We took a trip to the zoo on Wednesday. Our kids enjoyed not only the animals,
but also splashing around in the fountains next to the food court. Analise was so
excited she ran around in circles. Watch a video of her by clicking the picture above.

There were some animals to see, and Analise got to feed the giraffes.

We found the elusive "Analise Animal" near the butterfly exhibit.
She was walking, talking, and just generally running everywhere.

Here’s my zoo family riding the train (top) and watching the zebras (bottom).

This morning, we went to Aldrige Gardens in Hoover. Look at all the turtles and the "shark".

Analise saw this large covered patio area and called it a stage. She and Kristine
stole the show with their dancing. Oh and by the way, Analise’s ballet class starts on Thursday!

Baked Ziti from Southern Living

• 1/2 med onion chopped (I used onion flakes)
• 1 T olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb lean ground beef or turkey
• 1 26oz jar of tomato-and-basil pasta sauce
• 3/4 tsp salt, divided
• 1 16oz box of ziti pasta
• 3 T butter
• 3 T flour
• 3 cups milk
• 1 c grated Parmesan
• 1/2 t pepper
• 1 8oz pkg shredded mozzarella cheese

Saute
chopped onion in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5
minutes or until tender.  Add garlic, and saute 1 minute.  Add beef,
and cook, stirring until beef crumbles and is no longer pink.  Drain
beef mixture and return to pan.  Stir in pasta sauce and 1/2 tsp salt. 
Set aside.

Cook pasta in a large Dutch oven according to pkg directions. Drain and return to Dutch oven.

Melt
butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. 
Cook, whisking constantly 1 minute.  Gradually whisk in milk; cook over
medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened and
bubbly.  Stir in Parmesan, 1/4 tsp remaining salt and pepper.  pour
sauce over pasta in Dutch oven, stirring until pasta is evenly coated. 

Transfer pasta mixture to a lightly greased 13×9 baking dish.  Top
evenly with beef mixture; sprinkle evenly with mozzarella cheese. 

Bake at 350 for 20-25 min or until cheese is melted.  Let stand for 10 min. before serving.

Time Trial (8 miles – Saturday 9:30AM) 22nd out of 41
I am traveling by myself this weekend to Union City, GA just south of Atlanta. I just finished the morning time trial. Unfortunately, I am not sure what my time was for the 8 mile time trial because my heart rate monitor didn’t have any free memory left to record the race. Somehow I must have forgotten to delete the data from last week’s race.

It definitely was not my best time trial although I started out strong and caught my 30 second man within the first five minutes. The out and back course was pretty hilly on perfect roads. At the turnaround I still had about a 30 second gap over Travis Werts (Team Krystal), the rider who had started 30 seconds behind me. But unfortunately, at the turn around I realized why I had been flying on the way out — a strong tailwind. This strong tailwind became a strong headwind as soon as I turned around. My legs were burning and even though I was still gaining on the next person up the road I really started to fade towards the end. Travis Werts finished only a few seconds behind me meaning that he beat my time by about 25 seconds. I believe it will be another middle of the pack TT for me.

Oh, and all of this was with less than 5 minutes warm-up!!!! I stood in line at registration for about 45 minutes. Then there were no porta-potties so I had to book it in my car back to the nearest gas station which was about 5 miles away. By the time I got back, switched the pedals from my road bike to Richard McBee’s TT bike, got dressed, and got on the bike I only had 5 minutes before my start time. I rolled around near the start/finish area and then right up to the line with only 15 seconds before I was supposed to go off. A quick pull to tighten my shoes and I was on my way.

Right now I am resting at Panera Bread and looking forward to tonight’s race. It will be an hour-long criterium starting at 6:30pm (eastern time). I’ll report back after the race!

Criterium (60 minutes – Saturday 6:30PM) 14th out of 50
I felt great during this race, but the story of the race for me was that I was watching the wrong guys. I was in a couple early breaks that looked promising, but they both got caught by a fast chasing peloton. Then I started to just ride near the front letting several breaks get away that didn’t have the pros. Unfortunately, one of those breaks without the pros stayed away. I rode strong near the front and felt that the race was relatively easy. I was in OK position going into the field sprint but then somebody almost fell in front of me and this caused another rider to swing wide and forced me into the gutter where I had to slow down losing all my momentum. I was able to ramp it up again to finish 9th in the field sprint, 14th overall with 5 men in the break.

Road Race (90 miles – Sunday 9:00AM) Somewhere near the bottom of 55
After missing the break in the criterium, I was determined NOT to miss the break in the road race. I made it into nearly all the breaks during the first half of the race with one of those breaks looking OK and staying away for about 15 miles. Then we got caught, and I started to get pretty tired and decided to let a few breaks get away thinking the peloton would chase them all down, but the pack wasn’t chasing very well and so I ended up trying to bridge across or chasing down the breaks myself. Finally, a break went that stuck and I wasn’t in it because again it didn’t have the pros or stronger riders in it. This one stayed away though and somehow I missed getting into the chase group, that DID have the pros and strong riders in it. I was stuck back in the peloton, and I was exhausted by this point and ready for the race to be done. Towards the very end I attacked to try to finish in the top 20 at least, but then I cramped up real bad and had to stop pedalling for almost a minute while those muscles settled down. By this point, the peleton was already well up the road. I chased hard but ended up finishing on my own about a minute or so back. The course was very hilly (see the graph below). This was the end of the longest week of riding I’ve had in almost 10 years: 360 miles from Monday-Sunday — well over half of which were race miles.

The weekend was great training, but somewhat disappointing because of the missed opportunities to earn the points to upgrade to Category 1. I’m not sure what that means for the Minnesota race, which is only for Pro’s and Category 1 riders. I’m going to email the regional official again to see if he will upgrade me to Category 1 based on my results at Edgar Soto. If not, I’m going to ask the promoter of the race for permission to race as a Category 2 rider. If he says no, then it looks like I’ll just be doing the two short amateur races up in Minnesota (Mankato and Stillwater).

We had a fun extended Memorial Day weekend up in Tennessee with four days of racing. Check out my full race report below as well as some cool pictures from the race thanks to Kristine’s friend, Cheryl, from Murfreesboro.

In a promising two-man breakaway that led to a half-lap advantage on the field before getting caught.
Photo Credit: Cheryl Womack

Race Report – Edgar Soto Memorial Stage Race, May 25-28, 2007, Nashville Tennessee

May 25 Time Trial: 53^rd out of 96 finishers

6.9 miles of fun is how I would describe this course. Hilly, fast, twisty roads, awesome! I borrowed Richard McBee’s TT bike which was perfect for this course with the compact gearing. The organizers decided to start us at 20 second intervals because of the huge racer turnout, but the guy who was supposed to start 20 seconds in front of me didn’t show up so I only had a “40 second man” to try to catch. I felt good and strong with a high heart rate and not terrible burning in my legs through the first 2 miles of the rolling uphill climb. I caught my 40 second man at the turnaround, but then didn’t put much time into him after that. I felt like I may have eased up once I passed him. Also shortly after the turnaround, the guy who started 20 seconds behind me caught and passed me. I was able to keep him just a few seconds in front of me on the hills, but as soon as the course started to head back downhill to the finish, he pulled away and finished 20-30 seconds in front of me.

May 26 Circuit Race: 17^th out of 83 finishers  (2^nd in field sprint)

This 11 mile circuit was extremely hilly with very little flat sections. We did 6 laps making for a somewhat grueling 66 miles in VERY HOT weather. None of the climbs were that steep or long, but the varied terrain led to a very weird race where an 8 man breakaway ended up putting 4 minutes into the field. The 8 man break was formed by a couple riders attacking here and a couple more attacking there and next thing you know there are 8 men up the road. I was off the front of the field when Dirk Pohlman (Team Krystal) came flying by to bridge up to the break. I knew that he would make it, but I didn’t have the legs to go with him as I had just put in a hard effort to try to bridge to one of the Healthnet riders who had attacked. In retrospect, I should have waited for a strong rider like Dirk to try to make the bridge but I just felt like the race was slipping away. So I was very disappointed to miss the break, but I rode hard and fought for good position at the front at the end and took 2^nd in the field sprint. 

May 27 Criterium: 18^th out of 80 finishers

Challenging 1k course with a hill after the start/finish area. We raced for 70 minutes, which worked out to about 60 laps I believe. I had a fairly good starting position and fought to stay at the front the whole race. I was in a very early breakaway with Trent Wilson (Jittery Joe’s) that got caught after half a lap. Then I was in another more promising break of about 6 or 7 riders that got caught after maybe a lap. Somewhere in between the winning two-man break of Karl Menzies (Healthnet) and Cesar Grajales (Jittery Joe’s) got away. I’m not sure how I missed it but I was either too tired or too far back to try to go with them. About 20 laps into the race, I was bumped hard by somebody on the hill and that knocked me off course taking my rear wheel directly into the front wheel of John Murphy who was at the time wearing the yellow jersey as GC leader. He went down breaking a spoke in my rear wheel. Somehow I stayed upright and pulled into the pit on the next lap. Maybe 10 laps later I attacked hard with Oscar Henao (Clinica Union) and we immediately got a great gap on the field. We worked well together with me pulling the entire front side of the course up the hill and him pulling across the top and backside of the course which was all downhill. We had a half-lap advantage on the field (about 30 seconds) when he attacked me to go for the sprint points. I couldn’t respond and he didn’t wait up for me after taking the points. I sat up and waited for the field to catch me not sure what I would still have left in my legs. Oscar, to his credit, made it about 10 more laps on his own before getting caught with about 10 laps to go. I can’t help but wonder if we could have stayed away working together. Jittery Joe’s and Healthnet had strong trains at the front of the race pulling back Oscar and I fought to try to take position immediately behind their train. I was disappointed with the sprint finish even though I did manage to place in the top 20.

May 28 Road Race: 17^th out of 63 finishers

Hilly 75 mile loop followed by an additional shorter 35 mile loop taking us up the finishing 3.5 mile climb twice. This race felt like a stage of the Tour de France. First, a small breakaway got away just a couple miles from the start and stayed away for 100 miles before the last survivor of the break, Matt Winstead (Juris/morepartnerincome.com) got caught. Second, the climb on the course broke the race into smaller groups the first time up and then splintered the peloton the second time up. Lastly, the second time up the climb I was shelled from the front group and then had to work my way back onto the group before getting shelled a second time for good. How many times have you seen that with the long mountain climbs where some rider gets shelled, works his way back up to the group, then another attack goes and the rider is shelled again. Also, in the main part of the course, there were several short, steep hills were the group would bunch up and you felt like you were riding in a wall-to-wall group of riders like you see on some of the postcards.  The breakaway didn’t have any pro-team representation so they stayed at the front almost the entire race setting the pace to ever-so-slowly reel in the breakaway. How crazy that they could time their work to bring the last survivor of the break back with only a few miles left in the race. The course had some crazy 50+ mph descents with switchbacks, hairpin turns, gravel, and all kinds of things to make the entire day feel like an epic. It was awesome!!! I fought again to stay near the front of the pack and never moved farther back than about 30^th position. I did have to spend some time in the wind to stay near the front and I wonder if I spent too much energy doing that. The first time up the 3.5 mile climb I was surprised that it wasn’t too steep and I was able to stay with the front group of about 15-20 riders. The second time up the climb, however, I started just a few positions farther back and the two riders right in front of me got gapped off shortly after the climb started. I had to chase around to bridge the small gap to the front group of about 10 riders. I rode at the back of the front group for the next half mile before the first attack came from that group. I was shelled by that attack, but managed to bridge back up to the group on a flatter section of the climb. I was praying that nobody would attack for at least another half mile, but it was not to be. When the next attack came from Cesar Grajales (Jittery Joe’s), I was shelled right off the back. At this point I was somewhat demotivated with 3k left to go on the climb and terrible burning in my legs so I cracked and was passed by Dirk, Bain Foote (Herring Gas) and a couple other riders. I tried to ease up and settle into a rhythm when a group of 3 caught up to me. I was able to pick up my pace and stay with that small group the rest of the way to the top for a 17^th place finish.  With the peloton completely splintered and coming in one or two riders at a time, my finish was enough to move me up to 17^th overall in the GC and 5^th place in the Cat 2 bonus competition. 

That’s all from the Pro-1-2 field!

Brian Toone

Here are some more pictures all from Sunday’s criterium.

On the wheel of the current yellow jersey holder, John Murphy (Healthnet)
Photo Credit: Cheryl Womack

In an early unsuccessful breakaway.
Photo Credit: Cheryl Womack

Off the front.
Photo Credit: Cheryl Womack

Off the front, again.
Photo Credit: Cheryl Womack

Climbing the hill at the front with the pros.
Photo Credit: Bob-e, http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=326454

Another fun part of last weekend was our friend, Darryl’s crawfish boil.  Now, I spent a year and a half in Louisiana when I was in elementary school, so I know about crawfish.  And I used to eat them.  But Brian had never experienced this.  And of course, neither had Analise or Josiah. 

Analise loves seeing lobsters in tanks at the grocery store, so seeing big tubs of crawfish squirming around was really exciting.  There was another little girl about her age who had absolutely no fear, and she kept reaching in and bringing them out.  They don’t bite hard enough to hurt, and Analise was so excited to see them up close and personal.  Sadly, we didn’t get a picture of that.  Maybe next year!

Then they got boiled with potatoes, corn, sausage and cajun seasoning. 

I tasted one crawfish, and it was too fishy for my taste.  Brian didn’t end up tasting them.  But I pulled the meat out for Analise, and she loved them.  She loves shrimp, so I think these were just as tasty.  In the end, she probably ate 15 crawfish or so!  My girl must be part crawfish!  The last picture is of the crawfish remains, all eaten by Analise.  Crazy cajun girl!

Sunday afternoon our neighbors invited us over to play in their slip ‘n slide.  What a treat!  I’m not sure who enjoyed it more, Analise or Josiah.  It was his first experience playing in the water, and he LOVED it.  Analise was disconcerted by the sprinklers, and she didn’t want to run through them to slide.  Josiah was intrigued by the sprinkler, and watched fascinated as we turned it off and the water trickled down.  I’m sure we’ll have lots more hot, fun days in the water this summer!

Hoping the water comes back… Jordan would step on the sprinkler and
make the water left in the hose squirt up a little, just enough to keep Josiah on alert and giggling every time.

The super soaker was almost bigger than Analise, and it was too hard for her to work.  Still, she felt very cool carrying it around. 

Keeping watch over her brother…

Sorry you haven’t heard from me recently! I’m just checking in with a few pictures… We had a busy weekend and we’re gearing up for another one. But last weekend, we bought a big plastic playset from our neighbor’s garage sale. Analise and Josiah have been well entertained by it! Enjoy!

Josiah’s decided he is going to climb up the slide to play with his sister.

He got about 1/3 of the way up!

Notice how Josiah looks a little grumpy not be making progress on the slide…

On the small playset on our porch… after playing in the vegetable pots with Analise.

We’re leaving Friday to race four days over Memorial Day weekend in Nashville. It’s an exciting race and there has already been some good coverage in the Nashville papers of the race. Click on the image below to read the articles from the Nashville paper … I’ll be racing against people who have competed in the Giro de Italia and possibly even the Tour de France!

Nashville News Coverage

Check out this video on abc3340, one of our local TV Stations. Click on the picture to see the video.
This footage is from last year when I did the ride. There was only three of us then. This year there were about 30 cyclists.
Maybe they’ll have the interview with me from today posted later?

(Click the picture to watch Josiah bounce!)

I am home from work early today after bouncing around town on National Bike-to-Work Day. At 6AM this morning, I left to bike into downtown Birmingham to gather with other cyclists and bike commuters for a rally at Five Points South. When I got there, I saw ABC 33/40 broadcasting live and moseyed on up to the front of about 30 people where my racing buddy, Travis, and Faris, one of our Tria-Market / Two Men and a Truck bike team sponsors, were hanging out. After the news reporter stopped broadcasting, she asked for a volunteer to be interviewed. She interviewed Travis first, and Travis didn’t hold back any words about how the city (especially motorists) could do better to facilitate bike commuting — wider roads, shoulders on roads, share the road attitudes, etc… Then Travis said she should talk to me since I commute to work every day on my bike. She asked me if I found it difficult to find safe roads to ride. I told her that where I live is like an island in that I am surrounded by Old Rocky Ridge and Rocky Ridge roads, which are not very safe for cyclists. Once I make it off those roads into the neighborhoods, I can find pretty safe roads to ride on — but there is no easy way to avoid the busier roads.

After the interviews the group of about 30 went on a 7 mile tour that ended up at the Regional Planning Commission, home of CommuteSmart, which sponsored the event. They had all kinds of schwag and I got a cool reflective cover for my backpack straps. Faris and I took off back over the mountain to Homewood and then I biked on into Samford for a nice 20 mile commute into work this morning!

I finished preparing my final exam for my intro to computer science class, gave the exam, and then biked home and it’s just barely 3pm. I took this video of Josiah while Kristine was putting Analise down for a nap.