Slow Motion with D

I gave Doug Ollerenshaw a call mid week and set up a beer meeting with him for Saturday night. After talking to him on the phone I could tell that he needed a bit of a break from the Rock Racing circus. After getting a bit lost in the hills of Malibu, I finally made it down the driveway of the B teams $35,000/month rental mansion. I almost got myself stuck in the mud twice before trying to turn around in the driveway...3rd times a charm I guess. I was supposed to be rescuing Doug, but...


My rear wheels came off the pavement into the mud and I pushed the bike rack into the dirt bank. Don't worry, the bikes were ok. It'd been raining for days, so the dirt was too soft to give me any traction. I was dead in the water.



Doug didn't use his Micheal Ball verbal motivating technique on me, so I felt lucky. We mostly just laughed about it. He rallied the troops and ultimately the security guard helped pull me out with her truck. Finally it was off for beers in Malibu looking over the crashing waves. It was a good backdrop as Doug told me about his new squad. Grey sky over crashing waves, but still fun to watch. Is that a good metaphor for Rock Racing???? We'll see. Check out Doug's site for some updates. It sounds like Doug is getting pretty fit, so here's hoping he make the ToC squad. The only juicy gossip I can tell you is: All you teams out there should rent and watch the movie 300 together.  Take some lessons from the Spartans.  That's the new secret! I hope that doesn't get me in trouble with Doug!

So, the Pedro's gig sent me down to SoCal for a few weeksto work. It just so happened that there was a cross race (see post) at the same time that I would be there. 3, my long time tattoo artist, Mum, moved down over a year ago. A few years back I had her start a cover up shoulder piece for me. It's been a long process, made longer by her getting married and moving to Cali. For a while she would fly back to bend and work on people who she had started a realtionship with, but just about a year ago, she moved down full time. I knew that I'd be in the area, so I gave her a call at Laguna Tattoo hoping that we could finally finish the piece. I was excited that she kept her whole Sunday open for me, so we could get it done! Here is the story of my day in pictures!

Laguna Tattoo...it's very very small!



Mum Snoop and bobble head Jesus watch over me!



Before: tools of the trade: just getting started



Getting the water started: deep in concentration: more color on the waves



the finished waves: starting the Koi: This is me at my limits, mentally and physically



Done and with another short session the next week, the chest was finished up too!

The arm coloring started at about 3pm and ended after 10pm! There were a few small breaks, one involving sushi, but for most of the 7 hours I was being worked on. Oh my! By the end I was a mess. I can usually deal with the sensation involved in the tattoo process, but by the end of this one it was all I could do to lay there without squirming. I'm stoked to have it done. When I started the piece, Mum was single. Now she's been married for a few years, has a baby and is now pregnant with number 2! We've become good friends through the process and I enjoy sitting with her. We're already working on my next piece for another cover up. Word of tattoo advice...really think about what you're getting and research the artist/parlor doing the work. It makes all the difference in the world. If you're down in Laguna, stop by and see if Mum (Th-Mon) at Laguna Tatoo is free for a few hours.

My first cross race of ’08 and last race of the ’07/’08 season felt more like a crit than anything else. Now, I usually love crits, but this just wasn’t my day. It’s no surprise though considering the lead in. Basically, I didn’t respect the race, or anything that went into it. What I mean is this: The first couple weeks after cross nats I only did one short trainer ride and 2 nordic skis in between lots of traveling. The weeks after xmas and leading into the race, I did a few Nordic skis and 2 trainer rides. I think my heart was staying fit, but my legs were starting to forget how to ride, especially how to ride hard. I also didn’t think anyone would care about a cross race in January in southern California. I guess you could say that I didn’t respect the competitors….they sure showed me. Three, I didn’t respect my bike! Poor thing was power washed after Kansas and I didn’t touch it until a few days before the race. I changed the rear shifter cable, but it wasn’t really working right. After the race I realized that my rear derailleur was broke and as a result my chain did this the whole time:



The course was pretty lame. It felt like half the thing was pavement with a sketchy downhill 180 and a super sketchy downhill right turn onto gravel with a sidewalk ramp. The last thing I wanted to do was eat it and hurt myself, so I was definitely feeling timid. The rest of the course was a long gravel section followed by some really tight turns around trees with some more lame stuff in between.

From the gun, I pretty much got whooped. Not much else to report. I just didn’t have it and to do a top 5 (which I thought was possible), I would have had to have a great race with more consistent training beforehand. Molly finished up 4th (her best UCI result ever) and Sager got 6th after killing everyone for half the race, then paying for it just a bit. After the race it was food time. We ate at a vegi restaurant that serves the food in a huge boat. We had a fleet of vegi boats. It was sweet. This first full day in Cali proved to be the only nice full day of sun.

I learned a few valuable lessons from not respecting the race that I will take with me into next season. Big goals and big plans ahead…stay tuned!!!!


My national numbers were still on the jersey!!!!

So, work has brought me down to SoCal for the next few weeks.  Great news, since there just happens to be a UCI cross race on January 19th!  Who's gonna do a cross race in January you ask?  Well, that's what I figured.  I thought this would be a easy way to get a few UCI points that will help me in only the early 08/09 UCI races (UCI points reset the Monday after the first World Cup and this year that was late Oct).  However...Molly is here, Jason Sager is registered (I'm thinking you wont get lapped if you've been logging so much time with Doug O), some Primus Mooty Boulder guy is here, Brent Prenzlow is here, I saw Jessie Anthony at the track WC tonight, and a few other local fasties are registered...maybe this wont be too easy after all.  If only 9 guys are faster than me, I'll be happy.  Who cares if I haven't been on my bike this week, or outside since nationals....I'm excited!!!!

Rolled into SoCal right to the track world cup and met up with Molly.  Pretty sweet.  I've never watched track racing.  I got to see Taylor Phinney win gold in the pursuit.  Pretty amazing being he's only 18 or so.   I'll post more tomorrow along with some pics...better rest up for  the start of my  08/09 campaign...

Ha! Heck no! While most of OBRA is slogging through the rain in the valley getting ready to dominate the Cherry Pie winter classic and the tour de Hagg Lake aka Bananna world championships, I'm trying to stay true to my promise that I made to spread my wings outside of cycling. I used to do a lot more stuff throughout the year, but cycling pretty much rocks my world, so I’ve ignored the things I’ve loved so. Climbing, hiking, snow riding and learning such new things as kayaking have all taken a back seat to my love of 2 wheels the last few years. I don’t mind so much, but it is good to do other activities more than just once in a while. This year I’m mix’n it up. So, here’s what I’ve been doing since nationals.
Doing more xc skiing than usual
with James the dog of course
I've even started waxing my own skis. It makes me feel faster!
did a family puzzle
I even learned how to roll a kayak Sunday night!
my car is totally Bend. It's a Subaru of course...
...but I'm still trying to keep a little bike fitness...just in case.
We have a new pet to hang out with too. This is Petey, Timmy's sugar glider. How's that for diverse?

Just hanging out at the Video store on a steady Monday night.  I'm currently watching Ohio State get whooped by LSU, but I think I'll switch over to a movie before too long.  I've been catching some good flicks lately and if you wanna check out some good stuff, here's a small list:

Eagle vs Shark (out tomorrow on dvd)
3:10 to Yuma (out tomorrow on dvd)
Eastern Promises (dvd)
Juno (in theaters) great soundtrack too

Here's also a list of some of my favorite DVDs from 2007.  I tried to pick movies that the mainstream might not know.  Check them out at your local indi store. 

The Motel
Cocain Cowboys
Election
Children of Men
Sherry baby
Volver
Pan's Labrynth
Waitress
Big Bad Swim

So, after my trip to nationals, I had 2 days at home before flying out to visit family in Wyoming for xmas.  Whenever I tell people that my grandparents live in Wyoming, the next question is always, "where?"  Then I say, "Jackson," then they go, "Ooh..."  Yes, my gparents live in Jackson Wyoming.  I love it there, but I think other people get more excited about it than I do.  Most people think huge mountains, great snow, and fancy fur boots.  Yes, there are all those things in Jackson, but I mostly just think about the good food that gma cooks up.

salmon, caviar, meatballs, pickled shrimp, potatoes


Aunt Mary and cheese fondue


Guardian cow of the cheese


And for dessert, chocolate fondue!

I also tend to think Republicans, when I think of Jackson...

Cheney wasn't taking my calls.  That's Air Force 2 at the local airport.

This guy also hangs out at the airport...


There's a little ski hill in the valley called Teton Village.  I've been going there for 20 years, but around xmas there's usually some glitch with the operation.  One year is was too much snow, so 75% of the mountain was closed.  Then another year is was not enough snow, so 75% was closed.  This year the lifts were running (and the Tram is back), but at $81/day, I didn't really want to pay.


The resort is so developed it's crazy.  Amazing and steep terrain though.  I'm pretty sure it's the most vertical feet from top to bottom in the U.S.  the nordic center, however, is...lacking.  Mt. Bachelor has over 50k groomed, a nordic house with food, retail, fireplace and changing rooms.  Teton Village doesn't even have a bathroom inside...


I mostly hang out with my uncle Mike and his wife Eva.  Mike is pretty much why I started riding bikes.  He owned Missoula Bicycle Works when he was in college.  Eva is a nordic nerd who does races, so I get my butt kicked whenever I go out with them.  I think we're the most normal people in the family, so we get a long really well.

me rocking my sweet technique.  Mike and Eva waiting for me.

Mom, Tiffany and I went to an animal rescue shelter and donated a few dollars for the holidays.  I liked the kitties and I think they liked me.


I left a few days earlier than the rest because I needed to be home for a bit.  Watch movies, relax, nordic nerd out and re-charge for the new year of travels.  New Years came and went without much of blip on the radar, but it was a good time.  Hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday season.  Thanks for reading.

The oldest and youngest Schmitt family members.