First day(s) of Summer

and alot has happened since my last bleh! First and foremost I'm off the rivet and not training to race...and not racing. Feels great after riding pretty intensely since the first of the year. Also nice to grab that sixer of yummy dark beer and not give a flying ****

Not sure how long it will be before my competitive bug bites me in the ass and I start signing up for some races but right now its the farthest from my mind...although racing some Cx this fall sounds right up my alley!

Loss in the family - we lost Max our trusty loving Boxer of 11 years. Pretty heart wrenching stuff and I will admit I broke down and balled like a baby...been quite a few years since I cried like a little girl but it felt good be able to get out the grief and I was happy to have my loving wife there with me to mourn the loss. Max had a beautiful spirit and wanted nothing more then to love and be loved. We will miss you Maximus.

Kazaaaa a few of us Jordons heading to Utah! That's right Pascal, Larsen and I are heading to Utah to see Terry (who has already concocted a full schedule in excel!) ha! love that guy. We are taking the Zephyr train all the way from Cali to Utah. We are looking forward to both visiting family and the train ride!

CHOOO CHOOO

Race to Save

Had some fun in an alley-cat race over the weekend - my buddy Eric came out with me and we gave it a go. Same old story with these alley cats...have a heart attack trying to stick with the lead group as they smash there way through the course and then promptly get lost and finish waaaay back. Bit of footage from the helmet cam

footage

excited to do some more camping with the family, and am hoping to attend the Death Ride with Rob...just need to snag one of these tickets on craigslist and stop gaining weight uuurrrgggh - put the cake down Keith! OK maybe just one more slice*

West Siiiiiiiiiide! California Dreamin!

Wow what fantastic weekend of family, sun and balls to the wall crit action! Blue skies both Sat and Sun set the mood and I enjoyed a great family day on Saturday hanging with my boys...whew that's a lot of work!

Big thanks to my lovely wife for allowing me to go play with the boys at the Masters Crit championships on Sun! We did it right with BBQ, Beer and front row seats for the sprint! First race was a 30+ championship and I hoped to do what I could for crit loving team-mates as my sprint is whack but I can chase down dangerous breaks like a greyhound on crack!

One of the first times I was really warm going into a race and wow what a difference! I was good from the get go and it was bueno...will be doing more of that in the future. So we talked and the to Yahoo guys plus DJ from Cliff bar were big threats (2 of the three ended up on the podium) So i was watching there moves and trying to shut them down. DJ just sat in as a sprinter should...the Yahoo guys were attacking in turns. I had spent some quality time at the front shutting down breaks and working like a dog when 7 to go one of the Yahoo guys launches himself off the front hard and holds it for a few laps...i did not react right away but stayed near the front ready to move. We got down to 4 to do and he was still motoring off the front so i went up and started working to bring him back. Pretty much reeled him in with a hard effort and we got within 10ft and I pulled off thinking the pack behind me would finish up and give me a break...no one came around and the gap started opening up WTH...pretty much sat up and turned around to find his team-mate smiling at me while the gap opened back up. DOH!~ Good team-work on there part though...he didn't get far though and the break attempt was demolished.

One to go and I'm sitting 2nd wheel going into turn 2 right on Yahoo's wheel...wow this is some good positioning! Now if only i had my guys on my wheel I could...right about then coming into turn 3 the bum rush of guys engulfed both me and Yahoo guy as they fought for position going into the final turn. I was boxed in and had to wait for turn 3 before I could get around to advance but the race was in front of me at that point. Finished 16th or something but pretty much sat up after the final corner...it was a good race for me as I tested the legs over and over advancing into the wind and working to bring back dangerous moves. The legs were happy to assist! After the the race I rolled back to our BBQ headquarters to learn that both David and Neil were sitting on my wheel top five with half a lap to go! F^%%$# I could have initiated the move and got them to the last corner at the front if not on the front. DOH!!

We had a long wait for the next race...3.5 hours. Fired up the BBQ and popped a cold one! Good times were had by all as we watched some good racing as people dueled it out for Champ jersey's.

The next race was a P123 and the field was massive! 125 riders lined up...legs felt like dead wood and I was unsure how this would pan out for me. I reluctantly climbed aboard the trainer and warmed up for a good 30min and they still felt bleh...but I pinned up and toe'd the line with my team-mates anyway.

We got started and wow just sitting in was amazing you did not have to pedal as the vacuum would pull you right along. It was pretty white knuckle racing with so many guys and I was bumped a few times...although at this point it does not bother me much. After about 5 laps the legs woke up and said "Hey!" screw this lets burn off those burgers maaan. So i went to the outside and started launching myself up to the front, the pack was so big that it took a good 2 to 3 of these efforts to get me top 10.

Once at the front I found myself off the front and bridged up to JD (guy to took 3rd in first race) as he was trying to bridge up to a 4 man break. I though perfect JD is a strong mofo he will pull me up...wrong. JD was breathing through his eyeballs and as soon as I caught him scooted over to have me pull through. Dude I just bridged up to you sheesh. Ok so i took a big dig and cut the distance in half and wiggled my elbow...nothing. Crap so i dug a little deeper and kept pulling.

Okay wiggle the elbow and JD came around and almost instantly scooted back over...i was getting confused at this point. Did JD have a team-mate in the break? WTH - but looking at him I could tell he was huring. So i go out of my saddle and hammered trying to get up to the break solo.

Alllllmost made it before the wind hammered me into submission, and looking back I should have screwed the nails and got er done I was "that" close. Now Ive got JD yelling at me to stop attacking him and he would work with me...well you haven't done shit so far why start now.

Our attempt crumbled and we re-integrated back into the pack. The break was pulled back anyways so it was all just a waste of matches.

Last lap and I decide I wanted to do something positive. Neil was sitting top third of the pack on the outside so i moved up and yelled at him to get on my wheel. He jumped on and I stuck my nose in the wind - whoohow ouch! I swung outside and hammered to get us near the front. Through turn two I was popping and got us as close to the front as possible (maybe top 15) before I crumbled like a rag doll. Hoping Neil could move on with the leaders I let myself fall back as people ramped it up for the finish.

Of course someone crashed in turn 3 right in front of me but with a bit of luck and the fact that he was sliding to my outside I was able to take the turn tight to avoid a header over the downed Quickstep rider (yup Quickstep, guess there is a US team that has copied the pro team...ya pretty lame) sat up and rolled through top 30 I'm guessing.

p.s. I weighed in this morning at 168 whooohooo - first time Ive been able to hold the weeks hard dieting by not blowing it on the weekend binging! We shall see how this pans out.

Season is heating up!

Weights coming down and I'm feeling frisky! Or so I thought ha! I signed up for Wente RR with team-mate and buddy Neil...at first I had plans on just doing the nice flat crit on Sunday but if Neil was going to suffer I wanted in on the pain train.

So Wente...a race I love to HATE. Its a climbers race and I'm not a climber at 175, I suffered as a cat4, cat3 and now as a cat2.

Me and Neil toe the line at the back and we both laugh at how screwed we are - the field boasted some very strong riders with Pro's in the mix and other Norcal giants that can drop me on a climb on my best day.

Off we go - few miles till the climb and I know I should be moving up as far as possible but geez these P12 races go from the gun! To make matters worse I must have warmed up for all of 10min and it looked like Yahoo plus others were trying to establish a break @ mile 0.

We hit the climb and I try to find a nice spinning gear that matches the pace. Oh the pace - o man i need to lose some more weight aaargh. I'm doing okay but heating up fast - only consolation is at this speed we will be cresting the top of the first climb quickly where I know i can catch my breath.

Half way up and whaaaaaa my freaking chain drops! Or rather its spinning on top of the cassetee WTF seriously this shit never happens on training rides. So i have to freaking stop mid climb and seat my chain on the cassette, I look up and i have a 200 meter gap to close and rising. FML - put my head down and hammer, oh man it hurt. I catch Neil who is dangling off the back and we work together to chase back. Let me tell you bridging uphill is no fun. We got fairly close and I yell back to Neil that I'm going to try to jump back to the group and went for it. I managed to get back on but burned some serious matches just to get back in the game. I was breathing through my eyes and struggling to stay attached...just need to make it to the descent.

Okay recovered a bit on the descent but was still tail gunning which i knew was a very dangerous place to be but i was in no condition to do anything other then dangle

Next run up the hill and i'm last wheel - spin up the legs and got right to the start finish line near the top of the first climb where I got gapped off with a few others...if I had moved up in the pack and gave my self some room to slide I think I would have made the cut at least for another lap.

As I watched the pack ride away I got into my own pace and caught up to 3 other guys. We all worked back to the start of the race and decided it was such a nice day we should do another lap.

Enjoyed the beutiful weather and working with my dropped buddies. Felt so good in fact I was ready to do another lap to finish the race when of course I nailed a rock with my front tire and pinch flatted.

Game over

Pretty rough weekend for me - I went home tired and kind of crushed. I had fully expected to get dropped but it doesn't diminish the feeling of suck. Once home the wife is in a rush to get to her nephews birthday. I'm tired and want to stay home - wife has other plans and we get into it.

I concede and shower and load all the kids in the truck to go to SJ where I sit on my ass eating cupcakes (NOM NOM NOM) all afternoon wishing i was home...damn that's two battles I lost in one day.

Finally they come for the jumper so we can get out of there. I go to get my truck that I parked down the street to save parking space and see the icing on the cake. Some douche bag had thrown a rock threw my drivers side window. F$#@%R%

defeat - the feeling that accompanies an experience of being thwarted in attaining your goals

checking in...

Not much to report. Haven't raced in a while and am itching to get back out there. Thinking about going to the track on Sat for some GRFS fun!

This past weekend was tough on the diet. It was my lovely wifes bday and Cambodian new year all rolled up into this past weekend. FOOOOD FOOOOD MORE FOOD...finally gave up and added beer and wine to round out the diet! Seems like every time I get down to 170 i blow it in a weekend of blissful face stuffing.

Was in a break with 2 very strong Cat1's and was able to trade pull for pull until the end where my experience as a noob shined through and i was dispatched after a hard pull into a head wind section. Tim also got owned by jumping for the sprint at the GA ride at exactly the same spot as the week before...I am looking forward to see how the Moose mixes up his sprint to stay on top.

Love you Mach had a great weekend hanging out with you and the boys, props to Tony my homie that rushed right over when I needed help on Sat.

Taking a rest week so the inactivity sucks - but the legs needed a break after several months of hammering...will resume hammer dropping on Thurs.

Topsport stage race

Entered a stage race in Copperopolis this past weekend and got to do lots of racing in fantastic weather. Had a couple of team-mates and my son Pascal join me in a nearby cabin that a friend was nice enough to let us use for the weekend.

Saturday morning was the Circuit race. The course was pretty awesome - roads were brand new and smooooth. We started by heading out of the downtown area to some rolling hills to a 180...ya i don't like 180's so much so it went from an awesome course to great. Didn't have any trouble staying with the pack and stayed in the top third of the race. Without team-mates I was sitting in and hoping to have good position in the final lap. After returning from the rolling hills we snaked through town in a right, left, right, left, right double corkscrew that worried me at first but realized after getting my lean on through these corners that I was racing with an experienced bunch and was able to easily follow smooth lines throughout...

Okay bell lap and I was mid pack. We were strung out going through town but everything bunched up as we came to the small climb. Decided I needed to move up and went to the front - there i was once again at the front surrounded by teams trying to get move after move off but nothing was sticking. I rotated through and took a pull, then drifted back and jumped in 15th or so wheel. We hit the 180 and I'm wondering if the pace will be so high going to the finish I would lose contact...never happened.

As we inched closer and closer to the finish the surging started and my weakest racing trait started to shine. I was getting pushed all over the place trying to hold my position. Decided to burn some matches and jumped into the wind to sprint to the front. Good move but a bit early I got near the front only to be engulfed and pushed backwards again. Someone was moving fast up the right side so i jumped on his wheel hoping for a tow up...when a AV guy that had blown his wad (hopefully working for his team) comes through the pack like an anchor right into me and my hopeful lead out man. We both have to grab brakes and dodge left and right to avoid running this guy over. I yell out a few choice words (not at him per say but at the situation) get around him but I had lost 20 spots and it was ramping up to the finish.

Maybe 600 yards to go I stuck my nose in the wind considering a jump up the right to salvage my finish...but there were cones that funneled the finish over and I would have put myself in a dangerous position with a charging pack and me with no where to go. I sat up at that point for 27th. Legs were there and it was a fun safe ride. Only got yelled at once so that was a plus =o)

Okay the TT was next...now for some reason I thought I would do okay in this event. Was hoping for a top15. Funny thing is I have not practiced my TT at all this year and well ya...so I had a couple of hours before my start so I hung out with Pascal and got the bike ready.

Out to the TT course and waited in line - noticed Roman Kilun with Healthnet was number 30 (I was 29) greeeeeat. They get me started and the wind is coming from all directions. Road was a bumpy mess that had me all over the road. John my team-mate lent me his PT for the TT and I couldn't settle into what I had hoped to avg. Course had some rollers and short power climbs that made settling in tough for me.

Roman passed me shortly before the turn around and I hit the 180 (yes another freaking 180) going way to fast and had to skid to a stop to make the turn...o ya prob should have shifted into an easier gear also! Grabbed the shifter and yanked hard enough to shift 5 or so shifts at once...bike was not happy CRRUUUUUNCH as the derailleur attempted to do my bidding with me watching Roman get smaller into the distance with snot and sweat running down my face. Only then did I notice the head wind - it was howling and making me suffer...i was either going to hard or not hard enough.

Few times I thought there we go I'm feeling like I'm getting in some sort of rhythm only to look at the power tap and see I was putting out a paltry 280watts...FAIL. Was having a hard time keeping it above 300 and the wind was relentless. Calmed down a bit and finished the course in 37th position bleh!

Back to the truck and I needed a beer! Might have had 4 or so and they were tall boys! Thx to John for gladly driving us back to the cabin!

Back at the cabin we got cleaned up and hit the market for some BBQ. This evening was the highlight of my weekend. John mentioned he enjoyed cooking and if we did the shopping he would do the cooking! Done and Done. Me and Wendy easily spent way too much money on all the fixings. Tbones-2 bottles of good wine-greens, potatoes it was a feast. John did a great job grilling and cooking and we ate, and ate and SLEPT

Road Race - 93 mile RR on much of the same course as Copperopolis. This turned out to be a long day in the saddle. First lap we get going and its pretty quiet. I am sitting near the back just watching the race unfold and getting the feel for the camel back base layer I was wearing...caught a little good natured ribbing for wearing it but I new 60+ miles in the neutral feed zones would be ugly and I wanted no part of it. So i had 2 bottles worth of water snug against my back.

We were diverted through a nasty dirt - pothole section and the pace immediately picks up...bouncing and pinging and arms vibrating as we flew through this nasty section of the course...I must have witnessed 5-6 guys nail these potholes and pinch flat. Another +1 for tubulars. we get through the nastiness and I know going over this 4 more times would not be fun. Right about this time my brake pads start squeeeeeling every time I hit the brakes. God it was so annoying...i had tried to buy swiss yellow tops at the bike shop but they didn't carry any so i got the dura-ace carbon specific pads for damn near twice as much which were now so noisy i was getting pretty embarrassed. Stupid fucking brake pads, stupid fucking bike shop! Arrrgh. So the front was a high pitched whine and the rear a low pitched rumble...gawd I felt like such a fred. I started drifting off the back a bit so i wouldn't have to brake as much...also found that feathering the brakes was not possible so i tried to come down hard on the brakes to avoid the noise (more on this later)

Going into the last lap and I'm tired, legs hurt and hell my whole body hurts from this bouncy ass course. We hit a portion of the course that had a cross wind and the pack lined out and guttered except for the revolving echelon up front that was drilling it. I was able to come around 3-4 guys before i couldn't close the gaps any longer. DAMN - watched the group hit the next corner and bunch back up. That was pretty much it - i caught a few other guys that got dropped and headed back to the start/parking lot. About 3 miles out my rear tire goes flat...seems all the hard braking I did to avoid the noise caused me to skid and wear right through my tubular. I was done and done - decided F it and rode my flat tire back to the car putting as much of the weight as possible on the front tire.

all stage raced out I was eager to get cleaned up, packed up and head home.

hump day!

Well it's Wed...almost done with the week. I'm heading out to Copperopolis for a stage race this weekend with a few team-mates.

Last weekend was bad diet wise for me...i not only fell off the wagon but did a swan dive belly flop into the no no food list. I must have eaten a whole box (family size) of frosted flakes, stole my 2 year old candy and only reluctantly returned it when my wife noticed and started yelling at me, ate a bottle of goobers in one sitting!

I blame my buddy Tony, all your damn fault ordering pizza on my visit with cheesy bread and beer. That opened the flood gates and I did not look back until Monday morning...I knew I couldn't hide from the Withings scale and weighed in on Tues at 175...damn 5 lbs in a weekend.

But I'm back on track and eating well and feeling pretty good actually. Going to try and rest up for this weekends races as opposed to last weekend where I went OTF at a local training ride for the last lap...cool to win the training ride but ya its a training ride WTF! Racing season is now ON so i will start the high end work and see where it takes me.

Rode the TT bike in today and it felt great, seemed able to pedal at full power in full TT mode (thanks Yoga!)

Last but not least a shout out to my loving wife...she lets me persue this crazy hobby with little more then jokes about our 5 dollar payouts and a T-shirt! Yes I ride my bike 20 hours a week hoping for a T-shirt...lub those shirts! Love you baby - looking forward to going to Napa with you for your Bday!

Bariani 30+123

Raced the Bariani 123 this Saturday and had the distinct pleasure of lining up with a solid group of racers from the BBC. Got pinned and lined up. Plan was to stay at the front but in my typical fashion i drifted to the back and got warmed up. 2nd lap i moved up to find the team-mates. The group was so big with tight restrictions on the center line that it was easy to sit in but fighting for position was not so easy. I found I had to try to be very conscience about moving up or I slid back fast.

There were 2 climbs on opposite ends of the course with the longer being the KOM. These were not too much trouble but it got the HR up. Right after the climb there was a fun cross wind section that really made work. The is where the race was won or lost (in my case)

Last lap Dylan and David offered to work to get me to the front but I declined not feeling well enough to take advantage of such a generous offer. Felt more like taking a worker bee position but really appreciated the offer.

Last lap - here we go. We hit a tailwind section and the far right side is WIDE open. David is close and on the outside so i give him a whistle and shoot to the front. And there i was on the front. Don't know about you but i love being on the front - fantastic. Specialized was up there doing there thing and going fast. I jumped in and took a few pulls because i was up there and well that's what you do at the front of a fast race. Hit the smaller of the climbs 2nd wheel and there was some surging as people came up both sides. Looking back I should of stayed on the gas going over the top, it was a dumb time to ease up.

As somepoint someone came around and moved over pretty quickly into my front wheel...there was contact and I started leaning into the wheel as I began to tip over...the wheel cleared and I was able to stay upright yeehaw but that was close. Specialized dude yelled at me a bit to pay attention - looking back he was right im in charge of my front wheel - might have been starting to get tired.

We take the final right and its a narrow long death march to the KOM climb. Im sitting top 10-15ish maybe and try to stay near the front. By the time we hit the climb im probably 25th spot but am working to get up that hill. I'm not really sliding back but there are surging riders going up both sides. One of them being Neil.

Before the turn to the crosswind section there is a crash and I see a puff of smoke, seems a Specialized rider went down. Get around that and hit the cross wind section only have my legs say ya your not gonna power through this and catch those 20+ guys ahead of you thundering down the road. Great race. First time this year I actually attempted to stick my nose in the finish and had good positioning near the end so im happy. But the legs will be punished for running out of watts.

Neil finished a strong 7th

loving California right now!

Wow what a great week. Weather is in the 70's (time to stock up on sunscreen) and I enjoyed a solid week of riding. Wife is happy, kids are healthy and I am going to get my race on with 5 team-mates this Saturday.

Tim and Myself dominated the GA ride yesterday and well ya - Shake & Bake baby (know the reference?) going to copy the details from an email I typed up yesterday between buddies that frequent the ride.

Have alot of uuuugh yard work to do. Going to try and get a good chunk done this weekend. Max is happy he got a bath, a long walk and new bedding yesterday. Good dog!

Im going to bury my legs tomorrow and earn the right to drink a six pack of the good stuff when i get home!

Yoga - becoming a big fan. I don't have the focus to stretch as needed and found myself putting it off over and over...then everything starts to hurt. Back, Neck, Shoulders, Hamstrings etc. So i signed up for a membership at Planet Granite. The monthly fee is a bit steep but this is what keeps me going. I'm too cheap to pay & NOT go.

So the first time I went I was pretty blown away by how hard it is. I was sweating like a dog and all my muscles were quivering and shaking just trying to hold a pose that is used for resting (downward facing dog) wow! I may not be able to do this...fwd a month and everything is much easier. I don't find myself being corrected near as much and really enjoy the deep stretching Yoga brings. Also starting to get used to the babble the teachers emit during class...lots of hippy energy, flow, release, yamagamadanga doo. Thought maybe i could sneak in some headphones but now I like it...the continual drone helps me relax even though I have no idea what there talking about.

Went 3 times this week and feel GREAT. Am actually a bit sad I can't go today. Bit of ribbing from the guys but its all good. Oh and yesterday i puked in my mouth a little to look up to see a big girl bent over right in front of me aaaaiiiiyeeeee my eyes. I will never be able to un-see that image. Cottage cheese thighs and all.

Nerds R us: Me and Pascal went to the Optometrist yesterday. We are both near sighted (sorry Pascal I think you got that from me) and now both have glasses on order. I'm excited to actually be able to see clearly but am not looking forward to lugging around glasses...again. I think the lady that was selling us the frames works commission because she was pushing the no scratch bleh +95, no glare bleh +95 bleh, custom sunglasses for sports. The total came up to 460.00 not including Pascals frames. Um ya i don't think so - cut out all the crap but the essentials and got the price down to 160.00 for both me and the boy. Better but I could see the disapointment on the ladies face. Sorry lady

Oh and I hit 170 this morning

First bleh blog of many

Tim aka Mooseracer has inspired me to blog - funny while riding my bike way to much, thought after thought races through my mind...and I think I should start blogging all this random crap. Well now as I sit in front of my blog its all a blank. :homer:

Don't plan on sharing my blog with too many "peeps" as I am guessing it will only expose the truth about my limited education and less then intelligent pondering. Simpleton am I

So today's bleh is about smells. I'm really digging to get under 170 for this crazy hobby bike racing...weighed in at 172 on Tues so I'm starving myself to make the grade. Lots of water - oatmeal for breakfast and lunch. And lots of greens. Oh how I yearn for a 6 dollar bacon guacamole burger.

Riding into work I come across a lot of different smells. BBQ, Chocolate, Chronic, Exhaust, Perfume...the food smells hurt when I'm riding on a near empty stomach. Today a roach coach came flying by me reeking of what I believed to be bacon...I almost followed it into the parking lot to 1. scream at the driver for almost killing me in the apex of a turn and 2. buy anything with bacon in it. With my head down and teeth clenched I kept pedaling. 170, 170, 170