Here's a little something for Team GrandStay that I threw together tonight in advance of this weekend's Gluek Road Race. Since it's one of the 3 qualifiers for the NVGP, Matt and the boys are taking this one very seriously. Seriously like a Sledgehammer.
The pix and video are a couple of weeks old, but with all the snow we've had right up to this week, you'd never know.
Good luck to the Green Machine this weekend!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Sunday, April 20, 2008
GrandStay Again!
This time it was Dan, not Doug, Swanson taking the win for the team at the venerable Durand road race. Dan-o, big BK, and 2 pro/1/2s from other teams broke away from a talented peloton in the first 5 minutes of the race, and Dan-o stayed away for the duration, taking the win while the peloton came on too late. Brother Doug took the field sprint for 3rd overall, and everyone on the team worked hard bringing back attacks and generally intimidating the competition.
In the Masters race, Bagley worked hard early but got popped on the steep rollers, and Bell and Coyle hung in with a strong peloton. Big Jim attacked on the back side of the last lap, brought two guys with him, and dropped one of them in the last mile. He then made the mistake I saw all day long, sprinting at the base of the finishing hill and gassing out near the line. Loon Stater Greg Goblirsch caught him and held on for the win. Bell got 2nd and Coyle 7th in a well-played race.
No photos or videos unfortunately as I was too busy handing up water bottles to the team. I'll try to get some photos at the Gluek road race here in St. Cloud.
Then the Masters team got cleaned up and went to teammate Charles Jacobs' wedding to sweet Julie Reimnitz. The bride was the picture of loveliness, and the groom was just entertaining enough to round it all out. It was a beautiful wedding and a fun reception. Cragles, Bagleys, and even Bells tripped the light fantastic to some good old school dance tunes. Rumor has it that it's the first time Mr. Bell has asked Mrs. Bell (or anyone else) for a dance. What was that about old dogs and new tricks?
In the Masters race, Bagley worked hard early but got popped on the steep rollers, and Bell and Coyle hung in with a strong peloton. Big Jim attacked on the back side of the last lap, brought two guys with him, and dropped one of them in the last mile. He then made the mistake I saw all day long, sprinting at the base of the finishing hill and gassing out near the line. Loon Stater Greg Goblirsch caught him and held on for the win. Bell got 2nd and Coyle 7th in a well-played race.
No photos or videos unfortunately as I was too busy handing up water bottles to the team. I'll try to get some photos at the Gluek road race here in St. Cloud.
Then the Masters team got cleaned up and went to teammate Charles Jacobs' wedding to sweet Julie Reimnitz. The bride was the picture of loveliness, and the groom was just entertaining enough to round it all out. It was a beautiful wedding and a fun reception. Cragles, Bagleys, and even Bells tripped the light fantastic to some good old school dance tunes. Rumor has it that it's the first time Mr. Bell has asked Mrs. Bell (or anyone else) for a dance. What was that about old dogs and new tricks?
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Opus #1
I didn't make it, but Doug and the rest of my GS mates did, and what do you know? Doug wins it! First blood for GrandStay Hotels, boys.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Ultra-secret training update
Last weekend most of Doc's GrandStay Hotels Cycling teammates took part in our annual spring training weekend. They rode 340 miles in 4 days at over 20mph average speed. Doc fervently wished to be there, but shoulder surgery and Disneyworld got in the way.
Being a Masochist of the first order (what bike racer isn't?), I really miss the opportunity to ride longer and faster than I should until my legs give out or I throw up.
Anyway, here are selected photos from the weekend that I missed:
Climate Shock
Soulmate and I just got back from a family reunion for ourselves and my 3 brothers and kin in hot, sunny Orlando. My hardest choice weather-wise was whether to wear a baseball cap or let the sun get at my bald spot. Rain last Saturday and Sunday kept us from really beating up the theme parks, but we made up for it Monday through yesterday.
Here a belly-dancer shakes it at the Marrekesh Restaurant at Epcot Center while Soulmate and I eat fantastic Moroccan food.
My darling niece Tirzah brushes and pets the goats at Rafiki's Planet Watch at Animal Kingdom.
The "gang of cousins" plans one of their many neferious activities. This one appears to involve the game "Quelf", designed to keep whole condo buildings awake until 1 or 2 in the morning.
Zane shows Uncle Jon where the gecko went while Tirzah keeps her distance.
Hot and sunny was the byword for the week in Orlando, while Big Jim informed me that Snowy and Snowy was the byword back home. Actually, coming in to MSP, I was hopeful when I saw almost no snow on the ground, but when we actually drove in the driveway, I realized that we got vastly more snow here than in the Metrop.
Doc (and a lot of other very white people) learn from some serious African booty-shakers that he'll never shake his booty like them, no matter how big his booty gets from laying off the bike.
45 degrees and rain should dispatch the snow quickly tomorrow, but I'm still in a bit of a weather funk. To pull us all out of it, I present some random photos of the week:
Doc (and a lot of other very white people) learn from some serious African booty-shakers that he'll never shake his booty like them, no matter how big his booty gets from laying off the bike.
Here a belly-dancer shakes it at the Marrekesh Restaurant at Epcot Center while Soulmate and I eat fantastic Moroccan food.
More to come if I feel like it...
Thursday, April 10, 2008
I'm Not Bragging or Anything
But it's snowing like mad in my hometown while I and my brothers and their families cavort in Orlando. It's been 86 and sunny all week after a heavy thunderstorm hit on Sunday. We've pretty much exhausted the Disney parks and Universal/Islands of Adventure, so tomorrow all that's left is to clean up at SeaWorld and pack it all in Saturday morning, just in time for the big thaw up north.
The Physical Terrorist last week took my sling off, so I don't look so dorky anymore, but I can't do much with the arm right now. It feels much stronger in just a few days out of the sling, but only strong enough to button my shirt and hold a cup of coffee. My theme park experiences have been severely limited by my decision to only undergo shoulder surgery once in this lifetime, so all I've really needed to be able to do is to hold a cup of coffee, the climate not really requiring long sleeves and all.
It has been lots of fun to host my 3 brothers and their broods in Orlando. The last time all of us were together was almost 10 years ago. My niece and nephews have enjoyed hanging out together and getting to know each other better. I hope we'll do this at least once every couple years or so, probably each time one of us brothers turns 50 (I go in 2011).
Unfortunately, I broke my cell phone screen by slamming it in the rear gate of my Pathfinder, so I don't have any cute photos or videos of the kids. I've ordered a refurbished screen from a website that has an installation video, so we'll see how long it is until I'm back in the saddle, telephonically speaking.
It feels really good to type with two hands finally, but it's like 1:30 am now, and SeaWorld awaits tomorrow...
The Physical Terrorist last week took my sling off, so I don't look so dorky anymore, but I can't do much with the arm right now. It feels much stronger in just a few days out of the sling, but only strong enough to button my shirt and hold a cup of coffee. My theme park experiences have been severely limited by my decision to only undergo shoulder surgery once in this lifetime, so all I've really needed to be able to do is to hold a cup of coffee, the climate not really requiring long sleeves and all.
It has been lots of fun to host my 3 brothers and their broods in Orlando. The last time all of us were together was almost 10 years ago. My niece and nephews have enjoyed hanging out together and getting to know each other better. I hope we'll do this at least once every couple years or so, probably each time one of us brothers turns 50 (I go in 2011).
Unfortunately, I broke my cell phone screen by slamming it in the rear gate of my Pathfinder, so I don't have any cute photos or videos of the kids. I've ordered a refurbished screen from a website that has an installation video, so we'll see how long it is until I'm back in the saddle, telephonically speaking.
It feels really good to type with two hands finally, but it's like 1:30 am now, and SeaWorld awaits tomorrow...
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Radio Silence Continues
I didn't feel like doing anything last weekend, so I watched movies and rode my spin bike for laughs. The blog suffered as a result, not that too many of you cared much.
The shoulder is coming along, allbeit slowly, like watching grass grow. Speaking of which, I can finally see my grass after a series of spring snowstorms. Not that the grass will be growing for a few weeks, but at least it's visible now.
My GrandStay buddies head out to an undisclosed location tomorrow for an ultra-secret training camp weekend. I'm really bummed not to be going, but I'm headed to Orlando Friday for a long-awaited family reunion to celebrate my geezer brother's 50th year.
No promises on when you can expect the next update...
The shoulder is coming along, allbeit slowly, like watching grass grow. Speaking of which, I can finally see my grass after a series of spring snowstorms. Not that the grass will be growing for a few weeks, but at least it's visible now.
My GrandStay buddies head out to an undisclosed location tomorrow for an ultra-secret training camp weekend. I'm really bummed not to be going, but I'm headed to Orlando Friday for a long-awaited family reunion to celebrate my geezer brother's 50th year.
No promises on when you can expect the next update...
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