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...