It was so much fun getting to know the triathletes here in Madison!  The best part was watching how excited they got at the idea of riding 375 miles in 3 days with 18,000 feet of climbing.  I loved watching the eyebrows go up when they realized that the Group A rider's average speed is more than 20mph...emphasis on the "more than".  Yeah, baby, this is no "chat ride" through Wine Country on a nifty, little hybrid.  We met some fantastic people from Smith and Nephew who were freaking everyone out/promoting their famous hip resurfacing.  Also, the team from Flax Matters were there encouraging everyone to get their Omega-3 on.  We are going to pull the winner from the group of entries for the free registration for the 2010 VUELTA.  The question is...will you be tough enough for Group A???  (If not, please see ME in Group C with the non-psychos...aka 15mph average.)

 With all due respect to my hometown bike shops in RI, Machinery Row is NO JOKE.  Not only did they have an amazing selection of bikes, but they also have a $39,000, one-of-a-kind, titanium, TRIPLE- tandem bike in the house...umm, for the cyclist who has everything??  Aside from checking out the local scene, I met some of the thousands of triathletes that will be competing on Sunday.  Everyone is full of nerves, smiles, and Gatorade!  To be honest, this is the first time that I am at a triathlon and I am NOT competing myself, but I am having a great time trying to get people to think about base-building in 82-degrees in February.  The Canadians, in particular, seem to be very enthusiastic... (!)

 During my taxi ride from the airport, I couldn't believe my eyes!  Bike lanes, bike paths, and cyclists, oh my!  Yes, it appears that Madison is the place to be for commuters.  Even my taxi driver told me that is it usually the cars that have to smoosh themselves over to one side of the road while the cyclists take over the road.  A walk around Lake Monona confirmed it...from tri bikes to commuters, from hybrids to beach cruisers, every kind of bike is represented here.  I suppose I am not surprised, I mean, I do own a copy of "American Flyers" and have probably watched it about 500 times.  Oh no!  I guess I just let everyone know how old I am if I remember Kevin Costner in bike shorts...

I am so excited to be a part of La VUELTA de los Nueve Faros and can't believe that registration officially opens tomorrow!  If you have any questions about the tour, I mean any questions at all, please go ahead and send me an email.  In the meantime, I am heading out for a bike ride before spending the rest of the week promoting the VUELTA at the EXPO for IRONMAN Wisconsin.  Stop by and say hello to William and me if you happen to be in Madison.  Good Luck triathletes!!