Famous last words for the Wicked Witch of the West.  Not a far cry from our run this morning.  95 degrees and humidity at 98%, we scuttled plans for a long run and ended up doing about 6 miles of run/walk.  It was pretty brutal to be moving fast, much nicer to be strolling.  After a late night with Jeff and Craige at the Henry St. Ale House in Brooklyn Heights, we weren’t feeling particularly sparky anyhow.  Regardless, we got in some miles.
The NYC Tri was today.  My buddy Nick stopped by the shop on his way home after the race.  He did well, although he said he got roasted on the run.  The downstream swim was fast, but the jellyfish were running, and he had stings on his face.  Doesn’t sound like much fun.  But he was pleased with his results.

The Most Dangerous Roads in the World, Part 4:  check it out here.  Perfect place to ride a Tarmac SL2.

This week’s Road Rash style points go to Raf Banas and Eddie McKeown, for their spectacular downhill crash on the Saturday morning ride.  I was running a few minutes late and missed the start, and my tired legs couldn’t help me catch up to the group.  I guess that was my good luck.  Raf hit the pavement and Eddie hit the trees.  Both are fine, relatively, as it could have been much much worse.  No shortage of bruises, abrasions, and minor fractures, though.  Heal quickly, guys.

Ride safe!

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Winston and I are heading out to the backyard to throw the glow-in-the-dark frisbee and howl.

Lots to howl about - howl with laughter, that is.

Ricardo Ricco got busted for a new type of EPO, which he (and presumably his Saunier-Duval team doctors) didn’t know the WADA would be testing for. Anyone watching closely during the first mountain stage would have seen an aerobic display of amazing firepower reminiscent of . . . Michael Rasmussen? One look at his attack, and I knew a positive test was inevitable. It’s sad that anyone is that stupid, but I LOVE the irony - Ricco is the cockiest, most arrogant ass in the bunch, so it’s a vicious comeuppance for him to be revealed as a pathetic cheat. Ha!

CAVENDISH! This kid is awesome! Three wins in three sprint finishes - fantastic! I can’t help but wonder what things would be like with Boonen in attendance - Steegmans has been a sad stand-in.

I’m loving this Tour so far. Valverde has been a disappointment as a contender, killing his overall chances by fighting for the stage wins. But Cadel has risen to the top. Can he stay there? I think Menchov has yet to show his hand. Christian Van de Velde is riding the race of his life, and now that we’ve seen what it takes to beat him in the mountains (see Ricco, above), I’d say his chances are looking better every day. He’s a class act, and I love to see him riding this well.

And the curse continues. Virtually everyone who rides with our group has crashed this year, and this week saw a few new casualties. Jordan and Joe touched wheels and went down, spectacularly. Then last night, Trey got hit head on by a car on his way home from the ride. Of course, it was dark, he was going the wrong way on a one way street, and he had a bottle of beer in his pocket, which he managed to hide behind a tree before the cops arrived. Trashed front wheel, broken handlebar, and thankfully no broken beer bottles. That’s a Texas-style bang-up. Good job buddy! You get the style points this week! I’m just glad you’re all unhurt.
Meanwhile, I’ve been slumming on the good old E5 Tarmac. I still love that bike. It’s not light, but it’s stiff and smooth. And in spite of killing my legs with a mega brick on Tuesday (90 mile ride to LBI at 18.9 mph into a headwind in 99 degree heat, with a 6-mile run immediately after), I won the bunch sprint at the end of the Wednesday Night Ride, edging out Jay and Mario by inches, with 35 other riders coming fast just behind, totally spun out in my 53×12. It was a total rush, super cool. It won’t be long until I have a new ride to play with, but I’m not suffering with the E5.

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Can you write a caption for this photo?

Hmmmmm.

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Saturday was a good day.  It was a thick, misty morning, and I headed out on the Tarmac E5 - my last remaining intact road bike - in hopes of meeting up with Don’s Old School ride for a long spin.  No luck, but I did a nice solo 36 miles of easy spinning at 17.8 mph average speed, with 4 good hills.  I got back just in time to beat the torrential rain and to watch the last half hour of Tour coverage.

Valverde!  I love it that this guy can win on any given day, on any type of course, and still be a contender for the overall, and in fact a favorite.  Watching him win yesterday was fantastic - a stunning win.  And today he was in the mix in the final sprint, going for it in the closing meters, trying to get on Hushovd’s wheel.  He’s going to have to learn to fight his battles wisely, so that he doesn’t have to fight battles against his own sore legs.  Sprinting all out at the end of a long day, especially into the wind, can make it pretty tough to recover and race well the next day.

It’s great to see the Tour start off with a fresh face.  New contenders, an exciting new American team and a new American sponsor for one of the most venerated teams out there, T-Mobile-HighRoad-Columbia.  Columbia put Kirchen in 2nd today and Ciolek in 3rd, a fine result.

Another great new beginning:  our friends Samuel and Cristina Parent.  They had a wonderful wedding, a gorgeous event that completely reflected their warmth and humour and sense of fun.  We had a fantastic time.  Jen was all excited because she could fit into her size 2 Vera Wang dress, and her hair looked great.  She looked amazing.  It was an amazing evening.

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Ah, a day off!  This is the first chance I’ve had to write anything in a while.  It’s been all work and no play lately, which makes me a dull boy with nothing cool to write about.  Even my training has been sub-par this week.  Only 8 weeks to go until Ironman Louisville, which frankly scares the crap out of me.  I had my best swim so far yesterday morning, but it still wasn’t spectacular - or even halfway good for that matter.  But the bike is going to be strong, and the run should be decent too.

Our annual heat stroke was this morning, the Cranford Jaycee’s Firecracker 4-Mile Race.  I’m pleased with my run, especially considering my lack of speedwork this year.  100% humidity as always, but at least it was overcast and slightly cooler than the usual 95ºF.  It always seems that my head is going to explode around the 3 mile mark.  The humidity prevents your sweat from evaporating, so you don’t get any cooling effect.  Your body heat just builds, and you find yourself going anaerobic without picking up the pace at all. 

I found my friend Tim just after the start, and we stuck together for most of the race.  We’re pretty evenly matched, and we pushed each other to the limit, finishing in 26:04  It was great to have him there - thanks Tim for making the trip back up from the shore for the race!  Jennifer and I were joined by our friends Stef and Erik.  Stef put up a smoking fast time, posting steady 7:13 miles.  Good job Stef!  It was great to see so many friends running today:  Linda Richards, John Powasnik and his sister Polly, Lisa Benn, Virginia and Steve Falces, Todd Meyers, Kathy Calabretta, Mary Hanlon, Karen Alexander, Matt and Judy Moloshok, and Lauren D’Leia, just to name a few.  And thanks to Joe Battista and his CTS Cycling teammates for marshalling the course on their bikes - it was great to see you guys!

Jenn and I successfully defended our title in the Married Couples category!  Good stuff!

Le Tour starts tomorrow.  It’s going to be an interesting one.  Without the Astana juggernaut to kill all the suspense, it might just be an interesting race.  I’ll be cheering on the Slipstream-Chipotle boys for stage wins and perhaps some high placings.  But the guys to watch to the top g.c. placings are Alejandro Valverde, Denis Menchov, and Cadel Evans.  Valverde has had a strong spring, and seems to be gradually building up to a huge breakout performance in France.  He’s a threat to win on any given day, no matter the terrain.  Menchov is one of the most consistent grand tour riders over the last few years, and had he not wasted his efforts in support of Michael Rasmussen last year he would have likely been on the podium.  He’s a class act, patient and smart, and has a great team to support him.  Cadel Evans raised his game to a new level last year, but so far this year he’s been relatively untested.  I’ve also been hearing talk of Stijn Devolder as a dark horse.  He’s lost a lot of weight, seems fitter than ever, and is certainly a threat on any stage.  What will the next 3 weeks bring?  I really don’t care what the outcome is, as long as there isn’t another giant doping scandal to foul up the results.

Menchov (left) and Valverde.  A great contrast in styles to keep it interesting.

I’m bummed that Boonen will be sitting home drinking Duvel.  The sprints will be somewhat less exciting, but look for Mark Cavendish to have a spectacular run.  I’m eager to see Robbie McEwen go home empty handed.

My friend Mathias sent me this link.  Pretty cool - you can visit France for free!

We’re heading off to Erik and Stef’s for some cold beer, Brazilian bbq, and fireworks.  Then off to Philly tomorrow to see our great friends Cristina and Samuel finally tie the knot.  Enjoy your holiday weekend!

PS:  Jay’s giant TDF sale is underway.  If you’re thinking about buying a new Specialized bike, now is the time! 

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It’s an old wives’ tale that lightning never strikes twice in the same place. In fact, lightning loves to strike twice in the same place. The huge jolt of energy that a lightning bolt inflicts during a strike creates an electron path that actually attracts more lightning. So there’s a bitter irony behind that maxim, and it has come around to bite me on the ass again.

Today I’m lucky to be alive. I narrowly dodged what was a completely random occurrence, something that could have happened any time in the last 25 years of cycling, but didn’t. Something so bizarre and unexpected, that it could never have been predicted. I came within a millimeter of losing my life today, and happily a millimeter was enough.

I rode this morning with one of my clients, Scott White. We did a fast and hilly 90 minute ride through Watchung and Warren, then did a Brick workout and ran 2 miles at a screaming 6:12 pace. Great workout, amazingly good considering the toughness of the last few days, and my horrible lack of sleep. After the run, Scott and I got back on the bikes and started spinning back toward Scott’s home in Westfield via Plainfield. Heading south on Woodland Avenue, I was in front moving around 24 mph, and Scott was just a few feet behind me. I noticed up a ahead that an oncoming car seemed to be getting ready to make a turn in front of us. But I quickly realized that the car wasn’t slowing, that no one was steering, and that it was aimed directly at me, and was moving extremely fast, well over 50 mph. I had nowhere to go, so I sprinted hard toward the edge of the road, and the car grazed my thigh and calf, clipping my heel and knocking my cleat out of the pedal. The car struck my bike directly on the left side of the rear quick release, destroying the hub and sending a spiral of cracks through the seatstay. The car kept rolling, and as I skidded to a stop in someone’s front yard, I heard a huge crash behind me. My first thought was that Scott was dead, but fortunately he was able to brake in time and avoid the trouble. Looking over my shoulder, I saw the car slamming back to the ground after crushing a utility pole. Scott and I rushed over to the car, and a young woman opened the door and staggered out, completely dazed. Her airbags saved her life. We sat her down on the grass and helped her regroup while the police began to arrive. Apparently she had fallen asleep at the wheel and had no recollection of what happened just before the accident.

A single millimeter to the left, and the scene would have been completely different.  I have had close calls before, and I’m always amazed by the way my reflexes take command and keep me safe.  This time, in the span of 1 second, I launched a few superhard pedal strokes, threw my body as far to the right as I could, hopped my front wheel over the lip of the road, leaned hard to miss a fire hydrant, and somehow adjusted my balance to stay upright as the car hit me.  Scott, who saw it all happen, said that if he had been my position he would be dead because his bike handling skills aren’t anywhere near that level.  That’s a scary thought - what if I hadn’t been alert and seen the car coming?

I guess my streak is still alive.  No kissing the pavement for me.  Knock on wood.

But that’s 2 bikes destroyed in 2 months.  That girl’s insurance company won’t be happy about this one.  The cops that came to the scene were really cool, and made a point of getting as much info about the bike as they could, just to speed up the process of getting a claim going.  Looks like I’m going to be back on the old Tarmac E5 for a little while, which is just fine.

Bottom line:  I’m grateful to be alive and unhurt.  The rest is insignificant.

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A robust thunderstorm just rolled through the valley, the grand finale of a broiling five days.  It will be nice and cool in the morning, and hopefully there will be less dreadful weather tomorrow night.  I’m looking forward to the Wednesday night ride.

I took Sherry on a nice ride through the Great Swamp today, in spite of the 97ºF heat.  It was actually not too bad as long as we kept moving.  I packed a cooler full of drinks in the trunk of the car, and we stayed well hydrated and cool.  This was Sherry’s longest ride so far, and she did really well.  Later in the day, after an afternoon spent on home improvement projects, Jennifer and I went for a 4-mile run, slogging through the thick air.  It felt miserable, but I need to learn to deal with this kind of humidity again.  When I lived in the Ohio Valley, this kind of weather was de rigeur, but it’s not so common in Jersey.  My Ironman on Labor Day Weekend will likely be in similar conditions, so I need to be ready to suffer.  What have I gotten myself into?

Some bad news from Europe:  Tom Boonen has apparently tested positive for cocaine.  Hmm, maybe that’s why he was driving his Lamborghini 80 mph in a school zone last month.  (I think he probably was still in 2nd gear - that car will do 215 mph).  That’s grim news, though - the kid has had a squeaky clean image to date, and has a lot to lose.  VeloNews has more details, and it sounds like Tom was partying too hard rather than cheating.  There’s not much to gain from cocaine except a massive coronary, so it’s never a good idea.  I hope all the high-school girls were impressed.  All you need is to grow a mullet, Tom, so you can be a cool kid just like Laurent Brochard:

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In astrology terms, this means all kinds of hell is going to break loose.  And perhaps there’s something to this theory after all. 

Last Friday, Jennifer and I adopted a 6-year-old border collie named Winston.  He’s a super cool dog, incredibly smart, amazingly well-behaved, obedient, and an awesome frisbee catcher.  He loves us incredibly, and when I’m at home he’s my constant shadow.  I love dogs, and we’ve thought about getting one ever since we bought the house in 2006, but had never taken the plunge.  But after meeting Winston we couldn’t say no any longer.  He’s an excellent dog, and has already made his debut as the shop dog at Jay’s Cycle for a couple of hours today.

However, our household before Winston was a delicate balance of feline power.  Lucas (Jen’s spoiled baby, an Oriental Shorthair), Maxine (my girl, mischievous and beautiful Persian), and Fiona (a very strange Devon Rex - like Dr. Evil’s cat) had a tenuous peace between them, never without drama but not too awful.  Lucas and Maxine get along, but Fiona is a bit of a loner, attached to people but leery of other cats.  Adding a dog to the mix was like adding vinegar to baking soda - oops!

Chaos ensues . . . .  Turns out that Winston has canine tapeworms, and then he cut his paw playing frisbee a bit too vigorously.  He has been wearing a ridiculous halo and pooping nastiness for the last 6 days.  Lucas, in the meantime, has suddenly developed kidney stones, which he’s painfully trying to pass.  Maxine has been doing her share of hissing at Winston, but that’s getting better.  However, she’s been playing her favorite game way too much - in the middle of the night she reaches up under the end of the comforter on our bed and with one single sharp claw, she pokes me right in the middle of my foot.  She thinks it’s pretty damned funny - it’s pretty obvious that this is her favorite trick, as she’s practically giggling as she runs away.  Now, instead of once a week, she’s doing it once every hour.  On top of it all, Jennifer is sick too.  She has a wicked sore throat, and even though she’s been home from work, the last thing she wants to do is visit the vet every single day.  Total chaos, all around. 

To top it off, someone stole a bike from the shop today.  If you see anyone with this bike, call the Westfield Police immediately at (908)232-1000, and then call me (908)232-3250.  Only a handful of these were ever shipped to dealers, so if you see one on the trail, it’s most likely the one stolen from us.  And if you see a Specialized dual-crown suspension fork or a Specialized rear shock on any other brand of bike, it was most likely stripped off an Enduro, since those suspension parts aren’t sold aftermarket, only as original equipment on Specialized bikes.

Mercury in retrograde.  Hmm, sounds like a bike crash waiting to happen.  I finally have my new bike together.  The SL2 is a rockin’ piece of equipment - there is no better bike in the world.  Having ridden hundreds of great bikes, I believe this is the best.  So I’m hesitant to ride it on our Wednesday night rides.  At least until the astrological chaos is gone.

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My buddy and client Nick Roger just sent me photos from his marathon adventure at the Big Sur International Marathon a few weeks ago.  I’m pleased to say that the training plan worked, and Nick ran the distance with more energy than ever before, definitely a better performance than his first marathon (NYC 2007).  Congratulations Nick!  Great performance at the world’s most scenic marathon.  Scenic = hills, and you rocked!

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“Oh my ears feel funny!  Like furry little bunnies!”

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