tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75222153784878615892024-03-05T19:43:48.520-08:00Eric's Bicycle Racing and Training BlogErichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05634005306370815410noreply@blogger.comBlogger154125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7522215378487861589.post-33082694564758379302012-11-07T11:44:00.000-08:002012-11-07T11:44:22.247-08:00The Pain Starts NowLast night was the first threshold work I've done for my 2013 training plan. As always, these sorts of efforts hurt, that's the whole point. Five intervals right at my lactate threshold. Last night was 6 minutes of hard effort with 3 minute recoveries. Next week will be 5 intervals of 9 hard/3 easy. The week after will 5 x 12/3.
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What I enjoy about crossing the border from aerobic to anaerobic training is that I can feel good about what I've been able to accomplish in terms of building an aerobic base. 10 weeks of longer, slower rides have yielded a wide base that I'll now be able to layer much harder workouts on top of. Now is the time to take credit for all that hard work. But know that what lies ahead is progressively harder and harder workouts, which will culminate in being at a peak in mid-February 2013.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05634005306370815410noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7522215378487861589.post-17859225432750105922012-10-29T22:11:00.002-07:002012-10-29T22:13:00.827-07:002013 Plans - GoalsFor 2013, it's going to be pretty simple:
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1. I want to focus on flatter races that I enjoy. Races like Roger Millikan in Brea and the Redlands crit.
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2. I'm going to race regularly over the early part of the season (February through April).
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3. If I can ride at the front and get some top 5 finishes, I'll look to upgrade to Category 3, otherwise, I'll go back to being a recreational rider.
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In order to make all this happen my anaerobic fitness has to get back to where it once was. That means hard days doing intervals up Mt. Palomar and beating the heck out of myself on the rollers.
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All of this is of course easier said than done. It takes a lot of work and a lot of hours (at least for me) to be in good enough shape to do well in races. I just finished up my second base phase. That leaves one more 4 week base phase and two 4 week build phases to put in before I'm where I need to be for Roger Millikan on Valentine's Day weekend. Sprinkle a 10 day trip to India and a trip home for Christmas into the mix and it gets even tougher.
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At this point I'm 10 weeks in to my 2013 training program. I've been able to do a good job of balancing work, training, and home life; to the point that I haven't had to ditch one workout. With some good luck and solid planning, I expect to see this trend continue.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05634005306370815410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7522215378487861589.post-45672176131819368452012-10-26T10:00:00.001-07:002012-10-26T10:03:31.303-07:002013 Plans - The IntroIt's been 10 weeks now since I started training with a purpose. After oscillating up and down for the past 5 seasons, both from a fitness/physical capability to race and a dedication to training perspective, I have put myself on a mission to return to past levels of performance.
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From the incomplete function of my paroneal nerve, to the overwhelming amount of professional work I've had on my plate, there have been plenty of challenges over the past 5 years. Looking back on there have been a lot of changes.
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From the physical perspective, my nerve is working better than ever. It still isn't close to 100%, but it's working pretty well. A month or so ago, Carol and I were up at the USACycling Track Championships in Carson, CA. The guys from <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Wattbike" target="new">Wattbike</a> were there too, demo'ing there wares. I spent a little time riding one of their bikes. What I learned is that my left leg (bad leg) is actually putting out more power and pedaling better circles than my right leg these days. When I think about how I've riden the past 4 years, I've consciously gone easy with my right leg, and given my left a chance to work itself back to the level of my right. Along the way, I've probably fostered the lowest common denominator with respect to pedaling power. Simple thought tells me that if I can't stand and flex my left foot up off the ground (with my heel still placed on the floor) and if I'm only pedaling with my right as powerfully as my left, then I'm leaving a lot of power behind.
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I remember quite well how my legs felt when I raced the year after my accident. At team training camp in January we started our Saturday ride with a hammerfest up Montezuma (an hour or so climb out of Borrego Springs, up to Ranchita). Take 25 racers with something to prove to each other and give them an hour climb and you're going to see people try to beat the snot out of each other. I came in to that camp feeling like I had something to prove to everyone on the team. Namely that I was back, and that I was someone who they should again feel comfortable to ride for. So when we hit Montezuma I hit the gas, finishing 3rd at the top of the climb. I even had time to stop and put my contact back in my eye after it fell out half way up the climb. I remember though that I didn't give a rats ass how even my pedaling was. My right leg was way more powerful and efficient than my left leg, I didn't care, I would get there with one leg and my fitness. As the season slowly blew up due to work commitments and lack of meaningful results, I transitioned in to trying to get my left leg working better. I rode lots of base miles, rode my rollers a lot, and consciously let my left leg do its fair share.
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Fast forward to now and it's time to find the right mix. After the experience on the Wattbike, I'm trying to put my right leg back in charge. The good news is that my left leg is in much better shape to keep up. So far things seem to be going well. I don't have a power meter any more, so I can't say for sure; but empirical evidence in the hills tells me that I'm getting back to riding strongly with both legs.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05634005306370815410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7522215378487861589.post-30025740857184211042012-07-09T11:19:00.001-07:002012-07-10T15:34:21.241-07:00Best Moment (to date) of the 2012 Tour de FranceThibaut Pinot put in an amazing ride yesterday to take the stage win. For a 22 year old guy, it had to feel amazing to cross the line first, even more importantly; to salvage the pride of his countrymen in what has again been a bad Tour for the French.<br />
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When he stormed up the last climb and blew by the then lone leader you knew what he had in mind. I'm sure his team manager, Mark Madiot had already made it crystal clear to him that he wasn't to catch Fredrik Kessiakoff and work with him to the finish, but instead blow by and ride like an animal to the finish.<br />
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With 12km or so to go and only flat roads in front of him the stage was set. He was something like a minute ahead of a 10 rider group that contained all of the Tour's big contenders. Guys like Brad Wiggins, Cadel Evans, Vincenzo Nibali, and Denis Menchov; all of whom seemed to be intent on eating Pinot for lunch.<br />
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As the kilometers clicked by and Pinot struggled to keep his time losses to around 5 seconds a kilometer, his team manager would pull up in the car to provide some rather animated encouragement, with his screams of Allez! Allez!:<br />
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<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/oI170AF_l7Q" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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<br />Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05634005306370815410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7522215378487861589.post-1489944955917619512012-07-01T23:34:00.000-07:002012-07-01T23:34:24.871-07:00Two Wishes - Both GrantedIt's almost 5 years ago to the day that I blew up my left leg in a crash at the San Marcos Curcuit Race.
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In late July 2007 as I was laying in a hospital bed. Life sucked. I couldn't make my toes go up, let alone my foot or ankle. My knee cap was wired together. My pelvis was held together by steel plates and screws. As I layed there in pain and despair, I asked for two things:<br />
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1. To be able to ride my bike again. I envisioned that I would have Carol drive me down to B&L to collect my repaired bike, they'd somehow throw me on top of it and push me down the road, with me somehow pedaling before falling over and hitting the pavement.
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2. To be able to do my favorite east county ride and be strong while I did it.
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Five years later, I'm extremely happy and blessed to say that I've been able to achieve both of these "goals". It's been a while since I did my favorite east county loop.<br />
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Today was the first time in a year or so. Hopefully the following link will work for you:
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<a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/108821885" target="new">http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/108821885</a>
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All I can say is that it was a long road back. Folks like Carol who stood behind me and allowed me to succeed, fail, and then eventually succeed were critically important to everything I've achieved in the last 5 years. Most importantly for me right now; I've gotten my love of cycling back.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05634005306370815410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7522215378487861589.post-61277175236704322862012-06-26T00:54:00.000-07:002012-06-26T12:10:20.819-07:00The Masi is Finally DoneFor those who weren't aware, I recently purchased a 1989 Masi Gran Criterium off of eBay. It was listed on eBay by a pawn shop in Pacoima. $535 and a drive to north LA later and I finally owned a bike that I've wanted for a long time.
If you follow the Gran Criterium listings on eBay you'll know that every now and then a mid-70s Masi comes along. While they're beautiful bikes and I guess for a lot of people they're the Holy Grail, for me after already buying my Colnago Arabesque and keeping it in original condition, I was looking for something that I wouldn't feel bad about gutting and building up with modern components.
When I bought the bike it had Shimano 600 shifters/derailleurs, a real nice set of wheels (Dura Ace hubs with Mavic Open 4 CD clinchers), some odd Stronglight cranks and some weird bars/stem. Here's the before:
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEVWIv4_lMKkKE-jSLZn_VTMjQLMf1MeGBibOAYRYwT969jqKU5ZlCan6TamHoqxzpriDxIQFGfJpUVF_Q2qnbVcdz3Uw5wd66WnS7sXvQ1ZxZODBiEgh6348wawOPZPbzJ-t8af2-vAZ/s1600/before.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEVWIv4_lMKkKE-jSLZn_VTMjQLMf1MeGBibOAYRYwT969jqKU5ZlCan6TamHoqxzpriDxIQFGfJpUVF_Q2qnbVcdz3Uw5wd66WnS7sXvQ1ZxZODBiEgh6348wawOPZPbzJ-t8af2-vAZ/s400/before.JPG" /></a>
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For the rebuild I purchased a new Campy Record 10 speed group, a 3TTT quill stem and alloy handlebar, 3TTT seatpost, a Fizik Antares saddle, Velocity Escape tubular wheels and some 215g Tufo tires. Gord at VeloHangar put the bike together. The new wheels arrived today, so all that's left is to glue the tires on tomorrow. Short of a repaint, this is where she stands:
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7LaRN7ZlhyphenhyphenFF3l3VxubTcxd_OzHOzdfTzLCIZbRU8ZjAizfOeaoM0H5UKlQeze5IRHh_s-cDxIyXh48MMq4HLKqrBl3zSpsZc_PVdiWf42G9aIbGmkw5s-PWverL21-TXkA5nyOCbGz6/s1600/masi45Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7LaRN7ZlhyphenhyphenFF3l3VxubTcxd_OzHOzdfTzLCIZbRU8ZjAizfOeaoM0H5UKlQeze5IRHh_s-cDxIyXh48MMq4HLKqrBl3zSpsZc_PVdiWf42G9aIbGmkw5s-PWverL21-TXkA5nyOCbGz6/s400/masi45Front.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyx4-y4khUgIt-geLH10YUZkI1ZOTLbUaSeaFYkyC9FA6hvlF594q3VYVpOGxP0r0bGf15Tu3ZAdQnxvtLejDdSg584tb6LcleOgatJHBW5KGwcDfG3SiRmSDLie1dbdxmo96SAB32GVo/s1600/masiSide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="239" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyx4-y4khUgIt-geLH10YUZkI1ZOTLbUaSeaFYkyC9FA6hvlF594q3VYVpOGxP0r0bGf15Tu3ZAdQnxvtLejDdSg584tb6LcleOgatJHBW5KGwcDfG3SiRmSDLie1dbdxmo96SAB32GVo/s400/masiSide.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxR6z6YllxjfueU_aVpc3Azj5qqmorrhlalxSP0aG6anT-lsZTrRGRWfTQd9ZCvg3WyGs4Zsh80SOTQxfv0TdbB37J5IIwmf6a0-skPam-wX9oMgyLftFmMIbHh8RZPxRfClXFK8P2gej7/s1600/masiFront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxR6z6YllxjfueU_aVpc3Azj5qqmorrhlalxSP0aG6anT-lsZTrRGRWfTQd9ZCvg3WyGs4Zsh80SOTQxfv0TdbB37J5IIwmf6a0-skPam-wX9oMgyLftFmMIbHh8RZPxRfClXFK8P2gej7/s400/masiFront.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbFIs-x4EIZ0DncEFDngRIGw9soznUmFfbw9yWEv6sjvVBdgSzctCDxT6xnyXzYm98lD59FEpyBkXdzzHhyphenhyphenY561QFNTD9TIUIWpjq_kLjCpEnWJpkh0Xt715oyHFUloWKXMEHrbp6EtE0V/s1600/masiStem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="239" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbFIs-x4EIZ0DncEFDngRIGw9soznUmFfbw9yWEv6sjvVBdgSzctCDxT6xnyXzYm98lD59FEpyBkXdzzHhyphenhyphenY561QFNTD9TIUIWpjq_kLjCpEnWJpkh0Xt715oyHFUloWKXMEHrbp6EtE0V/s400/masiStem.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiUKhSADPKDVpMGMHBBBO_GdJVd6dX_khAfZn2wbfp3IzjAJrVPco9VwewwB_ziHsfDkqTRK5W_AEECSHCXvOUyVwJ90h5zUaRJkkdC60bwfveZc1UKOSDgcn2qBZmQH9RdkVPmX_t3J6b/s1600/masiRear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiUKhSADPKDVpMGMHBBBO_GdJVd6dX_khAfZn2wbfp3IzjAJrVPco9VwewwB_ziHsfDkqTRK5W_AEECSHCXvOUyVwJ90h5zUaRJkkdC60bwfveZc1UKOSDgcn2qBZmQH9RdkVPmX_t3J6b/s400/masiRear.jpg" /></a>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05634005306370815410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7522215378487861589.post-44036283226291073882012-02-27T22:37:00.003-08:002012-02-27T22:40:55.296-08:00Can't stop laughingI could watch this clip of Vancouver Canucks coach Alain Vigneault losing it behind the bench on Sunday afternoon 1000 times and still pull a muscle laughing.<br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ajjX9_QtSAk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <br /><br />You've gotta love it when things are going so well for you that you can laugh even when a clown like Vern Fiddler makes a fool of himself like this. Now I've got something to keep me laughing for a week or two, no matter how tough things get.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05634005306370815410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7522215378487861589.post-72467570544580648212012-02-22T20:30:00.000-08:002012-02-22T20:38:58.175-08:00Welcome to the Ghost TownIt seems like blogging has quickly gone the way of the Dodo. What once used to be a media where people took the time to write thought provoking articles and share their insights with the world, has very quickly been replaced by the uber-positive, "let's all love each other", "look at me" worlds of Facebook and Twitter.<br /><br />Fear not, the Angry Canadian has come out of retirement and will once again be spending some time documenting in this here blog. There's lots of stuff that's going to be happening over the next 3 or 4 months. Stay tuned to this channel, there's lots to discuss.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05634005306370815410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7522215378487861589.post-35805195231755596942010-08-09T13:45:00.000-07:002010-08-10T10:27:20.161-07:00One Base Phase Done - More to ComeI just finished up 4 weeks of endurance base building. For how long and sporadic I've been with riding my bike the past 6 months, it's nice to get back into a consistent groove, eat better, ride better, and most importantly feel better. I think I've mentioned this before, but regardless of all other things; the one thing that I know I must do to be happy is to maintain an aerobic base. That's not just happy when I'm riding my bike, but happy in general. When I'm exercising regularly and feeling like I'm in shape everything else seems to flow so much better. I sleep better, I am more mentally focused, I'm more dedicated at work, I'm more relaxed and tolerant with people inside and outside of work, etc.<br /><br />So, the past four weeks have been a start at what I know I need to do regularly for the rest of my life. To be more specific, it's consistent riding and at least two rides per week that are long (3+ hour) endurance rides. Next up, starting today, is three or maybe four weeks of base phase 2. There will still be long rides, but there will also be some more intense riding. <br /><br />I'm also going to try three week phases; two weeks of hard work, one week of recovery for a while. Normally you do four week phases, but in the past I've found that I'm pretty worn down by the end of three weeks of hard riding. So much so that I almost always get sick by the end of base phase 3, which leads to burn out and lack of desire to be active.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05634005306370815410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7522215378487861589.post-3198111399588787542010-07-28T14:12:00.001-07:002010-07-28T14:14:42.358-07:00Nice 3 Hour Ride to Work This MorningI rolled out of bed at 5am this morning and was on the road at 5:30am. Three hours of fun and games up and down some nice hills east of Encinitas:<br /><br /><!-- Start MMF Embed Tool --><br /><iframe id="mmf_blog_map" src="http://js.mapmyfitness.com/embed/blogview.html?r=689128035126163817&u=e&t=ride" height="500px" width="400px" frameborder="0"><br /><a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/route/detail/20577370/">3 Hour Endurance Ride to Work</a><br/><br /><a href="#">Find more Cycling Routes / Bike Rides in Encinitas, CA</a><br />;</iframe><br /><!-- End MMF Embed Tool -->Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05634005306370815410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7522215378487861589.post-9830906877228124152010-07-18T22:50:00.000-07:002010-07-18T22:58:08.800-07:00Getting Back to Consistent RidingOver the past few weeks I've been doing a lot better with getting out on my bike. This last week I rode every day except for Monday and Friday. I've been sticking to the base building training plan from the Cyclist's Training Bible and eating like Paleo Man. Things are slowing coming back together.<br /><br />Saturday was a tough one. I wanted to get a 2.5 hour endurance ride in. Not such a big deal, except for the fact that it's been really hot the past few days. Saturday was no exception. What I could normally do with two bottles took six. <br /><br />This coming week may get a little hairy at work, we'll see how it goes. Hopefully I can get six days of riding in. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05634005306370815410noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7522215378487861589.post-26490220089998323702010-06-14T22:00:00.001-07:002010-06-14T22:04:57.030-07:00Pictures from Blind Stokers RideHere are some pictures from my first time out with the blind stokers. These are the ones with me and Peter. You can find lots more here - <a target="new" href="http://cyclingnut.smugmug.com/Sports/2010-Blind-Stokers-Club/12119797_xkSUN#861493523_eh47A">http://cyclingnut.smugmug.com/Sports/2010-Blind-Stokers-Club/12119797_xkSUN#861493523_eh47A</a><br /><br /><a target="new" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWn_Pll5nm78yd_75_uFLcbqdvOTwJdap3la982pWMl6pDDoA2FP9_phq24p7np3kIUckYWMbWtLRXCQYVQ4FS9qxUPenHAEm6BddfmzOmDx4InvfPuHWgycLcjnM-D2jKIWfiyq8SqwNm/s1600/peterEric1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWn_Pll5nm78yd_75_uFLcbqdvOTwJdap3la982pWMl6pDDoA2FP9_phq24p7np3kIUckYWMbWtLRXCQYVQ4FS9qxUPenHAEm6BddfmzOmDx4InvfPuHWgycLcjnM-D2jKIWfiyq8SqwNm/s400/peterEric1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482861566418832866" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a target="new" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG_Ane-UBLqmKXVgqduDsRlE-eKWFjGSLpJ_D9DzcAD4x54uBRsmO-FMNCJbQUi25XJjclvejhSnBoTgt6ULVqt6wcRZMATorhynd5ye0kyM9AAwPFQvSOfUmWkNG9OWNAswqb7QwpSU-p/s1600/peterEric2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG_Ane-UBLqmKXVgqduDsRlE-eKWFjGSLpJ_D9DzcAD4x54uBRsmO-FMNCJbQUi25XJjclvejhSnBoTgt6ULVqt6wcRZMATorhynd5ye0kyM9AAwPFQvSOfUmWkNG9OWNAswqb7QwpSU-p/s400/peterEric2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482861576372253538" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a target="new" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ZHiDtjjPd2V6lpRKKgREZwZU6b6BMcikeSirNG5W7S6o78rfq_FiGsmhHNBcH90KatvaOaUivjvAlY0BnW63ksDPQ_AOlbYkJS6ftWb0N_NAkdMMsPSHTOjMVcf1AjPXVnLhSrTnq7-w/s1600/peterEric3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ZHiDtjjPd2V6lpRKKgREZwZU6b6BMcikeSirNG5W7S6o78rfq_FiGsmhHNBcH90KatvaOaUivjvAlY0BnW63ksDPQ_AOlbYkJS6ftWb0N_NAkdMMsPSHTOjMVcf1AjPXVnLhSrTnq7-w/s400/peterEric3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482861584748386898" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a target="new" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsnasLJnLINGt3o1VqjcXyaQ6m0aWvHAiGJtS7XNo9zVI1zWdQiKFmPHxRGw0tVBEfWwsjvv-GBZYTbl7Sv8XGBX5cwdSvjwGl0-yyEZC4xj93-FfC6Z2I1FFoSEfVQMuFh4h4AvLn7nfW/s1600/peterEric4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsnasLJnLINGt3o1VqjcXyaQ6m0aWvHAiGJtS7XNo9zVI1zWdQiKFmPHxRGw0tVBEfWwsjvv-GBZYTbl7Sv8XGBX5cwdSvjwGl0-yyEZC4xj93-FfC6Z2I1FFoSEfVQMuFh4h4AvLn7nfW/s400/peterEric4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482861585934764546" border="0" /></a>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05634005306370815410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7522215378487861589.post-78715130501680412612010-05-24T16:28:00.000-07:002010-05-24T16:55:30.680-07:00Substitute Captain for the Blind StokersSunday I went out with the <a target="new" href="http://cyclingforsight.org/">Blind Stokers</a> for the first time. When I loaned them my spare tandem I told their leader, Dave White, that I'd be willing to fill in as a substitute captain where I could.<br /><br />The Blind Stokers Club is organized around a 3 day ride they do in late July. In the past they've ridden from Santa Barbara, back down to San Diego. This year it's a little different, but the theme remains the same; provide a 3 day cycling adventure to blind stokers while helping raise money for the club. If you're looking for a charity ride that you can participate in, this is a great charity, and it's a ride that anyone is welcome to be a part of.<br /><br />In order to build up to the 3 day adventure, they do a monthly club training ride. In the meantime, teams are supposed to be doing their own training rides so that they can prepare for the 3 day adventure.<br /><br />Sunday we rode much of the SDBC development ride route. North from UCCyclery, up through Rancho Sante Fe, west on Manchester, and back south on the 101. 35 miles or so on a very windy day. I had the pleasure of partnering with Peter Dawson for the day (you can find some info on Peter on the Blind Stokers website).<br /><br />It was really cool to ride with these guys. It's especially nice to ride with a group of people who are so enthusiastic about cycling. That goes for everyone from the stokers, to the captains, to the organizers. You also gain an entirely new perspective on how meaningful it is to have your eyesight. As Peter and I were heading back south on the 101 I almost felt bad as I was describing for him how beautiful a day it was, all the beautiful scenery, cute girls running on the side of the road, etc.<br /><br />Riding with Peter was also interesting due to the circumstances of how he lost his eyesight; once again proving what I learned a long time ago, that no matter how bad I thought my accident was, there are plenty of people who have it way worse. Peter lost his eyesight as a result of a motor bike accident when he was 18. Despite all of the hardship he's gone through in his life, he hasn't let it get the better of him. He got a law degree, practiced law for years, and now works as a rehab counselor. I know back when I hurt myself I'd love to have had someone like Peter that I could have related to. Having the perspective of having been through his own, very serious accident is something that I'm sure his clients can really relate to.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05634005306370815410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7522215378487861589.post-61804833275387467052010-05-01T21:44:00.001-07:002010-05-01T21:57:47.845-07:00I Can Read!Today was a bit of a milestone. I read (from the first page through to the last)an entire book. It's been close to 20 years since I did that. There have been many cases of me reading the first quarter or even half of a book over the past 20 years, but I've never gone much past that point.<br /><br />The book in question was<a target="new" href="http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Hat-American-Betrayal-Belgium/dp/1934030260/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272775595&sr=8-1"> Dog in a Hat, by Joe Parkin</a>. I can't say that I really recommend it. If you're completely clueless about what bike racing is like on the inside, this book may enlighten you. What it won't do is give you any real insight into racing strategy, or even really put the sacrifice and pain that goes into being a competitive cyclist into perspective. It also doesn't provide any sort of philosophical wisdom. I don't want to slam Joe, but I would have thought that if a guy had a history that was worth a book, he'd have some sort of life lessons or wisdom he'd be able to pass on to us all. That doesn't happen in this book. Joe just basically summarizes what he did in his cycling career in Europe. If you close your eyes and imagine what an American would do racing in Europe for four years you've pretty much read the book.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05634005306370815410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7522215378487861589.post-3848119915984942102010-04-12T13:09:00.000-07:002010-04-12T13:30:13.915-07:00Tandem 1 Finds a Temporary HomeMany are aware that I have two tandems. Tandem 1 (the first one I bought) is a size large, steel, Santana Sovereign. It's an absolutely awesome bike. Of course all the fools that are convinced that if a bike isn't made of carbon it's crap, scoff. What they don't realize is that this steel tandem rides and responds as well as great single bike.<br /><br />First some background on the tandems, then an update on what Tandem 1 is up to:<br /><br />I bought Tandem 1 used for $1100 from its only owner. I then put some money into it to get it up to a reasonable level of componentry. Replaced the bar end shifters with new Ultegra 9 speed levers. Got a new rear wheel built that would accommodate 9 speed. New brakes. Etc. At that point it was truly a thing of beauty. The only problem was that the size large was a little too big for Carol. If you've ever spent any time riding on a tandem, you know that nothing ruins the experience faster than an unhappy stoker.<br /><br />So, I knew that a smaller tandem was in order. I ended up buying another Santana Sovereign, this one an aluminum size medium, and we moved to the new machine. Tandem 2 is a really nice bike too (Campy drivetrain), but it's only 4 pounds lighter than Tandem 1, and definitely isn't as nice a ride. You can really notice the smoothness of the steel when the entire team gets out of the saddle. Tandem 1 has a nice smooth flex to it. Tandem 2 has much more of a jerky feel.<br /><br />The point here being that if you want to buy a tandem, don't be put off by an older steel Santana. You can get them for relatively cheap, and they're better bikes than many of the new ones that are out there today.<br /><br />Since Tandem 1 went out of favor, it's been collecting dust. I've talked about trying to sell it, but I've never found anyone that would pay even close to what I thought it was worth; so it's just sat there.<br /><br />As a member of the San Diego Tandem Club email list, I regularly get updates on the <a target="new" href="http://www.blindstokersclub.org/BSC_website/Homepage.html">Blind Stoker's Club</a>. As I watch these emails go by and see all the good things that this group does, I've wanted to talk to them about loaning them Tandem 1. Well, it finally happened last week. I met up with Dave White, the guy who runs the club, let him take a look at the tandem to make sure it would be useful to him, and let it go.<br /><br />Today I got a really nice email back from Dave letting me know how the tandem is doing. Depending upon how things go, I will likely be spending some time with these guys, filling in when they are in need of substitute captains:<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Eric -<br /><br />Thank you for loaning us the outstanding Santana sovereign tandem. I have learned to contain my expectations until "first sight"; you never know what to expect. Your is a gem, and we really appreciate it. In the near term, it will be going to SDSU student Jeremy Poincenot (6'1") and his fraternity brother captain. Jeremy has a genetic disease called Leber's LHON and lost his sight suddenly 18 months ago. Here is Jeremy's website<br /><br /><a target="new" href="http://web.mac.com/poince/cure/LHON_C.U.R.E..html">http://web.mac.com/poince/cure/LHON_C.U.R.E..html</a><br /><br />The entire Greek week at SDSU is raising funds for LHON research this year, and Jeremy will be throwing out the first pitch at the Padres game April 20th. He is being filmed for MTV's "Real Life" series. Also a good golfer, Jeremy will be competing at the Blind Golf World Championships in England this summer.<br /><br />You will hear a lot more from us and from Jeremy and his 2nd CURE tour in June.<br /><br />We will list you on the BSC roster as a substitute captain.<br /><br />Thanks for everything,<br /><br />Dave White</span>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05634005306370815410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7522215378487861589.post-25878354468705117882010-04-12T13:02:00.000-07:002010-04-12T13:08:50.338-07:00Oh Yah, Bike Riding/RacingHey so, I've fallen off the rails with regard to the racing this season. Riding for that matter as well. The past six weeks or so have been a disaster as far as riding goes. I have a list of excuses a mile long. Mainly though it's down to a massive amount of work-work. Lately there's been so much to do and so few people to do it, that we're all getting over-loaded.<br /><br />The cycle is a draining one, and extremely hard to pull out of. Too tired to ride because of all the stresses and hours of work. Feel bad, get more sleep, make time to ride, but see the stress level go even higher as the work pile gets bigger. So then, ride even less because even more tired.<br /><br />The bottom line on this is that I need to take more control over what it is that I get sucked into at work. That's going to be the goal for both me and my team over the next 6 months. We'll see how well we do.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05634005306370815410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7522215378487861589.post-88064060127640789842010-02-21T14:22:00.000-08:002010-02-21T14:35:51.148-08:00The Cannondale is Plenty StiffWow the Cannondale frame is stiff!<br /><br />I went out for some interval riding with some of the Mission locals yesterday morning. We were out on Matsqui Prairie, which is a flat piece of farmland in the bottom of the Fraser Valley, so it tends to be a pretty windy place. We warmed up wih some small ring sprints, moved on to some hill repeats and finished it up with some alternating big/medium gear intervals.<br /><br />I was able to crank out the big gear intervals in 53x11 with a 80ish cadence heading into the wind. As I was mashing away at the pedals, there was definitely no flexing of the new frame. Pretty amazing really. I know that my aluminum Specialized E5 definitely doesn't go into the wind like that. It makes me want to trade out my Specialized frame for a Cannondale. Maybe this fall when we do a deal with Nytro again I'll get myself another.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05634005306370815410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7522215378487861589.post-12689605390001401552010-02-19T23:26:00.001-08:002010-02-19T23:41:26.589-08:00The Cannondale is on the RoadToday was the first day that I really got out for a good ride on the new Cannondale.<br /><br />I bought this frame as part of the bike deal that SDBC did with Nytro. I got pretty close to wholesale pricing on the frameset (frame, fork and headset). It took a bit of looking on-line to find a good deal on a Campy group. I ended up finding a 10 speed Chorus group for $1000. Then I bought an aluminum FSA ergo bar, stem and a Specialized Toupe saddle on-line and I was pretty much set.<br /><br /><a target="new" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAFcIRbIYzh8CvK0-BvbDOj2w2mBAa864r_JRSKNBTIkyK3iqjpgpCdmZSaRenEiLAz864veJCHs_LuYf0CVgKiJlecKbRfQpDXik3HOu14M3Q0YY8NecQHEB5YxjIgienowIzZVi2wm75/s1600-h/P1010022.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAFcIRbIYzh8CvK0-BvbDOj2w2mBAa864r_JRSKNBTIkyK3iqjpgpCdmZSaRenEiLAz864veJCHs_LuYf0CVgKiJlecKbRfQpDXik3HOu14M3Q0YY8NecQHEB5YxjIgienowIzZVi2wm75/s400/P1010022.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440227238015448802" /></a><br /><br />The thinking here was to build up a bike that I could transport up to my parents and have to ride whenever I'm up in Canada. So, the Cannondale will be staying here for a while.<br /><br />Tomorrow I'll be heading out for an early morning hammerfest with some of the Mission locals. I need to be on the road by 7:30am or so. It'll probably be something like 40 degrees F at that point. Looking forward to it.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05634005306370815410noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7522215378487861589.post-90678062087910269232010-02-19T15:56:00.000-08:002010-02-19T16:30:01.385-08:00Olympic BiathlonIf you've had a hard time finding me around San Diego County the past few days, that's because I'm up in Vancouver attending the 2010 Olympic Games. Right now the two events I'm planning to attend were/are Biathlon and the Men's Curling Semi-Final.<br /><br />Biathlon was yesterday. Being a former middle distance runner and current cyclist I tend to be drawn towards more endurance based sports. I've seen biathlon on TV from the Olympics a number of times, but never had a chance to see it live. If you get a chance to go to an event sometime, I highly recommend you go.<br /><br />At a high level biathlon is kinda like a cycling time trial, just obviously done on cross country skis. The big difference being that after each lap, the competitors stop at the shooting range and try to hit five targets from 50 meters in five shots while either lying on their stomach, or standing (it alternates each lap). Normally you are forced to ski a small penalty lap for each miss. Yesterday they skipped the penalty laps and just assigned a one minute penalty for each miss. Pretty simply, you didn't see anyone with more than one or two misses in the top ten finishers of the men's or the women's races. For example, the Canadian man would have been right near the top five if he hit all his shots. Instead he missed two out of twenty and finished something closer to fifteenth. This is where I can see a big part of the attraction and challenge is to the sport. Not only do you have to have an incredible engine to TT your way around the course on cross country skis, but you then have to stop at the range, slow yourself down, relax and try to hit your shots. <br /><br />Maybe this sort of format is something that southern California cyclo cross promoters should consider. You've already got the bike TT going on. You've probably also already got a bunch of gun toting athletes on the course. Just set up a firing range and you're all set.<br /><br />The other thing that I really enjoyed about the sport, is that just like cycling, all the fans at the event got into supporting all of the athletes when they put in a great performance. As an example, one of the Russian men had to deal with his riffle strap breaking while out on the course. When these folks aren't shooting, they carry their riffle on their back with a strap that goes around each shoulder, kinda like a backpack. Because the Russian's strap broke, he had to carry his gun in his hand while trying to ski. The guy was also one of the few men to go perfect on the range. So as he was fighting his way around the course he had fans of every country urging him on. He eventually got his strap fixed and ended up coming home in something like fifth.<br /><br />Anyways, great event. I'd definitely go check it out again.<br /><br />You can find some of my pictures on my Flickr page - <a target="new" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/44296481@N08/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/44296481@N08/</a>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05634005306370815410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7522215378487861589.post-76770013326249920032010-02-14T22:16:00.001-08:002010-02-15T09:31:03.205-08:00Roger Millikan - Full Meal DealAs I've stated before, Roger Millikan is a course that I really enjoy. It's got a 2 to 3% incline up towards the final corner and then maybe a 1% grade up to the line. It's relatively fast, having only four corners.<br /><br />On the agenda for today was the cat 4 and 30+ cat 4/5 race.<br /><br />Cat 4:<br /><br />My goal for this one was to get my legs going early on, ride fairly close to the front and then as is the case with all cat 4 races, get to the front at the end and sprint for what I could get. <br /><br />About halfway through the 40 minute race a guy from Fast Friday took off up the road. Normally you don't really worry too much about these sorts of guys in a cat 4 race. They pound away for a few laps then eventually blow up. This guy however had been away for something like a lap and hadn't even looked back once. Whenever I looked up the road to him he looked like he wasn't going to come back. So I figured, what the heck, maybe this is a case where he and I can stay away for a while, get a few more to join on, and hold it to the end. So once we turned onto the hill, I jumped away from the field (a big accomplishment for me in itself as getting a gap on the field isn't something I've been able to do a lot lately), and I started to steam up to this guy. The closer I got, the more I started to worry. The guy could see that I was catching him, but even as I was maybe 10 meters back, he didn't slow in the slightest. Once I'd caught him and somewhat recovered behind him, I put in a few pulls. We were definitely pulling away from the field. The problem for me was that I just couldn't hang with this guy. Whenever I looked down at my heart rate monitor my heart rate was over 190, sometimes over 194. My max heart rate is something like 196 or 197 and my threshold heart rate is 183, so I knew that I was going to blow up big time if I kept riding with this guy. After 3 laps or so of suffering with this guy I threw in the towel and dropped back to the field.<br /><br />Here are a couple of pictures of me enjoying trying to hold on to this guy's wheel (these pictures were taken by John Nuttall, you can visit his site here - <a target="new" href="http://www.thegrayham.com/">http://www.thegrayham.com/</a>:<br /><br /><a target="new" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVSNYeAAyvIlbmsaZK1Gc3-P7OEsjU6cfimp0lGg06F8xrWMDm1IFSRyrmvJ-6iRMTRB-5ScGv1bjyyWUq8f_qan8SjiyjTW-2MRnXCuDEvs2AHNiWiBphe5EwczuKP5bFuGxPxX-a9bL/s1600-h/DSC_0235.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVSNYeAAyvIlbmsaZK1Gc3-P7OEsjU6cfimp0lGg06F8xrWMDm1IFSRyrmvJ-6iRMTRB-5ScGv1bjyyWUq8f_qan8SjiyjTW-2MRnXCuDEvs2AHNiWiBphe5EwczuKP5bFuGxPxX-a9bL/s400/DSC_0235.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438369373826377058" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a target="new" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8IFhraLGue8BhG_gGbBC0x2enlI_WVLK54uxj3K4dAXWgArcYXMckKTUad2izIrmxi3v3hm18rN8c34Z_uOw0YtPHou-5pqy6ZTc0SeSe7-eiODYUJjw0eGDHPtqRlHvyVbVtTOWCanhI/s1600-h/DSC_0237.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8IFhraLGue8BhG_gGbBC0x2enlI_WVLK54uxj3K4dAXWgArcYXMckKTUad2izIrmxi3v3hm18rN8c34Z_uOw0YtPHou-5pqy6ZTc0SeSe7-eiODYUJjw0eGDHPtqRlHvyVbVtTOWCanhI/s400/DSC_0237.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438369378057640802" border="0" /></a><br /><br />After a few more laps of recovery I had my heart rate back into a manageable range and was feeling somewhat better. I knew however that the break had burned what matches I had. So I adjusted my goal to simply ensuring that I got my team-mate Brian O'Mara up to the front at the end of the race so that he could sprint for the win. With two or so to go, I had Brian on my wheel and we were headed to the front. By the top of the hill with one to go I had Brian at the front. He pretty much did exactly what he needed to do from there, winning the bunch sprint and taking second (a different guy than the Fast Friday guy had gotten up the road to take the win). Here's Brian out sprinting the field (again courtesy of John Nuttall):<br /><br /><a target="new" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV43AaS_Pia09aVPSGXqJdgX9Dz9ioW_UqsO6c1oXS1Cm11h58rRMrWX6mYuBKcpuLIZ6wtcoMQi8kmZCu9X4MPQEad3mx9xPS8BWP4ryAxsk5Zehv9_ft3yvNvERCOjJVMap0nFHUdwVj/s1600-h/DSC_0345.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV43AaS_Pia09aVPSGXqJdgX9Dz9ioW_UqsO6c1oXS1Cm11h58rRMrWX6mYuBKcpuLIZ6wtcoMQi8kmZCu9X4MPQEad3mx9xPS8BWP4ryAxsk5Zehv9_ft3yvNvERCOjJVMap0nFHUdwVj/s400/DSC_0345.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438370050824442530" /></a><br /><br />I ended up finishing something like 22nd or 23rd. Again, not bad for a field of 100, but I definitely would have liked to do better.<br /><br />30+ Cat 4/5:<br /><br />Again, this was a full field of close to 100. After the really hard effort of the cat 4 race, my goal in this one was to stick to my plan for the cat 4 race. I settled into a comfy spot near the back of the field and gave it 20 or so minutes for my legs to cycle through the lactic acid that remained from the cat 4 race. About half way through I slowly started moving up toward the front. With 4 laps to go there were some really fast guys on the front, who really strung things out. For me, this sort of thing really plays to my strength as it makes life tough for those who aren't as well trained as I am and keeps people from surging from the back. I sat there in 10th for the last 4 laps and sprinted for the finish. I didn't see the final result, but my rough estimate had me finishing something like 15th. As I was sprinting for the line I was really trying to make sure that I got my left leg going as much as I could. This was probably the strongest sprint I've done since I hurt myself. It was definitely satisfying to know that I'd done everything I could have done.<br /><br />So, things ended up quite well. A team-mate on the podium and some really hard racing. At the end of the 4/5 race I knew that I'd left it all on the course and for where I am with my cycling in 2010, that's all I can ask of myself.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05634005306370815410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7522215378487861589.post-14819652021341519862010-02-07T18:52:00.000-08:002010-02-07T19:05:31.834-08:00Red Trolley and an Afternoon of RidingRed Trolley has always been a tough, tough race for me. Even when I was a cat 5 this course was really tough for me. It's got a sharp climb right before the finish, which definitely isn't my forte.<br /><br />I'm not going to say too much about the "team plan" heading into this one. Suffice it to say, my role for this race was to race for myself. I had hoped to race at the front, taking it relatively easy and then see what I could do in the last half lap.<br /><br />So some observations from today's race:<br /><br />1. I'm definitely getting stronger. The first time I raced this course after coming back from my crash I got dropped on the 3rd lap. The second time out I didn't get dropped, but finished well back. This time I was right there at the front, actually finding myself riding faster than the pack as we crested the hill.<br />2. I can't sprint worth a darn. I went from 10th or 15th at the bottom of the hill on the last lap, to 25th at the line.<br />3. My approach of racing for the fun of it, rather than competition, this season is leading to some much happier moments.<br /><br />After the race, Matt Marshall and I headed up through Fairbanks Ranch, up Del Dios, and west through Harmony Grove and Elfin Forest. Matt then split off for home and I headed back towards the coast and back to my car. 3.5 hours of riding that definitely left me drained.<br /><br />Next week is a recovery week for me, followed by the Roger Millikan Crit next Sunday. This race went really well for me last year, hopefully I can really crank it up for this one before heading out of town for the Vancouver Olympics.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05634005306370815410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7522215378487861589.post-39070682258256449642010-02-01T22:44:00.000-08:002010-02-01T23:12:57.575-08:00Well, No Power DataGotta love it. I can't get my stinking powertap CPU to sync with my PC. I was having some issues a few months ago with syncing to my laptop, but at the time my laptop had some other serious issues and I knew I was going to get it re-imaged. My thinking was that that I'd just re-install PowerAgent once my laptop was re-imaged and voila, back in business.<br /><br />Apparently not the case. So, there will be no Palomar data until I can get some answers from the folks at CycleOps. If you've got any experience dealing with a java.lang.UnsatisfiedLinkError with PowerAgent, I'd love to hear from you. It's an odd one in that it looks like the driver installer does put the driver libraries into the folder where it is looking for them. I've tried re-installing the driver. I've tried running the CycleOps firmware updater, but that also fails for the java.lang.UnsatisfiedLinkError.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05634005306370815410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7522215378487861589.post-78309634825179980972010-01-30T21:29:00.000-08:002010-01-30T21:36:38.810-08:00Palomar - The Work of AnimalsI headed up Palomar today, my usual slog up the south grade, which starts on Rincon Ranch Road. I put in six nine minute intervals with three minute breathers between.<br /><br />It was a beautiful day. I hope to have my power data downloaded tomorrow evening. I'm looking forward to comparing it to last year's numbers.<br /><br />In the mean-time, amuse yourself watching a true legend of Canadian cycling. Steve Bauer:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mxko9w0-Dps&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mxko9w0-Dps&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05634005306370815410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7522215378487861589.post-55311011449606702702010-01-25T11:25:00.000-08:002010-01-25T11:59:12.509-08:00CBR - Dominguez HillsMe and some folks from the team headed up to Dominguez Hills for the first criterium of the Southern California racing season. This was the first time I've ever raced this course. It fits right into 2010's flat criterium heavy racing schedule, so I figured I'd give it a go. As it turned out, so did 100 or so others.<br /><br />For some reason the first few races of the season seem to be like this. Everyone has been sitting around all winter dreaming of what their 2010 racing season could be. So they're all amped up to do some racing. Mid-season something like only 50 people will show up to this race. This time of year however, everyone and his brother is out. Plus, having not seen a crash happen in a few months, they've all forgotten the haunting sound of bikes and bodies coming together at high speeds and then bouncing around on the pavement. Folks are all incredibly brave and willing to dive into the corners, rub elbows, etc. So, looking at the field size I was pretty nervous that there was going to be a crash.<br /><br />The cat 4 race went pretty smooth. There was the odd bit of bumping and tightening of lines through the corners, but in general it was a safe race. My anaerobic fitness definitely has a long way to go, but I already knew that, so no big deal. Whenever I was on the front I could definitely feel that I wasn't going to hold on for too long. As the laps counted down I got myself reasonably close to the front, but not close enough. With some of the surging going on I wasn't too committed to sticking my nose into the middle of it. Coming out of the final corner I was something like 20th, not far enough forward to do anything. I ended up finishing somewhere around 20th.<br /><br />The cat 4/5 race ended pretty much the same way, but with a couple hairy situations on the last lap. Between corners 3 and 4 some guy kinda lost his balance in front of me and nearly got his skewer into my front spokes. I managed to avoid that one. Then coming out of turn four and sprinting for the finish some guy got a pretty good elbow into my left forearm, which nearly took me off my bike. I managed to stay up and again finish something like 20th.<br /><br />No big deal. It was nice to get out and do some fast riding again. I think I'm riding faster than last year. My left leg seems to be doing more work and I can sprint better standing up. Once this last base period comes to an end in 3 more weeks I'll begin ramping up my anaerobic fitness and things should start to come together for these fast, flat races.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05634005306370815410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7522215378487861589.post-7112720333180382662010-01-20T15:45:00.000-08:002010-01-20T16:02:43.954-08:002009 SDBC Cyclist of the YearA couple weeks back I won the San Diego Bicycle Club's 2009 Cyclist of the Year award. Certainly not for my racing results of late. I'm guessing more for the leadership and time I put into the club in 2009. The award is given to the person who best exemplifies what it is to be a member of SDBC and is voted on by club members. So it's definitely a big honor to win the award.<br /><br />Here's a picture of me with our outgoing president Ralph Elliott:<br /><br /><a target="new" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_YTJEzVx5vPNDW93bvgwPxzO1w_Zuq_T-F90yoiNFHyyxWx0xNZXR-aAvykTt4lDpBue4D-J52uQi9B71BhiHGyPJIOL4Uw2VJ3XGBVWwlWXWoxzXbSXX78bjKBsaF1o6h2Exh6BKweC/s1600-h/DSC_2194.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 265px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_YTJEzVx5vPNDW93bvgwPxzO1w_Zuq_T-F90yoiNFHyyxWx0xNZXR-aAvykTt4lDpBue4D-J52uQi9B71BhiHGyPJIOL4Uw2VJ3XGBVWwlWXWoxzXbSXX78bjKBsaF1o6h2Exh6BKweC/s400/DSC_2194.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428975903006894930" /></a><br /><br />I started out 2009 with a minor role on the Board of Directors; I was the weekly update person. While not the biggest in terms of authority, this position requires a significant amount of time. Each Wednesday I was responsible for assembling submissions from club members, advertisers, and other content that wasn't submitted, but I knew should be included, into an html document and emailing it out to our entire mailing list of 800 or so folks. In general I spent 3 to 4 hours a week putting together the content and sending out the emails.<br /><br />Then, halfway through the year I took over responsibility as the Sponsorship Director. When I took over it was in need of some serious attention. We had less than a month to get the sponsors for the team clothing signed, get bikes arranged for the 2010 elite team, etc. With some serious effort from me and others within the club we were able to surpass what we achieved last season. Hopefully 2010 will be another step in the right direction. I'm looking forward to it.<br /><br />The bottom line here is that regardless of winning something or not winning something, it's great to be able to make a difference in the running of the bike club. This year we've got a bunch of new individuals who've stepped up and volunteered to serve on the board. Hopefully we can hold onto them throughout the year. Doing so will really allow us to take an even bigger step forward.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05634005306370815410noreply@blogger.com0