Cooling Trend

It's finally getting back to normal temperatures in California. I've had a lovely past few days tearing around the Santa Ynez Classic course in temps in the 60s. Yesterday was even overcast with a strong breeze that didn't feel like there was a hairdryer blowing in your face.

The landscape here is gorgeous. It's a lot greener than it was when we were here in late May of last year and there are flowers covering the hillsides.

There are a few changes to this year's course of interest:

1). Temperature: as I mentioned, it's nearly 40 degrees cooler than it was last year (in '08 it hit 104 deg.)

2). Course quality: it's better! They shortened the lap by 2 miles and kept all the good stuff in. Pro women are doing 3 laps on a now 9-mile lap of wicked fast singletrack. The course is not nearly as rutted, rough and/or cracked as it was last year, which makes absolutely no sense because of:

3). Livestock: There are cows everywhere. Not so many today as yesterday, though. Maybe they finally got tired of spooking up from brightly colored spandex-clad mountain bikers tearing through their otherwise mellow existences? Their presence is only problematic not because of the possibility of hitting one of them (they are easy to spot), but because of what they leave behind from their behinds.

I'm not so hot on the idea of getting a case of what likely kept John Tomac from qualifying for the Olympic Team back in the 90s. Yesterday, I tore through a very fresh patch of cow dookie that had been deposited on a narrow section of singletrack and got splattered. Legs, neck, gloves, jersey, and all over my bike. Yup, even in the face. I was sure not to touch my water bottles after that....or anything for that matter. Hopefully the Cat 2/3 wave starting before us tomorrow will clear the course :)

Kathy, Zeph, Andy and I are all here from Kenda to represent. Wish us luck!

One more cute dog photo for good measure:

Maddy advising me on my grad research.