Upside Down and Backwords

I'm back boys and girls or should I say, Dave and Becky. You missed Slip Angles so go get a cup of coffee and your reading glasses, this will take a little while. Marni and I have been on vacation visiting my family in St.Louis, I haven't gotten the mail in 10 days and there is a lot of catching up to do on all fronts! While I've been away Colorado got another major snowstorm but I was safely in St.Louis playing Wii and drinking lattes with my Starbucks baristas.Pete, Repeat and Re-repeat no?Here in blogger land, everyone is wrapping up their 2006 details and busting into 2007. I ended up riding about 6700 miles last year which I'm pretty happy with. Yet I can't compete with Mr.Nice, Mr.Peterson or even MN Doug. Heck I barely out traveled Catra and she RAN those miles at age 42! But it was a great year nonetheless because of so many scenes like picture numero uno above. Great riding, great family, great friends.2007 is going to be kickin though. This season I've got a whole year long training log to look back on and obsess over. I did my first ride and first century on January 2nd last year. This year the snow from two big storms plus our holiday traveling put the kibosh on that idea. I've been doing some solid training since getting back in town though and hoping to put in the first 100 mile day (or two?) this weekend. I have been out on the singleshizzle playing with my sweet new 5.4 ounce digital camera thanks to the wifey and it's ability to take 1200 huge pictures at one time thanks to my mother-in-law Jennifer. Plus I'm wearing my kickass LG Powercap thanks to my father-in-law Jim. Never fear Dad, now I can take self portraits AND timer shots. Woowoo!Plus I can take shots while riding the rollers in my best Kerkove and Buchanandale immitating Kerkove impressions.It seems I am also going to transition away from the unattached lifestyle in 2007. My good buddy Jim has somehow convinced his team to take me on as their endurance specialist. I'll be riding for Feedback Sports shortly. The guys are really great as I had a chance to ride with them a few times last season and I'm looking forward to supporting the team and hopefully earning them some nice results. Becko you'll be so excited. The uniforms are blue and yellow and I'll be matchy matchy for a lot more rides! Wonder how the red knee warmers will look? :)

Today I also filled out and decorated my application for Leadville. No you can't see my sweet artwork yet. Maybe after February 9th when I find out if I'm in or not. Looks like Scott, Erik, Dan, Doug and Steven are joining me this year if all goes well with our entries.I'm pretty sure this is the face Marni made when I asked her if she was signing up for Leadville this year. She has been on the trainer though...CCTT series and Winter Park maybe?

I've got a nice Dave and Lynda style training binge session coming up next weekend in the desert that I'm really looking forward too. There is a lot to get done before then though as I'm still busy busy busy from the long vacation. The singlespeed needs lots of TLC including the new chain and putting on the sweet new bike computer Dad got me for Christmas. Plus I'll be camping with the stove Mom got me so I need a canister for it and I'll have to put some tunes on my new iPod shuffle curtesy of Sister. I can't believe that I've had it a week and it's fully charged but there are no songs on it! Plus it's so dang tiny I've got to weigh it tomorrow. I suppose at some point I should really put the Fuel back together considering OP is 6 weeks away, right Adam?

Last but not least here are some biking pictures from our vacation riding. I got to ride with my dad, my little bro Nick and Marni. We hit up SIUE's new trails and then a bunch of trails at my old stomping grounds, Castlewood state park. It was quite an experience for me going back and stomping up my old vertical nemesis on the single and making short work of it. Plus I had almost forgotten what it's like to ride twisty turny trails and go up and down in increments smaller than 1000 vertical feet.

























Before I close out this post I have one last thing to ask of you all. Some of you are believers and some of you probably are not. Either way you can help. A very good friend's son has just been diagnosed with something very scary. He is an amazing guy and I know he and his son will get through this but I can only imagine how scary it is as a father having gone thought it once myself from a perspective of a son. Please keep them both in your thoughts so that they will both remain strong and fight until it is beaten. They'll be in mine for sure.