IS HOPPIN. Actually, the whole town of Girona is pretty nuts right now. The Flower Festival (an annual event, no real reason for which I can tell other than tourism. Celebration of spring?) starts up today and for the next week you can barely move through town. Sculptures, massive flower plantings out of sod laid on streets and walks, hay bale chairs with flowers poking out at all angles…all sorts of random yet entertaining action. Pictures to come for sure.

This post however relates to the Farmers Market. I love it. I know I’ve said it before, but we’re truly lucky to have it as a resource. Remee(sp), my supplier of goodness, farms just outside of town and sources whatever she doesn’t grow herself from quality farmers, loaded me up with almost more than I could carry home this morning…for 18 euros. Crazy talk. I left there with a huge head of red leaf lettuce, 3 KILOS of fava beans, a half a kilo each of strawberries so ripe they almost blew apart on the walk home and just off the tree cherries, 6 eggs, laid this morning, 2 massive heirloom tomatoes, 4 onions, 3 apples, 3 kiwis, a bunch each of marjoram and mint and 2 huge bundles of asparagus. Unreal. All of that…18 euros(which with the current exchange rate is roughly 85000 dollars). A good dinner in the works here tonight…now time to start shelling some favas!

A Nobel Prize in health for 5 second rule research! Props go out to the kids at Clemson that took it to the next level with this study…(nytimes).

And all this time I thought the rule was legit…nobody has been sick from my kitchen yet and I drop food, especially meat and chicken, all the time to “tenderize”, just being careful to pick it up in under 4.  Maybe it’s the dog slobber that somehow counteracts salmonella and e.coli bacteria.

So, I was listening to a recent Motley Fool podcast (their last, unfortunately. was a good one) interview of Dave Barry, humor columnist and recent author of a financial book. When asked why he wrote it he responded in jest (roughly) “I saw one huge fault in all of the other books out there. I wasn’t collecting any of the royalties.” In a recent interview I gave myself I had a similar feeling about cycling coaches. For that reason, and because I think it would be fun and be a useful way to use some of the time I have on my hands to actually help people a bit, I’m now available as your coaching. If you have any interest in a bit of help with your training, or know someone who might, shoot me an e-mail at WillFrischkorn@mac.com. Rates will vary a bit based on personal situation and level of attention. With the flat-out-nuts pricing that some people charge I’ll be a bargain. In all honesty, a bit of extra cash would be good but I’m looking at this project more as an opportunity for something fun. Takers?

A beautiful spring day and a body up for actually getting out and enjoying it. We’ve had a good hit of needed rain here recently, and though less than pleasant for training the ground has soaked it up. With the sun and warm temps now working their magic the countryside is exploding in color. I decided today that i’m ready to buy the little farm hidden by that field of flowers and settle down.

Most of the guys head up to dunkirk tomorrow and I’ll have a good week to get in some solid training and prep for grimpeurs and picardie. Although I finally felt almost normal out there today it’s gonna take some work…

Sent from my BlackBerry wireless handheld.

…might get a little break today as I’m finally feeling healthy enough to get out on the bike. The past few days have been pretty rough and I think my total time not either on the couch or in bed barely totals an hour but the rest has paid off and I’ve gone over an hour without a bout of coughing. A victory of some sort… Remember the commercial a few years back for a high speed internet company where the guy hits the end of the internet? That’s me. Got it done. Nothing left. Ready for a break, or a ride…