Sunday October 4, 2009 Training Ride

Photo taken by Alex Hamlow

What a strange week it was. My buddy Ross lent me his LeMond for the Santa Barbara ride we had planned for this weekend. But, the ride was not to be... Here are the sequence of events that led to me dropping out of the Tour de Taco.

I cracked the frame on my bike a couple of weeks ago. While packing up for the train ride to Santa Barbara, I forgot to put my front wheel in the car with the bike and didn't realize it until I was more than half way to the Solana Beach train station where Ross, Scott, Dave and I were meeting. I did a quick turn-around to pick it up and got to the train station by the skin of my teeth only to leave my bike shoes outside the train station when I bought my ticket. I missed the train. I figured by that time, I just wasn't supposed to do the ride and pulled the plug (major apologies to Ross, Scott and Dave). As it turned out, they had a great ride down the coast.

Saturday afternoon, after making some adjustments to Ross's LeMond and swapping his saddle for mine, I decided to do Sunday's Qualcomm Million Dollar Challenge training ride which was a 92 mile sojourn from Solona Beach through Cousar and Rice Canyons in Fallbrook and back down the coast. I rode with Adam, Brian and Alex from the radio contest and was really happy I decided to do this ride. It was great sharing some road time with many of the great friends I've made by being a part of this contest.

A lot of people went to extraordinary lengths to raise money for the Challenged Athletes Foundation. The small part that I was able to contribute was enjoyable. Many thanks to H2O Audio for the waterproof MP3 player cases and earbuds that I was able to donate to Adam and Joy's fundraisers. Thanks to Wahoo's Fish Taco for donating 20% of purchases made with a flier over the weekend at their Encinitas location. Thanks to Nytro and B&L for allowing me to place fliers for the Wahoo promotion at their stores.

The Qualcomm Million Dollar Challenge is in a couple of weeks, and the Scott & BR Cycling Challenge will be decided on Wednesday.  Great times ahead! 

Cracked Frame and a Broken Heart

I felt something very strange when I was doing a steep climb on Tuesday. It felt like something broke as my rear derailleur started skipping and my chain started grinding when I accelerated or stood up to climb. Turns out my frame cracked at the bottom bracket. I have the "Tour de Taco" coming up next week.  For those who don't know, the Tour de Taco is a fun ride with a group of friends where we take a train to Santa Barbara and ride back to San Diego.  In honor of the ride, I enlisted Wahoo's Fish Taco to donate 20% of purchases  at their Encinitas location to the Challenged Athletes Foundation.  Download the flier/coupon by clicking the document's link here:

So, I'm not sure what I'm going to do about a ride.  I can either buy a frame and put my old components on it or buy a new bike.  Realistically, I can't afford to do either at the moment. Well, life will go on, but with a little less fun and adventure at least for the time being.  By the way, here I am with my baby before the Vineman Half Ironman in 2008.  Good times.

Sunday September 20, 2009 Training Ride

After missing last week's double century ride it was back in the saddle with the Qualcomm Million Dollar Challenge riders for the Great Western Loop training ride.  This is a very well known ride with over 3,400 feet of climbing over the ride's 40 miles.  It's a beautiful ride and one I've been looking forward to for a long time.  There are 5 riders left in XX1090 Sports Radio's Scott and BR Cycling Challenge.  The last immunity was given out to Joy.  She enlisted the other remaining contestants in decorating the Immunity Challenge bike pump for the final time.  It looks sweet.

The ride was great!  I rode with Adam in Group 1/2 through the first part of the ride.  Most of the major climbs are in this first 20 miles.  After the SAG stop in Alpine, Adam left with a couple of other fast riders and I held back and rode with Jack and Ron(?) - I'm so bad with names. :(    Anyway, it was great riding with them as we kept a good tempo without hammering.  The ride back to Rancho San Diego from Alpine is beautiful.

I hung out for quite a while with the other riders, chatting about the ride, different experiences during the QMDC training rides and fundraising.  Good times.

I spent the afternoon with my nephew, Matthew, riding bikes around Mission Bay (I can never get enough), then playing a little tennis before settling in to watch the Chargers fall to the Baltimore Ravins.  Tough game all the way around, but that's a topic for another blog.

This week, the Scott and BR Cycling Challenge cut down to 3.  Congratulations go out to Adam, Alex and Joy.  Great work you guys; and gal!

Sunday September 6, 2009 Training Ride

Random cycling photo by Ken Conley

A great day on the QMDC ride with the merged Groups 1 and 2.  After a quick decision by Adam to ride with the faster group, we took off from Fletcher Cove on the "reverse" Elfin Forest loop.  The ride goes east through Rancho Santa Fe from Via de la Valle, up Del Dios to Escondido, then back to the coast through Elfin Forest and La Costa.  We hammered through Elfin Forest which was a lot of fun.  One of the great things about riding in a group is that you're able to use more of the road as there is saftey in numbers.  Harmony Grove and Elfin Forest has some rollers but it's mostly a decsending road all the way to the coast on La Costa Ave.  There wasn't a lot of traffic either as we were out on the road early on a holiday weekend.  Happy Labor day everyone!

After the ride, I hung out at the Fletcher Cove parking lot, talking to other riders.  I got to catch up a little with my fellow radio contestants.  I dropped off a couple of H2O Audio waterproof IPod cases and earbuds as contributions for Adam's and Joy's fund raising events. Joy has her Brew Bash coming up on Friday, September 25.  Adam has his Poker Run the next day.  They both sound like a lot of fun and I'm happy to contribute to their success.

While we were talking I noticed that Bob Babbit and Rudy Garcia-Tolson walked up and were chatting with some riders.  I introduced myself and got to talk to Rudy a little bit.  Rudy and Bob were getting ready to go down to the cove for a swim workout.  Rudy is training for the Ironman World Championships in Kona in just 4 weeks time.  Rudy is training to become the first bilateral, above the knee amputee to complete the race.  Rudy is an amazing athlete and a very humble guy too.  Please read about his training at www.challengedathletes.org/athletes_stories/Rudy_Garcia.htm#rudyblog.

Wednesday September 2, 2009 Brian Brillo's Fund Raiser

I just got back from fellow Scott and BR Cycling Challenge contestant Brian Brillo's fund raiser for the Challenged Athletes Foundation. Brian had his event at L’Amour De Yogurt at 9975 Carmel Mountain Road in Rancho Penasquitos. He entertained by playing guitar and sining songs he's written as well as some acoustic cover versions of songs. "If You Could Only See" by Tonic was remarkable. L'Amour De Yogurt donated a portion of purchases to the Challenged Athletes Foundation. Tonight was just another benefit of being included in the Scott and BR Cycling Challenge. I got some great frozen yogurt. Listened to some great music and got to know my teammates a little better. I learned that Joy's Mom provides her with a great deal of support for her racing and her fund raising. It was really cool to hear the graditude in Joy's voice. I got to learn about the challenges Adam faces while resuming his athletic lifestyle after his cancer treatments. Adam's a great cyclist and is very passionate about the sport. I got to talk to Pat about joining the club of "being kicked off the island" today and the challenges he faces trying to train while doing a daily 96 mile commute to his job in Murrieta. I also got to talk about coaching with our ride leader, Mike and got to meet his wife. I also got to talk briefly with Rob M. as well. So, what I'm saying is that we've been given the opportunity to form great friendships while raising money for a very worthy cause.

Sunday August 30, 2009, At Home

Today I'm on the couch after being "kicked off the island" of the Scott and BR Cycling Challenge.  It's been a rather eventful week, and I need a little break from training with the Qualcomm Million Dollar Challenge riders.  Today is the Torry Pines Time Trail.  I went for a hard ride yesterday and I don't feel up to a big effort today. I slept in for the first Sunday in months!



Being involved with CAF and QMDC has given me the opportunity to meet some incredible people.  I’ve gone on beautiful training rides and have improved my cycling skills by riding with great ride leaders.  I’ve been humbled by watching the way Scout Bassett handles herself at CAF events and the way David Lee cranks his hand-cycle on our training rides.  I’ve grown by persevering in my fundraising; writing letters to family and friends and being grateful to those who respond.   I’m happy to give back for the great opportunity given to me in the Scott and BR Cycling Challenge.  You can still contribute to this wonderful cause through my donations link on this page.


Thursday, Brian Brillo, Rob Millum and I helped Efrain Arvizu with his fund raising event at a Boxing event he helped to promote at Four Points Sheraton.  It was a lot of fun and I think we were successful in raising awareness for CAF in a community of boxing fans who never heard of the Challenged Athletes Foundation before.  Efrain raised a few bucks and we all got to know each other a little better. 

This week starts a new adventure for me.  I quit my job at DefenseWeb as a software engineer and my last day was Friday.  I'm going to get my Personal Trainer certifcation and try to get a business started to provide coaching and training to the over 40 crowd which I am a proud member.  I'll keep you posted on my progress through this blog.  All my best to the remaining contest riders and the rest of the great people I've met who are raising money for the Challenged Athletes Foundation through the Qualcomm Million Dollar Challenge.  I'll be back next week.

Sunday August 23, 2009 Training Ride

Today the Qualcomm Million Dollar Challenge training ride took us up the coast and along the San Luis Rey Bike Trail to Bonsall and east to the Circle R twist. I rode with Adam and Joy from the Scott & BR Cycling Challenge in Group 2. We had a great ride. The weather was mild and there wasn't much wind. One of the major climbs of the day was up Circle R. My riding buddy Mike Kassow rode that climb quit a bit a couple of years ago. I can tell my fitness has improved by the pace I was able to keep to the top. It's really nice to have evidence that the hard work is paying off. After refilling water bottles at the 2nd SAG, I felt my front tire getting "squishy" on a climb so I stopped to swap out my tube. Adam and Don who were riding right behind me stopped and helped me out as we watched the rest of the group ride over the hills. We were able to get the flat fixed in pretty short order, but our group was long gone. The three of us were pretty well spent so chasing down the group was not going to happen so we "noodled" back. Evidently Adam and Don's definition of noodling is different from mine so we were still moving along at a pretty good clip; just not hammering. The ride back along the coast was great. It's always nice to feel the ocean breezes after riding hard in the inland foothills.

I attended a CAF mixer at B&L Bikes in Solona Beach on Wednesday. We heard from Chris Chandler who had multiple deployments in Afghanistan. His second resulted in his losing a leg in an IED explosion. He still went back and deployed 3 more times as an amputee and completed jump school and got this "jump wings". Chris has been racing triathlons since 2008 as part of Operation Rebound, inspiring other troops to remain active and overcome perceived barriers by taking part in sports. Challenged Athletes Foundation fund raising makes this possible.

This week, the Scott and BR Cycling Challenge will cut to 8. Regardless of what happens, this has been a fantastic experience. It's been great riding with great people who are very committed to the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

Sunday August 16, 2009 Training Ride

Today was an early start as the Scott & BR Cycling Challenge contestants had an immunity challenge. We had to count the calories in a bunch of Accelerade energy gel packs stuffed into a jar. I was way, way off. I totally over estimated the number of gel packs. If I'm not mistaken, Pat Thomas won with a number of around 8,100. 2 riders get cut in the contest this week. Fingers crossed. The ride from Del Mar to Ramona itself was great. I rode with group 3 today. It's a little more social than group 2 and I wanted to chat more with Mike Henderson and some of the other contestants which was nice. Adam and Joe rode up with group 2. The climb up Scripps Poway Parkway was nice. I found a good rhythm and felt good. The QMDC SAG stop was great as usual, complete with fruit-kabobs. Refreshing. The ride to Ramona was fine, except all the traffic on Hwy 67. I took a wrong turn in Ramona, and had to sprint to catch my group after stopping to talk to the Group 2 guys at a stop light. The ride back on Highland Valley Road was great, except I flatted right before the descent to the valley. Mike Henderson stopped and I got the flat fixed pretty quickly. Then, on the descent, I flatted again. I exhausted my Co2 cartridages and was stuck. A non-QMDC rider stopped to help and he had a pump. Our ride leader Mike noticed I was missing and rode up Highland Valley (no small feat at a 9% grade) and helped. He gave me a pointer that was new to me about checking for a pinch after putting a new tube in the tire. That is, looking for the wheel tape to make sure the tube hasn't snuck out between the tire and the rim. I always looked for the tube, but this is much easier. Thanks Mike. The ride through Rancho Bernardo, Penesquitos and through Del Mar Heights was a lot of fun. Those are roads I'm very familiar with since I use them on my training rides. I stopped at Scripps Green Hospital to see a friend who's sick, then stopped at Subway for a foot-long sandwich. I was starved! The sun really wiped me out, I guess. I got a little sunburned swimming at the Cove yesterday, and adding the sun today just wilted me. I Should sleep well tonight!

Sunday August 9, 2009 Training Ride

I'm luck enough to have made the cut to 10 in the Scott & BR Cycling Challenge. Today was the Pine Valley training ride and I had a day of the drops. My buddy Ross Craft joined the ride as my guest. I've known Ross for about 6 years now. We've ridden a lot together and I always refer to him as "Il Falco", a reference to his fearless descents. We ended up riding with what I think was Group 1, although I intended to ride with Group 2. After the descent on Old Hwy 80 we started the climb back up to Mount Laguna on Kitchen Creek Road. While never terribly steep, it is a relentless climb that just seems to be never ending. Ross and I rode together and chatted and we finally got to the tree line which was nice. After a welcomed SAG stop, we continued climbing up to Mount Laguna on Sunrise Hwy. The pace quickened on the descents and I couldn't keep up with the accelerations and got dropped by the group. I finally caught Ross's group who had stopped because a couple of non-QMDC riders had crashed and as it turned out right in front of Ross who was able to avoid it. We rode with Track Coach Lisa's group to a store by Lake Cuyamaca where we regrouped. I dropped off the back during the descent down Hwy 79 to Hwy 80. Let me say, it's never a fun experience to get dropped. First my ego hurt then I started feeling vulnerable riding Hwy 79 solo. Ross was nice enough to stop before Pine Valley and I joined him for the return. We then met Scott Kaplan, "Antartic" Mike and some other QMDC riders at Frosty Burgers for some shakes which was a nice ending to the day. We've all (or at least most of us) been dropped on a ride at some point in time. It's humbling, but if you don't get too down, you can appreciate the beauty of the landscape and enjoy doing what you love... riding your bike.

As an aside, upon returning to San Diego, I took my bike over to Moment Cycle Sport for a tune-up as I was having problems with a derailleur that was being less than cooperative. Moment's a great bike shop and have a knowledgeable and energetic staff. If you need cycling or triathlon gear, or a new bike, I highly recommend them.

Sunday August 2, 2009 Workout at Fitness Quest 10

Today was another chance at immunity by means of a 10 question pop quiz before a great workout at Fitness Quest 10 put on by Pat Jack. The quiz was comprised of 5 questions about the Scott & BR show and 5 questions about the Challenged Athletes Foundation. I thought I knew my stuff until I got tested on it. The test was well crafted but if I was being scored, I probably did about a 60%. Sad, sad. The immunity pump that was decorated in lots of bling, courtesy of Joy, went to Brian, so he'll rest easy Tuesday morning while the rest of us sweat out the cut down to 10.

As for the workout, it was great. Pat gave a great talk on why spending some time in the gym doing the right kind of active workout is so important to improving our cycling. After that, we went outside and did a bunch of strength and agility drills. It reminded me the first practices of the season in high school football. It was fun and challenging. We finished off, by doing some stretching which I am sorely in need of.

I had proposed a ride when the details of today's workout was announced by Mike Hunter. Our workout went longer than I had anticipated and I had a ride scheduled with my nephew in the afternoon, so I bowed out of the ride with the Scott & BR contestants. My ride with my nephew was great although Mission Bay was really crowded, and he got ran over by an overly zealous (to say the least) soccer player. Matt was fine although a little shaken up. I managed to hold my temper at the offending... well, let's just leave it at that.

I'm a little concerned about Tuesday as my fund raising efforts have been less than successful. Either way it goes, it has been a privilege to be able to participate. I'll let you know my fate as we cut down to 10.

Sunday July 26, 2009 Training Ride

Well today was Mount Palomar. That's a 26 mile ride from the valley floor to the top. A bunch of us rode to the observatory to round it out at an even 36 miles. Seeing the observatory on the climb up is really cool. The climb is long, hot, and painful. There are great views as you round the switchbacks, but mostly it's a big suffer-fest. As usual, we had great support from the Qualcomm Million Dollar Challenge girls, accompanied by "Pete", coach Mari's Yorkie. After a quick regroup after returning from the observatory, it was time for the descent. Please see this youtube video for a taste of what it's like. I just happened to find it while looking for pictures of Palomar.

Now for the bad news. After descending about 500 feet down, Alex, one of our Scott and BR Cycling Team members crashed after his front tire blew out. Alex is a really strong rider and like he said, there was nothing he could do when the tire blew. I was about 150 feet in back of his group when it happened, and he was the trailing rider in the group, so no one else was involved. The parametics took care of him until the ambulance came. I just now heard that Alex fractured his collar bone and separated his shoulder. Yikes. Get well fast!

The rest of the ride down was uneventful although I got dropped by my group on the descent (being extra cautious). So I rode back to the valley pretty much solo. Tough ride. Tough day. Looking forward to next week. Once again, get well fast, Alex!

Sunday July 19, 2009 Training Ride

What do you know? I'm still riding with the Scott & BR Cycling Team. I'm excited to have survived the first "cut". Congratulations go out to Joy who got immunity... she deserved it for the effort she put into her campaign. Today's ride began with some comments from Scout Bassett and Travis. Both expressed their sincere appreciation for allowing them to receive the financial and emotional support that CAF provides so they can have a chance to excel in athletics and live a healthy, active lifestyle that is so important to them. We're doing good stuff here and I'm glad to be apart of it.

The ride today was great and I got to talk to a number of fellow contestants from the Scott & BR Cycling Team, especially to Ron and Alex. Since today's ride was long but mostly flat (Del Mar to San Clemente and back) we got plenty of opportunities to work on our pace line skills and to go fast. That was a lot of fun. Kevin, one of the ride leads coached me up a bit by reminding me to slow just a tad when I come off my turn in front. I still have a bad habit of pushing too much after my pull. I'm learning a lot about cycling just by riding with a group of great riders and great people.

BTW, "Antartic" Mike finished his 62+ mile record setting swim in the pool on Saturday after 30 some hours. Wow! Plus, he was doing 1:20 100 meter intervals towards the end. Truly astonishing. Congrats to Mike! 'Til next time, so long, and please remember to visit my CAF donation page.

July 12, 2009 Training Ride

Today's ride was hot, hot, hot. The day started out nice and cool as we rolled out of Fletcher Cove in Solona Beach. I rode with group 2 today and was just a little nervous because I knew there were some pretty good riders in that group. I felt comfortable right away though as we all chatted during the easy pace of the first miles of this 68 mile ride. The group stuck together pretty well until Del Dios Hwy. We did a regroup before heading into Escondido which where the first SAG stop was.

Heading out on Hwy 395 our ride leader, Lisa, got a pace line going. That was totally fun. It's a little nerve-racking as everyone has to be really attentive to the riders around them, road conditions and especially the wheel in front of them. I started to relax a little when I started focusing a little more up the road instead of directly on the wheel I was following. We kept a good pace, and everyone participated. We got another one going in Bonsal before we got to the bike path to Oceanside.

I got the opportunity to talk a little bit with a lot of the riders. "Antartic" Mike rode in our group and I got to find out a little bit about his attempt to break the pool lap swim record on Friday, July 17. His bid a couple of months ago was postponed as his wife got sick and is currently undergoing treatment. If you're around the Lomas Santa Fe Boys and Girls club on Friday or Saturday, stop by and swim a few laps with him.

I remain appreciative to the Scott & BR Cycling Team for the opportunity to ride with such a great group of people. Tuesday's the first cut will be announced. Fingers crossed!

Sunday July 5, 2009 Velodrome Clinic

Today's clinic at the San Diego Velodrome was fun. And a little scary. I've never been on a fixed gear bike before. (Well, since my Schwinn Stingray). Lots of casual actions don't apply like coasting and breaking. Toe clips (loaner bikes thanks to San Diego Velodrome) instead of clip-ins. Add that with a banked oval track and you've go a lot of non-track riders like me a little worried. I was concerned that I was going to slip off the track on a corner and take a whole bunch of people down during my first lap. But after a couple of loops, I started to feel comfortable and the clinic started to be fun. I've found that one of the great things about the opportunity to participate in the Scott & BR Cycling Team contest is the chance to do things out of my comfort zone. And it seems that that's what my fellow contestants and the other riders are doing - pushing the envelope a little bit. Getting out there and experiencing life. And that's the opportunity that the Challenged Athletes Foundation is giving to their athletes. The opportunity to get out there and participate.

We had a lot of fun cheering each other on in the track races the velodrome coach organized for us. Also, I had a lot of fun talking with my fellow contestants and other QCMDC riders during the time between races.

My nephew Matthew turned 9 years old today. Uncle Rob and Aunt Evelyn bought him a mountain bike for his birthday; his first "big boy's bike." After a little bit of a wobbly start, he started riding and having a ball. Kind of like his uncle this morning.

Sunday June 28, 2009 SDIT

Did you ever have one of those days where everything just sort of fell into place? I had one today. I didn't do the "Train to Anaheim" training ride with the Qualcomm Million Dollar Challenge riders because I competed in the San Diego International Triathlon. I've been sick all week and haven't been able to train; kind of a forced taper week. I volunteered at the race expo yesterday and last night was feeling the effect of some kind of respiratory illness and questioning whether or not I should race. I went to bed and forgot to set the alarm! Well, I awaken from a very strange dream at 4:17, just about the time I should get out of bed on race morning. I feel a little better than last night so I take it as an omen that I could actually get through the race. So, I get in the car and drive 8 west. Work men are getting ready to cut down a power line that spans the 8. I am one of the last cars through before the Highway Patrol performs a traffic break. Hmmmm. Ok, well I think to myself, "I'm just going to go with this". I talk to some friends at the transition area and then it's time to get into the water for the race start. Bob Babbitt from CAF and Competitor Magazine is chatting with the guys in the water, and there's a great vibe in the group. The horn blows, and when I do my first sight stroke, Bob's like a motor boat out in front of the pack and I smile to myself and get into my stroke. The swim goes really well; I only got smacked once. My bike leg goes really well and I started to feel strong. I found a nice, quick cadence for my run and kept it throughout, letting one of my fellow Triclub S. D. pace me through the run. I turn for the finish and see my bro & sis in-law and my nephew and friend holding a sign, "Go Uncle Rob, You're the Best!" Man, it just doesn't get better than that! I had trouble with my timer/heart rate monitor, so I had no idea what my finishing time was, but I really didn't care. It was a great day! Now, for a well deserved nap.

Sunday June 21, 2009 Training Ride

Well, I'm a couple of days late in my post and for that I apologize. The route Sunday was a beautiful ride up the coast to Oceanside and east on the San Luis Rey River Bike Path to Bonsall. Then on through Vista, Carlsbad and back down the coast to Solana Beach. Only trouble was I was sick with a bad cold. I felt that I needed to do the ride anyway, as I was going to miss the following week due to the San Diego International Triathlon. So, I showed up with the intent of riding as far as I could and turning back. I guess the adreniline made me feel better so I stuck with it and was happy I did. I had my first flat of these training rides just a 1/4 mile from the first SAG stop. I quickly got off the road and started changing my front tube and a couple of the group leads stopped to help. I was back on the road with them in no time. The pace of the ride increased during the final 20 miles and our group split into 2. We hammered down the coast from Carlsbad after the Pointsettia climb. After the ride, I got to talk to Vikki and Mike about fund raising. I started to feel a little more empowered for the fund raising side of the event with Mike's advise.

When I got home, the effects of a long ride and being sick hit and I pretty much slept off and on through the afternoon while watching the U.S. Open. I paid for the ride on Monday and ended up going to the doctor's for some antibiotics. I'm starting to feel a little better now and will hopefully be in good shape for the triathlon this week. I'll be missing the Anaheim trip which I assume will be a pretty important ride. I wish my fellow riders the best and look forward to seeing them next week.

Sunday June 14, 2009 Training Ride

Week two took us on a more challenging ride from Solana Beach up Scripps Poway Parkway and back for a total of 55 miles. Today was a larger turnout for the Scott & BR Cycling team. I met a couple of new guys; Scott, who had a cool Rocky the Flying Squirrel toy mounted on his frame, and another guy whom I can remember his name. The ride started out mellow enough as they always do. I was talking a bit with a girl from the Triathlon Club who is recovering from some physical ailments and not racing much. She’s a strong rider though. Once again, the name escapes me. Group 2 had an incident ahead of us where a couple of riders went down on San Dieguito road. So, some of the riders from Group 2 got merged with our group (the “radio people”). I made the climb of the “3 witches” and on out to Scripps Poway Parkway in a mixed group which was fun. I got to talk to some people in that group. On the ride to the main climb on SPP, I rode with a guy and a girl talking about whether or not you could have a bowel movement while standing up. Interesting. I fell back to the next group.  I felt good on the main climb up SPP. I remember the first couple of time I made that climb and felt empathy for those riders who may have struggled. It’s a lonely feeling making a climb by yourself and we’ve all felt it at one point or another (well, except for those over-achievers). There was a SAG stop at the top where we chatted and regrouped before heading down. Scott K. had an incident with his drive train and went down. Fortunately no injuries and one of the other guys were able to at least temporarily fix the problem. The ride down was fun and the ride down the rest of SPP to Black Mtn. Road was at a nice pace. Then the accelerations and faster pace started on Black Mtn. Road and continued most all the way back with Christian setting the pace. It was good for me to ride with better riders and practice pace line skills and work on staying with a group during accelerations. We did a couple of regroups on the way back. It was a great ride and I really enjoyed it. I did a short run after wards for a little “brick” workout. Scott K. was talking to another guy about feeling a little apprehensive about swimming at the Cove. I chimed in that the Tri Club swims there on Friday evenings and it is a lot of fun and the safety of swimming with different level of swimmers. I hope he makes it out. He’ll be hooked.

Sunday June 07, 2009 Training Ride

Day one of training with the Scott and BR Cycling Team benefitting the Challenged Athletes Foundation. I’m already psyched about participating. I’m still wondering how I got in and grateful that I have. I rode with some really good people today on the first 40 mile training ride with the Qualcomm riders and my fellow “radio people” riders. I talked to Mike Henderson, last year’s winner about occupations, cycling and little things while riding on the return leg from Oceanside to Del Mar. I got to talk to a couple of the other Qualcomm riders and alums about their experiences. One of the guys who was one of our “radio people’s” group leaders told me about the beauty of riding in Big Sur last year and the humility of helping a soldier for Operation Rebound get up Torrey Pines hill. I had read about this soldier myself. He had taken a mortar in the side of his body. He had a mistyped blood transfusion and almost died several times. He was riding a hand cycle up Torrey and struggling I believe the story went. I hope that I’m able to ride alongside a brave challenged athlete along the way in my training and fund raising for the Challenged Athletes Foundation. Extraordinary people doing extraordinary things. I was happy to meet Scott Kaplan and Billy Ray Smith. I was sad to hear that Br had crashed on the way up to Oceanside. He wasn’t seriously hurt but his ride was over as he caught the SAG wagon back. Luckily Scott K. was riding along side. Hope Br continues riding with us. I’m even more inspired to do what I can to raise funds for Challenged Athletes. Tried to get my fund raising page up from my Team DefenseWeb Triathlon Challenge registration, but can’t find my login info. Better luck tomorrow. Grateful to be participating. Now, out for an afternoon run.