Big Brother Wins

So, the sibling race up the hill took place yesterday. We chose the Anatone grade, which is about 3.5 miles long and really gradual. I decided that my best strategy would be to set a hard pace for me, with hopes that it would hurt Rusty. I ramped it up to a pace that was hard for me and he was still with me, so then I decided I needed to recover a bit, in case he attacked. I threw in an attack and he stayed with me, which brought us up to the top and a sprint, which he took. I think the problem was that I have never in my life been able to ride with Rusty and have him unable to drop me at any second, so I just kept expecting him to drop me. He said afterwards that I was stronger, but I didn't play my cards right. I didn't have enough confidence to attack him, but I should have tried it, and maybe it would have turned out differently. He did end up throwing up afterwards, which gave me a little satisfaction in knowing that I was able to hurt him.

Naomi, me, and Tammie

Dan, Naomi, Tammie, and Ted

Big brother versus little sister

I am well overdue to update this thing; things have just been busy for the past couple weeks.

The trip to Chicago was fun and truly was a vacation, including deep dish pizza, wine, and numerous Chicago-style hot dogs. We got there on Thursday, after our flight out of Pullman was cancelled because of poor visibility. Once there, we went into the city to meet up with Tammie and Naomi for dinner, and then to head to one of Tammie's favorite bars. The dinner place was fun - you could order flights of bruchetta with all different types of toppings, so we each picked some and then shared. Fortunately, Ted's friends were able to join us at the bar too, so it was a good group. We all sampled a variety of Belgian beers, some of which I really liked... and some of which I did not.

The next day, Tammie took us to a breakfast place she had told me about for years, called the Bongo Room. The place was packed, and I guess it normally has a huge wait on weekends. They make a great breakfast - I got some graham cracker-crusted pumpkin pancakes that came with a vanilla creme anglaise and cinnamon. Yummy. If you go to Chicago, this is a good breakfast place to try.

Things have been hectic since we got back here, with only a few days in town after our Chicago trip before heading to the Seattle area for the first bike races of the season. Yeah, uh, my first weekend of racing was pretty much a disaster. Let's just say I had not done enough intensity before the first races. So... now, I'm doing a few weeks of very intense training, with hopes that I'll be a little more prepared when the next races roll around in a couple weeks.

Speaking of races, I have committed to doing several big ones this year. I'll be doing Mt. Hood in Oregon in May, the Liberty Classic in Philadelphia, along Nature Valley in Minnesota in June, and the Tour de Toona in Pennsylvania in July. I may do a few others too. We'll see. I had committed to doing the races before actually showing my boss the schedule, so I was a little worried about what his reaction would be when I showed it to him this past week. Basically, I decided that the job is just a job, while the races are a fantastic opportunity worth taking, even if the job didn't work out as a result. Surprisingly (because my boss can sometimes be a bit difficult to deal with), he said he doesn't have a problem with it and we'll make it work.

My brother is coming home for a visit on Tuesday. He and his girlfriend are currently on a cruise to the Bahamas - I can't help but be envious. You may have actually seen their ship on the news yesterday, as their departure was delayed by 7 hours because of a failed safety inspection. Rusty called and said it was a miserable wait - 2000+ angry people holed up together, while their luggage all sat in the rain outside. I guess fights were breaking out, so the police had to come in. It just sounded like a mess. They should be on their way now, though, so hopefully it'll be smooth sailing now (that was a cheesy line, I know).

Rusty may bring his bike home with him, and if he does, he and I are going to have a little race up one of the grades in this area. See, he doesn't ride much anymore, aside from short little things here or there, so I think I can beat him now (which would be a definite first, especially up a hill). He, of course, thinks he can still beat me down, so it should be very interesting. Big brother versus little sister... who will win?

Tammie, Naomi, and me in 2003, on our way back from Collegiate Nationals in Berkeley.

Relaxation

So, I got my facial done today and it was wonderful. I had no idea what to expect... and ended up falling asleep from the relaxation. Lying in a heated bed certainly helped with that. The only problem was that I was so relaxed afterward that it was very hard to be motivated to go and work out! Here's a description of what I had done:
"...a paraffin hand treatment, hand and foot massage, scalp and facial massage, two-part cleansing, exfoliation or bio-lift mask, sheet or glacial mask, toner, additives and accelerators customized for your skin, steam, necessary extractions, finished with gel and moisturizers."

Gentlemen, this is a good gift for your ladies. Thanks Ted.

I am, thankfully, feeling better, so hopefully I'll be able to get some hard riding in this weekend. Ted and I are heading to Chicago on Wednesday for his brother's wedding. While there, we'll visit his family and meet up with my friend, Tammie. Coincidentally, another friend of mine from collegiate racing, Naomi, will be visiting Tammie at the same time. Naomi, Tammie, and I had a lot of fun together when we all lived in the Pullman area. I haven't seen Naomi since her wedding, which was over 1.5 years ago. It'll be very fun to see them both; there is sure to be some comedy.