It's been just over one day since I semi shut down my website, and while it's still offline as I author this post, I still feel like updating it. There were many factors that caused me to pull the plug, the last one being USA Cycling and their rulebook. As it turns out, their rules can be construed to mean one thing, while they are enforced in a different way. In this instance, their lack of updating, or poorly worded rules, meant that I lost out on being Hawaii State road race champion for 2008. The really annoying thing is that I had the win in the bag, but analyzed an in-race situation too much, coming to the conclusion that I could just cruise the final lap and still win. C'est la vie.

So what now? Well, I'm still going to jump on a flight to Bend, Oregon on Independence Day, and roll the dice a few days later at the Cascade Classic. Bend is an awesome town and it's going to be nice to return, and stay with the Fitzsimmons family after not making it there in 2007.

The race intel that I've received from my Bend support crew lead me to believe that the 14 mile out and back TT will have a tailwind for the downhill return portion. In response to that, I picked up a 56t Dura-Ace TT chainring. I might as well roll the big meat, and BIG it is! The only sketchy part of the TT situation is that I've not touched my P3C since the HI State TT. I guess there's one other negative factor and that is being sans SRM powermeter. I ordered a new wireless SRM setup but SRM in Colorado have about 40 people in front of me that are waiting to get one.

I've done hardly any training this week other than riding to Kapahulu, then ripping up Tantalus, Round Top, and Pali putting the hurt on David Lelong, then spinning out at max rpm's back down Pali. I'm hoping that this approach will put me into the race a little under trained, which might result in a stronger finish. I plan to race Cascade a lot more aggressively than I normally race. I'm not getting any younger and I've got nothing to lose, so why the hell not roll the fuzzies and see if I can get a pair of six's!

I've not thought too much about my cycling plans beyond Cascade. Yesterday, I felt like quitting and walking away from the sport. Now, I think the best plan is to go to Cascade and race as hard as I can. Come out of that wrecked, take a brief rest, then pour my focus onto smashing Vaughter's record for Haleakala. I've threatened to break it for the past 4 years, with last year being a total disaster thanks to crashing on August 16th. If I can get my shit together, live like a monk, eat healthy, sleep well, and train smart, then maybe I can pull the ride of my life out of my ass. Probably it's time to go back to following the training plan that Stefano Ferrari put together for me in 2006. It worked pretty good that year, so there's no reason why it wouldn't work just as well this year.