Number of rides: 4
Riding time: 13 hrs
Time in mid/high aerobic zone: 3 hrs
Best ride of the week: Today (Sunday), SB-Ojai-Hwy 33 (Rose Valley)-Goleta. Longest ride of the year on the last day of the year. 115 miles in ~6 hrs riding time. Was bonking just as I got home. Perfect.
Other: 30 minute run.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Thursday, December 28, 2006
My 2006 Racing Review
As 2006 draws to a close, it's time to get a bit self-obsessed and reflective about my racing season, such as it was. Doubtful this long post will be interesting to anyone but me ...and that's probably even pushing it. But since I've become too lazy to keep a journal, and I recently started this blog, it seems like the perfect place to record my memories of the year before they fade away.
What a mixed bag it was--some really weak performances with bad attitudes, followed by some personally-inspiring results in hard p/1/2 road races. (Plus, it was nice to help some great team efforts in support of Lindsay, who had a great year.) I did a few new things in training, and went back to some of my old-school favorites. I incorporated big-gear seated climbing intervals (thanks Jake!) and did some dedicated tt-bike training (thanks Lindsay and Steve B.!) and started doing more pure-climbing rides like the old days. Breaking 15:00 up OSM was a personal highlight of the year.
But when all is said and done, it's the races that matter. Here's the review of the ones I did...
2/4 Boulevard RR: I really anticipated this race because it was the beginning of the season and would be my first ever 45+ race. Lindsay, Kim, and I were planning for a battle with Sonance, and depending on whether or not Thurlow rode, we would try to hit them hard. Turned out Kim and I both flatted on the first lap. Lindsay then single handedly beat Sonance and won the race.
2/5 Mothballs Crit: A day for three races! 40+: rode agressively and was in all the moves, but it was together at the end and I got 4th in the sprint. 30+: worked hard with CW to bring back a long move, but got caught in traffic at the end. P/1/2: was fatigued but stayed up front and ended up 15th. This pic from U-in-Action is Mark Scott and me getting one of the breaks started.
3/10-12 Central Valley Classic: What a disaster; was a bit sick going up there, and then ran into the worst winter storm we've had in years. Snow level was so low, they canceled the hill-climb tt I was so looking forward to and replaced it with a flat tt. When warming up for it, I got blasted by hail that filled up the vents in my helmet. I wussed out and sat in the car. The next day I did the 45+ rr and got so cold I couldn't move my hands at all and was a hazard to myself and anyone nearby. So I quit. When we saw rain for the crit on Sunday, we all bailed and went home.
3/4 Island View Classic Crit: 45+: got in a break with Barney, beat him in the sprint and won. P/1/2: rode aggressively but it was together at the end and finished ~20th. Steve Weixel took some nice pics.
5/31-6/4 Mt. Hood Stage Race: 40+: It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. My season ended abruptly up in Oregon. We went up with a strong team: Wracher, Druber, me, and Lindsay. The Stage 1 Circuit Race was a wet and nasty affair that saw the winning break escape because they were more brave on the slippery descent than the rest of the field. Pasco won, despite having to chase back on following a mechanical. The Stage 2 TT was not as windy as it could have been, thankfully, but I still got buried. Not as bad as the prior year, but still a major weakness. The Stage 3 crit in the evening was fun...until I crashed. With zero warning, my rear tire blew out on the sharp downhill corner and I slid into the curb. Ouch. I got a wheel, and went back in and got to the front--the adrenalin theory at work. I thought I had the perfect wheel going into the last lap because the guy was wearing stars-and-bars, but he died with 2/3 a lap to go leaving me on the very front. I looked back and saw Chris D'Alusio with a big "pretty-please" grin on his face, so I said what the hell and drilled it for him. Turns out Chris
D'A's teammate Dan Smith was on his wheel and they easily went 1st and 2nd. I got pipped for 3rd, and ended up 4th on the stage. The final Stage 4 RR is a bitch, but is tailor-made for Lindsay who was well within striking distance of the guys in front of him. The day was cold and rainy and I sucked from the beginning. Being covered in bandages and tape didn't help either. I came off the front group on the first major climb of the day but decided it would be a good idea to bomb the descent (on mossy, wet, and muddy Oregon forest roads) to catch back on. Stupid. I was never in the zone and was blowing it on lots of corners. Finally my number was up and I went off the road, flipped over, and shattered my clavicle. Lindsay won the stage and the gc; I went to the Hood River emergency room.
Season over!
What a mixed bag it was--some really weak performances with bad attitudes, followed by some personally-inspiring results in hard p/1/2 road races. (Plus, it was nice to help some great team efforts in support of Lindsay, who had a great year.) I did a few new things in training, and went back to some of my old-school favorites. I incorporated big-gear seated climbing intervals (thanks Jake!) and did some dedicated tt-bike training (thanks Lindsay and Steve B.!) and started doing more pure-climbing rides like the old days. Breaking 15:00 up OSM was a personal highlight of the year.
But when all is said and done, it's the races that matter. Here's the review of the ones I did...
2/4 Boulevard RR: I really anticipated this race because it was the beginning of the season and would be my first ever 45+ race. Lindsay, Kim, and I were planning for a battle with Sonance, and depending on whether or not Thurlow rode, we would try to hit them hard. Turned out Kim and I both flatted on the first lap. Lindsay then single handedly beat Sonance and won the race.
2/5 Mothballs Crit: A day for three races! 40+: rode agressively and was in all the moves, but it was together at the end and I got 4th in the sprint. 30+: worked hard with CW to bring back a long move, but got caught in traffic at the end. P/1/2: was fatigued but stayed up front and ended up 15th. This pic from U-in-Action is Mark Scott and me getting one of the breaks started.3/10-12 Central Valley Classic: What a disaster; was a bit sick going up there, and then ran into the worst winter storm we've had in years. Snow level was so low, they canceled the hill-climb tt I was so looking forward to and replaced it with a flat tt. When warming up for it, I got blasted by hail that filled up the vents in my helmet. I wussed out and sat in the car. The next day I did the 45+ rr and got so cold I couldn't move my hands at all and was a hazard to myself and anyone nearby. So I quit. When we saw rain for the crit on Sunday, we all bailed and went home.
3/4 Island View Classic Crit: 45+: got in a break with Barney, beat him in the sprint and won. P/1/2: rode aggressively but it was together at the end and finished ~20th. Steve Weixel took some nice pics.
3/5 LA Circuit Race: Another day for two races, totaling >90 miles of crit-like pace. 45+: made a 7-man break but got 3rd in the sprint (Strickler won, Roger was 2nd). p/1/2: I basically sat in the whole time and finished in the back of the pack.
3/17-19 San Dimas Stage Race: What a battle! We fielded a good team for the 45+ with Druber, Ron, Boelter, me, and Lindsay. Stage 1 TT: Not much to say other than Lindsay ripped it up with a sub-15:00 to win, Roger Worthington 2nd at 15:17; and me 3rd at 15:24. We planned to defend the jersey in the Stage 2 RR by being aggressive. We outnumbered Labor Power and wanted to wear down Roger who had to respond to both Lindsay and me, as well as worry about Sonance. We threw everything we had at Roger, but we couldn't crack him. He also pipped me a couple times for time bonuses. In the end, we let Wayne Stetina go alone and he won. Roger got 2nd and Lindsay got 3rd, so Roger inched closer with the time bonuses but Lindsay still led on gc...barely! The Stage 3 crit would decide the race as Roger was within a single time bonus of overtaking Lindsay. Our goal was to get me or Lindsay in a break with a couple of Sonance guys but without Roger. We couldn't pull it off even though we had our chances a couple of times. Roger made some key alliances and other teams pulled us back. The mid-way bonus was scooped up by Matt Hahn. Now all we had to do was shut out Roger and we had the race. The last lap was hectic and I managed to stay close to Matt and Strickler, both excellent wheels. Roger was beside me on Larry's wheel. The last corner was very fast and we flew through it at nearly 40 mph. Matt jumped clean and blew us away to win. Then, in a drag race that seemed to take forever, Strickler, Roger, and I went side-by-side the whole way and man was it close. I thought Stricky took it, and was praying that I nipped Rog. Unfortunately, it went Roger-2nd, Strickler-3rd, and me-4th. With the bonus, Roger won the gc. What a warrior that guy is!
Here's a photo sequence of the sprint, with Matt winning cleanly followed by our drag race:
And finally, a podium shot with a dejected looking Lindsay...
4/1 Ventura County Classic: A nice new race with an open and fast course. 45+: Thurlow rode away from the gun in an awesome display of dominance. I made it across to the chase of CW and KK, but got dropped right away!! Arghh. Ended up 8th. 35+: This was dominated by the Labor Power dream team (JB, Steve Larson, Teske, Wike, etc.). JB won, I got 13th.
4/2 Garret LeMire Grand Prix: Great downtown course with a crowd and nice atmosphere. 45+: Just Druber and me against Labor (C. Walker, Roger, and Larry) and Sonance (Thurlow, KK, Strickler, Malcolm, Mueller). Early break w/ Druber, KK, and Larry. When they got absorbed, Thurlow unleashed a wicked volley of attacks. At one point, I had to bridge with both CW and Rog on my wheel and as soon as we got there, they threw down another and I cracked. Thurlow won; Druber and I rolled in for 7th and 8th. I was too depressed to do the next race.
4/7 Sea Otter Circuit Race:
I love racing on Laguna Seca! 40+: Druber, Boelter, and I lined up with a smallish field, but it still had some good guys (e.g., a handful of Safeways plus Chris D'Alusio). Druber was active and aggressive and pretty soon was away with Janne Hamalainen who I knew was strong. Boelter and I did what we could to discourage the chase, but I was itching to get into a smaller group and I didn't want to drag anyone up to Druber. About half way into the race, I bolted up the hill and shed everyone but Chris
D'A, Bob Pasco, Ron Reade, and a couple others.
Another couple surges and it was just Chris and me. Now I really respect Chris and it was killing me not to work 100% with him, but I couldn't until about two laps to go. From that point on we traded pulls and went into the sprint side-by-side. I jumped and he basically sat up. Unfortunately, Janne dropped Druber, so it ended up: Janne-1st; Druber-2nd; me-3rd.
4/8-9 Vuelta a Valencia: I bailed on the Sea Otter RR and came back for the 45+ Valencia race which started Saturday AM with a Stage 1 TT. I sucked and was buried on gc. The Stage 2 crit was in the afternoon, and Kim got into a good move with Tim Black so I just sat. The Stage 3 RR was on the old-time Acton course which I have done as a junior (1978) and also won it years ago in the p/1/2. I love this course. The Sonance guys had the gc locked up so there was nothing left to do but go for the stage win. Fortunately, I was having one of those George Hincapie "No Chain" days, and was able to win the stage.
4/22-23 Conquer the Canyons Stage Race: p/1/2: I thought the Stage 1 TT was more of a hill-climb than it turned out to be. The first few miles were flat to downhill; only the last two miles were up. I finished 25th in 12:52. Jake Erker blew away everyone with an 11:40. Now he had to defend solo against a full Successful Living squad plus assorted LaGrange and Monex guys. The Stage 2 crit was fast and aggressive but nothing got away. Adam Livingston won and Jake was 2nd; I finished in the field around 30th. The Stage 3 RR was on a cool course in the coastal range between Westlake and Malibu. Christian Valenzuela (Monex) got away early and everyone looked to Jake to bring him back. He threw down some brutal attacks up the hill, which put people in a world of hurt, but nobody would follow through to help him. Soon Daniel Ramsey (Successful Living) and Jorge Alvarado escaped and caught Valenzuela. They motored away. Walker then got away with Ruben Meza. With two laps to go, I rolled off and Dan Vinson came up to me so we started drilling it. We caught Meza who had been dropped by CW. Now I started feeling really good, and was able almost pull us up to Chris on the last time up the hill. But not quite. Daniel won the stage. CW tt'ed in for 4th. Vinson jumped away from me for 5th and Meza out-sprinted me for 6th after I pulled hard to get as much time as possible for gc. So I ended up 7th on the stage. The field sprinted in a minute later. Valenzuela won gc. I was pleased with my race (11th on gc) because it had been a few years since I felt strong in a p/1/2 race.
4/29 Devil's Punchbowl RR: p/1/2: Another wicked road race out in the desert with all the SoCal studs. On the second lap I made my way into what turned out to be the winning break with Thurlow and Rigo Meza, but they dropped me on the 3rd lap. It turned out to be fortunate timing because as I slowly drifted back to the group, Walker just nailed it up the climb and shredded the field. A small group caught me right at the top, so I settled into a nice rotation with CW and Adam Livingston. Again, like the week before, I felt pretty damn good, and was even able to bring back CW after he attacked on the hill on the 4th lap. Then, with only a lap to go, I hit something and got a blow-out. Sh!t...I was pissed because I think a top-5 was in reach. The wheel truck was way back behind the remnants of the field and by the time I got going again, 5 minutes had passed. Game over. Rigo won; Thurlow 2nd; CW 3rd.
5/8 San Luis Rey RR: p/1/2: Another quality field to battle on a hot and windy day. Rigo Meza and a few others went early, but I looked around and saw CW, Kyle Gritters (HealthNet), Thurlow, plus assorted Successful Living pros, so I figured it was a good idea to sit and watch. The field shrunk each time up the hill past the s/f and eventually we caught the early break with about 30 miles to go. The next hour saw a lot of attacks and regroups and we were all together for the final five-mile stair-steps to the finish. Rigo Meza started the fighting up the hill and soon our nice group of 15 was spread all over the road. I buried myself to stay behind Walker and we rolled in for 7th and 8th respectively. There was a separate prize list for 2's and I got 3rd in that.
Mt. Hamilton RR: p/1/2: Another race I love and have done as a Junior (1978) and Master (I won in1997) but had never done in the p/1/2 until this year. My goal was to make it to the observatory in the first group and I almost made it. The pace reduced the field substantially but I was still in the front when I could see the observatory about 2 km below the top. That's when I breathed a sigh of relief. Big mistake! The CalGiant guys started really drilling it and I got popped. Ten guys went over first, followed a minute later by my group with Kevin Klein, Ted Huang and a few other Webcor guys and a Lombardy's kid. We dropped a few on the descent, and picked up another Webcor in the valley. Despite being out of the money, the Webcor guys rode for a finish, and Ted was able to jump away from us at the end. I ended up 15th. I had mixed emotions after this race--I was disappointed not to hold on to the top, but I felt great in the valley and probably could have dumped those guys on those smaller hills (but what would be the point!?!)
Here are a few pics from HippStar and from Steep Hill...
5/31-6/4 Mt. Hood Stage Race: 40+: It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. My season ended abruptly up in Oregon. We went up with a strong team: Wracher, Druber, me, and Lindsay. The Stage 1 Circuit Race was a wet and nasty affair that saw the winning break escape because they were more brave on the slippery descent than the rest of the field. Pasco won, despite having to chase back on following a mechanical. The Stage 2 TT was not as windy as it could have been, thankfully, but I still got buried. Not as bad as the prior year, but still a major weakness. The Stage 3 crit in the evening was fun...until I crashed. With zero warning, my rear tire blew out on the sharp downhill corner and I slid into the curb. Ouch. I got a wheel, and went back in and got to the front--the adrenalin theory at work. I thought I had the perfect wheel going into the last lap because the guy was wearing stars-and-bars, but he died with 2/3 a lap to go leaving me on the very front. I looked back and saw Chris D'Alusio with a big "pretty-please" grin on his face, so I said what the hell and drilled it for him. Turns out Chris
D'A's teammate Dan Smith was on his wheel and they easily went 1st and 2nd. I got pipped for 3rd, and ended up 4th on the stage. The final Stage 4 RR is a bitch, but is tailor-made for Lindsay who was well within striking distance of the guys in front of him. The day was cold and rainy and I sucked from the beginning. Being covered in bandages and tape didn't help either. I came off the front group on the first major climb of the day but decided it would be a good idea to bomb the descent (on mossy, wet, and muddy Oregon forest roads) to catch back on. Stupid. I was never in the zone and was blowing it on lots of corners. Finally my number was up and I went off the road, flipped over, and shattered my clavicle. Lindsay won the stage and the gc; I went to the Hood River emergency room.Season over!
Peloton Dynamics Driving on I-5
Yesterday's trip home on southbound I-5 was remarkably smooth considering how many vehicles were on the road. Most of the time it was like being in a pack of really skilled and considerate bike racers. The group always goes best when everyone's behavior is focused on the common good.In a bike race, when you're out in the wind going backwards, you always appreciate the guy who lets you back in line (especially if he also gives you a little push). It's a small gesture, and maybe you and he are the only ones who recognize it, but it helps the group dynamic. You remember those guys, and you return the favor(s) when you can.
Same thing when driving on the open freeway. For example, a couple times yesterday I found myself in the right lane coming up behind a slow truck, with a lot of cars going faster on my left. In that situation I don't want to just insert myself into a small gap in front of someone on the left. I was in a minivan with marginal acceleration, so I would inevitably cause a bunch of braking if I did that. But a number of times I didn't even need to worry about it, because an alert driver in the left lane recognized the situation early enough and smoothly opened up a gap for me to cleanly accelerate into. That dynamic is subtle--the driver opens the gap early enough that I didn't have to slow much for the truck in front of me in the right lane, and the gap is opened slowly so that traffic behind him (or her) in the left lane only needs to slow slightly. I get around the truck, move back over to the right lane, and everyone continues along smoothly.
Contrast that situation with impatient drivers in the left lane that don't open up any gaps, and an aggressive driver in the right lane that swerves into a too-small gap. You then get a bunch of sharp braking and a major slow-down that propagates backward through traffic and maybe even causes a few people to swerve off the road to avoid rear-ending the car in front. It's just like the rider in a bike race who chops people in corners when there isn't room, or abruptly swerves into the pack and causes a bunch of chaos behind.
I imagine almost everyone thinks of themselves as a good driver. I think most bike racers probably really are, if for no other reason, because they understand the traffic-flow dynamics of a group.
Speaking of traffic, if you're in California you should bookmark this streaming video site of traffic web cams. It's a great resource to see how freeways are flowing, and it's also kind of cool to see the weather around the state.
Training - Week 12
Posting this a little late--it's for the week 12/18-24. Went away for the holidays and didn't bring my bike since the forecast called for a lot of rain. Naturally it didn't rain until the last day.
Number of rides: 5
Riding time: 8 hrs
Time in mid-high aerobic zone: 3 hrs
Best ride of the week: Tuesday; sprints on Winchester Cyn, then second-half of group ride.
Other: 40 minute run
Notes:
- Did 6 hard sprints on the Winchester Cyn hill on Tuesday;
- Climbed OSM+PC at 95% effort in 37:19
Number of rides: 5
Riding time: 8 hrs
Time in mid-high aerobic zone: 3 hrs
Best ride of the week: Tuesday; sprints on Winchester Cyn, then second-half of group ride.
Other: 40 minute run
Notes:
- Did 6 hard sprints on the Winchester Cyn hill on Tuesday;
- Climbed OSM+PC at 95% effort in 37:19
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Catching Up
Been off the net since a couple days before xmas... which has been a good thing 'cause we're up here in NorCal visiting our families... and when you're with people you love but don't see very often, you shouldn't waste time surfin bits and bytes... so this post will be brief.
For sure most definitely totally positively absolutely gonna get up here more often in 2007. Big picture, family time is where it's at. We love them, they love us... one or two brief visits a year isn't enough. Can't get so bogged down in the day-to-day muck.
For sure most definitely totally positively absolutely gonna get up here more often in 2007. Big picture, family time is where it's at. We love them, they love us... one or two brief visits a year isn't enough. Can't get so bogged down in the day-to-day muck.
Friday, December 22, 2006
But I Love the SB Chicken Ranch!!
All this debate about vegetarianism certainly makes me pause and think. It's easy to be deliberately naive--I mean, who wants to consider the things they talk about here? [Warning: don't click on that link unless you are ready to get serious--it's all about cruelty in the industrial-poultry business.]
And it's not like you only see it on obscure .org websites either. We'll be driving down I-5 in a few days and will pass by Harris Ranch in Kettleman City. Like always, we'll joke about how bad it stinks and the kids will blame me for the smell, to which I'll respond "Hey, mine aren't that bad!" After all, there must be 10,000 cows packed into those dirt lots not much bigger than a few acres. They live in their own crap and eat cheap chemical-infused grain poured into their feed troughs. They are most definitely not Happy California Cows. We don't want to support this.
Trouble is, I am weak.
Tonight for example... just couldn't see cooking after a hard day of holiday shopping, so where did we go for dinner? Yep, Matt's Santa Barbara Chicken Ranch. We love that place. Best tri-tip burritos in town.
And look what was right next to our table! An authentic signed yellow jersey. That's right, even Lance goes to the Chicken Ranch when he's in town.
So my question for Matt is: where do you get your chicken and beef?
Please don't tell me it's from Tyson Foods or some other mega-industrial meat company. If so, please consider another source. I'll gladly pay another buck or two per burrito.
And it's not like you only see it on obscure .org websites either. We'll be driving down I-5 in a few days and will pass by Harris Ranch in Kettleman City. Like always, we'll joke about how bad it stinks and the kids will blame me for the smell, to which I'll respond "Hey, mine aren't that bad!" After all, there must be 10,000 cows packed into those dirt lots not much bigger than a few acres. They live in their own crap and eat cheap chemical-infused grain poured into their feed troughs. They are most definitely not Happy California Cows. We don't want to support this.
Trouble is, I am weak.
Tonight for example... just couldn't see cooking after a hard day of holiday shopping, so where did we go for dinner? Yep, Matt's Santa Barbara Chicken Ranch. We love that place. Best tri-tip burritos in town.
And look what was right next to our table! An authentic signed yellow jersey. That's right, even Lance goes to the Chicken Ranch when he's in town.
So my question for Matt is: where do you get your chicken and beef?Please don't tell me it's from Tyson Foods or some other mega-industrial meat company. If so, please consider another source. I'll gladly pay another buck or two per burrito.
Playing with Legos in the 21st Century
| My son wants more Legos for Christmas. This is what he does with them! I also like this one. | |
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Carnivores, Omnivores, and Herbivores, Oh My!
As if my teammates didn't have enough things to "argue" about! Most items on our group email list need to stay private, lest wives, parents, and children find out how incredibly immature we really are... but one recent topic of discussion deserves some publicity. It seems that our ranks include a few strict vegetarians at one end, and some die-hard meat eaters (and meat hunters!) at the other. (We even have the ex-owner of the best Steak restaurant that ever existed in Goleta--oh how I miss Jaspers.) The meat-eaters question the manhood of the veges, and the veges wish the meat-eaters enjoyment in consuming their fecal-encrusted chicken nuggets. Ahhh, love the team chemistry! Actually, everyone truly does respect the other guy's choices and it's really all in fun.
But if you'll allow me to get serious for a minute, and veer off in a related direction... Isn't it true that as a species, we have evolved eating meat? I assume that our incisors are evidence of that. Yet still, people become vegetarians, and certainly they have a wide variety of reasons. Some are disgusted by the inhumane conditions with which livestock are raised and slaughtered. Others are justifiably concerned about all the chemicals that are used to quicken the animals' growth and artificially enlarge them. Some just want to eat "lower on the food chain" and avoid the accumulation of environmental poisons that inevitably build up in the tissue of animals higher on the food chain. These are all valid concerns.
But there is another way, which addresses at least some of these problems.
Eat Local and support your Local Agriculture. The benefits are huge. You keep money in the local economy; you support sustainable farming practices; you discourage the pollution resulting from transporting food thousands of miles; you encourage the growing of a large genetic variety of crops; on and on.
And most importantly, you reestablish a more visceral connection to your food. What you eat comes from the dirt. It shouldn't come from Von's wrapped in plastic and pumped full of preservatives.
Now I must admit that my family and I do not 100% practice what I'm spewing forth here. But we are working toward it. Most of our fruit and veggies are either organic, locally grown, or come directly from our backyard. I have a goal someday to personally grow almost all of the produce we consume.
Well, thanks for the opportunity to rant. I'll close with something I find very satisfying and refreshing--you can ride your bike all around Goleta and see local farms. So of course I take pictures. Most of these places use sustainable farming practices, and you can buy their produce at local fruit stands and farmers markets. Remember, Eat Local!!
But if you'll allow me to get serious for a minute, and veer off in a related direction... Isn't it true that as a species, we have evolved eating meat? I assume that our incisors are evidence of that. Yet still, people become vegetarians, and certainly they have a wide variety of reasons. Some are disgusted by the inhumane conditions with which livestock are raised and slaughtered. Others are justifiably concerned about all the chemicals that are used to quicken the animals' growth and artificially enlarge them. Some just want to eat "lower on the food chain" and avoid the accumulation of environmental poisons that inevitably build up in the tissue of animals higher on the food chain. These are all valid concerns.
But there is another way, which addresses at least some of these problems.
Eat Local and support your Local Agriculture. The benefits are huge. You keep money in the local economy; you support sustainable farming practices; you discourage the pollution resulting from transporting food thousands of miles; you encourage the growing of a large genetic variety of crops; on and on.
And most importantly, you reestablish a more visceral connection to your food. What you eat comes from the dirt. It shouldn't come from Von's wrapped in plastic and pumped full of preservatives.
Now I must admit that my family and I do not 100% practice what I'm spewing forth here. But we are working toward it. Most of our fruit and veggies are either organic, locally grown, or come directly from our backyard. I have a goal someday to personally grow almost all of the produce we consume.
Well, thanks for the opportunity to rant. I'll close with something I find very satisfying and refreshing--you can ride your bike all around Goleta and see local farms. So of course I take pictures. Most of these places use sustainable farming practices, and you can buy their produce at local fruit stands and farmers markets. Remember, Eat Local!!
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Sunday Sundries
We had a team "meeting" at Dargan's on Friday night, during which much important business was discussed. Unfortunately I can't remember any of that. Good thing I had a camera to catch some of the happenings.
Notice that Ron and Carissa are sitting next to each other. We probably shouldn't allow that in the future because they got into a fight. Well, it wasn't much of a fight... Carissa kicked his ass and he cried like a little baby.
I'm happy to report that I didn't get groped by Flood, although it appears Brewer wasn't so lucky.
As the night wore on, it seemed that TnA was making quite an impression on Ben's girlfriend Katie. He fascinated her with the underlying physics of clincher-versus-tubular rolling resistance, aerodynamic properties of round, oval, and triangular tubing, and the principles of anaerobic work capacity. Doesn't she look enthralled???
Apparently Flood is deep in thought too.
[Edit: just in case it is not clear, I'm just trying to tease my teammates--please don't think it is mean spirited. I love these guys!]
More proof that bike racing is a life-long affliction (not sure that's the right word... maybe "addiction" would be better) After a mandatory pee break before the Sunday Worlds this morning, who rides up to me but none other than Hans Mortenson, sporting an old wool Danish National Team jersey. Hans is an old-school bike racer who learned his trade riding echelons in the cold North Sea winds of Denmark. Way back in the day, he taught me the importance of always knowing where the wind was coming from and how to ride in it. Not enough people "get it" today. Anyway, Hans gave up the road for MTB in the early days (mid 80s?) and was one of the early pros in the dirt. But then he got used to the soft and easy SB life, and gave up the bikes around 1990. Cold turkey. That is, until a couple of months ago when back in Denmark he entered a Masters race and all that adrenaline came rushing back. So now he's back out riding a few days a week and wants to race. Hans Mortenson--just another junkie that can't get the monkey off his back.
Finally, and more importantly, the Stingrays won the Central California Coastal area championship yesterday with two victories in two very close evenly-matched games. Afterward, an informal poll of parents revealed mixed feelings. On the one hand, it's great for the girls because they have worked hard and are getting some nice recognition for their efforts. On the other hand, the team will now be playing and practicing into Febuary as they prepare for the state championship tournament. It's a tough commitment for players and parents. My opinion? Rock On I say. You never know when you'll get the opportunities again.
Notice that Ron and Carissa are sitting next to each other. We probably shouldn't allow that in the future because they got into a fight. Well, it wasn't much of a fight... Carissa kicked his ass and he cried like a little baby.
I'm happy to report that I didn't get groped by Flood, although it appears Brewer wasn't so lucky.As the night wore on, it seemed that TnA was making quite an impression on Ben's girlfriend Katie. He fascinated her with the underlying physics of clincher-versus-tubular rolling resistance, aerodynamic properties of round, oval, and triangular tubing, and the principles of anaerobic work capacity. Doesn't she look enthralled???
Apparently Flood is deep in thought too.
[Edit: just in case it is not clear, I'm just trying to tease my teammates--please don't think it is mean spirited. I love these guys!]
More proof that bike racing is a life-long affliction (not sure that's the right word... maybe "addiction" would be better) After a mandatory pee break before the Sunday Worlds this morning, who rides up to me but none other than Hans Mortenson, sporting an old wool Danish National Team jersey. Hans is an old-school bike racer who learned his trade riding echelons in the cold North Sea winds of Denmark. Way back in the day, he taught me the importance of always knowing where the wind was coming from and how to ride in it. Not enough people "get it" today. Anyway, Hans gave up the road for MTB in the early days (mid 80s?) and was one of the early pros in the dirt. But then he got used to the soft and easy SB life, and gave up the bikes around 1990. Cold turkey. That is, until a couple of months ago when back in Denmark he entered a Masters race and all that adrenaline came rushing back. So now he's back out riding a few days a week and wants to race. Hans Mortenson--just another junkie that can't get the monkey off his back.
Finally, and more importantly, the Stingrays won the Central California Coastal area championship yesterday with two victories in two very close evenly-matched games. Afterward, an informal poll of parents revealed mixed feelings. On the one hand, it's great for the girls because they have worked hard and are getting some nice recognition for their efforts. On the other hand, the team will now be playing and practicing into Febuary as they prepare for the state championship tournament. It's a tough commitment for players and parents. My opinion? Rock On I say. You never know when you'll get the opportunities again.
Training - Week 11
Had to use the stick after Tuesday. That's good, right?
Number of rides: 6
Riding time: 14 hrs
Time in mid/high aerobic zone: 4 hrs
Best ride of the week: Tuesday Ladera intervals (ouch)
Other: Nothing
Notes:
- Ladera times: 5:30, 6:30, 6:00, 6:00, 6:00
Number of rides: 6
Riding time: 14 hrs
Time in mid/high aerobic zone: 4 hrs
Best ride of the week: Tuesday Ladera intervals (ouch)
Other: Nothing
Notes:
- Ladera times: 5:30, 6:30, 6:00, 6:00, 6:00
Saturday, December 16, 2006
The Time Henry Kramer Saved My Marriage
Well, perhaps that's a bit of an exaggeration. You decide...
It was 1989 and yours truly was just getting back into bike racing after a few years off for college and career nonsense. I had moved up to category 2 in the spring and, like most 20-something bike racers, thought I was just too cool. You know the type--sneering down upon the racing category they just departed, checking out their legs in every mirror they pass, incessantly boring non-cycling friends with tales of their bike-racing exploits. Your basic $12K dreamer wannabe.
So one weekend I took the future Mrs. Fanelli to a little event called the Silver Bullet Stage Race. (Doesn't every guy bring the girl he is courting to watch him prance around in shiny lycra?) Well this race was in Madera CA, which pretty regularly reeks of dairy-cow excrement, and it was hot, like 100+ degrees Central Valley-in-June hot. That was Strike One.
Well the future Mrs. Fanelli was not yet accustomed to the ways of a self-centered bike-racing boyfriend, and she naively agreed to feed me in the first road stage. Now this particular stage took place on what probably was the most devious course Bob Liebold has ever constructed. He found roads in the Sierra Nevada foothills that, I swear, hadn't been used since the Gold Rush. And he made the race one big 95-mile loop with two separate feed zones along the way. So I shoved a map in her direction, commanded her to wish me luck, and pedaled away. This was the beginning of Strike Two.
Like a trooper, she made it to the first feed zone and successfully handed me up a nice cold bottle. In return for this kindness she got an audible grunt and an empty, dirty, sticky water bottle thrown in her general direction. Her day was about to take a turn for the worse. She hopped in the car and tried to follow the rest of the feed-zone crowd on to the next stop. But somehow she got separated. And then she got lost. Now if you've ever spent much time in the California foothills, you know about some of these roads--think Copperopolis...but worse. To hear her tell it afterward, each wrong turn she made led to a narrower, bumpier, and more remote road. None of them were on the map I had given her and, of course, this was before the age of cell phones and in-car GPS navigation. The poor thing shed a few tears and I'm certain let loose a few F-bombs. Strike Two was pretty much complete. But she persevered and amazingly found her way out and eventually arrived at the second feed zone with just minutes to spare.
So the pack comes rolling up to this feed zone after spending the previous three hours pedaling through the countryside, and Gina hands me up a nice cold small water bottle. I did not say "thanks". No, instead of that simple gratuity, I screamed at her "NO DAMNIT!!! BIG WATER BOTTLE GINA!!!" A more perfect Strike Three has never been thrown.
Poor Gina just lost it and started sobbing uncontrollably--a fact of which I was completely unaware, as I was competing in this terribly serious Velo Promo bicycle race in the very important p/1/2 category.
Well guess who was sitting in the feed zone, after having gotten off earlier in the race. Yes, good old Henry Kramer was there to pick up the pieces. Now Henry was a handsome and suave fellow back then, and the future Mrs. Fanelli quickly regained her composure when he came over to comfort her. He didn't know me, but still he assured her that I would apologize profusely once the race was over [I did]. He explained how the heat-of-competition and the heat-of-the-day can make the bike racers uncharacteristically grumpy, and that anything they say shouldn't be taken personally. He said that all bike racers deeply appreciate the support they get from their significant others. Whatever else he said, and I'm sure there was more, really worked. Despite her Hellish adventure, when she found me after the race, she was as kind and supportive as when the day began. I'm convinced Henry's act-of-kindness saved me the loss of my soul mate.
The following year Gina became Mrs. Fanelli (well, not really, but you know what I mean) and to this day she still goes with me occasionally to races up there. Inevitably she asks me if Henry is at the race. And we usually see him once or twice a year, always reminding him about the time we first met him in the foothills of Madera. I don't think he remembers, but we do.
So, I'll end this post by saying congratulations to Henry Kramer for a well-deserved Silver medal in yesterday's Masters 50-54 National Championship Cyclocross race. He battled Ned Overend to the end and came up just short. You'll get it next year Henry! (The picture below is Henry putting the hurt on Ned Overend at the Nationals.)
It was 1989 and yours truly was just getting back into bike racing after a few years off for college and career nonsense. I had moved up to category 2 in the spring and, like most 20-something bike racers, thought I was just too cool. You know the type--sneering down upon the racing category they just departed, checking out their legs in every mirror they pass, incessantly boring non-cycling friends with tales of their bike-racing exploits. Your basic $12K dreamer wannabe.
So one weekend I took the future Mrs. Fanelli to a little event called the Silver Bullet Stage Race. (Doesn't every guy bring the girl he is courting to watch him prance around in shiny lycra?) Well this race was in Madera CA, which pretty regularly reeks of dairy-cow excrement, and it was hot, like 100+ degrees Central Valley-in-June hot. That was Strike One.
Well the future Mrs. Fanelli was not yet accustomed to the ways of a self-centered bike-racing boyfriend, and she naively agreed to feed me in the first road stage. Now this particular stage took place on what probably was the most devious course Bob Liebold has ever constructed. He found roads in the Sierra Nevada foothills that, I swear, hadn't been used since the Gold Rush. And he made the race one big 95-mile loop with two separate feed zones along the way. So I shoved a map in her direction, commanded her to wish me luck, and pedaled away. This was the beginning of Strike Two.
Like a trooper, she made it to the first feed zone and successfully handed me up a nice cold bottle. In return for this kindness she got an audible grunt and an empty, dirty, sticky water bottle thrown in her general direction. Her day was about to take a turn for the worse. She hopped in the car and tried to follow the rest of the feed-zone crowd on to the next stop. But somehow she got separated. And then she got lost. Now if you've ever spent much time in the California foothills, you know about some of these roads--think Copperopolis...but worse. To hear her tell it afterward, each wrong turn she made led to a narrower, bumpier, and more remote road. None of them were on the map I had given her and, of course, this was before the age of cell phones and in-car GPS navigation. The poor thing shed a few tears and I'm certain let loose a few F-bombs. Strike Two was pretty much complete. But she persevered and amazingly found her way out and eventually arrived at the second feed zone with just minutes to spare.
So the pack comes rolling up to this feed zone after spending the previous three hours pedaling through the countryside, and Gina hands me up a nice cold small water bottle. I did not say "thanks". No, instead of that simple gratuity, I screamed at her "NO DAMNIT!!! BIG WATER BOTTLE GINA!!!" A more perfect Strike Three has never been thrown.
Poor Gina just lost it and started sobbing uncontrollably--a fact of which I was completely unaware, as I was competing in this terribly serious Velo Promo bicycle race in the very important p/1/2 category.
Well guess who was sitting in the feed zone, after having gotten off earlier in the race. Yes, good old Henry Kramer was there to pick up the pieces. Now Henry was a handsome and suave fellow back then, and the future Mrs. Fanelli quickly regained her composure when he came over to comfort her. He didn't know me, but still he assured her that I would apologize profusely once the race was over [I did]. He explained how the heat-of-competition and the heat-of-the-day can make the bike racers uncharacteristically grumpy, and that anything they say shouldn't be taken personally. He said that all bike racers deeply appreciate the support they get from their significant others. Whatever else he said, and I'm sure there was more, really worked. Despite her Hellish adventure, when she found me after the race, she was as kind and supportive as when the day began. I'm convinced Henry's act-of-kindness saved me the loss of my soul mate.
The following year Gina became Mrs. Fanelli (well, not really, but you know what I mean) and to this day she still goes with me occasionally to races up there. Inevitably she asks me if Henry is at the race. And we usually see him once or twice a year, always reminding him about the time we first met him in the foothills of Madera. I don't think he remembers, but we do.
So, I'll end this post by saying congratulations to Henry Kramer for a well-deserved Silver medal in yesterday's Masters 50-54 National Championship Cyclocross race. He battled Ned Overend to the end and came up just short. You'll get it next year Henry! (The picture below is Henry putting the hurt on Ned Overend at the Nationals.)
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Wacky Wednesday Wandering
Too many things tumbling around in my brain to continue with C++ so howz about some bloggin...
Yes, I admit it... I'm a Walker Stalker. I was out on the bike path on Monday doing a little easy ride by Goleta Beach when a bunch of women riders from the UCSB team pass by going the other direction. Cool. Glad to see that. Then, 30 seconds later, I see good ol Chris Walker coming at me. Hmmm. Coincidental timing?
Anyway, I hadn't talked to him since his New Zealand race so I flipped it around and caught up to him. He immediately confessed that he wanted to catch up to the UCSB girls, but he chose not to because it would have put him above his 90 bpm recovery pace if he sped up. I submit that even if they were going slow and he caught up, simply talking to them would have elevated his heart rate beyond that!
So we putted around Goleta together for the next hour.
Coupla tidbits: the NZ race had brutal crosswinds and blizzards, and the Kiwis are extremely aggro in their echelons. CW was getting headbutted out of line by the big brawlers, so he cracked one day and lost a half hour. OTOH, Tilford and Thurlow fearlessly fought for position, and both ended up in the top 15 g.c.
Another tidbit I learned... Doug Knox and the Time Factory Team may be taking on Aram Dellalian formerly of the Amgen team. I don't know the guy, but I find his blog interesting. He'd probably work well with Chris.
CW and I rode together yesterday also, though not so leisurely... four hours at ~20 mph with five (!) Ladera intervals in the middle. Now it's been awhile since I did Ladera--the last time probably was with Chris Hahn--so I had forgotten how to pace them. I stayed with CW for the first one but man did that put me in debt. We climbed the 0.9 miles and 500 ft elevation change in 5:30, which I think is about 6 W/kg! I never fully recovered, and did the rest in the 6:00-6:30 range. Walker otoh ripped off all five in times within 10-15 seconds of each other. Amazing. He's gonna hurt some people at Boulevard in seven weeks.
Tower of Power training guru TnA has been patiently explaining some of the latest concepts to me and one of them is finally sinking in. Namely, the concept of functional threshold power (FTP) and anaerobic work capacity (AWC) and the cool relationship between them when you do maximal efforts for durations more than a couple of minutes. It's taken me a while to accept that a person can only do a fixed amount of anaerobic work (in the physics sense) during a maximal effort, independent of the duration of the effort. In other words, you can blow it all in five minutes up Ladera, or use it up at 1/3 the rate going up OSM in 15:00, or 1/9 the rate going up Gibraltar in 45:00, as long as those are all maximal efforts. And the aerobic contribution to work in those efforts is simply your threshold power multiplied by the duration of the effort ...i.e., Work = (FTP x time) + AWC. Makes me want to get a power meter because I know this must be useful! When will they get cheaper?
Are we spoiled or what? If you doubt it, read Jake Erker's latest diary entry. By leaving Santa Barbara, he and Laura not only lost access to all of us witty, charming, and good-looking training partners, they also gave up 70-degree December days like today. Fenders? Plastic baggies on your feet? Full bib tights? What is this stuff he speaks of? (I hope I didn't just jinx us and bring on a massive El Nino!)
Yes, I admit it... I'm a Walker Stalker. I was out on the bike path on Monday doing a little easy ride by Goleta Beach when a bunch of women riders from the UCSB team pass by going the other direction. Cool. Glad to see that. Then, 30 seconds later, I see good ol Chris Walker coming at me. Hmmm. Coincidental timing?
Anyway, I hadn't talked to him since his New Zealand race so I flipped it around and caught up to him. He immediately confessed that he wanted to catch up to the UCSB girls, but he chose not to because it would have put him above his 90 bpm recovery pace if he sped up. I submit that even if they were going slow and he caught up, simply talking to them would have elevated his heart rate beyond that!
So we putted around Goleta together for the next hour.
Coupla tidbits: the NZ race had brutal crosswinds and blizzards, and the Kiwis are extremely aggro in their echelons. CW was getting headbutted out of line by the big brawlers, so he cracked one day and lost a half hour. OTOH, Tilford and Thurlow fearlessly fought for position, and both ended up in the top 15 g.c.
Another tidbit I learned... Doug Knox and the Time Factory Team may be taking on Aram Dellalian formerly of the Amgen team. I don't know the guy, but I find his blog interesting. He'd probably work well with Chris.
CW and I rode together yesterday also, though not so leisurely... four hours at ~20 mph with five (!) Ladera intervals in the middle. Now it's been awhile since I did Ladera--the last time probably was with Chris Hahn--so I had forgotten how to pace them. I stayed with CW for the first one but man did that put me in debt. We climbed the 0.9 miles and 500 ft elevation change in 5:30, which I think is about 6 W/kg! I never fully recovered, and did the rest in the 6:00-6:30 range. Walker otoh ripped off all five in times within 10-15 seconds of each other. Amazing. He's gonna hurt some people at Boulevard in seven weeks.
Tower of Power training guru TnA has been patiently explaining some of the latest concepts to me and one of them is finally sinking in. Namely, the concept of functional threshold power (FTP) and anaerobic work capacity (AWC) and the cool relationship between them when you do maximal efforts for durations more than a couple of minutes. It's taken me a while to accept that a person can only do a fixed amount of anaerobic work (in the physics sense) during a maximal effort, independent of the duration of the effort. In other words, you can blow it all in five minutes up Ladera, or use it up at 1/3 the rate going up OSM in 15:00, or 1/9 the rate going up Gibraltar in 45:00, as long as those are all maximal efforts. And the aerobic contribution to work in those efforts is simply your threshold power multiplied by the duration of the effort ...i.e., Work = (FTP x time) + AWC. Makes me want to get a power meter because I know this must be useful! When will they get cheaper?
Are we spoiled or what? If you doubt it, read Jake Erker's latest diary entry. By leaving Santa Barbara, he and Laura not only lost access to all of us witty, charming, and good-looking training partners, they also gave up 70-degree December days like today. Fenders? Plastic baggies on your feet? Full bib tights? What is this stuff he speaks of? (I hope I didn't just jinx us and bring on a massive El Nino!)
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Stingrays Still Alive!
The Stingrays, 2006 SB U-14 girls champs, continue to roll in the area playoffs, beating #1 seed Oxnard today in a thrilling overtime game that saw some very aggressive and physical play. The girls from Oxnard thought they could intimidate the smaller, demure Santa Barbara ladies, and after jumping out to a 3-1 lead before halftime, it appeared that they were succeeding. Rather than meekly back down however, our girls took it on themselves to push back. And did they ever. Marissa launched a rocket from near mid-field that blew by the surprised keeper. Then a few minutes later, after Erin was blatantly shoved in the back inside the box, Marissa punched in an angry PK to tie the score. The first 5-minute OT was scoreless, but with about a minute left in the second OT period, Larkin pushed in the game winner. The stunned Oxnard team is done for the year, whereas the Singrays move into the semi-finals for the Central California area with high confidence having come from behind to knock out the top seed.
Now selfish Dad has to figure out if he can squeeze in the Simi Ride before next weekend's game, which will be in either Ventura or Camarillo.
Training - Week 10
Like a workin man... rode Mon-Fri and took the weekend off due to rain and soccer.
Number of rides: 5
Riding time: 9 hrs
Time in mid/high aerobic zone: 5 hrs (lots of climbing)
Best ride of the week: Wed with Steve B., Barney, & Mark M.; over the hill and out Paradise Rd. to the river crossing.
Notes: OSM in 15:33 Thursday with fatigued legs.
Number of rides: 5
Riding time: 9 hrs
Time in mid/high aerobic zone: 5 hrs (lots of climbing)
Best ride of the week: Wed with Steve B., Barney, & Mark M.; over the hill and out Paradise Rd. to the river crossing.
Notes: OSM in 15:33 Thursday with fatigued legs.
Friday, December 08, 2006
Friday Frivolity
Climbing: Had four great climbing days so far this week, and man am I glad because the rain has finally started so rides may get a bit less frequent. The weather gurus keep insisting it will be an El Nino year--a bummer for us cyclists, but not for the surfers. Spending all that time climbing got me wondering again why more SB riders don't go up there. I mean, we must have 100-200 "serious" riders here in town but I see only the same 10-15 people up there. I'm not one to preach, but they are really missing out on one of the best things about living here and riding a bike. One who definitely does not miss out on the climbing is Lindsay, and he conveniently left town before the rain for a nine-day bike tour in Cuba. I didn't know Cuba had mountains.
Snow-Bird Bike Racers: I've been seeing a lot of strange jerseys out there lately. SB is to bike racers as Florida is to old folks, a great place to escape the snow. One dude around town now is Brad Huff of the TIAA-CREF team, or now the Chipotle team. He's not really here just for the weather, but is seeing Ernie Ferrel for some body work. Ernie must have a helluva reputation cause guys come from all around to see him. I remember Julian Dean came here from NZ to get worked on a couple years ago.
Psycho-cross: I really wish I had tried some 'cross this winter, but alas I'm too cheap to buy a bike and, realistically, probably too fragile and wimpy for all the dismounts and running. Plus, I'd probably get mud in my contacts and cry. Good luck to Mark Be-Luke-ie if he makes it down to the District Championships this weekend. It's gonna be a wet one.
Another New Teammate: I'm happy to report that former Gumby Warrior and all-around nice guy Ben Haldeman will be flying our colors next year. Not sure how much he'll be able to train and race but when a guy has an aerobic engine like he does, you take whatever you can get and can expect it to be good. He's a former winner of the NorCal end-of-year Cal Cup series of races, and that's a big deal up there.
NCNCA: Speaking of the land up north, NorCal Grand Poobah Casey Kerrigan sent out an email this morning stating that there are now more than 4,000 licensed racers in the NCNCA district! That's got to be tops in the good ol US of A. I can see why. Take one look at their calendar and you'll understand it too. Great races from January to October (not even counting 'cross), often with several choices on a weekend. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about SoCal at all--it's great down here too--but I'll always have an attraction to races up there since that's where I started this silly sport. Those races up there have a permanance we don't seem to have here. Other than Manhattan Beach and on-again-off-again Acton RR, I don't think any of our current races were around when I was a junior oh so long ago. But up there, we've got: Pinole ttt, Santa Cruz crit, Land Park crit, Cat's Hill crit, Berkeley Hills rr, Mt. Hamilton rr, Nevada City, Burlingame crit, and Davis 4th of July crit--all races that were around 30 years ago and that I raced as a junior! Whatever those promoters and clubs are doing is working. So yeah, we should go up there some this year.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Training - Week 9
A low mileage week with time conflicts and a mild virus.
Number of rides: 5
Riding time: 7 hrs
Time in mid/high aerobic zone: 2
Best ride of the week: Saturday (see below)
Other: Nada
Notes: Fitness-calibration ride up OSM Thursday: 15:50
Number of rides: 5
Riding time: 7 hrs
Time in mid/high aerobic zone: 2
Best ride of the week: Saturday (see below)
Other: Nada
Notes: Fitness-calibration ride up OSM Thursday: 15:50
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Da Boyz Go Climbing
'twas 45 degrees in Goleta at 7:00 AM and not a wisp of wind. Da Boyz were planning on a big climbing ride but I had to be down in Ventura for soccer this morning so I went out early and climbed OSM twice before they arrived. All chatty and happy they were, so I tried to capture the moment (as best I could) in the pic above. L-to-R: Pops Larsen, Ron "Lover-of-Lance" Takeda, TnA, MarkZen (a real pro photog--covers the TdF and such), and Blingerman. BTW, at this point on the hill, it had warmed up to about 70 degrees. Makes it sorta hard to get into the season!
p.s. to the meanie who defaced my banner with graffiti... that wasn't very nice, and I hope Santa doesn't bring you any presents! But it's kind of funny so it can stay.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Random Local Bike-Racing Gossip
Before these little tidbits drift out of my feeble brain...
SB may soon be getting another top racer for some winter-time training. Bobby Lea, an up-and-coming domestic rider with Toyota-United, will be riding here during January and February. No doubt he's heard of our famous, highly-prestigious group rides and needs to fill out his resume with a victory in the Polo Fields sprint. Of course, he has no chance to win Bates Rd. as that is the domain of the climbers who would never allow themselves to be beaten by a trackie.
Speaking of trackies, former world-record holder Rory O'Reilly is starting to put in big miles again. I think he's trying to keep up with his kid--no easy task. Despite being over 50 years old, I'm quite sure Rory could still be competitive in P/1/2 SoCal crits if he puts his mind to it.
From the rising to the falling... Local team Fastrack/BDC is folding. They've been a good presence in the local riding scene for the last few years, but never seemed to go to races much beyond our immediate area. Maybe they're still shell-shocked from Black Sunday at Mothballs this year, where their top sprinter ChickenRanch got spanked by Blingerman. Or maybe it's just that leader Dave Lettieri is tired of the road scene after nearly 30 years of involvement and wants to put his energy into MTB racing. Who knows... I'm just banging on the keyboard to procrastinate returning to my work.
Finally, it's my sad duty to report that after ten years of Fighting the Man in SoCal and poking fun at $12k Dreamers everywhere, Roger Worthington (aka Max Kash Agro) is ending his Labor Power team and scaling back his own racing. Although I personally won't miss the team and its stable of high-paid mercenaries, I will miss Roger's and Dave's presence in the races. A grittier pair of Masters you'll never find. Actually, it may be too soon to write Hawk's obit... word is that he'll be starting his own little team. I think he should call it "The Management".
SB may soon be getting another top racer for some winter-time training. Bobby Lea, an up-and-coming domestic rider with Toyota-United, will be riding here during January and February. No doubt he's heard of our famous, highly-prestigious group rides and needs to fill out his resume with a victory in the Polo Fields sprint. Of course, he has no chance to win Bates Rd. as that is the domain of the climbers who would never allow themselves to be beaten by a trackie.
Speaking of trackies, former world-record holder Rory O'Reilly is starting to put in big miles again. I think he's trying to keep up with his kid--no easy task. Despite being over 50 years old, I'm quite sure Rory could still be competitive in P/1/2 SoCal crits if he puts his mind to it.
From the rising to the falling... Local team Fastrack/BDC is folding. They've been a good presence in the local riding scene for the last few years, but never seemed to go to races much beyond our immediate area. Maybe they're still shell-shocked from Black Sunday at Mothballs this year, where their top sprinter ChickenRanch got spanked by Blingerman. Or maybe it's just that leader Dave Lettieri is tired of the road scene after nearly 30 years of involvement and wants to put his energy into MTB racing. Who knows... I'm just banging on the keyboard to procrastinate returning to my work.
Finally, it's my sad duty to report that after ten years of Fighting the Man in SoCal and poking fun at $12k Dreamers everywhere, Roger Worthington (aka Max Kash Agro) is ending his Labor Power team and scaling back his own racing. Although I personally won't miss the team and its stable of high-paid mercenaries, I will miss Roger's and Dave's presence in the races. A grittier pair of Masters you'll never find. Actually, it may be too soon to write Hawk's obit... word is that he'll be starting his own little team. I think he should call it "The Management".
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Training - Week 8
A very good week.
Number of rides: 6
Riding time: 18 hrs
Time in mid/high aerobic zone: 5 hrs
Best ride of the week: It's a tie: (1) Sat. roco was great; felt solid for all 4 hrs; rode the two climbs hard with Ben Haldeman; finished strong on C.O., and (2) Sunday: roco-OSM-Painted Cave-Stagecoach-Painted Cave-home; with the boyz; stood the whole way up stagecoach due to silly $5 bet with Geoff.
Other: nothing but riding this week.
Notes:
Number of rides: 6
Riding time: 18 hrs
Time in mid/high aerobic zone: 5 hrs
Best ride of the week: It's a tie: (1) Sat. roco was great; felt solid for all 4 hrs; rode the two climbs hard with Ben Haldeman; finished strong on C.O., and (2) Sunday: roco-OSM-Painted Cave-Stagecoach-Painted Cave-home; with the boyz; stood the whole way up stagecoach due to silly $5 bet with Geoff.
Other: nothing but riding this week.
Notes:
- I've adopted a new Thanksgiving ride tradition--do a long'ish ride getting to the edge of bonking, ride through a really nice area (Hope Ranch or Montecito will do) taking in all the incredible aromas wafting out from the kitchens, and do not eat the food you brought along. Instead, just relish the hunger ...and remember, that sensation is a daily reality for many of the less fortunate among us.
- After many years following the conventional wisdom of going easy and long for much of the offseason, I've decided that doesn't work for me anymore. If I feel good, I will ride at a threshold pace. Here's why... I don't believe in burn-out, at least physically, at the kind of mileage most of us ride. As long as we eat right and get enough sleep, trained cyclists should be able to handle 20-25 hrs a week with a decent amount of intensity. And personally, mental fatigue won't be a problem either because I can sustain my motivation knowing this may be my last year racing hard. Plus, in California, most of the good races are early. My favorites are in March, April, and May. Besides, you never know when the rain will hit--it will hit eventually--and you'd hate for that to be precisely when your intensity is supposed to start, after having softpedaled the previous couple of months.
- This blog is getting too serious and boring... I need to do something to get on Ron Takeda's "list"...
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Greens!
Just about the time of the latest E. coli scare, I decided to plant a winter garden. I took a picture of the greens patch every morning at breakfast time. This video shows you 45 days of growth in time-lapsed style. Now this garden is supplying us with daily delicious organic greens every day.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
The Gobble Song
Santa Barbarians celebrate Thanksgiving. (See Rob Lettieri ride his scooter through.)
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Training - Week 7
A decent week with amazing weather for Novemeber (mid 70s and clear).
Number of rides: 4
Riding time: 12 hrs
Time in mid/high aerobic zone: 3 hrs
Best ride of the week: Sunday; 5+ hrs; down to SB, then wit da boys North to Refugio and up to the peak and back.
Worst ride of the week: Thursday before lunchtime ride; had weird erratic heart-rate issues.
Other: 30 minutes running.
Number of rides: 4
Riding time: 12 hrs
Time in mid/high aerobic zone: 3 hrs
Best ride of the week: Sunday; 5+ hrs; down to SB, then wit da boys North to Refugio and up to the peak and back.
Worst ride of the week: Thursday before lunchtime ride; had weird erratic heart-rate issues.
Other: 30 minutes running.
Friday, November 17, 2006
OMG, OSM Repaved!
Perfectly smooth asphalt from bottom to top of Old San Marcos. I've been waiting nearly 20 years for this. It was so moving and beautiful that I had to take pictures...
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
100% Accurate Weather Predictor
If you awake on the South Coast of Santa Barbara County and you see clouds hugging the mountain ridges like in today's picture at right, then the wind will kick up later in the day. Even if it's perfectly calm in the morning, it will get blustery. 100% guaranteed.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Medical Insurance Fraud, or Why the House Isn't Clean
Feeling all motivated and on-top-of-the-world after my coffee this morning, I decided to do some serious house cleaning to surprise Gina when she returns from DC on Wednesday. I've learned a simple truth after all these years: house clean, good-mood Gina; house not clean, time to get out of dodge...
No shortage of places to start--piles of junk everywhere. Now I know that 95% likely I could toss stuff in the trash, never miss it again, and feel a liberating rush of progress. Unfortunately I always get stuck on the 5% chance that it'll come back to screw me.
Take this stupid thing for example,
which is the first item I encountered in my house-cleaning frenzy. What you see in the picture is basically a little ice chest and a cheapo electric pump and some rubber tubing. After waking from my clavicle-repair job in June, this contraption was strapped onto my shoulder keeping it cool. Nobody at the hospital ever said anything about it, and I didn't ask. When you first come up from anasthesia, you aren't at your mental best.
Anyway, I quickly discovered the thing doesn't really work, the motor is noisy, and it's a pain to be tethered to an electrical outlet. I never used it after the first day.
Three days later I get a call from some place I'd never heard of and they're asking how I'm feeling and if the Iceman is working. The what?!? Well it turns out the call is from the little company that makes the ice chest, so I tell them I don't use it and they can have it back. They tell me to just leave it on the porch and they'll pick it up later that afternoon. So I put it out there. Two days go by and nobody ever came to get it, so I brought it back in and promptly forgot about it.
That is, until the insurance company let us know that they were being billed $1,000 by the little Iceman company, and that they weren't going to pay a penny of it. Good, they shouldn't pay. It's fraud. That thing couldn't cost more than $50 or $60 to make. I used it one day. They apparently don't even want it back. At the time I got all worked up anticipating a battle if they tried to bill us directly. I would refuse to pay and threaten to expose such obvious fraud by showing the world the $1,000 ice chest. They would quietly back down but continue trying to rip off other, more-gullible insurance companies. That was three or four months ago. We haven't been contacted yet by the Icemen.
But you see my dilemma, don't you? As soon as I get rid of the stupid thing, I will certainly get a bill for $1,000 dollars and I'll have no way to fight it and expose the fraud. If I keep it, I'll probably never hear from them.
So I just got on with my day, without any house cleaning.
No shortage of places to start--piles of junk everywhere. Now I know that 95% likely I could toss stuff in the trash, never miss it again, and feel a liberating rush of progress. Unfortunately I always get stuck on the 5% chance that it'll come back to screw me.
Take this stupid thing for example,
which is the first item I encountered in my house-cleaning frenzy. What you see in the picture is basically a little ice chest and a cheapo electric pump and some rubber tubing. After waking from my clavicle-repair job in June, this contraption was strapped onto my shoulder keeping it cool. Nobody at the hospital ever said anything about it, and I didn't ask. When you first come up from anasthesia, you aren't at your mental best.Anyway, I quickly discovered the thing doesn't really work, the motor is noisy, and it's a pain to be tethered to an electrical outlet. I never used it after the first day.
Three days later I get a call from some place I'd never heard of and they're asking how I'm feeling and if the Iceman is working. The what?!? Well it turns out the call is from the little company that makes the ice chest, so I tell them I don't use it and they can have it back. They tell me to just leave it on the porch and they'll pick it up later that afternoon. So I put it out there. Two days go by and nobody ever came to get it, so I brought it back in and promptly forgot about it.
That is, until the insurance company let us know that they were being billed $1,000 by the little Iceman company, and that they weren't going to pay a penny of it. Good, they shouldn't pay. It's fraud. That thing couldn't cost more than $50 or $60 to make. I used it one day. They apparently don't even want it back. At the time I got all worked up anticipating a battle if they tried to bill us directly. I would refuse to pay and threaten to expose such obvious fraud by showing the world the $1,000 ice chest. They would quietly back down but continue trying to rip off other, more-gullible insurance companies. That was three or four months ago. We haven't been contacted yet by the Icemen.
But you see my dilemma, don't you? As soon as I get rid of the stupid thing, I will certainly get a bill for $1,000 dollars and I'll have no way to fight it and expose the fraud. If I keep it, I'll probably never hear from them.
So I just got on with my day, without any house cleaning.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Training - Week 6
A good week with a couple 4-hour rides. Still feeling the effects of donating blood though.
Number of rides: 5
Riding time: 12 hrs
Time in mid/high aerobic zone: 2 hrs
Best ride of the week: Wednesday; up OSM and Painted Cave, then up OSM again; may be the last ride on the bumpy OSM as it is being repaved top-to-bottom!
Other: 1 hr running
Number of rides: 5
Riding time: 12 hrs
Time in mid/high aerobic zone: 2 hrs
Best ride of the week: Wednesday; up OSM and Painted Cave, then up OSM again; may be the last ride on the bumpy OSM as it is being repaved top-to-bottom!
Other: 1 hr running
Saturday, November 11, 2006
More Bike-Racing Demographics
Category and age groups for men and women racers in Northern California/Nevada and Southern California/Nevada. Data is from the NCNCA and SCNCA websites.
There are about 1,000 more licensed racers in NorCal than SoCal, and most of that difference is in the category 3, 4, and 5 ranks. Does that imply NorCal does a better job of attracting new riders and providing grass-roots services? I think so. For example, every weekend in January Velo Promo promotes crits and road races with mentoring sessions for new racers, and the attendance is really good. We don't have anything like that down here. We do however claim the one-and-only woman cat 5 racer in California and that person happens to be SB's very own Carissa Horowitz!
Monday, November 06, 2006
Bike Racing Versus Running Racing, Part 1
When a bike racer goes to a running race for the first time, his likely reaction is "Damn, look at all these young people, ...and are all those women really going to race, or are they just here to cheer for their husbands/boyfriends?!?"
The answer for all you spandex-clad middle-aged white-and-nerdy male chauvinists is:
Yes, they are racing. And there are probably more women than men.
What a contrast to bike racing! Here's a little data for you. I took the results of last weekend's SB Half Marathon (just runners, not walkers) and broke it down. This plot shows the age-group and sex percentages of the ~1,500 finishers. More women than men, and the 20-29 group is the most populous.
The answer for all you spandex-clad middle-aged white-and-nerdy male chauvinists is:
Yes, they are racing. And there are probably more women than men.
What a contrast to bike racing! Here's a little data for you. I took the results of last weekend's SB Half Marathon (just runners, not walkers) and broke it down. This plot shows the age-group and sex percentages of the ~1,500 finishers. More women than men, and the 20-29 group is the most populous.
Now let's do the same thing for bike racing using the USCF membership data for the SoCal region. There are nearly 3,000 licensed riders and here is the percentage breakdown by age group and sex...
Pretty sad, eh!?! BY FAR, more men than women, and most of them are in the 40-49 group. Why are the demographics so different???
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Weekend for Ladies Sports
Saturday: Santa Barbara Half Marathon--by far the biggest running race in SB. 2,000 pre-entries including the fastest men and women in town. This race is a major fundraiser for the SBAA which in turn donates thousands of dollars to local high school running programs. Good stuff.
Gina ran the half despite still having tired legs from Long Beach three weeks prior. She finished in the top-15 out of around a thousand women.
The Men's race was won by Aaron Sharp in convincing fashion, as he ripped a low 5-minute first mile and never looked back. That's him on the left at about the 1/2 mile mark on Shoreline... note the big mob of runners down the hill in the back ground.
Todd Booth ran a strong second. Todd is amazing on a mountain bike and also a very strong runner. I've always wondered why he isn't better on a road bike...
Saturday and Sunday: Storke Field at UCSB. AYSO U-14 Girls mini tournament and league playoffs. Alicia's team had a tough three-game weekend against strong teams with bigger and faster girls than our Stingrays. Nonetheless, our girls prevailed in each game thanks to their determination and skill. They converted a couple of beautiful corner kicks, with big-time flying headers into the goal. This team has great chemistry and it will be exciting to see how far they can go from here, representing Santa Barbara at higher levels.
I desperately wanted to bring a camera to catch some shots of the team, but Alicia was having none of that. It seems that Dad taking pictures is an extreme embarrassment for a teenage soccer player, so I acquiesced and left it at home. But I did have the camera phone and snapped the crappy picture at the right just after the trophy presentations.
Training - Week 5
One step forward, two steps back. No excuses--just didn't get out when I had the chances. Too bad as the weather is incredible for November (mid 70's and no wind)
Number of rides: 2
Riding time: 3 hrs
Time in mid/high aerobic zone: 30 minutes
Best ride of the week: Saturday morning through Hope Ranch--crisp clean air, no traffic.
Other: 30 minutes running, 40 hrs sitting on my butt
Notes: 18:00 up OSM Thursday after donating blood.
Number of rides: 2
Riding time: 3 hrs
Time in mid/high aerobic zone: 30 minutes
Best ride of the week: Saturday morning through Hope Ranch--crisp clean air, no traffic.
Other: 30 minutes running, 40 hrs sitting on my butt
Notes: 18:00 up OSM Thursday after donating blood.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Blood Doping in Reverse!
Today's ride proved to be a painful yet enlightening experience. You see, I donated a pint of blood three days ago, which at my weight amounts to a bit over 10% of my blood. Now the human body quickly recovers the total volume of blood (within 24-48 hours) but it takes much longer to regenerate the lost red blood cells to the pre-donation levels. Depending on the individual, it takes anywhere from 3 weeks to a couple of months. So, three days after donating, my volume is back to normal but the red-blood-cell amount is probably still down 10% or so.
How would this affect a maximal aerobic effort?
Every Thursday a group of us ride up Old San Marcos Rd. at lunchtime and frequently it's an all-out effort. This road ascends 370 meters at an average slope of about 8%. Last week I rode a time of 15:59 and according to Analytic Cycling that required an average power output of approximately 300 Watts, or about 5 W/kg in my case.
Today, with basically the same conditions and an equivalent all-out effort, my time was 18:00. That translates to approximate 260 Watts, or about a 13% drop in power!! It was a very strange sensation, like riding with extra weight or some mysterious force working against me.
I did a bit of research and discovered that precious few studies have been done on the impact of blood donation on aerobic effort. One that gets cited often is:
How would this affect a maximal aerobic effort?
Every Thursday a group of us ride up Old San Marcos Rd. at lunchtime and frequently it's an all-out effort. This road ascends 370 meters at an average slope of about 8%. Last week I rode a time of 15:59 and according to Analytic Cycling that required an average power output of approximately 300 Watts, or about 5 W/kg in my case.
Today, with basically the same conditions and an equivalent all-out effort, my time was 18:00. That translates to approximate 260 Watts, or about a 13% drop in power!! It was a very strange sensation, like riding with extra weight or some mysterious force working against me.
I did a bit of research and discovered that precious few studies have been done on the impact of blood donation on aerobic effort. One that gets cited often is:
- Panebianco RA, Stachenfeld N, Coplan NL, et al: Effects of blood donation on exercise performance in competitive cyclists. American Heart Journal, 1995
Apparently this study's findings are consistent with my observations today.
Now what I find particularly intriguing--and troubling--is imagining the impact working in the other direction. If a rider boosts his red-blood-cell amount by 10% does he get an equivalent increase in power output? Probably not, but even at 5% it would still have a dramatic impact on race results. In hilly category 1/2 or Masters road races, that improvement would take a 10th-to-20th-place finisher and make into him a winner. I don't see why that amount of improvement wouldn't apply at higher levels too. The temptation to cheat at the Pro level must be overwhelming.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
USA Geezer All-Stars Set to Invade New Zealand!
I caught up to The Vampire today as he was finishing his ride so I talked to him a bit. He's leaving tomorrow for New Zealand to race in the UCI 2.2 Tour of Southland with the team that Bob Coble brings there each year. The 2006 crew will be Walker, Thurlow Rogers, Steve Tilford, Bob, and Adam Bergman (all I'll say about Bergman is: check out the last paragraph of yesterday's post).
Now you've got to be pulling for Chris, Thurlow, and Tilford because at 45, 46, and 46, they must be the oldest team in the race. By far. Bob (also 46) will be lucky to make the time cuts, after all, he doesn't always hold on over Goob on the group rides. But a nicer guy you'll never find. And he's a giver to the sport of bike racing, from helping young riders to promoting quality races, he makes up for the rest of us slackers. Regarding how the 5th member of the team does... who cares.
Well back to Walker... As we talked I started to half-wheel him and his breathing began to get a little ragged. His infamous, ever-present snot string began to droop toward the top-tube of his spotless Time bike and it was clear I was putting him in some difficulty. I must admit that I was enjoying it, but still I decided to back off just a bit to about 28 mph. That was still probably a little fast because I think he's got a slight cold. (No sharing water bottles down under or you'll all be hacking!!) Anyway, after exchanging a few more pleasantries, I surged away from him at about 40 mph and let him finish his ride in peace. Oh, did I forget to mention that I was in a car talking to him through the passenger window?
Now you've got to be pulling for Chris, Thurlow, and Tilford because at 45, 46, and 46, they must be the oldest team in the race. By far. Bob (also 46) will be lucky to make the time cuts, after all, he doesn't always hold on over Goob on the group rides. But a nicer guy you'll never find. And he's a giver to the sport of bike racing, from helping young riders to promoting quality races, he makes up for the rest of us slackers. Regarding how the 5th member of the team does... who cares.
Well back to Walker... As we talked I started to half-wheel him and his breathing began to get a little ragged. His infamous, ever-present snot string began to droop toward the top-tube of his spotless Time bike and it was clear I was putting him in some difficulty. I must admit that I was enjoying it, but still I decided to back off just a bit to about 28 mph. That was still probably a little fast because I think he's got a slight cold. (No sharing water bottles down under or you'll all be hacking!!) Anyway, after exchanging a few more pleasantries, I surged away from him at about 40 mph and let him finish his ride in peace. Oh, did I forget to mention that I was in a car talking to him through the passenger window?
Monday, October 30, 2006
How to Lose One Pound in 15 Minutes!
Peer pressure drove me to donate a pint today. It's a bit scary, and I personally don't intend to make a habit out of it, but I suppose it's the right thing to do now and then. The pre-donation interview was more personal than I expected, but when your history is as boring as mine, it's no big deal.
Anyway, the blood-bank person said "no vigorous exercise for 24 hours" so I guess that would include the Tuesday TTT session. Well, that's a disappointment! Apparently it takes a few weeks to fully regenerate the lost red blood cells, so I'm in for an interesting experiment in "reverse blood doping"... Is how I felt in training last week (relative to this week) comparable to the improvement after getting a Dr. Fuentes boost in the TdF??
Hey what about this... could there be any physiological adaptations due to training hard soon after donating blood? Adaptations that would be beneficial after the blood is regenerated? And further, if there is, would that be cheating? Some people think it's cheating to use an altitude tent, or even one of these devices (they sponsor Symmetrics so Jake has tried one). Where do you draw the line? The obvious answer is The Rule Book. It's black and white--if you blood dope, use EPO or any other banned drug, you are a cheating scumbag. Otherwise, knock yourself out.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Training - Week 4
Very busy week w/ work but still got in five good rides. A little bit of right knee pain.
Number of rides: 5
Riding time: 10 hrs
Time in mid/high aerobic zone: 3 hrs
Best ride of the week: Sunday 8:00 roco then came back and met the 9:00 group; 5 hr ride felt good.
Other: 1 hr running
Notes: OSM 15:59 (wind assist) Thursday
Number of rides: 5
Riding time: 10 hrs
Time in mid/high aerobic zone: 3 hrs
Best ride of the week: Sunday 8:00 roco then came back and met the 9:00 group; 5 hr ride felt good.
Other: 1 hr running
Notes: OSM 15:59 (wind assist) Thursday
Friday, October 27, 2006
The Problem with Working from Home...
...it's there waiting for you just 20 feet away! You can't escape... you just have to finish it off. But then again, if you're a software developer, it's never finished!! How does that saying go... "better is the enemy of good enough!?!"
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Training - Week 3
A good week. Noticeable increase in climbing power at threshold.
Number of rides: 6
Riding time: 12 hrs
Time in mid/high aerobic zone: 4 hrs
Best ride of the week: Wednesday; Painted Cave-Stage Coach-Painted Cave; ran into Lindsay up there and rode with him.
Worst ride of the week: Tuesday; cruising on bike path and got stung/bit by big bug.
Other: 1 hr running
Notes: 16:54 OSM Thursday; 41:45 PC Sunday
Number of rides: 6
Riding time: 12 hrs
Time in mid/high aerobic zone: 4 hrs
Best ride of the week: Wednesday; Painted Cave-Stage Coach-Painted Cave; ran into Lindsay up there and rode with him.
Worst ride of the week: Tuesday; cruising on bike path and got stung/bit by big bug.
Other: 1 hr running
Notes: 16:54 OSM Thursday; 41:45 PC Sunday
Group Ride Tidbits
Yesterday was my first weekend group ride in about a month and it was a fun time seeing the gang and catching up. From a purely selfish training perspective, the Sat/Sun group rides in SB are not optimal because it takes time to get down there, with a lot stopping at lights and signs. And then the ride itself is only ~2 hours, with less than an hour at training intensities (although you could consider the other hour as LSD training). But I think doing the group rides is an important part of belonging to the local cycling/racing community. People bond on group rides. We're all passionate about the sport and we share many common experiences.
But that's not what this post is about...
It's an annual offseason ritual to gossip about who will be riding for which team in the upcoming season. Also, every year some new teams are born and a few old ones die. Two situations that I learned about recently are pretty interesting:
Cody says he'll be riding for the Sierra-Nevada pro team next year. That's a great opportunity if it comes true. Cody is the real deal and is on a steep upward trajectory. The kid got 2nd in the elite natz 15 km scratch race on the track a couple weeks ago ...as a junior!! Plus, he's been at the front of some pretty good p/1/2 field sprints this year too. Cody will continue to improve a lot with advice from guys like Jonas Carney and Kurt Stockton (who owns the team). Part of why Cody has become so good is that he is very dedicated and serious about his training, which is not common with juniors. There were a lot of times this last year when Cody would add on a couple of solo hours beyond the group rides. It takes discipline to pass right by your house (with its frig and comfy couch) after already getting in three hours and continue on for a few more. That's the difference between guys that get results and the rest of us ...we go home or sit at the coffee shop. Anyway, I didn't get to talk to Cody much about the team situation but I'm guessing it helped that Kurt has SB connections from the old days.
Now we transition to the older end of the bike-racer-age spectrum, and (awkwardly) from KS to Doug K. After being courted for at least a year, Chris Walker is making the jump from Labor Power to the Time Factory Team. Doug has always been a fan of CW because he respects his gritty style and that he races a lot. Plus he thinks CW and Jock Boyer will be a good combo when they race together. Maybe the two of them can take on Lindsay ...or not! I think it's a good move for Chris. MKA was great to CW the last couple of years with Labor, but Chris doesn't fit the whole SoCal masters ego scene and he didn't like being pressured to race 35+ and 45+.
But that's not what this post is about...
It's an annual offseason ritual to gossip about who will be riding for which team in the upcoming season. Also, every year some new teams are born and a few old ones die. Two situations that I learned about recently are pretty interesting:
Cody says he'll be riding for the Sierra-Nevada pro team next year. That's a great opportunity if it comes true. Cody is the real deal and is on a steep upward trajectory. The kid got 2nd in the elite natz 15 km scratch race on the track a couple weeks ago ...as a junior!! Plus, he's been at the front of some pretty good p/1/2 field sprints this year too. Cody will continue to improve a lot with advice from guys like Jonas Carney and Kurt Stockton (who owns the team). Part of why Cody has become so good is that he is very dedicated and serious about his training, which is not common with juniors. There were a lot of times this last year when Cody would add on a couple of solo hours beyond the group rides. It takes discipline to pass right by your house (with its frig and comfy couch) after already getting in three hours and continue on for a few more. That's the difference between guys that get results and the rest of us ...we go home or sit at the coffee shop. Anyway, I didn't get to talk to Cody much about the team situation but I'm guessing it helped that Kurt has SB connections from the old days.
Now we transition to the older end of the bike-racer-age spectrum, and (awkwardly) from KS to Doug K. After being courted for at least a year, Chris Walker is making the jump from Labor Power to the Time Factory Team. Doug has always been a fan of CW because he respects his gritty style and that he races a lot. Plus he thinks CW and Jock Boyer will be a good combo when they race together. Maybe the two of them can take on Lindsay ...or not! I think it's a good move for Chris. MKA was great to CW the last couple of years with Labor, but Chris doesn't fit the whole SoCal masters ego scene and he didn't like being pressured to race 35+ and 45+.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Long Beach Marathon
OK, after Saturday's epic and world-famous cross-country race at Lake Los Carneros, Gina and I (and Steve M.) headed south for a little run called the Long Beach Marathon. Since those two slackers didn't race on Saturday--and I did--it made sense that they should run Sunday while I would take the job of cheerleader, chief photog, and extra-clothing carrier.
The expo was typical--lots of booths with every gadget and clothing item that you cannot live without. One booth was seriously trying to sell little cardboard fold-up bike kick-stands. Yeah, I gotta have one of those! We had a wild Saturday night on the dynamic and bustling Long Beach waterfront ...dinner at P.F. Changs (gluten-free menu) and to bed by 9:00 pm. In truth, Long Beach was much nicer than I was expecting.
An early rise and trot to the marathon start area was all the warm-up we needed. Well, that and the mandatory porta-pottie trips. Kudos to the promoter for having enough of those. The gun went off at 7:30 and Gina and Steve spent the next 3 hours and 20'ish minutes cruising with 2,000 other crazy fools. Seriously, they both had awesome races, finishing strong and still able to walk and talk afterward ...although I suppose talking is never a problem for either of those two. We joined some of the other SB-area racers--all of whom did very well--for lunch and then headed home. Thanks to my Mom for watching the little dudes until we got back!
I snapped a bazillion pictures and video clips, most of which were terrible, and assembled a 7-minute video/slide-show. It is currently uploading to Google Video and I'll post a link to it if it ever finishes uploading.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Training - Weak Too (err, I mean Week 2)
Only rode Mon-through-Fri because of weekend trip to Long Beach for Gina's marathon.
Number of rides: 5
Time riding: 7 hrs
Time in mid-high aerobic zone: 2.5 hrs
Best ride of the week: Tuesday lunch ride (small group, hard and fast rotation)
Other: x-c running race (5 miles, 35 min)
Number of rides: 5
Time riding: 7 hrs
Time in mid-high aerobic zone: 2.5 hrs
Best ride of the week: Tuesday lunch ride (small group, hard and fast rotation)
Other: x-c running race (5 miles, 35 min)
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Lake Los Carneros X-Country
Although I can easily skip the Monday night time trials that pass by within spitting distance of my house, I felt compelled to run the cross-country running race a few blocks away at Lake Los Carneros. This is a fun low-key race on the trails we run regularly. Not sure why, but this year a bunch of SB's fastest people showed up.
Apparently you need a PhD in Topology (knot-theory emphasis) to fully grasp the intricacies of this 5-mile course. Even promoter Jim Kornell goofed a couple of times explaining it! Since this is my backyard, I figured everyone should simply stay behind me and I would keep them on course. That lasted about 2 seconds after the gun went off.
I slotted in behind Johnny O. for the first mile but then realized I would literally explode if I tried to maintain his pace.
Eventually, three of us--Ricky Ho, Mariann Thomas, and I--settled into a nice pace and ran most of the second half together. A minute after this picture was snapped, Mariann pulled in front. Ricky and I bumped, kicked, clawed, and elbowed each other in a fight for her wheel, but my criterium skills won out and I had a very pleasant mile 4.
As we entered the final inner loop, my ego took over and I passed her and surged a bit. Ricky laughed, thought to himself "is that all you got?", and dropped me like a rock in the final 1/4 mile.
Not sure how all the fast people did. Aaron Gillen won (see the picture where he is floating in air and his leg speed was too fast for focus) and a bunch of other people went fast too. But who cares about them...
...well, if you do care, visit here for the results.
Thanks to Gina for taking the race pictures.
Apparently you need a PhD in Topology (knot-theory emphasis) to fully grasp the intricacies of this 5-mile course. Even promoter Jim Kornell goofed a couple of times explaining it! Since this is my backyard, I figured everyone should simply stay behind me and I would keep them on course. That lasted about 2 seconds after the gun went off.
I slotted in behind Johnny O. for the first mile but then realized I would literally explode if I tried to maintain his pace.
Eventually, three of us--Ricky Ho, Mariann Thomas, and I--settled into a nice pace and ran most of the second half together. A minute after this picture was snapped, Mariann pulled in front. Ricky and I bumped, kicked, clawed, and elbowed each other in a fight for her wheel, but my criterium skills won out and I had a very pleasant mile 4.
As we entered the final inner loop, my ego took over and I passed her and surged a bit. Ricky laughed, thought to himself "is that all you got?", and dropped me like a rock in the final 1/4 mile.
Not sure how all the fast people did. Aaron Gillen won (see the picture where he is floating in air and his leg speed was too fast for focus) and a bunch of other people went fast too. But who cares about them...
...well, if you do care, visit here for the results.
Thanks to Gina for taking the race pictures.
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