Solvang Hotel

For those of you following the training camp developments, the hotel is now the Royal Scandinavian in Solvang. They came in with a pretty good rate that beat the Marriott by $60/night.

Not so great

I put in two hours on the Computrainer today including two ten minute zone 4 intervals. I couldn't believe how hard it was to hold 250 watts. Curumba! I stink. Lots of work to be done. From there it was over to the gym for weight training.

Solvang

The Solvang training camp is beginning to form up. The camp will be February 27 - March 5 and will billet at the Buellton Marriott. The Carmichael camp will be there that week also.

Is Lance Next?

Marion Jones' results annulled on doping

By JEROME PUGMIRE, AP Sports WriterFri Nov 23, 5:36 PM ET

Her career in disgrace and a prison sentence possibly looming, Marion Jones can longer even take solace in seeing her name beside her greatest feats in the record books.

What's more, track and field's governing body also wants Jones — who insists she is broke — to pay back about $700,000 of her winnings.

The International Association of Athletics Federation on Friday annulled all of her results dating to September 2000, including her Olympic and world championship titles, because of doping and told her to return her prize money from that period.

The organization also recommended that Jones' relay teammates be disqualified and lose their medals from the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

A man who answered the phone at Jones' home in Austin, Texas, said she had no comment.

The IAAF council also upheld the two-year ban imposed on Jones by U.S. officials. She retired last month after pleading guilty to lying to federal investigators in 2003. Jones admitted she had taken the designer steroid "the clear" from September 2000 to July 2001.

A man who answered the phone at Jones' home in Austin, Texas, said she had no comment.

Jones won gold medals in the 100 meters, 200 and the 1,600-meter relay in Sydney, as well as bronzes in the 400 relay and long jump. At the 2001 worlds, she won the 200 and the silver medal in the 100.

Jones has returned her five Olympic medals and agreed to forfeit all results dating to Sept. 1, 2000. But it's still up to the IAAF and International Olympic Committee to change the record books and revise the medals.

The IAAF said Jones was disqualified from all competitions since Sept. 1, 2000, with all results erased. That includes all relays, not just individual events.

The IAAF added Jones must return all awards, medals and money from that period. IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said Jones can't compete again unless she pays back the approximate $700,000.

Athletes who are eventually upgraded stand to receive a share of Jones' prize money. However, it's uncertain whether they will ever get the money because Jones is said to be broke.

Even though Jones has retired, she is officially suspended until Oct. 7, 2009. Jones would have to give the IAAF 12 months' notice if she wants to return to competition after the ban, Davies said.

The IAAF did not take a position on whether Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou should be upgraded to the Olympic gold medal in the 100 meters. That will be up to the IOC, which has authority over Olympic medals.

"We recommend that (the) IOC take the final decision," IAAF general secretary Pierre Weiss said.

Thanou and fellow Greek runner Kostas Kenteris failed to show for drug tests on the eve of the 2004 Athens Games, claiming they were injured in a motorcycle accident and eventually pulled out. They were later banned for two years.

IOC president Jacques Rogge has said there will be no automatic upgrade, and that only "clean" athletes will be moved up in the medals. The IOC is considering whether to leave the 100-meter winner's place vacant.

IAAF president Lamine Diack, who has branded Jones "one of the biggest frauds in sporting history", was at the meeting in Monte Carlo but did not speak to reporters.

Pauline Davis-Thompson of the Bahamas was the silver medalist behind Jones in the 200 meters, while Tatiana Kotova of Russia was fourth in the long jump. They could now be awarded gold and bronze by the IOC.

Jearl Miles-Clark, Monique Hennagan, Tasha Colander-Richardson and Andrea Anderson won golds as part of the 1,600-meter relay in Sydney. Chryste Gaines, Torri Edwards, Nanceen Perry and Passion Richardson were on the 400-meter relay team.

It's now up to the IOC to decide if Jamaica gets gold in the 1,600 relay and France bronze in the 400.

As for the 2001 worlds in Edmonton, Alberta, Debbie Ferguson of the Bahamas moves up to gold in the 200, Latasha Jenkins of the United States to silver and Cydonie Mothersill of the Cayman Islands to bronze.

In the 100, won by Zhanna Block of Ukraine, Thanou would move from bronze to silver, and Chandra Sturrup of the Bahamas from fourth to bronze.

"There is awareness of the situation for sure," Davies said. "But there is also the fact there is no reason we have at the moment why she (Thanou) shouldn't have the medal."

Enough

Uncle! Enough! No mas! I give! Go away! Never again! Goodbye cruel bird!

Back from Europe

I just returned from a short trip to Europe last night. This is my preferred Euro-trip. Just enough time to get a meal or two and walk the city. They have such a healthy attitude towards bikes over there. The Swedes commute on bikes and bike paths allow safe commuting anywhere in the city. I never, not once, saw a bike sharing a road with a car. Amazing. Bikes were parked everywhere around restaurants and shops. And you know what else? I can't remember seeing one obese person!

I cruised a bike shop on one of my walks. They have the most intricate townie bikes. Generators are built into the wheel hubs to provide power for lights. There were a few road bikes and a lot of mountain bikes but for sure it was the townie bike that was front and center.

Today being Thanksgiving, I will hit the bike for a couple of hours to make room. I ate way too much on the trip.

Happy Thanksgiving all!

A Peak Into The Inner Workings of My Mind

When I was a kid, Monty Python was on PBS every week and I loved it. Check this one out...pure magic!

Leaving Miami

I write this post from seat 11D on a NWA Airbus. We flew our last simulator ride this morning, turned in our rental car and shuttled to the terminal for a two hour and forty-five minute flight back to Detroit. The weather in Miami was nothing short of spectacular this week. The homecoming will be sweet tonight and I wouldn't want to live anywhere that Mrs. Jean Anderson and her three kids dwell but there are times when I wished she lived somewhere else; maybe near a beach. Maybe somewhere a little warmer? We talk about it all the time. You know, how we would like to escape the dismal Michigan winter but then spring comes again and we enjoy the incredible summer that makes us a bit forgetful. Contentment is one of those things that often eludes and I am no different than most.

For those of you who fear the long winter with me, you may be interested in a little project I am working on. Solvang, CA is well known for its fabulous riding and I am trying to put together a spring training camp for 8-10 riders. It is a bit late in the game for this winter but it is still possible. I looked into Arizona but the airfare was greater than flying into LAX. Go figure. Anyway, I would like to come up with a complete package for the trip so attendees would sign up and the rest is figured out for them including the training plan. What a great way to kick the indoor training blues and get a head start on the season. Look for more details in the near future.

Green fog in the hotel workout room

Stop the presses. I just returned from the workout room and there is big news. First, VH-1's 1980's viewer top 100 songs is da' bomb of bombs!! Wow, that was one of the quickest trainer workouts ever. 1.5 hours in a snap. What a strange decade of music! Some awesome transcendent music and some music that goes in the file with "Afternoon Delight".

I did run into one snag. This is an airport hotel adjacent to Miami International and it has an international clientèle. Well there was an incident...I reported to my wife from my Blackberry:

To:	"Jeanne Anderson"
Subject:	Smelly Indian dudes (turban)
From:	"Darrell Anderson" Add to Address Book Add Mobile Alert
Date:	Thu, 8 Nov 2007 01:07:04 +0000

I just gotta tell someone.  I am sharing the
workout room with two of
the smelliest dudes ever!  I mean it.
They put those HSC kids to shame.
Where's my Resolve when I need it.
Darrell Anderson

To:	"Jeanne Anderson"
Subject:	They're next to me now
From:	"Darrell Anderson" Add to Address Book Add Mobile Alert
Date:	Thu, 8 Nov 2007 01:08:43 +0000

Momma help me!  What is going on here?
Do they wear curry or eat it?
Darrell Anderson

To:	"Jeanne Anderson"
Subject:	Great God does it ever stink in here!!!!!!!!!!!
From:	"Darrell Anderson" Add to Address Book Add Mobile Alert
Date:	Thu, 8 Nov 2007 01:34:50 +0000

Darrell Anderson

To:	"Jeanne Anderson"
Subject:	Their hairy smellier buddy just walked in
From:	"Darrell Anderson" Add to Address Book Add Mobile Alert
Date:	Thu, 8 Nov 2007 01:39:22 +0000

Darrell Anderson

From:	"Jean Anderson" View Contact Details Add Mobile Alert
To:	dander10@yahoo.com
Subject:	Re: Their hairy smellier buddy just walked in
Date:	Wed, 7 Nov 2007 21:27:16 -0500

how's the stink fest?

To:	"Jeanne Anderson"
Subject:	Re: Their hairy smellier buddy just walked in
From:	"Darrell Anderson" Add to Address Book Add Mobile Alert
Date:	Thu, 8 Nov 2007 02:35:32 +0000

Oh my...I'm in the ER right now. Doc says I blew
out an olfactory gland or something like that...I dunno.
The hazmat team is in there right now hosing the
place down. They've placed "Bio-Hazard" signs up on the
door and have a guard from the EPA standing watch. Word is NIH
and the Center For Disease Control is getting involved.
I'll call when I get outta here. 

From:	"Jean Anderson" View Contact Details Add Mobile Alert
To:	dander10@yahoo.com
Subject:	Re: Their hairy smellier buddy just walked in
Date:	Wed, 7 Nov 2007 21:44:05 -0500

RAOFLOL

To:	"Jeanne Anderson"
Subject:	Re: Their hairy smellier buddy just walked in
From:	"Darrell Anderson" Add to Address Book Add Mobile Alert
Date:	Thu, 8 Nov 2007 02:53:45 +0000

Funny for you maybe. Let's see how you function with
a blown olfactory gland and singed eyebrows.

Riding the hotel bike

In a few minutes I will march down to the hotel exercise room for my fourth workout on one of their bikes here in Miami. These newer bikes are very, very good. The fit is not always the greatest but the mechanics of the bikes are great. This one has a built in TV which you can chose to watch or you can watch your progress on a course. You can program the ride for up to 99 minutes and your calorie burn rate, total burn and power output are all displayed. If you wear a hear rate sensor you will automatically display HR. Only problem here in Miami is that there are no fans in the room with me. I have been riding 1.5 hour rides and they are major sweat-a-thons.
Tonight might be slightly less thankfully.

The weather down her is fantastic. We have been watching the news at the training center and it looks like snow is flying around Michigan. Nasty.

Miami

I flew NWA down to Miami yesterday for a week of Fokker training. This city is completely whacked. I mean it. If you have spent any time down here in the last few years I am sure you would agree with me that it is sort of off the map. Once you get south of West Palm Beach you unofficially leave the bounds of the United States. It takes on more of a Latin flair and everything becomes spicier and more wild. Driving is just terrifying. I came to two intersections last night and came across a traffic signal that I have never seen anywhere in the U.S.. The traffic signal was hung horizontally and had five lights. From left to right, the first light was a red light. Next to that there was a green turn arrow. The remaining lights were the standard type. I pulled into the center turn lane and was issued the far left red light and the green arrow next door. What do I do? I honestly didn't know. It was like I was in a different country. I came to another signal in the area that was the same. So, today I asked my instructor and he said he has never seen that configuration. Hmmm....

{A scene from the Florida Department of Transportation}

Manager Jorge: "Hey all, Miami is really getting crazy these days. No one even knows what a turn signal is for and they could hit a telephone pole on the Bonneville salt flats. So I was thinkin', why don't we test out some new traffic signals down there that are kinda' ambiguous. Here's what I was thinking, we could throw up a few traffic lights that indicate two different commands. Whada' ya'll think?"

Team Member Jose: "Yeah that sounds great to me. Heck it can't get any worse down there and if these ambiguous lights catch on we could infuse Miami confusion all over the state."

Manager Jorge: "Okay, let's do it. Notify the local fire departments and insurance companies so that can lay in extra supplies and agents."

Anyway, let me just say Cuban food is outstanding.

Happy Birthday Bikeboy!!

Hey all. Join me in wishing BB a very happy 13th birthday today!

You could say it's humbling

So I finally break down and get a set of rollers. These things are da' bomb as far as indoor training devices go. I set the thing up and tell my faithful son to come down and watch me make a fool out of myself trying to ride this thing. Like a good journalist, he brings his camera. Sure enough, my first two minutes on my trainer made it onto the internet. Bummer. No I know how Brittany feels. Then, to make matters worse, that darn Cat sensed vulnerability and it's payback for all the grief I have given him all the way back to the pothole controversy at Runway. (I swear he nearly hit that pothole on every lap.) But does the famed journalist stop by later to capture the old man cranking away for over an hour on the new rig? Does he stop by today and film me in the middle of the room out of the doorway without my helmet? You won't see that on the internet. It's only the scandal that sells.

BTW, that helmet thing was no joke. I figured I was going down before I got the hang of it.