Finally back home and getting caught up on e-mails, phone calls, and yard work. The week doing PowerFiTTEs during the Tour of Missouri was busy, fun, challenging, and inspirational. In other words, perfect!
Listen in to Coach Gina from the TT in Sedalia on The Kansas Cyclist Podcast, Episode 11. Randy Rasa and Edward Eroe cover the ToM with a variety of interviews, including a shoutout from David Zabriskie.
I get a lot of questions as to what I do when I load up the Subarooo with my bike, CompuTrainer, and all the gear. Well folks, here's the answer!
John Howard and I PowerFiTTEd a number of cyclists and triathletes in Sedalia, MO and Kansas City. Ebby Norman, Owner of Pro-Velo bike shop in Sedalia brought in several of his cyclists for PowerFiTTE and BodyFiTTE sessions. It's wonderful to meet so many different types of cyclists and triathletes. Different experiences, different goals, many inspirations.
John Howard and Gina Poertner
discuss Stage 7 while watching
the jumbotron.
We were fortunate to keep up with our own training during the time away from home. Norman, Pro-Velo's great mechanic, lent his bike to John for the week. We stayed with friends Doug and Connie Kiburz, and along with the great hospitality was a great location. A nearby golf course cart path made for a fantastic running trail each morning as we watched the sunrise, squirrels in search of breakfast, and the grounds crew preening the greens. We were also right on the Time Trial route, so we rode that several times during the week. The day before the racers hit the course, John and I made sure the dogs wouldn't be a problem for them (note sarcasm here). About three miles into the ride, two medium sized dogs scampered out to the road and "greeted" us as we maneuvered to dodge them. John made it through just as I T-boned one of them and went down sideways. Much more preferable than the endo I thought would happen. On my way down to the asphalt, the thought of Dan Schmatz getting nailed by the infamous armadillo at the '07 Tour of MO went through my brain. The dog ran off yelping, I looked at the bike and all was OK, just a thrown chain and scuffed bar tape. I hope the dog is OK. More than that, I hope the owners of those dogs realize the value of their pets' lives and protect them from getting hit by something bigger than a bike. Got the chain back in place and we set out to continue our ride. It's a great area to train. We explored a bit off the course and found some bigger hills.
The post-Time Trial dinner was rather interesting. Our table at El Tapatilo was next to George Hincapie and the rest of team Columbia-HTC. John raced with Ricardo Hincapie, George's dad, back when Big George was a little baby. Somehow our group elected me to go tell George to stop by and say hi to John on his way out. I'm sure he thought I was some kind of crazed fan (OK, so I'm a fan!), but he did get to talk with John and got a photo with him, too.
We saw George and teammates signing a tortilla as we enjoyed our margaritas. It turns out that my good friend Mark Rainey was behind that little caper, decked out in his armadillo T-shirt, no less. Click here for the Team Tortilla.
Then it was off to Kansas City for the weekend where we did a couple more FiTTEs at the Bicycle Shack and watched the final stage of the Tour of MO. Since KC is a little closer to my stomping grounds, I got to see many of my cycling friends at the race, including Randy Rasa, creator of KansasCyclist.com. A big THANKS goes out to KartaPurkh Kalsa and to Mark Thomas of LocalCycling.com for setting us up with VIP passes! Friends Matt Maher and Chris Thomas also joined us for some fun at the race. Check out Chris's photography here: Chris Thomas Photography.
It was great to see Mike Weiss, Scott Moninger and Kevin Livingston again. Congratulations to Mike, recipient of this year's Tom Yarbrough award. Well deserved!
It's a bummer that Springfield native Brad Huff had to pull out of the final stage due to a rib injury from Downer's Grove. He said he's hangin' in there, and we wish him good health! Brook Watts, John Howard, Gina Poertner, and Brad Huff
in Kansas City.
4 cyclists, 8 legs, and a helluva lotta miles pedaled!
Photo by Mia Sullivan
No doubt that Las Vegas is a happenin' place, and Life Balance Sports attended all three events. Coach Gina caught up with Kansas City cyclocrossers Shadd Smith, Bill Marshall, and Curt Shelman at CrossVegas and at practice the night before while assisting John Howard with his practice and pre-race. 
