Amateurity...not to be confused with Immaturity.

Clearly I've been stricken with both, and it showed this weekend at the 2008 Pacesetter Steel Service Cycling Team camp. Training camp? Maybe. Drinking camp? Yes, please and thank you. This report will have to be delivered in chapters...primarily because the details are slowly coming back to me. Very slowly. I've got a sprained liver and some battered legs. To protect the innocent, some (read: all) of the fine print will never grace these pages. And quite honestly, when I think back on the weekend and the performance of the team, I'm proud, disgusted, afraid, nervous, and a little giddy all at the same time. Most of my disgust is for The Mainstay, who missed the whole thing for a weekend of Mexican motorpacing. For that, you're fired...at least until you win a sprint at the Tucker 500.

I'm proud of the fact that this group of amateurs was able to lay it down for 6 hrs and 120 miles in tornado-like conditions...after a night of hard drinking. I'm also proud of the fact that this same group of amateurs followed up said ride with another 10 hours of heavy drinking. And followed that up with another wind-whipped ride on Sunday morning. Find me a Pro that can pull that off. You won't. Because when it comes to drinking AND riding, a Pro is an Amateur. And to borrow one from The Imposter; the man who so often steals from me- Pros of the world, I present you with this:

You know training camp is a success when you have riders hitching rides back to the hotel at 3 a.m. with the Papa John's pizza guy. Corky- how do you get lost (on foot) in a town that you lived in for 7 years? Seriously. It's less than a square quarter-mile in its entirity. You've seen every inch of it. I'm very proud of you.

And I guess we picked up a new teammate along the way. Apparently Captain Skymall is now scouting talent for Pacesetter Steel Service. Maybe Locos isn't hiring. Skymall even graced us with his presence for Sunday's ride. Just like old times. Now back to our new teammate. Imposter, what is going on here? First it's the roomate, now it's Big Jon. We need to get you a W, son! With every passing week, this pattern is becoming increasingly clear. It's becoming more and more apparent that the ladies aren't flocking to the hardest worker. The good news is as follows: The Imposter will be bringing home the bacon (and the ladies) this weekend in the year's first Tundra TT. Know this. It's for real this time, and I'm posting another poll just to make sure everyone's in agreement here.