Training Camp this weekend, Part 2:

Okay, so training camp is now over. Saturday was wet - 4 hours total riding time and I didn't have to take a drink one time from my water bottles.......all I did was draft off of a couple of teammates and the spray coming up from their rear tire was like a drinking faucet. Just open your mouth and drink. Yeah, sure it was grimy and dirty - but minerals are good for you!! In all honesty, it was pretty gross and wet and cold out there - however, it is also one of those epic rides that we'll remember in the years to come. My bike is in need of a bath and some TLC after Saturday's riding - that is the project of the day today. And in the end, it was actually a blast to ride in the rain.

The one thing I really like about these training camps is finding out what you need to work on. For instance, I found out this weekend that I need to work on cornering, descending, hill climbing, sprinting, drafting, pacelining, blocking, spinning, riding in general and getting into better shape. Yes, very useful information when you want to be a bike racer. My teammates are amazing - they're going to put the hammer down this year at races. And the amount of knowledge the team has as a whole is incredible - encyclopedic knowledge of racing, races, training and riding. That alone was well worth the trip down to Livermore this past weekend.

The other cool thing about training camp is seeing some of the new equipment out there. Like Bob's new bike. That thing is SWEET!!!! And super light too. He said he loves it, it's very comfortable and has excellent power transfer. So, that was great to hear. When I picked that bike up, I thought my pillow weighed more. It was one of those, lift-the-bike-with-your-pinkie light bikes. And that dude can climb!

Anyway, looking forward to starting work on all that stuff listed above. Think I'll start work on cornering first - I can almost see a criterium course from my office window here.....and I believe it's calling my name.