California - Arizona Connection

It has been a busy several days since Christmas. Between friends coming over, travel, and visiting friends, I have had the opportunity to put in some serious miles over a couple of great rides. The 21 with Cassie, 55 on Christmas over some of my favorite SoCal rides, 15 for a recovery, 50 with Jens and Dan up to McDowell State Park, and 15 in Goodyear by our old house in 40 degree weather. I took today off and am hoping Christine will get out for a little bit tomorrow. Then it is time to clean and pack the 4Runner for the trip to Portland. Talk about stress! It is just hard leaving the family.

The legs are feeling stronger with each ride. I just need to start working on core and cardio in order to get my weight down. The first ride is in March in Solvang. This won't be the 5 hour century but it will be a good indication of where to work for the next several months to prepare for the rides in July and August.

Check out www.javapolitan.blogspot.com to see our family activities this holiday season.

Double Nickle Christmas

It was another beautiful day in SoCal – perfect Christmas weather. The kids let us sleep in till after 8 AM. Santa helped us out by leaving some gifts that took a little extra time to assemble/build/figure out. This was a wonderful Christmas and I am so thankful for our friends and family that made it so special. These types of days are the ones you think about and they bring a smile to your face.

I got out on the bike for 55 miles of riding with a lot of up. It was in the neighborhood of 3K worth of climbing. I combined a few of my favorite rides for this my last ride in the area for a while. The weather was perfect for the ride and the scenery gorgeous. With fewer cars on the road due to Christmas, the ride was less stressful than normal. It felt good to be out on the road.

Changing gears…

A Christmas memory: In 1988, with my parents still in Germany, I spent Christmas with my grandparents in Portland. Two notable “lasts” occurred that Christmas season. This was the last time I saw my Grandpa Permann and my O’Pa Permann. I can remember sitting at breakfast with Grandpa, having fried eggs, bacon, and crab salad. Grandma telling him it wasn’t good for him and then he’d let Grandma know what he thought about the doctor’s dietary recommendation. “All I want to do is have some good food with my Grandson,” he’d say. Sadly, I don’t have any pictures of this time with him, although I got a nice Canon camera that Christmas.

Another memory of that same Christmas was a morning at O’Pa’s house. O’Pa was in his early 90’s. We sat and talked about school, sports, and other things. Then he asked if I wanted some Egg Nog. Sure I said. He made it old school style – more like Egg ‘N Grog. O’Pa was born in the old country, the Crimean Peninsula in Russia. He had fought in WWI. A different time than 1988 but he got this great kick out sitting talking to his great grandson and having an Egg Nog. The picture here is from that day. So, with every Christmas, I remember my O’Pa by getting some Egg Nog and having a glass, regular style.

“The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family.” -Jefferson

Way to go Alex!

Just wanted to offer up Congratulations! to my nephew - he is now a Ranger. Way to go Alex. It was rough, it was tough but you had the stuff to make it through. Wear that tab with pride and remember what you learned. Good on ya!!

Cruis'in with Cassie

Yesterday morning I got up to ride and to my surprise, a few minutes later Cassie came down stairs saying she could not sleep. So, what the heck, I invited her to go for a ride. After she decided that it wasn't too cold, she had some breakfast and out we went. It is always nice to have a partner to ride with. It gets old just hammering all alone in the cold and dark wilderness. We had a great time together. We ended up going over 21 miles in about two hours. We rode from one side of Simi to the other and back. There were some hills and she pulled them nicely. Heck, she was riding in bigger gears than I normally ride up the hills! I am going to have to keep her on the bike.

While we are riding, I remember a conversation with JD about triathlons. She likes to swim and run. If I could get her on the bike, maybe, just maybe, well have to see. I need to talk to her more about it and get her more time on the bike.

We, well, I am looking forward to this week. Not only is it Christmas, the Dunfords are coming to visit and we are going out to Phoenix for a wedding and to visit some more friends. It will be like a whirlwind tour before I leave for Portland. I haven't decided yet when I am leaving. It will be either later in the day on the 1st or early AM on the 2nd. It really all depends on how much I get done before the Phoenix trip. A lot to do and not much time is left. Ooh well, it will all work out.

Back to being BYU

The headline at www.espn.com reads "BYU rocks Oregon in Las Vegas Bowl." It was more like an artillery barrage than a stoning. The first quarter was the feeling out and figuring out period. At the beginning of the second, the die had been cast. It started with a field goal and ended with the games MVP diving at the pylon for 6.

The last BYU bowl win came in the 1997 Cotton Bowl against Kansas State. We were in LA, watching it with Jack and Charlene. BYU was ranked #5 then and the game a bit more nail biting. What made this so sweet was the wait and the pain of the last few years. Kudos to Bronco Mendenhall for bringing back the traditions at the Y: the uniforms, the passing game, the bend but done break 3 - 4 defense, and the MWC conference championship.

So all y'all Cougars out there, please join me.

"Rise and shout, the Cougars are out..."

Tis the start of the season...

With December comes the start of two seasons - the Christmas season and my cycling season. We put the tree up today to kick off the Christmas season and this week will mark the beginning of the cycling season. I have a few goals for the upcoming season. Let me put these on paper for all to see:

• Sub 5 hour century
• Eight century rides this year (don't all have to be organized rides)
• STP in less than 11 hours
• Get to 195 pounds
• Ride the "Hotter 'N Hell Hundred" with Hogg and Trickle - all of us under 5 hours

The last one is a teamwork goal. I know if we all prepare well for the ride, working together we can get to sub 5 hours on the century. We probably could have done it last year but we all got carried away in backing up our yaba da doo's. Let's get it done together this year. Don't get me wrong, this won't diminish the amount of trash talking, um, excuse me, the motivational literature posted on the various blogs. Let's go.

I got my other laptop back, finally! I was looking through the files and saw some pictures. I need to copy all the personal stuff off so I can get the hard drive sanitized before selling the laptop. So, if any are interested in a Dell Inspirion 5150 Laptop with a mobile Intel Pentium 4 - 2 Ghz processor with 512 of RAM and a 40 Gig hard drive, let me know because I plan on selling it.

Here are a few pictures from the last little bit I thought to post, mostly of family.

Christine with some of her friends before leaving Texas.

Us and the Dunfords before our treks West!

The kids at Bob's house in January.

Ride for the Roses in Austin, October 2005.

The new J - O - B.

Trickle's first ride.

Thanksgiving Ride

We took a road trip to St. George for Thanksgiving. We had a nice dinner and football after we got there. We left Thursday morning thinking we'd miss the traffic. We missed most of it, just not all of it. It still took 7 hours to get there.

After searching for a route to ride and posting on bikeforums.com, I found the Tour of St. George route. It mentions a climb up Snow Canyon. After talking to Gary, Christine's brother, he said it would be a good route to ride. It was a great ride. The scenery was beautiful and the weather crisp. It was 27 miles of hills, about 1500 feet of climbing, all of it in the first 8 miles. There is a difference between sea level and 4,000 feet in altitude. My lungs felt it. After the climb, I got to bomb Snow Canyon Park at 40+ MPH. The road was fairly smooth without any switchbacks. Here are some pictures of the canyon. I went back with the family to show them the area and this is where the pictures are from.

After my ride, Christine and I took the kids and rode the bike trails around St. George. All told, another 16 miles of fun. We only rode on a small portion of them. Next time, we will know where to go and what more we can see by bike. In fact, we even talked about camping in Snow Canyon. There is a ride in St. George in early Spring. Maybe then we will campout a bit and do some more riding.

Final Words: Yes, the Steelers lost today, 27-0 to the Ravens. They are having a bad year. We still are the defending Super Bowl Champions. We are just trying not to be greedy. Another team needs to win it this year. Next year, well, that will be a different story - #6 on the way.

But on another note, BYU came back with no time on the clock and exercised a few demons by beating Utah 33-31 to finish the season 8-0 in conference and 10-2 overall. Nice! Check out this link to a slide show put on by photographers from BYU about the game. It has the call of the game as well. Here is the link - http://photo.byu.edu/markImages/Multimedia/BYUvsUT/.

Basso & Discovery Unite

Just thought to post an article from the Discovery team website.

BRUSSELS (AFP) - Discovery Channel team manager Johan Bruyneel has responded to the critics over his decision to sign Italian star Ivan Basso.

Bruyneel's decision to sign the Tour of Italy champion caused a ripple this week in the world of cycling, which is fighting for its credibility after a season marred by doping suspicion.

The Belgian said Saturday he is more than happy to have signed the "world's best rider," who recently emerged unscathed having been one of many riders implicated in a doping investigation in Spain which erupted in May.

"I don't see how anyone can stop me from hiring the best rider in the world. I am very happy with my decision," Bruyneel said Saturday in an interview with the Belgian press.

"Once all the charges against Ivan were dropped (...) we consulted four specialist lawyers to really look into all the rules, and the (ProTour) Code of Conduct," added Bruyneel.

"They all came to the same conclusion: legally-speaking nothing can stop us from signing a contract with Basso."

Basso was one of around 58 top riders implicated in a Spanish doping investigation, dubbed 'Operation Puerto', ending his hopes of competing in the Tour de France. However the likelihood of sanctions hitting those implicated in the affair now appears slim. The presiding judge of the investigation ruled that evidence could not be used for sanctions, and most of those implicated have finally returned to racing.

Illegal substances and bags of blood were among the evidence discovered during Operation Puerto, however up until now Basso had refused to submit a DNA sample which could prove his innocence. Basso and Discovery finally agreed on Friday that the Italian would provide a DNA sample if required by the Spanish authorities.

Bruyneel added: "There has never been a DNA issue. Ivan agreed through his lawyer even before we signed to give a sample.

"He just wanted to make sure that the guarantees provided by the law would be respected."
However Bruyneel has refused to sign a far-reaching Code of Conduct that has been drawn up by cycling's elite league, the Pro Tour, in conjunction with the teams. In its search for credibility, Bruyneel said the code's far-reaching demands have "gone too far."

"In its search for credibility cycling is going too far," he said.

"I've got doubts on certain points (in the code of ethics). We believe that even an athlete is
innocent until proven guilty."

Bruyneel added: "A French prosecutor announced an investigation of Lance Armstrong in January 2005.

"Just this month, 22 months later, he announced that he was dropping the case. Under the Code of Conduct, would we have had to sideline Lance from the 2005 Tour?"

Can you say TdF victory for Discovery in 2007?

Bowling anyone?

With their victory over New Mexico, BYU secured the Mountain West Conference championship out right and an invitation to play in the Las Vegas Bowl. All that is needed now to put the cherry on top of the season is a victory over arch rival and nemisis, Utah, this Saturday. Since we will be in St. George this weekend for Thanksgiving, we will be able to watch the emotionally charged affair. So, for all y'all haters out there, Y'all betta recognize!!

Anyone seen Yoda out on the road?

Just to help all remember what he looked like, ready to ride. Here is an early photo:

Nice postal jersey. "Let's ride" was his motto.

This just in - Hot off the press. A Yoda sighting - he was last seen doing some IT support from home right after the birth of Cole Jr. Let's go to the photo:

Wow! A closet Steelers fan as well. Yoda, get back on the bike, cut that hair, and stay away from the cookie jar.

By the way, a great ride today - the bike is nice. 45 miles of hills, flats, and the beach. I continue to be amazed of how good the bike feels. I am liking the compact crank every time I ride the bike. It makes you stay out of the really low gears (because they aren't there) and get up the hills quickly. I like the stiffness. All goes to getting up the hill, not bouncing or flexing the frame.

The New Ride

After several years on the Trek, the hooptie was put to the trainer for a new ride - a Specialized Tarmac with a compact crank set (50/36) with a 12-27 rear cassette, carbon frame, carbon forks, carbon seat post, carbon crank arms, Look Keo pedals, and race seat. I picked it up yesterday at the bike shop. Last night was like Christmas eve for me, waiting to get on the bike and take it for a spin.

I got on it this morning and took it for a two hour spin. I learned some things today about the differences between carbon and aluminum frames. Here are the big hitters:
1) Carbon frames are much stiffer
2) Carbon frames are more responsive
3) There's less road noise and vibration
4) Better transfer of pedaling to forward momentum
5) A few pounds do make a difference

Also, the compact crank, a double, offered some distinct gearing. I was able to stay in the big ring most of the time due to the wider range of gearing. I was able to use all of the gears in both rings without the rubbing or "cross chaining" of a triple. This was nice as well. I had some fear about not having the right gears, especially for climbing. With the ride today, that all went away. I had plenty on both ends, the upper and the lower. I really liked the FSA compact crankset. For OB12OLD, it is the two piece crank with external bearings.

Another difference I noted was in the forks. On the Trek, there is a "sticking" point that helps to hold the forks in a specific place and aids in riding straight and steady. The Specialized did not have this. I believe because of this not being on the Specialized, I could ride easily without hands. I am a bit out of practice but I rode for a good ways at the end without touching the handle bars. I can remember as a boy being able to ride easily without hands, steering by shifting my weight around. I guess lack of practice and age brings some need to refigure out balance.

A note about pedals: I bought some Look Keo Classic pedals for the bike. I had heard good things about Look pedals so I thought to try them out. I like them a lot better than my Shimano pedals. They are easier to get into than the Shimano and I have less float. I have learned one thing about Look pedals that answer a question that Yoda had. There are there color cleats for Look pedals: red, grey, and black. Each color has a degree of float built into the pedal - red is 9 degrees, grey is 4.5 degrees, and black is fixed. So if you don't like the float, buy a different cleat. I got this information right off the instruction sheet. Hey, ya learn something new everyday.

The bike bottom line: I rode a route that I rode two weeks ago. I finished in a faster time and 0.6 MPH faster even with a flat (flat time removed except for slowing, finding a spot, and getting warmed up again) and going back to pick up a water bottle. I did not push real hard. I was more interested in getting a feel of the bike. When I was done, I just said, "wow, that's neat."

Maybe now I can understand Lance's quote a bit better. The quote is "It's not about the bike." Well, if you have always ridden a $10K plus bike, sure it is not. I can see the difference now. Granted, life is not about a bike. There are more important things and that is what I interpret Lance referring to but in the realm of cycling, the bike or tool being used is of vital importance. If I went out and rode the same route with some "ganas", I bet I could improve my average speed by even more. We will see how it all turns out as I get back on the bike to prep for another year of riding. This year looks a little like this: Solvang, Conejo, STP, HHH, and Coyote. There are two other that I am considering as well: Death Vally and Channel Islands. We'll see how it goes this upcoming year - where we are and what we are doing.

Here are some pictures of the bike. It has some nice lines on it. The rear stays are flared, the top tube rectangular, the down tube is shaped to fit the rear tire. I will have to get used to getting my water bottle off the down tube cage. It is a tight fit with a 24 oz bottle. It will work though. Just a thanks to Craig for helping me take the pics.

BYU's Back

Tonight, BYU walloped conference opponent Wyoming 55-7 to go 8-2 on the season, 5-0 in conference with only 2 games left in the season. With a win next week over New Mexico, BYU will take the conference championship out right. Also, the Cougars jumped into the AP top 25 at number 25 this week. They had been absent for several years. Although a win next week will be huge, a bigger and better win for all of us alumni would be to destroy Utah the last week of the season and make up for several years of pain.

All right, let's all Rise and Shout, the Cougars are out (and back!!!).

A few miscellaneous items - Yoda, we still are waiting for the blog to be updated and see some updated pics of young Master Brady. We hope that Sam and Brady have made it home okay and are in good health. Stay posted to the blog, I am to pick up the new bike tomorrow. Smooth.

Yoda's New Padawan

Congratulations to Yoda!

He now has a new padawan. Teach him well the ways of the force, Master Jedi. May the force be with you, especially when changing some aromatic groin coverings and with the late night escapades.

One concept to master: night vision training.

Out.

10/2 Marathon & "7"

Lance ran in the New York City Marathon this weekend and beat his 3 hour goal by 23 seconds. Here is part of the article found at www.espn.com.

"NEW YORK -- His face twisted in pain, Lance Armstrong virtually walked the last couple of steps. He slowed to a halt immediately after the finish line and bent to the ground, his green shirt soaked with sweat.

No one's more familiar with how painful achieving goals can be. Still, not even he saw this coming.

Armstrong barely met his lofty goal of breaking 3 hours in his first marathon, but it came at a price. No Alpine climb on his bicycle had ever been as tough as Sunday's New York City Marathon, he said.

"For the level of condition that I have now, that was without a doubt the hardest physical thing I have ever done," said Armstrong, who finished 856th. "I never felt a point where I hit the wall, it was really a gradual progression of fatigue and soreness." Armstrong's time was 2 hours, 59 minutes and 36 seconds. Afterward, he shuffled into a post-race news conference, his right shin heavily taped.

"I think I bit off more than I could chew, I thought the marathon would be easier," he said. "[My shins] started to hurt in the second half, especially the right one. I could barely walk up here, because the calves are completely knotted up."

Armstrong's build presented a stark contrast to the elite men's runners who preceded him on the course. The cycling champion's heavily muscled legs and powerful chest set him apart from the slender Kenyans who traditionally dominate the race. Even Armstrong compared the leaders' legs to pencils."

Thanks to Lance for providing us with some idea of how running beats up your body more than cycling. Most of us already knew that and that is one of the reasons why we ride!

Speaking of riding, Jens was down this weekend and we did some riding of our own. We talked a bit late Friday night after we all had converged on our home. They had come up from San Diego and I had flown in from SLC. We decided on a "7" type ride on a scale of 1 to 10 in difficulty. The problem is I decided on a "7" ride based upon a different conditioning time of the year.

We rode out Santa Rosa canyon to Point Magu and then down the coast to Mulholland. This was fun and powerful, flat riding. In fact, this is my HHH training ride route. We were cruising. We were catching folks. This all changed as we turned up Mulholland for the 1300 feet of climbing over the next 7.1 miles. The first two smaller hills were the indicators that this would be a challenging climb, definitely more than the "7" we discussed. Our hearts were pounding and the legs burning. We made it over the top and then hit the three "stingers" of Decker canyon and the wind picked up - the double whammy. I had to pull over for a moment because my heart was racing and my legs felt like a pair of rubber bands having just shot a few thousand spit wads. After taking a quick break, we bombed down Decker Canyon, rode into Westlake Village and found a nice shaded elementary school to meet the SAG. All told, the ride was more like an "8.76" on the difficulty scale over 55 miles of flats, hills, scorching downhills, and good fun. In hindsight, a better "7" would have been the Potrero Canyon ride with a Simi loop. This would have been a much better option. I have to remember that this is spring training time, not the middle of the season. Thanks again to Jens for the sharing of pain with me. Poor some out for the hommies!

After getting done, we hit Chipotle for some burritos and relaxation. It hit the spot, especially when you're starving. We had rode for over 3.5 hours and not eaten much. After the bite, we hit the bike shop in Northridge to check out my next ride - a Specialized Tarmac. I should pick it up next week. Here is a picture of it. It is nice and light weight.

I know I have quoted Lance as "it is not about the bike." But sometimes, to raise your game, you need to take advantage of the technology that is out there. Even Tiger Woods uses the best equipment he can find. He's not stuck on steel drivers, he uses some Nike secret metal alloy to raise his game. It is time to raise my game. I'd just like to send a shout out to the banker, "Yo Pops, thanks!" I'll let you know how it rides next Saturday.

Final note, you know you're having a bad year when the 49ers have a better record than the defending Super Bowl champions. Yoda, stay green. Could you please ask your wife if she has any friends that could help me with my depression. 2-6, I'm die'in over here. Hey, we can go 8-0 and still make the playoffs!

Only 9 months and 20 days to HHH 2007. Peace and I'm outta here.

Congrats Cole!

Just wanted to take a moment to offer congratulations to Cole Trickle. He finished his MBA yesterday and then celebrated by handing my a loss in Madden '07. Cole managed to get through the program by not falling down and avoiding several crashes.

Way to go fellow U of P graduate!


P.S. It is time to prep for next year's riding. Are y'all ready for the pain train? The schedule will be posted within the next few weeks.

Coyote Creek

I finally have a spare moment to update the blog. Just wanted to say thanks to Jens for the ride on the Coyote Creek. I was Floyd in stage 16 to his Oscar Periero of the day. On the last climb, I bonked about a half mile from the summit and with over 10 miles to the finish. Nice! Call it not enough food, cold weather, lack of training, whatever but at one moment we are cruising up the hill at 14 MPH and the next moment, the legs just won't go. I struggled up the rest of the way at about 6 MPH and then finished on the flat and downhill portion. We then rode back about seven more miles to catch the SAG up the hill. All in all it was about 73 miles of fun. So ends this year's season of riding. While in SJ at the Dunford's, Christine said I could get another bike. I was so happy. All in time. With all of the riding this year, I think I have put the time in. Next year's rides will be even better. JD, Cole, are ya with me? I think I might have found our 4th for the Furnace Creek. I'll let ya know.

I got back from Denver on Tuesday night. I got to see snow for the first time in years. It just led to a delay at the gate and then a delay getting deiced. I got to meet a bunch more fun and incredible Milgard folks at the Denver facility. It would be a great opportunity to work there with them. We will see how it all rolls out here in the next few days.

Finally, the Steelers finally got it together. Let's hope that they keep it together.

Fall Weather

It has been some years since we lived in a place that actually got cold. It has started to get cold here in Simi Valley. It is all relative. By cold, I mean less than 50 degrees on a daily basis. It has started to dip below 50 every night. It makes for a difficult time to be motivated to get up and ride at 5 AM. In Carmicheal's weekly letter, he speaks of movtivation versus inspiration. I need to find my inspiration. It was easy getting motivated to ride the HHH. Inspired to continue at that pace is were I am struggling. I have been lax on the bike since the Texas ride. It took a lot out of me. It is time to get back on the program.

Inspiration? Being inspired means it gets you up and out there regardless of time and temperature, giving the maximum effort. Here is the letter:


LETTER FROM CHRIS
You May Be Motivated, But Are You Inspired?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Given the choice of who I’d rather coach, I’d take one inspired athlete over 10 motivated ones. Here’s an example of what I mean. During the early years of Lance Armstrong’s storied cycling career, he was motivated but not inspired. He was being paid to race a bicycle; he was good at it, a fierce competitor and a very powerful rider, but racing was just his job. When he felt like training, he ripped off great performances and won races, but then there would be times when he’d lose focus and drop off the radar, and I’d have to track him down and get him back on target. But when he returned to the sport after cancer, motivation was replaced by inspiration. Overnight, his commitment to training and competition—and his performances—took off by leaps and bounds.

Within any sport and at any level of participation, there’s a big difference between a motivated athlete and an inspired one. Motivation gets you out of bed and into the gym or to trailhead, but inspiration pushes you to get the maximum benefit out of every effort.

Motivation comes and goes because it is a product of logic. People are motivated to exercise because of simple equations like: More exercise = greater fitness - love handles + sex appeal. There’s a mathematical, mechanical component to motivation that leaves it vulnerable to changing circumstances. For many people, motivation goes out the window if the equation gets thrown out of whack by poor weather, a new girlfriend or boyfriend, or mounting obligations at work. Inspiration, on the other hand, plows through the math to keep you on track for your athletic and fitness goals, even through life’s ups and downs.

Inspiration is the most powerful performance enhancer on earth because it enables you to access deep reserves of power and energy that simple motivation can’t touch. In Lance’s case, the process of fighting cancer required every ounce of his strength and commitment. To survive, he dug deeper than any race had previously asked of him and learned what he was really capable of when he directed the full force of his attention and devotion to a goal. With his second chance at life, he gathered inspiration from the millions of cancer patients and survivors with whom he shared a common bond. The inspiration to show the world that cancer was beatable, and that survivors were anything but damaged goods, drove him straight to the top of sport and sustained him through a record-breaking streak of victories in one of the world’s toughest endurance events.

The big question is: What inspires you?

I am pumped to ride with JD this weekend. It is easier to push the pedals when there is good company. Until then, hasta la pasta.

Why I am a "daddy"

For all of you Dads or for all of you soon to be Dads, please see The Beecher Street blog to get some clarity on this subject matter. The link is to the right.

Real nice Christine!

Another Day on the Bike

Today was a bit different day on the bike. It wasn't the massive miles or the high intensity riding to boost speed or endurance. It was a stroll with the family, hauling Colin in the trailer for 15 miles. It was a fun ride with some hills. We started by riding over near Milgard and down the trail by the river. The river runs diagonally across town. We chose it to avoid having to ride in or around traffic. As we rode towards LA Ave, the main East/West street in Simi, we saw that it was closed off. The four lane divided street was hosting the Simi Days Parade on the two westbound lanes. We stopped and watched a while. Then decided to ride up the other lanes and see all of the parade. It was fun riding the wrong way on the big street with no cars and no people. The kids loved it. We then rode home, up over the 2 1/2 mile hill I usually ride at the end of the ride. As I am going up the hill, I am thinking about the extra weight I am hauling. I am riding my old steel mountain bike, hauling a trailer, with the 42 pound Colin. All told, at least 50 extra and maybe 60. I got up and over without to much difficulty, mountain bikes have lower gearing. When we got home, we had been gone over 2 hours. A fun outing with the family.

Work is going well. I go to Vegas tomorrow night for a couple of days for a Glass Show and Conference. Next week, I head to Portland for a couple of days. I hope October brings less travel as I have to really get ready for Death Valley. I might just ride the century. It is the fact that I will be riding in Death Valley that entices me. After this, it would be nice to ride to the highest point in the US. There is a ride over three passes in Colorado. This might need to be put on the calendar for 2008, right after the Furnace Creek 508!!

Back on the bike

It has been two weeks since I have seriously been on the bike. I felt it today. On Monday, Dad and I took several loops around Pt. Defiance park. It was a good short ride. Today, I got on the Mulholland Highway after 43 miles to the beach. From there, it was 8 miles of up, with an average grade of 5%. It was tough and I could tell I have missed riding in the hills. Final tally, 60 miles in 3 1/2 hours. The HHH preparation was mostly flat. Now, I have to change my focus. After the HHH, I felt I would not ride in October. After being home for a little while, I am going to Death Valley to ride. This means I have to get to the hills to prepare. There are over 40 miles of hills that translates into more than 9K worth of climbing. Time to get ready to get it done. It will be tough since my schedule has me traveling considerably in the month of September. I have six weeks to get ready. It should work out. If not, I'll only ride the century. Well, keep posted as I prepare for my last organized ride of the year. Monday means back to biking to work.

Final note: how about them Steelers!

Triple H Top 11 List

In looking back on the overall experience of the trip, the ride, the blogging, here is what was my top 11 parts of the event:

11. Being back in Texas
10. The artic freeze at a motel
9. The start of the ride (anthem, fly over, cannon)
8. The pace lines at 25+ MPH
7. Passing thousands of riders like they were standing still
6. El Chico’s sizzling apple pie
5. Madden 2006
4. The fire hose
3. Cole Trickle bunny hop
2. The blog “trash” talk
1. Suffering through 100 miles in 106 degrees with your friends!

Thanks again to everyone, Cole, Hogg, and even OB12OLD, who called to offer his prediction. It was a most memorable event. Next year will be even better. Get it on your calendars now because it will be happening, the 26th Annual Tour de Wichita Falls.

Let's go. Heck, it can't be much hotter than it was this year.

The tale of the tape

After all of the hype, posts, blogs, and trash talking, it all came down to the ride. In the end, the ride lived up to it all, especially its name. The newspaper will tell you that the “official” temperature was 106 with a heat index of 110 in Wichita Falls. The clock tower showed 109 at 2 PM. The riders will tell you that it was torturous. It was just hot out there. I am glad to have had several previous experiences on the bike that helped to pull me through the ride. One was last year’s MS 150 Bike to the Beach where many of the riders SAG’d due to extreme weather conditions. Another was the climb up the Col du Mont Hamilton. The last one was last year's HHH. All were needed to get through the ride.

The Road Trip Details

The Hogg came down on Wednesday night. He and I got started about 6 AM from Simi the next morning. Thanks to Christine to seeing us off and helping me to get packed. We drove all day, only stopping in Amarillo to catch some sleep and get out of the car for a while. We got up on Friday and drove the final 4 hours into Wichita Falls. We met Yoda at the hotel. He looked as if he’d spent some time on the bike.

We unpacked and got into the room. It all fit in it but I’d bet if all three of us stood with our arms outstretched in a line, fingertip to fingertip, we’d touch opposing walls. But, it was a whole lot better than last year’s accommodations and there were no bugs to contend with, no imposing clock tower that constantly reminded you of the time and the temperature, no tent to set up, no community restrooms, no horse shower, and the list goes on. Thanks to Yoda for hooking us up with the accomodations.

The next part of the afternoon was spent picking up our registration, getting the last needed items from the consumer show, and taking care of business at the spaghetti dinner. I don’t know how they do it or what they put in the sauce but the spaghetti was good. It is hard to believe that food made for the masses could taste so good. We got back to the hotel, got changed, and got on the bikes for the final check of both bike and route to the start. It was about 2 ½ to 3 miles to the start from the hotel. Not bad at all, even better was all the “ladies” were in order and working well. In the short ride, we even caught this rider going up the bridge and passed him, a little warm up for ride day.

The remainder of the evening was spent in final preparation: putting numbers on jerseys, prepping food, water bottles, and Madden. Yoda got to see up close how I play and figured me out in short notice, taking me out 34-14 in the second game. I didn’t score till the final minute of the game when a botched kickoff return got me close and an onside kick was recovered due to a formation issue. I might have lost, but I went out strong.

We did fight with the A/C for a little while, finally calling the front desk for a little help. After a part change, it started to cool off. It didn’t really cool off till after we’d went to bed, only to wake up in the Artic. But, even the Artic was much better than last year.

We got up at around 5 and headed down to breakfast. The HHH feast turned into a nice continental breakfast. It had all of the necessary for a good ride: bagels, juice, yogurt, and bananas. The ride over was easy and as we came over the bridge, we could only just make out the length of the ride. Turns out, some 11,800+ were in the ride. We sat, talked, took pictures, and waited. Finally, the national anthem was played, the jets flew over, and the cannon fired, signaling time to get on the road. All that pent up energy from the almost twelve thousand finally being focused at the ride.

I’d like to report that the ride was without incidence but at mile 9 our worst fears came true. Wreck! Yoda got caught behind some fools not paying attention or not speaking out. They got tangled up and Yoda tried to brake, only to attempt to bunny hop off of one of the downed riders angled front tire. He almost landed it but his front wheel turned, dumping him on the pavement. Luckily, his feet came unclipped and he “Sweetness”-like rolled but coming down hard. We had been cruising at 20+MPH when all of this happened. He got up and being the warrior that he is, kept riding. After making sure he was okay and able to continue, we began to do what all guys do, talk about the crash. Yoda earned a new nickname, Cole Trickle, as in the character from Days of Thunder. Instead of stopping, which he probably did not have time to do due to the pace, he rode “through the smoke.” We had one of our top 10 moments of the trip, if not the #1. All joking aside, we all are wishing the best for Cole and hope nothing is broken. His spirit definitely was not.

We stayed close to each other for the first 42 miles, with each passing the other in various groups until rest stop #4 at mile 42. We refueled, refilled, and deposited. Nothing like a one-stop rest stop. Cole got his bike checked out and we were off. Soon after we left, Yoda disappeared. I didn’t see him again till the finish. The Hogg and I went on to Hell’s Gate, the 100 mile cutoff. Along the way, I got a bottle of water in Burkburnett from a guy handing out water. It really helped me the rest of the race. I kept in the back of my jersey, full, and used it to “Floyd” myself, frequently dousing myself with water in an effort to keep cool.

We stopped at the 75 mile rest stop to again refill and prep for the last 25. We had been moving, above last year’s pace. In fact, we were on pace to finish in less than five hours, with minimal stopping time. The heat had really kicked up but I hadn’t really been affected by it. It was here that I left the Hogg. I got on the bike with the notion of closing the deal under five hours. At mile 80, I was at 3 hours, 56 minutes. I could do this I thought. Then I turned into the hot, Texas wind. Over the next twelve miles, the heat, hot wind, and blazing sun took its toll. It took me over 39 minutes for the next 10 miles. I got on the wheel of two riders and stayed with them to almost the next stop, mile 91. Ice towels, ice water, and a huge fan helped to cool me down. I sat for a little while, partially to cool off but more importantly to motive me to finish. After eating a pickle, I got back on the bike and rode the wheel of a couple of people for the next 6 miles. Finally, we turned out of the wind. Just knowing that there was only five more miles was motivation enough. I talked to a guy, Dean, who was riding in his first HHH. After getting over the overpass and into downtown Wichita Falls, I had a burst of energy and closed the last mile strong. The last ten miles had taken over 38 minutes to complete. I finished in 5 hours, 20 minutes of bike time and just a bit over 6 hours event time. We started at a little after 7 AM in about 81 degrees. I finished at about 1:15 PM in 105 degrees.

I went and found some drinks and the fire hose. It felt great to just stand there and cool down. I then laid down in some shade, under a misting canopy and took a short nap. I waited a little while for the Hogg and Cole to show up. They came over the line together, telling me how they had hooked up at the rest stop at mile 91. It was good to see them. We then went over to the fire hose and just sat there for about an hour, talking and cooling off. We still had to ride back to the hotel. At least it was a nice slow ride back. We’d done it. We had suffered through one of the hottest HHH.Yes!

The Hogg summed the weekend up quite well when he said it all goes too fast. After all of the preparation, fun, etc., it was all coming to an end. We went to El Chico’s to celebrate, played some more Madden (I lost again), ate again at Whataburger, and crashed. It felt good to lie down and rest. Rest was a definite need since we were driving back to Simi on Sunday morning.

The drive back to Simi took us just a bit over 19 hours. Although the drive was long, we had time to relive the ride, gab, sleep, and watch the beautiful scenery pass by. Christine was waiting for us when we got in around 11 PM. Cassie, Craig, and Colin had made us a “Welcome Home” poster and put it on the garage. Great!

We’d just got the car unpacked and Christine asks us if al of it was worth it: the drive, the heat, the pain, the training. The answer is simple. We’ll be back again.

Thanks to JD and Cole for a memorable, enjoyable, and great weekend.

No really, these are my last thougts on Saturday...

Yoda is right. There are nice things to say about all aspects of this weekend. In the end, Yoda can have all "the looks" that he wants. It comes down to this: The Podium. Here is me (in yellow) and my two friends.

Last thoughts...

In an effort to sum it all up before the ride, it comes down to what this is all about. It is about friendship and keeping it real.

Thanks to my good friends for the motivation and the sacrifice. For the kind, humorous, and uplifting words - both by phone and on your blogs.

Thanks to their families and my own for the support in this crazy endeavor. Without y'all, none of this happens.

It has been a long road to get to here. But remember, the road does not end here. The will be more rides and better times. We have to continue to make this happen. We'll talk more at the victory celebration.

Remember, the pain train stops for no one, except in the case of mechanical issues.

Wear Sunsceen!

Saturday Off

I had these plans on riding 50+ miles Saturday. Well, I got up Saturday and said to myself that I am ready. No need to kill myself anymore. I spent it with my family all day. We hung out at the beach most of the day and then went to a church party that evening. It was a good day. I did ride a little, to the park on my mountain bike hauling Colin in the trailer. I figure my legs have been there. I am ready to go. With only six days left, not much more to do except try to keep the legs loose and fresh. It is a short work week, only three days. It almost like Christmas, anticipation is killing me!

There will be no more smack talking, well, except for this piece.

Which sausage are you?

#1, Brett Wurst is a bratwurst and wears green Austro-Bavarian lederhosen.
#2, Stosh Jonjak is a Polish sausage and wears dark sunglasses and a blue and red rugby shirt.
#3, Guido is an Italian sausage and wears a chef's outfit.
#4, Frankie Furter is a hot dog and wears a baseball uniform.
#5, El Picante is a chorizo and wears a sombrero. (To be added full time in 2007)

Just don't be the "burnt" sausage pulling up the rear and paying for dinner.

Pain Train Schedule

The next scheduled departure is 7:04 AM CST in Wichita Falls, TX on 8.26.06. The conductor is on board and ready to bring it to all those who wish to ride.

In reading the Hogg's blog, we are preparing much in the same manner - in the hills gaining and solidifying leg strength. Today was day 5 in a row on the bike. It was spent climbing in the Santa Monica mountains. Up and down, over the same course that I rode the century on back in May. I only did the first half with all of the climbing, roughly about 5K worth of elevation gain. Not all on one hill, it was spread over several. On the first climb, there were two riders up a ways on the climb. After each switch back, they continually came closer until I caught them and passed them. There was some irony in this as one of the riders had the Alpe D' Huez jersey on for climbing the Alpe and the other a Cofidis jersey on. These guys had gone all the way to France to climb one of the most famous climbs in the world and they got dropped by a local in the Santa Monicas. They looked stunned as I sped past them as we summitted the first climb. They tried to hold my wheel but to no avail. When we hit the next climb, it was if they had started picking up rocks on the descent and got weighed down considerably.

This next climb is the toughest. It is a 3.5 mile climb up to Kanaan Road on the Mulholland Highway. The last time I climbed this I couldn't see the top because of the fog. This time, no fog and I could see the top. It made the climb easier, much like seeing the observatory on Col de M. H. The climb is a page out of the 7 mile climb up the Col de Mont Hamilton, steep and no points to rest. What made even better was that it was 90+ degrees during the ride, no problem with the heat. The heart rate was up but no problem, proper hydration and proper fueling made it all work right. After all of the climbing, it was time for some free miles down to the beach. I chased this Benz down the mountain, literally. In fact, when we stopped to cross the PCH, he rolled down his window and apologized for holding me up! It was great. We talked for a moment about riding and the ride down. He went on his way down the coast and me mine.

This next week will be spent off the hills for the most part and focusing on turning the power and strenghth into greater speed. Next Saturday will be a 50+ mile jaunt at 75% effort, the final puzzle piece.

Less than two weeks and it will be time to walk the walk after all of this jabber jawing. To the loser as well, they will receive the Jabber Jaws award. All talk but no spoils...here he is, the Mr. Jabber Jaws himself! Who will be buying and receiving the Lantern Rouge de Jabber Jaws (say it with a French accent)?

The Program

I rode up to the gas station the other day and said to myself enough is enough. No more paying these ridiculous prices for gas. I only live three and a half miles away from work. It is time to get with the program. So, I have started to ride to work each day. Granted, there has been two days of driving due to the need to take my laptop back and forth but that too will be remedied. Biking to work has given me an additional 45 to 50 minutes of riding daily. Plus, here is a picture of my gas prices now. How do you spell apples? How ya like those apples?

On the bike, day and night, training, getting it done. It will all prove out in a few weeks when we ride the HHH in four and a half hours. Cueing up Morris Day, "Yyyyeeeeessss!"

Life as Sesame Street

Yoda has inspired me. To what you may ask? Well, he has inspired me to seek to explain life, at least this portion of my life. It took me a while to get to this point where I can explain it. In fact, during my ride yesterday it all came to me. I got on the bike and rode hard. I had not planned on riding that way but after getting out and getting going, it felt right. My ten mile splits were 30:46, 30:45, 29:48, 29:33, and 29:07. I just kept getting stronger and stronger on the ride. 50 miles in a few seconds over 2.5 hours. Just what the doctor ordered. In fact, these three riders came around me at about mile 25. They were working well together and riding a little bit faster than me. I let them go. They must not have been working that well together since at mile 35 I passed the first of the group who had gotten dropped. It was then only a matter of a few miles and I passed the other two. I did take the time to talk to one of the others. He was riding this Trek Madone 5.9. What a beautiful bike! He told me he had a Trek 1200 before and the ride on the carbon bike was so much better. Yeah, it was nice to pass and pedal away from him on my Trek 1500. The $1000 dollar bike flew past the $5500 bike. "It's not about the bike!" I got off the bike at Zuma Beach, feeling on top of the world. I had just improved my time to Zuma by over 15 minutes. It must be the daily riding to and from work with the back pack. Or it is the few more pounds I have dropped. I have 200 in my sights. I don't know but it was a good ride.

Last year before the HHH, longer ride averages were around 16 to 17 MPH. This year, I am able to get into the 18 to 20 MPH range. Heck, on the STP, I averaged 17.8 over the 200+. I'd like to hit the 4.5 hour mark at HHH but a more realistic goal would be 4.75 hours. That would be 23 minutes faster than last year. I have to keep reminding myself that there are many more factors in riding a race than just the rider's fitness, although it is a major one. There is weather, sleep, nutrition, among them. Do I think we can improve our average speed by 3 to 4 MPH over the training rides? No, not at this time although 1 to 2 can be expected and that is my goal.

So what was this epiphany I had on the bike. Well, life is like Sesame Street and we are its players. Who would we be? Well, during the suffering, staring into the deep, blue waves of the Pacific, it came to me.

Please join me in welcoming the cast of Alamo Street.

First, there is Big Bird (aka Hogg). "Big Bird is the "everychild" of Alamo Street. Fine feathered friend to all, he may get overly excited about new discoveries and extremely disappointed when things don’t work out, but this bird is always willing to try again, correct his mistakes, and find a solution to his problems. " This is the Hogg. Plus, he is tall and is naturally yellow. This is not the cowardly yellow but the yellow of the victor and champion. May we not eat too much of your dust in the race. Or may you not be too disappointed in failure.

Second, there is Bert (aka OB1 or chillyC). "Bert is analytical, responsible, and the complete and utter opposite of his eccentric roommate, Ernie. When he’s not playing checkers with his pigeon Bernice, Bert, a true model of dignity and decorum, spends his days collecting bottle caps and paper clips." Although I have done away with my pigeons, I do collect bottles and cans for money while at the beach. Bert is simply down to earth and recognizes his inability to wear a hat. He is related to the cone heads and is constantly eating food at an alarming rate. His weight could be a problem this year.

Finally, there is Snuffleupagus. For many years a mythical creature on the Street. He has yet to be seen on Alamo Street. It took him years to be seen on Sesame Street and it may take years for him to be seen in the Alamo area. Snuffy, are you out there? Can you ride a bike? Who has seen you on the bike? Do you have pictures while on the bike? Here is a rare one of Snuffy out and about on Sesame Street. Come on over to the Alamo and let's see what you got.

Less than three weeks to go...it is on!

Remembering and Looking Forward

Just a friendly reminder, the DEFENDING Super Bowl Champions are in camp.

Let's Go Steelers!!!

What month is it?

This is the month when it all happens.

'Nuff said!

14,000 Strong

First day of practice, 14,000 Steeler Nation Fans showed up for the first day of practice. Some of the best news for the team was this man being at practice.

"The loudest cheers were for Ben Roethlisberger when he made the walk down onto the field from the locker rooms; there were cheers for things that happened on the field. Clark Haggans even was cheered loudly when he needed to use the porta-john (from www.steelers.com)."

Talk about crazy fans, cheering a player for using the porta-john.

Let's Go Steelers!!

(I know, two posts in a day. I couldn't resist the porta-john remark and big ben in practice.)

Let Me Ride!

"I remember back in the dayz when I used to have to get my stroll on

Didn't nobody wanna speak;

now everybody peepin out they windows when they hear me beatin up the streets

Is it OB1? Is it OB1?

That's what they say, every single day, yo

But I ain't trippin I'm just kickin it

While my deez keep spinnin and these girls keep grinnin

I'll be(Rollin in my six-fo') With everybody sayin

Swing down, sweet chariot stop and, let me ride!!"

Enough about the couch - time to get my ride on!! Let the preview to pain begin.

We were looking through some CD's, trying to find a backup for some pictures from my other laptop when we stumbled upon J.D.'s mix for me. Christine had stored it for transport and forgotten about it. It was a nice to add these songs to the mix. Plus, Saturday was a nice ride in the hills. It was painful but good - bigger gears and faster times. I hadn't rode the Potrero loop in over three months. I beat my best time by over 15 minutes in the 35 miles. It felt good to get out and push up and down the hills. Less than four weeks to the big day, just keep looking out your Milgard windows and let me ride!!

New training regime...

Since Yoda has decided to take the "Couch Potato" routine, I have done some thinking about my current training routine. It is just too rigorous. In searching the Internet, I have found a much better training guide. It is the Fat Albert training program. This entails walking slowly, eating as much as possible, and doing as little exercise as possible. Heck, I might even look like my idol come the end of August.

Hey, hey, hey, its Faaaaat Kenobi..

I think I like it.

Back to the Beach

After a few days of rest, I finally got back on the bike again today. It was going to be hot here in Simi so we decided to go to the beach. I got up, got ready, watched Landis get out of the gate, and then hit the road. I should have spun a little during the week because the legs were stiff for a few miles before letting me get into the groove. I road the first 30 miles in 90 minutes. Then the wind really kicked up into my face. The going got brutal but I made the 44 miles in just a bit over 2 hours 15 minutes. We then sat at the beach for five hours, swam in the water, body surfed, boogie boarded, played in the waves, and tossed the football around. The sea was angry that day my friend. I learned how not to boogie board, several times. The waves pounded me into the sand, spun me around, pegged me with my own board, and said "come back when you have a clue boy!" I called it quits for the day after the fourth try and fourth pounding. But hey, the ride was good. Everything else about the beach was great.

Just a TdF note, Landis has been spectacular! After a bonk, then a terrific ride with heart, daring, and American fight, then the yellow jersey today in the time trial. Wow! I can hear the Star Spangled Banner playing now on the Champ Elyees.

Take note, Landis is from SoCal. It's in the water. I will admit, after riding 200+ miles on last Saturday, today's ride was different. It seemed to pass quickly and without the usual looking at the GPS to see how far I'd gone and had to go. I guess 11 hours 20 minutes on the bike will do that to you. Five weeks to go. Just a note for anyone that has not been on the bike, in this month's Bicycling magazine, there are several plans to get ready for a century in four weeks. Just a little help, no excuses.

More STP fotos and lessons learned

Here are the event photos from the event photographers. It appears that they were out on the first half of the ride and at the finish for 1 day riders. The only photo from the second half is the finishing photo. All of the others are of the first half. I have put them in order from earliest to latest. 202+ miles...what a day.

Lessons Learned:

• Eat early and eat often
• Know the route
• Stay out of your lactate threshold
• Ride with friends or with groups
• Get and stay hydrated
• Prep your bike well
• You need your family's support to succeed

The book will be out soon so look for it at your local bookstore.

Only five weeks till the HHH.

Lodi Dodi, we like to party, we don't cause trouble, we don't bother no body. we're just men that rock the mike, when we rock upon the mike...

Fellow Jedi's, are you ready?

2500 miles later....

It all started on Thursday night, rolling out towards Seattle. It ended today around 1 PM when we returned to Simi. A lot happen in those few days: family reunion/picnic, Matt's house, stranded racoons, 200+ miles on the bike, biker babes, Dunford visit, carne asada, Colin singing, and much more.

11 hours, 20 minutes on the bike. After looking at the numbers, it appears that I rode the 2nd century only a few minutes slower than the 1st century. The weather probably helped by getting a little warmer in the afternoon and my legs getting loose and being able to spin nice and easy. There are so many things that went well: no bike issues, weather, support, food, helpful friendly riders willing to work and take turns pulling, knowing almost half of the route (having rode them previously, including "The Hill") and family. It was great to have them with me.

I rode around the last turn and quickly sprinted to be at the front of my group so I could go across the line all by myself. The light then turned red and I couldn't go. As I am standing there waiting, I hear the PA announcer say something like, "We'd like to welcome the next finisher of the 2006 STP to Portland, Chris Beecher of Simi Valley, CA." It was cool. Then to ride across and to see my family waiting for me. Even better. They have put up with me and my crazy hours of riding, all for this one day. It really was special. I thought I'd suffer and have to push like mad just to finish. I thought my legs would be in terrible pain. I thought... I thought... None of this happened. I rode, keeping my heart rate in check, eating on schedule, and getting help when needed. What more can I say. Fun.

Finally, thanks to OB12OLD for the inspiration. I'd never had thought about riding or even doing the STP without having an example. Keep on riding!!

Now for the pictures...

The night before, at the park on the Sound, getting right with the right person...

At the halfway point, time to change jerseys, eat, rest, and prepare for the 2nd half.

On the road to Portland, about 30 miles from the finish. I was in a group of five riders, working the rolling hills next to the river. Thanks Craig for the picture.

Finally, at the finish, coming across the line. It was neat with the barricades on both sides and people cheering on both sides.

The support staff, minus Grandma, in Centralia, waiting. Without these guys, the above pictures would not have been possible. Thanks. You look marvelous!!