Italy was a Blast

I gotta admit, 2 weeks is the least amount of time ya gotta take off for a vacation to feel like a real and enjoyable vacation!!
After a long bit of travel via Auto, Aircraft and Motorcoach we arrived in Tuscany.
San Gimignano is truy one beautiful old city....however, everyone else knows it as the place was crawling with tourists all day, but 95% of them left every day at about 6PM.
Tuscany is a beautiful area and we had 7 awesome days of cycling.
Beautiful vineyard and olive grove covered hills with ancient walled cities on every hilltop.
Most days we'd avaerage about 85 miles and lots of climbing and awesomely twisty, fun descents.
Most of the climbs ranged from 500 - 1500 feet.
Every nite after cycling we'd wander out into the streets and alleys of San Gimignano followed up with a great dinner that was always accompanied with Chianti wine.

So, I've been swamped since we returned, so I'll try to get a bunch of photos posted tonite.
www.michele.squareonehosting.com/gallery/

Ciao!
JPE

One last Good Ride B4 Italy

A good group of ~8 yesterday for a Windy ride yesterday.
We trudged into the headwind all the way to Brooklyn and Dunkirk, before turning back Northeast for the run home.
A good ride that fully "tuckered me out", but at only 55 miles, I hope my legs cooperate for the long saddle time in Italy.
My PowerTap showed a 1040 Watts Max reading, so now I gotta find out when the hell I did that.

OK, we're pretty much packed and ready to go.
Flight out of Chicago on Tuesday, gets us to Europe on Wednesday.
Thursday we'll be riding....Yippee!!!
So, later this week keep an eye out for some photos and hopefully some entertaining commentary.
Ciao for now!
JPE & Michele

Cant Wait for Italy

OK, so we got 100+ inches of snow, and normally I'd be giddy about it, and I was, until Mid March, when I finally got sick of it. From Mid December thru Mid March it just kept coming and coming. I am ready for spring to arrive.

Since we're heading to Italy on 4/1 (no joke) we've been pretty hard core and out on the fendered tank bikes putting in the miles. It's too late to squeeze in any last form training, so our fitness will be what it is.

I am so totally jacked about CX for 2008. Renee and I have signed Planet Bike on as Title Sponsor for our UCI race weekend and the race will be, "Madcross Presents, The Jonathon Page Planet Bike Cup." Party On Wayne...Party On Garth!!!

So, for those of you interested, we'll try to keep this blog updated during our trip to Italy, in April.

Post Cross Natz Blues

OK, it's been a few days since I've returned home from KCCX and I've got the Post KCCX Blues really bad. I want to find anyone that'll listen, and talk on endlessly about the varying conditions, the course layout, the awesome atmosphere, my emotional highs and lows from each race I did....blah, blah, blah!!! There's hardly any good post race coverage on-line to help me with my need for a "fix," either. It was so cool to see so many folks I know, and meet tons of other folks that love CX so much. I think it is neat to see all the CX superstars, but I always feel weird asking them for a photo, autograph and such, as I know they're just regular folks like us.

Yeah, I should be happy and relieved that CX season is over as it is totally exhausting for me, but since the snow is so awesome right now (25"+ in December), I feel the pressure to get out there; and I still feel unprepared for Christmas.

Well, despite being totally "lame" most of the summer and early fall with the herniated disc in my neck I am pretty happy how I was able to come on pretty strong late in the season. While not a major threat by any means, I can hold my own quite well, which makes me proud. The Wisconsin cross scene has matured nicely, but we still have room for improvements next year. Part of me wants a crazy Portland-like scene, but I think our Midwestern folks will never be that crazy, nor do I want them all to be. We'll start planning for 2008 soon enough.

So, I got the skis in the car and I'll be hitting the trails for the 1st time tonite. I am totally prepared to be stiff and sore, as my body never likes skate skiing until I've done it a few times.

Ciao!
JPE