I woke up this morning to a snow storm. The local news stayed on the air reporting accidents and slide-offs all around the city. I have it easy as I only have to go four miles to work and it is mostly on a back road, but some people have really difficult drives.
Well I've put on my winter fat. Even though I ski a lot and every weekend it still isn't the same as cycling every day, and I hate riding a trainer or on the rollers. But I think I'm going to have to start training indoors to slim down before cycling season starts up. Last summer I got down to 175 lbs but part of it had to do with really getting sick with the flu in July. Usually I'm around 185. And that's really big for a cyclist. I'm sure I'm around 200 now. I don't know because I broke my scale. (not from standing on it!) I'm just under 6 feet tall. I like to weigh a little more for ski racing, and then less for cycling. So it's time to start doing something about this situation.
I talked to our UPS guy today who bought a new road bike and has been training to do the STP (Seattle To Portland) bike tour. I haven't done that one. It is 200 miles and most people do it in two days but some people do all 200 on one day. I draw the line at 100 miles a day as that is at the limit of my comfort level.
Oh yeah, Levi Leipheimer won the tour of California. It was the first time I've heard anyone say he was from Montana on TV race coverage, and the TV coverage was really good. Discovery has a strong team including Ivan Basso and that's why Levi won including his killer up hill time trial on the opening stage. But I think we will see Levi working for Basso when the Tour de France comes around.
In other cycling news, Ulrich has hung up his cleats as he couldn't shake his doping charges, and Landis is still fighting his situation. I think Landis is pretty much washed up anyway due to his hip, but who knows. The young riders come up and they are so strong and fit that I just don't see how he can get much more out of his body at his age. Basso is the one to watch in this year's TDF.
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You can always find a way to move to California and fly to your cabin on the weekends! Then you can cycle all year long! (And rack up frequent flier miles - unless you pilot your own plane!)
The things we could do if only we had the means. . . .
I'm around 140 lbs now, although when I moved here I was just over 150. I'm not sure why I'm losing weight because I'm not working out as intensely as I should and I spend a lot of time in the car, but I'm pretty happy about it! For health reasons, I'd like to get down to 130-135. (it's a long story) I'm about 5'7".
175 lbs sounds really trim for a fellow your height. I'm sure it's all muscle!
I have a feeling that California would eat me up. I long for the open spaces of Montana. I always want to be up on a mountain top or way out on the prarie.
Perhaps you are eating right and better food and that is why you are at a good weight. I'm doing ok in that department. I made some beef stock from a roast I cooked. So last night I made a beef soup out of it with egg noodles. It was pretty good if I do say so myself.
It is really difficult for me to get myself down to 175. But I really feel good at that weight. I plan to be on my bike as much as possible as soon as the weather allows. It snowed again this morning. I love it however as I'm a winter person.
What is the cycling news saying about Tom Danielson and the Discovery Teams TDF chances? What are your thoughts about them?
Yes, Megan I should have mentioned Danielson. He along with George Hincapie are the other two strong men of the Discovery team. (they are all strong but have different individual strengths.)
I think Danielson will have a good chance of wining the opening prologue time trial at the TDF, or any time trial for that matter or mountain stage. He was right there on the opening time trial in San Francisco and only out by a few seconds as were about 10 other riders. Danielson is one of the best time trial riders in the world. I noticed on his bio that he is 5'7 and weighs 129 lbs!
Any of those guys could become the discovery team leader as they can all climb and time trial. But I think Leipheimer, Hincapie, and Danielson, will all ride in support of Basso in the Tour de France. And I think if all goes well, Basso will win the tour, I think that's the plan right now anyway.
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