Humility and Hills

On Wednesday night, I talked to Matt at the Bike Shop about riding. I had got the new rims and wanted to take them for a serious spin. He tells me that he has been riding a year and would like to ride with me. Sure I say, Saturday at 8:30 AM it is. Matt says he knows a good loop to ride. I don't know any better but like the idea of riding with someone since Christine was in Utah. I did not get out to ride on Thursday due to Location Meetings at work that went late. So I couldn't wait another day to ride on those new rims. Yes, they are ... DUBS if I can quote JD. It felt like a different bike. They rolled real nice and felt solid. Not mushy like the rims I took off. Well, my 20/20 hindsight tells me that my other rims have been bad for a long time and I should have changed them long ago. I know better know. Friday night was 21 miles with 3 x 10 of muscle tension with 5 minutes of rest in between. My heart stayed down around 131, as an average. I did the workout and just cruised, trying to get time on the bike. Saturday morning dawned and I was feeling good and oblvious about what was about to hit me. I rode for over 2 and 1/2 hours, almost 40 miles of hills upon hills. These are not the small rises in the road that can be overcome in a matter of seconds. These were the several mile long hills that got into the legs and stayed there for a while. We climbed so many feet of elevation, I felt like we would soon be in the cloud mist. There was some flats that I could loosen up the legs. Matt was kind to me. He even let me get up a hill first. I got dropped twice but stayed close. I was humbled. The other climbs, I am panting and he is talking to me like it is nothing at all. Then he tells me he is a racer. His season starts next Sunday. Wow! He is going to race in the Juniors as well. He is only 17. Double Wow!! I can suffer. I can ride through pain. I just don't have young legs. He didn't eat or drink much. I was sweating like crazy in 50 degree temperatures. I feel pretty good now. I did it and will do it again. The ride was not only difficult was beautiful. It was breath taking in some areas. Thanks to Matt for the ride and introduction to the area. I needed it. Now I know where to find the pain!!

New Wheels

My back rim has had small cracks for a little while. I did not think anything of it till about two weeks ago when I started to ride and I heard this creaking noise. It did not go away when I stopped pedaling and it got faster as I got faster. I got off of the bike and couldn't find anything after reviewing the bike. The noise went away. I finally talked to someone at the bike shop. They said any cracking around the spokes is not good. Riding last night did not feel right. The back end wobbled. I looked at it when I got done and noticed a larger crack. In one of these pictures is the rim and you can see how the rim is splitting. I bought a new wheelset tonight and put it on. They are a Mavic Ksyrium. I have added a picture of the new set on the bike. I have not rolled on them yet but will tomorrow. Christine asked me if I was going to go after I got done. I am beat after today. A day of swamping windows is hard work. We did about 140 windows. I tooked them from the back of the truck and put them in the garages of the tract homes that were being built. I do not envy those that have to do this every day. My hat goes off to them. I got my weight lifting in for the day. My arm feels like I have been doing bicep curls all day. I will feel better tomorrow, I hope.

Today is my Dad's birthday. He is turning 63 today and will be riding with me in the Seattle-to-Portland ride in July. I just wanted to say Happy Birthday to him and good riding.

Another ride

Time on the bike is what it is all about. Nike says "Just do it!" I say, "just ride it!" This is exactly what I did again. I sat on the bike for an hour and did a thirty minute muscle tension workout. It was tough. At fifteen minutes I thought I was done. At twenty I wanted to quit. I just then focused on the music. Once again, U2, pulled me through. The thirty minutes during the muscle tension workout, my heart stayed pretty constant at 140 bpm. The other time, it was around 120, for an average of 131.

Tomorrow, I get to do some real work. I am doing a ride along with a delivery driver. I get to off load windows all day on a delivery route. Part of my training is to understand all aspects of the business, tomorrow I am just the average Joe, riding around "swamping" windows. I don't know why they call it swamping but that is what they call it.

Today, #7 wore black and gold

Wow!! Three road victories to get into SuperBowl XL. One more road victory and the Steelers will be champions of the NFL. It was good to see the Bus get into the end zone and big Ben throw two into the end zone for touchdowns. The hard part will be the media hype for the next two weeks, can't we just play the game like Thursday and forget about the crazy media blitz? It wouldn't be sports without all the analysts getting their two cents in.

To go from 7-5, searching for a victory to a berth in the Super Bowl. Wow! The job is not done yet. We can't be happy to only get there. We have to win it also.

Go STEELERS!!

"Salty" Bennett Throwdown

The schedule called out for 2 hrs 15 minutes of riding with 3 x 3 fast pedal with 3 minutes rest between. I got on the bike at 8 and after a nice warm up, I got the workout portion done and rode for fun. After studying the map last night of Ventura county bike lanes and routes, I decided to try Thousand Oaks. I thought it would be like Simi Valley. I was wrong. I rode more hills than the Cielo Vista Loop in SA. In some cases, I looked at my incline percentage and it was bouncing between 6 and 10%. This was not for a couple hundred feet but for several miles and on several hills. There were two on Westlake, one on Ebres, the slow up on Olsen, and the long moderate hill up First Street. Even with all of the hills, I still averaged 15.6 MPH with an average heart rate of 143 BPM. I would offer the route profile but I have not downloaded it from my Garmin yet. That will come later, after tomorrow when I have some time. Tomorrow will be all flat and easier, do the workout portion and get some time on the bike.

At the end, a car slowly rolls up to me and I look over, its Christine! I had been on the bike almost two hours and it was good to see her. She surprised me. She had gone to the salon for what women got to salons for. When I got home, we got ready and went to the beach. It was nice to sit and do nothing for a while. We just hung out and didn't get home till after 6 PM. While we were out, I got a call from my "salty" friend Mark Bennett. I use the term salty in jest. He told me about his blog. He thinks that the Hotter 'N Hell is going to be his coming out party. I just want him to ride and learn what it feels like to be ridden off of someone's wheel. I have added his link to the list. I wish him well in his preparation. But as I have learned, nothing replaces time on the bike and having done it before. I hope to ride several more events before August. I am already registered for the Conejo Valley Century and the STP Double Plus Century. I might ride one more before then.

Adjustments

In Texas, once outside of 1604, there was very little traffic to contend with and worry about. Getting up scenic loop, out upper Balcones, hitting 211, or out to Castroville, not too many cars. Simi is a bit different. I am never alone it seems. Cars, buses, trucks, motorcycles come whizzing by all of the time. I am starting to get used to it. At least it is flat for the most part and I can get some speed and really prepare for flat courses. Something that did not really happen in the hill country.

Tonight was another 95 minutes on the bike for a little over 24 miles. I did a muscle tension workout, 4 x 5 minutes with 2 minutes rest. The hills were not bad. My heart was racing for the last 2 minutes of each, hitting about 160 bpm. I averaged 142 bpm. I think this is partly due to the cold. I am glad I have some cold weather gear or I would not be making it. I need the ride. I seem to find so much clarity when I am done. Cycling also removes a lot of agression. This is good.

Work is progressing well. I was assigned to read a book about weaknesses. It was called The Five Temptations of a CEO. I liked it. The temptations are choosing status over results, choosing popularity over accountability, choosing certainty over clarity, choosing harmony over productive conflict, and choose invulnerability over trust. It is a good read. I am learning a bunch about the business. The difficulty lies in not having responsibility. I want to jump in and push, making things happen or start to make things happen. I just need to remain patient and continue to seek ways to learn more and ask the right questions. All in time.

And by the way....GO STEELERS!!

On the road again..

Tonight started the training in earnest. I have been taking it easy for the last two weeks, not riding a lot, just enjoying the time and family. There are some rides in early April that I want to do. They are hilly rides so I need to get ready and lose some pounds. Bicycling magazine is helping me get prepared. I am riding the crush it century plan. Tonight was the 90 minutes of fun with 20 minutes of tempo. It went well. The streets of Simi are not bad. The only tricky part is the railroad tracks. They are too close to cars and at an angle. Otherwise, it is a good ride from one side to another, all told 23 miles.

Sitting here in my Steelers jersey, I am excited for Sunday's game. It will need to take a great game again from the team to win. Let's see the Steeler Nation rise up and support this team.

All in all, Milgard is going well. A lot to learn and a lot of work to do to get up to speed. Challenges abound but solutions are available.

Euphoria Monday

Can you believe it? They did it! Big Ben and the Steel Curtain took it to the indoor playing wimps from Indy. It is going to be a tough game at Mile High but it will be fun to play yet another week. Can we hope that big Jake "the Snake" Plummer will choke in his first big game? Can the Steelers play another complete game? All will be known come Sunday afternoon. Let's go Steelers!!

The first step of the journey

It is said that the journey starts with a single step. I think I am ready to talk about my first step to Cali. I got up Sunday morning, intent on packing the car and getting gone by 9 AM. It didn't go that way. It was hard to focus and think about all that I should take and all that I had to do. This is evident also by how much I forgot to bring with me.

The time that I spent in Texas was special for several reasons. Having lived the most number of years of my life in Texas, it was a sort of homecoming for me. It felt like home and because of that I think I tried harder. Tried harder to accept myself and my faults as well as trust. I got lucky and found a couple of friends that made me feel comfortable. It had been since Germany in high school that I had trusted friends like this.

I wanted to stay in Texas. But life calls us in different directions. I was called West. I know I have been called here and to go down this path. This doesn't make it any easier. It is noon. I am standing in the garage that Sunday. The car is packed and ready to go and my shoes feel like cement bricks. I don't want to leave but I know I must. I cried for the first time in many years. Leaving doesn't mean that friendship is lost. It just means that I can't call Jens up on Thursday night and say, "how about Saturday, we riding?" or hang out watching football or playing cards. Or complain to Mark about the unethical actions of our boss or talk smack about whatever. Or all of the other things that made it all work and brought a lot of happiness. Even now, after over a week in Cali, I miss the Lone Star State. I miss the interaction with my friends. August will come but maybe not soon enough!

Keep riding or suffer the pain!

It has been a long road...

It has been a busy week plus. I have been busy riding and moving the last few days. My last rides in Texas were 30 and 55. They were great rides for several reasons. The rides were with good friends, in fact, my best friends and over my favorite routes. The last day was most memorable. I did a 211 with Jens. It was cold but a good ride. That ride has all you ever want in a ride, rollers, long hills, flats, and speed. It works cardio and strengthens the legs. It was good to be out with Jens, just cruising along and riding hard. The second to last hill, the long one, he caught me. The week of riding just caught me and I had to push through it all.

After that, I got back to Roger Solers in Helotes and rode another hour or so with Mark. We rode up Scenic Loop and almost to Cielo Vista. We turned around and went back down and cruised around Helotes. It was good to be out with him on his first real ride. It will be interesting to see the HH100 in August and how he does. It will be fun. Between him, Jens, and myself, we should be able to set a good pace for the 100 miles.

Cally has been busy. I only got to get out a couple of times this week. Starting a new job is always hard. With all that has been going on, I was lucky to get out at all. The first week has went well and I have a bunch more to learn. Simi is beautiful and clean. It was a great ride on Saturday. I got out for two hours and rode the hills. The air was crisp and the ride tough. I am looking forward to getting to know the area and the rides around here. There are plenty I am sure.

Finally, the boys got it done today! The Steelers went into Cincy and took care of business. It will be good to bask in the warmth of a playoff victory for a week. Indy will be tough, especially in Indy, in the dome.

It is good to be settled in and getting organized. Go Pittsburgh!!