Getting tired of the trainer...

I'm getting really tired of riding in the basement. Spring cannot arrive too soon, but it's Minnesota, so that could be 2 months from now. Unless the weather goes completely pear-shaped this weekend, I'm riding outside, even if it's on my singlespeed on the road.

Base Week 3

Started Base 3 today. I missed the last week of Base 2 due to illness. That was followed by a recovery week, so basically, I haven't ridden much in two weeks. I tried to do a 30 minute power test on Saturday and felt like I was going to die, so I bailed. Patience, young grasshopper.

Let Levi Ride

I think the ASO and Tour organizers are sick of American podium dominance since 1999, and figured one way to keep it from happening again is to not invite the American with the best shot at winning. To ban Astana and not ban Cofidis, Rabobank or any of the other teams with past doping scandals is nothing short of hypocritical. But, in a country where Richard Virenque and Christophe Moreau are heroes, what else would you expect? Bob Roll has a great article on this here.

Training

Only managed 2 out of 8 scheduled hours this week. I'm hoping this is the last time I'm sick for a long, long time. Then, I hit it a little too hard yesterday and tweaked my back. This next week is a recovery week, I need it.

FA Cup

So I didn't get to see the game I wanted to, Man Utd vs Arsenal, but I did see one hell of a match between Liverpool and Championship side Barnsely. Injury time winner for Barnsley at Anfield to send Liverpool out of the Cup. Awesome. This is a team in the bottom half of the division below the Premiership, taking out one of the world's big clubs. This is why the FA Cup rules.

Top that off with a 4-0 thrashing of Arsenal by Man U, and it was a great day for football. At least for me. If Chelsea had lost it would have been the hat trick. I'm just guessing Man U and Chelsea will get drawn in the quarterfinals. We'll see.

TDF: Here we go again...

Already banned from the Giro d'Italia, Astanta and others may be watching the Tour instead of racing in it. Is it a case of the sins of the father being visited upon the son? Or is it a sign that promotors are serious about cleaning house?

Obama

Of all the candidates out there, he would truly be a change for the better. I've been going back and forth between Obama and Clinton. I'll vote for whoever ends up with the nomination, I'm just hoping it's Obama. Throw away voting records, experience, rhetoric and soundbites, and give me someone who can inspire others. Hopefully Bush won't issue an executive order making himself president for life. You know he's got at least one last major kick in the groin of the Constitution before he's done.

Brutal

This bug is brutal. I got it 3 weeks ago, lasted about a week and now it's back again. Owen's sick too.

Sick, again.

I haven't had the stomach flu for over 5 years, but I've had it twice now in the last 3 weeks. Good times. No ride today, but I'll count the "ab work" towards my core strength workout.

$100,000/second for this?

This year's Super Bowl ads are the worst I can remember. You're supposed to bring your A Game here. Most of these looked like they were dreamed up by a junior high marketing class. Racial stereotypes, more talking babies, and GoDaddy's Danicka Patrick "striptease" promo? A bloody human heart flying out of a woman's chest is supposed to get me to "follow my heart"? Smelling like Planters peanuts is supposed to get you some action? Craptacular.

The only ad I remember that didn't make me cringe was the Stewie vs Underdog Coke commercial. Coke then ruined it with the Carville/Frist ad, which has been done so many times already. I get it, they hate each other, but Coke makes it all good. Who approves this stuff? Puppy Bowl IV was more entertaining (and better branded, somebody gets it).