Funny Bumper Sticker

In the spirit of election season, just thought to share a funny bumper sticker I saw a few days.

Nice!

On another note, while I was in Bosnia (without sniper bullets raining down on me), Monica's boyfriend and wife came to visit us, we had to "assign" volunteers to go meet and eat with them.

Coming up at the half

It was not a day to ride outside. In fact, it wasn't a week to ride outside. There has been lots of rain and snow, not good conditions to ride in. I got up this morning to 35 degrees and wet. I have learned to ride in the wet or the cold. But the wet and the cold mixed just doesn't work for me. I did get in over six hours on the bike this week, two of them today. Monday was painful (see the post) but Wednesday on the rode was all business. All the rest was in the garage.

Today I rode with a couple of my favorites - Joshua Tree and Chris. I rode the first hour plus to U2 and then did an hour with Chris Carmichael. I have not sweated like this for a while but it felt good. In 2006, I had downloaded the Do the Tour at Home from the CTS website but didn't have an IPOD to do the workout. So I hit one of the four I have. It was fun and a good workout.

This last week, one of the C's sisters was here hanging out. It was a fun week and I am glad she came. Until I see ya on the road....and don't forget to sign the petition - http://www.letleviride.com/.

Sign the Petition

Visit this website and electronically sign the petition so that Levi and Team Astana can ride in this summer's Tour de France.

http://www.letleviride.com/

Let's let our voices be heard!!

And my knees are shaking too...

After riding five days straight, I was feeling good. I did not ride or do anything of consequence on Sunday, letting my legs rest. I got on the bike last night for a nice spin to find some very uncooperative legs, not wanting to do anything. It was like the shop steward told the union boys to have a work slow down. I rode for 15 miles, a little less than an hour. I was going to torture the legs a bit more just like a good manager but I got a flat. Luckily it was only a few tenths of a mile from home. I limped in and called it good. I understand now a bit better why the day after a rest day in a major tour is so difficult and dangerous.

As I did, I thought of Lance and pain. I wrote a few weeks ago about why I ride and in searching for a picture about pain, I found this quote from a page 2 article about Lance. "He discovered early that he could smother psychic pain with the real pain of long-distance swimming, running, cycling. That pain was self-inflicted yet comforting because he controlled it." Exactly - I like it because I can control the pain. I decide and no one else.

After getting home, the kids and I went to the courts were I taught C Jr. and Little Mouth how to do proper lay ups. Afterwards, I got beat for the first time by Little Mouth. In my competitive nature, we played the best two out of three and I ended up winning in a skunk and 21 - 17 to take two. I'll say this, the mouth has an outside shot. If he could learn to hit consistent lay ups, I am in trouble.

15 more on the road to the seventh week of 100+ miles. I am addicted and it feels good.

Addiction

In a recent conversation with the C, we spoke of my time spent riding on the bike. I was pressed and pressed and finally realized that I have a problem.

Addiction is defined as the condition of being habitually or compulsively occupied with or or involved in something. Alcoholics Anonymous developed and used a twelve step program. The twelve-step program is a set of guiding principles for recovery from addictive, compulsive, or other behavioral problems (taken from www.wikipedia.com).

I am an addict. I need help so I have started these twelve steps.

I have modified the twelve steps for me and my addiction.
1. I admit I am powerless over riding my bike—that my life has become unmanageable.
2. I have come to believe that a Power greater than myself could restore me to sanity.
3. I have made a decision to turn my will and my life over to the care of God.
4. I have made a searching and fearless moral inventory of myself.
5. I have admitted to God, to myself, and to the C the exact nature of my wrongs.
6. I am entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. I humbly ask Him to remove my obsession with sitting on a bike for hours.
8. I have made a list of all persons I have harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. I have made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. I Continue to take personal inventory and when I am taken by furvor to ride, I promptly admit it.
11. I have sought through prayer and meditation to improve my relationship with God.
12. I am having a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, I am trying to carry this message to all bikaholics, and to practice these principles in all my affairs.

Here, openly I am admitting I have a problem. I am an addict to cycling.

Can I get a witness? Or maybe a sponsor would be better and more appropriate?

By the way, see ya on the road.

March Madness

Yes - it is tournament time. It is fun to watch all of the games, check your bracket, see the cinderella's dance, jump up at the incredible shots, and scream after the gravity defying dunks. With all that said, my March has had a different theme to its madness - all about the riding. I have been putting in the time on the bike, prepping for this summer's STP. I rode five straight days this week, totaling 7 hours on the bike, worth 125 miles. That makes six straight weeks of over 100 miles and over 1K miles for the year - definitely hitting my goal of riding more this year than last. The weight is slowly coming off as well but I am skeptical about getting below 200. We'll see how it works out.

Today's ride was a solid 43 miles where I was able to push hard for almost 2 1/2 hours on the bike. At Solvang, my legs were a concern. The last two days as I have hit some hills and pushed, I can feel the legs are getting stronger and I am not running out of juice. I would have rode longer today but I didn't get out till noon. I believe that riding consecutive days helps to build my legs strength and endurance. The thought is to build a strong base and build to the STP to make it as easy as possible. I am thinking 12 hours total time this year. We'll see.

It was a busy Saturday. Craig, Colin, and I cleaned the church; we got there at 7 AM. Then I went to the Stake Center to watch Christine and Cassie play basketball by 9 AM. After, we had a YM's game with only one young man, Cassie, Christine, and I playing. By the time I got home and ready to ride, it was noon. I didn't want to stay out too long - I need that balance with home so I cut it short. We then attended a baptism in our ward. Then, the C and I went out to eat and hang out for a little while, coming home to watch the last bit of the UCLA/TA&M game. Time to take a breath.

See you on the road.

Solvang - Today was a good day...

As Ice Cube once spoke, " I gotta say, today was a good day, momma cooked a breakfast with no hog..."

The day started much like last year's ride with some fog and 50 degree weather. The difference is that I learned from last year what to wear early in the day so that I did not overheat late in the day - leg warmers, arm warmers, and toe covers. All items that can be easily removed and stowed as the day got warmer. I thought I lost Pops at mile two. All I heard was "my glasses are fogging up." Next time I looked back, nothing and nobody. I rode easy for a few miles and no Pops so I put the hammer down until about mile 27 when he called me. I waited for a couple minutes and he showed up. We rode together for a few miles and then again, we parted ways. This time, I didn't hear from him or see him again till he finished.

I felt good riding and again, learning from last year, I tried real hard to stay out of the red zone. It payed off later in the day. It is real tempting early when your feeling good to kick culos on the hills when everyone else is crying. I didn't give in. I stayed inside myself and just rode. The section along the coast really was difficult. the wind was whipping up something fierce but I got lucky and jumped on the back of a fast train. As I rolled up to the back of the 'burb, I noticed that I had finished the first 50 in a faster than expected time - a good omen. Mom hooked me up with some Gatorade, some food, and a lot of encouragement. My sister called while I was there as well, giving us the scoop on Pops. He was ten miles back with the wind to deal with - not going to be fun for him. I dumped all the extra clothing and continued on. Next thing I know, I am crossing the 101 where I bonked last year and got dropped by JD. I felt better this year at this point but was starting to suffer. Maybe it was the pain of knowing the worst of the course was yet to come.

I made it nicely to the rest stop at mile 70. It took me a minute to notice that I had sat in some ants but luckily, I didn't any in my pants or sustain a bite. A guy asks me, " do you feel like you look, like after riding 70 miles?" I responded, "yeah, like 70 miles in March!" I was suffering a bit but not the usual emotion pain I experience on long rides. The suffering was all in the legs - cardio was good but legs need some work. After riding the next 12 miles, knowing the big climbs were coming, I pulled over at a nice fence with some shade and took a break for about 5 minutes to recoup and regroup. This paid dividends as I got up the first hill nicely, rolled down the backside at 30+ MPH, up the next climb, rolled down the backside at almost 50 MPH (the GPS said it was 48.2), up the last climb, and into the finish line. I hit the line at just a hair over 6 hours on the bike - 21 minutes better than last year. The overall time was almost an hour better. I worked my plan and it paid dividends - ride to 50, refuel and then bring it home. Although I didn't ride the second 50 straight through, I did what worked.

Keys to success: nothing can replace time on the bike. The work I did leading up to the ride was invaluable. Learning for last year, knowing the course, great support, eating right - no gels this year, only bananas and bagels, and a supportive family and loving wife. I appreciate all C does for me, even rolling out the red carpet for me.

Final note: I missed riding with JD. It is always good to look up, back, or to the side and see a familiar face. I spilled some Gatorade on the asphalt for you at mile 70 and thought of last year, when I rode by the rest stop at 90 where I finally caught up with you. STP - here we come.

Shine, Rain, Shine, Rain, Shine, Rain, Shine

All I needed was a half century on Saturday to get in my third week of 100+ miles. The weather had been nice all week long. I got out on Monday night - did Coral Creek twice, getting back in after dark. Wednesday was the garage and basketball. Thursday, I did a mini-crit around the neighborhood - 30 minutes of riding a 6/10ths of a mile circuit. I did 12 laps, 4 of them with Craig, Cassie, or Colin riding along. On Friday, I had plans on riding 25. I left work early to be sure to get some sun but the sun turned to rain so I sat in the garage for an hour. My reasoning was if I am going to suffer in the rain, once a week is enough.

My parents stopped in Friday night on their way to Solvang. My dad and I got my bike in the travel case, talked about riding, and did nothing. Saturday morning, they got up and took off, headed towards better weather. They called me yesterday afternoon, saying it was 56 degrees and sunny in NoCal. I can hear the Gin Blossoms singing in the background, "Hey jealousy, jealousy..." I'll be there Friday.

Saturday morning started out rainy but at 9 AM when I got on the bike it was marvelous. The sun was out, it was a warm 45 degreees but in the sun it was much warmer. I headed South and into the rain. By mile 4 I knew it was going to be a painful outing. There was going to be wind in my face all the way till I turned around. Nothing like a cold rain and a cold wind to motivate. At that point that I was contemplating turning back early and sitting in the garage for the balance of the miles, the sun came out and warmed me up so I kept going. I can deal with the wind, the rain is different. The sun only last twenty minutes or so - long enough to begin sweating again and change my mind to stay on the road. I didn't see the sun again for an hour. When it peaked back out, it was on the way back and I am sustaining 21+ MPH and rolling strong back towards Newberg. Getting back to Newberg, I decided to do a lap around the town and then ended up doing a few laps around the neighborhood to get to the half century, back in the rain again. When I stopped, my bike looked like I had been out on the cyclecross track with all the mud and road debris. Cool! While I am cleaning the bike up, here comes the sun again as if to say, good job.

All told for the week, 101 miles of varying fun on the bike. I am ready for Solvang - definitely better prepared than last year. In looking at last year, I rode only 46 miles the week before. This was the most miles ridden in a week leading up to Solvang.

Today I had to recuperate with a three hour nap. With family, work, church, and riding, I was tired. I'll be better this week as I do a couple rides to keep the legs fresh. I am looking forward to the ride - just will be missing JD, especially in the last 20 with all of the hills. I let y'all know how it goes next Sunday night as I blog from SoCal.