2500 miles later....

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

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

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

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

Now for the pictures...

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

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

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

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

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

STP Eve

Here it finally is, the night before the big ride. After taking a short 15 mile ride last night with OB12OLD, I am feeling good. I will let everyone know how it goes tomorrow when I get some internet access again.

If this is my last ride, I just want all of my fans to know that I went down fighting. To my family, that I love them and really appreciated all the support and love. To my boys who where hating and staying away from the ride, y'all better recognize. Even in the next life, I'll be working harder than y'all.

Peace and I'm outta here!

Looking for some inspiration...

Okay, if the Longhorns came beat the team of the century, I can ride 200+ this weekend. Let's go Vince, we are going to put it in the end zone!!

Here it finally is, the last few days before my first 200+ day on the bike. A guy at worked asked me today if I was resting all this week for the ride. Of course not was my reply. I will ride Monday through Wednesday but just not as intense or not as long as I would normally would. Today was 75 minutes of easy spinning with a three 30 second all out efforts with 5 minutes of rest. Tomorrow will probably be the same with Wednesday being a real easy day of about 30 to 45 minutes. I'll rest Thursday and then only loosen the legs up on Friday morning with a very short ride. Saturday is the show.

I am just thankful for Christine and my family. They, especially her, have been tremendously supportive of my insanity and desire to do this. I know that it takes time away from everyone. I am really grateful for the patience and help. Thanks to my dad for the inspiration. Thanks to all of my friends for their support and competitive nature to push me (that's for the Hogg and Yoda). When I get done, I will "honor my hommies" with a pour of the water bottle to the curb in Portland!

Okay Pooh, enough of this, now give me a phat base line. What? Where's the snare? I can't hear the snare in my head phones? Give me a snare? Okay, there it is.

Nothing but time on the bike

My future vacation, at the top of the climb of the Tourmalet!

I'm sitting here watching the World Cup thinking about getting on the bike. That's where I've been every day this week. Whether it is riding with Colin, riding to the beach, riding in the hills with Craig for 9 miles of mountain biking, or pushing my limits for 36 miles on Saturday morning, the bike has been good to me this week. Although I did not get as many miles as I had last week, it was close with over 150 miles. I think I am ready for this Saturday's ride. There was little pain in the legs this week and the legs felt really strong. It was neat yesterday pushing really hard and going faster over 10 miles than I have gone in the past (other than an organized ride).

Only three days of work this week and then it is off to Seattle. It will be nice to see everyone together and spend at least a little time together. The drive is not going to be exciting but it will be okay when we stop and can see all together.

After this weekend, my focus will change on the bike. It will go from long rides to more leg strength and speed. Seven weeks to the HHH.

It was nice to see at least one American have a good time trial. Landis put it together to get to second place in the GC. I am getting tired with the flat stages. It is time to get to the mountains and see the serious contenders for the GC step up and play. I do not have any worries that minutes can be erased in the mountains. It has been good to see T-Mobile step up and win a few stages with Ullrich out. I am just wondering when CSC will show up and do something. DZ has been weak and Julich dropped out with a broken wrist. O'Grady has crashed and lost huge chunks of time. Maybe another on the team can step up and get something done. If you remember from the 2003 TdF, Lance was down over 4 minutes after stage 7, only to make it up in two days in the mountains. Granted, there really isn't any Lance in this year's race but that doesn't mean that Levi can't make up 6 minutes in the mountains either. It will take a major break away to get it done but it can be done. Do I think Landis and Phonak will let that happen, definitely not but if you are down over 6 minutes and you want to win, you have to make things happens. I love the TdF. I found some pictures this guy took while on a bike tour in France during the TdF. This would be a great vacation: ride and watch the tour!

Christine asked what I would do if I couldn't ride my bike. I don't know what I would do other than try and find an equally intensive activity that burns as much energy. I feel so much better after riding, plus I am able to focus and think while riding. Also, I think I can ride for a lot longer. As I was driving to work the other day, I saw this gentleman on the bike. He wasn't going very fast, had on bike shorts and a jersey with a nice helmet. He must have been 80+ years old. That's how I see myself, hopefully with Christine right beside me on a bike. What else can I say but...

Vive le Tour!

A mile with Colin

I got home yesterday from work and decided to go for a ride ... with Colin. The kids and I rode down to the park, played a bit, and then came home. I took Colin on the long way to the park. All told, it was over a mile on the bike for him. He didn't seem to mind and did okay. There are a couple of small hills that he complained a bit but otherwise it was okay. Cassie and Craig just took off and rode.

After getting home, I hadn't cleaned the bike in a while so I cleaned it up. The chain and sprocket sparkle again and worked great today on the ride to the beach. It was 54 fast miles. I got to 50 miles at 2:40. The legs felt strong. Definitely different from two days ago when it was a painful go. On the coast, I was catching people left and right, cruising over 25 MPH. My fastest 10 miles was miles 40 to 50 where I averaged over 21 MPH. I could feel the bike accelerate when I'd come up behind someone or a group. Then it was the slingshot around them and continue on. There were a couple who tried to stay on my wheel but to no avail - DROPPED! A couple of riders fought off the challenge but in the end, they were reeled in and disposed of. Flat roads, like the TdF right now, is a big equalizer. It comes down to conditioning, preparation, and leg strength. A couple more days till we leave for the STP. I am ready to go. I have been training for this event for the last six months. It is like the last few days before Christmas, anticipating. Let's go.

We had a real nice time today at the beach. We bathed in the sun, tossed the football around, played in the waves, did some body surfing, and just relaxed. Later, we are going down to a park in Simi to watch the fireworks. It is nice to spend some time with Christine and just relax.


Pink is a nice color for cycling. Since Yoda put me in pink, here I am or here is how it will look in August when I come across in the lead. Get ready, brace yourself, the B-Train is coming and not stopping for any passengers!

The feel of the road

Five straight days of riding has given a good feel of where I am at for the STP. I logged over 200 miles in these five days. I will admit that today was a tough day of riding. The legs were heavy and tired. The 30 miles were not as easy as they should have been but I pushed through. I was trying to get an idea of how it will be in two weeks. This last week was another personal best for me. I rode more miles this last week than I have ever done before. I am hoping to beat that total again this week. I feel ready for the STP.

One of my most favorite things about watching the tour is the scenery: the buildings, the roads, the landscape. It just looks like home to me. There are so many memories of my time in Europe. It would be nice to ride a couple of days in Europe, namely Germany and France. Someday...

Tour de France ride

The TdF was on when I left this morning but I didn't pay attention to the news. It wasn't until I sat down to watch the show at 4 did I realize that Ullrich, Basso, and Vino are not in the Tour. Wow! Now who are they talking about as GC winners, Cadel Evans? What? The media definitely was not ready for the removal of the two Tour favorites. This year's TdF is wide open. George had a great ride today along with Levi and Dave. Floyd would have done better if he could read a watch. Okay, he had a flat but be prepared now. Come on!!

This is turning out to be a great sports summer. With the World Cup going and the TdF, what fun. I hope the Hogg can get to the Tour. That would be great to be a part of the spectacle. Get on with it you big bad boy!! I am glad I woke you up.

Today was a good day. I got up at 5:30 AM and on the road by 6:30 AM. I had planned on brining in the TdF with a ride of my own and I did just that. I rode out to the beach, stopped, watched the waves for a moment and then headed back to Simi for a vuelta around Simi. All told, a little over 100 miles on the bike today. I didn't push hard except for the time when this yayhoo passed me. I jumped on his wheel and said to him, "let's go." He got dropped a few minutes later. Why do people pass you and then slow down. Frustrating. If you bring it, you'd better bring it. After dropping him, he didn't come back to me. It was just at 6 hrs on the bike today. Tomorrow will be another day to put some miles on the bike. I need to get in at least 30 so I can have over 200 for the last five days. It is just a mental thing in preparation for the STP. Today just proved to me that the HHH is not a matter of completion but how fast can we go. With Salty, Hogg, and me working together for the first 99 miles, we could make this a very fast ride. The last mile will be the race. The eighth Saturday from today is the day...Regulators, mount up!

On the road

I got back on the road tonight for a good 22+ little ride. It finally got hot here and I felt right at home in the 90+ degree heat. The legs get loose quicker and I can get on it. The ride was a little steady state and some hill work, nothing like the Hogg's Hamilton but a good way to get the heart pumping and the legs working.

Just a little shout out to the Hogg. Good luck on the right this weekend. I wish I could be there with you to pull that hill. It is an incredible ride. This is where the song "Jealousy" starts. On the side of the road for the TdF. WOW!! You go guy!! Take some pics for the rest of us stay in the U.S. guys. Drink a cold one for us too, but not too many.

Eight weeks to go to the HHH. It is definitely on...

Pain come sooner for me, only three to the STP. Thanks to Yoda for the prayers. Maybe a Mass for me would help as well.

All tied up in Knotts

It was a fun day at Knott's Berry Farm yesterday. I can remember when we lived in El Paso, watching cable channel KTLA, and seeing the ads for Knott's Berry Farm. I want to go but we never were close to living in LA. Yesterday, the mythical land was brought into reality. Really, it was just like Fiesta Texas. It even has several of the same rides. The Boomerang and the Scream. They might have been slightly different but not by much. We went and saw a couple of shows as well. It was a good day for the family. The best ride was the Xcelerator. It went from 0 to 82 in 2.3 seconds. Then it looped up and over, coming straight down on the backside. When you come out of your seat at the top before going down, it gets you a bit in the stomach. Yet, again, it was similar to the Poltergeist at Fiesta Texas but the Xcelerator was just a bit shorter of a ride. Check out the link to Beecher Street for the pictures. Christine posted them last night.

Just a note about training on the bike, there are 9 weeks till the Triple H. This is the prime training time for preparation. Heart and competitiveness are vital charateristics of competition. If you don't have them, then more than likely you are not competing. You are just mosying along, smelling the flowers, chasing butterflies, hugging trees, and any destination will do. In reading one of Lance's books, he mentions a race he was in. He felt prepared but when it came time to go, he did not have the top end to hang. He could tell by all of the information that was being gathered, watts and heart rate, that he was at the upper limit of his ability to push. In this case, his best was not good enough to win. So what did he do? He went back and trained harder in order to raise the bar. For me, the Mt. Hamilton ride was a "raising the bar" event. It was tough, both mentally and physically. There are definitely times when "mosying" is acceptable. We all need stress relief but in the back of the mind there is the overarching goal looming there, pricking your conscience to get out there and prepare. Don't ignore the prodings. These last nine weeks are all we've got between just eating the food or eating the food and "yeah, I'll take the check! Let me conclude this portion with a Lance quote, "This is my body. And I can do whatever I want to it. I can push it. Study it. Tweak it. Listen to it. Everybody wants to know what I'm on. What am I on? I'm on my bike busting my ass six hours a day. What are you on?"

Finally, there is three weeks till the STP. 204 miles of fun. I am in the final preparation stages for this ride, riding almost every day trying to complete my preparation. I feel good about the ride. I have planned a long ride for this weekend. Christine is going to Utah for a wedding of one of our nieces. I plan on celebrating the first day of the TdF with 125 miles of my own, with a 50 mile kicker the next day. I know I can do it. These rides are more for the confidence than anything else. The bikes knows the way. I have just got to push it to get there. Finally, one last Lance quotes for the day, "Once someone asked me what pleasure I got out of riding my bike for so long. 'Pleasure?' I asked. 'I don't understand the question. I didn't do it for pleasure. I did it for pain'."

Pain is the sign of weakness leaving the body (I've got a lot of weakness leaving the body these days). Gotta love the pain!!

A few thoughts about bicycles

It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle. ~Ernest Hemingway

Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride. ~John F. Kennedy

Cycle tracks will abound in Utopia. ~H.G. Wells

In reading these quotes, Lance was right. It is not about the bike.

(To respond to JD. Yes, JD, that little green hill does not do the 4200' of climbing on Mt. Hamilton justice.)

Not for the faint hearted

Here is the partial elevation for the Mt. Hamilton ride. For some reason, my GPS did not record the first twenty or so miles of the ride. It did get the last thirty so you can see at least the downhill portion. It goes from a height of 4200 feet to 170 feet. Even sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic for several hours on the way home could not ruin the ride. If the Hogg continues to ride Mt. Hamilton, even a portion of the ride, I am in trouble in August. Ooh well, to ride with good friends is worth even losing and having to buy some Mexican food.

Today was some recovery riding with the kids. We went up Wood Ranch Hill and rode on some of the trials. It was Craig's first time up the hills and we had a good time with Cassie showing us the way. The mountain bike is fun to ride but it is not meant for the road. It is a steel monster to ride. Tomorrow, back to the training for the STP.

Mt. Hamilton

The first eight miles were nice and easy, just a nice warm up to get the legs loose and ready for the day ahead. Then we turned right and up the hill we went, some 4,200+ feet worth of climbing over 19 miles, over 2000+ feet was up the last seven miles. I will post the route when I get back to LA and download the information. It took 2 hrs 35 minutes to get up to the top and then only 1 hr 30 minutes to get back down. The down was great; it just hurt the hands to continually pull on the brakes. After a while, I was hoping for some hill or flat to just not have to pull on the brakes! Check out this website to see the top of Mt. Hamilton, http://mthamilton.ucolick.org/. It has a cam and you can see the road we came up and the other hills we came over to get there. As JD has described, there are two "prehills" before the last climb. The first is okay just long. The second is steeper but not as long. The last one is the seven miles to the top. It took an hour to get up this hill. It was a good ride and what I needed to get ready for the STP. JD did me right. It was a good ride. It was good to be riding with him again. I am sure we will have many more opportunities to do it again.

Something I failed to mention was this last week, during my rides, Christine got out with me for an hour. I was so happy to have her riding with me. It was for a little over an hour but it is a start. I hope to continue to coax her to get on the bike. She has been at spin class now a couple of time. Who knows, she might be the next Jedi on the bike!!

Ride in the hills

Ivan Basso was looking good in the Giro. That is an amazing race. Incredible climbs, heat, pain, suffering, and Basso looked in great shape. I wonder if he can hold on to his conditioning till and through the Tour. Time will tell. Only three more weeks till it starts.

It has been a good week on the bike so far, having ridden every day this week so far. A couple of days were good low intensity days followed by today of a lot of hills at high intensity. I had not ridden Erbes and Westlake in a while. It was a different day on the bike. I was a couple of gear higher than I had been before on those hills. It felt good. When I got home, I got on the scale. Yes, another five pounds down. Sub 200 is not too far away. In the immortal words of Morris Day, "YYYYYEEEEEEEESS."

I'd like to thank the Miami Heat for winning a couple of games to make it a series.

Finally, Ben is out of the hospital and the spin is he'll be back for the start of the season. Let's go Steelers. You know he is important when the team is 27-4 when he has started a game in the last two years.

Tomorrow we will travel to San Jose and hang with the Dunfords. It looks to be a good weekend of riding. It is always good to ride with good friends. I am looking forward to it.

You might have won a Super Bowl...

But you still aren't that smart if you don't wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle. Pittsburgh was looking good again this season, not having lost too many players to free agency and picking up some good prospects in the draft. One of the key components of a championship team in the NFL is the quarterback. Without Big Ben last year, we don't make the playoffs. Well, we might not be making the playoffs this year. ESPN is reporting Big Ben has been in an accident where he wasn't wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle. Supposedly, he went headfirst into a windshield of the car that was involved in the accident. Why wouldn't you wear a helmet? Ben plays a game where 300+ pound defensive linemen are trying to take his head off but he wears a helmet. Yet, while riding a motorcycle he all of the sudden has a big "S" on his chest. Things on the road weigh considerablely more than these linemen and hurt a lot more. Maybe he didn't like to mess up his hair, whatever hair he had. For whatever reason, the option of not wearing a helmet should not be an option. Afterall that has happened with professional athletes with motorcycles, their use should be banned by an explicit line item in the contract. Let me look on the bright side, we still are the defending Super Bowl champions, all season long regardless if we make the playoffs or not!! Come on Ben. Just say "Pop!"

Ride with Cassie

What a day today! It started at 4:30 AM with a ride to work to open up the building and make sure the shapes team came in. At about 5:30 AM, it was back to the house. I tried to get motivated to ride but fell asleep and didn't wake up till Cassie dumped some clothes on my bed at 9. I finally got up and got the bikes ready. We hit the hills today and did some mountain biking. It was fun but more difficult than I had thought. She had to push the bike a little bit but it was fun. Just me and her out there riding in the shrubs and overgrowth. Then it was off to buy food for the week and get a piece of pizza for lunch. We got home and played a bit of Madden. I barely beat Cassie. I know I am in trouble when my daughter gives me a go on a video game. Football at that!!. Anyway, we watched a bit of TV and then it was off to a double header softball game. We lost the first one 8-7 but beat up the other team in the second, 18-3. It was stopped in the bottom of the fifth inning with one out. Mercy rule. My shoulder is a bit sore but it felt good throwing. I whipped one from the fence to second with only minor pain. After getting home, Cassie and I made some Caesar salad with some mango and shrimp pasta. We topped it off with a little pudding. Now it is just time to relax. I got to say, today was a good day. It could have been better but I know Christine is doing the right thing.

I got lost in a couple World Cup games today as well. I watched the second and third games today. I found a new way to watch soccer. Record the games and then watch them in fast forward. During the time the ball is not in the mid-field, I play the game in order to catch all of the more exciting parts. It was fun to watch. It really is a beautiful game. Let's hope the U.S. plays well on Monday. I want to see the game. Maybe I'll camp out in the office to watch it on my laptop. Then again, I can just Tivo it and watch it later. Let's go U.S.A.

Time to go to bed...

Commencement Address for all soon-to-be Graduates

I found this at espn.com and thought to post it here for all of you future graduates. There is some good advice here. It is interesting to note that commencement speakers are now being drawn from athletics rather than politics or business. Here's what a commencement speech from an athlete would look like. Words to live by ... yeah ...

Ladies and gentlemen of the class of 2006:
Watch the Suns' dance team.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, the Suns' dance team would be it. The long-term benefits of watching attractive, scantily clad women gyrate have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice is no more reliable than the Houston Texans' draft board. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until you're retired and see a feature piece about your career on ESPN Classic. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and realize in a way you can't grasp now how much bulk you added to your frame by using steroids. Your testicles will be smaller than you can imagine.

Don't worry about your contract. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to win a Super Bowl by starting Peyton Manning at quarterback. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your mind. Leave them to your agent, attorney, accountant, financial advisor and personal assistant. That's why you have them.

Do one groupie every year who scares you.

Sing. Don't be reckless and put it on an album, though. And don't trust people who tell you to do so. It will suck.

Endorse. Don't waste your time on practice. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The season is long and, in the end, we're talking about practice. We're talking about practice, man. We're talking about practice.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you can succeed in doing this, you're probably Barry Bonds.

Keep your old fan mail. Throw away your old paternity suits.

Stretch. Especially if you're in any way related to Ken Griffey, Jr.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your signing bonus. The most interesting athletes I know blew $20 million on a house. Some of the most interesting I know blew $40 million on a yacht.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone and you're stuck playing DH.

Maybe you'll get traded, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll be an All-Star, maybe you won't.

Maybe you'll win a title, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken after the most inconsequential tackles like Ray Lewis. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. That's what sports radio is for.

Enjoy your body. Abuse it every way you can. Don't be afraid to go out all night and don't listen to people who disapprove of your doing so. They're just jealous.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but on "Dancing with the Stars" after failing to catch on as a fifth receiver with the Broncos.
Read the playbook, but don't bother following the plays. Your coaches will never know how to utilize your talents properly.

Do not read sports columnists. They will only make you stupid.

Get to know your fans. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your posse members. They're the best link to your stash and the people most likely to lie for you under oath.

Understand that teammates come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to keep them on your side, because the older you get, the more you'll need them to help you convince management that you're still worth keeping around.

Play in New York City once, as long as it's not for the Knicks. Play in Northern California once, but leave before you're linked to BALCO.
Travel. The NBA doesn't call it.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Agents will cheat. Owners will lie. You, too, will get cut. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, agents were forthright, owners were generous and players didn't hold out for larger contracts.

Hold out for a larger contract.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you'll be in a players union. Maybe you'll have a long-term, guaranteed contract. But if you play in the NFL, both of those are pretty much worthless.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 you'll have to hold a press conference to deny rumors about your sexual preferences just like Mike Piazza did.
Be careful which steroids you buy, but be patient with those who supply them. Steroids are a kind of performance-enhancing drug. Dispensing them is a way of fishing an inferior athlete from the disposal, wiping him off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling him for more than he's worth.

But trust me on the Suns' dance team.

Don't be afraid

I was reading last night about the RAGBRAI and the Furnace Creek 508. These both can be done. Wouldn't it be fun to do either one? I have heard of a trek down the California coast but have not been able to find it online as of yet. It is only a matter of time. Or, we just make our own. Yeah, that's the ticket. I'd like to do 500+ miles in a week or even 48 hours.

I rode the bike to work today. The goal is to do it all of the time and only drive when there is a reason to do so. I guess the high gas prices and the need to remain cost conscience has driven me here but it will do me good. It get another thirty minutes a day on the bike plus I can leave from work to start a ride and take a little longer to get home. This is going to be fun. Now I can sit in my office and be tortured all day looking at my bike. I know I want to ride but can't. All in time.

I attached this picture to give me motivation. Just ride, baby and don't be afraid to step outside the comfort zone.

The Next Big Event ... maybe in 2008

Just a note to my cycling friends, we should form a team and do this in a couple of years, maybe 2008. It is in the furnace of suffering and the fight for a common goal where many a great bond is strengthen. This would be an extremely hot furnace!

Take a look at this link, www.the508.com.

Christine asked me what was next. Last year it was a century, this year a double, maybe next year the 508!!!

A few notes

It has been a busy day. I got up at 5:30 AM and hit the road by 6. About 40 miles later I was back at home, a nice 2 1/2 hour ride of easy spinning. Then it was time to get ready for the hike with the Webelos. I think I have found my World Cup partner here in Simi. Christian is one of the boys dad. He works for Magellan and is from Munchen (Munich). Then it was time to shower, run to Walmart and get some last minute items, pack, make a lunch, and meet at 11 AM. We hiked for three hours, finding three geocaches and placing one of our own. Then it was off to the beach for three hours, dinner at Chipotle, and then back to the beach for some football and sunset. We finally got back to the house after 9 PM. It has been a busy one but a very fun one.

It has been a good week on the bike. I only missed riding on Tuesday this week. I felt strong and good. Time is all I need to get ready for the next bike ride in Seattle.

I just wanted to post some random pictures I thought were worth while seeing. One is the Steelers with Bush 43. Yeah, the Steelers won the NFL Championship this year and they are my team. Now that this is out of the way, time to get on with defending the championship!!

Also, check out this bike. Ya gotta like the rims. I wonder how light they are? Maybe I should get a pair to see how they ride. Wait a minute, I saw this guy today at the beach. He was in a T-Mobile jersey and a pink helmet. The hair still was sticking through the helmet. This must be Coolio's cousin.

To the beach

It was a nice Memorial Day ride. Up through Simi Valley, around Moorpark, down Santa Rosa canyon to Camarillo, to Port Hueneme, and then down the coast to Malibu and the beach. All told 55 miles in less than three hours. I thought it would take me almost four to do the ride but I felt strong and the legs just flew on the bike. I surprised myself through out the ride. It was a good start to the week. Tomorrow will be a shorter ride.

The rest of the day was relaxing. We stayed at the beach for a while and then drove down PCH. There was people every where. The 10 was backed up for miles from the beach. We got to see the Santa Monica Pier. We would have stopped but too many people. We just put it on the to do list for another day. It looks like fun to ride up and down the pier along with some of the rides.

Then it was to the Fortuna's for a relaxing time at the pool with a bunch of friends from church. There was food, music, pool, and good conversation. It was a good ending to the day. I must say, this has been a full weekend. It was good to be with the family and hang out. All of us are tired. Cassie probably the most; she went to bed at 7 PM. The boys will go next here shortly. I will be close behind.

There is only about seven weeks to the STP. 200+ miles to ride. I need to be ready.

Skid Mark

Well, skid mark left its mark on the track. We built a wood track car that was run on an aluminum track. Our mark was not in the speed of our car but in the way we carried ourselves after being the slowest. One good mark was that our car continued to get faster with each race. All of the other cars kept slowing down. We'd eventually caught them but the time trials just didn't go long enough. Ooh well, there is always next year.

Legoland was lots of fun. It was good to see some friends from Phoenix as well. Go to www.javapolitan.blogspot.com for more pictures and commentary on this outing.

Tomorrow, it is time to be on the bike.



Just a note, to all of the veteran's, thanks for serving this great country of ours. To all the families who have given the ultimate sacrifice, please accept my humble and most heartfelt Thank You!!

Pine Wood Derby Time

Just a reminder of the August Torture ahead .... if you can't take the heat .... don't get on the bike!!

Tonight is the night we race the car. Craig and I have worked hard on the car and are ready to take the trophy. Even if we don't, we had a great time making the car. I hope that it is fast. We have called it the "Skid Mark." It is all brown with two read racing lines on the top of the car. We will take a picture of it at the race.

It has been a good week to get back into the riding, a little of spin class with some road work. We are going to Legoland on Saturday and meeting some Arizona friends there. Monday I plan on taking the long way to the beach and getting in some serious miles. Only about seven weeks to the big ride. I know I am physically ready. I need to get the mental edge. Time on the bike will heal all wounds.

It was sad to see the Spurs go out but in true Alamo spirit, they fought until the very end. It is true that Manu fouled Dirk but Tim got hacked. The refs must be consistent in tight games. It used to be that almost no fouls at all were called in the last 30 seconds unless they were blatant. I remember a Knicks/Bulls game at the wire. It was brutal under the basket but no foul. The foul would have only changed the outcome of the game. In the Spur's case, the call and the no call changed the outcome of the game and all in one teams favor. I admit, I cannot root for Dallas. In fact, I cannot root for any of the teams left. I am out of this year's NBA Finals. I can be found with my wife, on the banks of the San Jacinto, hoping for a bite on my line. (In order to understand this, you should watch TNT with The Jet, Barkley, and EJ)

I'm outta here...

The Hat

We spent much of yesterday at a Junior Olympic Track Meet for all of the elementary schools in Simi. Cassie ran on the 6 x 67 relay team for her school and their team took second place. They did well with the handoffs and Cassie ran well, catching two other girls from the stagger.

We got hungry after watching the qualifying heats so we went for lunch to a Simi staple and landmark since 1951, The Hat. It is famous for two things, a Pastrami sandwich and chili cheese fries. We had both. The chili cheese fries was a meal in and off itself. Wow!! The pastrami sandwich was good as well. We can see why they have been in business for so long. They focus on what they do well, the gut bomb that tastes so good. Christine even commented on the quantity she ate of the chili cheese. Now, compared to me it was a little cause I tore it up. Any way, it was fun to eat there. It had a diner type feel to the restaurant and everyone was helpful and friendly.

Riding has not been on the radar this week. I was in Seattle the first three days of the week at Milgard training for new supervisors and managers. After sitting in the classes which were taught by GM's and VP's from the company with opening remarks from the President, I felt again the reassurance that this is the company I want to work for. They preach what they believe in and base their business on that philosophy. I like it!! After Saturday's trek through the Santa Monica Mountains, I took it easy the first few days while in Seattle and then hit the spin class on Friday and played softball last night. I felt quick and fast. I ran down a few flies that no one thought were catchable. It was fun and we even won. We are now 6-1. We lost last Saturday 19-17 in a barn burner where the last team up won the game. This week, it was more defensive with almost all of the runs coming in the first three innings and then only 1 being scored in the last four. Final 9-6.

I got some new road shoes. They were on sale at the local bike shop and I have been looking for a while so I picked them up. Here is what Shimano says about their shoes, "Shimano's SH-R151 Shoes are sleek and fast. They boast super-light and rigid carbon soles for exceptional power transfer ideal for blazing acceleration and sustained efforts. Three strap closures ensure a snug, efficient fit and the nylon upper sports a mesh area that lets in cool air to keep your feet dry and comfortable." Nothing like upgrading equipment. I rode with Cassie this morning for about 30 minutes. The feet felt good. We rode up a short hill and I am talking to Cassie and she can't respond because she is breathing so hard. We turned around and came home. I told her we would try and ride some more next Saturday together. This week it is back on the schedule with spinning classes, a little swimming, and time on the bike. Time to get ready for the STP.

Also, Craig and I got started on his pinewood derby car. Taking what we learned from last year and from watching "Down With Derby", we are now expert pine wood derby car engineers. We shaped it with Craig doing some cutting and all of the sanding. I bored some holes in the bottom in strategic locations. We weighed the car and added weights to it to get close to five ounces. Then, we melted the weights and poured them into the holes I bored out. I forgot that hot metal makes wood burn. We had this nice pine burning smell in the kitchen for most of the night but the car is okay. After the metal cooled, we covered it up with wood filler. Today, we will sand and but the first coat of paint on. Actually, my part is almost complete. Craig will sand and do all of the painting. All I have to help with is putting the wheels on. We both are excited for this Thursday night and the running of the cars!!

Finally, it was good to see the Spurs come back from a 3-1 deficit. Tomorrow night will be an excellent game.

LET'S GO SPURS!!

One down...

I must say, "Cruis'in the Conejo" was the toughest of the century rides I have done so far. It didn't help that I missed a turn and rode some 7 extra miles, three of which was one hill. One hill was five miles long and I averaged just over 5 MPH during that climb. I wanted to quit and saw others pulling off the side of the road to stop. I just kept telling myself, the top is just right around the next corner. Many times it wasn't, but I did the Nemo and kept going. I felt good on the climbs. I am glad that I have been riding, taking the spin classes, and losing weight. I felt so much better on the climbs than I would have several months ago. Training pays off.

It took me 3 hours to go 46 miles, quite a difference from the previous weekend when I rode 55 miles in three hours. I finished right at 6 hours. I think I have found a great training ride to help prepare me for the STP. I felt great for most of the ride. There was about thirty minutes after all of the climbing that I was doubting I would finish. After a PB&J and some pound cake, I got a "second" wind and pounded out the last 50. It was over very familiar roads. It makes it easier when you know where you are going. The next ride is next month in central CA. I should be in much better shape by then. I know now what else I need to do to get ready for the 200+ miles in July. I got some tips from a double veteran on the ride.

The best part of the ride was of course the finish. It wasn't because I did it. It was because Christine and the kids had come down to see me finish. My eyes got all watery and I got emotional. It was great to have them there. I thought a lot about them on the ride. It was even more special to have them there at the end.

Thanks Christine - Happy Mother's Day!!

Let me borrow a quote..

From Al Davis, "Just win, baby!!"

This is the plan.

Good luck to all on their rides this weekend, especially Yoda. May your first be memorable and well suffered.

Name this moment....

Cause if you can't, you'd better not be on a bike. Just like with any sport, if you play the game, you should know the game: its key players, influential moments and key happenings, biggest stages, history. This is one of those important moments in history. Another will be made this August when during a large outing in a smaller Texas town, OB1 will be treated to lunch, otherwise none in the history books as "The Loser Pays!"

Before I get into the events of last few days, let me just say that in there are many good things about Cali, but good BBQ is not one of them. There is okay and decent but definitely not good. We tried another one today that people said was good. It was just okay. I guess when you've had the worst BBQ in Texas, ordinary is just not good enough. Where is the Shell station when you need it!!

Anyway, today was a good day. I hit the road for 55 miles in just a little over three hours. I had planned on 70 to 75 but I overslept. Colin woke up at 4 AM, letting it fly. It took some time to get it all under control. Christine is such a trooper. She stayed with him the rest of the night/morning. She knows I'd fall asleep and probably would have gotten drenched in bile so I slept in my bed and she helped Colin. Nonetheless, I got up late and only road for three hours. I felt strong and ready for next Saturday's ride.

Finally, Let's Go Spurs!!

Ride and Swim

Just another Monday of getting ready for the ride here in ten days. I got up and went to spin class. I wanted to ride for at least an hour so I got their early and warmed up for 20 minutes. The class was intense. The instructor liked to have us "jump" and stand up a lot. This really worked the quads. I felt good at the end but by the end of the day I was done for. But I was not done, I took Cassie and Craig to the pool. I swam for 40 minutes and then nearly passed out when I stopped. I needed to eat. I felt so much better when I did.

Tomorrow, I have this nice ride planned, to the hills it is. I plan on riding the Norwegian Grade and continue up Calle Contento and then up Herbes. This will be about 20 to 25 minutes of solid pain. I am ready to go.

Until then, 2L2Q, Hammer Time!!

Time

Who is this good looking couple? Yeah, I do feel naked without the goat.

I remember reading in an Ensign a quote from Thomas S. Monson. He wrote, "It is well to remember that he who gives money gives much, he who gives time gives more, but he who gives of himself gives all (December 2003)." This has been the story of this week. I have been giving a lot of myself this week to others. I cannot say that it all has been for others, it just seems that a lot has been.

I have swam with Cassie a few times this week. This is hard work and great for the entire body. She really liked it as well. Craig and I went to the Pack Meeting this week. We topped it all off with a wedding and reception yesterday. Thanks to Bob and Mel and the McBride family, the wedding and reception was great and top notch. The atmosphere, food, music, events were all great. It is always good to see family. Although I belong to the PSSG (Putnam Spouse Support Group), there was no need to call my sponsor for aid in this outing. Thanks for a great day in San Diego!!

This week is full of preparation for the May 13th ride. I am mentally ready and by weeks end, I will be physically ready to go. Steps on the road towards the STP and the HHH. This is not a news flash but just an update for all that might not be in touch with Pop culture, Hammer retired some time ago. Hammer time on the other hand, means something else.

Keep posted for more fun and taunting.

Hammer Time

May 13th is fast approaching, all I can say is "Hammer Time!" Time to step it up a notch because I'm 2L2Q.

All you pretenders and player haters, step off!

Out.

The Norwegian Grade

In the area, there is this famous hill. Like most hills, it has a name, the Norwegain Grade. Why is it called this? I do not know. I need to ride with some locals and get the scoop. Now, this is no Alpe d'Huez or Mt. Ventoux but it is tough, a little over a mile long and between 7 and 9 percent grade. I had to change course today. I had planned to ride Balcom Canyon but I got a flat going out and I only had one tube. I did not want to get stuck in the middle of no where trying to tell Christine how to get me a tube. I was somewhat disappointed because I had been thinking of this climb all week. In spinning class, I was envisioning me summitting this climb. I had the mental picture. Yet, sometimes the right and responsible thing is not aligned with visions and dreams. I did the prudent thing. Okay, enough justification of why not. And NO, for all of you haters out there, I was not scared nor afraid. Just give me the lumps now, I can here them already.

Anyway, so I settled for the Norwegian Grade. It was a nice little climb that after I settled in to a cadence and breathing, it was done. I had to be home by 10 AM so I cut it short. I was out 2 1/2 hours. If I had not gotten in so late last night from Hollister, I might have been able to get up earlier and ride longer but there is always next week. I thought a little picture of me after the ride would be nice. The pounds are slowly coming off!! YEEEESSS! Jesse... now Jerome... Where is Morris Day and the Time now? Anyone know?

I can see why JD liked San Jose. It is so green and beautiful. I liked the area. I could see a lot of potential rides while I was out there. Granted, I was in the plant all day long and did not get to tour anything except the 101 and some other state highways to and from the airport and plant but it was a nice area. Excellent choice!

I post this picture because Cassie definitely has some of my traits. She likes the self portrait/picture. Way to go Idaho!!

She definitely is growing up to fast. Where is that little girl who would say La La La Wuv? She definitely is Daddy's little girl. I love you Cassie!

Let's Go Spurs

It is almost that time of year when the Spurs doubters start writing that they can't win it all due to the team chemistry, lack of offense, Duncan's absence in big games, and all of the other negative aspects that analysts think they see. Then, SA proves them all wrong. Let's go Spurs!!

It's been three days of spin, ride, spin. Tomorrow, I'll be on the bike again for about two hours. The ride was nice yesterday morning. It felt good to tie in the spin class with the road hours. My legs are a bit tired and worn but I can rest on Friday while I am in Hollister. Hopefully the weather will stay nice and I can get in some hours on the bike on Saturday morning. Balcolm Canyon looks quite a good challenge. I will let all know how it goes. Four weeks till the Conejo Valley Century. I will have a good idea where I am at after this ride.

A little bit of softball

When they asked me to play, I was a little bit weary. My shoulder still doesn't feel all that great but I decide to go and play anyway. I mentioned I wanted to play first base to conserve the shoulder. They agreed and the contract was signed. Well, it didn't happen that way. I showed up and felt good warming up. They asked me where I wanted to play. I said first base; I ended up in left center. It all worked out. We ended up winning 13-12 with an almost three up three down last inning to perserve the win. I have a couple nice cracks. On a regulation ballpark, they'd been out. Heck, they cleared the lights. We are talking "The Natural" type of pokes. The first one surprised them. The second one they were playing behind the lights and it was a deep out. At least the runner moved over. It was nice to play.

Anyway, it was wet Saturday so I took the boys on a drive to find this 20% grade of a hill. It was a steep hill. It is a four mile climb with the last mile plus being tremendously steep. The good thing was not too many cars around. I want to ride it this Saturday. It should work out if I can get up early enough and get going. It is almost a 60 mile ride. If I am out by 6 AM, I should be back before 10 AM. We play softball again next Saturday.

Spin class was a lot more muscle tension today. It felt good. I cranked up the resistance and felt it today. The spin instructor did not like to stay on her bike. She kept getting down, adjusting the fans, adjusting her bike, looking at this card. She didn't look like she wanted to work that hard this morning. During the cool down, she is putting the unused spin bikes away and straightening up. Maybe she had somewhere to go. Maybe I can get trained and be an early morning spin instructor. Yeah, that's the ticket. I can work out and get paid for it. Here we go. Maybe at least I can get the club membership comp'ed. Now we are talking. Anyway, with my modified work schedule this week, I will be able to get a couple hours on the bike tomorrow. Nice!!

Just Spinning

The rain brought some enlightenment this week to my ride preparation. Christine had mentioned to me about this spinning class at the health club. I told her no thanks. I'll just spin on the road or on one of these exercise bikes after I swim. My parade got rained upon on Wednesday. I usually get some time on the bike on Wednesday. Since it was raining, I decided to go to the spinning class. We got there earlier than the class so I could spin and loosen the legs up a bit. The class was difficult but worth it. It pushed me to work a bit harder than I had done on my own interval training on the bike. Plus, it was fun. The music is loud and the room almost dark with some twenty other people suffering in the same way. Thursday, both Christine and I took a rest day. Friday I went back to the club, swam for 20 minutes, and then hit the spinning class. It was a different instructor and she pushed harder than the one on Wednesday. After I got done, I am asking myself, "How am I going to ride tomorrow?" Well, I did. I put 50 miles on the bike yesterday. I rode out to Camarillo and back. Some hills early but not a lot late. The ride was real beautiful from Camarillo back to Simi. Green hills, groves of trees, homes on the hill, and horse properties. It was all very soothing. In all, just a little bit over three hours of riding. The legs felt good and strong. There were moments before I got loose that I felt I should just turn and go home. I didn't. The interesting thing was I felt I got stronger as I rode on, punctuating the day climbing the hill up First Street in the biggest gear to date. The spinning class' tendency to stand while riding helped get up a lot of the hills and helped pull through the day.

On a note to Christine's idea to join the class, in this month's Bicycling magazine, it mentions how several riders took spinning interval training a saw some good improvements in strength and explosiveness. Well, here I go. I will continue to swim and spin while tieing in the endurance rides to all of the cardio work. I should be ready to ride the century here in May and really start to put some miles on the bike in preparing for the STP in July. 204+ in one day is the goal and will help boost confidence to roll into August.

I am looking forward to going to Tacoma this week. I do not have a lot of time to visit family but at least I will get to see them for a little while.

About the picture, just a little inspiration. Look at his face, then look at the faces of his teammates and others. He is in control and in the zone. If you've never been there, you don't understand. That look on his face tells a huge story while offering inspiration. If he can suffer like that, I can too!

High School Pictures

I was looking back at some old photos. I found two very memorable ones of both Yoda and JD in high school. Oooh when we were young and our hair was ............ a mullet. Check out the hair and the glasses!!! JD was on his game this day! Hey K, was he always this good looking?

Then there was those times when we had to call on a high power to get us out of some jams. No, it wasn't our parents. It was Guido. He got us sprung. He had the major hook up. Hey Yoda (or Bubba Joe as we called you then), remember this night when we had our mug shots taken? One too many shots of Mr. Cuervo. Love that hair and beware of that glare from the forehead!!

On a more serious note, I got in 24 laps in 20 minutes today in the pool It felt good and I am getting better. Heck, in another couple weeks I could be up to half a mile. I was in the pool for about 15 minutes when this girl jumped in. She was the all star. She was doing 4 to my 2. Too bad I don't have an ego or the lungs, or I would have been embarrassed!! Anyway, enjoy the photos.

Those darn pedals

4:30 AM came earlier this morning. The time change really doesn't help when getting up early. I got into bed around 9 PM to try and sleep. I was able to close my eyes and get to sleep but still, the body was not ready to get up and get going. Yesterday, I cleaned my chain, sproket, and bike. The bike got a good lube as well. I could here it saying "Thank you" when I was done. It was time for it. Anyway, it was a nice tempo ride. I rode 35 minutes of tempo and then hammered it home. I got out to the other side of Simi faster than I have ever before. The whole turn took 75 minutes rather than the usual 80 to 85. The legs felt strong and I felt fast. I have lost another half pound. I expect to keep this up for a while. After only one week of swimming, I can feel it helping already. I am pumped to go swimming again tomorrow. I have about 6 weeks to the years first century. It will be punishing with all of the hills. I plan on hitting some of the hills this weekend and putting some hours on the bike. I need to be at 150 miles per week by the 17th of April. I am going to struggle next week being out of town but we'll see. If the hotel has a stationary bike, I will be all over it.

Anyway, as I was coming into the keypad for the gate to enter the code, I am trying to decide whether to unclip or not. It is dark out still and the keypad is approaches faster than I anticipate. Next thing I know, I have fallen into the bushes on the keypad's island. I bonk my knee on the top tube and slam my chest into my handle bars. My head lands gently in a small flowered bush. I got up quickly and try to shake it off. It did not feel good. Both my legs have small scrapes and my head hurt most of the day. I could only laugh at myself as I got up and pedaled home. Surprisingly, I did not scream nor did I use any foul language. Wow! I wish I had the video tape to show it here on the blog so all could get a laugh but oh well, maybe next time.

Well, I am excited to have JD moving out this way. At least we can get together and hit some hills every once in a while. There are centuries all over California. Maybe I can get him to ride in Death Valley in October!! Just one question, who is the Lucha Libre wrestler in the picture? Is that the California Dreamer? I admit, I don't get the connection. I hope Yoda and JD get out for a ride. Upper Balcones is beautiful this time of year, plus it is a nice challenge. Good riding and may the force be with you.

MS Walk Saturday

I was ready to ride on Saturday morning before the walk but the weather did not cooperate. It stopped raining about 3:30 AM and the streets were too wet to get out and ride. The drainage system is nothing like in San Antonio. This is probably a sympton of not having substantial rain throughout the year. A heavy rain for the locals is only a light rain in Alamo Town. The water just does not get off of the road. By 10 AM, the time of the MS Walk start, everything was pretty much dry. The walk was fun with a lot of people participating. We all wore our Milgard shirts and had a good time. Later in the day, we went and played some tennis as well. Cassie and Craig are getting better.

I had to work a bit on the bike. The new tires I bought would not seat right on the rim. I kept getting this bump in the tire. Actually, it was an indention because the tire would seat too deep. After working with the tires and rims for about an hour, I finally got them right. I had to hurry since I was going to Conference. I still made it one time with Christine's help. We wash my car and she was nice enough to dry it for me. She loves me. Conference was great. Some very inspiring words were spoken by our leaders. Love one another, avoid speaking ill of others, work towards the End, value your membership, serve, and so much more. The meeting finished and I felt renewed and reinvigorated.

Christine and I had talked about going out to eat. I met her at the Wood Ranch BBQ. Several of her friends had told her it was the best around. We thought we'd try it. It was okay. After having the worst BBQ in Texas, it is hard to have anything else. I miss the cream corn, the sauce, the turkey, etc. I need to open a Rudy's here in CA. If only to satisfy my BBQ appetite. Ooh well, I'll have to do it on my own to get good BBQ. Anyway, Christine and I had a great time. The atmosphere was perfect. We talked and just hung out. A good way to end the week.

Swim day two

It was a much better day in the pool. I did a better job of pacing myself and pounded out 20 laps in twenty minutes of swimming. I felt better when I quit. It is all a matter of time. Christine came with me this morning as well. It was fun to ride a little and do some abs with her. She is going after getting in shape with some reckless abandon. Okay, it is not reckless nor is she abandoning anyone but she is motivated. She is inspiring me to work harder.

Tomorrow will be fun. It is Friday and I don't plan on riding this weekend due to the MS Walk here in Simi that we as a family are participating in. I am going to get up at 4 and see if I can ride for about two hours tomorrow. I need some help here. What does Yoda say, "there is no try, only do!" I must definitely "do" tomorrow. It will help complete a good week of work. Time on the bike and in the pool with some gym work. Next week will be fun as we go back to regular time. Spring forward will be exciting come Monday morning at 4:30 AM. Stay tuned as the fun continues in my quest to blow up (as in how Lance blew up the TdF) the HHH in August.

I will leave with a quote from one of my most favorite t-shirt sayings (Okay, I am digging now going to the t-shirts for help), "Pain is weakness leaving the body." What is your pain?

Hills and more hills

Today was hill riding. I rode for almost 90 minutes of solid hills, except for when I was coming down from the one I had just rode. It is not fun going up between 12 to 14 MPH and then cruising down the other side at 30+ MPH. These long hills mean you can't attack them the entire time, only at the top. I just spun up them and attacked the top. It made for a good workout. The heart stayed around 136 BPM.

Tomorrow, I get back into the pool to see if I can swim a bit more. I can tell that this will help me on improving my VO2 max. Yes, that means more power for longer.

Let's Go!!

Ride and Swim

I am two for two this week. I have gotten up both days and hit the exercise trail. Yesterday, I got on the bike for 80 minutes, about 25 miles through Simi. It was surprisingly bright for that time of day. The sun was up by 5:30 AM. I got up at O dark thirty, as we said in the Army, really only 4:30 AM. I stayed flat yesterday. My legs were heavy and not cooperating but I still averaged over 17 MPH going out the first 10 miles and over 22 MPH coming back in. It was a nice ride. Maybe I was so happy to be out early that I put the hammer down.

This morning I got up and went to the club with Christine. I was so happy that she came with me. It was fun to sit and talk and work out with her. She's the best partner. Anyway, I thought I'd try to swim for 30 minutes. I thought if Cassie can do it for over an hour, I should be able to do it for at least 30 minutes. I got to 20 minutes and was done for. I got in 16 laps in that time. I then got on the bike for 30 more minutes. The bike said I had ridden 11 miles in that 30 minutes. It was the easiest 11 miles I have ever ridden. I guess if you don't have to pull your own weight it is easier. The club has spinning classes as well. I might try one of them out and see how it is. This is looking promising.

After riding, Christine and I worked on abs. It felt good to get it all in. I started to feel all of it by about 10 AM. I was super hungry. I kept my mind and body busy till lunch time and Christine and I got a Subway. That was one of the best sandwiches I have had in a long time. Thanks Jared!

If I can keep this up, 200 pounds will be nothing but a bad dream. The word is if. If Christine keeps motivating me, well, I'd better sign up for the '07 TDF because I will be ready!!

Beech to the Beach

I had been talking about riding to the beach for a while. Yesterday, we got everything ready and I left about 9 AM. The first 20 miles or so was through Thousand Oaks and out to Potrero Road. Then there was a little fun. In two different spots, there was some downhill riding through this canyon, steep and sharp turns with no bail out areas. I had to ride my brakes pretty good to get through it all. The wind picked up out on the Hueneme Road where there is no protection from the off shore winds. It didn't help that their was storms blowing in either. After about 10 miles of solid wind I got on the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). The wind was not so bad there. It was great to ride down the coast for the next 20 miles or so. The waves, the rocks, the sounds, the other riders, it was beautiful.

A highlight of the ride was seeing this orange bike riding rider up ahead of me about 1/2 mile. It was motivating to think "Hey, there's Yoda, time to go!" Within the next mile and at the top of a next hill, the chase was over; the catch was made. It feels great to catch someone on a hill. In a look reminescent of "The Look", I stared back at the man and said, "Good morning!" Then, I put the pedal down on the downhill and I never saw him again. In fact, I thought I'd better ride hard because I don't want to see him again. That would mean I was not riding hard enough.

The end was the best. I was finishing up the ride, looking for a place to wait for Christine and then there she was. I turned around and went back to meet her and the kids. This is when Craig took the picture above. We stayed at the beach for about two hours, sitting, talking, playing football, and just hanging out. On the way home, we stopped in at Chipotle and got a burrito. Hey, after riding 50, I had a great need from some calorie replenishment. A little rice and beans never hurt anyone. After getting home and watching Texas lose in OT, we went off to look at a health club. Christine has a group of women she plays BB with that attend every morning. It has a pool, sauna, weights, etc., just like any health club. I think it would be great to do. Then I could swim twice a week, sit in the sauna, and lift a little to supplement my bike riding. Yoda has given some advice that I need the cross training to aid in the weight loss effort. I think I will take him up on it. More importantly, Christine and I could work out together a couple time a week. On the weight loss note, I lost another half a pound this week!! 200 here I come.

And I will call him....

Mini Me! I appreciate the teaching about acceleration with power-to-weight ratio. Where it comes into play is yes on acceleration but also on long rides. There is no match for riding and getting ready and a persons weight is an indicator of how long they can push, making power-to-weight important. I appreciate the time Yoda put into finding the information about long rides. When Mini Me has put in the time on the bike, he can try and take the pea from my hand! Until then, he will be best know as Mini Me.

The order of the eve was 26 miles in just under 90 minutes. I felt good tonight and pushed a few hills on the way. I averaged over 17.5 MPH and 143 BPM. It was cold but that's okay, I pushed on. I wore my HHH jersey, got honked at one time, and almost got can off the road only a couple of times. At least Simi is getting in the act. They have painted bike lanes all over the city. It is a lot different than when I first road through the city.

As long as we are quoting Confusius, let me add this one. Confusius say "if you no ride bike, you buy the grande chimichanga for two!"

Sometimes...

The garage has to be good enough. It was wet and cold so I just rode in the garage while watching U2. It was an all tempo night, 45 minutes worth of muscle tension to build leg strength. It was tough but worth it all. Who isn't motivated by the sounds of U2 and "I will follow." Makes me think of the competition, just follow. I will lead the way. Cycling is interesting in that you need your competition along with your teammates throughout the race in order to win. It is the last bit that really makes the difference. Stay together and in touch most of the way and just hammer it the final bit. All of this riding is the hammer for the little bit at the end. Here is some motivational pictures for all the pretenders out there.

Remember the power-to-weight explanation. This is how I lower the denominator to be the dominator!!

Power-to-weight

Wikipedia describes power-to-weight as "the power the engine develops, divided by the vehicle's (or engine) weight." I have been pushing some weight for some time. Now that it is starting to come off, the ratio is starting to blow up, Testarosa style!! Here's a picture of me on the road getting it done!!

JD gave me a shout out tonight. Looks like Cali is in the cards. We might be Cruis'in the Conejo earlier than expected. Sounds like a plan.

Don't be hating Sonny Crocket

Everyone wanted to be Sonny Crocket growing up. The car, the clothes, the shoes, and the girls...so...don't be hating on Mr. Crocket, it's Sonny if your nasty. Thanks Ms. Jackson for the lyrics.

The ride was a fun 25 miles. I tried another route. Down to TO, up to Moorpark, and back to Simi but over Lost Canyon. I kept the heart rate up and the legs kicking. I wanted to ride longer but Christine left for a Women's Conference in Long Beach so I couldn't get out longer. 90 minutes is good enough for today. I am glad that I found this route. It will be my 90 minute route for the weekdays. This way I don't have to ride in circles and at least the scenery will change. Time to get going. Its off to the bike shop for some tools and some adventure with the kids.

Where are you at dawg? Is Michael Knight and his sidekick, Kit all you got. That deserves another Rocky quote for the sports pretenders. This quote is from Apollo, "Stay in school and use your brain. Be a doctor, be a lawyer, carry a leather briefcase. Forget about sports as a profession. Sports make ya grunt and smell. See, be a thinker, not a stinker." So don't be a stinker, be a thinker. On the other hand, this is what Mickey has been telling me, "You're gonna eat lightnin' and you're gonna crap thunder!" Just don't ride behind me.

Peace and I'm outta here.

Let Sonny Crocket be your guide

What is up with the ugly flashback to Gary Coleman. The man who played an eight year old when he was twenty-two!! Knight Rider, that was another story. Hit the Turbo Michael!!

To help all of you out there in need of some urging and coaching, let Sonny Crocket be your guide. If you remember well, Crocket and Tubbs were the detectives on Miami Vice. Crocket, the Florida native and Tubbs, the out of water New Yorker hitting the Miami scene. This was one of the few shows I'd watch as a teenager, otherwise, it was I am outta here and off to the club. Where's fitty cent? That's $0.50 if your not nasty.



Pretenders, listen to Crocket, "The secret to success, whether it's women or money, is knowing when to quit. I oughta know: I'm divorced and broke. " So if you want to win, just quit. You'll feel better in the morning. And finally, "People in stucco houses shouldn't throw quiche."

Peace and I'm outta here!!

Clubber Lang

In the immoral words of Mr. Clubber "Pain" Lang, "I pity the fool!!" Pain will be the theme all summer long, culminating in a painful August for my competitors. Today was another step on that "pain" journey. 90 minutes of hills and more hills. I can tell the legs are kicking in because I am getting up hills in larger gears than before. This is the payoff. Wait, I hear your mouth. Another memorable quote from Mr. Pain, "What did you say, Paper Champion? I'll beat you like a dog, a dog, you hear?" Okay, enough testoterone for one night.

I'll be going to Tacoma in April for a few days. I have a Senior Leadership Development Conference for two days. I hope catch a couple of family members for a couple of hours and some grub. I let everyone know after all of the details are worked out.

I couldn't help it. "Hey fool! You ready for another beating!? You shoulda never came back!" Y'all should never come out. I pity the fool!!

On the bike

Craig and I got on the bikes tonight. We rode around our neighborhood for a couple of miles. Craig was peddling as hard as he could to keep up. He made me laugh with his jokes. We got on this "hill" and he says to me, "Dad, why do you like to torture me?" It was timely. After riding almost four miles with Craig, Craig tagged his Mom and she rode another six miles with me. It was a nice ride and time to talk. It was a slow burn at an even pace. It felt good. Tomorrow morning will be a bit more brisk as I will ride alone and do some hill work as well. I have two months till the Conejo Valley Century. I need to be ready for the 6,000 ft worth of climbing. I have rode some parts of the ride already. It looks like the Mulholland ride will be part of the century ride. I need to get over there to ride it and see what the hills are like. I hate getting on a hilly ride and not knowing the hills, how long they are, the pain involved, the speed needed to get up the hill, the speed that can be generated on the hill, the turns, and the flatter portions. I could make the century today. I just don't think I could crush it though. In two months, crush it yes. In four months, 200+ miles. In five months, crush the polka dots. There are no mountains on the Hotter 'N Hell. There aren't any rent-a-fans either available. Where's Roscoe Pecol Train? Just some good old boys....

Cold Rain

Can California have both rain and be cold? I did not think so until this weekend. It has been wet and cold so this translated into no riding. Come back this week for more ride updates. I have the bike ready to go for tomorrow morning's ride. There is no rain in the forecast just a little cold for tomorrow morning. Let's ride...ooh, by the way, can anyone pull me into town?

The route

Here is the elevation of the Hotter 'N Hell 100. It starts at 943 ft., peaks at 1150 ft. at mile 31, and then it is basically back to 943 ft. The steepest hill is the freeway at mile 99 and it only lasts about 1/4 mile and then it is just coasting to the finish. In looking at this graph, remember that the elevation change is only 200 feet total, from top to bottom.

If the weather cooperates and is only hot, it is a nice ride!! We had been averaging 16+ MPH last year, riding in hills. On this ride, we average 19.7. Call it leg strength, call it preparation, call it adreneline. All this mixed with a large group of riders to pace, drop behind and to help to keep your strength up all through the race makes this happen.

Remember to LIVESTRONG!!

Staybridge sweets..

There was no road riding this weekend. We went to San Diego for Liz's wedding. This did not dissuade me from getting on the bike. The Staybridge Suites had an exercise room with a decent stationary bicycle. I rode it for 75 minutes and then got in a good workout, abs and legs. Maybe I should get a gym membership and start working the legs. Then again, I need to be thinking about losing weight, not adding more. Craig was in the room with me and also got a workout in. In fact, he got his Heely's on and rolled on the tread mill for a bit till I rethought it and figured it wasn't the best thing to be doing. We didn't want to get kicked out of the hotel.

The wedding was wonderful. Bob and Mel were such gracious hosts as always. The wedding and ring ceremony were great. I had to keep telling Jermaine to stop teasing. Tito at least brought me a tissue. It was all very moving. I had never heard such eloquent remarks about temple marriage as I heard on Saturday. It was great to be there with family. Thanks for Caran for El Torito lunch on Saturday as well. It really hit the spot.

Speaking of hitting the spot, Mexican is always good. Even more so after a victory. I am in with the notion of loser picks up the tab. If I should follow up the rear, I would be honored to be the "Sugar Daddy" and pick up dinner. I don't plan it but JD has thrown down the kunnum drum. I will be kunnuming and drumming all the way to El Chico's. Iban Mayo, sounds like Mayonaisse, spread to thin and smashed between two pieces of bread. Let's get it on. What a minute, it is already on!! All I got to say is, Trix are for kids so you'd better watch our for the metamusal!!