Sponsors...Appreciation, Integrity, Accountability

Strange title for a blog post sure....

But over the last year... I've been perusing websites, blogs, etc....and that's just something I've seen really vary (the very good and the very bad), at least as it comes to cycling and sponsorships etc.

I've seen the dedicated like FuzzyJohn, the extreme and funny, like the TeamDicky website. Rich is good at putting himself at the center of a joke, but does a great job of getting his new sponsors names out there, constantly in fact, but his "website" isn't about this post.

It's in fact another more specifically, and it will go unnamed. But I've seen it here and there by others as well but not nearly as a common theme. I'm guessing there's more than meets the eye, but really, consider you're getting crap for free and put a sock in it. It just amazes me how a company can give someone product(s), travel money, race support. and that person can turn on them the first time the small company says, sorry we can't do any more for you. Especially when the person hasn't exactly been knocking down the podium either. I mean really have some integrity, not to mention, realize the fact the bike industry is a no margin venture and the economy has stunk it up for the last 18 months.

Sorry for a semi rant, but this has been gnawing at me for most of the last year and I read another passive aggressive post by the same person and I thought REALLY still?

Sooner or later stuff like that seems to catch up to people and we can only treat others how we ourselves want to be treated. I sleep well at night, but I wonder if those people in question do.

On a separate note, if you haven't visited Global Biorhytm's website, please do. I've enjoyed the regular posts by Dez, Jenn, Dawn, and Sean. Dez mostly, love reading his training misadventures. The latest on a big loop into the Sierra's should only be done with plenty of daylight and the kids out there doing it in January. Nutty kid! Great stuff.

A normal, not normal week.

Last week was not normal, because I had a promotional exam interview for work. I work for the government and it's a long process to even get on a list to be eligible. I've spent the last couple months preparing, but I just have to say, I didn't meet my own expectations for performance, so we'll see what the results say in a few weeks. They grade on a curve, and it was a difficult exam, so maybe others will not have met their expectations either. Fat chance...LOL.

On the cycling front...First week of semi normal training 4 days of riding, some good tempo miles on the commute, and a very nice 3 hour ride on the SS yesterday. Even dropped down Drivers Flat and grinded that 1k+ in 2 mile back out. Did run into a lady with two horses, one of which was running the fireroad unreined. I stopped and waited for her to pass with the rogue horse... I could sense a lil distrust for me as a cyclist, until that point. Once I stopped though, she was very thankful. I think that accident last week at Folsom lake is going to leave folks in both user groups a bit nervous about each other. Regardless of the fact, that other issue involved motorcycles.

The crazy thing to me with this, was that she had the horse running unreined and unattached from her on a road with normal traffic, especially on the weekend. Anyway....

If you've seen my blog before, you'll notice I added in some highlight results of my past. More of a motivator for me to see than anything else, I can manage some success and to get my butt into that training mode.

I'm feeling pretty healthy, now it's just a matter of getting the training house in order so to speak.

Today's a day to hang out with the kids, unfortunately probably no hiking trips or outside trips since both are at some point of getting over the flu. Unlucky lil ones.

Amanda is doing a lemon detox thing and wants me to do it. I told her I'd watch her for a couple days and see how it goes, before I make that committment. It'd mean no coffee for awhile...and I'm not ready to make that committment (slurp, as I'm writing this).

It's 2009, where have I been?

Nowhere! That's where I've been....really just been busy with other things to post here.

The last four months have been interesting though, after my dumb accident in June, I found I never really healed up. Kind of found this out in my first CX race when I had trouble getting out of bed the next day. LOL.

Long story short, I've been doing lots of 12 oz curls the last four months. I signed up for Boggs in March and do plan on some other events this year...so time to keep the hopps out of the fridge and get some structure back to my riding.

I bought Dan Tebbs Orbea Arin a few weeks ago and wow what a nice road bike. Thanks for the great deal Dan.

Other things...it's the two weeks of Rylan right now. He was born on Dec. 31, but we always delay celebrating his birthday to kind of keep it separate from the holidays. However, it seems instead it's become his two weeks. From a family bday Dec. 31, to a school bday, to his actual planned bday. Amanda and I will be reevaluating this approach next year, or we may be taking the term "spoiled" to a whole new level.

Meanwhile, Annelise is in "when is it my bday" mode. She's a character and Ms. Drama, I'm thinking it's a good thing her bday is no where near the xmas holiday.

I plan on posting more regulary, but I make no promises....lol.