More to life than…

I’m still recovering.  But what a beautiful day.  I know pain is temporary, it’s just taking a little longer to go away this time.

The only negative aspect of packing for Yosemite Valley in February that I can think of is… not packing any riding jerseys, shorts, helmet.  Well, I’m sure you get the point.  I’m not taking my bike.  I expect to be having plenty to do while we’re there, so I won’t really miss it.  Three days of hiking snow-shoeing and cross-country skiing will probably wear me out anyway.

But when we stroll through San Luis Obispo and Solvang during the Tour of CA stages 4 & 5, I’m sure I’ll be wishing I had brought it along.

What a beautiful day for track racing, you couldn’t have ask for better.  The Mark Wineman Fan Club was out in force today at the San Diego Velodrome in Balboa Park (http://www.sdvelodrome.com/velodrome.htm).  There seemed to be a good turn out for what was the second to last remaining race of the Winter Racing events.  The last of which will be Sunday, March 9th.

I’ve recently became a member of the San Diego Velodrome Association, and look forward to venturing out there as soon as the track classes begin.

Since my family and I are going to be in SLO on Thursday for Stage 4 of the 2008 Amgen Tour of CA, it only makes sense to stop in Solvang on Friday for the Individaul Time Trial.

My right calf no likey the hill repeats today.  The third one was the charm.

Feb. 18th, my wife and I are taking the girls to Yosemite Valley for 3 days of fun in the snow.  We booked a cabin in a small town about 60 minutes west of the Valley.  Hopefully, the roads are clear and getting back and forth won’t be an issue.  I plan on taking chains just in case. 

We also booked a hotel in San Luis Obispo for Thursday night, Feb. 21.  Why?  Because this is where Stage 4 of the 2008 Amgen Tour of CA finishes, and we plan on being there to welcome them as they arrive.  Stage 4 is the most scenic of the entire Tour, the crown jewel.  It is also the longest stage of the tour, 135 miles of California coastline along scenic Highway 1.  It begins in Seaside, Ca and heads south through Carmel, Big Sur, past Hearst Castle, San Simeon, Cambria, Cuyucos, and eventually into San Luis Obispo.  The stage has 2 Sprint lines and 3 King of the Mountain summits.

We have never been to a pro cycling event before, and we have no idea what to expect.  One thing we do know, it’s going to be fun.  How can it not be, Thursday night is also the legendary Farmer’s Market.

I went for a lunch run yesterday and manage to do some hill repeats.  Just down the road from my office, there is an area of open space with a nice 3.0 mile loop trail, a nice dirt trail that meanders along some ridgelines, and through a canyon not visible from the road.  Toward the end of the run there is this fairly steep section that always gets the heart pumping to near maximum.  It’s also on a section that I loop back on, which gave me an opportunity to do it again, and again, and again.  I think I’ll ride today, and try it again on Wednesday.

It worked!  It’s 54°F, wind 10-15 mph with plenty of sunshine.  Perfect cycling weather.  Well, with a little imagination and a computer it could be.  I set my trainer in front of my computer and plugged in the 2007 Tour of CA (thanks Arlyn).  The next best thing to being there, right?  Okay, it’s not.  But it’s Superbowl Sunday, and I could be watching all the Superbowl hype, predictions and commercials all morning. 

I needed to do something.  Afterall, yesterday morning I woke up at 4:30 am (to be at the airport by 6:00 am) to catch a 7:00 am flight to Oakland, spent 6 hours in a hotel meeting room, and had my return fight canceled while Wineman and Firger put up some nice numbers on what Wineman calls an easy ride.  I t was 8:30 pm by the time I got home.  Wish I could have been riding with you instead.  

So , since riding outside today is out, the trainer is in.  While I was suffering on the trainer last Friday, I decided that the Tour of CA might make the time go by a little faster.  What’s worse than 1 hr. on the trainer?  How about 2 hrs. on the trainer.  My suspicion was right.  It went 4 times faster.  I went 2x as long, so it must have seemed only 1/2 as bad (2×2=4).  Hey, it works for me.  I managed to get through the prologue, and stages 1 & 2.

I actually clocked a little more than two hours, because after the 1st hour, I adjusted my rear derailleur, lubed my chain, refilled my water bottle and slammed a packet of Strawberry Banana Gu.

At 1:15, I was ready to quit.  But I thought about an email Arlyn fired off this morning, “Acclimated to 10,000 feet: Back from Vail today and ready to crank your legs off!”.  With friends like that, who needs enemies.

BTW, it’s still raining.  But I wouldn’t have known it if I didn’t look outside.  I was on the team bus heading back to the hotel to rest up for Stage 3, Stockton to San Jose.

Well, I committed to training 4 days a week.  So far, so good.  I rode to work Monday and Tuesday, ran on Wednesday, and put an hour on the trainer Thursday.  After reading that Exxon Mobil Corp. posted the largest annual profits by a US company - $40.6 billion.  I’m riding to work today.  Enough said.

What does SpeedTV and cycling have in common?  A resistance trainer.  Park one in front of a TV, put on a little racing, and the time goes by a little faster.  Not much, but a little.  I think next time I’ll plug in 2007 Tour of CA.  I don’t know many people that really like them, I know more people who don’t.  Personally, I have not been on one long enough to feel strongly one way or the other.  With the relatively mild weather here in San Diego, there is little reason to really ever get on one.

However, I went running yesterday for the first time in quite a while.  I don’t consider myself a runner, and never did.  But I do like the aerobic benefits gained by it, so I do it.  I’m looking to boost my performance on the bike, so I thought a little cross training might help.  Today, my legs are feeling a bit sore.  I did not exactly wake up this morning thinking, ”what a glorious day to ride to work”. 

So I put my bike on the rack and took my bike to work today with the idea of riding at lunch to loosen up from yesterday.  With proposals to prepare, phone calls and meetings to attend, the ride never happened.  That’s when the idea of getting on the trainer came to fruition.  An hour easy spinning should do the trick.  The only problem is, the guys I ride don’t know what easy spinning is, so I never got the feel for it.  If I’m not hurting, I’m not going hard enough.  Actually, if I’m not hurting, I’m falling off the back.  Why should the training be easier that the ride.  Well, from what I’ve read, it’s called base mileage.  I have to learn how not to go all out, all the time.  I figure the the trainer could help.  It didn’t happen today, maybe next time. 

I am contemplating rollers, they seem to require a little more effort than a trainer.  You could almost fall asleep on a trainer.  Not recommended on rollers.  Unless you’re more comfortable sleeping on the floor.  But until I decide, the trainer it is.  I am beginning to notice the day getting longer already.  And soon, there will be no need to sit on the bike in the living room anyway.  Taking the long way home from work beats the trainer anytime.