2009 in review

All of us well know that the economy has been less than stellar this last year but my year on the bike has been a good one. In fact, it was my best one yet. There were several key goals that I had put for myself that I was finally able to accomplish - a sub 5 hour century, STP in less than 12 total hours, a gold medal at the Tour of Tucson, and upgrading my bike to have Dura Ace components and Mavic wheels.

I was able to ride 400 more miles than last year, totaling 5,750 miles, 343 hours, spread across 176 rides - 7 rides greater than 100 miles, 33 rides more than 50 miles. My wheels took a West Coast sweep, hitting the pavement in California, Oregon, Washington, and Arizona and I spent some time on an exercise bike in Illnois.

There were some magnificent rides along the way that made all the miles so enjoyable. Solvang with my Pops and Jens and then down the PCH with Jens, the hills of Ramona (Thanks Bob!), STP without rain with Mark pulling me home, Bald Peak with Craig, doing the 50 miler with Craig and then again with the Scouts, cruising the Vine Ride with Glenn, riding in all different types of weather and temperatures and many others but the top pick, Friday before the STP with Christine. Granted, the topper wasn't a ride but it was related to a ride.

Cycling again this year has given me not only a hobby, health, and sanity, it has been a vehicle to reconnect with family and friends. I really appreciate my family, especially Christine, for the patience and support of my passion (laundry, the "could you get me _____ please for my ride" calls, early morning alarm clocks, food, etc.). I could not have done all this without the help.

I don't know what is in store for 2010. I hope to ride STP again, the Mt. Shasta Challenge, the Vine Ride, and the Tour of Tucson. As with most of us, the economy will dictate the rides I do this year again. What I do know is that my Ferrari red Specialized Tarmac will be out and about in Yamhill and Washington counties.

See you on the road....

Rainbow

Last Saturday morning I saw one of the coolest things. It had rained most of the night and had let up but the rain was definitely coming back. One one side of the valley, the sun was coming up in clouds, then there was a break in the clouds, and on the other side of the valley was the incoming clouds. The sun was highlighting the top portion of the clouds on the opposite side of the valley, making a golden white back drop for a rainbow. The rain bow appeared to rest on an unhighlighted, dark blue and purple, hand shaped cloud. Wow! I was able to enjoy this scene for several miles. It warm my heart on a cold and wet ride.

Another reason to ride, the incredible cloud sights.

Letter to the Editor

I wrote a letter to the editor at Bicycling magazine. Here is my note:

A few months ago I read the article "Peak Twice" by Michael Frank. I laughed when he suggested to take a week off the bike to have a stronger second season. Two weeks ago when I was out on a long Saturday ride and my legs were dead, Mike's words rang in my ears - take the week off. I did just that. I went to water polo games, soccer games, watched some football, and did almost nothing with the bike except apologize to the bike as it hung on the wall in the garage. When I got back on the bike tonight for the first time in 10 days, I felt excited just like a spring ride after a long, indoor winter but with the beauty of fall colors. Thanks Mike for the tip.

Maybe I'll get the free tools - then again, maybe not.

Zero and Water Polo

As I sat and rode my 65 miles last Saturday through the cold and the rain, my legs where heavy and not responsive. I usually get out and hit it hard for the first 90minutes, really pushing the pace. Then I take a 15-20 minutes lesser intensity break and then go back at it again for another 90. The was no pop in the legs. I just rode. My mind went back to an article I read in Bicycling Magazine a few months ago about taking a midseason break to restart motivation and fitness. I shrugged it off and kept going.

On Monday, I had planned on getting back on the bike. I get a call from Christine asking about my plans after work. Cassie had a game. I decided to heed the article's advice and take a week off. I went to Cassie's game and watched her team win. I went to her game again on Wednesday night and watched them win again. Christine and I traveled to Modesto and have enjoyed watching her compete and play in the Western States Invitational. Special thanks to my parents for watching the boys as we have been out of town. Supporting Cassie is important to us and being in Modesto is part of that support process. While we were here, we took advantage of being in Cali - like the sun and the food.
Nothing like a Double/Double with cheese animal style, side of fries, and a strawberry shake!

As I got up on Saturday, I could feel the body start to get that desire back, that need to ride. The week off the bike has proven to be a good thing mentally and physically plus I got to watch my daughter compete. It is all good. On Monday, I start getting ready for TdTucson in earnest.

Joy in Suffering

Would you ride if there were no hills?

A few days ago, my boss and I were talking about cycling in the area and how we appreciated the variety of routes that the area provided - rolling hills, steep short climbs, long climbs, flats, and all this in a wide variety of weather. He asked me if I'd continue to ride if there were no hills. He stated that when he moved to Ohio, he stopped because there were no hills and cycling became just pedaling with little challenge. I told him that I didn't know, there is a joy in suffering that comes from sitting on a long climb. There is something almost spiritual about sitting on a long climb. There is a peace and calm that comes when you start to suffer and know that it won't be over anytime soon.

Usually my mind begins to wander at first, thinking such things as - you've got to be serious, are you a moron, why do you punish yourself in this way, didn't we come up this hill a few days ago, you'r going to suffer bad today, can we only go halfway up, can we go at half pace this time - as if the mind is going through the various stages of grief until it realizes that the body is not relenting. The rhythm of the pedals calms down the thoughts and the mind gets focused. At some point, it all goes silent in the control room. All I hear then is the deep rythmic breathing, the turning of the pedals, the chain running against the cogs, the tires rolling against the pavement - I realize that it is me, the bike, and the road - Peace!

Would I stop riding if there were no hills? If I could find something challenging to movtivate me to get on the bike - sure I would continue to ride but I'd have to spend the time and the miles on the bike to find the hills. There is a joy in the suffering.

40 in 41

The weather is turning. Last Saturday was 60's, I got up today to ride before Conference and it was 41 degrees - this is OMG cold! Even so, I got on the bike and rode 40, making it 6 1/2 hours on the bike for the week and on track for getting ready for TdT in November.

I rode on a road today that I had not been on before. I found it on the Bicycling website. I had ridden by the road many times and a few times wondered where it went but never put my wheels on it. I had limited time so I figured to try it out since it fit in with my schedule. It was about a 4 mile loop off of the 240 and ties back in with Laughlin road. It is a nice climb for the first 2 1/2 miles. On the climb, I saw three raccoons scurring up the side of the road and then across it. Further up the road I saw several small groups of deer, nibling on leaves before jumping into the trees as I approached. As I crested the top of the climb, I looked to my left and was overcome with the beauty of the scene below. Here I was climbing through this tree lined road creating a tunnel, the leaves in varying colors of green, yellow, and orange. At the top, it opened up so that I could see the valley floor, covered in brilliant white low clouds as the sun was sending rays through breaks in the higher clouds. These rays highlighting greener sides of the hills with the higher clouds painted with blues, reds, pinks, and whites. Magnificent!

As I rode down the hill, I began to feel my legs as I started to get cold. I forgot that at about 1 1/2, the cold starts to creep in and the legs start to become uncooperative. This was the case today as I pushed through the cold the last 45 minutes. Although my body was physically growing colder, my soul and heart was warmed by the beauty I beheld. Even now, several hours later, it continues to warm. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to be there.

Samurai Mike speaks...

Here’s a quote I found while reading about the 49ers. Samurai Mike says, “Greatness is not about someone who has the ability to be great. Greatness shows up when someone might not have that ability but finds a way to succeed. They outwork their opponents, they outhit their opponents, they outfight their opponents. They want it more. Don’t give me a guy who’s supposed to be all-world and you’ve got to try to talk him into something. Give me the guy who has maybe just enough talent to be on the field but thinks he’s great, and who’s willing to do whatever he can do to contribute to make his team better.”

From SI, 9/28/2009, p. 56

Success!

The happy bikers relaxing on the front lawn after a good day on the bike. They laid here for over an hour, just gabbing and not moving.

Pics #12, #13, & #14 - me on the bike

Pic #9, #10, & #11 - Jedi Craig & Corbin cutting off mail boxes

Pic #7 & #8 - Craig's friend Corbin

Pic #4, #5, & #6 - On the road with Craig

Pic #3

Haag Lake - the water level is low this time of the year, waiting for the rain. There were a lot of folks out on the lake fishing and on the shores fishing.

Pic #1 & #2

Craig and Corbin at the halfway mark - still full of energy, having just ate a bunch of food.

Another 50 with Craig

We rode another 50 miler today. The difference was this was with the whole troop, not just me and Craig. Lucky for us, I got the "faster" boys - Craig and his friend, Corbin. Craig did better than the other rides. He was still "racing" me up the hills at miles 35 and 44, pushing me to work to pass him. There was no wimpering this time about legs aching from Craig. He was telling Corbin that it is part of the ride to suffer. Craig, the cagey old veteran, helping out the neophyte rider work through the pain.

I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed riding with them.

Tour de Tucson

Now that budget time is almost over here at work, the next big thing to hit is my Tour de Tucson ride in November. I took last week off of the bike - that's if you can call riding only 70 miles as time off. This week the intensity has picked up but I am limiting the total time on the bike at one sitting to 2 hours. As I look to the calendar, the plan is to ride 6-8 hours per week in September, with the max time on the bike at 2 hours. October will move the mark up to 8-10 hours per week with the max ride time at 4 hours. In November, I will hit it hard and heavy in the first two week with up to 12 hours on the bike and a few 6 hours of fun before tapering off the last two weeks before the ride.

By doing this, I feel I will be ready to knock out 5 1/2 hours for the 109 miles. The last time, we hit 7 hours total time. I stopped too many times and the pancakes did me in at mile 70. The plan is to get out and get busy, not stopping til Brooklyn or other bladder related issues arise.

I am pumped to be on the bike in the sun. The last few days have been nice and warmer, allowing me to get loose earlier and put in some good times. I have hit under 30 minute 10 mile splits multiple times this last week. The legs are feeling good. The rest has helped as well.

Time to get back to my budget practice.

Pruning

I have gone most of my life avoiding participating in Special Musical Numbers at church. This all changed this last Sunday. My wife and the ward music director finally figured it out and asked me to do a "Music and the Spoken Word" number. I had to find the text and the C would play the piano. In essence, I'd get up and just talk - and I got real nervous before hand. I couldn't understand why since I talk in front of groups all the time. So I got up, introduced the special manner in which my wife and I would do the Special Musical Number. It was a big hit. The young men even gave me a thumbs up. Who knows, maybe I'll inspire others to explore their non-musical, musical talents. I really like the text. It is from the program "Music and the Spoken Word" as found at this website - http://www.musicandthespokenword.com. I read this while Christine played "I Need Thee Every Hour."

Pruning Season

Gardeners know that pruning is one of the best things you can do for your plants, if it’s done the right way. Plants and trees may need to be pruned to remove diseased or damaged branches or to ensure that nutrients from the roots go to producing fruit. Too much pruning, however, can harm or even kill a plant. The gardener must use care and caution to get it just right.

If trees could speak, perhaps they would wonder why it is necessary to prune their branches. They may even complain that pruning is painful or that it stunts their growth. Why not just leave them alone? But eventually it becomes clear that the pruning has made the plant stronger, healthier, and more productive.

In a way, people are like trees. We too can benefit from occasionally examining ourselves and pruning a few things from our lives. Are we holding on to a grudge or resentments that need to be taken out of our soul? Do we think some things about ourselves or others that are negative or limiting that could be removed? Do we harbor in our heart some habits or feelings that we would be better off pruning from our lives?

We resist pruning, at times, because it can be painful. It’s not always easy to look deeply at our lives and question who we really are and what our life is really about. But we begin to feel the benefits almost immediately. When we shed our burdens through appropriate pruning, we actually feel lighter and freer, and we allow life’s sunlight to shine on us more fully. Over time, we find we are more able to give and receive love, more compassionate toward ourselves and others, and we see for ourselves that this pruning, this refining, really is one of the best things we can do.

Craig's 1st 50

Today was an early day - I got up at 4:40 AM to go for a ride at 5:30 AM since I had a 7:30 AM meeting with the Bishop. While getting ready, I got to catch some of stage 20. The entire stage, 100+ miles of nothing but up. Granted, there was some descending but very little. The stage profile offered a bit of inspiration as Rob asked me, "So where we going today?" All I could think about was "up!". So we headed up to Bald Peak - 52 minutes later we were at the top. I felt the climb as I was paying for riding up Bell Road yesterday after work. I had never been up Bell Road from the 99. It was 2 miles of up, averaging probably 10% - pain, more pain, and well, pain. I got up the climb but paid for it this morning on the way to Bald Peak. I was able to stay with Rob but it was painful.

After the meeting with the Bishop, Craig and I got ready and headed out to ride his 50 miler to complete the cycling merit badge for him. We rolled out North Valley Road to Gaston, Cornelius, Forrest Grove to the Hagg Lake store. Craig was doing an excellent ride as we averaged 15 MPH. We got some lunch at the store and rested for a couple minutes, and then headed back to Newberg. Craig did his part pulling and keeping up. I thought he would start to ease up about mile 35. It never happened. On the rollers on North Valley as we were coming back in, he was pulling hard on the up. In fact, pulling so hard that I had to work to keep up with him. On one of them, I had to get out of the saddle and give it the gas or I would have been dropped. I could hear Phil Liggett in my head screaming, "And there goes Beecher! Beecher has cracked! He couldn't take the acceleration of Craigus and so he's off the back." I wasn't having any of that so I quickly jumped back on his wheel, wondering if he noticed that he was putting me into the red zone. No excuses but I was feeling Bell Road and Bald Peak. Just like a predator that smells weakness, Craigus was kicking it in. The mini-Pain Train was taking it's maiden voyage and I was it's first passenger! Wow! Doing this was not only rewarding but fun and made a dad proud. We hit 50 miles at 3 hours 20 minutes. I wonder how I did my first 50 that Christmas Day back in 2004. I rode out Bandera Road and suffered that day. I remember the suffering, just not the time. Anyway, Craig did well. I hope this has sparked his interest in cycling and we can continue to ride together. Well see. For now, Congrats to Craig for riding his first half century.

All told for the week, over 130 miles. I have my eye on the Tour de Tucson in November and making sure I can get in the miles. The intensity of the training has been ratched back a few notches as I try to get in some good base miles again.

Twitter vs. Facebook

I have been tweeting for a while now. Actually since I learned that Lance and other professional cyclist use it to communicate with their fans, I signed up and have been following them ever since. At the same time, the rest of my family had been doing facebook. So I decided to try it out.

So what have I learned - Twitter is easier than Facebook and easier to control content. The ability to post content is the same for both applications. If you can get over all of the Twitter lingo and the slightly less social nature of Twitter, you'd find that it is a fun application.

On Twitter, you tweet. On facebook, you share - advantage Twitter.
On Twitter, easy to post pictures and through various means. Same on FB - Wash

Okay, enough. I just like Twitter better but will do both since most of my friends are on FB.

Until all have been converted, happy Facebooking.

STP 2009 Recap

I am struggling on where to start. This year's edition of the STP was so satifying on many levels. Several things were different that made the ride sweeter than usual - the day before with Christine, the extreme knee pain the few days before the ride, the many miles before the ride in preparation, almost hitting my total time goal, and reaching a goal that I had set long ago and never achieved - only a pull by JD could have made it better. Let me explain.

On Monday, I woke up barely able to walk. My left knee was extremely tender and tight. I had trouble walking down stairs and putting any weight on my knee. Being a typical male, I convinced myself it was better not to go see a doctor so I spit on my hands, grabbed a handful of dirt, and rubbed it on my knee and decided it was good enough first aid. All I needed was time. Tuesday was only marginally better but at least I started to ice the knee and take some motrin. Wednesday was better and I even got in a short ride that seemed to help. Thursday was almost back to normal and I felt good on the bike Thursday night. I was able to get both my body and my mind back and all it took was a bit of spit, dirt, and time.

Friday was a nice slow day. I got up early (4:30 AM) to take Cassie to the pool for a swim meet trip to Moses Lake, WA. I got home by 5 AM to see the start of stage 7, up the Arcalis. It was so exciting I feel asleep until the decisive climb as was able to see all of the excitement and attacks. We left around 10 AM, just the C and I heading towards Seattle. About Vancouver, I realized that I had left my registration packet with numbers at home. Luckily the C thinks fast and reminded me that friends were coming up and to give them a call. Bingo, Craig was able to walk the packet down the street and we saved two hours of driving and a potentially day changing event. We stopped for lunch just South of Tacoma, got to the hotel in Seattle, and unloaded. We hung out in the room for a little bit, deciding what the rest of the day was going to look like. We got our bearings and a list of places to go within walking distance of the hotel. We spent the next few hours just wandering around the U district. We found this great little Italian restaurant and said a nice dinner. We got back to the hotel and relaxed. I got in bed around 8 PM - a record for the night before the STP for me. To spend a day just hanging out with the one you love the most - priceless.

The morning of the ride started about 3:45 AM with the usual bagel, yogurt, and banana. At a little bit before the ride start, I met up with Mark and Ben and we headed out with the first group. The first ten miles was the usual - tense, avoiding crashes, rough roads, but the beautiful view of Lake Washington as the sun comes up. The first 100 miles was fast. We got on a few pacelines, led out a few pacelines, and rolled into Centralia in less than 5 hours (4 hrs 51 minutes was the actual time). In looking at the GPS data, all the ten mile splits after the first 10 miles were above 20 MPH. I have talked about doing a century in less than 5 hours and I finally did it with the help of quite a few other people.

The second century was little more difficult. We picked up a head wind the last 85 miles or so that made the going touch. I probably overexerted myself the first 100 and paid for it on the second. We had a SAG that was a big help. We'd call and say what we needed, a few miles up the road there they were waiting for us. No big rest stop to go into and wade through the other riders. We'd eat, refill, and go - wasting little time getting back onto the road. The Brady's were a big help on the road and I appreciated it greatly. The coke at mile 152 was huge. The last 30 miles into Portland was tough. Ben had rode on. He has a will like few people I know. Mark and I slugged it out together the final 30, taking turns at the front, pulling each other home. As we went over the 200 mile mark, I thanked him for the help. I could not have done it alone. We hit the line 12 hours and 5 minutes after we started, missing the mark by 5 minutes. It's all good. It was 75 minutes better than last year and my best STP finishing time yet - awesome and incredible. We had a plan and worked the plan - the prep, the SAG, the ride. Granted, there are always ways to improve and we will but this was the best for me yet.

Thanks to all who helped with this year's STP - it was memorable. Put it on your calendar's for next year's edition - July 10, 2010 (I believe).

STP Picture - 1

Crossing the finish line for the 4th time as a one day rider!

STP Picture - 2

Mark and I right after crossing the finish line.

STP Picture - 3

Just me and my dad after he finished his one day ride.

STP Picture - 4

The light saber boys - really just reflective pieces with a flash on the camera.

STP Pictures - 5

Picture with my dad, mom, Craig, and Colin.

Stage 7 Thoughts

The cycling press is hyping up stage 7 as the end all of stages to answer the Armstrong/Contador debate. After all, the answers will be found in the mountains. I feel that the answer will be found in the mountains, yes, but just not these mountains. With most of the more difficult miles still to come, it makes no sense that Astana would risk its overall position and the possibility of having one of its riders win the tour on stage 7. The pressure is on the other contenders to make the moves. All Astana, meaning Lance, Alberto, Levi, and Andreas, needs to do is mark the other contenders. Follow when needed and only work when it is clear that work needs to be done would be my war cry if I was Johann.

It is ridiculous to believe that there will be a show down tomorrow on the Arcalis climb between the two Astana riders when they are in the top three of the GC. If tomorrow was Stage 20 on the Ventoux, then the rhetoric would all be valid and worthwhile. Since it is not, it is merely words and what is the word velonews.com has been using lately, ah yes, polemics.

Stage 3 Thoughts

I read quite often about the Tour de France. Many journalists are all caught up in the Armstrong/Contador alleged controversy. I'd like to add a different perspective. For as much as I'd like to see Lance win the Tour for an 8th time, I believe that there are stronger cyclists on the Tour and this will play out in the mountains - the wheat will be sifted from the chaff if you will. Lance is a great champion but he doesn't have the legs of the 26 year olds. I feel that the break that happened today was allowed to happen by Alberto Contador. He was right there when the split happened. It happened right in front of him and he supposedly couldn't get back on the wheels of Columbia-HTC team. The plan for Astana is to confuse the peleton and the other team directors. It is a big Elle Fitzgerald. They will seem to be split or splitting, allowing the opponents to relax or over extended themselves. The goal of the team is to get Lance into yellow in the first half of the race. In the second half, Johann will unleash Alberto and surprise the rest of the teams. If Lance really is strong enough, then the tactics might change but I don't see this as being the case. Johann is a masterful tactician and he has a lot of experience on the team. Look for Astana to win the TTT tomorrow and put Lance in yellow for the 84th time.

It all is so fun to watch! Let's go Lance, Levi, and Alberto...

Loose ends

The TdF has started this weekend. It is inspiring to watch these guys ride. Incredible speed and bike handling abilities. I just wish the announcers would stop focusing on the Contador/Armstrong potential conflict. This type of talk just leads me to believe that they really don't understand stage racing or they do and are only doing what the show producers are pushing. One time I'd like Paul Sherwin or Phil Liggett say something to the effect that the producers are morons and then offer their real thoughts on the matter. Can you see it happening? Some English cliche and then the bomb drops. Anyway, what I feel is that the teams decide when the time arises who is the best and strongest rider to be the team leader. The team then gets behind that rider and does what is necessary to help them win. The real GC contenders don't come out and play until later in the race. They will all watch each other and the strongest rider will put his stamp on the race when the time is right. Much like Armstrong has done in his 7 victories, or as Sastre did last year on the Alpe, or as Contador did in 2007 by riding away from Rassmussen. As you can tell, I am excited for this tour. Armstrong is back and all the best riders in the world are on the stage. It will be a great tour!

As for me, all my riding and time on the bike comes due on Saturday for the 30th STP. This will be my fourth time and the plan is straight through in less than 12 hours. I have over 3200 miles already this year. The legs feel good and the mind is strong. It is time to ride. I feel ready. I have some loose ends to clean up this week to be ready - clean up the bike, new tires, lube the chain, and spend a great day Friday in Seattle with Christine. It will be a good ride. I'll miss hanging with JD but we'll get our opportunity in Tucson in November to show off.

Chicago

It has been an eventful week of fun in Chicago. After a 220+ mile week, I got on a flight Sunday morning and headed to Chicago for a week of Kaizen. It was a fun but, as all Kaizen events are, stressful week. The excitement was getting rained out on Tuesday night at Wrigley Field. We were at Captain Morgan's, waiting for a few more friends to show up when the lights went out on the field and the game was postponed till a future date not known as of yet. We could smell the hot dogs and nachos, caught a glimpse of the field, but couldn't convince the ticket taker to let us walk through to check it all out for just a moment. Since our car was land locked at the "park for a quarter" place, we headed to get a bite to eat. Since the "Cubbie Bear" was full, we headed around the corner to the "Salt & Pepper" diner. A nice place with loud music and an old fashion diner feel. By the way, the burger was awesome! People are everywhere, music is playing, we are talking to this 72 year old lifelong Cubbie fan, sitting right across the street from this sign. Absolutely priceless!

About the cycling, I spent almost 6 hours on the stationary bike in Chi-town. It was good to sit and spin after a long day. It was all high cadence work-real good for the spinning. It paid dividends on Saturday's ride as I kept the cadence high through out the ride and felt real strong. The legs were in good form Saturday but the body was tired - something about an 8 hour flight delay at O'Hare and getting home at 1:30 AM had something to do about that. It is good to be home and back together with the family and my bike.

Only a few more weeks till the STP. In fact, packet pickup is this Saturday. I am ready to ride!

A Horse is a horse, of course...

A funny thing happened the other day on the ride up Haugen road to work. The reason I ride this road is to get off of the busy highway 99. The only problem is that the animals come out and play. I have been chased by several dogs, seen deer, scared cats, avoided squirrels, and eaten insects on the way up this 2 mile climb.

Last week the wierdest thing happened. On the way up, Rob and I are talking and we look up and see this large white horse standing on the side of the road. Funny thing, it is standing in the same exact location that the dog was at a few weeks ago. We ride cautiously by, wondering what is this horse going to do. It had the crazy eye so I kind of clicked by tongue a few times as we passed by. Next thing we know is the horse is moving. It starts to follow us. It begins to trot after us. I am worried. I don't want to be ran over or bitten by a horse. I don't know what to do. I have never been chased by a horse before. So, I turn around and yell "Stop!" Lucky for us, it does and we continue up the climb. Wow! I think how interesting was that - a horse chased us. Just wanted to share that riding a bike has some exciting moments other than just riding.

Making Lemonade

It was an interesting week - I flew to Chicago on Monday and had a whirlwind trip, visiting the plant and a few areas around the plant. I did manage to get in a ride - 1.5 hours on the stationary bike. It was a good interval workout and I sweated pools of toxic waste. I left Chicago Wednesday afternoon and got back late. Thursday was an early ride up Haugen and into work. I had planned on a longer ride home on Thursday night but the weather was not cooperating. We had some high winds and heavy rains. The theme continued on Friday with adverse weather and no riding.

I was excited to get a note from a friend, asking if I wanted to ride with a group at 5:30 AM Saturday. I was in. At 5:30 AM on Saturday, the roads were still wet and it was misty out. Yet, the lemons were mounting and begging to be turned into lemonade. So, I headed out and met the group. We rode Haag Lake, Yamhill, Carlton, Lafayette, and back home for 72 miles in a bit over 4 hours. It was a solid ride. I rode on my Trek. After all the changes I have made to my Specialized, the Trek is noticeably heavier and the geometry distinctly different. The bike is not as responsive and the handling a bit sluggish. This is the difference between a race bike and a touring bike. Yet, it served me well on a bad weather day. The legs felt it and the muscle confusion was well worth it. In a little over a month, all this will pay off for me at the STP.

All told, a bit over 112 miles and almost 7 hours on the bike - a good week off. This coming week should be 5 days on the bike and near or exceed 200 miles.

Haag

This was a good week on the bike and more fun at work. We all spent Monday at OB12OLD's place, eating and riding. Craigus took another ride with us as part of his cycling merit badge requirements. We hit 15 miles and I asked him if he wanted to take on the 25 mile piece. He kindly declined the offer, stating the terrain was much too hilly. He'd complete the 25 miler back in Newberg and through the flat Willamette River valley. Touche! At least he is riding.

We also spent time watching the Giro. What a race this year! Incredible speeds, awesome climbs, awefully competitive, and scenic views of the country. The race was all that and a bag of chips. By watching the Giro, talking about it with Craig, and his little bit of riding, we might have given birth to another cycling fanatic in the family. Time will tell if we have been successful. He has since been on several more 15 mile rides and has a few more planned this week. Time...

As for me, four rides this week with mileage over 170. It was a good week on the bike. Monday was riding in Washington with Craigus and OB12OLD. Tuesday and Wednesday, due to me working in Tacoma, I did not ride. This made Thursday a ride after some rest. I felt great on Thursday. Haugen road was less challenging than usual and the ride home was a new route up to the green house and over Gibb cementary. The legs were in great form. Maybe it was all the protein from the food at the my parents home or maybe it was just the rest. All in all, Thursday and Friday I pushed hard up and over various climbs. By Saturday, I was feeling it but had a great tempo ride on Saturday, hitting my STP speed target over the four hours of riding. The ride was out to Cornelius, around Haag Lake, out to Yamhill, and back through the valley. I felt all the work today as I sat through church. It was a good feeling. This next week will be challenging to get it all in as I will be traveling again.

As I have increased my crank arm length, changed from a compact to normal crank, and ride with an 11-23 cassette, on climbs I have changed to a high cadence climbing style. It really keeps my legs fresher in the long run. Saturday's ride confirmed this as there was plenty of rollers and a few climbs to get up and over. By spinning at the higher cadence, at the 60 and 70 mile marks, I felt good. As a point of reference, at last week's century, we averaged 16.78 MPH. This week, I hit 18.2 MPH average. The combination of the century work last week and the hills this week, I am starting to "sharpen" the fitness. I can feel it getting better. STP is only a few weeks away.

Finally, I just wanted to send a shout out to JD who is heading towards Deutschland this week. May the road rise up to meet you and safe travels.

As heard on the bike...

During my ride, several concerned citizens (as Mark put it), slowed down and let us know exactly what we were doing wrong. I just love these concerned and caring people. The only thing is that they are wrong.

The first occasion was between Gaston and Yamhill. Mark and I were riding two abreast, talking and on the shoulder. The driver slowed down and while other drivers behind him honked, he yelled at us "single file, you have to ride single file." We just said thank you and waved and he went on his way.

The second occasion was between Lafayette and Dayton. The road had a painted white line but no real shoulder. We were riding single file at the time. The driver slowed down and shouted to us, "Hey, you can't ride a bike unless there is a shoulder. No shoulder, no bike ride. You can't ride here." Again, we thanked him and waved as he went on his way.

Finally, my neighbor across the street got stopped while riding in our neighborhood and told that he was riding too fast and had to slow down. Cars drive 25 mph in the neighborhood but a bike is too fast riding at 18 mph. Wow!

I will say that second to Cali, Oregon has some of the most bike friendly drivers - although misinformed and willing to show their ignorance - yet friendly and kind to cyclists.

Century

It has been good to be in town all this week. There is nothing like home sweet home. It was a good week on the bike - 4 days of riding, almost 12 hours, and 190+ miles. Monday and Tuesday were climbing, Wednesday was time trial and tempo, Thursday and Friday were rest days, and Saturday was a century with "Time to Bleed" Mark. The weather has been nice and today did not disappoint either. The sun was out and their was only a slight, cool breeze. What was really spectacular was the red clover. It was in full bloom. There were fields and fields of red. Wow!

My schedule gets hectic for the next month or so with traveling to other window locations. It will be tough to get the time in on the bike but I will figure it out. What is nice is that my focus will be changing here a few weeks to getting the speed up so the hotel bikes will work fine for doing just that. The STP is less than eight weeks away.

The last week of watching the Giro has been great. The stage 12 TT was amazing. The scenery was incredible and the riders really pushed themselves. It was nice to see Levi and Lance do well. Let's hope that this last week Levi can get aggresive and pull off the win. He's got a great team to help him. Let's go Levi! If you have a moment, check out Lance's videos from the Giro at www.livestrong.com. There are a few hilarious ones.

Tacoma

I spent all last week in Tacoma facilitating a Kaizen event, working with the team there to increase capacity on our energy efficient, insulated glass unit production line. The events are always different and have their own challenges. This event was unique since we had people from our three plants in the region. Through the team's efforts, our initial estimates is a 20% improvement. I think there is more there but the line needs to get used to the changes and the leaders need to step up and be leaders.

Enough about work - on to the riding. Although I was in the hotel all week, I still got in 5.5 hours during the week and a 3.25 hour ride in on Saturday. This was difficult to do since I was gone all week and it was our 17th anniversary. I really appreciate the C letting me spend some time on the bike with my dad. All in all, this was the most miles in a week for the year. It was a fast week. I spent a lot of time at threshold for extended periods of time. On Saturday, I felt great riding up on the hills and around Newberg. I would say that I am close to be ready for my 12 hour goal of STP. The legs feel strong and are getting stronger. I can relate to Lance in that he is riding himself into Tour shape. I am riding myself into STP shape. The hills, the rollers, the miles, and the time will all pay dividends in July. I hope to reach my goal, much like I hope Lance reaches his in July.

This week summary - 5 rides for a total of 170+ miles at almost 9 hours on the bike.

We spent Saturday night watching Cassie swim, putting on a show for us and putting up some of her best times. I was so excited for her and proud of her. This meant that she had been working hard in practice, pushing to get better, and it paid off for her. In the picture, she is the one in the lower left of the pool hanging on to the side, looking at the camera.
While Cassie was swimming, Craig was at a camporee. Out of 28 troops that attended, our troop came in 3rd. Craig said he had a great time doing all of the scout tasks and camping. At tonight's court of honor, Craig received his Star scout rank. He is 6 months from being a Life, one step from Eagle.
I am so blessed to have two such incredible and dedicated children - my heroes.

Numbness

When I first started riding, my right hand would go numb. In talking with a bunch of people, I came to believe that I needed more padding to help with the numbing. So I bought some gel gloves in hope that my numbness would go away. It did work to the extent that my hands took much longer to go numb - but they still went numb. For several years, I just thought I had to live with it and I did. I'd pound my hand against my leg every so often, keep changing my hand position, and continually stretch. Not all bad ideas to do on a long ride but the numbness was still bothering.

What I have found out lately is that less is better in my case. I have some padless, fingered gloves I began using in cold weather. I have noticed that my hands don't go numb when I wear them. On my two hour ride home on Friday, I didn't wear any gloves and I had no problem. Cool! So, if you have a numbness issue and haven't tried to ride with less, give it a shot and see what happens. You might just learn that it does the trick.

Riding was good this week - a year best total time riding for the week. It was a lot of time but a lot of time on the hills so the mileage was not as much. My view is that it is all about time on the bike and it will pay off later. On Saturday, I headed out early to ride a loop I outlined online. The gravel road proved to be awefully difficult as the back wheel would slip as I stood up and pushed. The first hill wasn't too bad, but the subsequent series were a difficult on the legs but good for them. Later, I rode with a few triathletes and we pushed 40 miles in about 2 hours. We had the hammer down a few times, pushing 25 - 27 MPH. I will say this, the combination of the climbing and the speed work, my legs were toast when I was done. It is good to be relaxing today.

Next week is time in Tacoma and anniversary Saturday.

Coral Creek

After not spending a lot of time on the bike this week, I was in need to relieve some stress on Wednesday night. On the drive home, there was a break in the weather so I got on the bike and headed to the hills. It was up Springbrook and up to Gibb Cementary, back down and out North Valley to Tangen. On the way around Newberg, I decided to hit Coral Creek. I just needed another hill to complete the ride. I've described Coral Creek before - it is a 5-6% hill at almost 2 miles - a good training hill. I headed up it with no intent on pushing, just trying to stay on top of the gear. Near the top, I looked down and noticed that I was on pace to match my best time of 9 minutes. At the top, 9 minutes but with so much less effort. I was amazed. Why you might ask? I think it is the changes to the bike as well as the increased miles.

I just love to ride my bike.

TV and Cycling

Just a quick note, while I was in Tacoma a few weeks ago, an early Saturday morning TV show came to our plant and filmed a spot about energy efficiency windows. I missed out being on TV since I was out of the office but Glenn, my boss, got to be on camera. I'd like to say he did an excellent job. Here is the link - http://www.fusionnw.com/thisweek.htm - check it out and see all the plant all stars that make the best vinyl window on the market.

On a cycling note, Levi takes the Tour de Gila with Team Mellow Johnny. It was fun reading and watching the videos from the event. The availability of information really makes you feel connected to the event. Cool stuff! This week starts the first of the Grand Tours - the 100th racing of the Giro de Italia starts on Saturday. Lance, Levi, Chris, , George, Dave, Christian, and other American cyclists will be there to ride. It should be a fun race to watch and with all the web access, it will be fun to be a part of.

The ride on Saturday was a tough one - a few hours of all out pushing after a week of riding hills. This is all part of the plan for the STP - to ride the hills during the week, gaining leg strength, and then riding rollers or flat on Saturday at near max effort for an extended period of time to get the speed I need. This Saturday was the near max effort over rollers. On the way out to Gaston, I was hitting 22 to 25 MPH. There was some wind pushing me so I thought, given the speed, that it would be a painful ride back into the wind. As I turned back South, trying to beat the downpour, the wind hit me in the face. I just got in the drops and kept the pedals turning over. I was amazed at the speed I was able to maintain coming back in - between 17 and 19 MPH. This is the benefit for riding hills for an extended period of time. The suffering lasts for a long time or at least till you get to the top of the hill. Some of the climbs are 30 to 45 minutes long so riding into the wind for that period of time was much the same. This was the good news from the ride. The bad was riding out in decent weather, sweating a bunch, and then the skies let loose and the temperature dropped quickly. I got real cold as I didn't have the right gear with me. I don't think I have been that cold before. After I got home, I sat in the hot shower for an extended period just trying to get my core temperature up. Luckily, I didn't get sick and will ride another day. All in all, a good week of riding. April was a good month, averaging 8 hours a week. The hours jump up to 10 this month. A little harder task but doable.

Until we meet on the road...

Turning over

Not much exciting news this week - I started riding to work again for the year. The first day, as you can see by my previous post, was an eventful one but all the others were turning over the pedals up and over various hills in the area. The only day off the bike was Friday. This last week I put in most rides and hours yet this year. It should be about the average for the rest of the month - all one week of it. Next month the time kicks up a little bit more as we start to be within 10 weeks of the STP.

Saturday Cassie rode a few hours with me. It is always good to spend time with the family on the bike. We get to talk and have a good time. Craig rode on Monday night with me and we will do that again tonight. This will be the third of 7 rides he needs for the cycling merit badge.

On a technical note, I have increased my crank arm length to 177.5. I can tell I am faster on the flats but as I have read, since I am a "masher", I generated a lot more torque and the longer crank arms benefit me. The times on the hills are better as well, but I feel this is due to the 11/23 cassette and not having any where else to go. I just try and stay on top of the gear. I do stand up more often as I am trying to develop the leg strength. I am not having any real issues after going from the 175 to the 177.5. I have read a whole bunch about it and am not, as of yet seeing any of the issues that have been presented - even after almost 500 miles with the long crank arms.

I am starting to get real curious about watts and watts/kg as a target. The problem is that watt meters are too expensive. Anyone with one laying around that they are not using, feel free to send it my way. I'll be sure to use it.

Triple C

Triple C could mean a lot of things - Chilly C Cycling, Cold Chill'in Chris, Canned Corn Cauliflower, and the list goes on. But in this case, it means Corral Creek Craig. We did the second ride together for the cycling merit badge - another ten miles. So I decided it was time to check out Craig's climbing legs. We headed around Wilsonville road and up Corral Creek. On the way to the climb, I told Craig that climbing was in your heart, pointing to my chest. I asked him he understood. His reply is classic, " yeah Dad, you have to have good lungs to climb and be able to breath right." He was absolutely right but it wasn't what I was trying to convey. I laughed a little bit and said something like "you are right, climbing takes all that plus the heart to push through pain and keep going, even when it hurts."

Corral Creek is a 1.75 mile climb that is a steady 5 to 6% grade with a short quarter mile flatter part at the top. It is a good training hill for me and a good place to see how Craig would do. Let me say that he did well. I kept a moderate pace and he stayed right with me all the way to the top. It made a Dad proud.

Next up, a 15 mile ride and I am thinking heading up to Gibb Cementary with him. A little tougher and longer climb.

3 Dog Day

The weather for the most part has been decent the last few days here in Oregon. Enough so that I decided it was time to start riding to work again. So, on Monday, I loaded up the car with clothes and other needed toiletry items and hauled them to work for another season of using alternate transportation. Biking does a few good things for me - I get in my needed time on the bike instead of sitting in the car, when I get home, I get to stay at home, and it is good for the environment.

The first day back to riding to work was a 3 dogger, meaning I was chased by three dogs during my travels. The first was on the way up Haugen road. Of course, it had to be on one of the steep parts (some 13%) that the dog decided to harass me. He was up the road and saw me coming. Immediately the dog jumped to its feet, started barking, and running towards me. This was not a friendly dog my friend. In response, I started yelling at the dog. Usually the deep timbers of my voice is enough to dissuade any dog from coming in my direction. This dog must have been deaf. He was threatening enough that I stop, got off the bike, and picked up a large stick. The dog was probably deaf but not blind. So picture this, on this tree shaded and enclosed, steep street, I stand with my bike between me and the dog, yielding this broad sword of a stick. I am yelling, the dog stopped and barking at me. What to do? I couldn't get back on the bike and take off while holding the stick. This would be like a knight trying to get onto his horse without any help while brandishing his sword. We are at a standstill. I start to walk up the hill and the dog mirrors my movements. He is out of "sword" reach to give him a wack but menacing enough to me to not try and remount. Finally, after a few steps, the appearant dog owner drives out of their driveway and the dog follows, leaving me with my stick and thoughts. I get back on the bike and get to work in record time, even with the few minutes of dog/man face off.

The next dog encounter occurred on the ride home. I had made the Krueger road turn and have started up another hill, moving towards the green house. The dog surprised me. I turned, gave a loud yell. This dog was not deaf. It slowed down a bit, ran a few yards behind me for a few houses, and then disappeared after a few words of encouragement from me.

The final dog showed up in my path on the way up to Gibb cemetary - the final climb of the day for me. The difference with this dog was it saw me, paid me no mind as I passed, and then decided I must be worth some effort so it jumped up and half-heartedly chased me up the hill. One "stop" yell sufficiently threatening was enough to discourage the beast. The remaining miles home were uneventful.

Why all the dogs I asked myselft? Maybe I smelled like a nice piece of steak, maybe the red of the bike is like the red of a bull fighter, maybe it was hot and the dogs were agitated and why always while I was on a hill did they decide to attack. Whatever it was, I was happy to be home and glad I road to work. I have a few more days to ride to work this year - maybe I need to get a can of mace or other dog repellant tool.

Riding in and out

This was a good week on the bike. I spent some time in Tacoma at Milgard's Tacoma plant to help prepare for a Kaizen event that is coming up in May. Since I was going to be there for a few days, I brought my bike and trainer so I could still ride. It is definitely colder up north than it is here in PDX so indoors would be just fine. The neat part of riding indoors is that OB12OLD could hang with me. We sat there a couple nights for a couple hours, watching Master and Commander and some funky 70's music videos. Yes, my pops owns some DVD with funky 70's music videos on them.


Saturday was to be a great day weather wise so I took advantage of it. I headed out early and rode for a little over 2 hours. I then met up with a few of the locals and we headed out for another 2 and a half hours. It was a good day on the bike - it was a good week on the bike. The 85 miles did not feel difficult and I could have easily put in another 30 to 40 miles without too much pain. I feel well ahead of where I was last year at this time. In comparing last year up to this point to this year, last year I had done more rides but for less total miles but for the same total time. This is exactly what I am trying to do - get in longer rides leading up to the STP. If I can keep this up over the next couple of months, the 12 hour STP will be a reality.


It should continue to be decent weather for a couple more days so I will get some more miles in. In about a week, it should be light enough to start riding in to work. I am excited as the miles will then continue to grow, leading up to the big July event.

Only a few more weeks to the start of the large stage races in Europe - the Giro starts on May 9th. I am curious to see who Astana will be sending to the race. I just hope Versus does a decent job to present the race. We will see.

Building

This last week was a busy one in the garage and with bicycles. Last weekend, we worked and organized the garage. We got all the bikes hung up on the wall, gave away not needed or unused items, threw away clutter and trash, put up some peg board, and organized the tools. It really made the garage look better and freed up space to walk through and work in. Here are a few photos of the results. Yeah, we have plenty of bikes.During the week, my dad came down and spent some time with us. I was glad he was here as Craig and I were building Craig's bike. I had almost all the components for a bike so I got a frame, forks, and the other smaller parts needed to complete the bike. A few nights later with some wrench turning, reading, and talking through things, we had a bike. The best part was working with Craig and my dad. I tried real hard not to turn the wrench and let Craig do it. Sometimes it worked and others it didn't but it was a great experience working together to get it done. The maiden voyage was a 10 mile ride through the neighborhood mixed with a little rain. We talked a bit throughout the ride. It was good to be out with my son, doing what I love, sharing some time. Here is the proud rider and his bike.

Here is to looking forward to many long rides and lots of fun on the bike. Next up for Craig is to tackle the cycling merit badge and the 160 miles worth of riding to get it done.

Time

This was a good week of riding for me plus the days are getting longer and the weather has been cooperating. All told, over 8 hours on the bike and about 140 miles of work. Saturday was the first longer ride with the new components. I didn't push any big hills, just ran the rollers and a few moderate climbs. With the slightly longer crank arms, my legs are still getting used to it but on the flats I am faster. It must be the gear combinations. On the hills I did ride, I didn't see much difference yet. I think I will as my body gets used to the changes made to the bike as I ride more hills.

I organized the garage this weekend and got all the bikes hung on the wall and organized my tools and made a work bench space. It looks much better. All the Kaizen at work is paying off. I will be adding one more bike to the wall as Craig and I will be building his bike this week. I look forward to the time building it with him. As an added bonus, OB12OLD will be along for the fun. My goal is to get Craig to build as much as possible - give him the wrench and guidance but he does the bulk of the work, at least that is the plan. We'll see how it works out. At the very least, it will be good times for three dudes hanging in the garage.

I just wanted to send a note of Congrats to Stijn DeVolder on winning the Tour of Flanders. My wall paper on my work desktop is of him on the cobles at last year's edition in route to the win. There is something about the grimace on his face, the tension in his legs, and the fans in close proximity that I love about the picture. I've posted it here to share.

Raining

After finishing Red last night, I put the fenders on the Trek anticipating the rain today and not riding the Specialized. This morning when I woke up, I was glad I had put the fenders on. As some of you may know, I have fought the idea of putting fenders on my bike. It just didn't feel right. After watching a piece on Cav riding on the Isle of Man with fenders on his bike, I was like "I can do that" so I did. Today's ride was 3 1/2 hours in the rain, wind, and cold. It wasn't too fast of a ride but it got done. I learned a few things today. Fenders really do help keep you drier and as a result, warmer. I was amazed at the water coming off the bottom of the fenders. I also learned that the cycling hat is great at keeping the rain out of the eyes. As I was riding, rain would fall between my helmet and top of my glasses. I turned my hat around like I have seen done and problem solved. I have a few components I need to transfer to the Trek to make the ride more comfortable but it was all decent. Here is a picture of me after the ride. I was soaked all the way through but happy for the chance to ride.

On Thursday, I got out in some sun and did a Rodney Harrison on Chehalem Mountain. I rode the Trek since Red was not ready. I left it in the 39 instead of going to the granny. I flew up the climb in 37 minutes, beating my previous best time by 13 minutes. I then hit a partial Baldy. Coming down the hill, the cars couldn't catch me. I was flying at over 35 MPH. The cars would start to catch up on the straights but on the curves and corners, I'd pull away. It was a fun and fast down hill.

All told, I got almost 6 hours on the bike this week. Starting next week, the hours per week go up a bit - STP is only a few months away.

Finalized

I finished putting all the components on the bike tonight and the bar tape. Here are a few pictures.It was easier than I thought to get all the components on. It is amazing what you can do with the right tools and reading the instructions. Now it is time to ride!

Putting it all together

A few weeks ago, I got an e-mail from the Toyota-United Cycling Team. They were having a fire sale since the team disbanded. For a good price, I was able to pick up a Dura Ace gruppo. I started to put it on the bike tonight. It will take me a few nights to do it but here is the start.The bike in the stand - notice the new carbon handlebars.

Here is the crank - a 53/39 Hollowtech II.
A better look at the handlebars and the front brakes.
All the old parts - I will be installing these on my Trek since they are better than the components on the Trek right now.

I'll be doing a bit more tomorrow night as I put on the derailleurs and the shifters. I'll probably start the cables on Thursday. Fun, fun, fun...

SoCal Riding

After Solvang, I knew my legs feel better the sooner I get out. One of my favorite rides is on the PCH - you can see, feel, smell, and hear the ocean. I was happy that JD was going to ride with me. So Sunday, we said adios to my parents and Solvang and headed to Camarillo. JD and I jumped on the bikes while the families shopped a bit and then met us at the beach. The first couple of miles was just loosening up and getting back into the rhythm of riding. The first 8 miles was into a nice head wind and then we reached the Pt. Magu and the wind disappeared and the ocean opened up. As JD put, "it was a perfect day" to be riding. We just cruised and took it all in. Thanks to JD for the ride - there is a comfort riding with a friend and doing a great ride. After the ride, we just hung out at the beach, enjoying the sea, the sand, and the friendship.

Monday was a tough morning. JD and his family got into their car to go home. It was tough saying good-bye to them. Saying good-bye to good friends reminds me of when I was almost 5, leaving Germany for the first time, having to say good-bye to my friend Alexander. I cried like a baby and couldn't say the words. I did much better this time but each time is difficult.

Tuesday was back on the bike to ride parts of several of my favorite rides near Simi - up Sunset Hills, over Westlake Blvd, out Hidden Valley and up Potrero Canyon, down past Cal State Channel Islands, back through Camarillo and Moorpark, and into Simi. All told, some 55 miles in the saddle. After the ride, we headed to Ramona (near San Diego) to hang with Bob. He has this beautiful home on top of a hill, overlooking the valley below. I really appreciate him letting us hang with him and get some insight into the NCAA tourney - great conversation. After consulting with him and www.mapmyride.com, I got some ideas of doing a ride around Ramona. I could have called the ride several names - Col du Bob because of the several steep short climbs to get up to his house, Vuelta de Ramona because I rode the perimeter and through downtown of Ramona, or Lost because I did get lost on the ride. My riding around Ramona was almost as much elevation gain over the 40 miles as it was if I had ridden Palomar Mountain. I had decided against climbing Palomar for several reasons - wrong cassette, don't know the roads or could talk to someone who does, more excuses, and more excuses. Cassie and I did drive out there on Thursday to take a peak at it. We drove both sides from the CA76. With the right gearing, it is a very manageable climb - much like the Col du Hamilton in San Jose. What amazes me is the speed that the pro cyclists did it in the AToCali. Wow! The average American has no clue about how difficult it is to ride up these climbs. I have an inkling and understand the pain of climbing for extended periods but the speed still eludes me. Next time in SoCal, Palomar will be on my list to climb.

Having rode for 4 out of the 5 days, I started to get a glimpse of what a multi-day stage race is like and why a massage is necessary each day. Tough but fun!

Friday and Saturday was spent in the car, returning to the cold and rain. During the drive, we listened to the tourney on the radio and followed it on the handheld. I missed Milan-San Remo race but saw the finish online. Cav has some incredible speed - even after 298K's.

Time to get back to work and to prepping for the STP... pics to follow...

Solvang

Let me just start this off by saying "Happy Anniversary" to my parents - 42 years. Wow!

I just love this ride. There are many reasons why I love this ride – family, friends, difficulty, motivation, weather – all add to the beauty that is this early season ride in the small Danish town.

The trip started Thursday afternoon with a drive to Ashland. Once again, we were able to stay at Bob’s house. (Thanks Bob – your hospitality is always appreciated. We are grateful to you for your generous nature.) Friday started out a bit later than anticipated but we the journey down to Solvang was not difficult. We even stopped in Sacramento and had an In & Out experience. Yes, a double double animal style and a strawberry shake – nothing like a good burger. It was part of the “carb” loading I was doing for the ride. We got to Solvang about 7 and had dinner with my parents. Good food as always. It not only tasty but the essential stuff for a pre-ride meal. (Thanks to OB12OLD and Mom for their graciousness in letting us hang with them and eat their food. It made the ride just that more enjoyable and relaxing.) After dinner, we got our packets and hooked up with some good friends, the Dunford’s. JD was ready to sleep and get on the road. I was happy to have another riding partner and wingman.

We slept in a little later than previous years – something about a change in daylight savings time being in March instead of April this year. We rolled out a little after 8 AM with a few pictures and anxious legs. It always amazes me how at the start, the big question for me is always how is my body going to react today? Have I prepared enough for this ride? The weather was not the usual heavy fog of the last few years. Instead, it was cold and overcast, just like Oregon riding this time of year without the rain. I felt at home. The first 25 miles was fast. We hit the first rest stop, got some food, and hung with the kids and the C for a couple of minutes. Christine and Kristen brought the kids over close to the rest stop and we got to see them for a few minutes. I caught up with OB12 OLD for a few moments and just gabbed a bit. JD came by with a group, groped me and we took off. It was good to just hang with Pops for a few minutes on the road. We didn’t talk to him till after the ride was over.

We cruised all the way over to the 60 mile stop before stopping again. Once again, the family was there plus my Mom hooked me up with a sandwich. Cool! I was good for the rest of the ride. Usually this is where I write about the pain of the last 40 miles. Not this year, the weather was much milder on the coast with very little wind. Plus, it stayed cooler all day long so I didn’t get beat up by the sun. We had planned on stopping around mile 85 before the hills, not this year. I took a quick natural break before the hills and closed out the ride. My fastest 10 miles split was the last 10 miles of the ride. I felt good. The riding had paid off and my body had responded well. I could not have done it without riding with a friend, having great support, and the right food. Thanks to all. I could not have done it without your help.

All in all, I was 22 minutes faster on the bike and about 15 minutes faster overall. All the riding the last year and through the winter has paid dividends – less suffering and more time enjoying the ride and experience.

Friday Night Basketball

After work on Friday night, the C came up with the kids and we got something to eat and just hung out. We were going to to play basketball but that fell through - something about the gym needing the right insurance paperwork - so we decided to head over the high school gym where Newberg was in the second round of the OSAA basketball tourney against my mom's alma mater, Clackamas. On our way into the gym, we ran into a few friends. We sat by some more. It felt like we were part of a community. Then we watched Newberg fight back from a rough first half to win, 57-54, and move on to the Elite 8 of the 6A tourney. The crowd was standing room only and the students were crazy. A couple of times I got caught up in the emotion, as I can do, and made loud comments and yelled, especially after Taylor Braun's (tall player in picture) two-handed throw down. Bam!!! Got to love supporting the home team...

The morning started off early with a stop in back at the high school. This time, not for basketball, but for Cassie's "Solo Ensemble." This is where students play their instruments for judges for grading and insight into how to play better. I was proud of Cassie. She worked hard at preparing and put forth her best effort. The only issue I had was calling the event a "Solo Ensemble." Solos can't be an ensemble. I know that it is a gathering of solos but it is like saying "Lone Rangers." Next.

This was the last Saturday to ride before Solvang. So I headed out into the 40 degree weather with a 50 percent chance of rain for a five hour tour. It ended up being a 4 hour 20 minute tour due to just being cold. There was very little rain but plenty of wind and cold. My legs still are feeling the after effects but I think I am ready for the first ride of the season. It's going to be a hard focusing at work this week. I'll be thinking about getting to SoCal for the ride and a bit of vacation with the family.

We watch this show called "Friday Night Lights." It is a story about a small town in Texas. I just watch it to remind me of Texas. Don't get me wrong, I realize that TV shows are not reality. I don't watch the show and say that's how it is. I watch and remember. I miss San Antonio and my Texas license plate on my truck. I miss the pace and the people - not that Oregon is a bad place to be and I really love my job - it is just not Texas!

U2ing

It has been a crazy week in Oregon. The weather has been up and down - rain, sleet, snow, sun - all happening in one day in some cases. Even with the weather being uncooperative, it didn't slow the pain train down. All told some 6 1/2 hours on the bike with some seriously hard riding. The first two days riding was spinning in the garage, just sweating and suffering for an hour at a time. On Thursday, I got home and Cassie asked me if I was going to ride. I said, "Sure, want to go?" She was all excited to go so we rode on semi-dry roads over my 7.25 mile circuit under the street lights. We did two loops and a bit more in 70 minutes. Part of the circuit is a short steep hill in our old neighborhood. It goes to 9 - 10% over about 1/3 of a mile. I have been using it to get out of the saddle and push as hard as I can to the top. We mixed in 4 hard sprints in the circuits to make it an intense night. Cas liked the work out. The difference was in the morning, I was a bit sore and she was not... Oooh to be young again!

Saturday was at least clear and started out at 42 degrees and cloudy. The roads were dry. After dropping Craig off to go on a day of cross country skiing, I got on the bike and headed to Haag Lake. I forgot to charge the Garmin so I was GPSless. This actually worked to my advantage. I pushed all 200 minutes on the road. On hills, I'd stand and push the bigger gear to the top. I'd pedal down the hills as well. It was 60 hilly, rolling miles that worked my legs so much that going up and down stairs today was tough. In reviewing 2008 to 2009 Solvang prep, I have been able to put up 3 60+ mile rides (I will add another next Saturday) this year to only 1 last year. The total mileage to this point is in the 2008 favor but the time on the bike favors 2009. I have been riding more hills and rolling miles this year than last. I know this will pay off in two weeks in SoCal.

As part of my riding, I started listening to my U2 collection while riding. There are 208 U2 songs on my iPod. I plan on listening to all of them before switching. I am at #45 after this last ride. Got to love Bono, Larry, Adam, and the Edge.

Tonight, we spent time at the Bishop's house, chatting and chewing with new members of the ward at a dinner social. I spent a good deal of time talking to other bike riders, planning for our 12 hour STP ride this summer. The plan is to get a group to ride with the first 100 and save energy and release quickly at the halfway point while minimizing rests in the second half. The 12 hour ride is possible but will take some work. The miles now will aid later. As the data shows, the longer rides on Saturday are part of the plan. After daylight savings kicks in, there will be more daylight hours in the evening to ride and combo up Friday and Saturday for longer rides. Also, at the Bishop's dinner, I got to talk to a visitor from Prinville who was my dad's Scout leader - too cool!

This week has some excitement - meeting at the HS to review options for Cassie, Craig's first band concert, youth group meetings preparing for our summer high adventure, Friday basketball with the Elders, and work in general - all the while trying to get in my hours. Fun!

Only two weeks to vacation and Solvang! I am so happy that the C and the family are coming with me this year. I am in need of some vacation....

Pain and hope

Friday night, the C joined me at the Portland Home and Garden Show to work our booth. She looked great in her Milgard shirt, meeting and greeting folks. Afterwards, we headed to our favorite and cheap Sushi bar in Bridgeport, ate up some raw fish, and headed home.

I had plans to get up and ride early on Saturday morning but I decided to change my plans. Instead, the C and I headed to "The Pancake House" in Portland for some breakfast. They only serve breakfast there and the conversation was better.

After breakfast, I got the car washed and cleaned out. As I cleaned out the car, I realized that it had been a while and I was embarrassed that I had taken a friend out in my car. Time to get back on a schedule. After the car, the boys and I piled in to head to MAC for a basketball game. We only had 7 players, including Craig. We had no big man so I played the middle since I was the tallest. In the end, I ran and jumped a bunch, pushed around a bigger man for an hour, and was tired but had a good time playing. Craig got some PT and played some great defense. I wish one of his shots would have dropped. They were so close.

Since the training schedule called for four hours of riding, I had to get on the bike. There are only a few more Saturdays till Solvang. After basketball, I changed, ate a little bit, and headed out. I knew right away that it would be a long day in the saddle. The first two hours weren't as bad as I thought as I hit North Valley Road to Yamhill to Carlton to MAC and headed out to Amity. On the way back to Dayton, I started having thoughts about going back to MAC to get the C's car and head home. I figured I could make it home if I just put my head down and pedaled. The last hill on North Valley Road before turning onto Chehalem Road was a painful reminder of my day on the court. I got my four hours in and my legs are talking to me today but it was worth it.

A fun thing happened to me on the way out of MAC - a pickup truck rolled up to me and two girls leaned out and yelled, "You'll never beat Lance", laughed, and rolled away. I just laughed and rolled on. I don't hope to beat Lance - I just wanted to catch a glimpse of what it means to ride and roll up and over large climbs and feel the wind in my face on the descent and all the other things that cycling brings to me. I appreciate and respect what Lance has done for cycling and for the cancer community. He finished in 7th place at the Amgen Tour of California. Nice!

Lastly, a huge shout out to Levi for his 3rd consecutive Amgen ToC win. Today was an incredible stage as Saxo Bank put the pressure on for the 2nd day in a row but couldn't crack the little man from Santa Rosa. Way to go Levi!

(Photo courtesy of www.velonews.com)

Waiting

Solvang is only a few weeks away and I am getting impatient - yearning for the sun and warmth of SoCal. The weather has been cooperating but not stellar. For the most part it has been dry but the rain is coming. Saturday was a nice ride out to Hagg Lake with OB12OLD. Nothing too fast just base miles and higher cadence spinning. Saturday's ride will hopefully be longer than a three hour tour but we'll have to wait and see how the weather holds up. There is only two more Saturday's for me to get in long rides before Solvang. The legs feel solid but is always nice to get in a few long rides to build confidence.

I spent Wednesday at the Portland Expo Center working a booth at a home show. The show has plenty of exhibits, filling three large expo halls but the number of people who came out were minimal. I was surprised to see so few but it is just a sign of the economic times. Our dealers have a great showing at the home show so we'll see how and if this gives our business a bump.

The Amgen Tour of California has been great! The weather has finally started to cooperate. Tomorrow, they ride in Solvang. I have done the time trial route a few times and look forward to some familiar territory. It will only make the waiting more difficult.

I just wanted to send a shout out to JD. He snapped a picture of me out on a fun with a few friends at the AToC. Check it out:

Actually this is a photo from www.velonews.com. Way to go American cycling fans - show that true racing spirit!