So I’ve been in Austin 6 days now. Today will be a week. Yesterday I rode 40 miles easy, after it dried out some, but it had a gazillion feet of climbing. I’ve ridden about 400 miles, which kind of seems like a lot, but sort of seems like not much. I’m not sure. I’m not sure it was the right riding or best training for cross, but I don’t feel all that great, so it is what it is.

Trudi is flying to Belgium at noon today and then driving down to Valencia Spain for a BMC training camp. She has a pretty good schedule this year. Gone until the end of April, then back for the Tour of California. June is off and back to Europe for the Tour. Then back in the US for The Tour of Colorado and all the other US stuff.

I kind of thought about going to Spain to ride this week, but that is too much European plane travel for my liking. I see that Peter Weber has been racing over in Belgium and has won 4 races already. I got an email from Don Myrah, who I need to call, and he is flying over on Thursday to race this next weekend. I’m pretty sure I’m flying to Brussels next Sunday and getting there Monday, 6 days ahead of the race. It might not be optimum, but that is going to have to do.

Tom Schuler’s grandmother, Ella, is 10th on the oldest persons in the World list now. 113 years old. I need to go by and visit here when I get back to Topeka.

Okay. I need to get a plane ticket today sometime I suppose. I think I’m going to go out and ride MTB tomorrow somewhere cool. That should be fun. Might watch the Oregon game tonight. Other than that, nothing much is going on.

Ann got Trudi a cake and had a great going away dinner last night.

The houses here are amazing. This is part of the complex on one side of the road. The helipad/boat house.

There is a walkway over the road to this 4 story giagantic structure. I can't imagine how much this costs here.

The only shot I have of a beautiful set table. The photo is missing the two most important people, Ann and Trudi.

I got this photo off facebook. Richard Digarmo posted it. Must be from Tour of Texas down near here somewhere. Seems appropirate. Roy is leading Leonard Nitz and then me.

I don’t think it got over 40 degrees here yesterday. And it was drizzly. This 40 degree weather is when the Austinites pull their down coats out.

I waited until later in the afternoon to go ride. I’m still feeling achy and out of sorts. I don’t know if it’s allergies or what. I did an hour neighborhood loop and then went over to Zilker Park and rode in the sand. Man, does that take a lot of energy. I watched the Belgium Nationals last Sunday and it was amazing how easy Albert and Co. made the sand look. But, they still had to run. I can’t keep my front wheel straight when my hands are on the shifters. I go much faster and stay straighter when I have my hands on the top of the bars by my stem.

I still don’t have a ticket to Europe yet. I don’t even know where I’m flying from. Austin or Kansas City. Better decide that today.

As you might have noticed above, today is one of those 4 days this year with a lot of 1’s. I’m not sure if that is good luck or bad luck or no luck.

I thought I might have a chance to go on a MTB ride today, but that doesn’t look promising. It should be a little warmer today than yesterday. Maybe I can get motivated to ride further on the road. It snowed 9 inches in Topeka yesterday, so this ain’t so bad.

Trudi at the Austin Airport.

I wasn't cold after riding a few passes through this.

Another one of the shacks here in Austin. That is a glass roof on the new construction on the left.

I saw this buck in the neighborhoods on my town ride this afternoon. Pretty cool.

These little Smart Cars are all over Austin. They are rental/borrow cars owed by Car2Go. Kind of a cool concept. I wonder if it’s working out?