Where Did that hill Come From?

It was great to be back on the bike today after having taken Monday as a rest day. The VS T 'n T bunch went out through Dublin and Pleasanton before rolling home. The most intriguing part of day was the surprise climb up Schafer which parellels 580 going west. I have ridden the other side of 580 heading eastward up the Dublin Grade and always thought that side was pretty benign. I guess the engineers thought a good climb was in order. It was fun in a sick way, but I was just happy to get to the top.

After the top, we all descended to the Dublin Grade side and headed down towards Foothill Road with our intent being to go to the Verano Bridge and our usual route. On the way down; however, Michelle had a flat and three of us stopped to help. I guess now we know how many Valley Spokesmen it takes to change a tire. :-)

Afterwards, we shortened the ride and headed back via Bernal, the 'roundabouts', Valley, and Stagecoach. It was a lot of fun, but I don't know the mileage because I turned my computer off for the flat repair. C'est la vie.

Recovery Time

I had a great ride yesterday with Jeannette. It was just my regular route up to Lafayette and back, but it was great to get in around 40 miles and catch up. My legs were still tired the escapades of the day before on 'The Bears'. For some reason, my legs just never came around. It may have just been a carryover from Saturday where I seemed to pedal squares the entire day. Despite having two really fun rides, my less than stellar pedaling performances led me take a rest day on Monday since Sunday, my normal rest day, turned in to a ride day.

I am hopeful that tomorrow my legs feel refreshed when I wake up which will inspire me to join the Valley Spokesman for the T 'n T ride.

'The Bears'

Ok, I love California. How can you not like a place with so much beauty and such wonderful weather. This last weekend I was able to get out on my bike for our TNT 'Buddy Ride' and enjoy wonderful sunshine and the company of a few of my mentees from the team. I wasn't able to ride with everyone; however, I did finally get a chance for some extended riding with Rich and David. It was a lot of fun.

The ride took us from Orinda BART down into Lafayette and then out for a circuit climbing the '3 Bears'. I personally hate the baby bears. Everyone else seems to dislike the bigger ones, but some reason it is the rollers of the baby that aggravate and trouble me most. I think it's because I realize I can't overpower the Momma or Poppa bear no matter what, but somehow powering over the Baby bear ought to be doable. Still, each time it overpowers me.

The ride was pretty much smooth with one exception when Rich flatted heading towards Castro Ranch Road in El Sobrante. He fixed the tire in short order and we were off again.

Post-ride, David and I grabbed a couple slices at Zamboni's and then it was off to watch soccer the rest of the afternoon. Bikes, friends, food, soccer, and California. It just doesn't get much better than that and all in the name of charity for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Best Buddies.

Will Wonders Never Cease?

Another day riding with the Valley Spokesman fast kids on the Tuesday/Thursday ride. I have to thank my TNT regimen and my teammates for helping me to get a bit stronger everyday. I was again able to hold on and actually rode at the front pretty much the whole time. The new kid, me, was even allowed to lead down Sycamore Valley on the way in. It was nice to be on the front of a double-paceline at 25 mph and not feel completely destroyed then or afterwards. While I can't ride like this everyday, it is a nice version of interval training without having to search for just the right place --- the whole ride is just that hard for me.

Today's picture has nothing to do with me other than George and Lance are two of my favorite riders and I hope Lance heals quickly from his collarbone surgery after his crash in Spain.

Mileage Update

According to my very rough calculations, since I never remember to write down mileage totals, I think I passed the 1,000 mile mark last week. At approximately 14mph that equates to 71+ hours in dealing with my small board-like seat. Think about it, by the time Death Ride rolls around in July I will have ridden 3,500 training miles supporting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Best Buddies, and the American Diabetes Association.

Current Miles (January through March 2009) - 1000

Expected miles (by July 2009) - 3500

One more Kilkare Notch

Well, today was an absolutely beautiful day to ride a bike. That being the case, Bob and I headed off to Sunol. This was my first time on the bike since flu ruined my Point Reyes team ride. At the start I was a bit shaky and I never really had better than 70% of my lung capacity, but the ride still turned out great.

This was Bob's first time up Kilkare and he made it with flying colors. He is getting stronger every week. Way to do the work, Bob! I can't wait to see how well he is doing with TNT when we reach Tahoe on June 7. The total ride distance was just under 40 miles. While I didn't feel better than our last Sunol journey I did feel strong at the end despite the flu remnants. It seems the training miles are really paying off.

Tomorrow is the T 'n T ride. I hope I can hold on. My guess is that I won't know very many people again, but time will change that as I keep showing up.

What Was I Thinking?

Point Reyes was the weekend ride and despite the fact that it takes 90 minutes or so to get there I was still looking forward to the ride. Despite the threat of rain, it is always great to be out with Team in Training (TNT) riding for a great cause. The terrain is also one of the lures for this ride. It is always green and the route offers the opportunity to do everything from pacelining and rollers to climbing and descending. This variety is why you see so many cyclists.

Still.... I should have never left the house. The day before our ride on Friday I realized I had the flu. Ok, so I ride quite a bit when I am sick, but usually I don't tempt fate when the flu comes knocking. However, I thought that somehow I could "ride my way through it" for short 40 miler. So, when did I realize I couldn't. Well, I kind of figured it out when I woke up and felt like I had been beaten with clubs, had an elephant on my chest, and basically couldn't keep from blowing my nose. Of course, I am a stubborn man. I was still going to be alright.

News flash --- alright as I lead out it is downhill. Hmmm, maybe this will be doable. Now we are out on the flat main road. I suppose I should bring the paceline up to around 17 or 18 mph. Uh-oh, even this pace is hurting me. My heart is at the top of my aerobic training zone; this is not good. Did I mention the road is flat? After a couple of miles, Geff wants to go to the front. Wow, this is great. I am more than willing to let someone else lead. He picks up the pace a bit so it still hurts just not quite as much. I suppose the real test will be the first short climb. Ok, now I am really feeling the pain. I head back down the climb to ask Coach Cliff if he wants to regroup at the top. He says 'Yes' and I bolt back to the front (not a good idea). My lungs and body are in complete rebellion even though the climb is really not too bad. I watch Cliff roll by all of us to the top and I continue to lead the team up the grade. I reach the top and tell Cliff about my flu symptoms and ask if I can ride on the back. He says "no problem" and I find my way to the sweeper position.

The descent to Abbotts Lagoon is no problem because it is all downhill. The only problem is I am more than a bit woozy from the flu now. Prior to the descent, I had a chance to talk with Irma about riding tactics and how to work one's way through the gears and try to flatten out rollers and short climbs through anticipation and technique. Irma listens intently and does a pretty good job at applying what I have relayed.

At the rest stop, I see my old friend Todd Bendt a former TNTer from my Death Ride/Climb to Kaiser days. He is a fantastic guy and we have lost contact over the years. I also get to meet his wonderful new (at least to me) wife, Michelle. It is a fantastic day now even though I feel absolutely horrible. I am beginning to think of requesting a SAG out (no, you can make it). I head out of the rest stop riding sweep with Vanessa and we begin talking about technique and riding approach. She has felt a bit slow on the climbs. As I ride with her I notice she is expending considerable energies on the flats and arriving at the climbs pre-fatigued from these efforts. I suggest to her that sometimes in order to go faster overall you need to go slower in spots. Vanessa gives it shot and has a good experience as we re-climb the hill we had just descended to Abbott's Lagoon.

As the ride sweeper, I am at the back of the pack to support the tail of our ride group and/or offer assistance should there be mechanical issues. On this day, Jill had a number of issues with her seat and we needed to stop a couple of times to sort them out. Once we sorted the problems via a height and angle adjustment, we aimed for Nicasio and rest stop #2. At this point, I am feeling beyond horrible. I will have to reevaluate my condition at Nicasio. I ask myself why am I even thinking about continuing to ride. I am too stubborn for the my own good. My head is foggier still now and I have no reserves of strength to fall back on. I finally pull us to Nicasio and there is Tamara. I tell her my tale and she says I should just get off the bike and SAG in. Ok, I agree. I will just have to wait and tell Coach Cliff. He and the team arrive about 20 minutes later (they had taken a restroom break and we unknowingly passed them) and I tell him I am destroyed and need to bail. I am not sure what feels worse the flu or telling Cliff I am leaving. I think the latter hurts me more. Still, it is the right thing to do. I tell Coach Doug and he razes me that it is merely too many miles for me. I defend myself for a minute, but then just smile realizing he is yanking my chain.

While I am waiting for the SAG from Tamara I see yet another old friend. It is Irene McKillop from the 2004 El Tour de Tucson team and she has come out to do roving SAG. It is great to see her as well and catch up. She tells me the family lost her sister about three years ago to leukemia and the world just kind of stopped. Irene is a wonderful, caring woman and her presence makes me feel a bit better. As we talk she tells me she may come back the fall cycling season and do El Tour de Tucson if we offer it. I tell her I may join her as well depending on how many mentors are needed.

End of story now, Tamara shuttles me back to the start and I leave her with my Togo's sandwiches for the "Recommitment Celebration" lunch and get in my car for the drive home. I love TNT and my teammates, but I should have never gotten out of bed that morning. Discretion is the better part of valor as they say.

So, what was I thinking?

The "Bridge"

Ok, I was more than a little apprehensive about riding the T 'n T ride with the Valley Spokesman today because I figured I would get "dropped" hard. Well, I guess miracles and consistent training really do work. On the ride, not only did I not get dropped I actually bridged a gap that developed after I got caught behind some folks on a short grade. Sure, I had to ride a bit harder than I wanted to, but I pulled back the gap and brought another rider with me. I think I was grinning the rest of the ride. (Of course, I was still thinking I might get dropped later.)

As the ride wore on I felt pretty good and we made some regrouping stops... and they weren't for me, pretty cool (unlike last year). I even had a chance to do some time on the front during the second half of the ride. This turn at the front was particularly rewarding because it came at the end and I wasn't too horribly destroyed even with the quick pace.

I think I will leave it at that. It was a great ride with wonderful weather and things are looking up.

Kilkare, Part 3

Bob and I had a great ride today. We started from San Ramon and rolled out to Sunol. From Sunol, it was up Kilkare in a reprise of the route we took for a TNT 'Buddy Ride' a couple of weeks ago. At that time, my conditioning had me in the little ring for a good portion of the climb. Since I have been training consistently I was interested to see how I would do the 3.5 mile climb. The results were encouraging: 22 minutes to top; no little ring; and, I didn't feel like I was going to die at any point. I know this is not like climbing Alpe d'Huez or even Ebbetts Pass since it ranged from 4-12%, averaging around 6%, but it still felt good. So far, the knee is holding up (knock on wood).

With the climb in the rearview mirror, it was down the hill time. At the bottom, I spotted Ross just starting up. He yelled, "I will catch up to you guys." I thought to myself, not even Ross with all is his speed can climb three more miles, descend them, and catch us before we pass Shannon Park in Dublin. This time, I was right. We never got to see Ross again... too bad.

Bob and I rolled the rest of the way back to San Ramon talking and wondering if rain would come to Point Reyes this weekend on the TNT team ride (I hope not). We talked a bit more about a number of things from jobs to TNT to riding and then we said goodbye until this weekend, weather permitting, or next Wednesday for another ride.

Weather report from today's ride - absolutely fantastic! I had shorts and a short sleeve jersey on even for the Kilkare descent (which was a blast).

That Hollow Feeling

Did you ever go out to exercise and realize that you just didn't have legs? I mean, sure, you had legs, but they just weren't really doing the job. Today, I had one of those rides. For some reason (probably Bob and Ross wearing me out during our Saturday ride), I felt like someone had removed all the power from my legs. Usually when I have this feeling it lasts a couple of miles and wears off as I get warmer unless it is really cold outside. The temps on the ride were mild, but I really think that I just didn't have it. Even the mid-ride pep talk with newlyweds Sean and Valerie Mullen didn't seem to turn things around.

The end result was a 25 mile ride at just under 15 mph hour where my heartrate never got too high and I just felt like packing it in the whole time. Thankfully, I have my honorees and supporters to draw strength from on days like these. Hopefully, my next ride will feature energized legs.

Big Ups!

I just want to start this entry by offering up a big thanks to Bob and Ross for riding those 38 miles with me today. It was pretty cold out there this morning and the sun just never got around to peeking its head out. Thankfully, we did not have any wind so to speak.

Our route took us from my house in San Ramon up to Lafayette and back. We were all sorry to have to miss Coach Fredsky's "Paradise Loop" ride, but the timing just didn't work for the three of us to travel out to SF today. Along the way, we traveled up one of my short, steep favorites, "Hillgrade", and managed to hit every single light in Lafayette red on our way back through town. It is a good thing that KFC and Taco Bell weren't open because we had to stop in front of each of them and their poison sure beats the Clif bars and gels I brought to eat.

Thankfully, none of us had a mechanical and Bob's new rear cassette was good to go. Bob had a bout of "the bonks", but that is the kind of thing that can happen at this point in the season. In fact, it can happen anytime just as it did today with Alberto Contador of Team Astana who was leading Paris-Nice.

On the whole, it was just a great day to be on the bike and not even the cold could dampen any of our spirits.

Thanks again, guys!

Blades and Sticks

Well, I was able to put the second ACL reconstruction to another test. Since the orthopaedic surgeon cleared me to rollerblade I figured I would give it a shot. I slide my feet into the boots and off I went in search of a playground with my hockey stick.

My journey started with bit of a tenuous downhill for me. It is really tricky only because I have removed the brake from my blades. Since I mostly skate and exercise playing solo blacktop hockey the brake gets in the way when I go backwards. Ok, it is a bit dangerous going brakeless on the streets, but having that brake on when going backwards is a bit dicey as well.

There is a playground about a mile and half from our house so I rolled over there and skated for about 30 additional minutes with my hockey stick and ball and called it a day. On the whole, the knee felt solid with the twisting I put it through. Going forward, I will begin to increase the level of difficulty and time to get my fitness level back for skating. Who knows maybe after the summer cycling season, I will be able to play soccer. Shhhh... don't tell my wife. :-)

Valley Spokesman T 'n T

Well, today was the first Valley Spokesman 2009 edition of the T 'n T ride. The whole day I was looking forward to it and praying I could hold on for at least part of the ride. Usually, the pace is really quick; however, the pace today was doable... even for me. It was particularly nice ride because I had three friends with me: Ross, Peg, and Denise.

The ride took us from Shannon Park up to the end of Bollinger Canyon Road and back. On the way out to Bollinger the pace was a bit choppy as is to be expected with the first ride of the year. I was just happy it wasn't a 20+ mph opus like the last ride I did with the group. I still need a ton of work on my conditioning which was readily apparent on the grade up to Las Trampas. While, I wasn't on maximum these types of road will need to become much easier if the Death Ride is include five completed passes.

I finally caught Ross on the way down from Las Trampas and we rode back together. I totally forget the mileage. I think it was around 20. The whole riding thing is really just making me want to ride more and more. I guess cycling must be contagious. It sure doesn't help that my riding also benefits TNT and Best Buddies. :-)

Fun and Sun

Yesterday was a good ride. On my way out from San Ramon towards Walnut Creek I caught up to two guys who ride about the same pace as I do. We struck up a conversation after a nasty woman in the BMW SUV honked at me for no apparent reason. I say no apparent reason because she was turning right and had the whole lane to herself since I had pulled into the traffic lane to make it possible. She gave me a nasty look and I asked "what is your problem?". After that I turned the other cheek because she was already setting a bad enough example for the child she had in the car. There was no need for both of us to prove adults can be childish.

Once she departed we were rolling along around 20 mph with me in the slipstream of these two guys riding side by side. I sat there for a couple miles and then Bob passed on the other said of the street and yelled "Jeff" at me. I made a quick U-turn and set off to catch Bob. It was no mean task because Bob was motoring along. I finally caught him and rode with him to California Pedaler where he was having some work done on his bike. We chatted along the way and it was good to finally get to ride with him.

After going to Cal Pedaler with Bob and forcing myself not to buy anything. I took off down the road back to my car and home.

That Sunday Morning Running Down....

After the Saturday TNT ride and Honoree Potluck, I was feeling on top of the world. Sadly, I made a little mistake at the Honoree potluck... I ate cantalope. I love cantalope; however, it is not fond of me. Still by mid-afternoon the next day I was feeling pretty much human again and off I went on a 30 mile recovery ride. I am pretty sure no recovery actually took place. Despite riding at an easy pace, my legs just never came around were just sore. I think 'The Wall' and the cantalope conspired against me.

In any case, I made it through the ride and actually saw more people on the road than usual which was kind of nice. I am really looking forward to Daylight Savings because I may be able to find more people to ride with during the week. I am hopeful that my schedule will be around 40 miles on Monday, followed by a short ADA ride on Tuesdays, a hill section on Wednesday, and the the Valley Spokesman T 'N T ride on Thursday (hopefully, I will be able to hold the pace). My goal is for this training to prep me for not only Best Buddies and Tahoe, but for Grizzly Peak, Prima Vera, Death Ride, and dare I speak it's name.... "Climb to Kaiser".

For now, I decided to take today, Monday, off since I was feeling kind of beaten up. However, I will definitely be back on the bike tomorrow and Thursday and I can't wait.

TNT #3 Sunol

Wow, what a great day all the way around. The TNT day started with Rich and I carpooling at 7am to Sunol for our Calveras ride. It was really great to have someone to ride with that early in the morning.

Once we arrived at Sunol Glen School, Coach Cliff pulled in and parked next to us and turned on the new U2 CD. The music sounded really great. From there, we had our clinic on ascending and descending with Coach Doug and off we rolled for Calveras as a team.

We have 10 people in our group and one of our challenges, as with any new group, is to find a "group rhythm" where everyone is comfortable with the pace and tempo. We are definitely getting closer after this ride. Coach Cliff impressed upon all of us that we should stick together not only in training, but come finish line time at Lake Tahoe this June. To that end, we had numerous regrouping sections along the way since the course was hilly for the middle portion of the ride.

The real big deal of the day was when we arrived at the top of the optional descent and then climb back up the Calveras "Wall". While this jaunt was optional, I believe everyone on our team put there head down charged down the hill knowing we would all be climbing back up in our lowest gear. We knew this because Coach Cliff had warned everyone that "no one rides up 'The Wall' fast". This was my first time riding up 'The Wall' and it certainly is a piece of work. A number of riders were pushing their bikes up the 14% grade. I made my way up, but my legs definitely knew about it.

On the way back, we rode together in a couple of groups to the top of the initial Calaveras climb where we regrouped for our descent down the 2+ mile first climb of the day on our 'out and back' route. It was a blast going down the hill. It was particularly fun watching Caesar blast down the grade on his hybrid. His descent looked comfortable and confident. After a bit, I rolled by him and powered after Coach Cliff who was on the front. I rode the rest of the way down following him.

At the base of the descent, we regrouped and Cliff gave the group basic instruction on pacelining and we broke in to two groups to give it a shot. It was really great to see the group take to it and work together for the benefit of everyone. Each person was taking a turn on the front for about 45 seconds before I had them "roll off". While we are not quite "Le Train Bleu" yet we have until June 7th to get there for Lake Tahoe.

Afterwards, we had a fantastic "Honoree Potluck" where we able to listen to people share their stories and/or that of their honorees. One of the speakers was Ross Perich who is in my mentor group. Ross gave a wonderfully moving account account of his honorees Tom and Ellen which really strikes home why we are doing what we do.

Overall, a fantastic day from a weather standpoint, people standpoint, and riding perspective. It was, despite 'The Wall', quite possibly one of the best rides I have had in the last five years for which I offer a heartfelt thanks to all the TNT participants, coaches, captains, mentors, staff, and everyone else who played a part in this wonderful day. It is a pleasure and an honor to ride with all of you in an effort to wipe out blood cancers.

Cold, Dead Legs

Did you ever have one of those days where you just can't really get moving no matter how many reasons you present to yourself? Today was one of those days on the bike for me. I kept telling my legs that everything was alright, but they just wouldn't listen. The whole time they felt cold and dead. Still, much to my legs credit they soldiered on for 27 miles until darkness overtook us.

Despite the aforementioned leg issues, it was still a quality ride. I had the chance to ride with my original training partner the "Pegster", aka Lance. Peg, her real name, has been there with me from the very start of my Team in Training (TNT) career in 2004 pushing me to ride. Without her encouragement and presence on the roads with me my first TNT Death Ride experience it would have been even harder (I shudder to think).

It was a bit cold out there, but we managed to get the miles in all the while complaining about trivial leg discomfort. I know that in addition to the good company I was kept going by the thoughts of my personal honorees and my causes TNT and Best Buddies. Thoughts of supporters were also dancing in my head as I attempted to "dance on the pedals" with my two left feet.

At the end of the day, I am happy to be healthy and in a position with great assistance from friends and supporters to make a difference in people's lives.

"I See You" and "Go Team!"

The Drought Ride

Escape, escape, ride for you life. I can't believe the rain finally let up and I was able to get on the bike and take a quick ride. Everything sure seems more manageable when you get some exercise in.

I'm not sure if it's the endorphins or what, but, whatever it is, I am glad that the rain took a break. I know we need rain, but why can't it just rain at night?

Today's ride was 17 miles at a 15.5 mph clip. It was a bit cold, but that might have had something to do with the fact that I didn't wear knee warmers. I also never put my jacket on and rode with just arm warmers and Craft windstopper gear.

I want to go back to a point I made on February 16th where I said that runners are definitely crazier than cyclists. Not to demean those cyclists who think they are pretty crazy. You deserve your props as well. However, you just can't reason with or truly understand runners. Today, it is was brisk outside for the ride. Still, I saw two guys running with no shirts on. Somewhere along the line the thought process went off track. What has to happen for such a sight to be seen by the rest of us. I suppose, the runner is probably home alone. After all, who lets someone they care about leave home with no shirt on in 40 degree weather. Remember, we are trained with childhood by our mothers to always bring a coat even if it is in the 70s. Maybe these shirtless runners were merely rebelling against their "you must wear a jacket upbringing." I guess the point is that as a cyclist I am powerless to comprehend runners.

So how did this entry become known as "The Drought Ride"? Well, it is pretty simple actually. I filled up my water bottle and then left it in the car when I went riding. I could have doubled back, but it was already two miles back when I realized. The drought part comes from the feeling you get when you start to realize you're missing something. In this case, I was missing and thinking about water the whole time, but not a drop to drink. I tried playing Lance Armstrong mind games with myself saying "there's no drinking during the time trial". Of course, it wasn't a time trial and man was I thirsty. Sure I could have stopped and bought a water bottle, but I already have about 30 of them at home. Wow, this kind of thought process seems a bit "runner-like". I better draw this entry to close before I reveal too much more or crazier still... give up cycling for running.

May I Have Another Please?...

What a great 'Buddy Ride' we had this weekend with TNT. The group met at Dublin BART and off to Sunol we went. The turnout was fantastic and the weather was pretty good as well.

The pace out to Sunol was quick. When we arrived at the train station it was decision-making time. Coach Cliff suggested an optional trip up a climb called Kilkare. The group was game so up the road almost everyone went.

The climb itself was good. The distance is between three and four miles and, for the most part, the gradient is moderate. However, it had a couple double digit sections. It was good to know I can still climb a little, albeit slowly. At the top, we regrouped and took on the descent. Ok, this was the really fun part. Six of us bombed down the climb together. Since the descent was not real technical we had a great run. Along the way, a car that was in front of us pulled over to let us by which was nice.

When we got back to the train station we decided on another ascent, so up the hill we went for a second time. At top, the other riders waited for me and then down we went again. The second time was even more fun since we didn't have to wait for any cars. I think Kilkare might be my new favorite medium climb.

For the trip back to Dublin BART we decided to just retrace our steps instead of heading out to 84. Four of us ended up together and were riding in a pace line. All I know is that the pace was fast and they were nearly killing me. Still, I had a great time even while I struggled to hold on.

We finally made it back to Dublin BART (after one wrong turn) and checked out. It seems that everyone had a great ride and people were in great spirits. Having ridden my bike to the ride, I took my leave and ended up with around 45 miles the day.

Can't wait for next week's ride in Sunol. Hopefully, we fill get to roll up Kilkare again. Go Team!