I’ve been wanting to get back on the bike since I’ve been sick. (ok, that’s a lie, I’d rather sit on the couch and eat double sutff Oreos) so last night my buddy Jerry and I did the zoo loop.
I’ve been off the bike since the Saturday we did Diablo which is about 2 ½ weeks ago now and really needed to get a ride in to prepare for Solvang this weekend. The zoo loop is a 26 mile loop from Castro Valley out to the Oakland hills, through the Knowland Park Zoo (hence the name zoo loop) and back. The loop is a perfect after work ride (esp now that we're in daylight savings) with about 2700ft of climbing.
It’s actually a really pretty ride down through the redwoods and then coming out up on top of Skyline Bl. Last night was cool and clear and the views from the top were amazing. (of course I forgot my camera)
The great thing was that I actually felt good the entire ride. I did the whole thing in the middle ring and although our pace was pretty relaxed and we were chatting the whole time, I was happy that I felt as good as I did.
So, I guess this means that for this weekend’s century, I know for sure I can make it at least as far as the first rest stop before I break down and die…..
ride info here - http://connect.garmin.com/activity/2475943
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Well, here we are…it’s riding season again….
The Solvang Century is next weekend and once again I’m not at all ready. Every year I tell myself “this winter will be different, I’ll ride more, I’ll go to the gym more, I’ll stay in shape through the winter and Spring won’t be quite so painful….."
Of course this year, it was a little different. I haven’t been getting the miles that I had hoped, but I’ve been riding the SS mt bike pretty consistently and that’s a really good workout.
On top of that I’ve been sick as a dog for the last week and half so my weight is down….
Don't think I've seen 185 for the last 10 years....
This weekend should be interesting I haven’t ridden more than 60 miles this year and haven’t been on the bike in about 2 weeks. I’ll make a lame effort to get out a couple times this week, but it will be more about trying to get my wind back after being sick than it will about wracking up miles.
I guess the easiest way to get through a century is to just break it down by rest stops. Ok, just left the start, only need 20 something miles to the first rest stop….ok, back on the bike, another 25 and we’re half way done…..ok, finished lunch, we’re almost thee fourths of the way finished…….it’s all about mind games and convincing yourself you can get to the next milestone. That and lots of Advil of course…
Of course this year, it was a little different. I haven’t been getting the miles that I had hoped, but I’ve been riding the SS mt bike pretty consistently and that’s a really good workout.
On top of that I’ve been sick as a dog for the last week and half so my weight is down….
Don't think I've seen 185 for the last 10 years....
This weekend should be interesting I haven’t ridden more than 60 miles this year and haven’t been on the bike in about 2 weeks. I’ll make a lame effort to get out a couple times this week, but it will be more about trying to get my wind back after being sick than it will about wracking up miles.
I guess the easiest way to get through a century is to just break it down by rest stops. Ok, just left the start, only need 20 something miles to the first rest stop….ok, back on the bike, another 25 and we’re half way done…..ok, finished lunch, we’re almost thee fourths of the way finished…….it’s all about mind games and convincing yourself you can get to the next milestone. That and lots of Advil of course…
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Well, we survived the road trip
But I gotta tell you, I don’t think I’ll ever do that again. At least not on that schedule.
My brother and I left Livermore on Wed at 4:00pm and headed east. We drove through California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and finally arrived in Missouri 30 hours later....
We took the southern route due to the fact that it’s winter and got on Hwy 40 in Barstow and never got off.
Hwy 40 follows the old Route 66 which used to be the main cross country route from Los Angeles to Chicago. The sad part is that Route 40 is also pretty much what killed Route 66 and many of its communities.
It was interesting in that the new Pixar movie Cars is one of my grandson’s favorite movies and to drive this route, stopping along the way for food and fuel, I was constantly reminded of the movie as we’d pull off the freeway to find something to eat, only to get back on after having driven through a small, dead, town…..
There were a few places where you could see they were trying to leverage whatever tourist attractions they had to revive themselves. Santa Rosa, NM for example… While we could only find one restaurant for breakfast on Friday morning, there were signs of construction and landscaping projects going on as well as advertising for the Blue Hole dive site which evidently is a spring fed freshwater sink hole that has become regionally famous for scuba diving.
And of course there’s Cadillac Ranch outside of Amarillo, which I unfortunately didn’t get a picture of, or there’s the giant cross in Groom TX, which you can see a long way before you actually get there since it stands 190ft in an area where freeway overpasses are the highest points in the county.
All in all it was a long drive with not very pretty scenery. But it’s done and we made it and my mom was thrilled that we took the effort to come see her…..
On a related note, when we were out there, my brother was telling me that sunflower seeds were the best cure for sleepiness when driving and while I wasn’t sure I believed him, I bought some just in case. Turns out he was right. Nothing, not gum, cinnamon bears, mt dew, nothing helped me fight the nods at 2:30 in the a.m. like sunflower seeds.
I imagine it’s because, during the act of eating sunflower seeds, your brain is so busy trying to help your tongue maneuver the seed into place, crack it, separate the pieces and spit out the shell and chew the nut itself, that you really can’t go to sleep….as a matter of fact, after writing that out, it’s amazing someone like myself with less than a full dose of coordination, could actually pull that off with out choking, biting my tongue or repeatedly spitting out the wrong portion of the shell……I imagine it was someone just like me that invented the shelled sunflower seed.....
My brother and I left Livermore on Wed at 4:00pm and headed east. We drove through California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and finally arrived in Missouri 30 hours later....
We took the southern route due to the fact that it’s winter and got on Hwy 40 in Barstow and never got off.
Hwy 40 follows the old Route 66 which used to be the main cross country route from Los Angeles to Chicago. The sad part is that Route 40 is also pretty much what killed Route 66 and many of its communities.
It was interesting in that the new Pixar movie Cars is one of my grandson’s favorite movies and to drive this route, stopping along the way for food and fuel, I was constantly reminded of the movie as we’d pull off the freeway to find something to eat, only to get back on after having driven through a small, dead, town…..
There were a few places where you could see they were trying to leverage whatever tourist attractions they had to revive themselves. Santa Rosa, NM for example… While we could only find one restaurant for breakfast on Friday morning, there were signs of construction and landscaping projects going on as well as advertising for the Blue Hole dive site which evidently is a spring fed freshwater sink hole that has become regionally famous for scuba diving.
And of course there’s Cadillac Ranch outside of Amarillo, which I unfortunately didn’t get a picture of, or there’s the giant cross in Groom TX, which you can see a long way before you actually get there since it stands 190ft in an area where freeway overpasses are the highest points in the county.
All in all it was a long drive with not very pretty scenery. But it’s done and we made it and my mom was thrilled that we took the effort to come see her…..
On a related note, when we were out there, my brother was telling me that sunflower seeds were the best cure for sleepiness when driving and while I wasn’t sure I believed him, I bought some just in case. Turns out he was right. Nothing, not gum, cinnamon bears, mt dew, nothing helped me fight the nods at 2:30 in the a.m. like sunflower seeds.
I imagine it’s because, during the act of eating sunflower seeds, your brain is so busy trying to help your tongue maneuver the seed into place, crack it, separate the pieces and spit out the shell and chew the nut itself, that you really can’t go to sleep….as a matter of fact, after writing that out, it’s amazing someone like myself with less than a full dose of coordination, could actually pull that off with out choking, biting my tongue or repeatedly spitting out the wrong portion of the shell……I imagine it was someone just like me that invented the shelled sunflower seed.....
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
It seemed like a good idea at the time….
This afternoon, my brother and I are heading out on a nice little drive from the bay area to Springfield MO. According to Mapquest, it should take us approx 27 hrs to complete the 1875 miles.
When we were talking about this trip, it actually sounded fun. We’d hang out, stop and see some sights, take some pictures and get a visit in with my mom.
Of course the planning is always more fun than the doing in these types of trips and now that I’ve spent the last two days coughing and hacking and dealing with a cold, the thought of spending almost 30 hours in a truck sounds just insane. The really crazy part is we were even sober when we hatched this idea....
And it’s not like we’re going to be able to relax a whole lot while we’re there either since we both have to be back at our jobs by Monday.
So, what sounded like a fun little road trip is now sounding like, get in the truck, sit for 27 hours, visit for a day and half, get back in the truck and sit for another 27 hours and then arrive home just in time to get ready to go to work on Monday…..gee this will be fun!!!! (did I mention they're predicting rain and snow in Springfield?)
When we were talking about this trip, it actually sounded fun. We’d hang out, stop and see some sights, take some pictures and get a visit in with my mom.
Of course the planning is always more fun than the doing in these types of trips and now that I’ve spent the last two days coughing and hacking and dealing with a cold, the thought of spending almost 30 hours in a truck sounds just insane. The really crazy part is we were even sober when we hatched this idea....
And it’s not like we’re going to be able to relax a whole lot while we’re there either since we both have to be back at our jobs by Monday.
So, what sounded like a fun little road trip is now sounding like, get in the truck, sit for 27 hours, visit for a day and half, get back in the truck and sit for another 27 hours and then arrive home just in time to get ready to go to work on Monday…..gee this will be fun!!!! (did I mention they're predicting rain and snow in Springfield?)
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Awesome Ride Saturday!!
Saturday was set to be my longest ride so far this year. With a goal of 68 miles and 6K of climbing, it would have been a pretty good push and a great primer 3 weeks prior to the Solvang Century.
The goal, set by my buddy Jack was to go up Mt Diablo via the South Gate to the summit, then come down via the North Gate to Walnut Creek, go up and over Ygnacio Valley Rd to Clayton, out through Morgan Territory and then back around to the starting point.
Well, it turns out that due to time and scheduling issues we didn’t get the full distance or climbing in, but it was still a fantastic ride.
We started out in Danville at 8:00 and headed up the hill to Mt Diablo. After a couple weeks of rain and storms, we got a break and Saturday was shaping up to a beautiful day. Cool, but not cold and clear with amazing views all the way up the mountain. I have to say that this is one of the prettiest rides we do and if it wasn’t for the fact that it’s all uphill, I’d ride it a lot more frequently.
Evidently, I’m not alone in this sentiment as there were tons of riders heading up the hill. This guy was also out for a nice little stroll.
We had 8 riders a couple of whom would be making their first attempt at reaching the top of Diablo. This is actually a pretty impressive accomplishment as the mountain climbs about 3500ft in about 11 miles. It’s a long grind with an average grade of 5%, the last section, Summit Rd has an average grade of 7% with the very last section, the one way path, being 13%.
It took us about 2 hours to get to the top which I thought was pretty good. At least I thought that until I looked at the results of last years Diablo Challenge. The fastest guy up last year did it in 41 minutes!!!!
After regrouping at the top, where the evidence of the recent storms was displayed in piles of snow along the road, we headed down. This is probably one of the funnest (is that even a word?) descents in the bay area. It’s steep and fast and after last years upgrades, is in really good shape.
Heading out the North Gate Rd takes you in to Walnut Creek, where you eventually meet up with Ygnacio Valley Rd. This is a really busy road with a decent, but really littered, shoulder. Up and over the hill brings you to Clayton where we stopped for lunch.
It was at this point that we realized we weren’t going to be able to do the whole loop. I was a little ambitious in guessing our pace and Joanne actually believed me so didn’t make babysitter arrangements.
So, deciding that we weren’t doing Morgan Territory we jumped on Ygnacio Valley Rd back up and over the hill headed for the Iron Horse Trail to take us back to Danville.
The worst part is that Ygnacio Valley, once you get back to Walnut Creek has a really narrow shoulder and is really busy…..add to that the fact that it appears everyone in Walnut Creek drives a Tahoe, a Navigator or an Escalade and you have the makings of a very sketchy ride on a very narrow shoulder with lots of very large SUVs whizzing by….
I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to get on a multi use trail in my life.
Once you’re on the Iron Horse, it’s a pretty fast ride back to the edge of Walnut Creek where we jumped on to Danville Blvd. for a nice fast ride back to the starting point.
All in all a nice ride although I did hear a rumor that the only reason Jack picked out such a tough ride was that he figured it would get rained out...
The goal, set by my buddy Jack was to go up Mt Diablo via the South Gate to the summit, then come down via the North Gate to Walnut Creek, go up and over Ygnacio Valley Rd to Clayton, out through Morgan Territory and then back around to the starting point.
Well, it turns out that due to time and scheduling issues we didn’t get the full distance or climbing in, but it was still a fantastic ride.
We started out in Danville at 8:00 and headed up the hill to Mt Diablo. After a couple weeks of rain and storms, we got a break and Saturday was shaping up to a beautiful day. Cool, but not cold and clear with amazing views all the way up the mountain. I have to say that this is one of the prettiest rides we do and if it wasn’t for the fact that it’s all uphill, I’d ride it a lot more frequently.
Evidently, I’m not alone in this sentiment as there were tons of riders heading up the hill. This guy was also out for a nice little stroll.
We had 8 riders a couple of whom would be making their first attempt at reaching the top of Diablo. This is actually a pretty impressive accomplishment as the mountain climbs about 3500ft in about 11 miles. It’s a long grind with an average grade of 5%, the last section, Summit Rd has an average grade of 7% with the very last section, the one way path, being 13%.
It took us about 2 hours to get to the top which I thought was pretty good. At least I thought that until I looked at the results of last years Diablo Challenge. The fastest guy up last year did it in 41 minutes!!!!
After regrouping at the top, where the evidence of the recent storms was displayed in piles of snow along the road, we headed down. This is probably one of the funnest (is that even a word?) descents in the bay area. It’s steep and fast and after last years upgrades, is in really good shape.
Heading out the North Gate Rd takes you in to Walnut Creek, where you eventually meet up with Ygnacio Valley Rd. This is a really busy road with a decent, but really littered, shoulder. Up and over the hill brings you to Clayton where we stopped for lunch.
It was at this point that we realized we weren’t going to be able to do the whole loop. I was a little ambitious in guessing our pace and Joanne actually believed me so didn’t make babysitter arrangements.
So, deciding that we weren’t doing Morgan Territory we jumped on Ygnacio Valley Rd back up and over the hill headed for the Iron Horse Trail to take us back to Danville.
The worst part is that Ygnacio Valley, once you get back to Walnut Creek has a really narrow shoulder and is really busy…..add to that the fact that it appears everyone in Walnut Creek drives a Tahoe, a Navigator or an Escalade and you have the makings of a very sketchy ride on a very narrow shoulder with lots of very large SUVs whizzing by….
I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to get on a multi use trail in my life.
Once you’re on the Iron Horse, it’s a pretty fast ride back to the edge of Walnut Creek where we jumped on to Danville Blvd. for a nice fast ride back to the starting point.
All in all a nice ride although I did hear a rumor that the only reason Jack picked out such a tough ride was that he figured it would get rained out...
Friday, February 20, 2009
The power to do good…..
For those of you that follow either Fatcyclist.com or the Tour of California, you had an opportunity this week to see just what a powerful tool the web and for that matter, television, can be to do good.
So often the internet and television are lambasted as either a waste of time, or even worse a vehicle for corrupting the minds of our society. (and most of the time this is probably justified)Well, this week, those forms of media did an amazing thing.
Susan, the wife of Fatcyclist.com creator Elden Nelson, has been battling breast cancer for several years. This year, in an effort to continue to raise awareness of the battle against cancer, Fatty has decided to join with the Lance Armstrong Foundation in the fight against cancer by taking on the Livestrong challenge. And not only that, but he’s challenged the readers and followers of his blog to join with him under the Team Fat Cyclist banner.
The coolest thing about this is the members of his team are spread over the entire country and most only know Fatty through his blog. So far the team has raised almost 50,000.00!!!
As a sideline to this, Fatty posted a challenge, through his buddy Chuck from Ibis bikes, to Bob Roll the commentator on the Tour of California that if he were to raise 5,000.00 before the end of the Tour, Bob would have to shave his head.
Turns out, Bob is a good sport and agreed and less than 2 days later, the money was raised and Bob was having his head shaved by Johan Bruyneel with Lance Armstrong as the witness!
Again, the amazing thing is Fatty has never met Bob Roll and once again the money was raised using the web to get the word out…..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM9IZb_HfQA
www.fatcyclist.com
So often the internet and television are lambasted as either a waste of time, or even worse a vehicle for corrupting the minds of our society. (and most of the time this is probably justified)Well, this week, those forms of media did an amazing thing.
Susan, the wife of Fatcyclist.com creator Elden Nelson, has been battling breast cancer for several years. This year, in an effort to continue to raise awareness of the battle against cancer, Fatty has decided to join with the Lance Armstrong Foundation in the fight against cancer by taking on the Livestrong challenge. And not only that, but he’s challenged the readers and followers of his blog to join with him under the Team Fat Cyclist banner.
The coolest thing about this is the members of his team are spread over the entire country and most only know Fatty through his blog. So far the team has raised almost 50,000.00!!!
As a sideline to this, Fatty posted a challenge, through his buddy Chuck from Ibis bikes, to Bob Roll the commentator on the Tour of California that if he were to raise 5,000.00 before the end of the Tour, Bob would have to shave his head.
Turns out, Bob is a good sport and agreed and less than 2 days later, the money was raised and Bob was having his head shaved by Johan Bruyneel with Lance Armstrong as the witness!
Again, the amazing thing is Fatty has never met Bob Roll and once again the money was raised using the web to get the word out…..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM9IZb_HfQA
www.fatcyclist.com
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Rain, Rain, go away…..
Ok, so I know we desperately need the rain and if I actually had a chance to get up skiing I’d be completely thrilled with all the new snow……but this rain is getting old….
I haven’t been on the bike in over a week, my longest ride so far this year is 60+ miles and oh yeah, I only have 3 weeks until the Solvang Century…..
So, last night it was back to the gym. I’d really like to try one of those spinning classes, but so far it hasn’t worked with my schedule. The fact that my local 24hr fitness only offers it twice a week may have something to do with that…
Last night started with a run on the treadmill, followed by my normal workout followed by about 20 minutes on the elliptical trainer... (aka the make anyone over 40 look like an idiot machine)
I’m sure you’ve all seen the elliptical thing, it’s that weird one in front of the treadmills that’s always populated by young, coordinated people. Its a blend of running on the treadmill and doing the stairmaster ...oh yeah and you have to move your arms like you’re cross country skiing at the same time.
Now, I think those of you that know me, realize right off the challenge this creates. I tend to not be the most coordinated person on the planet. I’m happy when I can walk up stairs while carrying on a conversation. Carrying my coffee, walking and talking all at the same time requires real concentration…
Anyway, I decided to give it a try and for the most part did pretty well. I even got to the point where I could hold on to the moving arm things and had my legs going and my arms going AT THE SAME TIME. This of course was all very good for my self esteem and I decided maybe I could try something other than level 1.
Well, they say pride goeth before the fall and while I never actually fell, my pride did cause me to almost get launched off the stupid thing.
Here I was, having moved up to level 4, and feeling good. My arms were going, my legs were going and I could actually glance up at the televisions mounted on the wall for a couple of seconds at a time. Then, I got cocky and tried to speed up.
I mean the guy next to me was going like a bat outta….well, you know what I mean and I was limping along at the same pace as an old guy in a walker…so speed up I did….only the faster you go, the more coordination that is required and sure enough, my legs and my arms got out of synch and the next thing I know the step is coming up at the same time I’m pushing down and well….I never actually left the machine, but I’m pretty sure I was about 5” above the step when I came back down…
I’m not sure anyone actually noticed what happened…or at least they wouldn’t have if my iPod hadn’t flown out of my pocket, ripped the earbuds from my ears and fallen to the floor…..
Slowly I came to a stop, picked up my iPod, wiped down the machine and headed for the water faucet…..almost as if I had meant for the whole thing to happen….
I am so tired of this rain…..
I haven’t been on the bike in over a week, my longest ride so far this year is 60+ miles and oh yeah, I only have 3 weeks until the Solvang Century…..
So, last night it was back to the gym. I’d really like to try one of those spinning classes, but so far it hasn’t worked with my schedule. The fact that my local 24hr fitness only offers it twice a week may have something to do with that…
Last night started with a run on the treadmill, followed by my normal workout followed by about 20 minutes on the elliptical trainer... (aka the make anyone over 40 look like an idiot machine)
I’m sure you’ve all seen the elliptical thing, it’s that weird one in front of the treadmills that’s always populated by young, coordinated people. Its a blend of running on the treadmill and doing the stairmaster ...oh yeah and you have to move your arms like you’re cross country skiing at the same time.
Now, I think those of you that know me, realize right off the challenge this creates. I tend to not be the most coordinated person on the planet. I’m happy when I can walk up stairs while carrying on a conversation. Carrying my coffee, walking and talking all at the same time requires real concentration…
Anyway, I decided to give it a try and for the most part did pretty well. I even got to the point where I could hold on to the moving arm things and had my legs going and my arms going AT THE SAME TIME. This of course was all very good for my self esteem and I decided maybe I could try something other than level 1.
Well, they say pride goeth before the fall and while I never actually fell, my pride did cause me to almost get launched off the stupid thing.
Here I was, having moved up to level 4, and feeling good. My arms were going, my legs were going and I could actually glance up at the televisions mounted on the wall for a couple of seconds at a time. Then, I got cocky and tried to speed up.
I mean the guy next to me was going like a bat outta….well, you know what I mean and I was limping along at the same pace as an old guy in a walker…so speed up I did….only the faster you go, the more coordination that is required and sure enough, my legs and my arms got out of synch and the next thing I know the step is coming up at the same time I’m pushing down and well….I never actually left the machine, but I’m pretty sure I was about 5” above the step when I came back down…
I’m not sure anyone actually noticed what happened…or at least they wouldn’t have if my iPod hadn’t flown out of my pocket, ripped the earbuds from my ears and fallen to the floor…..
Slowly I came to a stop, picked up my iPod, wiped down the machine and headed for the water faucet…..almost as if I had meant for the whole thing to happen….
I am so tired of this rain…..
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