The year in review...

Hi All! Well, another year has come and gone. I'm not big on New Year's resolutions, but I do tend to reflect on the year as the end of the year arrives. Was it a good year? Bad? What did I accomplish? On and on. Looking back on the year, I'm coming to the conclusion that 2010 was a very good year, bordering on great.

From a work standpoint, I still have a job, which these days is something to celebrate. As for racing, I was able to, which again, given the economy and everything that includes, is something else to celebrate. Sure, I didn't compete as much as I'd like to have, but I didn't suffer any injuries, my health was good, and on a great note, I did win a race for the first time!

On the home front, the wife and I had an experience later in the year that helped us learn something about ourselves, and served to bring us closer then ever. We've always believed, and now more then ever, that you never know what life's going to bring your way. You never know who's going to walk through your front door, or in this particular experience, through the cafe's front door!

My new business venture not only became a reality in 2010, it's been progressing at a nice steady pace ever since going from sketches on pieces of paper, to actually holding the product in my hand. 2011 is going to be all about marketing. Wish me luck, I'll need it!

I truly hope all of you had a wonderful 2010, and my hopes and prayers are with everyone for an even more prosperous 2011! Until next time...

The best laid plans...

Good morning everyone! Well, I'm still in San Marcos today. Yes, the wife and I are suppose to be in Lake Havasu, but she came down with a nasty cold, and we had to cancel. We cancelled largely due to the fact the friends we were visiting had a bit of a scare this last Summer when the husband came down with Valley Fever, which hits the lungs hard, and we were fearful that he could catch my wife's cold, and that's obviously the last thing he needs!

So, what to do? Make the best of it! While the wife slept in yesterday, I got out on the bike for almost four good hours, and today plan on another five or so hours, riding up De Luz Canyon to Temecula, then back home. Tomorrow, there's a lot of rain in the forecast, so I'll more then likely hit the trainer or the gym. After this week, I'll be getting back on the rigid training schedule that John Bailey set up for me to prepare for the Death Valley Stage Race. It worked well for that, so I'm hoping it will for Boulevard!

Hope all is well, until next time...

Getting excited!...

Hi All! An early post, but I'm getting anxious for this upcoming weekend, and the following week. That's right, you heard me, I'm anxious for next week! Especially anxious for Monday. The weekend I plan on getting out early Xmas Day, before the wife is out of bed, log at least a couple of hours, then it's off to the in-laws for dinner and a movie. Sunday, more training. Monday, the wife and I are leaving to visit some friends in Lake Havasu, and I plan on getting dropped off 58-miles from Havasu in the middle of the desert, in a town (I guess it's a town!), called Vidal Junction. It'll be fun to just blast through the desert, in unfamiliar territory, hopefully trouble free, and roll in to town in what I'm estimating to be around
3-1/2-hours.

Tuesday and Wednesday morning, I plan on getting up and at em' early on the bike, log some more time in the desert, then we head home Wednesday afternoon. After six straight days of torrential rain, I'm ready for some sun! The sun is my battery charger! I don't mind the change in weather, but enough is enough for this native San Diegan!!!

Well, I wish you all the Merriest Christmas, and the Happiest New Year! Until next time...

A little soggy...

Hi All! How was your weekend? Good! Well, this weekend was suppose to kick off my campaign to getting back to logging some serious time on the bike. Sure, the aptly named "Pineapple Express" rolled in to town straight from Hawaii, and the forecast was for some serious rain, but I didn't plan on letting that stop me. After all, Boulevard is just around the corner, and the forecast for that race is never pretty.

Saturday I was up and at em' early, and on the bike by 8:30. I managed to get in a nice 2:40 minute ride, with only the last two hours in the pouring rain. Interesting thing, I really enjoy riding in inclement weather. I always have, I just tend to avoid it because of the necessary clean up after the ride. It's not like you can come home and hand your bike off to your personal mechanic like Lance! But, when there's an important race just around the corner, and that race usually consists of bad weather, it's a great idea to train in it. Just that much more advantage over the competitors who choose to stay home. What's funny, is in that 2:40 ride, I saw only six other cyclists. San Diego is definitely full of a lot of fair weather riders!

Today, not so good. The weather was much worse then yesterday, but I was still itching to get out and log a good four hours. I was on the road again by 8:30, and before I could get out of the neighborhood, I went to shift my bike in to the 27-tooth cog, the chain jumped over the sprocket and in to the spokes. I continued pedaling before I realized what had happened, damaging a link in the chain! Needless to say, about every two pedal strokes the chain would jump significantly, making the ride extremely annoying. I made my way to my in-laws house in Elfin Forest thinking maybe I could repair it, but when I arrived and assessed the problem, I realized it was hopeless. Back home. 1:15 pedaling time. Not really worth getting soaked for, but better then nothing I suppose.

Down to Bailey's house tonight for a new chain, some new team socks, back home for dinner and a movie with the wife. Not a bad day considering how it began. Hope all is well, and best wishes to you all! Until next time...

Feelin' better...

Hi All! Well, it's been exactly fourteen days since I had the first symptoms of this head cold. The good news is I'm feeling much better. I never actually felt bad this whole time, just an annoying cough and a daily Nyquil hangover!

This past weekend was good. I worked at the cafe Saturday, took care of some business afterwards, then Sunday I was able to get out on the bike for about 4-1/2 hours, and 70-miles. Rode with my friend Eric Lloyd of SDBC, from my house, in to Escondido, up Highland Valley Road, to Highway 67, then down Scripps Poway Parkway, to Rancho Santa Fe, and home. Nice steady pace the whole way. 90-degree heat if you can believe it! It felt great to be out turning the pedals again!

It's back to work this week, which means some time in the gym and on the trainer. Next weekend will be all about logging some serious time in the saddle. I need to drop a few pounds and build back some endurance. January I plan on beginning to introduce some intensity back in to the program. After all, Boulevard's just around the corner!

I still haven't started any Christmas shopping! Not too worried, my list of people to buy for is pretty short, so I'm confident I'll be ready in time for the big day! Hope all is well! Until next time...

Making gains...

Hi All! Going good? 5-lbs and counting! Yeah, that's right, you heard me! I've managed to gain 5-lbs of "winter coat" as I call it, during the off-season. Not bad considering. I've really tried to be good this year, not go too far off the deep end with eating, reminding myself that the more weight I gain, the more time it's going to take to get it off before the serious training can even begin. As soon as I begin my LSD rides this week, I'm sure the weight will come right off, and I'll be back to my fightin' weight in no time!

Can you believe how fast this month is going, or this year for that matter! Why is it the older I get, the faster the years go by? I have a feeling it's that way for most people. The wife and I are gearing up for some major changes in our lives over the next few weeks. Some good, some not so good, but hey, that's life, right?!

Hope all is well. Until next time...

On the lite side...

Hi All! How are things? Well, this little head cold has kept my training on the lite side this week. I managed to get a good 60-minute endurance ride in on the trainer earlier in the week, and a spin and core workout at the gym, 1-1/2 easy hours on the road yesterday to Nytro and back, and another 60-minutes at recovery pace on the trainer today. It's not that I don't want to be logging some good base miles right now, it's just that two years ago I had this same, usual little cold, kept trying to train through it, and before I knew it, I had a full blown case of bronchitis! One step forward, ten steps back.

So needless to say, I've learned that it's better to lay low, be patient, get well as soon as possible, then come back stronger. So, I hope your training weekend was better then mine! Until next time...

Hesjedal...

Great video of my favorite Pro Tour rider...enjoy!!!

Maui Training Ride With Ryder Hesjedal from Media One Multimedia on Vimeo.

A little ill...

Hi All! How are you? Doing OK here. This last Saturday, I decided to head out in the garage after work around 3pm and ride the trainer for 60-minutes. I opened the garage door, opened the side garage door, and turned on the large fan that I place directly in front of me to keep the sweat down. Normally this is a great setup, and it's always served me well over the summer. But, the weather Saturday was definitely on the chilly side, although after fifteen minutes on the bike, I wasn't feeling cold at all.

About thirty minutes in to my workout, my wife came out from the house, and the first thing she said was, "It's freezing out here! Why do you have that fan on when it's so cold outside?" I informed her that I wasn't cold, and that the fan actually felt pretty good. Well...an hour after I finished my workout, and as I was standing in the shower, I began to cough. Sick! I always get sick this time of year, it's the craziest thing!

So, I took the following three days of the bike, and today decided to get back on the trainer, (minus the big fan), and ride at a good endurance pace for 60-minutes. It felt good, and I'm hoping it won't affect this slight cold I have, because I prefer to keep it that way, and not get another case of Bronchitis as I did two years ago, when I thought it was OK to train hard through a cold. BIG mistake!

Hope all is well out there, until next time...

Sigh...

Hi All. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, filled with family, friends, good food, and great memories. It's too bad we don't celebrate with family and friends more often, and not wait for a holiday to roll around to make the time for one another.

Well, so much has changed in my life since my last post, and unfortunately not for the better. Everyone's healthy, still have a roof over our heads, and food to eat, but we are losing someone, who in a very short period of time, has become a large part of our lives. That's all I'm going to say, I really don't intend to use this blog has a source to vent my frustrations, or express my sadness, so I won't.

There's really not much new to report on the training front. I did get out a few times this last week, nothing too exciting, but I've been sticking to my usual November off-season program of just riding when and where I choose, without any real structure. There'll be plenty of time for that soon enough! Hope all is well, until next time...

Giving thanks...

Hi All! Nothing to report, just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. I know it's a day early, but I am working tomorrow, and may not get a chance to post. I will say however, that Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday hands down. To me, it's everything a holiday should be. Family, food, relaxing, just enjoying each other's company, what more is there. Christmas is nice, and I do love the feeling in the air that comes with it, but it seems, that the true meaning of the holiday itself is always overshadowed by the need everyone feels to go out and buy gifts, which ultimately results in most people getting stressed out.

So, I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving, enjoy each other's company, enjoy the great food, football, and everything else that the day brings. Until next time...

First Win...

Hi All! Well, it's official, after four years of racing, and somewhere in the neighborhood of 70+ races, I finally earned my first win! All that preparation for last month's Death Valley Stage Race paid off. I placed first in my category, and third overall. I wish I could say my category had more racers (four), but the other three racers put up a good fight, which makes the win that much sweeter.

Unfortunately, due to my lack of understanding, and to be honest, ignorance, I do not have enough points to upgrade to Cat 3. If I understand it correctly now, due to the small field size, not many points were awarded, 3-points for my first place finish. USA Cycling requires 20-points in a 12-month period to upgrade from Cat 4 to Cat 3, or 20 mass starts, (mass start = 75 rider field). This is why a rider such as myself, who doesn't race crits, has such a difficult time upgrading. I don't race enough races in a season to upgrade based on starts, and the races I do compete in with a 75+ rider field, (ie...Boulevard, San Luis Rey, etc), are extremely difficult to place high in because of the field size.

So what's a rider suppose to do? Well, I'm going to begin by doing my best to be in top form earlier next season, so I have a better chance of placing high in the early season road races. That coupled with entering the big climbing events such as the Death Valley race, Everest Challenge, etc, should give me enough points to upgrade.

Hope you're all doing well out there! Until next time...

Race photos and video...

Hi All! Here are some pics from Saturday's Santiago Canyon TT. I'll have a video posted soon too. Enjoy!

For Robert & Judy...

Hi All! Well today I competed in the Santiago Canyon Time Trial. This is still one of my favorite events of the year, at least as time trials go. Since I haven't been on my TT bike since April, I decided to just run the course on my road bike. It's not the worst decision to make, since there is quite a bit of climbing on the course, but if you're really concerned about running the fastest possible time, a TT bike is needed.

Needless to say, I entered the Cat 4 category, and my only goal of the day was to break 30-minutes for the 11-mile run up Santiago Canyon Road. I managed to pull out a 29:10, which was good enough for 3rd place, and a bronze medal. Funny story about the medal. In the four years I've raced this event, I've never stayed around for the awards ceremony. I've finished in the top five a handful of times, and came close to winning once. Today as usual, I packed the car up and walked over to check the results. My wife, goddaughter, friend, and I, stayed for the awards ceremony, and watched as all the categories were called, and the medals were given out. We noticed the 4/5 category wasn't mentioned, I told my wife they probably did that category first. No big deal, I said...let's go get lunch! As we walked away, my friend decided to hang back and ask. Sure enough they did do the 4/5 awards first, and they gave out medals to the top three finishers. THE BRONZE!!! Makes me wonder how many medals I left behind at this event!

Today's race officially marked the end of my season! Now it's riding to just keep a decent base, keep the weight down, and enjoy the scenery. Then, December will be all about base miles and endurance. January the intensity will work its way back in to the program, all in hopes to be fit, fast, and ready for Boulevard, the tradiitonal first race of the new season! Tomorrow's plan...not sure yet, but at least three good hours in the saddle. Hope all is well, until next time...

Pin it on...

Hi All! How's it going? Sorry, nothing new and exciting to report in this post. Work has been going well, slow, but going. The riding has been about the same as well. I'm still waiting for the results of the Death Valley Stage Race! I really don't know what's taking the promoter so long to post the results of a field of thirty riders total! Ahhhhh!

This last weekend was good. Saturday morning I loaded the bike in the car, planning on riding home from Mission Bay Park, where the wife and I went down to watch our good friend compete in a Cross Country meet for Palomar College. It was the first time I've ever watched a running meet, and it really was an exciting event! Running, in my opinion, has to be the "purest" of all aports out there. Think about it...all that's required are a shorts and a pair of shoes! Maybe it's just due to the fact that I compete in an endurance sport myself, but I really appreciated watching the runners laying it out there that day.

Sunday, I met a good training partner of mine, Mark, doown in Rancho San Diego, and we hit the hills and rode the Great Western Loop. Great day of riding...42 miles, 3800ft of climbing, and 1500 calories. The legs felt better then ever, another sign that all the hard training Bailey had me doing to get ready for the DV Stage Race, is still paying off even a month later!

This coming Saturday, I'll be racing in the Santiago Canyon Time Trial. This WILL be my last race of the season! I don't mean to sound like I'm tired of competing, I'm actually getting more excited and anxious as the week goes by, and can't wait to pin on another number and lay it all out there! Don't worry, I'll have the race results the same day! LOL!

Hope all is well! Until next time...

Storm photos...

Storm the Beach...

Hi All! How's it going out there? Good here. Well, to sum everything up...I'm still waiting the results of my race out in Death Valley! The training, or I really should say, riding, is still happening. I've just been staying on the bike to keep a level of fitness, definitely not to prepare for any events, or try and keep the high level of fitness I achieved late in the season. In fact, none of my rides have been much over a couple of hours at a time.

November 13th, I do plan on racing in one more event for the year, the Santiago Canyon TT. Tradionally, I've almost always finished off my season with this event, and usually have actually kept the trraining up so I'd be ready for at least a top five finish, but this year, after all the high intensity, disciplined training Bailey had me doing in order to prepare for my last couple of races, I'm just not that motivated to really keep pushing for this TT, in fact, I wouldn't even be racing it if it wasn't for the fact my wife and goddaughter were making the trip up north to watch me hurt myself!

Yesterday, I made the trip up to Camp Pendleton to watch the "Storm the Beach" cyclocross race, sponspored this year by none other then Bailey Bikes! The field was stacked to say the least! Chris Horner, Sid Taberlay, Brent Prenzlow, and the Bailey boys to name a few. It was some great racing action, kind of predictable as far as the results were concerned, (Horner 1st, Taberlay 2nd, Prenzlow 3rd, Behrens 4th, and Bailey 5th), but still a great place to go watch some cross action!

Hope all is well out there, here are some photos, and I'll talk to you soon! Until next time...

Down time...

Hi All! How's life? Things have been good here. For all the readers (reader! LOL!) of my blog, you'll know I competed in the Death Valley Stage Race last weekend. I've been waiting to post a race report, (along with pictures and videos), until I receive the official results, and unfortunately, I'm still waiting for them! I don't want to jinx myself, so I'll reframe from providing any information on the event, but I will say, what an incredible race! I'll definitely be back for more, and plan on keeping my focus next year strictly on RR's, and include more "climbing" focused events such as the Death Valley races, Everest Challenge, etc.

Stage 2 of the race was last Sunday, and I haven't ridden my bike until today, this Sunday. Don't worry, I planned to do that, just to give myself a physical and mental break from all the training in preparation for the Death Valley event. It's been a nice break this last week, but I'll tell you, my life's routine really gets out of whack when I disrupt it with something like taking the bike completely out of it. It really has made me realize just how much of an integral part of my life the bike is! Kind of scary!!!

As I mentioned, I did get back out on the road today for a little over two hours, with no real purpose, other then just riding. That's probably what the rest of this month will be in the way of riding for me. Wherever, whenever, and with whoever, just go with what life allows me in the way of riding right now. My priorities right now are family, cafe, new business, bike. Pretty much in that order.

Wish I had more to tell you, and I promise I'll provide the race report as soon as it's in stone. Hope all is well! Until next time...

Tick, tock...

Hey All! Well, the countdown has begun! Less then a week now until I head up to Bishop to compete in the Death Valley Stage Race. There's a very good chance this will be my last race of the season, and judging by the past write ups on this event, and given its location, I think it's going to be high on my list of favorite events.

So far there are only three of us Cat 4's registered, and I'm desperately hoping the other two racers are guys who love to climb, and excel at it. I'm not assuming I'm going to walk away with a win, but because of the extremely small field size, it's not going to be difficult to keep track of the comeptition and know how well they're doing.

So, I leave Friday morning for Bishop, spend both Friday and Saturday nights there. Day one of the race starts just outside of Big Pine, and day two starts smack dab in the middle of Lone Pine, and then proceeds up the hardest rated climb in California, Onion Valley Road! I've never ridden up in that area, but if time permits, I'd like to drive Onion Valley on our way to Bishop. It's always a good idea to recon the course before you race it.

This weekend I managed to get some fairly good training in, but truth be told, my body is getting tired of all these hard workouts, even after a rest week not too long ago. I left the house Saturday morning, and made my way up Highway 395 to Rainbow, then down Rice Canyon Road, up Cousar Canyon Road, up Valley Center Road, down to Escondido, then through Elfin Forest, and finally up and over San Elijo Road. I made the fatal mistake of not consuming enough calories on the 2300-calorie ride, and paid the price coming in. I weighed in at 151 when I left, and 142 when I returned! Not good!!!

Needless to say, I still felt the effects of that ride this morning, so I headed straight to the coast via Palomar Airport Road, made my way down to Solana Beach, then headed inland home, via Rancho Santa Fe. A good ride, pushing it in places, but not too hard.

This week is going to be all about short intense efforts, keeping the legs moving and tuned up. A nice "opener" here Friday morning before we get on the road, then race Saturday and Sunday. I'd really like to end this season with a win, so wish me luck!

Hope all is well, until next time...

Back to work...

Hi All! Well, the weekend has come and gone, was it long enough for you? Never is for me! This last week, I managed to get myself back on track with my training, after a rest week that lasted a bit longer then it should of, but ultimately, probably did more good then harm after all the extremely hard workouts I completed prior to it.

After a week of trainer interval workouts, and a week of extremely high temperatures around San Diego, Saturday's plan was to head out to Palomar for some repeats, but the forecast of possible thunderstorms with lightning, put an end to that! I decided instead to take a ride down the coast to La Jolla and back. I rode at a fairly good tempo pace, and as usual, came across a few riders who, as I was passing them, always latch on to my wheel, and sit in my draft. Most of the time this doesn't really bother me, but as I was approaching the base of the Torrey Pines climb, this one particular rider who had been cat & mousing me all the way through Del Mar, running red lights just to stay ahead of me, proceeds to sit on my wheel right up until the bottom of the climb, then decides to shoot around me as the road pitched up.

I could tell by this guy's build that he wasn't going to be able to hold the pace he was setting up the beginning of the climb, so I just sat on his wheel and waited for him to blow up. Before this happened, two riders came up on the outside of us, one a rider from UCLA, and the other a Swami. They went by us a good 4 or 5mph quicker then we were, and I immediately jumped in behind them, but intentionally staying a good twenty feet back.

It didn't take long for the Del Mar wheelsucker to blow up, then it was just the two other riders and myself. About halfway up the climb, the UCLA rider went around his Swami friend, and up'd the pace even more. The Swami rider had a climber's build, but the UCLA rider looked more like a sprinter. He was putting out some serious power, and I just kept hanging on. Not long after, the UCLA rider pulled off, job done, and the Swami kept the pace up, climbing hard! I just kept my distance, but not losing any either. I looked down and noticed my heart rate was at 182bpm, and I was definitely feeling the hurt!

A couple of times, I had the urge get out of the saddle, and attempt to overtake the Swami, but the level of suffering I was experiencing was just enough to keep me at bay. We both reached the top, still twenty feet apart, and as my heart rate settled back down, I smiled. There's nothing like a good battle up a climb to get the blood pumping! All in all, a good day on the road, 48-miles, 3600ft, and 1400 calories.

Today, a new PR of sorts. Again, I skipped Palomar because of an unfavorable forecast, but still wanted to get some good climbing in, so I decided that hill repeats would be the plan for the day. San Elijo and Twin Oaks. Great weather for repeats, overcast, high 60's, a light wind, bring it on! 8x San Elijo, and 2x Twin Oaks. Pushed fairly big gears, and kept the heart rate between 150-160bpm for the 2:45 ride, and another 1400 calories. Legs are feeling heavy tonight!

Thirteen days until the Death Valley Stage Race! Can't wait! Hope you all had a great weekend, until next time...

R&R...

Hi All! Was today hot enough for you? Just thought I should start with that seeing as how today, was one of, if not, the hottest day of the year so far.

I wish I had some great training story to tell, you. Something along the lines of an incredible day climbing Palomar or some other big climb here in San Diego. Or possibly a good 100+ mile ride, full of some good tempo, but to be honest, I've been taking last week's prescribed "rest week", and extending it a bit further then I probably should!

The reason for that has really been a combination of things. First, as I metioned, last week was a scheduled "rest week", and early in to it, I was having difficulty actually resting, and not out training. When Friday rolled around, I decided I had enough rest, and I was itching to sweat. I hooked the bike up to the trainer, and got a nice 60-minute tempo ride in.

Saturday, I threw on the Bailey kit, and rolled out of the driveway, for a nice, fast paced tempo ride out to the coast, via Del Dios Highway and Rancho Santa Fe. I opted out of heading inland, because Saturday was the first day of the heat wave that we're currently experiencing here in San Diego. Did I mention that it was 105 here in San Marcos today!!!

Sunday I was suppose to get back out on the road for a good 2-3 hours, but after working all week, and a portion of Saturday and Sunday, and the increasing heat, I decided to give Mom a call, and go golfing! I don't know if I've told you, but prior to my bike racing career, I was an Assistant Golf Professinal here in San Marcos. Occasionally I get the itch to play again, so when that happens I scratch it. It also helps remind me that I still far prefer cycling over golf. It's not that golf isn't fun, it is, in a different way, but it doesn't hold a candle to the pleasure that cycling offers. Just my opinion.

Today was the usual work day, followed by the usual day off the bike, and the usual core workout. Tomorrow, FTP intervals on the trainer, and more trainer workouts through Thursday. Back on track with the big climbing days this coming weekend.

Hope all is well. Until next time...

A little tired...

Hi All! How was your weekend? No complaints here. This last week capped off a tough four week training block, that to be honest, as left me feeling pretty tired. It all started Tuesday with a much dreaded VO2 max interval workout on the trainer. 5x4min, all-out efforts, with 5-minutes rest in between each one! I've come to realize, that VO2 max intervals, even though a short workout, are my least favorite thing to do on a bike, hands down!

Wednesday's scheduled workout involved a great 2-hour endurance ride to the coast, via Rancho Santa Fe, and then up to Palomar Airport Road, and back in to San Marcos. I really enjoyed that ride. Riding at an endurance pace (140-160bpm's), for an extended period of time is so much fun! You're not killing yourself out there, but you're not taking it easy either. Just a nice, quick pace, really enjoyable.

Thursday was 2x20 FTP intervals on the trainer. These types of intervals are som much more tolerable then the VO2's! Just a good hard tempo for 20-minutes on, then 10-minutes rest, then another 20-minutes. You're definitely working hard, but you don't feel like you're either going to throw up, or have a heart attack during the workout!

Friday was a 40-minutes recovery ride around the neighborhood. Recovery rides are nice, but they're actually difficult for me. Not on a physical level, but all mental. A recovery ride is like s low day at work. The clock ticks away, ever so slow, and although it's nice just to be out on the bike, it's no where near as fun as an endurance ride. Maybe it's because I race, and riding at a pace so easy, a grandma could drop me, just isn't very exciting.

This weekend I managed to get eight solid hours on the bike, four hours and 70-miles on Saturday, up Highland Valley Road to Ramona, down Highway 67 to Lakeside, down Scripps Poway Parkway, and eventually back through Rancho Santa Fe to home. I pushed the pace pretty hard, and last night was extremely tired, more tired then I should have been for a ride like that.

Today I decided to go out for another 4-hours, but this time stick to the coast, and keep the pace down. I rode out to the coast and Del Mar via Del Dios Highway and Via De La Valle, then made my way down to La Jolla where I met up with my good friend Andy Gurney. Then together we rode back North up the coast, where I peeled off at Palomar Airport Road, and back home. My legs felt tired, and my heart was a little slow to respond to any effort.

This coming week is a long overdue rest week. That doesn't mean I'm to take the entire week off the bike, but the few rides I do, will be short and easy. All the hard work over the last four weeks has left me feeling tired for the last four weeks, and now the rest week is necessary to let my body and mind rebuild that much stronger.

Hope all is well, until next time...

Bring it!...

Hi All! Hope everyone is having a great weekend so far. We are truly blessed to have days like this. Before I get started, let me begin by saying to those you lost loved ones on 9/11, my hearts and prayers were, and always will be with you.

Well, we couldn't of had better weather, quite a change from last weekend's heat fest! My weekend was fairly uneventful, which these days, is another way of saying it was perfect!

I had a few friends who went up to Big Bear this weekend to continue their training for the Everest Challenge coming up September 25-26. I was invited to join, and gave it some serious consideration, but ultimately decided that I'd rather spend more time on the bike, and less time in the car. One of my least favorite things to do, is to load up the car to go for a ride. That's one of the reasons I quit mountain biking.

Saturday morning, I rolled out of the driveway around 8:15, fully committed to getting 6-hours, and 100-miles on the bike. I wasn't sure of the route I was going to take, but I knew I wanted that much time and distance, and to do the ride at a nice, high-intensity. One thing I've learned over the last four years of racing and training, is that when you feel physically, and especially mentally prepared to take on a big ride, then do it, don't hesitate. Even as much as I love to ride, it's not very often that I want to go out for 6+ hours, and 100+ miles.

As I was gearing up, I decided on a route...head East to Escondido, up Lake Wohlford Road, down Valley Center Road, up Highway 76 to South Grade Road, up South Grade to Palomar's summit, back down South Grade to Highway 76, Highway 76 to Oceanside, Coast Highway to Palomar Airport Road, Palomar Airport Road back home.

When I reached the market at Valley Center Road and Highway 76, (the official start to the climb up Palomar Mountain), I made the decision that I was going to take a "run" at the mountain, in other words, I was going to go hard all the way to the summit and see if I could match or beat my PR of 69-minutes. I was 28-miles in to my ride at this point, so my legs were good and warm.

I reached the split to South Grade Road off Highway 76 in 26:30, I knew I was right on track to possibly beat my PR. I continued on up South Grade Road, pushing the pace, noting that my heart rate had been at 170+ since I left the market. I felt good, and decided that I could hold that pace to the top.

As I neared the summit, I noticed three riders up the road, and I was gaining on them fast. As I went by, I recognized one of the riders from my repeats last week on Palomar. I said hi and pushed on. A little ways up the road, he caught up to me and began talking. I made the mistake of letting up so I could respond, why? To be friendly of course. He's a nice guy, and I didn't want to be rude, but looking back on it, I should of just kept my mouth shut for one more kilometer, reached the summit, and then spoke! Needless to say, I missed my PR by one minute! 70-minutes to the top! The good news is that I'm convinced if I hadn't let up, I could of at least matched my PR.

There were some other minor events and sights during the ride that I won't bore you with. Stats for the ride...6:08, 99.7-miles, 7000ft of elevation gain, 3300 calories burned.

Today, I fully planned on getting at least 4-5 hours on the bike, and wanted to push it hard again the whole way, but about an hour in to the ride, I noticed that no matter how hard I pedaled, my heart rate wasn't getting above 150bpm. What's that mean? My body was telling me it's tired. When your heart does that, you're far better off to take it easy, cut the ride short, and let your body recover. It's not going to make you any stronger or faster to push through it. Actually, it can have just the opposite effect. Stats for the ride...3-hours, 49-miles, 3000ft, 1200 calories. Good enough!

On a sad note...the Mt. Charleston Hill Climb was officially cancelled this week due to lack of participation! Sign of the times? As soon as I received the email informing me of the cancellation, I immediately pulled the trigger and registered for the Death Valley Stage Race. I already intended to race it, but with Charleston off the schedule, I decided to fully commit. With all the training I've been doing in preparation for Chalreston, and my fitness at a high level, it would be a shame to call it a season and let it go to waste.

So it's the Death Valley race October 16-17th, then probably the Santiago Canyon TT the first Saturday in November, then my season will be officially over! Hope all is well, until next time...

Repetitive weekend...

Hi All! How are things going out there? Doing good here. Nothing really new and exciting to report, so I'll just give you the run down of this weekend's training rides.

Yesterday, I loaded the car up, and headed out to Harrah's Casino to begin a session of repeats up and down Palomar Mountain. As I drove past Lake Wohlford at 8am, I took note that the outside temperature was already eighty degress. It was going to be warm for sure!

I started pedaling at 8:30am, and settled in to a nice steady pace up Highway 76 towards South Grade Road. I told myself not to push it to hard, that this training ride wasn't going to be about how fast I could reach the summit, but rather just keeping it steady, and making sure I didn't cook myself knowing I was planning on multiple climbs to the top.

I reached the summit, and made sure to stop at the market and refill the bottles. I didn't want to repeat the same mistake I made two weeks ago up there, and run out of water elary in to the climb up East Grade. I shot down East Grade, turned around at Highway 76, and began climbing back to the top.

About half way up the road, another solo ride caught up to me, and we started chatting. He was riding from and to Rancho Bernardo, quite a long day in the saddle! It always helps having someone riding with you, especially up the long, steady grind up East Grade. I much prefer climbing South Grade, even though it's rated a tougher climb. The numerous switchbacks on South Grade help to break up the climb in to individual sections that I like to tackle one at a time, whereas East Grade has long, straight sections of road, that seem to last forever. Plus, there's a lot more shade on South Grade, which on a day as hot as Saturday was, is a huge benefit!

I stopped again at the summit for more liquids, then shot down South Grade to Highway 76, turned around and started back up. As I reached the infamous Palomar Mountain photographer, Rick Clemson, he shouted out, "how many times are you climbing the mountain today?". "This is my second run up South Grade, one up East Grade, and maybe another up South Grade", I yelled back.

After reaching the summit, I pulled up in front of Mother's Kitchen, and walked to the rear outside patio where my friend Rogleio was having lunch. We laughed when we say each other, especially when he saw me covered in salt all over my jersey. It was hot out there, we both exclaimed. My computer was reading 107 degress in the direct sun for the majority of the ride, so I knew the actual temperature had to be near 100!

I visited with him for awhile, then decided to ride back down South Grade Road to where Rick the photographer was capmed out. My computer read 9300ft of climbing for the day, and I figured Rick was about 700ft down the mountain, so after reaching him, I'd make my way back to the summit one final time, and then rocket back down the mountain to my car. That's exactly what I did. 68 miles, 10,014ft of climbing, and 2800 calories burned. I was tired, and had minor cramps most of the day in my thighs from dehydration, but other then that, ok.

Today I had planned to stick more to the coast and shoot for a good four hours on the bike at a nice endurance pace, but ten miles from home, I was just shifting the bike in to the big ring for the first time, when SNAP, the cable busted, and I was reduced to the little ring. Crap, I thought, it looks like my day's over before it really began. What to do? Improvise! Don't need a big ring for hill repeats, right!

So off I pedaled towards Twin Oaks Valley Road, and San Elijo, and spent the next 2-1/2 hours climbing up and down. 4x San Elijo, 4x Twin Oaks, 1-1/2x Double Peak Park. 39 miles, 5000ft, and 1300 calories. Not a bad ride considering how it started!

Hope everyone's having a great holiday weekend so far. Be safe, and have fun! Until next time...

Like a rock...

Hi All! How are things? Going good here. Life's been a little on the hectic side, but managable. My weekend of work is over, and am really looking forward to getting some seriously big miles on the bike this weekend. This week I've managed to get some good training in with the exception of Tuesday. Funny story now that it's over...

Monday after work I decided that since I wasn't able to log some good time on the bike over the weekend that I'd head out after work for three hours, and hit my old stomping ground...the hills in the Escondido, Valley Center, Bonsall area. About a qurter of the way through the ride, I made the decision to tackle most of the ride in the "big ring" to help build some strength in my legs. My weight is been good, actually a little too light lately, and my base is better then it's ever been, but I'm always in need of more power.

Needless to say, the ride was great. I pulled in to the driveway after three solid hours pretty whipped. That same day John Bailey sent me an email of my workout schedule for the week. The schedule almost always includes taking Monday completely off the bike as a rest day. Tuesdays are then reserved for intervals, typically 2x20FTP's. This particular Tuesday was different. Here's how I read the workout...

VO2 Max intervals...start by warming up, followed by a set of 4x3-min max effort intervals, followed by a set of 4x4-min max effort intervals, followed by a set of 5x4-min max effort intervals. 5-min rest in between each set. My only question other then why is John trying to kill me, was, "is that 5-min rest in between each effort, or between each set?" I decided that it was between each set, and the rest time whould probably match the interval time. So on the trainer I hopped, for what I thought was going to be one of the hardest workouts I had ever done!

I managed to ge through the 4x3-min set of intervals without too much difficulty, spun my legs out for 5-mins, before diving in to the second set of 4x4-min intervals. It was halfway through the second 4-min intervals that I began to question whether or not I was going to be able to complete this workout, and also the time that I questioned whether John was truly a friend! Mind you, I've never quit on a workout, so the thought that I may was really bothering me.

I finally finished the second set of intervals, and wsa having trouble focusing my eyes, and the thought of even attempting to begin the third set of 5x4-min intervals was daunting to say the least. But push on I must! I limped in to the first interval, giving it everything I had. I noticed that my heart rate wasn't getting quite as high as before in the previous intervals, and my legs were actually going a bit numb. It was halfway through the first interval that I made the decision this one was going to be my last.

So after nine intervals, and ninety minutes on the trainer, I quit!!! Mind you, this was all after a hard, hilly, big ringin, three hours on the bike the day before! That night I emailed John to let him know that I was unable to complete the workout, here's his reply...OMG you misunderstood the workout. Holy hell you must be fried.

"What I meant was - this week you should do 4x3min...next week 4x4min...the
week after 5x4min!"

"Take it easy tomorrow - you will be tired...."

Tired! That would, and is, a HUGE understatment!!! LOL! Over two weeks of prescribed intervals in one day! Yeah, I know, I'm an idiot. Wednesday's scheduled 2x20ftp intervals became a 90-minute recovery ride, which as it turns out, I also screwed up. Per John...A recovery ride should be no more then 45-60 minutes max. Ugh! Guess what Thursday was...

Legoland Crit. That's right. You heard me. I rode in a crit again! I say rode, not raced, because this ride is basically a workout, similiar in every way to Thursday nights Fiesta Island hammerfest. As it turns out, someone decided this year, that us North County rides and racers needed a good, hard, race pace simulated ride, similiar to Fiesta Island, without having to load up the car, and drive forty five minutes. So he/she, got permission from Legoland to use their lower parking lot every Thursday night at 6-7pm, to hold a workoput crit, open to anyone who wants to get severly punished.

Yes, I did quit racing crits over a year ago, and honestly haven't missed them, but I figured I needed a change of pace, and since this wasn't a "race", it may be on the safer side. I decided to ride my bike to the crit, via Leucadia up the coast to Carlsbad, and in to Legoland as a warm up. I arrived way too early, (5pm), and decided to run hard laps around the course until people started showing up. Why?

Anyhow, around 5:45, other riders began appearing, and by 6pm, Mr. Karl Bodine, led the group out for what was sure to be a punishing ride, at least I knew it would be for me! Eighteen minutes later off the back I went! Even though I was dropped like a rock, I decided to keep pedaling hard, picking up other riders who were also dropped, and we formed our own little race, and I kept this up for about another eighteen minutes, and called it quits. My legs and lungs were fried. Two hours of riding, an 18.2mph average, that's counting the 1-hour warm up portion of the ride to get to Legoland. I'm sure Tuesday's little interval mishap didn't help my cause last night at Legoland!

Hope all is well! Thanks for tuning in! Until next time...

Tired for a different reason...

Hi All! How was your weekend? Mine, you ask...uneventful on the cycling front, considering I spent it working! Don't get me wrong, it's a rare occasion that I have to work over the weekend, so I'm not complaining. Unfortunately though, now I roll straight in to another straight five days, so that means I really need to find and keep some focus this week.

I typically ride the trainer during the week, doing intervals and tempo rides, but given the fact I missed my two long weekend rides, this week is going to be all about getting out on the road and logging some miles, even if that means riding up until the sun sets. With all this extra work amongst other things taking place in my life, my diet has suffered a bit, and either me or my scale have gained a few pounds! Not too concerned, given the fact my next race isn't until September 25th, I just need to get back on track and stay totally committed to the program until then.

Hope you all had a great weekend, and everyone made it through safely! Until next time...

Tired and hungry...

Hi All! Well, another weekend of solid training is in the books. Nothing out of the ordinary, so here we go...

Yesterday I drove out to Palomar Mountain, straight up South Grade Road, and parked at the summit next to Mother's Kitchen. The plan was to meet my friend Rogelio there at 8am, and get some good solid climbing in, in the form of repeats. Yes, I said repeats on Palomar! 8am came and went, and no sign of Rogelio, so I got dressed threw the bottles on the bike, and as I went to mount my Garmin on the handlebars, it was then I realized I forgot it at home! For those of you who train with a computer, (most), and those who train using heart rate, not having a computer can really be a bummer. I decided not to let it ruin my ride, after all, I knew exactly what the workout was going to be, how long the climbs were, and how much elevation gain I'd get for the day. Of course there was more to it then that!

I decided to start by descending South Grade Road all the way to the market at the junction of Highway 76 and Valley Center Road. I'm not fond of the climb up Highway 76 to South Grade, but I figured it was better to do it while it was early in the morning and the traffic was light. When I reached the market, I stopped for a quick restroom break, hopped on the bike, and began the climb back to the summit. I decided not to push the pace too hard knowing that I had a lot of climbing planned for the day, and the goal wasn't to see how fast I could do the climbs, but rather to get some serious elevation gain.

I reached South Grade Road and settled in for the remaining seven miles to the summit. About three miles in to the climb, Rogelio came descending by me on the other side of the road. I decided to turn around and follow him back down to the intersection of South Grade and 76 where he was going to start climbing.

When we reached the summit we shot down East Grade Road to Highway 76, turned around and began climbing back to the top. About two miles in to the climb, I drank the last sip of water in my bottles, and it was then that I realized I made a huge mistake by deciding not to refill my bottles when we were on the summit. It was hot Saturday on the mountain, 90 degrees at the top, and 101 at the bottom! I knew I had a little over nine miles left to reach the summit, and I was already extremely thirsty.

After what seemed like forever, I finally reached the top, and went straight to the market to buy some Gatorade and some water for my bottles. I downed the Gatorade and some potato chips, filled one bottle with water, and then back down South Grade Road we went to Highway 76.

As we started up South Grade Road for the last climb of the day, I could feel the fatigue setting in my legs. My first ascent up the road earlier in the day, was much quicker then what I was holding this time. I was taking frequent sips off my bottle, and even resorted to pouring some water over my head occasionally. About three miles from the summit, the muscles in my inner thighs began to quiver. I knew what this meant. Cramps were sure to follow. I began alternating between climbing while seated and standing, to see if using different muscles would help ward off the cramps. Two miles from the summit, the cramps hit! I was no longer able to pedal, every time I would bend my legs, the cramps would strike. All I could do was pull over and straighten out my legs. I slowly walked my way up to a shady spot on the road, and just relaxed.

About five minutes later, Rogelio came pedaling up to where I was. I told him I was cramping, and asked him what time it was. A little after 1:30pm he said. No wonder I'm cramping! I've been pedaling for over five hours in this heat, and only drank three bottles! This is when I realized just how valuable my computer is when riding. I always have it set on "time" mode, so I can see how long I've been pedaling, and to remind myself when to drink. A bottle an hour at minimum is what I shoot for, more if it's really hot out.

Eventually I made it back to the car. 68 miles, 34 of them climbing. 11,300ft. A little over 5 hours. I was tired!

Today...four hours with John Bailey and Warren, up Highland Valley Road to Ramona, and back home. 65 miles, 4500ft, and 2000 calories. I got dropped more times then I can count! That tends to happen when you ride with a Cat 1, and an extremely strong Masters racer, especially if you just did Palomar repeats the day before!

Hope everyone had a great weekend! Until next time...

It's official...

Hi All! Well, it's official, I just registered for the 25th anniversary of the
Mt. Charleston Hill Climb! This event truly is my favorite race of the season, although I have a sneaking suspicion that the Death Valley Stage Race may take its place on my list, we'll see. If you've never raced in this event, I highly recommend it. It's very well organized, and the ride and scenery itself is just awesome. I will say though, if you really despise climbing, avoid this event at all costs! 17.5 miles of all climb, starting at the base of the mountain on the desert floor, and climbing up to the ski resort at the top. The goal this year?

To WIN of course! The last time I raced Charleston, was in 2008. Unfortunately something prevented me from making it to the event last year, can't remember what it was, but I do remember being really bummed. Back in 08', I finished 6th in my category (4), and as usual Matt Sheremeta from Celo Pacific won. I believe he's won the event since 07' as far as I know. This year I hope things play out differently.

Both years I've raced this event, the race played out the same way. The whistle was blown, and the leaders took off immediately, setting a hard pace, shedding the rest of the field in the first few miles of the climb. In 08' I stayed on their wheels as long as I could, but eventually couldn't hold the pace, fell off the back, and settled in at my own pace, (which is really all you can and should do while tackling a long climb). I was able to stay away from the rest of the field for the 6th place finish. This year however, I'm twenty pounds lighter then I was in 08', and have been training with much more purpose, discipline, and focus then I ever have. After last months San Elijo Time Trial, where I finished 2nd, just sixteen seconds behind Sheremeta, I'm convinced my chances of a win this year at Charleston are much higher.

As for the Death Valley Stage Race, I really don't know what to expect in the way of a finish, but after seeing the Cat 4 field was just four riders this last June, I'm pretty sure a win isn't out of the question. I really believe you have to visualize having a good result, before you can actually have one. I've heard too many racers over the years, talk themselves down during their training rides, and some even telling themselves and everyone around them at the starting line of races, that they're going to basically have a low finish before the race even starts! Why bother lining up?

Anyhow, hope all is well out there, and hope everyone is able to get out and hit the roads this weekend! Until next time...

Milestone...

Hi All! Well, check another goal off the list. Today was one of those training rides where everything just falls in to place perfectly. I wasn't sure exactly where I was going to ride to when I woke up, but eventually decided on heading out to Palomar Mountain. I left the house about 8am, and made my way through Escondido, eventually winding up at the base of Lake Wohlford Road. It was at this point that I decided to really turn this ride in to something big. My goal for the day, something I've been wanting to do for awhile, but for some reason or other, never got around to doing. 100 miles, with 10,000ft of climbing.

Knowing this, I wisely decided not to push the pace too hard for the majority of the ride. A ride this difficult, especially when you're alone and it's hot out, should always be ridden at a pace you know will get you back home! I made my way up Wohlford, down Valley Center Road, stopped at the market at the base of Palomar for a restroom break, Gatorade, and a gel, then began the long slog up Highway 76 to South Grade Road. I didn't concern myself with my time up the mountain, again, just holding a nice steady pace to the top.

I reached the summit, stopped in the market for another Gatorade, and downed a Clif Bar, hopped back on the bike and started down East Grade Road. As soon as I reached the bottom at Highway 76, I stuck the Oakleys in the helmet, unzipped the jersey, turned around, and started back up East Grade.

I was holding a nice, steady pace, and reached the summit in about an hour, but feeling pretty hungry. I decided to stop in at Mother's Kitchen and order a Fried Egg sandwich. I spent about fifteen minutes inside eating, filled the bottles at the soda fountain, hopped back on the bike, and made my way down South Grade Road.

My least favorite part of this ride is always the climb back up Valley Center Road. It's not that the climb is hard, it's because the road is in terrible condition, and there's not much of a shoulder to ride on. Today was no exception, although I will say the climb back up was a bit more difficult then usual given the fact I had just climbed both South and East Grade Roads, and the weather was on the warm side.

Eventually I arrived back home, after 6 hours and 45 minutes of pedaling, 100-miles, and 10,006ft of climbing! Excellent!

Tomorrow? A 4-hour, Cat 1 tempo pace ride with John Bailey and Mark Palmer! We'll see how long I last! Hope all is well! Until next time...

Hmmm...

I'm thinking this could be fun...Death Valley Stage Race

Pics of pain...

Hi All! Here are some pics from Saturday's TT in San Elijo...

Yeah, it hurt...

Hi All! Well, the San Elijo Time Trial is in the books. What a great event, especially considering it was the first time it's ever been held. The promoter did an excellent job of organizing and promoting the even, even getting a nice write up in the San Diego Union Tribune this last Thursday..San Elijo TT article

I showed up to the parking lot at San Elijo Elementary School about 6:30am, and set up the trainer, and went through the usual check list of getting ready for a race. After getting my race number and timing chip, I hopped on the trainer around 7:15 and began warming up. I had planned to ride the trainer for a good hour, getting really hot for the race, considering it was only 3-miles in length, but due to the high humidity and early morning heat, thirty minutes was more then enough!

Right on time, at 8:15, I was out of the starting gate. The course started slightly downhill, making it's way towards downtown San Elijo, where we made a hard right hand turn on to San Elijo Road, where the pain began.

I started out in the big ring, not wanting to lose any precious seconds at all on the easiest part of the course. As soon as I made the right hand turn on to San Elijo Road, I immediately put the bike in the small ring, and attempted to settle in to a rhythm for the remaining 2.5 miles to the summit of Double Peak Park. This proved to be not so easy.

Even though I'm a pretty good climber, I fair much better on longer steady climbs then I do on shorter climbs that require an all-out effort, (such as an uphill 3-mile TT!). I had set my bike computer to show only my heart rate, heart rate max %, and time. My heart went to 175bpm within no time, and I knew I had to keep it right there, no higher to survive to the summit.

I passed quite a few riders as I made my way up San Elijo Road, all the time thinking about my pace, concentrating on my heart rate, telling myself I needed to save something to make it up Double Peak Road.

After about 8-9 minutes, (I can't remember through all the pain!), I reached the left turn at Double Peak Road, where I was immediately greeted by a nice 8% kicker. I remained in the saddle, trying to conserve any power I could for the 16% grade that awaited around the corner. All too soon, I rounded the corner, and there it was.

About halfway up the 16% grade, I felt a sensation I've never really felt before in a race...my legs went completely numb. The effort I was putting in the pedals was so intense, I lost sensation. I guess that could be looked at as a good thong, but in this case it worried me for second. A thought crossed my mind that I might not be able to make it to the top, but as soon as that thought entered my mind, I immediately pushed it out, knowing that family and friends were waiting around the corner to cheer me on. There was no way I was going to let them down!

Part of the difficulty was due to the fact that on my training wheels, I run a 12-27 cassette in the back, and on my racing wheels, I run a 12-25. Although I have a climbed to the summit numerous times while dong my hill repeat workouts, I had never climbed to the top with a 25-tooth. I figured before the race, that I've always ridden stronger in races then I ever could in training rides. I'm sure it's that way for most racers. The combination of excitement and adrenaline, seems to propel you faster then the usual training pace. That's exactly what happened in this case.

I pushed on, out of the saddle, the only way I could turn the cranks over on that steep a grade. I heard people shouting my name, but there was no way I could make out who it was through the suffering I was experiencing at that time. Just past the large water tank where I told my family and friends to watch from, (the last steep section, where they could see the most pain!), I knew the road leveled off a bit, so I grabbed two gears, stood up again, and gave one last push for the finish line.

It was about this point that I thought I wasn't quite sure where the finish line was, a right around the area of the water tower, there was quite a large gathering of people, so I looked back to make sure I hadn't just crossed the finish line, and was suffering for no reason. Kind of a stupid move, because just that little lapse of concentration, may of cost me a few seconds, not something you want to give up in a time trial, especially one so short.

I didn't notice anything, so I kept pushing on. Sure enough, right around the bend, there it was! As I crossed the finish line, I could hear the buzzer ring, tripped by the timing chip on my ankle. It was then, I knew the pain and suffering was over!!! How did I finish???...

2nd in my division (38-47 years old). 5th overall out of 69 riders. 14:12 for the 3- miles. Who won my division? Matt Sherameta from Celo Pacific, with a time of 13:56. Overall winner's time...13:46. Close race!!!

Next up, the Mt. Charleston Hill Climb. My favorite race of the year! September 25th, I believe. Plenty of time to get ready. Hope all is well! Until next time...

This is gonna hurt!!!

1st Ever San Elijo Time Trial!!!

Up, up, and away!!!

Hi All! How's it going? Just sittng here, enjoying more morning cup of coffee and getting caught up in what's going on in the world. Yesterday capped off a solid week of training that I'll be repeating for the next three weeks in an effort to keep, and improve the fitness that I have in order to be competitve at the Mt. Charleston Hill Climb in late September.

I've decided that instead of letting the fitness go, and then trying to regain it before the event, it would just be easier to keep what I have and build off that, slowly ramping up the intensity of my training leading up to the race date. My current training schedule looks like this...

Monday: Rest Day (no riding at all)
Tuesday: 60-minutes on the trainer (2x20min FTP intervals)
Wednesday: Repeat Tuesday's workout
Thursday: 60-minute tempo ride
Friday: Recovery Ride
Saturday: 3-4 hours fast-paced group ride (Swamis)
Sunday: 3-4 hours hill work

I just completed that work out yesterday, and feel pretty good considering. The weekend was great, I was able to get 8.5 hours on the bike, beginning with the Swamis Ride Saturday morning, then adding additional miles with my training partner Mark up in Valley Center, and throwing in Cole Grade Road for kicks!

Sunday was an incredible day on the bike! Over the last year, my good friend Art, a gentlemen who lives up in Valley Center, and rides two days a week with the
North County Cycle Clubs Cruisers, has invited to take me up in the hills around Julian, Lake Cuyamaca, Mt Laguna, etc, to show me the hills he use to ride back in his bigger mileage days. Not to ride with me mind you, but to follow me in his truck! That's a rare opportunity for any cyclist, to have someone volunteer to provide SAG support for a training ride! Truly a great gesture from someone who really appreciates and loves the sport of cycling.

We began our ride at the beginning of Wynola Road in Julian, and made our way through Pine Hills, up and over Engineers Road down to Lake Cuyamaca. From there we climbed up to the top of Mt. Laguna, where we stopped at the Laguna Lodge so I could get some calories in me. From there we back tracked to Highway 79, and finally back to Julian. 4 hours, 62 miles, 6000ft of climb, 2200 calories. A great day on the bike, covering miles of some of the best roads I've ever ridden! Thanks again Art!!!

Hope all is well! Until next time...

Palomar Challenge...

Hi All! Well, another event is in the books. I competed in the 2010 Palomar Challenge yesterday. This is an event I had heard about over the last few years, but for one reason or another, had never competed in. After the State RR Championships, I was feeling pretty good with where my fitness was and figured I might as well look for something else to compete in while I still had the fitness. With hill climbs being my favorite events, I decided to do a little searching on the internet and see what I could come up with.

Sure enough there it was...the 2010 Palomar Challenge, being held in less then two weeks after States, and just a week after my vacation. I figured why not? I checked last years results, and saw that the winner ran a 48:26, for the 11.5 miles up Palomar's East Grade Road. I've never timed myself up East Grade, so I really didn't have an accurate gauge as to how I compared, but knew that to finish high, or win, I needed to at least break fifty minutes.

Needless to say, that's exactly what I did...49:56, for 2nd place overall. Could of ran better? Yes! Didn't think it was necessary to win. I was pacing SDBC's Herb Johnson, thinking he was the leader of the race, not realizing the leader on the road was somewhere up the road out of sight! He finished in 44:56, exactly five minutes faster then me! I felt great yesterday, and had I seen the leader, I'm pretty sure I could of held his pace. Oh well, that's racing as they say! Here's a link to the results...2010 Palomar Challenge Results

That's all for now. Hope all is well, until next time...

Tour de Food...

Hi All! Well, my wife and I just got back from our mini vacation Sunday evening, and all is well, and a great time was had by all! Las Vegas, Lake Havasu, and Palm Desert were on schedule, and we managed to get them all in, and have fun along the way. I've discovered that I definitely have a thing for food. As you know, my last post was focused on what I was going to eat on the trip, and that turned out to be the focus for sure!

I'm sure owning a restaurant for the last eight years has played a large part in the reason I've become a self-proclaimed "foodie". My gluttanous adventure really began Tuesday afternoon with a trip to a local Mexican cafe, where I've heard they serve up a great street taco, and given the fact that I'm a competitve cyclist, I've always reframed from trying them out. The verdict...well worth the wait! On to Wednesday, the first official day of our vacation. We hit the road around noon, and made our way up the 15 headed towards Vegas. We reached Hesperia where I decided that a trip to In & Out Burger seemed liked a good idea. Tasted great, but not worth the gluttony.

We arrived in Vegas, made our way to Treasure Island Hotel to check in, cleaned up, and made our way by foot to Ceasar's Palace and Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill. Now this is a restaurant I've been wanting to go to for years, and just have never been able to for one reason or another. Again, well worth the wait! My Ancho Chile rubbed Pork Tenderloin literally melted in my mouth! I won't even get in to the ridiculuosly good Chocolate Corn Bread Pudding! Dinner was at 6, the follow up Veggie Burger, Onion Rings and Fried were at 11! I could go on, but you get the idea.

Needless to say, I took six straight days off the bike, and managed to gain exactly six pounds in that time! Not bad really, considering the excessive amounts of calories I took in over that time. Yesterday, it was back on the bike for a little 45-minute easy jot around town to get my legs use to the feeling of pedaling again. I figured I wasn't going to lose that much fitness in six days, but my legs would definitely soften up a bit. Today was 90-minutes on the bike, pushing it harder, and I could definitely feel the effort in the legs! I've also been dieting to the extreme as of yesterday, taking in very little calories, and attempting to lose the six pounds I gained this week before the Palomar Challenge this Saturday. My engine is good, but there's no need to be carrying any extra weight up the mountain if not necessary.

Hope all is well, until next time...

R&R!!!

Hi All! Yes, it's that time of year. Vacation! It always seems the wife and I take our vacations in June. It's not that we necessarily plan it that way, it just seems to work out that way. I'm sure, without even realizing it, it falls in June because of her teaching schedule. School's over, and we're both ready for a break immediately afterward.

Last year it was the bike trip down the Oregon coast, this year, the Tour De Heat I call it. It's funny because last weekend I was up in the heat of Bakersfield for the State RR Championships, now today, we're heading out to Las Vegas for one night, then Lake Havasu for two nights, and finally Palm Desert for our last night! I'll take an order of heat, heat, and more heat please!

I should be looking forward to this trip, dreaming of the rest from the grind of training I put in getting ready for the State race, but what's funny is now that I've pretty much reached peak fitness, both with my engine and weight, I'm a little anxious about taking six days off of training and eating a lot more food then normal. Here's the catch...because I've been working in the restaurant business for the last eight years, I've become some what of a "foodie". That is, someone who loves food, loves trying new dishes, has an open mind and palette to what ever is put in front of me. This isn't a good combination when combined with being a competitive athlete! I'm really good at being disciplined with my diet when I'm at home, but when I'm on the road, it's a different story! I want to eat everything I see! Maybe all us athletes are that way? It's feast or famine. Who knows??? More then anything it's the weight gain that I'm most concerned about, I know I'm not going to lose too much as far as my engine is concerned, and the rest will probably be just what the doctor order for my body overall, I'm really only worried about my weight because six days after we return from our trip, I'm competing in the Palomar Challenge. A 12-mile all uphill race, and as you know, being light is key for an event like that. So here's my plan...

I'm going to allow myself one good, calorie packed meal a day, the other meals will be light. Stay away from scales during the trip. When I return home, I figure I have a whole week to drop what ever weight I picked up on the trip, and given my metabolism, that shouldn't be difficult. And after all, it's not like the Palomar Challenge is an official sanctioned race, more like just bragging rights for the year.

On a side note, the results for the State RR Championships were posted this morning. A little better then I expected...27th on the day! Not too bad considering how the race played out for me, that is, the unexpected events that occurred that I had no control over. Hope all is well, and I probably won't be posting for a couple of weeks, so, until next time...

States...

Hi All! Well, the California State Road Race Championships have come and gone. As you may know if you follow this blog, I trained hard for that race, riding more, and with more structure then I ever had before. Have been watching my diet closley, getting my weight down lower then it's ever been, hoping to bring it all together on June 6th. The good news is, it worked!

My father-in-law Marv and I left San Diego headed for Bakersfield around 9am Saturday morning. After a short stop at the base of the Grapevine for a Subway sandwich, we reached Bakersfield and drove straight to the race course. I wanted to pre-ride some of the 31-mile course, especially the climb, to get a feel for what I was to expect come Sunday.

When we arrived, all the Masters racing had finished up for the day, and the race crew was packing up. The weather as expected was hot. I believe it was around 96-97 degrees! I unloaded my bike, changed in to my kit, and began making my way down the road while Marv leap frogged along the way in the car in case I needed help.

The course was fairly uneventful, give or take some potholes and rough asphalt, until mile-11. At mile-11 the climb began. I was told by friends that the climb, although fairly long, (about 3.5 miles), wouldn't be of much benefit to me because it wasn't all the steep, and that the descent on the other side was, and besides being steep, was fairly technical. As I made my way up the climb, I began thinking they were mistaken, the climb took a bit of work to get up.

As I reached the summit of the climb I noticed chalk writing on the asphalt, "Go Lance!" "Go Levi!" "KOM". Then sure enough, there was a tape strip marking the KOM line. This was the same climb used by the Tour of California ealier! Pretty cool I thought. I originally planned on stopping at the top of the climb, loading the bike in the car, and finishing the rest of the course recon by driving it, but Marv and I both decided that I might as well ride the descent to get a feel for how technical it was, and it wasn't like that would make much more work for the legs.

After reaching the bottom of the descent I decided to keep pushing on, I was feeling good and was just short of an hour on the bike. About fifteen minutes down the road, I began getting warm and decided to call it quits as soon as I could find a shady spot to pull over and load the bike in the car. All in all, I rode 22-miles of the 31-mile course. We drove the remainder of the course to check it out, and then made our way to the hotel, cleaned up, and then headed out to meet John Bailey and his wife for dinner.

We arrived at the course Sunday morning around 7:30am, checked in, unloaded the car, and then around 8:45 I began riding my bike up and down the road for a light warm-up. I decided there was no point in getting a hard warm-up considering the temperature outside, (expected forecast 98+ degrees!) and the fact the race was 62-miles long, with the first 11-miles fairly flat until we reached the climb.

The whistle blew a little after 9:30, and off we went! As expected the first 10.5 miles of the race was a nice, easy pace, although some rider decided to attack 5-miles in to course. We all just laughed and let him hang out there until eventually he fried himself and was brought back in to the pack. Also as expected, about a kilometer from the start of the climb, a mass surge took place with the bulk of the pack wanting to be near the front as we tore in to the climb. I say tore, because we hit the base of the climb at speeds around 22-24mph! Those speeds didn't let up for the first mile of the climb! I was easily able to stay near the front of the group as we made our way up the climb, happy that the recent work on the bike, and my drop in weight seemed to be paying off.

We reached the summit in what seemed like no time at all, and then made our way back down the other side. The descent was nice and controlled, and the pack stayed together through the windy back half of the course. As we rounded the final turn on the course and began making our way to the start/finish line, the pack was riding the gutter/curb up the road, myself sitting about 4th place in the field of 101 riders. A rider directly behind me somehow managed to get his front wheel caught in the crack on the road that was between the concrete gutter and the road asphalt itself, and the next thing I know I hear riders and bike hitting the deck! I remember thinking I'm so glad I'm ahead of that!

The feedzone for this race was directly after the start/finish line, on a pancake flat section of the course. Before the race even began, I thought that was an unusual spot for a feedzone. I knew the speeds would be fairly high as we approached that section, and sure enough, they were. I had Marv waiting there in case I needed a bottle, and as planned, he was. The problem was, there was so much chaos taking place with riders attempting to get over to their feeders, and other riders not taking feeds and instead blasting through the feedzone, that I decided it wasn't worth even trying to take the bottle from Marv.

I threw an empty bottle to the opposite side of the road, and continued on. To my amazement, a number of riders didn't just take a bottle from their feeder, but quite a few took actual mussette bags, and a large number of them began pulling out one or two Cokes, numerous gels, and snack food! Why??? We only had 31-miles left, so why the need for numerous gels, and all that snack food??? I suppose it looks "pro"!

The second and final lap around the course was definitely ridden at a faster pace then the first. I rode smart, stayed near the front, and focused on keeping myself out of the ever-present wind. Same pattern as the first lap, the pack staying together, then the surge just before the base of the climb. Knowing that the climb was going to hurt, and expecting the final selection was going to be made on it, I mentally dug in and prepared for battle.

We hit the climb at another blazing pace, and held it again for quite a while. I pedaled hard, fighting to keep myself near the front, definitely not wanting to get unhitched and loose contact with the lead group I was in. I was passing a number of riders as they began falling off the pace, they were really breathing hard, not sounding too good, making sure to focus on my own breathing, keeping as calm as I could.

About 3/4 the way up the climb, as we neared the steepest section of it, a rider directly in front of me must not of been paying attention, and wound up off the pavement and in the soft shoulder of dirt, which was very narrow, and had about a thirty-foot drop down it! He struggled with his bike for a second, and fought hard not to go over the edge. He did what he had to do, turned his bars hard right, and fell over, hitting the pavement directly in front of me! I hit my brakes hard, causing riders behind me to crash, and two riders directly to the right off the original crashed rider swerved right, hitting each other, and then hitting the deck. I unclipped my foot expecting to have to stop, and then at the last second noticed a small gap between the two fallen riders, pedaled with my foot that was still clipped in, shot through the gap, clipped my other foot back in, and took off.

The good news, I didn't crash, the bad news, a lead group of twenty-some riders that were ahead of the crash, were now quite a ways up the road! I began pedaling hard, hoping to reel in the lead group, but knowing I couldn't go too deep and blow myself up, leaving nothing for the other side. The lead group was also pedaling hard though, making it impossible to catch them. I crested the summit with about nine or ten other riders, and we began the descent together.

This time down the descent, we rode much faster, desperately trying to catch the lead group. Unfortunately for two riders, the pace they were pushing was a little too fast, as the found themselves riding right off the side of the rode, and down the side of the hill! Seeing that didn't help my cause, as I braked a little too much and lost more distance to the lead group. I reached the bottom of the descent, and found myself behind a single rider about a half of a kilometer, and decided to go in to TT mode and try and reel him in, hoping we could work together if I did.

He was strong, I wasn't able to reach him, so I checked behind me, and noticed a small group of riders with the motorcycle behind then slowly reeling me in. I decided to ease up, let them catch me, and then work with them to catch the single rider ahead of me. That planned worked. The rest of the race pretty much played out with our chase group, able to see the leaders about a half a mile up the road, working desperately together, trying to catch them, but instead, as we neared the finish, our organization falling apart, with a few riders not wanting to work, and then our group falling apart on the final home stretch. I rode my way across the line about 3rd in that group.

I don't know my final result yet, but my guess is probably 30'ish. All in all, I'm not excited about where I finished, sometimes no matter how prepared you are for a race, bad luck, just as good luck, plays in to the race, and becomes a huge factor in your overall result. I am however, extremely pleased with my performance, knowing that all the hard worked I put in getting ready for this event, paid off big time! Oh well, that's racing!

Next up, the Palomar Challenge on June 19th. I'm hoping for an excellent result in this event, considering it plays right in to my wheelhouse. I'm not going to worry too much about my preparation for this event, it's not an official sanctioned race, and I am leaving town this coming Wednesday for a five-day mini vacation, so that will mean five straight days of no training. So we'll see what happens. Hope all is well, until next time...

Almost there...

Hi All! Well, another week of hard training is in the books. Today marks the tenth day in a row that I've been pedaling a bike, and every single one of those rides has had a purpose. I can't remember the last time, if ever, that I've ridden my bike that many days consecutively. And it doesn't end today, tomorrow is yet another day in the saddle. Tuesday though, just work, no bike.

This week started out easy, a nice 60-minute spin around my neighborhood in Lake San Marcos. Tuesday was another story. 90-minutes on the trainer, with 5x3-minute max effort intervals. Ouch!!! Those have to hurt more then anything I've ever done on a bike! Wednesday, a nice 2-1/2-hour endurance ride out to the coast on Via De La Valle, then shooting up to Cannon Road in Carlsbad, and back home. Wednesday was a tough day. After the intervals on Tuesday, and the endurance ride on Wednesday, my body was in shock. An episode of "night sweats" Wednesday, causing a lack of sleep, didn't help the cause Thursday, which involved more trainer intervals, this time 6x1-minute max efforts! Again...ouch!

Normally I don't require a lot of pep talk, or massive motivation to get the training done. I just know what I need to do, and do it. But Thursday I found myself in a dark place, not wanting to do anything after work but sleep, and definitely not wanting to do intervals! If it wasn't for my good friends Mark Palmer and John Bailey, I don't know if I would of made it out to the garage for the prescribed workout. Thanks again guys, really appreciate the help!!!

Friday, ahh Friday, a nice, easy, really easy, 90-minute recovery ride! Those kind of rides really take you back to why most of us began riding our bikes in the first place. Enjoying the scenery, taking in the sights, sounds, smells, and just being glad to be alive, and able to be out enjoying the world the best way I know of, from the seat of a bike!

The next day the holiday weekend arrived, and with it another round of pain and suffering. Saturday has meant only one thing in my training schedule lately, and that's the infamous Swamis Ride. I left the house at 7:15, and made my way to Nytro Bikes to meet up with Mark and John, and get a decent warm-up before the brutal pace of the "A" ride was to begin at 8:30. I didn't have the time to ride the long route this week in to Valley Center, I knew I could only take the ride to the church in Escondido, which meant I needed to push it harder then normal because of the shorter workout. Last week, I was able to survive longer then I ever have in the ride, but this week, the heavy training load took its toll on me, that, and going with a small break away heading in to San Elijo town center caused me to slip to the back, and fall off, unable to stay with the lead group heading in to Harmony Grove. Oh well, still managed to get a good amount of work in pacelining with Mark and a couple of other guys to the church.

Today, hill repeats on San Elijo with Mark and John. 4x up San Elijo Road, slow-to-medium cadence, HR zone, high 4's to mid 5's all the way up. So here I sit, showered, strecthed, legs in my new compression socks, (thanks again Mark!), and writing to you all. As hard as today was, I feel great. I'm convinced the last two weeks of extremely hard training is really paying off. This coming week is all about tapering back and keeping the legs ready for the State Championships next Sunday in Bakersfield. I'm sure my fitness will be where it needs to be, I just need to remember to practice patience in the race, not work too much, and line up at the start line confident, knowing I've done my best to be prepared for the event.

Hope you all are enjoying a beautiful holiday weekend in our little slice of paradise here in sunny So Cal! Be safe, and talk to you soon! Until next time...

Waiting for payment...

Hi All! How's the week been? I'm sitting here after another delicious dinner consisting of the usual roasted vegetables, salmon, and a bit of bread. My wife and I have been eating a lot of salads for dinner lately, and I really believe all the cooking at home instead of dining out, has helped improve my performance on the bike significantly.

This weekend on the bike was one of the hardest I've had in terms of a training weekend in quite some time. The week began by taking Monday off as a rest day, then trainer intervals Tuesday (ouch!), a nice 2-1/2 moderately paced ride Wednesday, another rest day Thursday, a 2-hour endurance ride Friday, then the real punishment!

Saturday I left my house around 7:30am to ride down to Nytro to subject myself to the infamous "Swamis" ride. I met up with my friends Mark Palmer and John Bailey (of Bailey Bikes), and the ride rolled out promptly at 8:30. I was feeling good and had hopes of surviving longer in to the ride then I usually do. Typically I get dropped off the lead group coming in to San Elijo town center as the ride turns on to Harmony Grove Road. This time I was able to stay with the ride almost the entire way through Elfin Forest, finally getting dropped at the chicken ranch, due to the extremely difficult pace that John Bailey himself was pushing at the front.

I met back up with Mark and John at the church in Escondido, and we decided to tackle the "long" route, but instead of riding up Lake Wohlford Road we were going to head straight up Valley Center Road. This was the first time I had ever ridden up this road, and I much prefer it over Wohlford because of the shoulder all the way up. I ended up with 68 miles on the day, and a whole lot of work!

As we rolled back in to Escondido, Mark mentioned something about riding together the next day and doing hill repeats! I thought he was joking, but as it turns out he was dead serious. I say that, because after the third repeat up Scripps Poway Parkway, followed by a ride in to Ramona, back down Highland Valley Road, and eventually back to Mark's house in Carmel Valley, I felt pretty close to death! 60- miles for the day, and again, a whole lot of work!

So here I sit, two weeks away from the State Championship RR in Bakersfield, which I'm totally amped to do, and waiting to receive payment come June 6th during the RR for all the work I've been putting in to get ready. I'm just thankful that I enjoy all the training and the process of getting fit to be ready to race, almost as much, or possibly even more then the races themselves.

Hope all is well! Until next time...