Nothing much

Only thing that is happening now is a tiny bit of biking, and preparing for Ski nationals out in Colorado. Other than that the only interesting thing that happened was the storm that passed through the last few days. We only ended up getting 6 or 7 inches of snow, down from the predicted 16, I think because it was a lot of hail and freezing rain. People were quite wussy during the storm. Some refused to go outside for 3 days. Lame, people are lame...

On a good note, we are flying out to Colorado now instead of driving, I think that must be the reason tuition was raised again! ha.
A personal computer will soon be working for me again, so maybe I can add some photos when that happens.

Untill next week...(Colorado)

Lets go ride a bike...

Yesterday was quite nice, nearly 50 out. So naturally I skipped skiing and rode my bike (good thing too, because the ski team said they skied in 2 inches of water). I started riding at 2ish did an hour 15 solo, during which it was warm enough that I did not need gloves! Then I came back to town and met up with some others to do a group ride. Mosty people went in a bit early to get an hour or so, but Brandon and I kept going and did just over 2. I felt quite good, very hungry at the end though...Last night a few of us bikers watch the Tour of Cali (ToC). Jens Voigt is great, all out attacks all the time. Thats my kinda rider!

Today it was unfourtunatley not quite as warm. Nevertheless I suited up and was off. Finn, Brandon and I met up with some townies and we went out on the northwest passage. Brandon apparently feeling good, so he kept picking it up. Being that I have no real need to do hard or tempo right now I just sat there and watched him do his own thing, unlike he said, he did not drop us. I (we) simply just let him do his own thing. Near the end it just happened that I responded to a jump by Brandon, which brought Finn along. Which led to a race of a few miles to the town line. It was pretty fun, a bit of rotating, a bunch of attacking. Finn tried more than us other two, but he was unable to lose us. Then on the last short uphill Brandon tried a little attack that failed miserably. Finn countered, then died. Then I went but did not get a gap, by then it was the sprint and as Brandon was nice and rested, and being a sprinter got the line.
Then tonight more ToC, not quite as fun to watch as yesterday, but not bad...

Winter to spring

in 12 hours.
This weekend was regionals for skiing, in Marquette, MI. We had quite the haul to get there. Almost 8 hours of driving.
Saturday was the 10k skate race. The rumor is that that particular course is the hardest in the midwest. It very well could be, it was friggin hard. Lots of steep uphills, and only tiny downhills. It was very hard to recover. Despite the course, I had my best skate race ever. I was able to hammer the uphills even though I was dead tired. I just relaxed and my technique improved greatly, combine all these things and you get good results. I think I was 33 or so out of 80ish. Which I am pretty sure is my best skate result any where.

Sunday was the 15k mass start classic. Somehow I lucked out and got the very last position in the echelon, not that it mattered too much since some people behind me had a straighter shot when the trail narrowed down, but I was not complaining. It was quite a fast start, and I was able to avoid breaking anything. Somehow I ended up farily far up in the pack, for the first few km it was crazy, people everywhere. It was impossible to pass or be passed. Eventually it began to spread out and I got some breathing room. By the end of the first lap I had gotten into a nice little group of 5. The 5 of us skied the rest of the race together (until the very end). It was really fun to be in a pack skiing, I have never been able to do that. I was always just a bit faster than those behind me, but not quite as fast as those in front. This race felt a lot like a cyclo-cross race, which is probably why I enjoyed it so much. In the end the guys I was with got ahead on the final hill, but I was only a few seconds back at the finish. Overall I think I was in the mid 20, again out of 80. Oh, and the temp was about 10.

Monday, after a few classes it was time to hit the roads again. The weather was a tropical 40 degrees aand sunny, perfect spring riding. At 3:30 a whole bunch of us (10 or so) meet to go and enjoy the warm roads on our bicycles. So off the massive group went, some people took off at about an hour 15, but a few of us went for 2. It felt great, skiing has put me in great shape for biking. All I need to do is build my strengh up and Ill be set. We will have to see what happens with the weather and skiing, I still have to ski my best in Colorado in a few weeks...

Well...

Since my computer has been broken, updating has been complicated. I've got a bit of time now so.
Computer issues suck. I of course want to resolves them, so I took my computer to the Apple store on Moday. The tech guy looked at it for a bit then something very very close to "your computer is completely hosed, wait did I say completely, I meant..." and there he trailed off. That is never a good thing to hear. So that was that, I sent for it to be fixed and it was shipped in today. Before I sent it the Olaf tech guy wanted to see it. I brought it in this morning, after a minute or two he said "this is the deadest iBook I have ever seen." The weird thing is that I did not do anything to it, at all! It just decided to die, and I have never heard of an Apple just quiting like that. But, what can ya do...
(Now collecting dontations for the we love Jake, so we will pay for his new computer fund)

Other than my computer being toast, this week has been decent. Went for a bike ride with Sean on Monday, then felt great in intervals yesterday. But now it is deathly cold out again, and oh it is Valentines Day, which means it is also Father Boyce's birthday. So happy birthday dad.

Something not so familiar

but first a bit about yesterdays ski race.
The night before I picked up some van keys, we were supposed to have two vans but I thought nothing of it when I picked up the keys. Anyway in the morning after breakfast someone picked up the van, and it turned out to be a mini van with four seats. That was no good since we had to take 12 people. So we scrambled some cars, I came back to my house to pick up mine. Then since it was cold and had not been started in a while it of course did not start. So I had to call Public Saftey, who brough an uncharged battery pack. Therefore had to go back to their office and get a new one. Eventually it started and we left. Only an hour late. But we still made it on time to the race. During my ski of the course somehow I crossed my skis and fell, onto my pole. And of course this time it broke. Great start to the morning!
Also Friday, my computer broke. It wont turn on. Everything at once!

Anyways today the high temp was 25. I walked outside and started sweating. With this heat wave (25 degrees warmer then the last 2 weeks) I just had to go ride my bike. So that is exactly what I did. It felt great, until near the end. It turns out skiing has just knocked my climbing legs right out from under me. I was fine on the flats, but the hills were a lot harder then usual. I have not felt that weak on my bike for a long time. Although my cardio system is working quite nice. I must rebuild my legs. And soon!

Not a whole lot

has been happening recently. The only big thing is that the semester has started, so far I like all of my classes. However, we will see what happens when the work starts pilling on. So far I have spent just about $30 on books, thank you library! Why buy a book to use for a couple of days, just check it out. If I need it again, very simple to get. Plus I am saving paper.
In the world of athletics, it has been quite cold. Monday Finn and I rode trainers for 2 hours and 16 minutes, so the I would not freeze my lungs by skiing. Then the past few days have been skiing. With an emphasis on technique.

Which is colder,

-40 C or -40 F?
This picture can help you figure it out.

This is what you need to go outside. The thermometer in my hand says - 23.4 air temp.

It is cold...

Too cold to show skin...

well at least as little skin as possible

Life in the arctic (v.2)

is cold, just look at the forecast. I might have to not go outside for a few days. Not much warmer down south. Definitely way to cold to go ride a bike.
Before it got even colder I decided to go check out the ice formations on Park Point and at Brighton Beach. Here a few of the photos.

Cliffs

holes

Tess and Hazel for scale

Close up

untitledmy personal favorite
Into the distance
cave
frozen in place