Hear Yee, Hear yee

I have some pretty big news which I have been waiting to announce for awhile. Ive been stalling because while I am extremely excited about it, I also didnt know how to address how it all came about.

My big news is I now have a new coach for 2008. Many of you may know him from his Coaching Seminars at Bike Authority. His name is Sean Gilbert.

We are both looking forward to dialing in my TT ability and raising my game over the next few seasons. All the while still maintaining time for family and life.

Should I warn him that I am....uhhh how did Rick put it..."Kind of High Maintenance." Maybe I'll just leave that out. He already knows I am sure and if he doesnt, he will. Poor guy!!

I believe my previous coach Brent Evans and I left on amicable and mutually agreed upon reasons which I believe are our own to know. Okee Dokee?

Looking for a coach was really hard and making a final decision was even harder, but I know I made a great decision because were very alike in how we dissect each bit of info and feedback and try to see how it affects or affected performance. I thank those whom I asked for advice in this process.

In other news, I got word that the State Time Trial was going to adopt UCI Technical Guidelines for this year. The technical specifications called for measurements that threw my whole set-up out the window, or so I feared.

For example the tip of my saddle has to be 5cm behind the centerline of the axle. Well, my saddle had to go back 11cm to be legal. Not 11mm, 11cm!! Currently the State level Championships do not have to use UCI rules so I and others are scratching our heads as to why the adoption of the UCI rules. Hopefully I'll find out soon.

Mike Vanucci worked on my Cervelo P2SL for a long time dialing in the bike to be a UCI legal machine while still trying to maintain some of what I or we think worked for me last year. I know I am being a cry baby about this, but it SUCKS!! For me to be both aero as can be (and benefit from all of the stretching and off the bike exercises)and try to put out as much power as I have I now have to perch on the end of my saddles nose like you see the Pros do. Wow-thats a great rule there UCI. No wonder guys like Zabriskie and other pros have such great things to say about the rule makers. I will admit its a great rule for those tall guys with long femurs who ride on road bikes with 72 degree seat angles and set-back seat posts and stubby clip-ons on bikes with Look adjustable stems. But I'm not bitter.

Mike did a great job though and I went from that OH CRAP,Freakin out what am I gonna do feeling in the am to I can work with this by 2pm. Its only going to cost me a few hundred dollars (possibly) to find a saddle I can sit on the nose of comfortably for 50 some minutes that the tip is 5cm behind the bottom bracket and is only 24cm long thats short in the nose, but wide and well padded for comfort. There is this cheater saddle called the ISM Adamo that some time trialists and triathletes claim is awesome. But you got to admit-it takes some getting used to the design of!!

I better sign off for today....But thanks again to Mike Vanucci for his help today.