For Once, I'm satisfied to be in Indiana

Rain, rain, rain. The Amgen Tour of California started this week, and it has been a wet one so far. I was really excited for this race to get underway mainly because it is always a star-studded field racing in the good ol' USA. They say that this years field is the greatest to ever have been assembled on North American soil. Three Tour champions, multiple World Champions, winners of many monuments like Paris-Roubaix....pretty cool. However, aside from the 4 minute prologue on Saturday, the race has seen the worst weather possible....cold, windy, and wet as an ocean. It has been so rainy and dreary, that just watching it makes me cringe and stress out. I hate being forced to ride when it is crappy out....let alone for a 5 hour stage! Also, in the back of my head, I'm wondering if all of these super stars of cycling are developing a passionate hatred for all things American because of the crappy weather that HAD to hit at the same time and place of this great bike race. Ivan Basso already said that he wishes this race was in April to be used as a Giro d'Italia warm up...and Christian VandeVelde said it best when he said "Golden Gate, schmolden gate, give us sun! Dry and sunny for the last 5k today, that was a kick in the ding ding.." It was cool to see the riders cross over the Golden Gate Bridge, but the weather sucked for it. Man, thanks for ruining everything, weather!

My training is coming along. Our season opener is two weeks from this past Saturday, and I wouldn't be the first to tell you that I'm chompin' at the bit to get some bike racing under way! I'm feeling pretty strong...stronger that I have ever felt pre-season, so that is a good thing. Or, it could be a horrible thing, because I could just be delusional and end up getting my butt whooped on Feb. 28 down at Murray State, KY. I guess there's only one way to find out and that's waiting until race day!

Until then, I'm trying to enjoy my chances being able to train outside while I think of all the pros out in Cali getting kicked in their collective "ding ding".