Ready to race?

I just spent a week in Southern California to watch the Tour of California and to do a little riding down in Ojai. While loitering around the start area before the beginning of Stage 7, I introduced myself and chatted with Fabian Wegmann of Team Gerolsteiner. In typical cycling groupie fashion, Fab became my latest crush... more because he squeezed me so darn tight for about 2 minutes while we were taking the picture above! Who knew that cyclists had upper body strength!

The training did not go well (partly because I crashed my bike on day 1) but watching the bike race got me psyched to start the race season in 2006. Since returning to San Francisco I've been working on my mental preparations for Ironman Arizona. I’ve been practicing the Haka and singing Ka Mate in the comfort of my bedroom (wall-to-wall mirrors) the last few nights. This will be my signature pre-race, energizing dance ritual to be performed prior to the gun going off at each race this year :-) It does need face paint, but I have not gone there yet.

I slap my hands against my thighs, puff out my chest, bend the knees, bend my hips, and then stamp my feet as hard as I can while chanting the following.

Ka mate! Ka mate! Ka ora! Ka ora!
Ka mate! Ka mate! Ka ora! Ka ora!
Tenei te tangata puhuru huru
Nan nei I tiki mai
Whakawhiti t era
A upa… ne! ka upa… ne!
A upane kaupane whiti te ra!
Hi!!