Welcome Relief

Wow, the bike sure does make a difference. On the one hand it can be a wonderful tool for raising awareness for charities such as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Best Buddies. It can also serve as a willing steed to get one's mind back on track. Today's ride offered both for me.

It really is fantastic to be out on the bike training for wonderful causes and also blow off steam from a long week (ok, I know there is still one day to go). The weather was wonderful for riding. All these positives and still it took almost an hour to even feel a little good physically on the bike. Despite the fact that I was averaging almost 20 mph from San Ramon to Walnut Creek my legs felt absolutely useless. I think I was actually riding too fast because once I slowed down due to the change in terrain I actually felt better and started to find a groove.

As I turned back for home in Lafayette at 15 miles, I was pedaling nice circles and really enjoying myself. As I rolled down the boulevard a guy on a mountain bike with big knobby tires caught me while I was traveling around 18mph. For the next few miles he just silently followed in my slipstream. Normally, I like to hear a little 'How's it going?' when someone rides your wheel for that long, but today it really didn't bother me. I just thought of it as an opportunity to keep the workrate up and pull this guy down the boulevard. At Stone Valley Road, I had to stop and the guy finally said something. You know, the usual comments about weather. After which he went back to 'wheel-sucking' through Danville.

When the road finally opened up at Sycamore Valley he pulled along side and we actually had some conversation. He mentioned that he was going to be doing to mountain bike racing and he was just out building base. This explains why he was letting me do the pulling even though he could have left me in his wake easily.

By the end of the ride, I had knocked out 30 miles at around 16mph and felt good about the effort. I am now looking forward to the TNT 'Buddy Ride' this weekend and hope to extend the ride and head out Calaveras for the short steady climb before heading back.

On a non-cycling note, a big shout out to Chelsea for taking the first leg of their Champions League fixtures with my other favorite team, Juventus. The team now has to travel to Turin to take on the 'Old Lady' in her house. Let us hope that Chelsea don't make a mess of things. Go Ya' Blues!!!

No Mountains... Thanks

So, it was a bit wet today on the roads, but it didn't rain on me like last Monday. Usually, my timing is flawless. I get on the bike and if rain is coming if waits just long enough for me to warm up and then it arrives. Well, today, the rain never came. Oh, sure, it rained pretty much all morning, but by the afternoon it was threatening to stay clear. I decided I would act so I changed into my gear to get quick 70 minutes in before the rain returned. Unexpectedly, however, the rain never materialized.

I rode blissfully un-rained upon through my short 18 mile jaunt and only returned because there was no more light. Sure, my backside was a bit wet from the spray from my tires, but it wasn't enough to disturb me or really even make me uncomfortable.

I know have I been saying this a lot lately in the blog, but I think I am starting to hit my stride. This "hitting my stride" should not be confused with riding fast or easily cresting mountain passes, but it is a strong signal that my surgically repaired right knee is holding up and my mind is solidly on task.

Now if everyone could just think positive "no rain" thoughts between say 1-6 pm this Wednesday so that I can get in a solid climbing ride that would be fantastic.

As for today's title and the accompanying photo. Yes, it is polka dot jersey, but this does not mean any mountains were summited today and, therefore, I give "thanks".

TNT Ride #2 - Danville

Wow, what a great day we had on the bike with Team in Training yesterday. Today was our first time out with "pace" teams. It was fun meeting more new friends from the TNT family and getting a chance to ride and talk with folks.

Our ride took us on a 20 mile tour of Danville that included a jaunt up Bollinger Canyon Road to Las Trampas. We could not have asked for better weather. The only choice to be made was weather to put sleeves/vest on or not.

Since this was our first foray out as team we are still trying find our best team pace, but we will figure it out. Once we hit our stride we will make great time in our team paceline. Coach Cliff provided great advice and we all had a great time on the bike riding for an important cause - eradication of blood cancers.

To top it all off, a large number of us met afterwards for pizza at Mountain Mike's. In a fit of forgetfulness, we all (well, at least those of us at the 'Man's Table') ate way too much of the wrong food. Still, I only saw smiles on the faces.

As always, I can't wait go out and ride some more with my teammates. Next week is our our 'Buddy Ride' followed a week later by Team #3 in Sunol.

Go Team!!!!

It Sure Seemed Fast...

Wow, I got caught up in riding with Peg and Denise today and it sure was fun. We rode about 30 miles before it got dark and it was a blast. We met at Peg's house and off we went down the road. It felt a lot like old times where we just kind of hit the road and everyone probably rode faster than they should. We would be motoring along at 17 mph and then next person would take over and all of a sudden we are going 19. The next person would take a turn and the speed is now 21 mph. All the while we are talking and having great time.

Each time the road turned slightly up, so did the effort level. Sure, the actual speed went, but what were we all thinking?! It doesn't matter we were having a good time and maybe the legs are a bit tired now, but it was worth it. I can't wait to repeat the trip again. :-)

Dress Like Lance

Ok, I'm a day late in describing yesterday's ride, but no matter. Well, I managed to sneak out for about 90 minutes yesterday and enjoy some more of the improving weather. I was able to ride some rolling terrain and do some pushing on the pedals. It seemed about time to start working for some power, so instead of shifting down all the time I left the gears alone and just gutted, ok, legged it out.

Overall, I am really starting to feel better and just have to stay focused on making gains just as I am staying focused on bringing attention to TNT and Best Buddies as I raise funds for both organizations this year.

Starting to Feel Good...

Today I feel like I might have turned a bit of a cycling corner. I have been riding consistently and now my body seems to be responding. My legs are starting to respond a bit better when I ask them. My heartrate is also coming down more quickly after exertion which is a good sign. As a result, I am going to add climbing to my 'To Do' list starting next week. The plan is that Wednesday will find me on a trip to 'The Bears'. If I am feeling really good I may even take a quick jaunt up Wildcat Canyon to Tilden Park. Who knows....

It was really nice to get out of the office today because I think I was getting a bit fragged. I know once daylight savings comes around that will help a bunch as well since it will be easier to ride more. I am really hopeful that the improvements I believe I am seeing and my knee feeling pretty good continue. The developments offer hope that my five year anniversary return to Death Ride will end in five completed passes.

Rain, Rain Here Today

Well, I tried to outsmart Mother Nature and as usual she proved once again who has the upper hand. First, I thought I would ride in the morning, but it rained like crazy... no ride. Then my wife and I went to the movies. After that, I thought there was an opening in the clouds. Before I could get on the bike it was raining again! At this point, I decided I was destined for the garage with the trainer or off to the gym to do some squats and other leg work. Ok, I really hate both of these options and, therefore, I went with my original plan that is, find an opening, and ride towards it.

So, the weather finally relented and I could see clear spots and, BAM!!!, I'm out the door and in the saddle. I managed to get about two miles into the ride before the weather caught me. It started with a bit of a drizzle. I decided that I just didn't care I was going to keep cranking forward. It was at about this point that I saw another person on the opposite side of the road. I was wondering if he was smarter than me which would mean he was "heading home realizing the real stuff was coming". While I don't know the answer to that question I was still just getting rolling. I did make one concession, deciding to do 20 miles instead of 30+ (my original goal was a 50 mile loop).

The ride was actually going pretty well, albeit, I was riding slowly because I don't think I ever warmed up before the rain came. As I was heading out Sycamore Valley Road the rain started to pick up a bit. Ok, I am starting to notice it now. No cyclists but me anywhere, but a female jogger runs by in a tank top and shorts. She is clearly more deranged than I am (at least I have a jacket on). She smiles, I smile. They are the crazy smiles of people that have some sort of shared kinship. Maybe it is due to the fact that we both probably realize everyone who sees us thinks we are daft. She is clearly not all there.

Alright, I am finally in the home stretch heading towards Dougherty Road and the fountains. Whoops, not so fast, mister, I guess those Armadillo tires aren't flat-proof just like you told Fredsky at TNT training on Saturday. Wow, this tire change could take a bit. My hands and nearly numb and it is your basic downpour now.

I manage to get the rear tire off and change it in about 10 minutes time and get my chilled backside on the bike for the last miles. I am now only thinking about the fact that I don't have another tube. Please no more flats since I can't determine where the flat is in the tube since the rain is so loud (maybe I am just pathetic).

The rest of the short ride is pretty uneventful just a bit cold and wet. I guess I won't need to shower. LOL

I am still very lucky. I don't have cancer and I can make a difference for those that do. I smile as I turn the final corner home. I have my wife take some "you look like a soaked rat" pictures and it is over. By tomorrow, I will ready to do it all again due to selective cyclist memory.

TNT Valentine's Day Buddy Ride

Valentine’s Day breaks cold, windy, and early. It really has to rain doesn’t it? It would be so nice to just roll over and crawl back into bed. Ok, ok, I’m up. Maybe I should call the rain line to see. I call and Coach Carol’s pre-recorded voice comes over the line and says, “We are a go”. Alright, I’m mentally there now. I grab something to eat and put on my already laid out gear (God knows I would forget something if I didn’t. Just ask my mother, she was convinced that as a child “I would forget my head if it weren’t attached.”).

I think of the team honorees and those of all the participants, coaches, captains, and mentors. Now I am back on track focused on what really matters – fighting cancer. Today is another day for each of us to pick a fight with cancer and make a difference.

When I arrive at Orinda BART for our team ride it’s cold but I am enjoying myself. I pull out my camera and start taking pictures (no dead camera battery like in Pinole) of everything from the “fit setup” to the cars loaded with bikes as everyone arrives. Once we are all present we practice skills and Coach Carol breaks us into groups for the ride out to Moraga and back.

The ride is great. I ride throughout the group talking to everyone and enjoying the conversations as we motor towards Moraga from Orinda. I really feel good today. I chalk it up to the fantastic company all the TNT folks provide. Ok, it is still cold, but only on the outside.

Go Team!!!

Mentor Ride #1

John and I hit the road yesterday just a bit after 4pm for the inaugural "Mentor Ride" of the season. First thoughts, ok, ok, who turned the heat off outside and someone left the water running, too. No matter, we got geared up and snapped into our clipless pedals and off we rolled down Crow Canyon.

We pedaled along nicely to Danville and then took a jaunt up Sycamore Valley Road. Along the way, we happened upon the only other rider we saw anywhere and chatted with him for a couple minutes. I know I was a bit envious of him after we exchanged stories about how much clothing we were all wearing. Our new found friend was clearly the winner as he had multiple jackets and shirts on (note to self bring more clothes or money for shopping).

As we left our jacketed compatriot behind we turned back down Crow Canyon heading west this time on our way to Dougherty Road and ultimately Dublin. Ok, I am pretty sure that it is now getting colder. Hey, whose idea was this...mine... hmmm. Remember to have head examined later.

We head through Dublin and up Stage Coach Road through the turkey zone and lo and behold we don't see any turkeys. I have seen 20-30 without fail everytime through for months. I guess it was only too cold for beasts.

We were now on the way back to our starting point. A short roll up Alcosta and across Norris Canyon and we are back in the parking lot. You know, it really wasn't that bad. As usual, when we weren't talking, I found my thoughts wandering to our team honorees and my personal honoree, Vern. The work and results from the dollars we raise more than offset these petty discomforts. I am lucky to be healthy and blessed to be able to ride 25 miles with good company and purpose.

Breakaway From Cancer Ride - SF

Alright, as great as yesterday's TNT ride was the Breakaway from Cancer ride had everything TNT didn't. Ok, "Breakaway" had climbs, biting cold, rain, crashes, a general chaos all over the course. The first TNT ride suffered from none of these things.

Ok, this doesn't mean the ride was horrible. The conditions were lousy and no fun, but the end result was a challenging ride that served a good cause and ended with a visit to nice coffee house called Velo Rouge.

As I was riding, I actually felt bad for some of the newer riders. The website gave no indication of the difficulty level of some portions of the ride. I saw numerous people pushing their bikes up the initial climb and later on the last short climb. I think it would have been nice if the website had been better set up. The site was really difficult to navigate and offered little description of the ride.

Still, the ride was for a good cause and the exercise and increase in fitness offset the lousy weather. Would I do the ride again next year? Sure, they did give away a jersey after all with your minimum $75 fundraising. After all, we all know that cyclists will do almost anything for a pin and God knows a jersey is better than a pin. :-)

The Pedals First Turn

Well, Saturday was our first cycling outing with the Spring season Tahoe team. It was fantastic to have everyone assembled and ready to go. All the participants went through rider safety, flat fixing, fundraising, gear, and bike fit prior to hitting the road for a 10 mile ride.

The weather broke cold early but the rain departed and left us with great weather for our "time trial" to determine the initial set up the groups. I was able to see about half of my group ride and had a great time on the bike myself. Of course, I think since the course was short I was a bit excited and rode too fast. Since the objective of the ride was to properly seed riders, I may have left a false impression that I was actually faster than I am. Once I finished I told Coach Carol you should probably decrease my time by about 10%.

I really couldn't help myself because I was having such a good time. Each time I saw a new rider ahead of me I think I rolled the power on a bit more. Once I got along side the person I slowed and talked for a minute or so to see how they were doing. Having made a brief visit, I then focused on the next rider. One of these days I will be sensible; it just doesn't seem like that day was Saturday.

Anyway, the whole day was great. Almost all my mentees were there and I managed to talk with each and every one and take a snapshot on my Blackberry (I knew the fancy phone would come in handy someday).

I can't wait for next week.

It Just Doesn't Get Much Better

Today, I picked my bike up at the Cal Pedaler and "Wow", what a difference a tune-up done by someone who isn't me makes. The bike is running smoothly and I am even more excited about training for TNT and Best Buddies.

Do you ever have epiphanies when you realize that no matter how complicated life seems something can easily deliver you to life's most basic level. Work often intrudes as it is prone to do because the bills must be paid; however, sometimes a simple 1 hour 15 mile bike ride can boil life down to its simplest essence. I guess it is just another one of those days where I just realize how lucky and blessed I am to be able to simply ride my bike.

Superbowl and Super Ride Sunday

Wow, the weather was absolutely wonderful for my Sunday ride. I just wish I had more time to ride. After all, I had $5 on the Superbowl so I had to make sure to watch my investment. It is too bad the Cardinals lost.

I was able to ride for about two hours doing a circuit of the TriValley area. As I was riding I couldn't help but think we were just six days away from our first TNT team ride. It is going to be a ton of fun since we have nearly 100 participants. In my role as mentor, we have people in our group right now. I am really looking forward to getting to know each of them and, hopefully, finding a way for all to ride during the week from time to time.

The New Season is here the New Season is Here!

Yes, the spring 2009 TNT season is now officially here. We had a fantastic kickoff meeting yesterday on the UC Berkeley campus in Wheeler Hall. It was great to be back with everyone having been gone since 2006. It is going to be a fantastic season for the Tahoe team as we have nearly 100 participants.

After the meeting, I drove back to San Ramon and got out on the bike for an easy 90 minute ride. My legs felt good and I am really looking forward to a ride today before the Superbowl. My guess is that I have the roads pretty much to myself. I am not sure when I will ride today, but my guess is that I will go up to Orinda and back.

Cheers and Go Team!!!