  We have monitored the pulse frequencies of the two soft gamma repeaters SGR
1806-20 and SGR 1900+14 through the beginning of year 2001 using primarily
Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer Proportional Counter Array observations. In both
sources, we observe large changes in the spin-down torque up to a factor of ~4,
which persist for several months. Using long baseline phase-connected timing
solutions as well as the overall frequency histories, we construct torque noise
power spectra for each SGR. The power spectrum of each source is very red
(power-law slope ~-3.5). The torque noise power levels are consistent with some
accreting systems on time scales of ~1 year, yet the full power spectrum is
much steeper in frequency than any known accreting source. To the best of our
knowledge, torque noise power spectra with a comparably steep frequency
dependence have only been seen in young, glitching radio pulsars (e.g. Vela).
The observed changes in spin-down rate do not correlate with burst activity,
therefore, the physical mechanisms behind each phenomenon are also likely
unrelated. Within the context of the magnetar model, seismic activity cannot
account for both the bursts and the long-term torque changes unless the
seismically active regions are decoupled from one another.
