Cancellara Descending - Poetry at High Speed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgVmq4UBJs4

Fabian Cancellara is not only the World Time Trial champion he goes downhill like a bullet, enjoy.

Kilkare, Because It's There

I just love the Kilkare ride. This time I was able to ride it with Ross, Ray, and Lin of the TNT-Marin/Moab team. I managed to get in some extra miles with Bob beforehand and then tacked some on at the back in order to ride home.

We all rode together from Shannon Park out to Kilkare and once we got there Ross and I rode with Ray. He really seems to enjoy riding and we all rode comfortably together. I think Ross just let Ray and I keep up. Hold out, maybe Ray and Ross just let me keep up because Ray was really spinning like Lance Armstrong... just like Ross does! I felt a bit like the Jan Ullrich of the bunch turning the pedals at only around 70 revs per minute as these two made the cranks fire like a sewing machine.

All in all, we had a great ride and the Mavic Ksyrium wheels John gave me really feel good and the stiffness makes for a solid ride. I also like how free and easy the wheels turned with smooth "new" bearings.

Well, Thursday was an off day and I am still not sure what to do with Friday. I may try a bit of soccer, but we will have to see based on the weather and my sanity level.

Cheers!

Lafayette Heat - Monday, July 12

Monday was the first day back from my Death Ride adventure and I figured I better get some miles in since I only did two passes. So, I went ahead and emailed my compadres John and Mark and out we went for a ride.

We rolled from San Ramon out to Lafayette and, ok, it was hot. I am not sure if it was 100, but my guess is that 'Yes' is the answer. The only reason I didn't know was because I refused to look prior to leaving work. I take this approach because sometimes "knowing" clouds my judgment. For example, I might have decided not to go if I realized it was triple-digit hot.

As it turned out, we had a good ride despite the heat. We moderated the pace and enjoyed conversation as we rode. It was good to see Mark on the bike because he had taken a bad fall just awhile back and separating his shoulder and just generally beating himself up.

I particularly liked the part of the ride where we blasted right by this inconsiderate cyclist who had nearly hit us as we travelled through central Lafayette. He was totally discourteous, endangering us so it was good to "smoke" this guy on the short climb up to Glorietta.

Today's photo is of Mark and John.

Death Ride Day - 2009

Wow, I can't believe July 11 is here. I am excited and a bit apprehensive at the same time. Excited because the last two times I began training in an attempt to complete my second Death Ride I got injured. The first time I managed to tear my quad just 2 1/2 months out from the event day. In 2007, I had to bail out after two surgeries on my knee. It was good to be healthy in 2009. My apprehension stemmed from the fact that while I was back on the bike and healthy I had not done any climbing that remotely resembled Death Ride passes.

Since my mountain training was a bit sparse, I thought it best to keep my goals for event day modest. As I told John, if I was able to complete one pass I would feel blessed and two would put a big grin on my face. Of course, in the back of my mind I was hoping for all five passes (realistic or not).

The alarm rang at 2:50 in the morning. Good God, what the hell is that sound? I am totally disoriented. It seems to take me an eternity to find the bloody BlackBerry to initially disarm the thing with the first 10 minute snooze. Our plan is to leave at 4 am and start by 4:30. I finally drag my sorry, what the heck am I doing self, out of bed and stumble upstairs to down a bagel with peanut and a banana along with some orange juice. I still can't believe how early it is right now.

John and I head outside load the bikes and head for Markleeville. On arrival I can't believe how many folks are here at this godforsaken hour. The last time I started at 5:30 and even then it didn't seem crowded like it was in Woodfords five miles from the start line. I must still be delirious and not realize it.

5am - we role! OMG, we crest the smallest grade in memory and my lungs are screaming at me. What a mess, thankfully, the others in the line are laughing and joking about the same thing - no oxygen. We role through Markleeville and the weather is absolutely perfect. Any second now I will have to bid my fast friend, John, aka "C2K", adieu and pedal up Monitor alone.

On the front side I feel pretty good. I am only moderately tired. Who knows, maybe the base fitness I garnered from the TNT Tahoe season will be enough to carry me over the passes with no climbing prep. Mentally, I am feeling good when they slap the first sticker on my top tube along the five from before.

I descend to the second sticker pick-up and turn around and head up the backside of Monitor. Ok, after about a two miles I am really starting to feel tired... this is so not good. Still, I am within my heart rate zone and I am turning the pedals. However, those pedals are really moving slowly. The cadence is about 50 and I am not even catching the tandem in front me. What is going on here? About mile 4 of the ascent my legs are considering checking out. I decide to get off the bike in the shade and rest for a few minutes. I get back on the bike and I am hopeful that this is just an aberration and my legs will come back. I slog on another 3 miles or so and I stop at the water stop for an extended period in a second effort to recover in the shade. About ten minutes later I am off again, but my legs are seriously only phoning the pedaling in now. The speed is now around 3-4 mph.

I am now beginning to wonder how the pedals are getting turned at all now. It is now pretty clear to me that five passes are out of the question. I am beginning to wonder if I can even get to Ebbetts let alone make to the top... once!

Alright, the legs have now told me the game is up. I have to make a third stop about 1 1/2 miles from the Monitor summit. My legs are utterly destroyed. I am glad to have made it this far. I suppose that I will now have to come back next year and tackle the beast again after undertaking the same climbing program I used the first time around.

Still, the good news is that the knee held up and was virtually pain-free despite the stresses put on it over 20 miles of mountain pass climbs. My mind and spirit were also great even after deciding to "pull the plug" on the ride. I have to admit it was good to just be out there. I didn't even realize how pretty everything was the first time I rode.

******************
*** Postscript ***
******************

While I didn't get my second five pass day I had a great time and I also got to help my friend John complete the ride. As John was having a fantastic day, it almost came apart on Carson when he broke a spoke 2 miles below Picketts. The good news is that we both ride Campy 10 speeds and I was able to give him my rear wheel for the final climb and his third five pass completion. I may not have been able to wear the "Finisher's" jersey in 2009, but my domestique work got someone else to the top.

Photos: The Death Ride "Welcome" sign and me on the top of Monitor Pass.

Why Bother....?

Well, John and drove up to Tahoe in preparation for the 2009 Death Ride today. The trip was uneventful except for Alex's cousin Abby not being able to direct us around her own town (which was really funny).

On arrival, we decided to take a prep ride before the Death Ride the next morning. So, I figured we would challenge ourselves to go down the street to the stop sign and then turn around. Since this 400 yard jaunt seemed pretty short we turned around and rode up the street until the gradient hit about 2% and then retreated to the house to carbo load. The total ride distance probably didn't exceeed 1000 yars.

What a riot...

The photo was taken at 4:45 in Woodfords prior the start of the Death Ride.

An Uneventful Ride

I know I rode Thursday, but I really can't remember anything about the ride. I suppose everything from Thursday morning to Saturday at 3:00 am is pretty much a blur. I hope I had fun on the bike - I usually do, so I suppose it was a good ride.

Ok, the Hooters' photo exists merely because John keeps giving me a hard time about how the wings made me sick last time we went there -- why I think that is funny is beyond me.

Sunday Series #2

We finally had that second 'Sunday Series' ride and it was a blast. The turnout was excellent as well. The following riders took part from left to right in the bottom right photo: Steve Z, Fredsky, Sheila, Sabrina, Brett, Doug, Jeff, David Z, and John B (taking the picture).

The ride took us from San Ramon to Castro Valley, up Redwood Road, through Moraga, and ultimately back to San Ramon. The ride also featured a stop at the Si Si's coffee shop where we all got something to eat and I enjoyed a double espresso (the ride sure was easier after that).

We totalled about 50 miles and ended the ride on my driveway eating watermelon, grapes, and drinking soda. All and all it was a pretty great time, thanks everyone!

The Last Challenge

Well, the Wednesday "Mentor Group" ride was the last one of consequence before the Death Ride. As a result, John, Lili, Paul, and I headed out to Kilkare.

The weather was great and we all took turns leading the paceline out to Kilkare. It was really great to head out for a ride. Once we got to Sunol both Lili and Paul headed back as they had appointments at around 7pm. After they left, John and I took on Kilkare. As John had only just returned from the Ukraine he was taking it easy. I decided to put a bit of an effort in to build some confidence in prior to Saturday's alpine challenge. By the end of the ride, we had traveled just under 40 miles and I had gone up Kilkare 1 1/2 times.... maybe Death Ride is doable with no real hill training.

Today's photo is off my friend and 2009 TNT Tucson mentor, John Corden.

Rest Day

The sheer bliss of doing nothing and really not caring.

Welcome Back C2K!

Today was the day to welcome John back to the local ride circuit. This past weekend, he measured Kaiser's 155 miles and ceaseless, steep climbs and then got the job done. His return had us taking a 40 mile recovery ride from San Ramon up to Lafayette and back.

Of course, a recovery ride for John is still enough to beat me up. Of course, I did my best to keep up (in combination with begging him to slow down). Thankfully, I chose a flat course. We averaged about 16 mph and had our usual good time.

We also began talking about what we are going to do for Death Ride. My choice, of course, would be to wait until Monitor and Ebbetts open to vehicle traffic and then just drive all the passes with the bike in the back. Of course, I doubt that John is going to allow me this out. I suppose I will have to attempt some of the passes under my own power. We will have to see how it goes. My guess is that I have 3 passes in me; however, life is funny so I am not discounting any possible outcome. I mean how can you when the day is going to start at 4:30 am!

http://www.deathride.com/

The "snap" is the logo from this years Death Ride.

Moab/Marin Mentor Ride #2

Well, we had our second Moab/Marin Wednesday "Mentor Ride". Both Lili and Ray came to the ride and we rode for about 90 minutes at between 12-13 mph. The ride was Lili's second and Ray's first. The weather was absolutely perfect and we did a loop within San Ramon and Danville. It is really good to have the season underway and fun to see people starting to come out for the rides. I guess I am going to have to get the Blackberry camera out and start taking some pictures.

The tour is coming so a picture of George and Lance seems right. I hope they both kick ass in the 2009 TdF.

Sunday Roasting

Ok, I don't know what I was thinking (go figure). The temps were in the triple digits and I still got on the bike and rode. Of course, at least I had the sense after 15 miles to call it a day. I will testify to only this - riding was not fun. Usually the shower and cool-down are mere afterthoughts/necessities; however, with this ride they were the best part of the day by far.

TNT - 3 Bears

Wow, someone forgot to turn the heat off for this one. Our TNT-3 Bears ride had us meeting at Orinda BART at 9 and we were all on the road by 9:30. The hot weather sure managed to beat us to the road. It felt like mid-90s right off the back. The effect was amplified by the fact that there is no shade to be had anywhere.

This ride is a good tester for people at this point in the season. Since both the Marin and Moab courses will find us doing some climbing it was good for everyone to get a feel for where they were with their training. The group spread out quite a bit on the route, as expected, but the heat did not seem to deter anyone. As I rode between riders chatting I found great spirits throughout. These spirits were only buoyed more by our post-ride "Honoree Potluck". It is always great to hear our honorees speak because their messages are so powerful. It really provides wonderful perspective on those days where the riding seems really hard.

Today's photo is a flashback to Brian whose was one of my mentees on the 2009 Tahoe team.

Long Week, Smooth Roll

Well, this is the first week in it seems forever that I didn't get out on the bike. Thankfully, I will get the chance to ride both tomorrow on the '3 Bears' and on Sunday.

Today, I went Rollerblading and had a good time. I went for about an hour along the trail. This is a bit unusual because I rarely use the trail for riding or rolling. In most cases, I 'Blade at the school across the street so that I can use my hockey stick and chase the ball around the blacktop.

Still, it was a nice change of pace. I am going to try and make these sessions a bit more regular since they serve as an excellent cross-training opportunity.

Well, it is about time to go and get some sleep so I can be fresh to kick cancer's ass tomorrow.

Go Team!

Today's photo is of Vanessa of TNT "Team Rawhide". The shot just always makes me smile.

The DVC "Rodeo" Ride

Yesterday was our TNT 'Buddy Ride' and it took place at DVC-Pleasant Hill. Since there was acutally no ride beyond skills work in the parking lot I rode the 20 miles each way. Talk about contrast, the ride to DVC was blessed with no wind and smooth road. The ride home was a battle against the wind and traffic.

I guess I should begin at the start (how logical). When I headed to DVC on the first leg, it was around 7:30 and no one was up and about and the wind was non-existent. After three hours at a very useful skills clinic put on by TNT Head Coach Wayne, I rode the 20+ miles back. On the return trip, all the lights were against me and the winds felt like I was in the 580 corridor heading west up Schaeffer (imagine something that really sucks here). Let me provide some numeric data for comparison. For the ride out I was around 2o mph average until Pleasant Hill where the lights knocked my average to just under 18. The average on the way home was around 14-15 mph (but felt way, way slower). Along the way, I really wanted to call home and say "please save me from the wind." Thankfully, I actually saw Joe Yamin on the way home and after miles of chasing him the traffic lights finally conspired to stop him so I could catch up. We rolled the rest of the way from Danville to San Ramon together which made it a bit more bearable since we could both complain.

In any case all the current riding is being undertaken in the service of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and ALS Association (battling Lou Gehrig's disease).

Today's photo is of an early season ride.

Rollerblading Day

Alright, the plan was to ride the bike today, but work stuck its nose in and put an end to those thoughts. However, it couldn't stop me from going Rollerblading. It was good to take the hockey stick and ball out and chase for awhile. Of course, I could have done without the little fall I took while going backwards over a rut I didn't see. Still, on the whole, it was fun and the left knee hurt only a bit. I will have to take it slowly for now, but who knows I may be playing soccer again soon. Of course, the soccer thing will just be a secret between me and you the reader.

Moab/Marin "Mentor Ride #1"

What an interesting day... This afternoon I found out what the difference in tires is between 23X700 and 25X700. It seems the first number is the profile or height of the tire. Since I didn't know this I blindly purchased a "25" and found that is was rubbing big time. Worse still, I put the tire on last Thursday and rode over 70+ miles with it rubbing significantly. The whole time I thought pedaling was bit more challenging as a result of my flu.... talk about piling on (and I did it to myself!).

Today, Bob and I rode with one of my new mentees, Lili. The ride started with all of us going to the bike shop to get my tire fixed and borrow a wrench so that Lili could try out her new saddle. Once these chores were done we rode 23 miles and had a good time. The pace was pedestrian because we were all talking the whole time. Still, we all had a good time and the "work" of riding for the TNT cause was pushed forward.

Today's photo is a shot of the peaceful water off of Calaveras Road.

Sunday Series Rolls

TNT Alumni hit the road this last Sunday for the first in what I have denoted "The Sunday Series". These rides are geared at keeping post-event TNT riders on their bikes. As such, the idea is that we will get together once a week and ride between 40-60 miles. The intention is that the ride leader would change every week and the routes would be wherever the leader decided.

Since I was the first ride leader, I had the ride depart from my house in San Ramon. Since I was still suffering the effects of the flu we actually ended up with two routes. The original route ended up doing a loop from San Ramon to Moraga into Castro Valley and back to San Ramon. The flatter route departed company with these riders after coffee at Ci Ci's Cafe in Moraga and traveled up to Orinda passing through Lafayette and back to San Ramon.

On each ride, a good time was had by all and 47-50 miles were done by each group. The inaugural group was as follows:

Bob Trencheny
David Zankowsky
Fred Zankowsky
Sonny-John Cerrillo
Doug St. John
Caesar Quitevis
Jeff Gustafson

A guess you could say it was kind of a men's day out. Of course, we are all very much looking forward to the ride becoming coed.... soon.

The picture is of the group at Ci Ci's in Moraga before we split off to our separate routes.

Moab/Marin Begins

Ok, I finally got the chance to meet some of my teammates and mentees on the Moab/Marin cycle team today. With the wrap-up of the Tahoe - AMBBR team on June 7, Ross and I are now able to transition to mentoring our new TNT friends.

It was good to meet people, but not so great to have the flu. I did my best to kind of just lounge around until ride time. My task on the ride was to ride through the group and see how people were getting along. As such, I started at the back of the group and basically did my best to make up the stagger and at least see how participants were doing. The flu made the lung-power a bit iffy, but it was still fun (even though I was blowing my nose constantly).

Along the route, I talked with quite a few of the riders and everyone seemed to be in good spirits. I managed to catch up with all but around five participants. I noticed the usual first ride kind of issues: concerns over "hills" and issues with shifting, but, on the whole, riders seemed pretty comfortable on their bikes. This is going to be another fun season.

The next step will be to see how Coach Wayne groups everyone having had the chance to evaluate the riders. It will be fun to meet my "new" team. I wonder what they will call themselves. :-)

Go Team!!!

The picture is from our final 80 mile AMBBR put on by K Sue.

Tahoe Recovery

Yesterday, I rode my first ride since Tahoe. It seemed that taking one day off was allowed. The first ride back was basically a recovery trip. We averaged about 15.5 mph and supplemented the day with a post-ride trip to Hooters for chicken. I had the boneless wings. The food was so good and I crawled away stuffed.

Tomorrow will either be more "interval" training with the Valley Spokesman or basic conditioning. We will have to see how the cards fall. I really can't decide so I am going to let the conditions dictate.

America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride

What a beautiful day!!! How in the name of all that is could this have happened? I think we all know the answer to that one. So, the weather was cool, but not really cold and not a drop of rain fell. In fact, the weather all day was fantastic. After what we went through the day before and the weatherman threatened for ride day, we seemed doomed to suffer. I guess sometimes someone has other plans for us.

The team started out slowly rolling towards the Emerald Bay climb in order to get warmed up. Once we hit the climb, I had to make a quick restroom stop that put me behind the team. However, the group waited for me at the top of Emerald Bay and they cut me some slack for causing a ten minute delay.

Once we regrouped we rolled passed the Vikingsholm rest stop and kept motoring until we reached SAG #2 at Homewood. Along the way, the terrain varied between rollers, short climbs, and descents. So far, the ride was going exceptionally well and the views were spectacular. There were a lot of cyclists on the course, around 3,400, but most were pretty polite and the TNT contingent numbered around 50% of the total.

At the Homewood stop we got to see Caesar's family which was a great spirit lift for all of us. The rest stop was pretty crowded with really long bathroom lines. Upon leaving Caeaser's family behind at Homewood, we headed off to Truckee. Along way David and I got separated from the group and landed behind some slow traffic on the bike path. Once we made our way around them we leaned into a bit and managed to regroup with people on Highway 89. The group then worked at pacelining, but this has never been our strong suit since some riders just aren't comfortable close to the rider in front of them.

It was just about this time that a group from San Diego went by and Cliff, David, Vanessa, and I latched on for a 26 mph thrill ride through the 'Mouse Hole' and off to the Truckee rest stop. Once at the rest stop, manned by TNT, I saw Roger Rintalla the former TNT head coach from my first season. He is a great guy and it was fantastic to see him (and Ryan and Aspen).

Once everyone arrived we had a lengthy stop and then headed to Tahoe City and King's Beach for the lunch stop. Along the way, T-Bone was "bonking" a bit, but she was finally revived by a visit (one of three) from her husband and sons. They were so happy to see their mom, but not nearly as happy as T-Bone. On the way in to King's Beach we lost one of our number to a medical DNF at 76. It was very sad and the whole team was bummed.

After leaving King's Beach we headed through Incline Village and up Spooner where popsicles waited at the rest stop. I rode on ahead and took pictures of some of my teammates as they triumphantly climbed their final AMBBR climb (of course, some argued there were other hills afterwards as well). It was great to see Vanessa just hammer up the climb like she had no chain. I also was able to see Melissa in action as she just spun the pedals up the climb towards a visit with her husband at the top.

Our regroup and popsicle consumption complete, we set off down Spooner. I really wanted to let it loose, but my back wheel was just way to sketchy and felt like it was going to fall off. What a bummer, in 2004 I was able to blast down this descent at 50+ mph. This time I was forced to hold it at around 30 for fear of the rear wheel collapsing. I did my best to make up for this disappointment by absolutely hammering the rollers after the descent.

----- The ride in -----
Cliff and I left the team a short ways from the finish in order to salute them as they turned for home at the Horizon Hotel. We waited around the corner an greeted each rider. It was the best part of the whole season. After a bunch of group hugs, Cliff and I took up our positions at the back of the group and watched our charges cross the finish on their way to receipt of their 100 mile cycle event finishers medals.

It was a great event with great people for a great cause. Go Team!

Tahoe Tune-Up

Ok, is it just me or does 41 degree weather coupled with rain just make you want to stay inside? Well, team got the better of us and off Team Rawhide went in the rain to tune-up for the next day's "America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride".

While Tahoe is always pretty, I'm not sure I really cared once I was drenched and Coach Cliff had his first flat and Ira followed on the way in. Still, as throughout the season, the team stuck together and stood by each other and soldiered on focused strictly on the safety of one and other. This team rocks so hard the ground shakes.

We called the ride after about 4 miles out and headed back in to dry our gear and get out of the foreboding weather that loomed over event day.

The photo is of our pre-ride team meeting in Coach Cliff's room at the Embassy Suites-South Lake. After discussion, we decided to leave a bit later, 6:30 am, in hopes of missing projected rain.

Keeping it Simple... One Last Time

Today was the last ride in preparation for the LLS/TNT Tahoe ride. Ross and I rode 25 miles down through Sunol and Pleasanton. My legs felt tired the whole way and the wind never slowed even a bit. It was kind of a war out there, but when you think about it I am still so lucky. This little bit of tiredness is so nothing compared to someone battling cancer.

As I think back, the season has been so great and I have met many wonderful people. Life is good and sometimes I forget.

Today's photos harkens back to one of the first rides of the season... oh, so long ago.

Taper, Part 2

Today, Bob and I rode down to Kilkare and back for his final ride before we take on "America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride" at Lake Tahoe this Sunday. Bob has ridden his way into great form and we maintained an average speed of 15+ mph for 20+ miles. We celebrated our ride with pizza from Z Pizza. It was a great end to our Tahoe season training for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

On a sad note, Bob's brother-in-law has had a recurrence of leukemia will need treatment. I will be keeping him in my thoughts and prayers as we ride. As always, I am thankful for my health and the ability to ride in support of others who are less fortunate in that respect.

The photo is of Bob and I before a recent ride where he forgot his jersey, but declined to wear one of mine. (It may be because I don't have anything that isn't garish.)

Jet Lag Taper Ride - Tuesday, June 2, 2009

I had a good ride with Ross to begin the "taper" week. Of course, as usual, I rode faster than I wanted. We did around 25 miles at around 16.4 mph. The ride also went up Stage Coach Road which always puts a smile on my face.

The good news from that day is that Ross and I will both be mentors for the upcoming Moab Century taking place in Utah on September 19, 2009. I am really looking forward to having speedy Ross punish me some more on the road. His cadence is so fast it just amazes me and it all looks so easy for him.

Today's photo is a reprise of the "Lady Bug" shirt because it cracks me up.

Best Buddies Ride - Saturday, May 30

What an excellent ride this was and for such a good cause - Best Buddies. As usual, I managed to get off the start line late after all the other 50 mile starters had already departed. Still, I had a feeling I would catch a good number of folks.

I started out at a pretty good clip; however, I don't know exactly how fast since my Garmin died before I turned even one pedal stroke. No matter, I just started hammering down the roadway.

One of the challenging parts of riding 3000 miles from home is not knowing anyone or the the course. As it turns out this route takes you from Carver, MA to Cape Cod and spends about 40 of those miles going up and down "rollers".

When I rolled into rest stop #1 it turns out I had covered the first 14 miles in around 40 minutes or around 21 mph. (I guess I started a bit too quick.). After this time check I thought I should probably slow down so I moderated my effort a bit. To do so, I made an effort to look at the beautiful scenery. Between rest stop #1 and the second stop in Sandwich (20 miles from the finish) we had to cross a long bridge on foot. Ok, I really didn't like this part because the bridge was really high and the traffic was really close. I have to admit I actually understood why they would not allow riding on the bridge. Once I was done with the 1 mile or so trek, I met a woman from Redwood City named Siona who had recently relocated to Masschusetts to work for Google. I rode with her for a bit, but then went on my way.

After I took my leave of Siona, I managed to latch on to a paceline of John Hancock employees who were really hammering. I don't know how fast, but it hurt even more than riding with the Valley Spokesman during the T 'n T rides. I managed to survive for about 8 miles and then took my leave on a 4-5% grade that they seemed to actually accelerate beyond the red-line speed that was already nearly killing me.

For the next few miles I rode at a leisurely pace and two people actually passed me (bringing the entire days total to 5 - God knows how many I went by). As I rolled on I meet a guy named Guy from Duxbury and we rode the rest of the way together at a manageable clip.

The end result of the ride was 51 miles (one wrong turn added an extra mile) and a 17.7 mph clip. Once I arrived I was able to regroup with Robin and Joe, my gracious hosts. We had some food and conversation with Michelle who I met in the hospitality tent and then the three of us took our leave of Best Buddies - Hyannis for 2009, but who knows my cohorts are threatening to ride next year if I do. Stay posted...

FA Cup Final - Chelsea v. Everton

Please summon all your good thoughts so that my favorite European soccer team, Chelsea FC, will add to the FA Cup to the trophy case whilst I ride in support of Best Buddies this Saturday, May 30.

http://bit.ly/12boEa

The Missing Ride Posting

Memorial Day
For this ride, Ross, Bob, and I decided to do the 'Turkey Day' route. It was a blast since we were able to ride with virtually no traffic. Ross led us at a pretty brisk for a good portion of the time, but the three of us also took turns on the front.

The weather started a bit cold, but once we got to Highland we were all peeling off vests, jackets, and sleeves because the sun had made an appearance. On the way in, we decided to ride some intervals. We started with some 25+ mph cruising down Sycamore Valley Road and ended with some near 30 mph speeds down "The Boulevard" between Bollinger Canyon and Alcosta. The ride was fun and useful for training.

We are really closing in on "America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride" on Sunday, June 7. It is going to be a fantastic day for a wonderful cause - The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. A note regarding to today's photos The first is the Chelsea FC crest. The second is of Laura Leigh Sinai and she is in the blog because she is really pretty and helps ease the ugliness of seeing Barcelona as champion. This former photo is more important because today Barcelona comprehensively won the Champions League over Manchester United. The importance stems from the fact that, in a just world, Chelsea would have played Man U in the title game. (No, I am still not over the refereeing that caused this miscarriage of justice.)

Taper Time

Today Bob and I rode a leisurely 20+ miles. We are a mere 10 days out from the Tahoe ride and we are now in "take it easy" mode. The ride, however, didn't start too easily when Bob popped a rear wheel spoke before we ever got to the first stop sign one long block away. We rolled back to my house, swapped out his pedals to my old bike, and off we went.

It was kind of weird riding next to my old bike, but it was nice that we were able to make the switch and still ride. This approach allowed us to justify our post-ride trip to the KFC. I really like the grilled chicken (which I had), but the Extra Crispy is still better. As I watched Bob work over the Extra Crispy I felt twinges of buyer remorse. I think next time the healthy grilled chicken will be replaced by its artery clogging cousin, Extra Crispy.

Well, tomorrow I am off to Best Buddies for my Boston charitable ride. I am really looking forward to the ride and seeing my friend, Robin, who I have not seen in almost 10 years! Wow, time sure does fly. It will be great to catch up. Hopefully, the shipping costs for the bike will not be too high since the box meets the standard size requirements of United.

Well, that is enough of my blathering on since I still have to pack and shower for tomorrow's morning non-stop to Boston. I can't wait to touch down and beg to be taken to Legal Seafoods. I just hope they are open once I have all my stuff.

Today's photo is Bob and I pre-ride (and prior to Bob's broken spoke).

"I see you"

Best Buddies Route - May 30, 2009

Stinson Beach Photos

Stinson Beach Ride

Auspicious start, 'No', great ending 'Yes'. Along the route today we had a bit of everything. The early morning "out" to Stinson Beach was cold and really a bit uncomfortable. The first climb to 'The Rock' came way too early for my soggy legs. Still, we negotiated the climb and the rest of the morning was pretty much easy downhill riding. It was really great to have SAG for K Sue's 'Buddy Ride' because it always make us feel just that little bit better.

The ride from SAG1 out to Stinson was still pretty cold and was kind of and off and on affair. Ira and I rode a good portion of it together and then we finished up by pacelining into Stinson Beach with David Zankowsky.

Once at Stinson we took a break and a couple people got espresso before we headed back towards SAG 2. The ride back was going great until we learned that a couple of riders were down. We were all hopeful that it wasn't anyone from TNT, but, sadly, it was two of the riders from Team "Wrong Way". Thankfully, we learned later from Coach Doug that everyone was alright except for bumps, bruises, and scrapes.

Along the way, Coach Cliff and I managed to get into a paceline with the fast kids from Team Shake and Bake. The combination made for some seriously fast pacelining. We were cruising at between 22-28 mph from the Nicasio Reservoir all the way to the ball field at Nicasio. It was a struggle to just to stay in line since I was pretty much on red-line the whole way. Still, I just buried myself to keep from losing contact (hopeful that I wouldn't pay on the final climb). The good news is that the final climb wasn't too much to deal with at all. Coach Cliff, David, and I rode up together laughing and joking as if we were Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwin (talk about bad accents).

Team Rawhide had another fantastic day on the bike and rolled in as a unit once we got "Short Rib's" tire fixed after he flatted while riding with T-Bone less than one mile from the finish. The unity of this team is really impressive and makes riding together that much more fun. The photo is of our "Caesars".

Don't Get Crazy Now...

Ross and I rode with the VS T 'n T folks again today. Of course, I said I wasn't going to ride on Thursday's with these animals anymore because they just kill me. Ok, I suppose I have already blown that one. Ross and I also said we weren't going to try and keep up if the pace got too quick. Yet somehow, we found ourselves on Happy Vally Road in Pleasanton pounding up the slight grade on the front. What is my problem? After the ride, we were both talking about how each of us was on the 'red-line'.

I am beginning to think that I just don't have any sense. You know as John says "they invented the car over 100 years ago". Yet, for some bizarre reason I continue to ride my human-powered conveyance.

In any case, to make a long story short, I offer the following observations:
- I rode too fast
- I didn't get dropped
- I like riding too fast (sometimes)
- I really like not getting dropped
- I must be an idiot to ride on Thursday and essentially do intervals
- I think I may actually "need" to ride now
- My car is still in the shop
- Team in Training rocks!
- Best Buddies is a great organization
- I flat out like riding my bike
- FC Barcelona does not belong in the Champions League final
- I hope Man U beats Barcelona comprehensively in the final

Today's photo is of the Chelsea FC logo (the right co-finalist) and a cheesy cheerleader shot to root Man U on to victory

Back in the Saddle Again

What a relief... today I went for my first ride in three days and my backside didn't hurt. I was beginning to think it was going to hurt forever. (I guess my event horizon is a bit short sometimes.)

Bob and I rode 25 miles and I only had a little pain from the two weeks of chafing. What was equally interesting is how strong my legs felt after just a couple days off. This leads me to think that I was overtrained. In any case, we averaged over 15 mph and it was remarkable to see how far we have come since the season began. Bob's riding has been awesome and I am starting to feel strong again.

The route was essentially flat and ended with a quick role up Stagecoach. I used to think this was a "hill", but I rode it today on the big ring at around 24 mph - felt good. :-)

Tahoe and Boston are going to be a lot of fun.

"I see you"

"Go Team"

Today's photo is of Bob during one of our early (not so warm) season rides.

Serious Carnage

Wow, this Saturday's TNT "Livermore" ride was brutal. The temperatures started high and climbed to 104 on Palomares Canyon.

Our 80 mile ride promised to be a challenge from the start due to the high temps. Still, I started strongly and was feeling good except for continuing ride shorts issues (I have to resolve these soon). All the way up the Altamount Pass I felt strong; however, after SAG 2 my body started to take a turn. For some reason, I just didn't feel good on the bike anymore and I was definitely not alone. Coach Cliff also was suffering with horrible quad cramps which ultimately led to his SAGging in after a post- SAG2 flat.

As we approached Palomares I could no longer control my heart rate. As I waited for one of our team riders to arrive I thought I would be alright. Ok, so I was wrong, as I rode up Palomares I could still not control my heart rate even after three 10-15 minute stops. No matter what I tried, the bpm would not go below 115 and would skyrocket with 10-15 seconds of beginning an effort up the climb.

Finally, I decided to SAG up this portion of the route and found many others had gone the same route. With an initial stop at Joe Yamin's parents SAG4 (a marvel of a stop - awesome). I SAGged up the Dublin Grade and rode the rest of the way in with my SAG mates Jeff and John. We were quite the motley bunch.

It took that night and all of the next day to hydrate back to some level of normalcy. I am very thankful for air conditioning and even more so for my fantastic Team Rawhide friends. I am pretty sure conditions can't get much more brutal than they were because I hydrated like crazy and still had a high-speed, ok low-speed, come apart. In any case, I live to fight again and Tahoe is just around the corner.

Go Team!

Today's photos show Ira motoring up the Altamount Pass and the other shows the windmills on top.

Slower, more relaxing... hmmmm

So, Ross and I decided not to ride with the VS T 'n T folks this Thursday because the pace is so quick that the effects linger through Saturday. Ok, well maybe it was me who decided, but Ross was gracious enough to humor me, "fast man" that he is, and ride with me. As such, it was a beautiful day and we went for a quick 30 mile ride. (Ok, it was 42 miles for him since he rode to my workplace.)

We decided to do the classic "Boulevard" ride with an add-on of a jaunt past Acalanes High School and up Geary/Pleasant Hill Road. This is one of the few places where the climb is actually shorter than the descent, but you can't figure out how. As such, we had nice descent in Pleasant Hill and then road back down the "Boulevard" to San Ramon.

The ride out was a bit too quick ... probably my fault since I seemed a bit charged up. On the way back in I was feeling the strain of both the early pace and the old "Univega". I was sore in places I had forgotten. It seems the old bike is good for short fast hauls... rides around 90 minutes, but much more and the kinks and discomfort come on big time. I rode the last 10 miles with what felt like a pinched nerve in my neck.

Thankfully, I got my bike back today from Cal Pedaler, http://calped.com/. A huge thanks to John, Brian, and Chris for making that happen. I didn't have the chance to test ride it, but I am sure it will be fine. If you are in the market for a new bike I can't recommend the shop highly enough. The service is fantastic, the people are great, and they have some pretty Treks.

Well, I am going to cut this one short... more later after tomorrow's TNT "Livermore" ride. I am going to sleep and dream cool dreams in hopes that the temps tomorrow aren't too, too high.

The photos are of Coach Cliff who returns to the fold tomorrow after a brief trip away and the sign at the junction on Mount Diablo. The latter is posted because this coming Wednesday, Bob and I will ride up to the top for what will be his maiden bike voyage (it should be fun).