Really this just has been a really good week. Good rides on the cyclo-cross bike. Good feelings overall. Simply good.

But the really good news came yesterday. As you may know I have ulcerative colitis and I’ve been dealing with some side effects from some medication. These side effects wiped out my white blood cell count, gave me anemia and lowered by hemoglobin levels. So suffice it to say, training at full capacity was pretty much impossible. I stopped the medicine about three weeks ago and have been going for weekly blood tests. Each week hoping to hear that things were starting to get back to “normal”.

Well yesterday I got the good news: my numbers are all inside of the normal ranges. What a wave of relief. I’m super stoked about my iron level: 138 – crazy high for me! White blood cell counts are just at the bottom of normal and my hemoglobin (red blood cells) are right in the middle of normal. All very good news. Signs that my body is healing itself and I’m getting back to my old self.

So what does this mean for me? Well as much as I’d like to get into some intensity right away, common sense prevails  and I’ll be taking another week of steady riding, do another blood test – and then make a decision with my coach, doctor, and Marc.

But what it really means for me is this: I’m stoked! I can’t wait to get out and ride hard again. I feel like there is light at the end of the tunnel. And most importantly – Belgium is going to happen.

I’m feeling better everyday. My confident is sky high. My technical skills are getting better with every ride. Really, I can’t explain how relieved I and excited I am.

(And in the other news department…)

If you follow professional road cycling, you may have read about the sponsorship problems of HTC-Highroad:

HTC-Highroad owner Bob Stapleton told the AFP today that he is desperately seeking a sponsor for the team. HTC will end their commitment as title sponsor at the end of this season, which leaves the team without funding to continue. Money quote!

“If we haven’t secured a sponsor by the end of the Tour de France, we will have to sit down and start considering how to wind down operations,” Stapleton told AFP.

Stapleton also said that the doping controversies have made sponsors wary of committing to the sport. According to the AFP story, he is looking for a €10 million commitment per year for three years to keep the team on the road. HTC-Highroad boasts a ridiculous number of wins this season so far and includes some of the top riders in men’s and women’s cycling. The roster includes 36 riders, who will need new teams if Highroad stops.

(From Podium Cafe)

Very sad that such a team might be in jeopardy. Also interesting how much money the team needs for a season.

Well, this is where the extra dose of good news comes in…. The good news for you is that to sponsor a cyclo-cross rider for a season it doesn’t cost anything close to €10 million! Nope, you can sponsor me for a mere fraction of that cost. In fact my budget doesn’t even come close to having that many zeroes in it. The extra good news is that you can make a difference by sponsoring me and help instill confidence in the sport of cycling. And don’t worry – there won’t be any doping scandals with me. Nope – 100% clean and natural athlete (with a few tasty Clif Bar products in my belly to give me that boost I need). The even better good news is that you’ll be part of a super exciting season of racing and will be joining some pretty darn fine sponsors.

I’d say this is pretty solid dose of good news for a Friday morning. Really it doesn’t get much better: first off it is Friday, my health is back on track, I’m going to Belgium, you can sponsor me instead of HTC-Highroad and save yourself lots of money, and did I mention that it’s the weekend?