Chill Communication

Well, I was about to hop on my freshly built-up Spot SS and ride up the mesa to l'ecole, but it's 8 degrees out (that's -15 for all of my Canuckian fans out there), so I decided to take some time to update the ol' bloggeroo. I'm becoming quite accustomed to my quiet mornings in my lovely D-go studio - listening to NPR, sippin' freshly brewed joe and enjoying breakfast in bed (because there's nowhere else to eat!). My space is fillin' up in anticipation of a fantastic year of biking: The new Spot (yet to be named) has taken over the gravity rack, the gnarly mud-coated Tarmac hangs vertically next to the water heater and my pillaged and disgraced Superlite frame hangs above my bed (crankless, headsetless, wheelless, brakeless....a sad state of affairs, indeed!). My Trek TT bike will arrive in a couple days...it may get strung from the ceiling.


My relaxing winter break transitioned quickly into a busy and hectic winter semester. I am working on designing my Senior Thesis so that I can conduct research this summer - I never thought I would know so much about Arceuthobium spp., a timber pathogen that shoots seeds up to 65 feet thanks to a water pressure mechanism in its fruit...cool, eh? I am also on a 4 person committee interviewing candidates for an Environmental Biology faculty position at Fort Lewis College. It has been very interesting meeting these potential professors and attending presentations on their current research.

Collegiate Road Season begins in less than five weeks. (http://www.rmccc.org). The 'restructuring' of our program has continued with the final resignation of Rick Crawford (an inspiring coach and good friend). It is difficult to envision the FLC Cycling Program without Rick, but I am also happy the team is ready to put a year of political turmoil and miscommunication behind us. On a lighter note, as of January 1st 2009, FLC Cycling is officially a Varsity Sport. What does that mean? More funding, more sponsorships, more college support and a more professional organization for our team. We hope. With Dave Hagen, Mike Engleman, Ruthie Matthes, Elke Brutsaert and many more folks on board, we have a lot of potential for success.

One of the latest services being offered to FLC Cycling team members are semi-personalized training programs from AthletiCamps. Bruce Hendler (owner of AthletiCamps, Sacremento, CA) has donated his knowledge, experience and time to consult with and create programs specifically for FLC cyclists. I just completed the first workout of Bruce's proto-type FLC program and it was AWESOME! I'll divulge more on the workouts in a week or so...

My first race of the season is on February 13th - The Valley of the Sun Stage Race in Phoenix, AZ. As excited as I am to race, I am even more excited for the 80 degree sunshine (that's freakin' WARM for all you Canadians!)! There is a good-sized group of D-go'ers heading south for this event, so I'll be sure to post some results...

Oh, and most importantly of all! I registered for the 2009 Single Speed World Championships (hence the Spot)!!! What more do I have to say? This is an extremely exclusive annual event, hosted every year, somewhere in the world, by a group of hairy, smelly, quasi-aloholic, neo-liberal hippies who don't believe in gears on bikes. This September, the festivities will take place in my backyard! (http://www.sswc09.wordpress.com). The registration for this event was a coloring contest, check out the glamfest:


To prepare myself (body, mind and soul) for the SSWC, I'm checking out the Dawn 'til Dusk 12 hr race in Gallup, NM on April 11th (http://www.dawntilduskrace.net/). As if the 12 hrs of Cumberland 2008 wasn't enough - now I want to do it on a one speed steel stead!

Well, it's warmed up to 17 degrees - time to ride up to class!
Keep it real and keep it rollin', kids.