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...