Hi. Today is Valentines Day. It’s a nice holiday. There is no downside to a holiday that is about trying to make others feel special. Plus, flowers and chocolate, you can’t miss with that.
Today is also the 10th anniversary of Marco Pantani’s death. It is strange how a legacy is created during life, and after. Lance Armstrong wrote an article for Cyclingnews about his thoughts on Marco. It is an interesting read. Click here for the article.
I slept 10 1/2 hours last night. It was great. I can’t remember the last time I slept that long. I like sleeping. Guess the miles caught up with me some.
Kansas is cold and wet. There is a lot of snow laying everywhere. Big change from Southern California. But, the training out there was getting too easy. A guy out in California asked me if it was too easy training back in flat Kansas. I told him that it was twice as hard training in Kansas as there. The wind and cold is way harder than the climbing. Plus, it ain’t that flat in Eastern Kansas. I told him that if I rode over 50 miles in Kansas, in the winter, it was mandatory I took a nap afterward. It is just draining.
I’m going for a ride later this afternoon with some guys. It is super windy, which is appropriate. It is only supposed to barely be above freezing, so I doubt I’ll ride that long.
If you have a little spare time, you can go over to Goggle and click on the Doddle there. Each heart is an episode of This American Life. It’s a NPR podcast I listen to. I haven’t heard them all, but I’m sure it will be great.
Okay, hope you all have a nice Valentines Day and give, and receive, lots of flowers and chocolate.
AP Photo/Laurent Rebours
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what was interesting was that a) cyclingnews would stoop to even publishing such drivel and b) armstrong clearly doesn’t get it and is still trying to rehab his image.
I can separate what LA did while racing from other aspects of his life now like writing an article.
Steve – I’d still love to read about your conversation with Lance. You referring us to an article written by him makes it appear that you may even empathize with him a little. So some context would be helpful.
you are the first person in the history of all things to say that “there is no downside to valentine’s day”.
Pantani’s crowning achievement was suicide. And you expect us to read an article written my the king of doping about him? i hate these fucks more than hate can define. I hate the pictures.. my blood pressure rises seeing them. I can’t get past one sentence of LA’s dribble.. is there anything about jerk off parties? i’d read that.. italians can probably line up some pretty hot podium girls. You should photoshop in a piss slot in patanani’s chrome melon..
I’m shocked at the way the comments are moderated. Plenty of people besides Armstrong appear to want to rewrite history. What’s the deal?
Write a post about your call with Lance.
Why do folks in the Midwest sorta brag about how nasty it is there? You didn’t even mention the hot and humid summers………
Folks should brag about positive things….not negatives!
Steve,
Perhaps the biggest reason that at any given moment during the day, 75 people are reading this blog, is because of our perception of your honesty and transparency. OK, the great stories too. I assume Lance knew this before contacting you. I would hope that anything he said (in your eyes) would be fair game.
I think it’s fine that you talked to him. But then you wrote about talking to him. And your hesitance to ‘splain reminds me of my frustrations with JV all of these years.
I’d love some context. Are you worried that he won’t call you back if you write more?
Sir, you’re not a cyclist or what’s the problem?
“the training out there was getting too ez”.. steve, please explain what you mean by this…. i dont understand that comment at all. if you rode alone mostly, and it was getting too ez, why didnt you average on all your rides 25mph an hour instead of , i think you said 20-23mph.. i’m lost on your comment..
thanks
Marco was my second favorite doper…..Ever.
Talk about not being able to stand the fall.
.
I think what it means is that the conditions are so nice in SoCal that it is super-easy mentally and on the body to just be out there for hours riding, regardless of pace.
In contrast, in bad weather (rain, sleet, wind) riding for hours is both mentally and physically draining, even if you ride super-easy.
Have you really never experienced this?
There are no positives about the Midwest, that’s why.
Except, the article is a thinly veiled retelling of his current excuse, “Everyone did it. Therefore I’m being unjustly sanctioned.”
He has been unjustly treated. Just treatment is jail time for fraud and running an international drugs ring.
Well, maybe you should be doing something else thn…
OGS, thanks i understand now..i’m new to riding. just a few years now..i work very very hard labor work on a farm. i just like the freedom of riding after work if i’m not too dead tired.. i did one road race, heard people talking about this blog so i come on and read. not a lot of blogs to read to find out how to get better though. lots of blogs i read are guys that are already good..i’m too big and cant get in enough trainng time to be good at this sport, but i enjoy the riding, so i been doing time trials on my own on the flat roads around here.. 10 milers.. went to the highschool track and counted my reps for 1 lap and then found the best traffic free road ( they all are) and measured out 5 miles out. so its very accurate..so i do these spring and summer.. too big to be a road racer..love watching it.. i’m shooting for my best this summer. i wanna break 23 minutes for my 10 miles i do. been doing 25 minutes in spring then down to 24 then in the 23’s by mid summer. love to get in the 22 minute range.. thats why i wish steve would post his workouts. get an idea of what i need to do. all web sites tell you is about power meters, and i dont have one..
Mike, Your post doesn’t indicate where you live. Not that it has to, but it would help to offer you some suggestions. As it is, powermeters are useful but hardly essential. if you can, ride with other experienced riders_and_listen_to_what_they_have_to_say_. In my opinion, riders who stat racing at an older age are far more transfixed on data than lessons offered by the many wonderful riders who have been at it for 20+ years. If you will listen, and I mean listen like an earnest schoolboy, the information you will glean will rocket you past the new masters who only look at their cyclecomputers and haven’t a clue on how a race is managed tactically.
Mike, Your post doesn’t indicate where you live. Not that it has to, but it would help to offer you some suggestions. As it is, powermeters are useful but hardly essential. if you can, ride with other experienced riders_and_listen_to_what_they_have_to_say_. In my opinion, riders who start racing at an older age are far more transfixed on data than lessons offered by the many wonderful riders who have been at it for 20+ years. If you will listen, and I mean listen like an earnest schoolboy, the information you will glean will rocket you past the new masters who only look at their cyclecomputers and haven’t a clue on how a race is managed tactically.
I would take Carl’s advice over anyone else’s on this or any other blog. He is a legend in US cycling from the ’80’s and ’90’s.