February update ...

So I hit 578 road miles today (since January 15), just before March 1, which puts me ahead of my "base miles schedule" (I'd planned to hit 500 miles by March 15). Cool. I'm not surprised, though, even though I'd planned to take it easy, like I should, I've been antsy and bored … and lonely … so, I've been riding a lot, mostly because it's not just "somethin' to Du," it's the only thing to do. (Editor's note: I'm not sure how to create umlauts using Microsoft Works.) Also, the weather's been incredibly cooperative: It hasn't snowed since January 2 … in northwest Montana. So, I'm feeling good, strong, healthy, and ready … sort of.

After six months of poor a.m. weather (typically a Montana meteorological phenomena known as freezing fog: super-dense fog that immediately frosts everything it floats over), temperature swings of 40 to 50 degrees a day, the 8-8:30 sunrise, and, mostly (Who am I kidding?), laziness, I've finally begun commuting to work (twice this week) by bike, just under 30 miles round trip. It feels good to not be so immersed (or so I tell myself) in the "car culture" that I shunned for so long. But mostly it's just fun and miles are miles, and fuck cars, and gas is expensive, etc., etc. I hope to keep it up, weather pending. My commute to work last spring was my furthest ever for a job -- about three miles each way. So this is way more badass. It just sucks budgeting about an hour and a half a day into going to and home from work. The ride is mostly fun and pretty: about half is on rural, dirt roads; I only go through three traffic lights there, two on the way back. When I worked in Downtown, Pittsburgh, my one-mile commute passed through seven lights ...

So I'm going to have a really real race bike this year … and for how much it cost to put it all together, hopefully for some years to come. It's a Felt FC with a mix of Sram Red and Force ... super yuppie stuff. I'm as embarrassed as I am excited ...

The first Missoula training race is March 20. It'll be nice to not just start racing again, but to start moving around again (I haven't been more than 30 miles from home since Thanksgiving not including my East Coast Christmas). After that, traveling begins to get hectic, which is great (and financially burdensome ...). Only one of these races is within two hours of my house ... the race my team is putting on:
- March 28, Muddy Huetter Roubaix, Couer d'Alene, Idaho
- April 3-4, Frozen Flatlands Stage Race, Spokane, Washington
- April 11, Montana Roubaix, Missoula, Montana
- May 8-9, Highwood Omnium, Great Falls, Montana
- May 22, Marysville Road Race, Helena, Montana
- June 12-13, Great Northern State Race, Whitefish, Montana
- June 16, ACA Wednesday Night Criterium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (???)

So we'll see about that ACA race ... and other little races in southern Idaho once school is out ... potentially the Tour of Walla Walla, Washington, which is a four-stage, three-day race in April, but probably not ... and what I'm doing this summer ... and where I'm headed next ... But mostly, I just want to ride ... because it's one of the only things that makes me really happy ...

New year, new shit ...

But first ...

2009 cycling highlights:
- Winning the Tour De Syracuse ... and throwing up the worst, yet possibly justified, victory salute ever (Yeah, it was a Cat. 4 race. But there were 70+ racers. And it was only my fifth road race ever. So, yeah, lame in retrospect, but still kinda cool)
- The beer hand-up at Rolling Thunder in Missoula, 50 people chanting "Chug!" … then getting lapped by this dude
- My two-day, 138-mile journey dragging Cody and gear in a trailer from home to Eureka to Whitefish and back home

And now, 2010 ...

Montana is no hotbed for road cycling and even less so for road racing. Especially where I live. Road racing is a solid fourth following mountain biking, mountain climbing, and beer drinking. But I’ll make due with what I've got until I move. If I move ...

I'm working hard to get ready, though: getting my January base miles in (weather permitting), riding the trainer a lot (Movies watched so far: "Breaking Away" twice, "Bruce Springsteen: The Making of 'Born to Run,' "The Graduate," "Hell on Wheels," "Election," etc.), jogging (including a six-miler), cross country skiing (five hours this past weekend), trying to eat better (by not eating), dieting, and worst of all, starting Monday, only drinking light beer. I've gained about 15 pounds in the last six months. I'm blaming it on all the $6 Deschute's six-packs ... and the school lunches ... Cycling weight is atainable!

I've got a lot of races lined up already, all prior to April 15: two Missoula training races, a road race in Portland, a crit. in Hood River, Oregon, a two-day road race/time trial/crit. in Spokane, Washington, and, most importantly, Montana Roubaix. I'll say it now: I want to win Montana Roubaix ...

I'll be riding with the fine gents at Great Northern Cycles this season.

It's going to be a good year! Already off to a good start!