April 14: On the way to Walla Walla, 8 hours to go. 40-mile circuit race on Friday afternoon. And we're off ...
April 15 a.m.: Walla Walla Walla Walla Walla Walla, Washington!
April 15 p.m.: Finished 10th in Stage 1. Went solo up the final climb from 1K out ... got caught with about 100 meters to go. Oops. Time bonuses put me at 00:12 back going into the time trial in the morning. Oh, and it was 45 and raining the whole race. Sucked ...
The finishing climb.
April 16 a.m.: I borrow a TT helmet, aero bars, and a skin suit and STILL finish 02:50 back in a 9.5-mile TT. Awesome. Now at 02:53 back in the GC. Crit. in five hours ...
Great riding.April 16 p.m.: Sitting about 10th wheel going into the final corner in the crit., feeling good, then ... bodies everywhere. Locked up the back wheel, slammed hard into some guy's back with my front wheel, but didn't go down. Sucks for me, probably sucks more for him. Field all gets same time. 30th, 02:53 back going into the 65-mile "brutal" road race tomorrow. We'll see ...
The Yellow Jersey is 18. It's my third year of racing and I'm already washed up.
April 17: Went down swinging: got into a 2-man, 15-mile break ... got caught, field finish. Finished 02:53 back in the GC, 25th. Second straight stage race I've lost by the exact same amount of time I lost in the TT ...
Big thanks to Walla Walla Couch Surfing Carrie and her housemates for the floor, the food, and their hospitality! Sweet kids, for sure! $50 a night hotel beds? Nah, up with people! They're cheaper!
April 18: Left Walla Walla at 4, got a beer in C D'A, drove to Hot Springs-ish, slept in the car, drove home, slept more, and was hiking up Big Mountain with Cody by 1:30. Next-level ...
I got home from Walla Walla, slept for two hours, then went back to Big Mountain, first time since mid-March. Next-level. The lifts are shut down, Cody's allowed to shred! We did.
"Ready?"
"Go!"
As soon as the Bear Mouth road race is out of the way, we'll probably spend a majority of May hiking up. I've hiked up 19 times in 2011, almost 45,000 vertical feet ... and there's still a 130-inch base! The Summit Trail should be open by July ...
Ben and I spent the rest of the week either mountain biking or complaining about the weather from the comfort of our living room. Then it got nice.
We played bike polo Saturday evening. Yeah, seriously.
Easter Sunday I rode the West Glacier Loop, up to Hungry Horse Dam and home, 60 miles. April 24: First ride of the year in just a jersey and shorts. Sun dresses and sandals were out in full-force on the warmest day of 2011 ... 58 degrees.
Re-filling the bottles at a fresh spring always makes the Hammer stuff go down a little easier ...
"I think I should fake sick for work tomorrow and come back and camp here later."
So we did.
It started to rain on us at 3 a.m. I set-up in the car. I woke up again at 4 to about a half-inch of snow ...
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