Hi everyone! I hope you all had a great Christmas, I know I did. A four day weekend that consisted of good food, great company, and 12 hours of good solid training.
On a ride up to Oceanside Harbor yesterday, our group stopped at the Nautical Bean for some coffee, and the discussion led to next season's goals. It was great to be with a group that has very similar goals as myself (stage races with big climbs). At this point here's what I've come up with...
* All three King of the Mountain series events.
* Both Death Valley Stage Races.
* The Mt. Whitney Stage Race.
* Try and make all four Santiago Canyon TT's.
* The Peninsula Cliff Climb TT (if they're holding it?).
* The Everest Challenge.
That's twelve events on the year. Not a lot, but they're good solid events that suite my strengths. And if I don't count or do the Peninsula Cliff Climb, then my first race isn't until the 17th of March, so that leaves plenty of time to really get some good, solid training in.
That's it for now, sorry nothing to exciting to report, but stay tuned, the big mountain days are a comin'! Until next time...
Hi everyone! Well for the last three weeks I've been pouring on the intensity in regards to the training. Intensity consisting of 2x20's, VO2's, hill repeats, etc, all the fun stuff that I believe separates the competitive cyclist from the recreational rider. Yes, the 6:30am interval workouts on the trainer four days a week aren't necessarily fun, but the benefits you reap from them (flying on the weekend rides), are well worth it!
It's not the workouts I've been struggling with lately, it's once again the lack of a definitive goal going in to the 2012 season. I know, and I've said this before, that I want to compete in the Everest Challenge next season. This coming season I'm more committed to that goal then ever before (and please hold me to it if you see me begin to back away!). It's what's before the EC that's giving me problems.
Do I compete in all the local RR's (San Luis Rey, Punchbowl, Vlees Huis), or enter bigger climbing events (Breathless Agony, Mulhullond Challenge, etc)? One thing I learned this season is that if I wait until the last second to decide, I tended to not enter at all. Back in 08' & 09', I pulled the trigger on registering as soon as registration opened, and I found myself feeling committed at that point, and sure enough, I went and raced. Enough of that blabber!
Well Christmas is almost upon us, and so is a well-deserved four day weekend! I haven't tackled Palomar in quite some time, but I'm feeling that itch, and I may need to scratch it!
I hope all is well, and that you all have a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!
Hi Everyone! How have you been? Well life on this end certainly hasn't slowed down any, but I thought it was time to get back to posting every now and then.
Life has changed so much since my last post in March, that I really don't know where to begin. I'll keep it short. I started a new job back in September...I am now the Wholesale/New Business Manager at Walz Caps. We're a cycling cap maker who specializes in making what we believe are the finest 100% handmade in California caps on the market today. They really are some nice caps, and the only cycling cap I've ever worn that actually fit well since we offer two sizes. Check us at www.walzcaps.com.
My company, Qwik Wrapz (www.qwikwrapz.com), is still going, although at a snails pace. I've learned in this process, that things move pretty slow when beginning a business. This hasn't been the worst thing, since a large part of my focus lately has been learning the ropes at the new job. The QW site is up, and I do have S/M to sell, so if you need one, click away! On to the training front...
In all of this, I haven't stopped riding the bike. I have to admit, I haven't competed since the Palomar Challenge in July! Four events total for the year. Pretty sad! I did just renew my license for next season, and have been working on my base miles, and will begin introducing ore intensity later this month. I've also been thinking about just exactly what next seasons goals are going to be. I do know this...The Everest Challenge will be my main goal next season. The biggest event of the year. Everything I do, whether a race or training, is all a lead-up to the EC.
I do have more to say, but to be honest, just don't feel like typing that much right now. I hope all is well. Until next time...
Hi Everyone! How's it going? Busy as ever here. In fact, so busy that I've decided to take some time away from posting on this blog. Don't worry, I don't intend to completely abandon it, it's just that my life is getting extremely hectic lately, but in a good way. I can't remember if I've ever mentioned here before, but I started a new business a few months ago, and as with any new business, it's been consuming a lot of my time. It's been a challenge to find time to work my day job, train, go to school, and try and get this business up and running!
So needless to say, something's gotta give, and although this blog doesn't consume a lot of my time, it is something that takes some thought. I promise I will get back to it sometime in the future, I'm not quite sure when, but I will. In the meantime you can follow what I'm up to via shorter posts on Facebook and Twitter, and also please check out my business's website! It's a really cool product, that I'm sure will change the way people change in public! The name of my company is Qwik Wrapz.
As usual, I hope all is well, until next time my friends...
Hi Everyone! I apologize for the lack of a recent post, but life has just been going, going, going, and I'm just pushin' on! Even through all the craziness, I'm still sticking firm to my training regime. Tackling the FTP's every Tuesday, hill repeats, VO2 bursts, and good, long road rides on the weekends. My form has been good, too good as a matter of fact! I'm beginning to get a little worried that I might be peaking waaay too early.
My next race isn't until April 9th, so I've decided to back it down a notch, and try and save some of this good stuff in the legs. Wish I had more to say, and I'm sure I will soon. Until next time...
Hello Everyone! How's life treating you? Great, I hope! Just sitting here at the ol' PC, having returned from a nice 2-1/2 hour Sunday morning spin out to the coast. What a beautiful weekend of weather we had here in San Diego. Those of us who are fortunate enough to call this area home are truly blessed to do so.
This week was a really solid one in terms of training, even though I was without bike for two days. Yes, as I was literally pulling out of the driveway Wednesday for a 3-hour endurance ride, might rear derailleur cable snapped. Game over! I sent a text to the mechanic who has been working on my bike lately, and went back inside to watch some TV until I heard back from him. I'm not one who is good a sitting around very long, especially in front of the TV, so rather then waste some valuable training time, I decided to change clothes and head over to the gym. I loaded up the bike in the back of the car, and told myself I'm going to play a game, and spin hard on the stationary bike until I receive the text from the mechanic, and then head to Cardiff to drop off the bike. Well...
2 hours 10 minutes, and 2000 calories later, still no text! I was soaked to the bone with sweat! I mean I was literally soaked! I was leaving a puddle on the ground where I was stretching, and had to mop the floor underneath the stationary bike when I was finished. Thursday, more of the same. A little over a hard hour on the stationary bike, this was all following a good, hard 2-1/2 hour workout of hill repeats on San Elijo Tuesday!
Friday the mechanic was able to get my bike in and replace both front & rear cables while I went to lunch with my Mom in Encinitas. Saturday was brutal! I decided to take on Palomar Mountain for the first time this year. I rolled from the house, made my way through Escondido, up Lake Wohlford Road, down Valley Center Road, then up South Grade Road to the summit. My legs were feeling really good! I told myself I wasn't going to push it that hard up Palomar since this was my first run of the year. I still managed to reach the summit in 75-minutes, just 6-minutes off my best time! Not bad! Well, if the legs are feeling this good, why not keep going?
Off to Cole Grade Road I went. Up Cole Grade, and in to Valley Center, and finally, 88-miles, and 5-1/2 hours later, I reached home. I have a theory when it comes to training, that if your legs are feeling good, and you don't have any races in the near future, don't waste them by going easy, push them all the way! Take full advantage of the feeling.
Today, exactly half the distance, and a little over 2-1/2 hours. I wasn't feeling as strong as yesterday, so I opted to give the legs a little break. Next up, possibly the Santiago Canyon TT this Saturday, March 12th. I say possibly, because I'm not totally committed to going, and the event is same-day registration, so we'll see. Hope all is well, until next time...
Good morning Everyone! How was your weekend? Did you get a chance to go play in the snow? There was definitely an unusual weather pattern here in San Diego this Saturday, which made for some beautiful mountain scenery yesterday. Speaking of yesterday...
I was signed up to race the Peninsula Clif Climb up in Rancho Palos Verdes, the same race I did last month. I really enjoyed the event, but given the fact that I hadn't been training all that much, or that hard lately, I decided to pull the plug and skip it. Here's my theory on races, especially races that are only 2-hours away, and 20-minutes in length.
If your heart's not in it, not necessarily to win it as the old saying goes, but at least to be competitive at some level, then don't sign up. I decided Saturday night that my heart just wasn't in it. Instead, I decided that what I really wanted to do was just get out on the road for at least a good 4-hours, and just ride. That's exactly what I did.
4-hours, 68-miles, 2000-calories, and 4000-ft of climbing. I still managed to get in the saddle six days last week, although five of them were on the trainer! Ugh! This week...I'm actually going to pull the TT bike out of the garage and attempt to get comfortable on it in preparation for the Santiago Canyon TT March 12th.
Hope all is well with everyone! Until next time...
Hi Everyone! How was your weekend? I had a good one myself. Let me begin by saying as far as training went this last week, I didn't log a whole lot of time in the saddle. I did manage to get in the saddle six out of seven days, it was just the amount of time each day wasn't as much as usual. Let's see...8.5hrs total.
A lot of the reason for the low hours was due to the new biz. It's really been consuming a lot of my time and energy, and that's a good thing! The only hard part is actually staying motivated to train to be prepared for the upcoming races. Still, the business must come first, it's what's hopefully going to help pay the bills after all.
I'll keep you posted on its progress, and the training/racing program as the weeks go by. Until next time...
Hi Everyone! Sorry for the lack of posts lately, I've just been as busy as a one-armed paper hanger! I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned this here, but I've been in the process over the last 6-8 months, of starting a new business. Totally from the ground up, which means I've been learning by fire, and it's steadily been keeping me busier and busier. I told myself when I began this project, that I was going to do everything possible to keep my day job at the restaurant, go back to school at night, keep my training and racing going, and tackle a new start-up. I believed then, and still do, that it's possible to do all that. I did however say though, that if the new start-up really begin taking off, that I'd be willing to hang up the racing shoes for awhile to make a go of it.
I must be honest and say, that most of my adult life has been fairly easy and laid back. That's not to say there hasn't been challenges, but I've intentionally designed my life to be fairly stress free, and have avoided major responsibilities for the most part. I've never considered it laziness by any means, I was just a single guy with simple needs. Well, over the last ten years that's all changed!
I met a wonderful woman with whom I fell in love with and married. We became small business owners eight years ago. We became home owners six years ago. And now, I'm attempting to start another business. We don't have kids, not because we haven't wanted any, it just hasn't been in the cards for us yet. So needless to say, my life, and my responsibilities have changed drastically!
You can say I'm sort of doing things backwards, but I don't believe there's a concrete way of doing things in life. We're all different, and arrive at destinations in our lives via different routes, and a lot of times, we don't have control of those destinations. But since I've decided to make these changes in my life, and I'm no longer a young kid, it's time for me to step up and contribute as much as possible to the life I enjoy. I don't believe that means one has to give up everything they enjoy, and condemn themselves to a life of work, work, work, but some reorganization of my priorities are required.
These last two weeks are making me realize what that may mean. I've found it somewhat difficult to get out on the bike and put the hours in I'm accustomed to. It's been more short, intense, trainer workouts in the garage, and that's been mainly due to the new business. It's been consuming more and more of my time, and I know that a new business can do that in the beginning (I remember the early cafe days!). And it's extremely important to keep your focus on a business in its infancy. These are the times that really can make or break it.
So, needless to say, I'm not sure what that means for my training & racing, but I promise I'll do my best to keep it going! I truly hope you're all doing well out there, and I can't wait to post another race report soon. Next up on the racing calendar, I'll be heading back up to Palos Verdes to compete in the Peninsula Clif Climb TT on the 27th, then it's the Santiago Canyon TT on the 12th of March, then the Vless Huis Ronde RR on the 8th of April, and Devil's Punchbowl on the 23rd of April, followed by San Luis Rey on the 30th. That's the schedule for now, beyond that, I'm not sure. Until next time...
Well, the results for Boulevard are in. That didn't take long! My name isn't on the list, but it appears as though the whole field is listed. According to my wife, she thought I came in around 39th. So, more then likely, I'm one of the "Rider Unknowns". This probably happened because I came in with a pack, and within the pack I was off to the far right side. Even though we had numbers on both the right and left hand side of our backs, things probably got a little confusing at the finish because our group was caught from behind by the lead pack of Masters 45+ racers who went flying by us battling it out for the win. Doesn't really matter in the end, since I was too far back for any points anyhow. Here's the list...
2001 Boulevard Masters 35+ Results
Hello everyone! Well, the weekend has come and gone, and with it, the season's first big road race...Boulevard. There was also a crit today, but you know how I feel about those by now! Yes, I was extremely anxious for this race to arrive, especially since I decided at the last second to switch my registration from the Cat 4 race, to the Masters 35+. More on that...
First, let me begin by saying although I'm not a big believer in the theory of global warming, the weather this Saturday out at Boulevard had a lot of racers talking. I'm sure like most, I was preparing for the worst. Heck, I even put shoe covers over my shoes Friday night while packing for the race! As I drove out to Boulevard at ten in the morning, yes I said ten (one of the big benefits in deciding to race with the big boys...a later start time!), the temperature kept rising until it hit 68 as I pulled in the parking lot at Live Oaks. 68 and sunny, with very little wind! I decided no matter how anyones race went this day, the weather couldn't be blamed!
Our race was scheduled to go off at 12:50pm, which ended up being about five minutes delayed to allow the Cat 3 field that went off just before us to get far enough down the road that we shouldn't catch them. The race started smoothly, minus one guy who crashed off the side of the road in the first 100 feet! Talk about feeling a bit embarrassed! From there the pace was nice and smooth. I instantly noticed how much smoother everything was as opposed to a Cat 4 field. Everyone seemed to know how to hold their lines, drafting was in full effect, etc.
Things begin to pick up on the back half of the course, the descent, but I remained calm, and was able to be in good position, although a little too far back as we hit the first climb of the day, La Posta. From there, the pace quickened, but again, I kept it in check, and lingered near the middle of the pack up the climb. As the peloton turned on to Highway 80, it became a different story!
The pace going up the climb on Highway 80 was intense. I tried to stay on the wheels, but a group of approximately 25 riders drilled it up the road, and I found myself in a group of about 15 chasing. As we made our way up the climb, I noticed our groups pace was beginning to slow. I made the decision to strike out on my own while I could still see the lead group. Needless to say, that didn't work. I was able to drop the group I was with, but there was no way I was going to catch a large group of 25 riders working together on my own. I did come within about a minute and ten seconds of them at the top of the climb according to my wife who was there for support, and as my feeder.
To make a long race short, from there it went...get caught on the back half of the course by the group I dropped on the climb, and finish the race with them. I did learn a few things racing with more experienced riders, some things that I suspected as far as "elite" teams are concerned, and I fully intended to use this blog entry as a way to vent my frustration with them, but I've decided it takes a bigger person to bite the tongue, and move on. Stats for the race...3:15, 65-miles, 6000ft, 20.2avg speed, 2000 calories. Not sure yet where I finished, but I'll post the results as soon as I know.
Today, a nice 4-hour ride down to Mira Mesa to watch some friends compete in at red Trolley. I still can say with complete honesty, that I do not miss racing crits! Yikes!!!
Anyhow, as I mentioned in the title, I'm feelin' really sleepy tonight after a tough weekend on the bike, but all is good. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend yourselves, and had a chance to get out and enjoy this beautiful So Cal weather! Until next time...
Hello everyone, and good morning! Sitting here at the computer, listening to the news in the background, eating my steel cut oats, and drinking my coffee. The usual morning routine. What's on my mind this morning? Boulevard! I thought it would be a good idea to post another entry before the race comes this Saturday and I'm unable to later:) Why's that?
I decided to transfer my registration from the Cat 4 race to the Masters 35+. Good idea? Not sure, but I do have my reasons. First and foremast safety. The Cat 4 field always fills up, a full 100-rider field, and as anyone who's ever raced before knows, the Cat 4 category is kind of the "catch all" category, that is, it's open to most every kind of racer out there. Juniors, seniors, fairly inexperienced racers, etc. Couple that with the fact that Boulevard is the first big road race of the season, combined with bad weather, and things can get sketchy real quick!
Second, a later start time. The Cat 4 race begins at 9:30am, and again, anyone who's raced Boulevard knows it's almost always very cold, windy, and often times wet. The Master 35+ race begins at 12:50pm!
Third, I've always said, if you want to get faster, ride with faster riders. I know I have little chance of placing high in the 35+ race, but I'm hoping to learn something by watching older, experienced riders, some who were possibly ex-pros, applying some strategy out on the course that you rarely see in a Cat 4 race.
And lastly, the Cat 4 race is two laps around the Boulevard course, that's about 48-miles, a good, hard workout, but anyone who knows me knows that I prefer riding long distances. The Master 35+ race is three laps, which totals 67-miles. That's going to be a great, harder workout!
My strategy for the race. Honestly, sit in, stay out of the wind, let the stronger riders pull me around the course, and just try and survive, and hopefully cross the line within the pack, and not finish dead last!
Sunday's plan as of now, is to ride down to Mira Mesa and watch my friends compete in the Red Trolley Crit. It's always a nice ride down the Coast Highway, a perfect way to spin out the legs after Boulevard's brutal beat down!
Hope all is well, until next time...(I hope!)...
Hi All! Well, it's official. My first race of 2011 is in the books. The Peninsula Clif Climb, up in Rolling Hills, CA, just outside of Ranchos Palos Verdes. What did I think of the event? Awesome! The details...a 6-mile uphill Time Trial, with 1200ft of elevation gain. Great course, fairly light traffic, and some incredible views. The results?
I finished in 3rd place out of nine competitors in the Cat 4 category, with a time of 23:04. 1st place ran a time of 22:14. Of course I was hoping for a win, but hey, a podium finish for the first race of the year isn't bad! I did notice that the guy who finished in 1st, is also going to be racing out at Boulevard this Saturday. I'd keep an eye on him for sure if I knew what he looked like!
Anyhow, as I mentioned, Boulevard is this coming Saturday, and I'm beginning to get extremely anxious as the day gets closer. The first mass start of the season is always nerve racking for me, everyone seems nervous, and there always seems to be more then the usual bar bumping, and less then polite language happening within the peloton as the pack makes its way down the road. My strategy...just try and be in the top twenty riders as the pack approaches the right-hand turn on to La Posta Road. As always, the pack will soon thin out as the road points up, and I'm usually too far back, and find myself weeding through the stragglers, while the leaders are motoring up the climb. Of course this strategy is easier said then done. It takes a huge amount of nerve to hold your place near the front through the back half of the course and all that descent!
On tap this week as far as training goes...short, light-to-medium intensity rides, and nice opener Friday, then off to the race Saturday. Sunday, I plan on sticking to my tradition of riding down to Mira Mesa to watch some of the action at the Red Trolley Crit, assuming the weather holds out. Hope all is well. Until next time...
Hi All! How are you? Good here. It's another beautiful day in sunny San Diego! I hate to rub it in to others who may not be so fortunate to have the weather we have here, but it really has to be the best in country. Of course there are downfalls to living in this paradise, it comes with a cost, literally! Anyway, on to the reason for this post...
I have my first race of the season this Sunday, the 30th, up in Palos Verders. It's a 6-mile, uphill TT, and even though it's really only a "C" race on my personal calendar, I'm still itching to pin on a number and give it a go! Six days after that, February 5th, is when the the action really heats up. Boulevard!!!
This blog really serves as an outlet for me to keep a journal of sorts, documenting my racing, training, and just overall general experiences on the bike. After my interval session yesterday, I was sitting in a chair in my backyard reflecting on just how much I love the sport of cycling.
It's really difficult to put in to words...the sights, sounds, smells, and sensations that I've accumulated through the last ten years in this sport have been priceless. I'm not a religious person by any means, but I do believe in God, and have always thought that it doesn't require going to church and sitting in a pew every week to truly appreciate the life we've been given. My pew? The saddle of my bike. My church? The roads I pedal on. I NEVER take for granted what I've been given, and more often then not, find myself in complete awe at the wonderful things I witness on my rides. There are rides that to this day will stick in my memory forever. Rides I wouldn't trade for anything.
The wonderful people I've met through this sport have been nothing short of life changing. You can't put a price on friendship. There's something really special about a group of people who share a common bond, something that is appreciated and loved with a passion. There is so much mutual respect for one another in cycling, the knowing wave of a hand, or nod of a head as riders pass each other. Words aren't needed.
I truly hope that I'll never lose the passion that I have for the sport. That after I've decided my days of competing are over, I'll still want to get out and hit the roads, if for anything, just to enjoy why I began riding in the first place. If anyone out there reading this has never given cycling a try, please do. Go out, rent or borrow a bike, and see what all my fuss is about. You may find it's not your cup of tea, but I really doubt you'll regret giving it a chance. And if you need someone to guide you along the way, I'm always more then happy to share my enthusiasm! Until next time...
Hi All! How ya doing? The week in review...
Monday: Rest and run errands. Check!
Tuesday: 2x20 FTP intervals. Check!
Wednesday: San Elijo/Twin Oaks hill repeats. Check!
Thursday: VO2 Max intervals. First night of school. Check and check!
Friday: 60-minute recovery ride. Check!
Saturday: 4:30 hours. Hard, hilly ride. Check!
Sunday: 2:15 hours. Easy, coastal spin. Check!
The good news is, I managed to get all the required workouts completed. The bad news is, I also managed to pick up a small head cold from my wife. Ahhh! It was just six weeks ago I was sick! Needless to say, I'm doing everything in my power to prevent this head cold from moving to the lungs. If I can do that, the next two weekends races are a go.
I hope you all had a great week, and weekend, and have an even better one coming up. Until next time...
Hi All! How's the week treatin' you? Well, another excellent week of training in the books! Week two of training with a purpose as I like to think of it, is done, and I'm ready to dive in to the third week. I've never been this structured this early in the season, actually I've never been this structured with my training, but after getting on a program this last summer, and seeing the results at the Death Valley Stage Race, I'm convinced it's what's needed to be a factor at the races.
I took Monday completely off the bike and gym as usual. I use Mondays to get caught up on as many errands and things I put off as possible. Tuesday it was back on the trainer for a round of 2x20 FTP intervals, then Wednesday a short, but hard 1:15 on the bike. Thursday I planned on hill repeats, but didn't have enough time, so it was another short but hard ride around town. Friday was the usual 60-minute recovery ride out to Carlsbad and back. Nothing out of the ordinary, but the weekend...
Friday night, my good friend and training partner, and now also a working partner with Bailey Bikes, Mark Palmer, shot me an email saying he was going to be hitting up the Swamis Ride in the morning. The Swamis Ride isn't my favorite, but I did do it last week, and figured the fast group ride would be good for me to get my racing nerve back before Boulevard arrives. The first few road races of the season are always a bit nerve racking for me, and I'm assuming a lot of other racers, because we've been away from the action for a few months, and most of our training is usually done solo, or in small groups, so when you find yourself surrounded by 99 of your closest racing friends, things can get a little sketchy to say the least!
To make a long story short, Saturday's ride was kick ass! As it turns out, Mark's coach, none other then Chris Horner himself, was at the ride, then when the ride reached the church in Escondido for the regroup, Mark, Horner, myself, and two other riders, both pros, one from the Jelly Belly Pro Cycling Team, and the other a friend of Horners, spent the next 2-hours riding throughout the hills of North County. All in all, 101 miles, 5:35, and an 17.9 average! When I peeled off from Mark, Horner, and the other two riders at the 4-hour mark, we had an average speed of 18.6! One of the toughest training rides I've ever been on, but one of the best too.
Today was me, myself, and I out for 3-hours of mostly easy riding, just recovering from yesterday's big effort. What a wonderful weekend of weather to be outdoors! I hope you were all able to take advantage of it too! Until next time...
Hi All! Well, this week kicked off the first official week of training with some structure. Tired, tired, tired, that's the best way I can describe how I felt, at least on Friday. Monday was the prescribed day off, then it's six days on the bike in doing some kind of workout. Tuesday was 2x20 ftp intervals on the trainer. Wednesday, a 1:15 tempo ride. Thursday, a 2-1/2 hour endurance ride. At work Friday my legs were literally locking up as I walked around. Just tight, and feelin' like two lead weights! Friday thankfully, is recovery ride day, so I hopped on the trainer for 30-minutes of easy spinning. The weekend, well that was not so easy...
Saturday, I rode down to Nytro early to meet up with the Swamis Ride. Thurlow Rogers and his Amgen crew were there, along with Karl Bodine, so I knew this particular morning would be especially brutal. To make this short, I pulled up to the church in Escondido about a minute behind the lead group, not bad, I was happy. From there, I branched off and rode another 3-1/2 hours through Poway, RB, PQ, Del Mar, and on up the coast to Carlsbad for a coffee and bagel break, then home. 91-miles in 5:15 with a 17.5 avg.
Today I drove down to Mira Mesa to meet up with the SDBC 3-4-5 team. The route was up Scripps Poway Parkway to Highway 67, down Highland Valley Road, and back to Mira Mesa via Pomerado Road. 51-miles. A great day in the saddle, and it was good to see some old teammates. Great group of guys who appear to be a force to reckon with this season!
Hope you all had a great weekend! Until next time...
This could be fun. I registered this morning, figuring what the heck, if I decide at the last second to not make the drive that morning, it was only $20. If anything I thought this might be a good little tune-up the week before Boulevard...
Peninsula Clif Climb
Hi All! How ya doing? Things are good here, a little hectic, but good. Well, the holidays are official over, and I must say, I'm glad. It's not that I don't like them, I do, but when all the hustle and bustle is over, it's nice to get back to a little normalcy, peace, and quiet.
This last week marked the end of my of base training, and I'm feeling ready to get back to a set training schedule that includes some intensity, ie...intervals, tempo rides, endurance rides, etc. Boulevard is coming up in just a little over a months time (February 5th), and I'd like to be more fit then I've been in the past.
This last weekend I managed to get in a really solid base training ride Saturday, by myself, 5-1/2 hours, 91-miles, 6000ft, and 2800 calories. I was whipped when I got home! Actually, I felt pretty good for about an hour after getting home, but started feeling really fatigued shortly after that. The wife, roommate, and myself headed out to Famous Dave's Legendary Pit BBQ to put on the feedbag, and boy did it taste great! Of course, after logging almost six hours in the saddle, anything does!
Today I logged 2-1/2 hours of moderate-to-hard riding, the last 2-hours with
John Bailey and his pro mountain biker friend, so there was some good work being done in that ride!
Hope all is well with everyone, until next time...
