The Crystal Ball: Gazing Into the Future!!

Recently, I went to a carnival. It was everything that I wanted from a carnival: creepy carnies, delicious fried foods, dozens of ways to lose my money playing rigged "games of skill", and best of all, a fortune teller. Situated towards the back of the carnival grounds there stood a saggy, purple and green tent, with the faded words "Wanda the Wise" painted on the side. I nervously poked my head inside the entrance and the smell of burning sandalwood greeted my nostrils. The tent was dimly lit by a single candle burning on a low table. A woman (who I assumed was Wanda) was seated behind the table on a dark red pillow, still and motionless. Her face was knotted, her hair frizzy and gray. Her eyes were closed.

"Hello? Wanda? Are you, uh, available?" I asked.

Wanda's eyes snapped open, and she pointed to the red pillow on the other side of the table. I sat down. Without saying a word, Wanda reached under the table, produced a crystal ball, and set it down in between us. She grabbed my hands with hers, and guided them onto the sides of the ball. BLAH BLAH BLAH.....

I'm getting bored of this fortune teller nonsense. I just want to talk about my upcoming schedule. I'll share what is in store for the next three months. Here it goes:

February
Basic outline: Stay in Boise, work a lot, train a lot. Wish that the winter would hurry up and end.
Major races: February 15,16,17 -- Valley of the Sun Stage Race in Phoenix, Arizona. This is a large race that serves as the season opener for dozens of fast guys from around the country, myself included. Many of the people who show up live in Arizona, and thus have been riding hard outside all winter. It will be a good opportunity to gauge where my fitness is, and I don't necessarily expect to do well.

March
Basic outline: Stay in Boise, work a lot, train a lot. Try to get as prepared as I can for the real racing (build my new bike, obtain any needed equipment, get my car a tune-up, etc.)
Major races: None. I will race the local Boise spring series and get smacked around by the Bob's Bicycles team. I might get very antsy in March.

April
Basic outline: Buckle up, because the ride gets bumpy. I'll pack my stuff into my car, and head out to Seattle. I'll be racing most of the month, but in between, I'll stay with my teammates and or Whitman connections. My schedule couldn't be better: three hard weekends of racing in a row, followed by a rest week (which I'll spend part of in New Mexico to adjust to the altitude), and then my first NRC of the season.
Major races: April 4,5,6 -- Tour of Willamette, outside Portland, Oregon. This three-day, four-stage race wasn't on the calendar last year, but was very popular in 2006.
April 12 -- Tahyua-Seabeck-Tahyua out on the Olympic Peninsula. This is a really tough, one-day "classic". There is inevitably lots of rain, lots of cold, and some extremely steep climbs that shatter the field. I've done well at this race in the past, and last year Hagens-Berman took first and second. We intend to defend.
April 13 -- Boat Street Crit, University District, Seattle. This is one of the most popular crits in Seattle. It's a great course and a fun atmosphere.
April 18,19,20 -- Tour of Walla Walla. My favorite stage race in Washington by a landslide. It's a blast racing in front of a home-town crowd of Whitties. The courses are hard, the field is usually full, and the weather is normally sunny. Yeehaw!
April 3o, May 1,2,3,4 -- Tour of the Gila, Silver City, New Mexico. This is my first NRC of the season. I'll be spending part of the previous week in Santa Fe so I'll have adjusted a little bit to the altitude. This will be my third year doing this race, and that experience will come in handy. I absolutely love the Tour of the Gila. Silver City is fun, the race is grueling, and the competition is intense. From The tour of the Gila, I'll be going straight to Portland to race the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic -- that's right, the first two stages are in downtown Portland.


You'll get the next three month "prediction" in a few weeks.
If you're lucky.