might be a bit bummed at the moment but I learned a ton racing over here and I really really like it. I also gained a ton of confidence and am looking forward to Philly week.
Back to quarantine............I am staying by myself is social isolation so I don't get anyone else sick. I wonder what the rest of the guys are up to?
later,
g.
Friday, May 12, 2006
Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
I am not really sure how to pronounce the name of the town that we are staying in (Ceske Budejovice) but do know that it is somewhere in Czech Republic.
Yesterday was a pretty long travel day. We left Oudenaarde, Belgium around noon and flew to Salzburg, Austria (I think?). From there we drove many hours on a narrow death road until we finally reached this town in the Czech Republic.
The Czech Republic is cool with all of it's old buildings but it does have a bit of a rough war torn look to it! After traveling to all of these new places I really regret not paying attention in my World history classes. I am pretty much relearning history all over again which is cool.
The best part about the trip here aside from the fact that I got another stamp in my passport was the "bush hookers" along the road at the border of Austria and the Czech Republic. Honestly, in the middle of nowhere these girls dressed in white would come out of the woods/bush and onto the road looking for buisness. I wonder what would happend if I stopped the van to take a leak there? I think I am going to have to try and get a picture with them on the way back through.........I don't think a picture will cost me?
Today I went for a bit of a ride which was my first in five days. I felt okay or at least I was able to ride my bike so that gives me a little optimism for tomorrow. It is funny because Jeff only wanted me to ride for an hour so I was a good boy and did what I was told. I rode a half hour out with the guys and then rode back into town alone. Needless to say the way that I took back into town was cobbled for about 10KM which was awesome for my ass.
Aside from that I did a little shopping today in the town square and now am waiting for dinner.
Tomorrow the Peace race starts and to be honest I would say I am a little nervous. One good thing is that at least I have eight days for my legs to come around!
Time to go watch some foreign tv..............
later,
g.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
R & D
I spent most of yesterday hanging out with Chad an Kim. A few minutes after taking this picture the ice cream truck went by so guess what? We had ice cream! Also notice Chad working on my saddle.
Chad hard at work cutting a huge hole in my saddle so I can actually ride.
Another angle of Chad cutting up a really really expensive Carbon/titanium light weight Fizik saddle.I got a bit of good news yesterday and think I might be able to actually ride my bike! I still have my little friend on my ass and think that he might stay around for awhile. Since we could not fix the source of the problem (the saddle sore) Chad our mechanic decided that we should accomodate the source. This meant cutting a huge hole in the saddle to reduce the pressure on the sensitive area and allowing me to ride.
It is sort of ironic how I am always adjusting my saddle and am really particular about the slant of the thing even if it is only a quarter of a degree. Now, hunks are being hacked out of it and I only have half of a saddle to ride on. I don't think the slant matters as much anymore?
I did give the new "saddle sore accomodating seat" a test ride around the block and it felt okay...........or at least I could sit down and ride. That gave me some a little morale boost with the Peace race on a few days away.
Not exercising and riding lately has been killing me. I pretty much ride every day and it must be sort of an addiction because without it I get sort of bummed. Over the past few days though I have found sone ways to combat the bummedness. First, it helps to drink a ton of coffee............coffee can make anything feel better. Second, I found chatting with one of your best friends girlfriends helps(sorry Frank......I don't think you have to worry though I got a huge growth on my ass). Third, large quantities of beer can also make a bad situation better or any other alcoholic beverage for that matter. Fourth, Belgian chocolate covered waffles that are deep fried and sugar coated can also make you smile. Lastly, I think being super annoying to your teamates also helps.
I am going to go do a little stretching and then we have to catch a plane to Austria.
later,
g.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Jones's Euro Ride
Since I cannot ride Jones was nice enough to take my camera with him on his ride yesterday and take some pictures for the blog. "Dude you had better be careful with my camera I think that might be a good way to drop it?"
Some very nice and smooth cobbles that really are not that smooth but they get much worse.
The Koppenburg which is a famous cobbled climb that is in the spring classic "Flanders" I think? Anyway it is really close to the hotel that we are staying at.
They love cycling over here.Well, I made it through yesterday without riding but I think I annoyed everyone in the house and I think I even annoyed myself. Jones even told me that if I did not shut up he was going to "try" and beat the crap out of me.
I have a bit of a hard time sitting still and when I cannot go ride or even worse when everyone else is out riding and I am sitting in the hotel like a sack it kills me. Jones did take my camera out on his ride and take some pictures for me so I did get to experience somewhat of a ride (pictures above and thanks Mike). I pretty much spent all of yesterday pacing back and forth, being annoying, checking my email every three minutes or chatting with Steph on IM.
Last night we did go to an awesome town in Belgium called Ghent for dinner. It is a college town and there were a lot of people our age there so it was fun. Definitely good for me to get out of the house.
I also found out the logistics for the next few days. Tomorrow we are leaving Belgium and flying to Austria for the start of the Peace Race on Saturday. That means we will have a day to hang out in Austria before the start of the race and hopefully I can get a ride in!!! The race starts in Austria and then goes to the Czech Republic and finally finishes in Germany so it will be an awesome experience. The stages look tough an pretty mountainous and plus the race is eight days long so it should be rather epic.
At the moment I am waiting for my ride (Franky) to show up so we can go to a bike shop and look for some saddle options/accessories that will allow me to ride. I think he might be here.........
Oh, I also stopped drinking diet soda again or am going to ease of it because I drank WAY too much the past few days and think it made me feel crappy??
later,
g.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
I Remember One Time in Europe When I Could Not Ride My Bike and was Really Bored
The CSC team doctor who checked out my saddle sore yesterday morning! No wonder why the CSC guys always want to get hurt!
Jones pissed that he did not have a saddle sore so he could have gotten an exam.
The downtown square in Oudenaarde, Belgium close to where we are staying. The have markets and stuff in the square where the cars are parked on certain days of the week.
A big old building in downtown Oudenaarde in the daylight.
The same building but at night.
Last nights dinner at an Italian joint. I don't drink anything with dinner because they don't give you free water. When you ask for water it costs two Euro and is that bubbly crap............and beer is the same price. Doug also came out to eat with us last night which was awesome since he stayed back in Belgium during Dunkerque because of his hip. It sounds like he is feeling better but his diagnosis is still rather unclear at least until he gets back to the states.
A good time not to ask Chad our mechanic to fix something on my bike.
Karl "internet hog" Menzies.............no actually Karl is nice and lets me use his big bed and and surf the net in his room. Thanks!
Yesterday morning I had a doctors appointment with the CSC team doctor here in town to check out my saddle sore. The girl in the picture above was not really doctor she was just a cute girl in a magazine but I wish she would have been my doctor.
The actual doctor was a guy and he was really nice. However, he looked at my ass and was like....."ooooooh" and when a doctor does that it usually is not good. He told me I had a nice infection going or abscess and that my lymph nodes are swollen. I was given a prescription for some antibiotics, special creams, and three days off of the bike. If it does not get better after this then we have to explore some other options which I plan on avoiding.
One thing good is that the hotel that we are staying at has internet and some English speaking music channels (the Shakira song "My Hips Don't Lie" is what gets me through the day) otherwise I would not know what to do with myself. I have also been eating a ton but I guess that is normal since my ass is pregnant and I am eating for two!
I believe that on Thursday we are catching a plane to Germany for the start of the Peace race which starts on Saturday but we have not gone over logisitics yet so that is about all I know.
Okay, time to run and get some more Coca-Cola Light.........I am on a roll yesterday I went on a bender and drank 4.5 Liters..............maybe that is why I had a hard time falling asleep last night?
later,
g.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
I Remember One Time in Europe When I Got a Huge Saddle Sore.......
The first hotel that we stayed at in Kortrijk, Belgium.
Mike and Mike on the coast of the North Sea getting ready for Dunkerque.
Me on the coast in Northern France.
This man is very angry...........he lost his vest at Georgia and the fan who found it has yet to return it. If you are the fan that found Mike Sayers vest at Georgia please give it back becuase it was his special vest and I don't like it when Mike is angry. If you are the vest theif please send me an email and I will happily provide you with an address to where to send the vest and I am sure Mike will reimburse the shipping. Thank you.
Me before the start of stage three.
Me after stage three trying to cool down with an ice bath.Hi everyone………….it has been awhile since my last update but don’t blame me for that blame the French. I have been in France for the last week and apparently they do not believe in the internet. In fact I don’t even think they know what it is……….I guess why do you need internet when there are baguettes?
The past week has definitely been an up and down one for me and the team. It started on Tuesday when we drove to Dunkerque in northern France for “Four Days of Dunkerque”. Four Days of Dunkerque is a UCI 2.HC stage race that is actually five days instead of four (go figure)! Until this year I never really knew what UCI rankings meant. What I mean by saying Dunkerque is a UCI 2.HC race was that there were a lot of pro tour teams there and it was really fast. Basically it was one step below pro tour events such as the Giro, Tour, or Veulta.
I definitely got “schooled” in racing this past week! From the gun the hammer would go down and would not ease up until a solid two hours into the race when a break would finally go and we would sit up for a piss and bottles. After that the gas would be back on until about forty kilometers from the finish when it would get crazy fast.
The terrain of the race was comparable to Madison, Wisconsin. For those not familiar with the area it is rolling farmland that is usually windy. Everyday it was a constant battle to stay at the front so that I would not be swinging in the gutter at the back in the constant cross wind. I quickly learned to keep my ass at the front where it was about ten times easier.
Aside from learning how to deal with cross winds I got to do a few sections of pave which was fun but battle the battle for position leading up to it was completely nutz. Without being in the front going into the cobbles there is not much you can do to stay with the front group so I found myself riding on the sidewalk and jumping curbs with many others to stay near the front!
There was pretty much everything from the cross winds and pave I mentioned to tons of turns, tight roads, round abouts, hills, crashes, rain, sun, near crashes getting bottles from team cars, crazy fans……etc. I think I am pretty much prepared for anything now…..except for maybe some really really nice weather.
Each day of racing I gained more and more confidence and so did the team. Mike Sayers got in a 120 km break on the third day that got caught in the finishing circuits which was awesome! Getting into the break in this race is pretty impressive! Kirk also finished 9th in the third stage………anything in the top ten is awesome considering how fast and sketchy the finishes are.
Not everything was great and we did have some bad luck. First, Doug did not start the race because he crashed at Trophie de Grimpeur a few days early and fractured his hip (recover quick Doug). Then Karl got sick and had to abandon the race on stage three with Jones. The following day I ended up with some saddle sore issues and had to pull the plug along with Sayers who had been in the break most of the previous day. Therefore we only ended up with three finishers: Jeff, Kirk, and Alberto who all rode awesome!
I am definitely frustrated/bummed that I did not finish and could not help my teammates but now I have to get ready for the Peace Race which starts on Saturday and is eight stages long! I do really like racing over here though. Tomorrow I start preparing for the Peace race by going CSC team doctor at 10:45 AM so he can fix my infected saddle sore! I think it going to hurt and will probably involve some hot sharp objects but hopefully I can walk normal once it is fixed!
Aside from the race we drove from France to our new hotel in Oudenaarde, Belgium which gratefully has internet and everyone is catching up! We will be staying here until Thursday which will be nice. That is all that I have for tonight.
The past week has definitely been an up and down one for me and the team. It started on Tuesday when we drove to Dunkerque in northern France for “Four Days of Dunkerque”. Four Days of Dunkerque is a UCI 2.HC stage race that is actually five days instead of four (go figure)! Until this year I never really knew what UCI rankings meant. What I mean by saying Dunkerque is a UCI 2.HC race was that there were a lot of pro tour teams there and it was really fast. Basically it was one step below pro tour events such as the Giro, Tour, or Veulta.
I definitely got “schooled” in racing this past week! From the gun the hammer would go down and would not ease up until a solid two hours into the race when a break would finally go and we would sit up for a piss and bottles. After that the gas would be back on until about forty kilometers from the finish when it would get crazy fast.
The terrain of the race was comparable to Madison, Wisconsin. For those not familiar with the area it is rolling farmland that is usually windy. Everyday it was a constant battle to stay at the front so that I would not be swinging in the gutter at the back in the constant cross wind. I quickly learned to keep my ass at the front where it was about ten times easier.
Aside from learning how to deal with cross winds I got to do a few sections of pave which was fun but battle the battle for position leading up to it was completely nutz. Without being in the front going into the cobbles there is not much you can do to stay with the front group so I found myself riding on the sidewalk and jumping curbs with many others to stay near the front!
There was pretty much everything from the cross winds and pave I mentioned to tons of turns, tight roads, round abouts, hills, crashes, rain, sun, near crashes getting bottles from team cars, crazy fans……etc. I think I am pretty much prepared for anything now…..except for maybe some really really nice weather.
Each day of racing I gained more and more confidence and so did the team. Mike Sayers got in a 120 km break on the third day that got caught in the finishing circuits which was awesome! Getting into the break in this race is pretty impressive! Kirk also finished 9th in the third stage………anything in the top ten is awesome considering how fast and sketchy the finishes are.
Not everything was great and we did have some bad luck. First, Doug did not start the race because he crashed at Trophie de Grimpeur a few days early and fractured his hip (recover quick Doug). Then Karl got sick and had to abandon the race on stage three with Jones. The following day I ended up with some saddle sore issues and had to pull the plug along with Sayers who had been in the break most of the previous day. Therefore we only ended up with three finishers: Jeff, Kirk, and Alberto who all rode awesome!
I am definitely frustrated/bummed that I did not finish and could not help my teammates but now I have to get ready for the Peace Race which starts on Saturday and is eight stages long! I do really like racing over here though. Tomorrow I start preparing for the Peace race by going CSC team doctor at 10:45 AM so he can fix my infected saddle sore! I think it going to hurt and will probably involve some hot sharp objects but hopefully I can walk normal once it is fixed!
Aside from the race we drove from France to our new hotel in Oudenaarde, Belgium which gratefully has internet and everyone is catching up! We will be staying here until Thursday which will be nice. That is all that I have for tonight.
later,
g.
Monday, May 01, 2006
I Remember One Time in Europe..........
Going through customs in Atlanta.
Waiting for our ride to pick us up at the Brussels airport.
Sayers fixing a flat on our second ride in Belgium.
Waiting for a ship to go under the bridge somewhere in Beglium.
The cafe that we stopped at by the "Muur" a cobbled climb in Flanders which is somewhere in Belgium.
Not only do you need an outlet adapter here but you need a voltage converter. The 230 euro volts burned out Menzies 120 volt hair clippers halfway through his haircut. It definitely made for an interesting night out on the town that evening.
New team issue Rudy Project casuals. I think girls really dig the "smart" look?
Mike S., Alberto, and my room the first few nights in Kortrijk, Belgium.
Pissing out of the side door of the van on the interstate on the way to the race . When you gotta go you gotta go.
Jones and my bed at the race hotel.......it was quite romantic.Wow, it has been a long time since my last update. I am sorry but things have been absolutely crazy the last week. Here is a quick recap on what happened over the past six or seven days.
Over a week ago I was in Tucson, Arizona staying with my brother Shane enjoying the warm weather and doing some training. I left Tucson last Saturday (9 days ago) after being there fore ten days and getting a rather nice tan.
From Tucson I drove home to Folsom and made it back early Sunday. I quickly repacked my clothes and hitched a ride to Nicole Sayers house who was nice enough to bring me to the airport at 4:30 AM Monday morning.
Monday I spent all day at the airport traveling from Sacramento to Atlanta. I made it to Atlanta around 5:00 PM on Monday where Becca was waiting to pick me up at the airport. I was able to hang out with her all of Monday evening which was awesome…..even though she had to ditch her classes that afternoon. We spent most of the afternoon with Jones hanging out at Moe’s (a burrito place) chatting. Then it got late and Jones and I had to go to bed and Becca had to go back home………..that always sucks but it was a great visit.
Tuesday was another epic day at the airport. We (Karl, Mike S., Doug, Kirk, Mike J., Jeff, Kim, and me) flew from Atlanta to Brussels, Belgium and did not get in until 9:00 AM Wednesday morning!
Wednesday was a complete brothel! Everyone was completely knackered and it was an effort to simply stay awake. I think we all wanted to go to bed but forced ourselves to stay up so we could sleep that evening and get back on some sort of a schedule!
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, we spent at our hotel in Kortrijk, Belgium which is close to the French border. We did a few longer rides in the cold Belgian wind and even got to do some of the cobbled climbs that they do in the big sping Classics over here (Muur, and Koppenberg).
Saturday we were on the road again traveling to the northern outskirts of Paris for the Trophie de Grimpeur race. The hotel we stayed at was the closest think to a crack house without actually being one……….or at least I think it was not one? There was a twenty four hour porn channel on the hotel television so at least they were looking out for us there! I guess the race organizers for these Euro races tend to flick Americans and give us less than comfortable accommodations but in the end that does not mean shit!!
Sunday was the Trophie de Grimpeur a 140 km UCI 1.1 race. On the way to the race in the morning I was able to see the Eiffel Tower in the distance but that was about it. The rest of the day I spent staring cross eyed at the wheel in front of me and trying not to freeze to death!
Half an hour before the race got underway it started to rain and continued to rain for the remainder of the three and a half hour race. This was not an ordinary rain…………….it was almost snow! I shit you not………it was probably 40 degrees and I could see me breath. Definitely a long way from Arizona!
Not only was the weather miserable but I have never experienced a faster start to a race in my life nor have suffered that much before. For the first quarter of the race I was at the back barely hanging on and would look forward to this steep climb in the circuit because it would slow down from 60 kph. I could not eat or shift because my fingers were soo froze it was hell!
Eventually I came around and by the end my legs ended up being okay. Karl and I were in a second group and ended up getting seventh (Karl) and tenth (me). With all things considered I think it was one of the hardest races I have ever done. Now we are up for a couple of days of rest before 4 Days of Dunkurque starts on Wednesday.
Maybe it won’t be cold, windy, and rainy? Probably not but a little optimism never hurts.
later,
g.
Over a week ago I was in Tucson, Arizona staying with my brother Shane enjoying the warm weather and doing some training. I left Tucson last Saturday (9 days ago) after being there fore ten days and getting a rather nice tan.
From Tucson I drove home to Folsom and made it back early Sunday. I quickly repacked my clothes and hitched a ride to Nicole Sayers house who was nice enough to bring me to the airport at 4:30 AM Monday morning.
Monday I spent all day at the airport traveling from Sacramento to Atlanta. I made it to Atlanta around 5:00 PM on Monday where Becca was waiting to pick me up at the airport. I was able to hang out with her all of Monday evening which was awesome…..even though she had to ditch her classes that afternoon. We spent most of the afternoon with Jones hanging out at Moe’s (a burrito place) chatting. Then it got late and Jones and I had to go to bed and Becca had to go back home………..that always sucks but it was a great visit.
Tuesday was another epic day at the airport. We (Karl, Mike S., Doug, Kirk, Mike J., Jeff, Kim, and me) flew from Atlanta to Brussels, Belgium and did not get in until 9:00 AM Wednesday morning!
Wednesday was a complete brothel! Everyone was completely knackered and it was an effort to simply stay awake. I think we all wanted to go to bed but forced ourselves to stay up so we could sleep that evening and get back on some sort of a schedule!
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, we spent at our hotel in Kortrijk, Belgium which is close to the French border. We did a few longer rides in the cold Belgian wind and even got to do some of the cobbled climbs that they do in the big sping Classics over here (Muur, and Koppenberg).
Saturday we were on the road again traveling to the northern outskirts of Paris for the Trophie de Grimpeur race. The hotel we stayed at was the closest think to a crack house without actually being one……….or at least I think it was not one? There was a twenty four hour porn channel on the hotel television so at least they were looking out for us there! I guess the race organizers for these Euro races tend to flick Americans and give us less than comfortable accommodations but in the end that does not mean shit!!
Sunday was the Trophie de Grimpeur a 140 km UCI 1.1 race. On the way to the race in the morning I was able to see the Eiffel Tower in the distance but that was about it. The rest of the day I spent staring cross eyed at the wheel in front of me and trying not to freeze to death!
Half an hour before the race got underway it started to rain and continued to rain for the remainder of the three and a half hour race. This was not an ordinary rain…………….it was almost snow! I shit you not………it was probably 40 degrees and I could see me breath. Definitely a long way from Arizona!
Not only was the weather miserable but I have never experienced a faster start to a race in my life nor have suffered that much before. For the first quarter of the race I was at the back barely hanging on and would look forward to this steep climb in the circuit because it would slow down from 60 kph. I could not eat or shift because my fingers were soo froze it was hell!
Eventually I came around and by the end my legs ended up being okay. Karl and I were in a second group and ended up getting seventh (Karl) and tenth (me). With all things considered I think it was one of the hardest races I have ever done. Now we are up for a couple of days of rest before 4 Days of Dunkurque starts on Wednesday.
Maybe it won’t be cold, windy, and rainy? Probably not but a little optimism never hurts.
later,
g.
P.S. I will try to update when I can but it will probably be a bit infrequent becuase finding interent over here is like finding a Starbucks............rather non-existent!
Sunday, April 23, 2006
On the Road Again
After being gone for two weeks the weather in Folsom has improved from biblical rains to cloudy. Hey, maybe when I get back from Europe it will be sunny?Day 1 = No Diet Soda
I am just joking on the new soda count but actually I did not have a diet soda today. That is the first day without any diet soda in about a week and to be honest I felt kind of sluggish! I guess I will have to drink twice as much tomorrow.
I have a headache at the moment because I was trying to upload some photos on the new website but could not figure it out. Therefore I am back on blogger or at least until I learn the other site better or find a way to utilize both. The missingsaddle site has gabcast feature where I can give an audio updates via my phone so maybe the will be my exclusive audio site. I will keep you updated but for now I am back here.
Anyway here is a quick recap of the past day and a half:
Yesterday was what I would call a loooooooooooooong travel day! I ended up leaving Tucson around 1:30 yesterday afternoon after getting up smoking early to do the shoot-out/Madera Canyon ride at 6:30 AM.
My last ride in Tucson yesterday was completely lovely! It really did not cool down at all in the evening so it was nearly seventy degrees in the morning! I was able to ride at 6:30 AM without armwarmers…………now that is impressive…………….and really really nice.
The ride ended up being about five hours and when I got back I had to pack quickly so that I could get on the road for my fourteen hour drive back to Folsom.
The drive back was epic. For the first half of the trip I was sweating balls in the Jeep becuase I have no a/c and it was 95 F. On top of that there was a huge cross and since I had all of the windows open I got coated in a nice layer of dust! The dust made me look a little more tan so it was not that bad
I also almost ran out of gas…….not like I have ever did that before or anything! There is a strecth of desert just east of Blythe, CA that is pretty desolate meaning there is a lack of service stations. Anyway, I was chatting away on my phone and not really paying attention so I must have missed the “next services 55 miles ahead” sign along the side of the road. I will just say that my cortisol levels increased for about the next fourty five minutes but I did not end up running out of gas! Lucky, I am a cyclist and know about drafting big semi-trucks.
I made it back home around 5AM this morning a few hours later than I expected since I took a bit of a roadside nap somewhere near Bakersfield. I got a few more hours of sleep once I got home and then had to repack. I figured that it is not going to be as warm in Europe as it is in Tucson so I added a few sweatshirts to my luggage.
Tonight I am spending the night at the Sayers’ residence and Nicole is bringing me to the airport at 430Am. I definitely owe her huge for bringing me to the airport at such an ungodly hour………thanks!
later,
g.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
New Site!
Hi everyone! I am being set up with a new site from the guys at missingsaddle.com. It will be the same blog just with basically the same format just a different address:
Find the new site at:
I should be updating tonight if I am not completely knackered like I am at the moment. Let me know how you like it and I will leave this post up in case you new directions to my new blog.
later,
g.
Monday, April 17, 2006
Big Pickle
Shane thinks he looks better with short hair!!!!!!!
The start of my sun burned stomach..............it has gotten much worse since I took this picture about three hours ago! The sun in the dessert is intense. I am going to get a lovely nights rest this evening........son of a..............I have been cycling for about three years and over that period of time I have traveled many places and met many interesting people. However, on Sunday's group ride to Mammoth, Arizona I met the most interesting person to date whom I will call "Big Pickle." (No, it is not the pickle you are thinking about!)
The Sunday group ride is a 100 mile ride that leaves Tucson, goes to Mammoth, stops at the Circle K gas station in Mammoth, and then back to Tucson. It was a good ride to Mammoth and I was excited to get to the gas station so I could adjust my ill fitting saddle and get an ice cold Diet Mountain Dew.
While drinking the Diet Mountain outside the gas station I noticed that one dude on the ride was eating one of those huge pickles that I always see in bars or convience stores but never thought anyone actually ate. I would think it was gross if I saw someone eating one of those things at home but not halfway through a bike ride when it is 90 plus degrees!! Plus, this is me that thinks this is gross and I am the one who gets ripped on by Sayers and Hollywood for eating string cheese and strawberry milk at store stops!
Not much is known about "Big Pickle" becuase I don't think anyone has talked to him but apparently he was spotted outside of a store in Tucson eating yet another one of these large pickles with a gel a few days back! I don't know the logic behind this pickle eating but I am very curious. I wonder what would cause some to crave a large pickle on a hot long ride? Now not only does Tucson have the notorious "Grey Wolf" but "Big Pickle" has arrived on the scene.
Today was an easy day which was great. I spent a bit of time by Jason Karew's pool and even jumped in........of course I jumped into the shallow end since I can't swim! Karew is letting us stay with him for the night until the termites are all killed at Dan's house.
The pool was fun but I got fried! My back and chest are soooo burnt and hot it is crazy! I am getting worried because it is getting hotter and more red as the evening progresses. I hope it does not blister! Time to go apply some aloe......
later,
g.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Termites
Tomorrow I am being evicted from Dan’s guest house because of some lousy termites. I have never actually seen or met a termite in person before but I can still say that I cannot stand them. Dan has termites in his house and is having some exterminator people come over tomorrow morning at 8AM to gas the things to death. Therefore, Shane and I have to leave the premises for twenty four hours. I had better make sure that I set my alarm and I actually get up when it goes off in the morning because I don’t think it would be a good thing to be sleeping when they start pumping the gas into the house! Maybe though the gas would help me sleep for a few days and once I woke up I would be really recovered?
Training has been going awesome down here. I have been riding a lot and aside from a few clouds one day it has been sunny and hot. I have even been doing a little sun bathing in the back yard after my rides. I am maximizing my time in the sun because once I leave I am not sure when I am going to see it again! Plus it would be awesome to be able to take off my shirt and not have it look like I am wearing long brown gloves.
Maybe the sun will even help me get some abs? I figure that my abs are used to the dark because I usually have a shirt or jersey on. Maybe if I expose my stomach to the sun my abs might get curious and come to the surface to see what is going? Probably not but I think it is worth a shot anyway.
After logging five good days of training I am up for an easy day or two and then one more block before heading back to Folsom. I will be back in Folsom for a day or so and then on Monday the 24th I fly to Atlanta. I meet up with my teammates there and the next day we head off to Europe.
I hope that everybody had an awesome Easter and has eaten a Cadbury Egg for me. I actually got some Cadbury Eggs in the mail yesterday (Thanks Meg you made yesterday’s awesome day at least ten times more awesomer) and after today’s hard ride I had a few of them………..I am not going to go into specifics regarding amount eaten but I will say they were good!
later,
g.
Training has been going awesome down here. I have been riding a lot and aside from a few clouds one day it has been sunny and hot. I have even been doing a little sun bathing in the back yard after my rides. I am maximizing my time in the sun because once I leave I am not sure when I am going to see it again! Plus it would be awesome to be able to take off my shirt and not have it look like I am wearing long brown gloves.
Maybe the sun will even help me get some abs? I figure that my abs are used to the dark because I usually have a shirt or jersey on. Maybe if I expose my stomach to the sun my abs might get curious and come to the surface to see what is going? Probably not but I think it is worth a shot anyway.
After logging five good days of training I am up for an easy day or two and then one more block before heading back to Folsom. I will be back in Folsom for a day or so and then on Monday the 24th I fly to Atlanta. I meet up with my teammates there and the next day we head off to Europe.
I hope that everybody had an awesome Easter and has eaten a Cadbury Egg for me. I actually got some Cadbury Eggs in the mail yesterday (Thanks Meg you made yesterday’s awesome day at least ten times more awesomer) and after today’s hard ride I had a few of them………..I am not going to go into specifics regarding amount eaten but I will say they were good!
later,
g.
Friday, April 14, 2006
Guest House
Relaxing on my bed in Dan's guest house where Shane and I are staying. Shane's bed is under mine and it gets slid out every evening and put back in the day so there is some space to move around. The kitchen is behind me. It is sort of like camping in a big RV!
Shane "Cheap Bastard" Peltonen putting his groceries away in the kitchen.
The bathroom sink which also doubles as the kitchen sink!This morning I awoke at 6:30 AM so in order to be riding by 7:30AM. I don’t know why but it seems like people who live in the desert like to do things early. Probably because it gets hot here in the afternoon but even so it is still rather annoying. I definitely prefer the 10:00 AM ride schedule that Menzies and I have adopted back in Folsom. That way I am able to drink my coffee, check my email, and most importantly do my abs before riding. Here I am riding too early to do my abs before and it is a struggle to do them after the ride especially when it is 100F in the guest house. I still do them don’t get me wrong but it is just more difficult.
Another slight annoyance is the fifty degree nighttime temperature fluctuation of the guest house I am staying in. It especially sucks since I don’t have a blanket to cover up with at night. When I go to bed it is rather toasty (~95 F) so I only have to wear my sleeping shorts and even with the ceiling fan on I am still sweating balls. However, by the time the morning rolls around it gets pretty cold (~55 F) and my sleeping shorts alone are not nearly enough to keep me warm.
I have worked out a pretty efficient system to deal with this temperature change. Before hitting the hay at night I set a pair of sweat pants, socks, and a hooded sweatshirt next to the bed. Usually around 3:30AM I end up getting up because I am cold bundle up with all of the clothes I had set next to the bed and that usually gets me through until morning. Maybe I should just buy a blanket to cover up with because that would be easier but what fun would that be?
I also had an appointment at a local salon this afternoon to get my haircut. Well, it really wasn’t a salon and I did not have an appointment but I did get my hair cut. I went to the Arizona Barber College where they let aspiring barbers/barberettes cut hair to gain experience for a future job. Going to places like these is sort of a gamble because you never know what you are going to get but one thing for sure is that good or bad the haircut will be cheap!
I got lucky and won the haircutting lottery today. Not only was the girl who cut my hair EXTREMELY attractive but she did an awesome job! Honestly it was the best hair cut/hair cut experience I ever had and it only cost me $4!! I did end up leaving a $5 tip so the grand total was $9 but it was worth it. Holy crap, I just did the math and I left a 125% tip…….damn I am nice. I am honestly contemplating going back and getting another haircut tomorrow!
Time for bed I have to get up early to do the shoot-out tomorrow. For those of you that don’t know the shoot-out is Tucson’s regular world championship ride that happens every Saturday.
later
g.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Breaking News!
Today's ride went to the top of this moutain (Kitt Peak). It is a hundred and twenty mile out and back ride with a tweleve mile climb up Kitt Peak. At the top there are all kinds of crazy observatories where very pastey looking/nerdy/smart guys look at the stars in the evening.
Is that Pedro from Napolean Dynamite? The route to Kitt peak is hot bed for illegal immigration and unfortunately for this group they are being sent back to Mexico. I have never actually seen this before so it was sort of neat!
Mey at the base of Kitt Peak. Notice the blue sky and you cannot see it but trust me it was hot...........I think it was 95 F today. Good for the tan!It is officially over...........I completely cracked and am off the wagon! I drank a Diet Soda at hour five of my six hour hundred and twenty mile jaunt in ninety plus degree heat. I could not resist the temptation of those new "Vault" Diet sodas. Not only did it quench my thirst but it felt like gold going down my throat. I am back on baby!!!!
I am not sure how many days it has been since my last diet soda becuase I stopped counting after one hundred days of diet soda sobriety. One thing I do know for sure is that is has been way too long and I have been missing out on one of the finer things in life!
Why did I stop drinking diet soda in the first place?? Honestly I am not sure maybe it was stupidity on my part or just to show people that I could! Whatever the reason was it does not matter anymore because those days are behind me and now I have to focus on the future and the return of a dear friend to my life.
After experiencing both the non diet soda drinking lifestyle and the diet soda drinking lifestyle I have a question for my readers. Why would someone would want to drink water when diet soda tastes soo good, has zero calories, quenches your thirst, and has little bubbly things! Sometimes when I am drinking the shit it tastes soo good I have to look at the label to make sure it has zero calories. Something that delightful must have calories but everytime I check the label I see my little zero buddy in the calorie row......and I continue to drink away!
Becca has come up with an interesting diet soda theory. She has theorized that soda companies will take over the mortuary buisness. It has been claimed that ingredients in diet soda break down to formaldehyde in the body. This means that soda companies would not only be making money selling the soda but they would be saving money on formaldehyde for embalming bodies. It is an interesting theory and sounds crazy but I guess people did say Einstein was crazy.
After getting back from today's epic ride in the head and showering I had to run to the local bike shop to get my crank put back on. Yeah, when I got home my crank fell off......too much power I guess??? I got things sorted out at the bike shop and from there I proceeded to the gas station where I bought a twelve pack of ice cold diet Pepsi. At that moment I realized I was completely off the wagon.......again!
I did feel sort of like a construction worker buying a twelve pack on the way home after a hard day of work. However, I am not a construction worker (but was once) and I was not buying beer but instead diet soda. However, I do see a parallel between construction workers and beer and cyclists and diet soda!
Other than that I ended up getting another flat on the ride today and like I said yesterday I let a few loud vulgarities fly. It felt good.
Time for a little R&R hopefully I am not too jittery from all of the diet soda?
later,
g.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
The Desert is Dry
On the road yesterday morning and guess what? It was precipitating again! 
Getting up at 4:30AM in the morning to bring Hollywood to the airport was rough so I had to drink a lot of coffee on the drive. I bought a new mug at the Starbucks just north of LA becuase my old one broke. This one has a new fancy top and it is cool because it looks like the paper ones they normally give you but it is hard plastic. I also bought it becuase they were running a special that if you buy a mug you can get any drink you want in it for free. I got the mug and opted for a more expensive drink than the regular black coffee I usually get even though I really only wanted coffee.
Six Flags Magic Mountain in LA. I can't believe I used to ride things as a could......well I probably still could but I would need to take one of those little vomit bags.
A picture of a Dodge Viper in my rear view mirror that was tailgating me. Cool car though!
Holy crap is that sun??? I must be in Arizona. 
A lovely sunset in the DRY desert.
Ahhhh a motorcycle ride in the evening would be awesome! I don't have a motorcyle but even a walk on a warm clear evening like this would be lovely!
Let me first start by saying that Desert is a hard word to spell. I was tempted to spell it "dessert" but I think that is becuase I have not had any dessert this evening and I am thinking about it. I am going to eat a well deserved dessert in the dry desert tonight though! I am slightly paranoid of making dumb mistakes lately after posting that I was looking forward to the Thai food in Taiwan!
Yesterday was a long day spent mostly in the car driving from Folsom, CA to Tucson, AZ. I had to get up really early and bring Karl to the Sacramento airport so he could catch his 6AM flight to Barbados. Did you make it there Hollywood and is it sunny? I did see that he packed his surf shorts and I hope that he is using them.
After dropping Hollywood off I started the 14 hour drive to Tucson. Nothing too exciting happend along the way. There was the usual rain in northern California and then as I got more south towards LA the rain stopped and it was just cloudy.
However, as I got closer to Arizona the clouds disappeared and it became sunny and hot. I really could not believe it but I had the windows down in the car with my hair blowing in the wind. I think the hair blowing in the wind part is reserved for girls but nonetheless it was warm.
I was soo excited that I stopped for an hour spin in Blythe, California even though the town is a complete shithole. (I had to stay there in the back of my car for an extended period of time a few years back while my tranmission was getting replaced my a mechanic named Angel. Honest to God!) The ride was still enjoyable though.
In Tucson I am staying with my brother Shane who is living in a guy named Dan's guest house. I am not sure if people are suppose to live in guest houses but that is what my brother is doing. Technically I guess I am staying in Dan's guest house which is currently occupied by a permanent resident named Shane!
It is interesting the bathroom sink doubles as a kitchen sink but there are two microwaves and we cook our food on hot plates. It is sorta like camping except there is a ceiling fan. More on that later...........
The ride today was awesome........it was 93 F with not a cloud in the sky. I think I am a little red and I don't want to admit it but today was actually sort of hot. I even had the "sweating while eating dinner in a non-airconditioned guest house" syndrome going this evening.
I did flat three times on the ride but I did not get too pissed. However, if I flat tomorrow I am going to have something really loud and vulger to say.
Time to go and sit in front of a fan.
later,
g.
Monday, April 10, 2006
Corti....I Don't Care Anymore!
Ahhhhhh........back home in rainy Folsom after doing the Santa Cruz crit yesterday with Mike, Hollywood, and Roman. The crit course was pretty fun since it had hairpin turn, a hill, and some rain for the last few laps. Hollywood won his eigth race of the year (if my math is correct and he continues his winning ways he should win around 30 races this year!) and Havoc Sayers got third after pretty much covering every move the entire race.
After getting back to the house last night I found I had a huge Easter package waiting from my mom. She sent Karl and I a bunch of Easter candy and some biscotti (Thanks mom and Karl says thanks also). I pretty much ate all of my candy last night and most of the biscotti this morning with my coffee. I know one thing Cadburry eggs have now taken place of circus peanuts as my favorite food! I think it is awesome how they have the white and yellow of the yolk inside. It is like eating a real egg but it is candy and doesn't have to be cooked.
This morning Karl and I got the results of our blood tests that we took last week. Everything was good and after supplementing with some iron products my ferritin levels improved.
However, cortisol is another story. Both physical and mental stress raise cortisol levels and I figured that it would not be the best idea to stop training. Instead I focused on reducing mental stress and have been practicing breathing when I get pissed and doing other stress reducing techniques in an attempt to lower my cortisol
Hollywood and I also had a little competition to see who had the lowest cortisol. I got absolutely crushed! Menzies levels went from 20 last test to 12 this time. I on the other hand went from 25 last time to 24 this time. Since cortisol causes belly fat and Karl's levels are half of what mine are I think that means my stomach is twice as fat as his???? That can't be true. My levels have to be high becuase the blood people had to draw blood from me twice which made my levels high.
I officially don't care about cortisol anymore............maybe that will reduce some stress and lower my levels by not caring? With how the weekend went I probably should not have challenged Karl to the cortisol competition but the only way to get better is by being beat...........I think?
Enough of that nonsense. I talked with my brother Shane, who lives in Tucson, this morning and I am planning on driving down there tomorrow and staying for ten days before heading off to Europe. It is suppose to be 90 F and sunny there which will be a great change of pace and good for training. Plus, I would be the only one here in Folsom with Alberto and Karl gone.
Karl is going to Barbados tomorrow to sort out some Visa stuff. From there he is doing Georgia and then heading off to Europe also. I have to get up really early tomorrow anyway and bring him to the airport. From there I think I am going to head to Tucson. Time to go and pack again......
later,
g.
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Sea Otter
A little Health Net fan at the race today!
Another little Health Netter..........oh wait that is my teamate Kyel Gritters.
Dr. San Jose the team chiropractor looking over some ladies bike who I do not know. Maybe she was asking if her bike could get an adjustment? Dr. San Jose is awesome and gets my back straightened out evertime I see him (Thanks a ton) plus he is an avid blog reader and I sat next to him at dinner tonight. Yesterday Mike, Hollywood, and I loaded in the team car and drove the three hours to our hotel in Salinas. It was sunny and nice on the drive which was good. However, by the time we got to the hotel and kitted up to ride clouds had rolled in. Needless to say fifteen minutes into our ride it started to rain.........yeeeehaw!
Aside from that in conjunction with the Sea Otter event Health Net corporate has a big convention where employees and their families come to watch the race, eat dinner, hang out, etc. It was awesome to have soo many fans cheering for us at the race today. Thanks guys! We even had the privilge of getting to know many of the Health Net employees becuase both yesterday and tonight we ate dinner with them. Dinner was awesome especially tonight...........I had filet mignon!
How did the race go? Well, the team rode good and Menzies is a machine and ended up second. It was a hard race and we would have liked to have won but I guess if you don't win second is the next best place. I on the other hand was useless..........I forgot how to ride my bike..........very frustrating!!
Tomorrow I am going to do a crit in Santa Cruz with Mike and Karl. The only thing that I know about it is that we are leaving the hotel tomorrow at 9 AM so I should probably get to bed.
Lastly, I just checked the ten day forcast for Sacramento and it calls for rain nine out of the next ten days. I think I might be heading to Tucson to get some sun, clear up this sore throat/head cold thing I got from riding in the rain, and do some good training before heading off to Europe on April 24th. I don't think I have mentioned it yet but I am going to Europe for a month with the team. I am really excited to go but more on another time.
later,
g.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Hollywood
Is it just me or does it seem like Hollywood Menzies arms have gotten a little bigger? I guess it is true.......Milk it does a body good. (Courtesy of Becca's photoshop ability)
Today was an easy day and the sun decided to make an appearance. I find it sort of ironic that the one day all week I go short and easy it is sunny out. It was awesome even if I only did an hour and half ride becuase I got that giddy spring feeling. I think it is only going to last for a day though becuase the rain is coming back tomorrow.
This morning Karl and I had to get up early and head to the hospital to get our blood drawn for our quarterly UCI test. We really did not have to get up early but since we are not suppose to eat before our blood is drawn the earlier we get it done the earlier we can eat! Therefore, Karl was up at 4:ooAM and ready to go but I had to tell him the place was not open until eight.
The ladies that drew our blood were really nice. They said they liked me soo much that I had to get the needle twice. It was rather unfair becuase Karl only had to get pricked once. I guess they forgot to draw blood for my cortisol test so they had to go back in and get another vial of blood. Now my cortisol results are going to be all screwed up becuase the process of getting blood drawn the second time was stressful. My cortisol is going to be through the roof.......at least I have an excuse if it is right?
Other than that I brought my car to Sears today to get the flat tire fixed from two weeks ago. I figured I was pushing my luck last week driving to LA and back without a spare tire so I figured it would be best to get the thing fixed. Now I got my spare tire back........which in this case is a good thing!
Before going to Sears Menzies spent a fair amount of time searching for his wallet that he had left in the door compartment of the car. I guess it wasn't his fault though........the pockets in his pants are apparently crap!
Tomorrow morning Karl, Mike and I are driving to Monteray for Sea Otter on Saturday and a local crit on Sunday. Time for bed I have to get up early...............
later,
g.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Ace is the Place
Rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, and more rain. Did I mention that it rained on today's ride? I know that you are probably getting sick of me complaining about the rain but it is getting ridiculous. I am going to go out on a limb and call it a rain of biblical proportions.......I hope that Noah dude is building a new ship becuase it might come in handy pretty soon!
Today I was suppose to ride three hours and do some some sprints, efforts and other fun stuff . I got bundled up in my full rain kit and even rocked the fender........I still got wet. I ended up getting a little turned around on the ride and the planned three hours quickly became five which did not make me happy!
To top that off I got a flat and broke my saddle after hittin a huge pothole. At the bottom of this descent there was a rather large puddle that looked like it would be fun to bomb through. I ended up finding out that it was no ordinary puddle but in fact was a massive pothole that was filled with water. I would describe it more like a little lake in the road. Anyway, I bombed through it and got a front flat, my handlebars slipped down, and I broke a bolt on my saddle. The saddle killed me becuase I had to ride with it really nose up for most of the ride.
When I got back I had to make a run to Ace Hardware and get a new seat post bolt. That store is amazing I think it has everything? There are a lot of old people that work there though and do pretty much nothing.........but I am sure that will be me in the future.
I replaced the bolt and lucky I had marked where the saddle was otherwise three months of adjusting would have gone down the drain. I did have a hard time finding the mark I was using becuase I have so many marks from changing the postion all of the time. I got a bit confused for a minute but I think I got it?
Tomorrow is another long day, Thursday I go and get my blood taken again for UCI stuff and then Friday Karl, Mike, and I are off to Monteray for Sea Otter.
later,
g.
Monday, April 03, 2006
Home Again
"Brokeback Mountain"
This morning on the drive home from Oxnard I saw a cool rainbow but could not find the gold. It was cool but not really that cool I just get bored while I drive and have to find something to do...........like take a picture or read a map or eat or dig for my camera in a bag in the back seat or pee in a bottle........etc. I managed to keep occupied.
Once it started raining I knew I had to be getting close to being home.
This morning I got up crazy early (5 AMish) but it was not really by choice. I was sleeping in the same room as Frank and Wes and they were getting up early to drive to Boulder this morning so I ended up leaving at the same time.
It was nice though becuase I had hot coffee and oatmeal waiting for me when I got up and there was even a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich for the road. I ended up eating the sandwhich before I was even a block from the house so it did not last long much like that bag of bagels I brought with me!
It was nice because I missed the traffic and got home at a reasonable hour. The six hour drive did end up taking eight becuase I-5 was closed twenty miles from Sacramento. I had to take a detour and sit in traffic. That cracked me since I was soo close to home but it took almost two hours to go twenty miles! I was honking my horn just for the hell of it and people were getting all fired up........sorta funny but not really.
I had to ride the trainer today becuase of the rain.........I really did not feel like getting wet. It looks like I am going to get wet tomorrow though.
I have also been on a roll with baking lately. I made some oatmeal/all bran/peanut butter/raisin cookies the other day in Oxnard and tonight I made some banana raisin walnut bread that is awesome.......or at least that is what Hollywood told me.
Later,
g.
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Dairy Queen
Hey who is that fatty??? Oh it is Frank. I came down to southern California to stay with the TargetTraining boys and do some racing and training. What did we end up doing............going to Dairy Queen.............shit!
This is the best poster ever and it is soo true. I am soo grumpy in the morning it is crazy.......just ask Mike and Nicole Sayers or Becca and they will confirm this. That is why I need a push button espresso coffee maker thing (my birthday is Nov. 2nd)Today was a good day........it always makes me happy when we set our clocks ahead in the spring and it stays lighter and hour later. I am not the best morning person (in fact I am really grumpy) so I really don't mind if it is dark in the morning...........shit it could be dark until 9AM as long as it does not get dark until late.
Once again I changed something on my bike. In yesterday's race (and many others) my stem felt a touch too long and I kept riding on the nose of my saddle and certain areas got sore. Anyway, it pissed me off so on this mornings pre-race ride I swapped out the 100mm with a 90mm. Now I feel like I am riding a recliner.....it is lovely. I am sure I am going to get ripped on by all of my teamates for having such a short stem (pun intended) and Eric the mechanic is not going to be happy but it is not my fault my body is soo weird.......right?
Today was Garrett Lamire........the course was awesome and it was a fun race. We did not win but Tim and I were in the break and Kyle won the field sprint. The TargetTraining guys rode well with Alejandro winning and Frank "Blizzard" Pipp getting third. I almost got Frank in the sprint though but didn't since he had the weight advantage! Nice racing though guys and thanks for the place to stay.
Tomorrow morning I am heading back to rainy Folsom, CA. Hollywood just e-mailed me the local Folsom weather forcast for the next week and it does not look good. They are calling for a week of rain.........how is northern California not one big lake............I am not sure?
Okay have to run...........
later,
g.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Ridin' and Racing
Riding along the coast path this morning with Frank.
Another picture of the path on this morning's ride.Wow..............this is impressive..........I am doing two updates in one day...........I think I deserve a medal.
Today was a pretty busy. After the ride in the morning I had to pack up my stuff to drive the fourty five minutes to the race in Thousand Oaks. We did get to race a Porsche on the insterstate on the way but got blown out of the water.
The race was pretty fun. It was a big circuit with some wind and hills. Roman, Kyle and myself were the only Health Netters racing the race. TJ was there for support which was awesome. Kyle got himself into a break that got caught at the end which was a tough break. We were all riding good but did not get a good result. Hopefully that will be different tomorrow.
After the race I rode back to Frank's house in Oxnard with the TargetTraining boys. I did not win anything in the race but I did win the King of the Mountain Sprint on the way back home. I don't think that matters though?
The best part of the ride home was the stop at Starbucks for a Grande-ExtraHot-NonFat-Decaf-SugarFreeHazelnut-WithTwoPacketsOfSplenda-Latte. The best drink they make and I have to get it extra hot so I don't drink it as fast. I don't think it quite works that way becuase I still drink it as fast and end up with a burned mouth!
Tonight Frank and Wes made some awesome fish tacos and now I think I might contribute and make a touch of peanut butter cookie dough dessert........of course none of it is for me!
I wonder if Hollywood is holding down the fort in Folsom?
later,
g.
Oxnard
Traffic and rain in Sacramento on yesterdays drive.
My bed at Frank and Wes's in Oxnard.
Wes making himself breakfast..........selfish bastard!
Frank trying to look strong!
Pipp making me some breakfast this morning.Yesterday I was back on the road after a few short days at home. This weekend I am doing two races down by LA........the Thousand Oaks crit on Saturday and Garrett Lameire crit on Sunday.
I did not end up leaving Folsom until late last night and it was raining once again! The rain made the traffic crazy and it took me almost two hours to get through the Sacramento traffic. It was lovely! The entire drive I was stressing that I would not get a flat tire since I don't have a spare after it was used to fix a flat the other day.
I did not end up leaving Folsom until late last night and it was raining once again! The rain made the traffic crazy and it took me almost two hours to get through the Sacramento traffic. It was lovely! The entire drive I was stressing that I would not get a flat tire since I don't have a spare after it was used to fix a flat the other day.
Eventually I made it to Frank and Wes's place in Oxnard without getting a flat. It was pretty late and guess what it was still raining. Honestly, does it ever stop raining in California. I always see commercials on tv about visiting sunny California.........well I am visiting but where is the sun?
Enough about the weather there is no sense in raising my cortisol levels over something I cannot control........right?
Frank me a nice oatmeal breakfast this morning which was great and in my opinion was worth the trip down itself. Now I wonder what Wes is going to make me? It is good to see my teamates from last year but now I have to go and beat them in the race this afternoon.
Time to go for a pre-race ride........
later,
g.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Travel Day
In the car on the way to the "Bodies Exhibit" and life is good.
Ahhhhh.......happy picture!
Shit........... we are stuck in traffic again!
Hey Becca what do you think about the traffic in Atlanta?
"CVS" the place where Becca gets her diabetes supplies and also where they have Cadbury Eggs for me to eat.
We ended up spending thirty minutes at the blood pressure booth becuase Becca was determined to get lower than me. I think I still won?
I think if Becca's mom saw her messy room she would be pissed...........just a hunch?
Today ended up being an epic travel day and I am ready for bed. Becca and I had to get up at five"ish" this morning so I could catch my 7:30 Am flight. Initially I was scheduled to fly out at 8:30 but that flight was cancelled so they put me on an earlier one. However, once I got to the airport the new flight was delayed until 9:00 Am. I pretty much got up really early to rush to the airport an sit there!
Once I got on the plane it was a long day of flying and I did not even get an aisle seat so my legs were cramped the entire time. I kept squirming around in my seat and the people sitting next to me were getting agitated. What can I say I am a bit ansty I guess.
I made it to San Jose in the afternoon and Roman picked me up in my car. After dropping him off I made the hour and a half drive to Folsom.
I did find out on the drive that my car is falling apart. The interior is a mess and the a/c still doesn't work. I also found out that I had a flat tire, my check engine light came on, and I also have an oil leak........................
I dont think any of those are good for my cortisol levels?
Before I go I wanted to say to thanks to Becca for showing me around Atlanta and putting up with me for a week. I had an awesome time and keep your head up Bec good luck is just around the corner.....I promise.
later,
g.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Live From Panera Part Two
I thought I would try and pass along a positive message for the kids who read the blog. I also beleive that is Becca checking out all of the puke on her jersey. This was from the ride in Athens, GA on Saturday.
Becca at the coffee shop yesterday in Atlanta.Well, Becca and I are back at Panera taking advantage of their free internet. It feels like I should buy something for using their internet but I already ate breakfast. However, their French Toast Bagels smell really really good.
I have been on somewhat of a "mini" vacation for the past week so my blog entries have been a bit slack. To bring you up to speed here is what I did the past few days.
Saturday, Becca and I got up and drove to Athens, GA so I could pre-ride the Athens twilight course. Actually, we went there because Atlanta was cracking me with all of the traffic and lack of rideable roads. I wonder if I told our director, Jeff, that the reason for my trip to Georgia was to pre-ride the Twilight Crit course if he would reimburse me for my plane ticket? Jeff..............?
Athens was a cool little city and it was nice to ride on some roads without feeling absolutely terrified. I even got to see Becca puke all over her bike. She had told me that she was not feeling well and after going up this little hill I looked over and saw her projectile vomit everywhere. I felt bad and it was gross but sorta cool at the same time. She was a trooper though and kept riding.
We got some dinner in Athens that evening and I even had a cup of Jittery Joe's coffee which was not half bad.
Even though I am on a "mini" vacation I get antsy after a few days and have to do something. Therefore, on Sunday we got up crazy early so I could go and do a road race in Perry, GA. The race was called "The Perry-Roubaix" in Perry, GA...........which is a pretty catchy name if you ask me. It was a rolling course with a few sections of dirt which made it fun.
I spent a lot of the day off of the front by myself and ended up winning solo. The riding by myself part was not soo fun though becuase I was thinking about my saddle the entire time. I even contemplated stopping and making a quick adjustment becuase I did have my 5mm wrench in my jersey. I didn't do that but I have decided that I officially have some sort of complex!
Yesterday was "move all of Becca's heavy shit from her old apartment to her new apartment" day. I don't really like to move.......actually I think it is one of my least favorite things to do besides cleaning after all of the stuff has been moved and doing laundry. The cool thing was that I did get to drive a big Home Depot dump truck that we rented to haul the furniture with. I now want a big truck........maybe one of those big tired monster trucks that I always see in California. I think I have to get really really fast before I can afford one of those though. Anyway the moving was not that bad and I did not even get yelled at once which was a pleasant surprise.
Today is my last day in Atlanta and we are going to check out the "Bodies" exhibition which should be fun or at least that is what Frank told me.
Okay, gotta run and take advantage of my last day of vacation.
later,
g.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Live From Panera
Becca you almost out of there I have to pee? Actually last night we had to go to her old apartment and clean it because she moved into a new place . I was happy that I did not get stuck cleaning the bathroom.
After that we went and did some shopping. While Becca was buy some pants I thought I would try some on as well. I didin't think the pants or shirt was tight enough so I did not buy anything. For today's update Becca and I had to journey down to Panera and use their free wireless interent. Becca doesn't have interent in her apartment and it is hard to pick up the neighbors signal. Sometimes I get it and can go online but a majority of the time I can't and I get really angry. Therefore I am not even going to try to go online from her apartment anymore to save me the cortisol release.
Today the plan is to drive to Athens and go for a ride. I cracked riding in Atlanta yesterday. The traffic is terrible, there are stop lights everywhere, no shoulders on the road, and I have no clue where I am going. I ended up doing laps around Emory University and all of the students thought I was tool. I still got in a ride but it definitely was not a relaxing one.
Time to go to Athens. I also think that I am doing the Perry-Roubaix Road Race tomorrow. It is a one hundred mile race on hard pack dirt. Should be fun............
later,
g.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Thanks Blair
Hi everybody..........I am still alive but barely after yesterday's ride! It has been a hectic past few days and I now find myself in Atlanta, GA until Wednesday.
After the San Dimas stage race I drove to Oakland and hung out with my teamate Roman for a day. Roman was nice enough to bring me to the airport at 5:00 AM on Tuesday morning. I tried to convince him that by having such an early flight was a good thing becuase that way he would avoid traffic...........I don't think it worked? I also forgot to buy him that tank of gas I promised! Thanks Roman and I.O.U. one take of gas.
Tuesday was a long travel day! I flew from San Jose to Denver where I had a connection. The connecting flight was delayed so I got to sit in the airport for several hours listening to everyone complain about the delay. Why get stressed about something that you cannot control? I remained relaxed thanks to Menzies "deep breathing technique" and probably was the only one there who was not pumping out massive quantites of cortisol!
I made it to Atlanta in the evening and Becca picked me up at the airport. It was great to see her! We ate some Indian food and went and saw the movie "V" for Vendetta which was okay........at least for the parts I was not sleeping.
With all of the travel and time changes I have experienced the last few weeks I have absolutely no schedule. I am going to bed at crazy times and eating breakfast at lunch. Hopefully I get back to normal soon.
Atlanta is an interesting city. Becca and I went for a three hour ride yesterday and I now know why Atlanta is one of the worst cities to ride a bicycle. The traffic is crazy and we spent a majority of the time riding on the sidwalk. Great fun! I was going to take some pictures but could not take my hands off the bars........maybe today?
Before I go I wanted to say thanks to Blair Robertson for writing a review of the Blog in the Sacramento Bee! It is an awesome article and if you care to check it out here is the link:
There has been a request to copy and paste the article from the Sacramento Bee since it requires a login to access it. Here it is:
Blog: Wheel men share their experiences -- Peltonen does it well
By Blair Anthony Robertson -- Bee Staff WriterPublished 2:15 am PST Thursday, March 23, 2006
It has become fashionable for pro cyclists to write about their lives via the Web. Though such blogs are as ubiquitous as burly guys in snug Discovery Channel jerseys, a few of the online journals actually provide worthwhile insights for cycling enthusiasts.
One of the best is by Garrett Peltonen, who races for a top domestic pro team, Health Net-Maxxis, and lives and trains in Folsom.
Peltonen, 25, is a talented rider who also has a writer's powers of observation and a comic's wit. Through his blog, he shares everything from his obsessions (his abs, the position of his saddle, the width of his handlebars) to his latest adventure, racing - and choking down the smog - in Taiwan.
The bonus for us is that much of his narrative takes place in our backyard. You're likely to see him riding on area roads or the American River bike trail.
Peltonen is smart and funny, and deserves a following.
One amusing aspect of his writing is the ongoing battle between his two selves: the devoted pro and the determined goofball.
After a race in which he and two teammates dominated, he wrote: "Time to head to the food store and stock up on goodies. I need some snacks for the few easy days that I am taking. I was thinking frosting in a can and Circus peanuts."
Just days later, his alter ego weighs in: "Today it is raining and miserable. ... I am going to ride six hours!"
Peltonen's Web address is www.garrettpeltonen.blogspot.com.
later,
g.
