Making the Best of my Surroundings /TDF Smack.

Well, as mentioned or not in previous posts my family is crashing at the home of a family friend until September ( or we get our lives together whatever comes sooner.) As a result I've been having to go to map my run to try to adjust my mileage from my new start point. Also I have started riding from my home. Well ok I've just done 1 ride from the homestead to Thomaston ( about 3 towns over) but the point is I've started finding new routes, and the new routes are hilly. I'm not going to say they rank up there with Alpe Du Huez or the Tourmelet but they do work the legs. In fact in the 20 miler I did last week I did notice the significant drop in speed on the back end of the ride ( crawling up hill a 10mph or less instead of screaming down at 30 mph.) Likewise it did prove to be a good platform for a 10 mile run as there is an intersection at exactly the 5 mile mark. So while the situation may be less than ideal I am making out good in the training realm likewise the house is absolutely georgeous but it is a temporary stop over.

On the life in general side...I'm scheduled for my Aviation Service Test Battery ( ASTB to you military folks.) in the first week of August so I'm trying to give myself a crash course in high school math. The test will essentially determine if I can make it as an officer in the Navy or if I'll get the "thanks for playing " from my recruiter. Likewise my creditors have started coming after me in force which has been adding to the stress cycle. ( granted this is a mess of my own doing.) All and all things are moving forward just got to see where the path ends.

Likewise in the tour I could make comments on the whole Contador, Schleck thing. I feel for Schleck especailly because I would love to see him win this year's highly entertaining yet unpredictable Tour De France, but let's face it if someone dropped a chain in a tri, a training ride or anyother bike race, the odds of the whole field slowing down for him and waiting for him to catch up are about the odds of Lance Armstrong making up his 20 minute gap in tomorrow's stage. Likewise on Lance... I mean ok dude beat cancer and has been raising awareness, and he had a good break yesterday...but WTF? Where's the support been for Levi, I mean he is the highest ranked rider on Radio Shack, where has the support been especially on the mountain stages where he can get back sometime? Alright my comments on the workings of team Radio Shack over. My predictions for tomorrow's stage, Schleck and Voight go on a break at the 20km mark and try to pull Hinault. ( ie go out like their lives and GC positions have no meaning and just try to dominate.) to get time back on Contador, because essentially unless the Saxo bank docs really roid up Luxembourgs's national hero there's no way he'll touch Contador in the TT...but then again this year's been so odd ball that I might almost pick Dennis Menchov to go beserk and end up in yellow. It's going to be a good stage tomorrow so get the Tivo going.

R.D.

Behold the Amazing Flying Schleck!

Well today was a slow day at work, so I was able to watch the athlete tracker of Le Tour. I was glued to the updates as I watched Cadel Evans hopes and dreams disappear with ever kilometer up the the Col de le Madeleine. I watched as Contador and Andy Schleck dropped the hammer and unmercifully ran down the break away. I watched as Lance regained his old form and Levi established himself as a contender. Essentially I had enough motivation to get me pumped up to ride for the next week. Ok so the Tour maybe full of the best medical enginering known to man but still I'm drawn to it. I love seeing guys push it to the limit, it's awe inspiring. Essentially it's a motivator, because let's face it 90% of us have the Paul Sherwin, Phil Liggett commentary going in our heads when we're out on our long rides. We push that little bit harder on our group rides to try to summit before the other guys and gals. When we feel good we are "dancing on the pedals and turning ourseleves inside out not to be denied." So where was I oh yes Andy Schleck. Homeboy is the real deal and he's making Contador look bad. Back in 2007 Contador won both the Yellow Jersey and the White for best Young rider, and Schleck looks like he's going to do it this year. To day he was flying, he essentially grabbed Contador and said "let's grab that breakaway." and they nearly did Sammy Casar just barely held on, as they caught the break in the final Km. Schleck is my pick for this year as much as I would like to see Levi shock the world, Andy is the real deal, and barring Contador making a massive charge, he is an unstoppable force.

De Plauge boss De plauge!

Well the seasons are changing hence that means my semi annual sinus draining is in effect. This year it's a little annoying in that it caused me to lose my voice...yet I somehow manage to make it to the office every day go figure. Today not much on tap... Work, a pool session, maybe a run ,work on my thesis before meeting up with a newbie tri geek in New Haven. The stuffy sinues killed my training yesterday as I pretty much napped,popped some pharmacy brand cough drops...man Halls lemon flavor is better... got the last minute items for commencement ball, came back home, ate and slept some more...between my thesis and this crap the training's really in the crapper....after graduation that will hopefully change....along with better nutrition.

Also in the news Tom Boonen got busted for coke... again Needless to say he won't be going to the TDF...there goes my Green Jersey pick...Looks like I'll be rooting for Mark Cavendish or Robbie McEwen.

That's all for me hopefully I'll have a positive training post later this week...after the papers get done of course.

Cough cough..wheeze...
R.D.

Slyvain Chavanel Finally wins!, welcome to the blogroll, and professional development

Ok I had to get that out of my system. I've been following TDF since I was in middle school and to see this guy finally win was a joy. I remember a brave breakaway he led in 2003 in which he was caught at the bottom of a major climb by Lance Armstrong after leading one of the Alpine Stages from the opening km's (crap I'm turning into Phil Ligget), every stage this year he has been in a break and to see him finally win and his emotional reaction reminded me of all that is good in sport.

Ok random TDF moment over. Also Iron-Matron has been added to my blog roll, there are some others who have commented that I need to add so if it takes me a while I apologize. Also I put in an App with The Hartford or as Angry Runner will call them " The unholy Horde of Southington." Enemies of freedom, a road bump in his corporation's bid for world domination. Don't know what will come from it, but I figure if I want to improve my station in life/ finance I need to take action, and the worst case senario is they will say no, so nothing to lose. Went on a ten mile trail run with Justin, turned out pretty well although this guy can smoke my ass, seriously, he's well on the right track to qualifying for Boston. I was a bit humid, the fuel belt made an appearance, but it was a good session...not better than sex...but good. Speaking of which there were two girls sunning themseleves on the beach and I gave a cat call to which I was given an unamuzed look from under a pair of sunglasses. Irregardless, that's enough out of me

R.D.

Finally training with Peeps. TDF /Cervelo Smack.

Well after Tuesday's Dash and splash, I was hoping to get another pool session in yesterday, but tightness in my legs, shoulders, and my impeccable knack for bull shitting, threw a wrench into that plan, so I just chilled in the hot tub for 15 min. loosening my tight legs. Anyhoo out of the deal I arranged a training session with my friend Justin, doing my Holy Cross Hop Brook loop of doom that I did on Tuesday. ( It's about nine miles if there are any takers in blogger land, ahem Angry Runner!). For me it's finally good to be training with some other people granted I do lose some training time in catching up, but having someone there to help push the pace and share in the suffering helps to make the monotony of a long run, ride, or swim workout from hell pass a little quicker. For the past couple of weeks I've sort of been a loner. Haven't really talked much to people as I attempt not to spend un-necessarily, or at least not too much. Sunday I met up with a few of the HEATsters, and it felt good being around people again, granted I felt socially awkward as I tried to mack it with 2 girls who after about 5 min. I realized they weren't intersted, well it's probably better that they weren't. I can't afford a girlfriend, at this point, granted if I keep using that excuse by the time I can afford one I'll be a wrinkled old fart and "Gold digger bait."
Irregardless, it's been nice to actually have human contact that doesn't involve money changing hands over the past couple days. It almost makes me feel normal again, for a while I was begining to think the customary response to " Hi, how are you?" was " Cash ,Large bills!"

Sunday I'm riding through Middlebury/ Woodbury /Washington Claire you're supposed to be tapering so no coming down this week end, put your feet up and watch Cadel Evans smash Team CSC/ Saxo Bank's hopes of a yellow jersey, and dash Cervelo's clever marketing campaign for 2009, granted Cancellara will most likely win the TT , but all that matters is the dude in the Yellow shirt rides for someone other than CSC/Saxo Bank, a rides something other than a Cervelo..ok TDF rant over

Well that's it for now, one day I will explain how I went from being a fan of cervelo, when they were the anti -trek to being a sworn cervelo hater, and the only rider on CSC who's heroics I respected only to watch him fall from grace.
until then
Vive Cadel!
R.D.