Planning - Packing - Preparing

Well, this weekend was pretty uneventful outside the house which was kind of nice actually. But inside the house = chaos.

As for the outside, I was actually able to get out on my bike and ride with shorts and jersey only! One for the books for certain after the ice cold weather we have been having recently in Utah. And, while I was out riding I had a bee the size of bird fly by my head which was NOT cool. The cars probably thought I was a maniac as I swerved all around ducking my head and all. That thing scared the bah-Jesus outta me!

Stupid tele pole. Nice view other than that though.



Inside the house was another story as I mentioned. This is the time of the year that just gets down right crazy with the first big race/bike expo of the year this coming weekend (Sea Otter Classic). That and a long time gone for me means making plans, arrangements, researching, doing, organizing, coordinating, training (oh ya?!?), going, coming from, thinking ahead, repacking and living (if AT ALL possible).

I am headed out on the road for a LOOOONG time for the Sea Otter Classic and beyond while enjoying life in the sun on a bike as much as I can while I am at it. But with that comes the price of all the above going on which is worth it in the end.....the end being when I am gone finally and can't do any more planning, packing, etc.

The chaos part comes in because Sea Otter serves as kind of the deadline for any company related to bikes getting their sponsor product out to you and beyond. And that means last minute things coming in the mail, changes that need to be made (sizes, adjustments), getting new bikes in a box days before you leave, getting them built up and fit to you, getting parts that make the bike fit you (proper size seat posts, stems), and getting other last minute on the road and race essentials. Whew. It is a lot every year but the lifestyle is worth it. I love it and can handle the chaos now SO much better than 6 years ago.

With Revolution Mtn Sports help, Chris Tolsma's help at Binghams Cyclery, and my Chris we actually got it all done too. We all had to execute plans A, B and C to their fullest until we got there but we got there! So if you are from the Salt Lake area and your bike didn't get tended to by "dah boys"......sorry cuz I had em running!

Endless time on the phone coordinating and Chris being my sherpa to and from all the bike shops with car loads of parts......saddles, wheels of all kinds - tubulars, clinchers, road, mtn, that were picked up by one person, from another, brought to my Chris, to another Chris to get them dialed, stems going from one place to the next after actually finding the EXACT one you need to make your back happy, crank changes, cassette changes, chainrings changes and new chain on my road bike that we are getting race ready for the Tour of the Gila (Apr 30 - May 4) in addition to getting ready for the mtb season. Trying to lighten the road bike up there which I accomplished with Reynolds Composites help. Wow, I am suddenly tired all over again just writing about all this.

And I swear I just did the last load of laundry TODAY from the last race trip to AZ and CA that I just got home from 6 days ago too. It is a whirlwind for sure but I would have it no other way.

Here is the one sweet piece of 4" x 10' SMOOTH pavement to rip up in Heber. A bicycling mecca this place is, I tell you! HA! But at least it is purrrr-teee and at least I got out for that much needed mental break!