Finally some nice weather, a little acclimatization going on for me, I rode home over Redwood yesterday on the crosser and had to stop at a markey in Castro Valley for 2 paydays and some water, still had a headache all night even slugging water like crazy, but thank got for paydays, cheap and almost the same nutritional profile as a energy bar for half the price.
Today I hit the early WOT ride and enjoyed the entire ICCC cat 3 team hammering towards Berkeley, till I flatted and had to reaarange the plans a little.
Rode around until 9 and caught the second version, but after descending Dublin Canyon, found that the paving contractor had closed the road to bikes, and how screwed is that, especially if you rode all day like out from the east bay and were trying to get home to Oakland and didn't really feel like retracing your route, then climbing Norris/ Palomares.And they are letting cars through, kind of bullshit IMHO.
Anyway, this threw the bunch into disarray and I opted to ride with a teamie over Diablo to WC back to the pad, ending up with 95 miles, the last 15 or so getting slower and slower,very charming to have a Boulevard Stalker suck my wheel for 5 miles down and when I finally sit up and move over to share a little of my bonking pain, attack me like he's winning the Ronde De Danville or sumpthin and ride 300 meters in front all the way to Danville.
Mr. Freshly Showered No Sock Dude , that was a chump move, but no worries, if that floats yer boat, have a nice day and all that.
Turkey chili with cornbread crumbled over it is a great recovery food, and the afternoon watching Amstel Gold and the ToG was real nice stuff.
Looking forward to the reports from the Firestone and the Madera pain fest, tommorrow it's onto the MTB for a little bit, we have this race coming up and I want to do us proud....
Already 1200.00 bucks in the bucket, we are doing excellent and it warms my heart to see the generosity from people.
Now to figure out a theme for the campsite.....
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Go be a tourist
has been the name of the game today, I have been punishing myself in the gym 3-5 times a week with the Core Performance routines and starting the longish rides at least 2 days a week, hard to believe that 3 hours of high cadence work can leave me so damn tired, but I really am starting from a ways back and need to stay patient this spring to do well this fall.
Anyhoo , It was all about soigneur duties today down in the SC.
A little rain over the summit at 5:30 am looked gloomy, but the day got nicer and nicer.
Miz C's race started late, at 7:20, absolutely crappy race management, very unimpressed with the organization, they ran out of drinks, food, etc for the slower runners, probably the ones that need the support the most.
Little C and I bounced ASAP for some breakfast and found the Seabreeze Cafe, I remember a blog entry from somewhere about this spot this winter, and through cyberspace found it again, it's not Foodie Friday but who cares and I gotta plug it, a GREAT tofu scramble and fresh out of the oven cinnamon roll with some dark cafe and lots of salsa over some non-greasy homefries, just perfect.
Miz C came shuffling in nursing a sore toe/hip/knee/cramp wheels came off thing, not a happy camper she was and that damn running will beat ya up quick.
But the people watching was superb.
The cruz has a few interesting folks, but it wasn't the locals that really caught my eye, it was the runners . Before the race they all look good, even the unfit. Some wear the tri- emblems- a bike jersey in club cut over running shorts with elastic laces and a been -there- done that running hat.A few cover themselves with clothes from head to toe, and others wear as little as possible, even in 51 degree rain, and I wonder what message they are trying to send to the others in the tribe. My favorites are the old guys with baseball hats and cotton t-shirts, wheezing through the warmup, been doing this stuff since before Jim Fixx, got their New Balance order down to a T.
Wait till the finish and it's a different game, the early focused ones, digging into the pain cave, the medal awaiting them.
The next group of exuberant ones, PR's for this bunch, the training has paid off and they had the race of their lives/ year/ season and they are savoring every moment as they can hear the announcer faintly from a block away.
Then the various finishing looks start to show, the hollow eyes that refuse to look at the bystander to not let the pain out of control, the jogging together saving private ryan move, not leaving your buddy behind no matter what, the whoop-de -doos that are smiling like a boxer that will fall if he gets hit once more, hoo-rah-ing to keep the negative thoughts away.
Or the folks that give out a quiet "thanks" when they hear a cheer for them and keep on trucking ....
"The eyes are the windows to the soul".
Anyhoo , It was all about soigneur duties today down in the SC.
A little rain over the summit at 5:30 am looked gloomy, but the day got nicer and nicer.
Miz C's race started late, at 7:20, absolutely crappy race management, very unimpressed with the organization, they ran out of drinks, food, etc for the slower runners, probably the ones that need the support the most.
Little C and I bounced ASAP for some breakfast and found the Seabreeze Cafe, I remember a blog entry from somewhere about this spot this winter, and through cyberspace found it again, it's not Foodie Friday but who cares and I gotta plug it, a GREAT tofu scramble and fresh out of the oven cinnamon roll with some dark cafe and lots of salsa over some non-greasy homefries, just perfect.
Miz C came shuffling in nursing a sore toe/hip/knee/cramp wheels came off thing, not a happy camper she was and that damn running will beat ya up quick.
But the people watching was superb.
The cruz has a few interesting folks, but it wasn't the locals that really caught my eye, it was the runners . Before the race they all look good, even the unfit. Some wear the tri- emblems- a bike jersey in club cut over running shorts with elastic laces and a been -there- done that running hat.A few cover themselves with clothes from head to toe, and others wear as little as possible, even in 51 degree rain, and I wonder what message they are trying to send to the others in the tribe. My favorites are the old guys with baseball hats and cotton t-shirts, wheezing through the warmup, been doing this stuff since before Jim Fixx, got their New Balance order down to a T.
Wait till the finish and it's a different game, the early focused ones, digging into the pain cave, the medal awaiting them.
The next group of exuberant ones, PR's for this bunch, the training has paid off and they had the race of their lives/ year/ season and they are savoring every moment as they can hear the announcer faintly from a block away.
Then the various finishing looks start to show, the hollow eyes that refuse to look at the bystander to not let the pain out of control, the jogging together saving private ryan move, not leaving your buddy behind no matter what, the whoop-de -doos that are smiling like a boxer that will fall if he gets hit once more, hoo-rah-ing to keep the negative thoughts away.
Or the folks that give out a quiet "thanks" when they hear a cheer for them and keep on trucking ....
"The eyes are the windows to the soul".
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Winners and losers
Winners rarely show it off, unless to make fun of themselves.
Losers revise history to make themselves feel better.
Winners always choose to help when they can, even when things are not so pleasant or smell so nice.
Losers choose the blind eye.
Winners realize the world is round.
Losers can't see beyond the horizon.
Winners have perspective.
Losers go for the easy way out, every time.
Winners walk through the doors of life, ready for the challenges of the other side.
Losers hold onto the jamb for dear life.
I get to choose every day.
Losers revise history to make themselves feel better.
Winners always choose to help when they can, even when things are not so pleasant or smell so nice.
Losers choose the blind eye.
Winners realize the world is round.
Losers can't see beyond the horizon.
Winners have perspective.
Losers go for the easy way out, every time.
Winners walk through the doors of life, ready for the challenges of the other side.
Losers hold onto the jamb for dear life.
I get to choose every day.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Just a Little Bit....
The break is over and the work has begun again, it feels great to build a schedule and plan and dream, anything is possible at the beginning of a season, before life and genetics foul it up :-)
I actually took a week off the blogs as well, spent some time in cold drizzly LA, running some and eating lots of great Japanese food, but just letting the mind recover and allowing the fire to build was so worth it..
Sprints tonight felt great, we have a tiny group out here in pleasanton on Wednesdays and I try to think of new and devious ways to amuse ourselves... tonight was small ring restriction for all the grownups and our one Junior phenom gets to use whatever she wants, nice to spin the legs out and keep some snap in them,
The strength program is morphing as well, moving more and more to developing speed and power as opposed to big beach muscles that are useless when that gawdammn runup shows it's face in November at Watsonville, mmm, watsonville.
Actually commuted last week on the SS, but need a bigger front ring, it took 2 hours to go 25 miles, so four hours of riding on a SS was a little much, especially after digging ditches all day, I had to stop and eat a couple of vegan trail mix cookies on the way home as I was running on fumes, but still real cool to commute again after a 5 year layoff, even for only one day. I'm thinking a 42 ring if I can dig one up and a 15 track cog spun onto the back will tighten up my hack pedaling stroke a little and help me get some much needed training hours in a busy week.
Hope you all enjoy the Otter, I'm hard at work on call this weekend, but I look forward to the reports and perhaps I can carve out a little time to catch some island stories soon ....
J
J
I actually took a week off the blogs as well, spent some time in cold drizzly LA, running some and eating lots of great Japanese food, but just letting the mind recover and allowing the fire to build was so worth it..
Sprints tonight felt great, we have a tiny group out here in pleasanton on Wednesdays and I try to think of new and devious ways to amuse ourselves... tonight was small ring restriction for all the grownups and our one Junior phenom gets to use whatever she wants, nice to spin the legs out and keep some snap in them,
The strength program is morphing as well, moving more and more to developing speed and power as opposed to big beach muscles that are useless when that gawdammn runup shows it's face in November at Watsonville, mmm, watsonville.
Actually commuted last week on the SS, but need a bigger front ring, it took 2 hours to go 25 miles, so four hours of riding on a SS was a little much, especially after digging ditches all day, I had to stop and eat a couple of vegan trail mix cookies on the way home as I was running on fumes, but still real cool to commute again after a 5 year layoff, even for only one day. I'm thinking a 42 ring if I can dig one up and a 15 track cog spun onto the back will tighten up my hack pedaling stroke a little and help me get some much needed training hours in a busy week.
Hope you all enjoy the Otter, I'm hard at work on call this weekend, but I look forward to the reports and perhaps I can carve out a little time to catch some island stories soon ....
J
J
Sunday, April 01, 2007
All the things I meant to do.....
Are getting done now and it feels great!
I finished the walkway in the front in September, and just now in April got in all the landscape, a couple of nice trees, some sage, lavender and rosemary, looks good and will look better in a year or so, now for some lighting and color and we'll be good.
Went for a nice 2 hour run in Tilden with Miz C on Friday and still my old bones ache, even with jogging slowly. Stuff I stay away from in the bike racing season, the slow trail runs really slow my slow self down, but the views of both Suisun and S.F. bays were beautiful. When I tore my ankle up in 2002 I was training for a 50 miler up on this ridge and used to run a different section every wednesday, but never really checked out the area down in Tilden, but really nice running, a couple thousand of climbing in 8 miles or so, but smooth and shady.
Heading out this afternoon for a MTB cruise with the Seal after he returns from his morning bay swim, nice and easy for the both of us, but my attention is beginning to focus on this now.
We have the Chico , Kareem, the Seal, Big Jimmy V, and myself going again in June.
Shifting the focus to giving back a bit and it's good.
I'll be revving the fundraising engine back up soon, we got a matching sponsor for this years' contributions and I really really want to get them to write a big check :-)
Anyhow, the race reports sound fun and all, but I see nothing I want to train for for months now except for some loony century the Nome wants to do, but it's good to not have to train right now and stay unstructured for a bit.
Back to the home improvement store....
I finished the walkway in the front in September, and just now in April got in all the landscape, a couple of nice trees, some sage, lavender and rosemary, looks good and will look better in a year or so, now for some lighting and color and we'll be good.
Went for a nice 2 hour run in Tilden with Miz C on Friday and still my old bones ache, even with jogging slowly. Stuff I stay away from in the bike racing season, the slow trail runs really slow my slow self down, but the views of both Suisun and S.F. bays were beautiful. When I tore my ankle up in 2002 I was training for a 50 miler up on this ridge and used to run a different section every wednesday, but never really checked out the area down in Tilden, but really nice running, a couple thousand of climbing in 8 miles or so, but smooth and shady.
Heading out this afternoon for a MTB cruise with the Seal after he returns from his morning bay swim, nice and easy for the both of us, but my attention is beginning to focus on this now.
We have the Chico , Kareem, the Seal, Big Jimmy V, and myself going again in June.
Shifting the focus to giving back a bit and it's good.
I'll be revving the fundraising engine back up soon, we got a matching sponsor for this years' contributions and I really really want to get them to write a big check :-)
Anyhow, the race reports sound fun and all, but I see nothing I want to train for for months now except for some loony century the Nome wants to do, but it's good to not have to train right now and stay unstructured for a bit.
Back to the home improvement store....
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