Yeah, But it's a Dry Heat

I am back from 'Winter Training Camp 09' with a tan and confirmation that I am out of shape going into the 2009 season. What a surprise! This is no different from any other season so I expect to continue my mid pack domination of the single speed class this year. If you are looking to finish mid-pack or slightly farther behind in the races I choose to participate in this year you will have a fight on your hands (until I get tired and fall way off the back). With or without fitness it is time to make some decisions about which races I will drag my anaerobic body through this year. Look for The Mountain Mist Cycling South Eastern United States Tour Schedule to be revealed on this very blog soon.

The city of Tucson's slogan is 'Real, Natural, Arizona'. Yeah, sounds great if you are retiring there. I have derived a different slogan: 'Tucson, warm and sunny (in the winter), with bike lanes seemingly on every road, and mountain bike trails with real mountains and trail features that can kill you. What more could you desire in a winter playground?



Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum) on the side of the trail. As a child in America I had dreams. Dreams of devoting most of my paycheck to taxes and health insurance, having a mortgage with no forseeable end and to see one of these beautiful lizards in the wild. I can now rest easy that all of my dreams have come true.




Saguaro Cacti (Carnegia gigantea). Some of these are over 150 years old.




Okay, since this is a cycling blog, a riding pic for your perusal. Moab isn't the only place with slick rock.

Look for Part 1 of WTC 09 to be posted on Monday, where you can learn more about riding and, well, just being in the desert.

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Winter Training Camp Preparation

Yesterday, the first task of "Winter Training Camp '09" was completed. Since I have been told by those who are paid to make me feel better that I shouldn't lift heavy things like a 70lb bike box, I felt it necessary to separate the travels of the Mountain Mist Cycling Team. This has occurred on only one other occasion when on my honeymoon I felt it prudent to mail my bike to Hawaii instead of dragging it through the airports and to the rental car with La Jeffa also in tow.

Just because it is as interesting as the ideas Obama has for stimulating the economy I have jpeg-edly recorded the first preparation for WTC '09.

First step, open box.




Step B, insert partially disassembled bike into box.



Step 3, insert more cycling related paraphernalia into box.



Step 4, throw in wheels. Or place gingerly into foam packing material, it doesn't matter these wheels are as round as a box and as true as as the comments from Bush regarding weapons of mass distraction.



No, I didn't forget about tires and no, I am not going to ride on a rails to trails project before they remove the tracks. I am awaiting shipment of new tires that will make the plane trip with the second part of the team.

Final Step, double check to make sure everything is packed inside properly and close securely. This always seems to take more effort than I am ready for.



Oh yeah, after wrestling with closing the box for fifteen minutes it is easy to remember what I have not inserted into the box. This will require an additional 30mins of wrestling and cursing.

More to come on final preparations for WTC '09.

Having Trouble Cranking Up Oh Nine

I usually like to hit the ground running (or actually riding)in the New Year but this year has been as slow as the economy, going in reverse, in fact, just like all of the lackluster investments these brilliant financial planners have managed to wrap up our retirement savings in.

Following is a list of what has happened and not happened so far in 2009'er:

Happened Painful injury that won't go away.

Didn't Happen Long slow leisure rides to build endurance.

Happened Bought a trainer and rode indoors. Something I vowed I would never do, but it doesn't suck as bad as your wife making you watch a 2hr episode of The Bachelor. I had no idea TV had gotten so terrible. Thank God for TWC.

Didn't Happen (for me anyway) Tour de Felasco



This is a fantastic event that I had to sacrifice for the sake of health, or lack of health, or maybe because I am getting old, but age has only made Tinker faster so that's not a viable excuse.

Happened A very cold, wet winter in the South that has almost replenished our water table.

Happening Road racing will be exciting this year with Armstrong, Basso, and Landis back in the game.

Gonna Happen I am off to the desert to ride and recuperate and have enlisted some outside help to get my own ass back in the game. (more on that later this week)


Check back into the blog often to stay ABREAST of the current news and events of Mountain Mist Cycling.


And you hear all of this talk about how unfriendly road racing is. Seems quite nice to me.


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