Yep...winter again...

After a busy morning, me at indoor soccer and Marja with Girls on the Run, we hit the top of Stagecoach at noon on Saturday.  It was a cool day, at least 25 degrees colder than last Saturday, and had rained quite a bit between Auburn and Foresthill on Friday.  We were doing the usual, and headed down a slimy Manzanita trail.  We hit the confluence and started on up Clementine.  Marja was off, you could see it in her face, but as stubborn as she is she kept on riding.  The higher we got the wetter it got...The connector was in great shape and sheds water well, the divide trail is a little messier, especially later when we hit the back side.  

As we rode it was obvious Marja wasn't into visiting Chucky, so I took off with the hopes of getting enough time so that Marja's wait at the top of Ruck-a-Chucky would be minimal.  As I hit Driver's Flat I made the usual right hand turn to drop down to pay Chucky a visit.  Last weekend I had a "nice" ride up, that is to say the suffering was minimal.  Today, after a fast and slippery ride down, would not be so "suffer-less."  I hit the bottom in 6 and a half minutes, crossed the wash (BB height compared to a trickle the week before) and back and headed up.  Maintained a good consistent pace up, as luck would have it a car coming up caught me just as a car coming down in one of the narrow spots... Felt bad but I was already staring down off the left down to the river a few hundred feet below.  The driver of the Subaru coming down cussed me out, but I wasn't in the mood to even care...plus what the heck did I do wrong?  

A few turns later, the first easing section, heart rate drops, legs dump the lactic acid then here we go again...more of the same, one pedal stroke after another, just grinding away.  Finally comes the "powder" section, of course this time of year its like peanut butter, a slimy mess.  Still the whole ride to the overlook was in great shape, now the "easier" section to the gate at drivers flat, then the last grind to the top of the divide loop.  

Marja was waiting at the top riding circles to stay warm, as I popped up to cross the road she asks, "Are you okay...?"  I obviously looked as bad as I felt.  Marja and I rode on, she was already freezing waiting for my sorry butt, so I did not want to wait so we both got colder.  The north side of the divide loop was a mess, just had to pay a little bit more attention in the corners.

I said it was a mess.....

Marja spotted what we thought was some sort of fungus, but it turns out it may have been some eggs, from what, not really sure.  Picture doesn't do it justice.  It was fluorescent orange/yellow...

We saw Brian and his friend Cab on the connector and eventually we made it down to the confluence.  As we turned to ride up stagecoach a woman smiled at me and asked, "was it as fun as it looks?"  Then I looked down and realized what we looked like:

...nice pose!!!

Today, Sunday, I rode out the river trails for a nice spin on the CX.  Beautiful day on the trails, cold, but clear.  Rain threatening to the west, but I eventually made it back to Mar's house before the cell hit.  And yes Scott and Marja, I actually did spin EZ....first time for everything.  About 30 minutes from home the BONK settles in and  I realize how little I have eaten today.  GUs gone, pavement left to the house.....a grilled cheese with ham I make upon my return with a nice fat bottle of Endurox!  Heaven!

Just realized, I need to find out how Scott did at the TBF Kick Start Race at Granite Bay...Marja wonders if he raced beginner 14 years and younger?  (OUCH!)  I wouldn't take that Scott!!

Winter again?

Nothing like riding with company. Yesterday Scott and I headed out for a CX ride we do often, and each of us has done it a million times by ourselves too (okay not quite a million, but it feels that way)...and I have to say riding with a good friend is so much better for your mind and your legs! My legs were zapped from the previous three days, but once we hit the trails and we were talking we had a great ride pushing 3 hours on the CX bikes. Lets just say I was alseep by 8:45 on the couch...yeah thats right Marja, I admit it...

Riding in preparation for this madness called the "race season" is done, far to often, alone. I spend more time with my ipod this time of year than anyone else....my nutty schedule dictates this, between work, gymnastics, indoor soccer, etc. I end up riding a lot solo simply because its at odd times of the day or its up in the air should something pop up....so my advice to anyone, is when given the opportunity, ride with friends. I am lucky in that Scott and I pretty much have the same goals and lack the same logic-synapses in our brains that tell most people NOT to ride down to the bottom of Ruck-a-Chucky when its 105 degrees at 10:30 a.m., or 35 degrees and raining for that matter...but thats an entire different blog for a different day.

Alas, we got rained on while riding and it was a great feeling to actually get chilled from the rain. We need it badly! Today's a day off, tomorrow will find me riding the trails along the river in the mud after interviewing people all day. Then Saturday, after Cam's indoor game, its off to Auburn for a ride, the whole enchilada with Chucky, followed up by the "kick-off" race at Granite Bay. Still not certain if I will be racing Sunday, but most likely will be out there. Its a short one, two laps (14 miles) in 34x16, its fast!

Happy trails!

Hide and Seek

Yesterdays commute home was a bit interesting. Never mind the tired legs....I was meeting Marja, Jenni, and Joel at Sutters Landing with all the mutts, so I took off on my "spin" down the single track on the Slac State side of the river. As I rode across the parking area under Howe, a ranger I have spoken with before, she was giving someone a ticket, saw me and made a bee-line back to her Durango...."hmmmmm" thinks me.

I cut up onto the bike trail for some good karma and about 100 meters later, once out of sight, I cut back down onto the single track. Keep in mind that none of the trails are "signed" on this side of the river, and this same ranger told me that dirt is off limits period below Hazel. No one else has heard of this....anyway, as I am cruising the single track as I have many many times, I notice through the trees something that should not be there, so I slow....sure enough its the rear end of a pickup, a ranger's pickup, poorly hidden in the trees over looking the single track with the bike trail behind it...its about 50 meters down the trail from me, so I pop up on the bike trail and as I pass I see the ranger off the front of his pickup ready to spring on anyone riding the single track. Glad I wasn't....I was tempted to sneek up behind him, tap on his shoulder and ask him what he was looking at, Bugs Bunny-esque, but alas I thought better of it. About 100 meters later I dropped back onto the single track up to Watt, crossed over the river and raced to Sutter's Landing to meet up.

After conducting a little research this a.m. I have yet to find anything that states bikes are allowed ONLY on paved trails, but better safe than sorry. The good news, a new master plan has been submitted that allows "multi-use" of trails along the American River Bike trail in several locations. Currently the access roads between Blue Diamond and CalExpo are legal with a handful of other access roads (all dirt) between Expo and Goethe (oopps River Bend). The south side of the river has no signs stating otherwise, but after yesterday I think I need to ask the dreaded question....

My rational, several signs state, "No Mountain Bikes"....good thing I am on a Cyclocross bike...

Back in the saddle again....

Marja, Dawn, Mike and I met for a mid day romp around the ravine. Despite the million cars parked down at the confluence, we say very few cyclists once we got up above Clementine, it was nice.

Finally, back on the DeSalvo riding the dirt again....yippeeee. "Chucky" was very kind, seeing I haven't ridden her for a long time. She was very kind indeed, not very loose, legs felt horrible on the way up the ride to Ruck-a-Chucky, but I figured I needed to ride her so with very little effort, I convinced everyone to go down - Mike's first visit via bike. The way up may have been one of the smoothest I have had, legs felt great the whole way and since Scott and I weren't doing the macho-guy-thing and racing each other, I had a consistent ride up..... What a day too, probably pushing 70 degrees, ridiculous for January, I mean come on we need rain!!! but I'll take it.

Staying in tune with the "Ass Monkey Awards, 2009" as seen at http://stevetam.blogspot.com/ my only compliant was a bit of the "monkey butt"....for those of you who know not what it is, be happy.

After a hectic few days:

1. Thursday 10:30pm, Annika begins getting physically sick
2. Friday, 5am Annika stops physically getting sick and passes out. I go to bed.
3. Friday, 6am, my alarm goes off, time to get Cam fed and off to school.
4. Friday, 10 a.m. Annika wants to do cartwheels while watching season 1 of Hanna...I literally have to tie her to the couch (not really)
5. Friday night Cameron is going to "kids night out" at Tumble Time and Annika has gymnastics to run through her routines for Saturdays meet. She says she is fine and wants to stay after practice for kids night out. Britney, Ronalee and Melissa (all coaches) promise they will keep her mellow (I live across the street so I can get her quickly)
6. Before I leave after Annika's practice, she does about 15 loops of the entire floor, off the tumble track, the horse, the uneven bars, one tumbling pass, and over again. She says she is fine. I leave and let her stay with Cam and her team mates.
7. 15 minutes later, Melissa is at my door with Annika, says she doesn't feel well, reality is she is turning into quite the daddy's girl and we just hung out and she went to bed early. Thankfully.
   
8. Saturday, Cam's Indoor game at 9:30
9. 12pm-1:30 interval session on my trainer
   
10. Gymnastics meet in Rancho, Annika there at 3pm, march-in isn't until 4:30.
11. Her team does surprisingly well (I say that because they have been practicing only a month and change where most teams have been together since last year). Despite two strange falls on the floor, and the girls starting their horse run before the coach was set up to spot (all big deductions) they ended up 3rd, but w/o those deductions they would have been close to 1st.
12. Home and in bed by 9pm Saturday.

Sunday we hit the single track, kids on their bikes w/ the dogs and I running. Great ride/run for over an hour on some hilly trails. Later we had a four-square fiesta with Victor, Marja, Cam , Annika and I....good times.

Kids and I in bed early!!

This morning was a great commute, relatively warm at a supposed 38 degrees, a small bit of fog. I'd say I still had a monkey on my back, but that's not quite accurate. Looking forward to a 30 mile spin on the CX after work, looking forward to the rain we are supposed to get over the next few days, I hope it materializes!!! The puddle formerly known as Lake Folsom is a sad sight!

Cheers

So we wait...

Well its January 14, most people know who they are riding for, and have sponsorship well established. We, four of us formerly riding with the now defunct Visenka (unfortunately), are riding for Gu, DeSalvo Cycles, Scott Clark Photography,and ?????? Lets just say things have gotten weird. Things promised suddenly are up in the air now....its 2009 already....the beauty of it, WHO CARES! Pete has been the man going to bat for us and allegedly today we will "know for sure" if our title sponsor is on board....hmmmmmm. Well regardless we will be racing as hard as ever, training as usual. Maybe a little poorer then we would have....onward and upward!

Rode in this a.m. after dropping the kids off at school. Tired legs for some reason. I just road the dirt along the trail to expedite my arrival at the office. The ride home will be a bit more fun on the single track along the river up around Lake Natoma and then home to gymnastics practice and homework!

Marja and I decided we have to start with a consistent lifting routine, mainly for the SS, but piece of mind as well. Also starting a core-workout daily (yeah that's right Marja, tonight!!) to get ready for the upcoming season. Which starts in a week in a half technically at Granite Bay. Shorter than usual cross country race, fast (34x16 or 15 compared to my usual 34x18). Its fun, but bang for your buck at this time of year....dunno, we may be riding out in Auburn instead, haven't decided. I'd say we'd be there to represent our title sponsor, but since we haven't ordered our team kits let alone KNOW if we are riding for them.....Auburn seems to be the ticket. We'll see.

I am looking forward to a fun weekend, Cam is having his last indoor game of this session, Annika her first official gymnastics meet and my folks will be up to watch!

Annika's second from the left, she might be the youngest one out there but she isn't intimidated!!

Annika's patented "folded arms," for her it means she is serious, unless its with me, then it means "defiance." She loves her coaches!

Still thawing....

Well its 10:20a.m., I am sitting at my desk. Its 70 degrees inside the building according to the thermostat on the wall across from my cubicle. I have jeans on, wool socks, two short sleeve shirts, a Mountain Hardware Fleece Windstopper jacket, and a beanie on my head. I have a hot cup of coffee (no not Temple, its bad...but its hot).

No I am not sick, at least how you are thinking. Although many people think I am sick because of why I am so cold. Just under 40 miles, thick fog, allegedly 33 degrees but I skated across a lot of ice and frozen mud, all of it done before the sun was visible on the horizon. Glorious CX ride.

The problem: my building, in an effort to be "green," limits its use of natural gas for heating, i.e. hot water...no matter how long I stand in the shower, the luke warm water just doesn't bring up my core body temp. Just a few minutes ago my toes finally weren't freezing, just cold.

Now I know many more people ride in colder conditions than this, but why the hell can't we have a hot shower? Maybe its one of Arnold's tactics to make up a $40,000,000,000 deficit. I like to write out the zeros. How about let me have a hot shower and tax super sized fries at McDonald's, maybe a few people won't eat as many, yes tax revenue would drop today, BUT health costs in the future would drop along with it....wait, we are talking government, sorry. And for the hard lined republicans out there, yes many (I will avoid the word "most") people need to be influenced as to what may be better for them and their future as it impacts each and everyone of us as we pay for their Type II Diabetes medication, the diabetes they gave themselves via over eating and living a life of stagnation...

Sorry, just read a story about how much education will be cut in order to "save" the state money and help people get more $40 vouchers for converter boxes so they can exercise their right to sit on their asses and watch TV and better prepare our country for the future... I can never remember all of the Amendments to the U.S. Constitution especially our right to television as subsidized by the federal government...but then again they are paying peoples mortgages now because they over-extended themselves?!

Sorry I digress....I did see a guy smoking a cigar while he rode his Colnago (yes it was a Colnago cuz I turned around to make certain) this a.m. as I got into town on my way to the office...he looked warm at least?

NOTE: The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and he relishes in the fact that many will disagree with them because that IS their right under the constitution....

Happy people...

Maybe I am just different, but when I see people on their bikes in the 33 degree fog, in the dark riding to work I feel compelled to wave...and if I saw them somewhere off the bike I would at a minimum say "hello" if not ask about their ride or even how they were doing... For me the bike is freedom, a release, a source of good health, and, yes, a statement that I choose to ride instead of drive (yeah it saves gas money too!).

OH!!! And lets not forget its FUN!!! I love it. When I get off the bike I am a happier person, even when the suffering has been the worst, my mood is, to put it simply, POSITIVE....

With that said, I get into work this a.m. - we have a large contingency of bike commuters, some 3 miles some 30 miles, and I respect each one of them because they are "doing something," number 1, about their health, and number 2, about the air...we are lucky enough to have a great storage room and locker room facilities as well - and as I approach my locker there are two other bike commuters dressing after showering. I put my back pack down and say, "Morning, good ride?"

........................................silence...............................

...not even a look up from their lockers?...

First, we work together in the same building...we are "professionals" (now I use that term loosely as we are State Workers, epitomized by these two) and we all ride our bikes. Can't you say "hello?" I stood there looking back and forth between the two, who I see just about every day, dumbfounded. So I put by card key on the little sliver of bench so I can get my keys and open my locker to which "John Doe #1" picks up my card key and places it on my backpack (on the floor) so he can place his wet-a$$ towel on the last sliver of bench, of which he is using all of it. Keep in mind I am still standing within 2 feet of this guy....WOW....not a word.

This was a blow to me, as just the day before, my ipod shuffle fell out of my pocket at Temple Coffee downtown. Best coffee in Sac, busier than most Starbucks back in the "Starbucks Dynasty era"....I figured it was gone as it likely fell out on a couch there, I was sure of it. So 3 hours after I left Temple I realized this, went there and sure enough someone found it and gave it to Sean, the owner. Wow, I can still believe in people!

Then the next day this happens...WTF

I now realize I look foolish to most people when I talk to my kids about being polite and respectful of other people....and I often struggle when my son says, "they don't say excuse me"... how do you explain this other than, "I know they don't but we do, we will always be polite because thats the type of people we are. No matter what, you say excuse me, or thank you, you hold open doors, etc...."

Do you know he is allowed to wear his baseball hat in class? Huh? He is the only one to take his off and he doesn't know what to tell his friends when they ask him why he takes it off.

Maybe I am getting off track here.... I am just confused from this mornings events.

I apologize for this seemingly endless social commentary, this is supposed to be about riding and all the positive it brings to my life...but sometimes you have to point out whats wrong so maybe, just maybe people will change. Now the whole two of you who read this if for no other reason than it gets emailed to you, say hello to a neighbor today...or better yet, a stranger. Sincerely ask how they are doing. Its not hard.

And MORE IMPORTANTLY go ride your bike!

Milestone this past weekend, Marja and I ran with the kids, they on their new bikes, for about an hour. Both kids nailed all the climbs, of course I assisted Annika on a few hills, but not many. Cam learned that once you are over the top of a climb your legs stop "burning!!!!" That took me until I was in my late twenties before I realized that!

Smile and ride!

Starting out '09 right!

Okay, so I am behind....I really like this pic even though Mar looks like she is dreading her "test rig." She smoked the inaugural ride and the pooches loved it....they have great trail etiquette! Phil took off hard from the get-go, he's still learning to pace himself!

notice the drive train...

Here's Phil after the ride...

Props to another great CX season, thanks Chris and Sharon!!

...and finally boys, Legos aint what they used to be...

CX comes to a close in Cali

Sutter's Landing was the last race in the Sac CX series with the women's B's and Masters A's, and Mens B's series coming down to this race. Marja was tied for the series lead in points, so she was going to have beat Natalie (and Jill to be safe) to win the series. Scott, too, had to win the B's race over Roy.

My morning was packed with Gymnastics and Indoor soccer so I couldn't make my start time or Marja's race... Turns out as usual, Marja and Natalie punished the rest of the field and Marja put herself into serious hurt chasing Natalie! Not bad for a woman who rides infrequently thanks to her grad school schedule, rides a bike that's too big for her, has been riding it for only a year.... Can you tell I am jealous. Marja took second in the B series.

Cam, Annika and I made it down for the Men's B race to watch Scott race. The start saw Scott in about 6th or 7th place as they came up onto the levee....half a lap later he was about 10 seconds in front of the field and his lead kept growing from there. Scott finished about 1 minute ahead of the field. Impressive!

The course at Sutters sounded like a blast and there was A LOT of SAND in the men's and women's B races..... :)

Congrats to Marja, Shelly taking 2nd in the Masters A's, and Scott getting himself banned from the B's next season!! Wish I could whoop-ass enough to get banned and sent up!!! To explain Scott's dominance and luck, he won the money for winning the first lap at every race (payout depending on race attendance, $20 to $50) covering race fees, then last night in the raffle he won a "season pass" so he pays nada for all of next season. Jerk.....hint, more jealousy!

Congrats guys! It was a fun day for the kids and I, letting the mutts romp in the river as we watched CX, hung out with Steve and Jason from Redding and were just surrounded by cycling....great community! Marja planning to be on a custom DeSalvo for next season....yikes! (again more jealousy) I also found a list of endurance events for the 2009 season on her coffee table....think she has the sickness now!!!

P.S. Props to Chris for riding his new pony in the balmy 30 degree weather in Seattle... so starts the push for a great Round and Round in May...see you in Spokane!