Soon the emails will change from catching you all up on preseason activities and news about new riders and sponsors, and I'll be sending out race results and links to pics of our group at every weekend venue. I'll pepper some of the notes with news from our road trips and I may even ask some of the team if they might give you first person accounts of the races. But today I will add more texts written by two of them, Amy Wallace and Brian Hayes.

Without question I would consider these two to be the heartbeat of the team. They each bring a bundle of enthusiasm and a willingness to help with whatever needs to be done. Amy and Brian are each Elite level 'crossers in their own right, and it's a pleasure for me that both take such a keen interest in the team, its history, and show a desire for it all to continue for many seasons to come.

From Amy:

By this time of year, I can't help myself; I've been on the lookout for the first leaves to turn red every day for weeks now. I've "accidentally" found myself exploring dirt trails on my road bike lately. My affinity for playing in the mud wherever possible is growing stronger by the day. I've got the fall race calendar nearly memorized by now and I'm already planning weekend road trips with the team/family in my head.I guess you could say I'm excited for this year's cyclocross season.

The 2006 cross season was my first year with the Richard Sachs crew, and the team was everything I could have hoped for. The weather last year was beautiful (hence, awful!), so I'm hoping for better in that department this year. Bring on the rain!! But really, the road trips, the races, the overnights, the coffee drinking and all the laughs really are what it's all about. Of course, I'm even more excited this year with a few friends joining up as new teammates. This team really is a family unlike any other.

As I finish up my seventh season of road racing, I'm looking back and realizing that I don't have much to show for it this year! As I became busier with my job as an environmental engineer in recent months, road racing became a little less important. But, never fear ņI've saved all my vacation days for the fall.

The Amy Wallace Training Plan 2007©® is now underway—or something like that. Me and my "-issimo" are ready and raring to go, and I can't wait to live every minute of the upcoming season.