Almost Two Weeks Since the Crash

Everytime I've crashed and hurt my soft-tissue or broken a bone I've used Glucosamine with Chondroitin to aid in repair. As soon as I crashed I started using the pills. Here two weeks later my chest/ribs hurt only every-once in a while. My hand only hurts when I try to stretch it further than where it normally rests. Yesterday I was able to type a lengthy translation without much problem.

The cycle training has not stopped and that is good! Yesterday I did one of the harder rides in the area Toutant-Beauregard with many hills with good results. At about a quarter of the way through the ride after overcoming the hills on Scenic Loop I was in no man's land between the front pack and the chase group. All was well and good until I hit the highest hills on T-B! I was even able to do some work with the more challenging gears on the false flats after the first hill and overcoming some of the challenges and almost reaching the cast-offs from the fast group. Again it was the mental aspect that bore the greater challenge.

Various fifty milers last week have me thinking of taking friends on the adventure to conquer the 100 again! Winds are out of the SSE so we go out towards La Vernia to get the 100! We shall see...

Cycling Prayer

Ride by my side;
Live in my heartbeat;
Give strength to my lungs.
As the cold surrounds,
As the wind punishes me,
I know you surround me.
As the sun warms me,
I know you are touching me,
Challenging me, loving me.
And so I give you this ride.
Thank you for being by my side.
Amen

Rewritten from Debbie Garcia's Run Prayer

Crash - Time Trial Season in the Toilet

Crashed the TT Caloi Rig today on the Salado Greenway after a blow-out going 24+ mph, front wheel taco/potato chip, carbon fork steerer tube bent, all the aero stuff on the profile design front end all banged up, derailleur hanger bent/bolt stressed, pride bruised, ribs bruised, legs bruised, right-hand bruised and hurting! Riding buddy Jens (the guy with all the tatoos-used to be a wrench) comes by on his mtb offers to get his car to drive me home. Then proceeded to do a 22 miler recovery/fart around ride on the Litespeed Goat! So no Time Trial Season because fixing all that stuff is going to cost! But this year I was on track to beat my accomplishments in TT from two years ago! Thanks be to God that I'm fine just bruised up a bit and for getting me to where I am this year! God bless you!

Season what Season and the Wildflower 100!

So last week I did very well in a short distance time trial being that I was the first one back and averaged 19.6 on the way out then dropped to 18.9 on the way back. Thinking that I would have an awesome result like last week this week was a mistake because I totally blew out, blew up then dissolved with a brief come back at the end. So I resolve to reassess this whole cycling mess!

I blew out my back somewhere around thirty working too hard on the hills between Retama and Bulverde/46 then was hanging on the hills at 1863, but with some cramping issues then hung on after the 50 then from 70 to 90 I totally blew up - the wind was just more than I could handle! In fact I was the lanterne rouge from 70 to 90. Yes I admit it I blew off the hills on Schertz pkwy in liu of the flats on the back road to Selma. Then rejoined the route at 99 and finished with 101+

I always said that family, faith and friends come first! So why in the hell am I busting my butt for 7+ hours! This has gotta stop! I will go back to Family Faith and Friends and ride with the Hill Country Touring group until something amazing happens with my training. So if nothing happens not much will be reported here, unfortunately not like it has been a whole lot of posting anyway! Thanks for listening/reading! Have a great week!

End Of Year Stats

These stats are maintained on Active Trainer for free. At times you luck in to free coaching. I've been coached through a walking program and recently downloaded a running program. It will track everything including blood pressure and shoe wear for free. Please click the title above if you'd like to track your own activity!

Jan Bike 298.7 tm 20:10.24
Feb Bike 102 tm 07:35.42
Mar Bike 220.52 tm 14:45.13
Apr Bike 163.26 tm 11:22.46
May Bike 271.43 tm 20:45.17
Jun Bike 234.68 tm 17:56.57
Jul Bike 586.4 tm 44:32.57
Aug Bike 535.6 tm 38:31.36
Sep Bike 260.25 tm 16:53.40
Oct Bike 241.02 tm 16:29.06
Nov Bike 184.55 tm 16:37.05
Dec Bike 170.55 tm 12:13.52
Total 3268.95 tm223:40.26

I also tracked my Bike/Run Combinations (Bricks), my walking and my running. No swimming this year, but that will change. No Triathlons this year. Figuring out my swimming routine in my area is imperative. Favorite events of the year continue to be the Fiesta Wildflower Ride and the Tour de Gruene. Favorite Time Trial route is still the Road from Castroville to Helotes despite the fact the Bruehler couple was killed out there. Their sacrifice has changed the law in our area where vehicles must give at least a three foot clearance to any vulnerable road-user and of course the bike is included.

From what you can see in July I really do enjoy cycling and the heat of the Summer does not limit me. Although all those miles in Jul/Aug makes for a tired bike rider in Sep/Oct when the final races of the season are run. I don't know if that can be helped. Most months I got over 200 miles and then less once the season was over. That's ok I'm supposed to be doing some cross-training at that point anyway. I don't know what happened in February. I'd be interested to know if Feb. was an exceptional wet month. That would affect me since I no longer ride on wet pavement.

I hope your active year went well and I thank you for going on the journey with me. Peace be with you in the new year!

Kind Souls

(Note this is a repost of a post in 2006 due to mindless commenters on this blog)

Are cyclists not the kindest folks on God's green Earth?

Here's why I say this, today on a moderate length ride at an easy speed to nurse my knee through lots of spinning I broke two spokes. I was pitchin' and moanin' about how my wrench wants me to buy a tandem rear wheel from Velocity (http://www.velocityusa.inc) at darn near $200 Dawlurs!!! This of course would rid me of all my spoke problems. Even though I hear through the grapevine that this set of Alex wheels were built with a batch of bad spokes that break at the drop of a hat. First spoke break was on a flat, spinning like a big dog. Why? Je ne sais pas!

So this buddy o mine Charlie was like, "hey I've got a couple of old wheels at the house you can have. Yeah, they're seven years old, but you can have 'em."

So by the end of the ride the wind has picked up and Charlie wants a ride in to the house since he still had 10 miles to go. We just finished 46. Hum, possibilities!

So I take Charlie in and no he doesn't give me the shirt off his back, but he does give me his Mavic Cosmic off his bike and friends, Romans, countrymen that is why cyclists are the nicest lot! Problem solved!!!

End of Year Briefs

Month Totals:
Dec: Bike 180.7 Hours 12:30.32
Nov: Bike 349.3 Hours 22:55.18 Cross Training=Yoga 45min Walking 5.5 miles 5:05 Hours
Oct: Bike 362.3 Hours 23:00.56
Sep: Bike 125.47Hours 8:05.29
Aug: Bike 508.8 Hours 36:30.55
July:Bike 541.6 Hours 35:24.11 Cross Training=Yoga Zip Running=2 miles 40 min Walking 9 miles 3 Hrs Swim 200 meters 30 min
June:Bike 583.33Hours 44:59 Cross Training=Yoga 1:00 Walking=.25 miles
May: Bike 495.1 Hours 90:24 Cross Training=Move 4:00 Running=3 miles 36min
Walking 1.25 miles 25min
April:Bike345.2 Hours 78:08 Cross Training=Yoga Zip
March:Bike315.46 Hours18:22 Cross Training=Yoga 2:00
Feb: Bike 82.5 Hours 6:11 Cross Training=Yoga Zip
Jan: Bike 411.63 Time 28:39.58 Cross Training=Yoga 2:50
Year:Bike 4299.23 Time410:34.12Cross Training=Yoga 10:35 running=5 miles 1:16min Walking 16 miles 8:55min

Summer Briefs

* Since I didn't do very well posting, here are some Summer briefs:
- I raced for Cycle Logic in the Ironhouse Time Trial put on by Britton's Bikes. Finished in 1:22 and I was not last!
- I completed over 1500 miles of hard riding in the intense Hellacious Heat and Humiditiy.
- I had heart issues that were resolved favorably. I was not limited by my doctor in any way after the chemical stress test although after my first visit with him I limited my efforts based on what my Dead Runner and Clydesdale Virtual Racing Team member friend did when he had some heart issues a long time ago.

Stress Powered Riding

UIL stress powered riding has benefits and the downside also. Two weeks ago I rode an amazing ride where all kinds of PRs were broken a nice benefit to the stress I was dealing with for UIL competition.

Time to the railroad tracks by division south of town PR by 3 minutes in 31. Then PR by 5 minutes to San Jose in 42. Then I got to Espada or 17 miles by 58 PR by two minutes I think. Made it to the 21 spot by 1:15 or 1:16. Took some salt at 30 then turned around at the Valero on 181. Back at the Missions I hit 50 in 2:55 and then hit 52 in 3:00. Finished 64.5 in 3:48 Nice! Final average including cooldown 16.9. Maximum average out to San Jose 18.6 Dainnngguh. Average to 17 or Espada 18.3. All this with a bit of a strained calf from Thursday nights speed fest. All benefits to the stress I was feeling!

I get home feeling good, but trouble starts at the restaurant, couldn't get my HR down. 95 and 98 while eating a sandwich. I was shaking and couldn't figure out what was going on. Gayle drives us home. I rest and take an extra blood pressure pill. By 5 or 6 my heart rate is still up at 95 or so. My blood pressure is way up 20 to 30 points higher than normal. It wasn't till the next day after taking an extra sleep session before church by blowing off the ride!

This weekend again PRs are broken and feeling good and strong - just not strong enough to ride with the racers of Chainreaction. I redlined a couple of times too many early on in the ride and faded off the back big time. All of off the back regrouped and reorganized about the time we were getting to Somerset. We knew exactly who needed to stay together on the way back but also get some miles in. Beautiful smooth route that I didn't know existed so close to my Pleasanton route. I PRd again to the RR tracks south of town at Divison this time by 6 minutes to 26 and then today I repeated that.

Yesterday was 78 miles at 4:54 maximum average of 18.3 and ending average of 16.6. Today I had an awesome pull to Espada. The average at turnaround was 19.3 which is faster than ever. I got to Espada in 48 minutes a full 12 minutes than what I could do last year and 10 minutes faster than what I did last week. So I turn around thinking cool I'm going to get back home so quickly, but no! The wind was a bear! I was struggling like I was when we were going 23 miles an hour yesterday. By the time I got home I was at 15 so much less than the 19.3 that I had going to the halfway point.

This weekend, no problems with heart rate or blood pressure, but then UIL finished Wednesday and now we are working on what we need to finish the year.

Broken PRs - "Can Youuu Dig It?"

Multiple PRs broken today! Woo hoo, let's see if I can remember 'em all. First to the railroad tracks by division south of town PR by 3 minutes in 31. Then PR by 5 minutes to San Jose in 42. Then I got to Espada or 17 miles by 58 PR by two minutes I think. Made it to the 21 spot by 1:15 or 1:16. Took some salt at 30 then turned around at the Valero on 181. Back at the Missions I hit 50 in 2:55 and then hit 52 in 3:00. Finished 64.5 in 3:48 Nice! Final average including cooldown 16.9. Maximum average out to San Jose 18.6 Dainnngguh. Average to 17 or Espada 18.3. All this with a bit of a strained calf from Thursday nights speed fest.

So Where the Heck Am I

Well, I'm further than I was during February! I knew I hadn't ridden a whole lot during February because of church, family and school obligations, but dainguh! Ok here I am in the second week of March and I've already ridden twice as much as I did in Feb! Hilarious how life just has its own way of reorganizing what we've planned. For March right now I'm at 176+ and my total for Feb. was 82.5.

Jan/Feb Totals: Bike 493.13 Miles in 34:50.58 Cross-Training Yoga 2:50

You're probably asking what's up with the Yoga. Well Yoga is good for the core and I needed help with that aspect of my training. My back had been giving me problems since before Christmas when I tweaked it moving decorations. Immediately after starting this Yoga program, in other words, three days my back was better. Oddly enough I had no trouble putting miles in on the bike. The stress on my back from the bike was different and not a problem.

I finally went with a computerized/online log! I'm using Active Trainer from the Active Network where one can sign up for races and events it's also endorsed by Cool Running http://www.coolrunning.com. Sorry, but I'm cheap! Hey I teach for a living so I try to give myself a break whenever I can. With the help of Active Trainer, see the link in the title of this article, I have been able to plan and track my workouts including cross training.

Very nice, but then I'm not coming from any other program except about twenty years ago I knew the guy who invented The Athlete's Diary, it was called, from http://www.stevenscreek.com (a guy that was one of the first members of the DRS see the link below and a friend - Steve Patt), but back then my computing capability was crap so I've been using hard copies. {Ok, I just have to give Steve some props - He has made it big and congratulations he has taken a little spreadsheet program from the 80s to the best computing tool for handhelds in the industry here in the 21st Century. His program is used by the likes of George Hincapie and Frankie Andreu since the late 90s and this is it "I knew Steve Patt when!" he was just running the trails around Stephen's Creek!}. One of these days I'm going to buy everything he sells for my iPhone or Palm. I just need to upgrade my phone first! Amazing athletic calculators and race timing software. No longer a program that fits on a computer in your Volkswagen Combi, but an app on your iPhone or palm and for less than a hundred bucks! Please!

This past year I spent quite a bit of time tracking my workouts on a few sites: FitDay http://www.fitday.com/ (great diet help with the food log to help you become aware of all the crap we ingest); The President's Challenge http://thepresidentschallenge.org/ (great source of motivation - I got the Gold by the time October came around and the president's sig on a certificate); and besides my blogs I used an application in Facebook called Fit-Ify http://www.facebook.com/ (Can you say top-ten world-wide from all the users on FB amazing motivation). Some records were still kept in some other form of storage because of limitations of the programs used.

So I had been reading up on tri-drs (Dead Runners Society - Triathlon) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Runners_Society since it is Spring Break and there is TIME! Well, it got me thinking about my totals, plus if my friend Kathy Morgan comes to my site to read I wanted to have something for her to read.

Venuto's 8 reasons you fall off the wagon and my thoughts on them :-)

I post this not to just rationalize, but to try to figure out why I gained 13 pounds and blew weight and shape goals. Cycling goals were all achieved and then some! (Italics indicate what I typed to come to the conclusions that I did).


--- On Tue, 1/27/09, Burn The Fat Newsletter tomvenuto@burnthefat.net; wrote:

From: Burn The Fat Newsletter tomvenuto@burnthefat.net;
Subject: 8 reasons you fall off the wagon

==============================================
BURN THE FAT - Fat Burning Tips Newsletter
Brought to you by Tom Venuto & www.burnthefat.com
=============================================
THE 8 REASONS:

1. NO FOCUS: you didn't set goals, you didn't put
your goals in writing, and or you didn't stay focused on your goals
daily (by reading them, affirming them, looking at a vision board, etc.)

I did all of the above - the way my log book was organized the goals are in your face every week and everyday. Log by Joe Friel.

2. NO PRIORITIES: you may have set a goal, but you didn't put
it on or near the top of your priorities list. For example,
your goal is six pack abs, but drinking beer and eating
fast food on the weekend is higher on your priorities list than
having a flat stomach.

This is probably it my goal stated eat appropriately to recover, but then I kept on eating like that. Turbulence Training says don't worry how you eat during the workout or immediately after and even the first meal after the workout, but then after that you go back to eating nutritiously. I have incorporated more fish and seafood for more Omega 3s and such - but there were still times when I ate to endulge! Crap!

3. NO SUPPORT SYSTEM: you tried to go at it alone; no buddy
system, training partners, family, spouse, friends, mentors
or coaches to turn to for information and emotional support
when the going got tough.

Plenty of Buddies, plenty of clubs I regularly workout with, family, friends, mentors and coaches.

4. NO ACCOUNTABILITY - you didn't keep score for your
own accountability - with a progress chart, weight record,
measurements, food journal, training journal, and you
didn't set up external accountability (ie, report to someone else
or show your results to someone else).

Ehnnn! FitDay.com did the food log and weight record, had my training journal, my blog, shared my results with others although not specifically about weight except for Joe - though.

5. NO PATIENCE: you were only thinking short term and had
unrealistic expectations. You expected 10 pounds a week or
5 pounds a week or 3 pounds a week, so the first week you
lost "only" 1 or 2 pounds or hit a plateau, you gave up.

Nah, I was trying to eat to recover and to stay out of starvation mode though. Getting used to eating enough without going overboard is a fine art that I'm yet to succeed in doing.

6. NO PLANNING: you winged it. You walked into the gym
without having a workout in hand, on paper, you didn't
plan your workouts into your weekly schedule; you
didn't have a menu on paper, you didn't make time (so instead
you made excuses, like "I'm too busy").

Ehnn! I had the whole year planned, just didn't race as much as I wanted because that costs money and I already spend a bunch on the bikes.

7. NO BALANCE: your diet or training program was too
extreme. You went the all or nothing, "I want it now"
route instead of the moderate, slow-and-steady wins the race route.

This could be part of it in the Summer because I did some intense training at the time. But I sure enjoyed all those high numbers and getting to second place on the top ten on FaceBook world wide is something I'll remember forever!

8. NO PERSONALIZATION: your nutrition or training program
was the wrong one for you. It might have worked for someone
else, but it didn't suit your schedule, personality,
lifestyle, disposition or body type.

I did eat for my Body Type, it did suit my schedule, it did suit my type "a"ness, it did suit my lifestyle and I'm a little confused on my disposition. My training program has worked for me for a long time since it's a combo of Triathlon and cycling training with components from Joe Friel, Rod Cedaro, Tom Venuto, Graeme at Cyclo-Club, Coach Levi and Dr. Gabe Mirkin with stuff from RoadbikeRider.com thrown in.

I ate enough to recover well, but kept on eating like that as if I had a license to eat to my heart's (belly's) content! I fell short on weight-accountability although I may be living a self-fulfilling prophecy for my General Practitioner Dr. Franks since he says people my age don't lose weight and aren't able to succeed again on a previous weight-loss. Balance was also a shortcoming balance in nutrition and training load during the Summer and then again the same in the fall when training is reduced. Turbulence Training says be more active and then look at some more ways to be more active. I do need to do more weight-bearing exercise to counter-act the effect of the low-impact of cycling on my bones and soft-tissue. Bring back the nightly walk with my Bride and Brinks the Dog and do a run here and there for good measure. "And that's all I'm gonna say about that!" Forrest Gump

So there you have it - 8 reasons why most people to fall
off the wagon! Have you been making these mistakes? If so, the
solutions are clear and simple:
focus, prioritize, get support, be accountable, be patient,
plan, balance and personalize.

PS Feedback or comments about this weeks newsletter? Post
on the blog at: http://www.BurnTheFatBlog.com

Cut It's a Wrap

Well, by the Monday the Kiddos were back I had amassed 2000 miles for the Summer since the day after they were gone. I attempted seven 100 milers this Summer and was successful in about five. I was extremely succesful in my last two in which I burned up the asphalt on the way down to Pleasanton. Both were all time PRs and Season's Best for 100 miles. The first was a PR by 40 minutes or so finishing the 100 in 6:20. I was encouraged and attempted it again the day before I went back to work and knocked off another 34 minutes finishing the 100 in 5:46 Ouch I broke 6 hours! Felt really good about those accomplishments and intend to try a randonee next Summer. Anyone want to sponsor me?

So I finished my mileage by the end of October plus the bikes are in dire need of a mechanic so the log book says to work out at something else and I am and will till the bikes are out of the shop and see if I can continue those run workouts during the regular cycling season. I hope so, cuz I need something to get the fat off! I'm running big - so I started another blog called Trifathlete del Sur. Check it out! http://trifathletedelsur.blogspot.com


For the Record I earned a National Presidential Champions award in Bronze, Silver and Gold. Currently working on the Platinum, but that's not going to happen since it takes about ten times the point totals needed for gold. Crazy, yes, but not that crazy! I love my wife and want to keep it that way! Peace out!

"In the Year Two Thousand" Falsetto from C. O'Brien

So before I get back to work full-time I'm checking out the log to see where I'm at for the Summer and come to find out that I'm less than 200 miles away from 2000 miles since May a little over two months.

By the time Sunday is done I'm down to 120 something left to hit Dos Mil Millas! So like a big dog I'm telling everyone that I know that I'm really close to 2000 miles for the Summer.

Right then the skies drop out. Major downpour for our area with no let-down in sight! First ride of the week, actually first rides are Thursday. I hit it hard in the AM, but end up with less than 20 at 16.6. So then that evening after working all day I go easy and just chill for 22 something at a sleazy-easy pace. (Ha! but I still managed to pass a couple of the slow groups on the group ride that I was thirty minutes late for but did not go faster than 13.3).

So now on Friday I realize I have 80 something to log to reach the goal when during the afternoon meeting again the bottom falls out of the sky. One of my buddies after the meeting says, "How you gonna do 80 something in this? and I'm like, "Very carefully!" Knowing fully that I'll probably be late for the 2000 miles. So the ground is saturated and I still have to log fifty plus on Saturday, but that is doubtfull and also 30 on Sunday which is totally doable, but I have no idea what the weather is going to do. Pahn Pahn Pahn! Tune in next to see if he accomplishes his 2000 mile Goal before the Chillin' come back to school.

Speaking of school I don't know when I can do the bike club with the kids because M,T,W,TH are all taken with other stuff and I don't want to do Friday because it is sacred between my wife and I and the date must go on!

100 On a lark part Deux

So I go out Sunday with my original club riders, the cycle logic gang, am as confident as I can possibly be, but unfortunately get dropped like a hot potato. Mind you with these guys this had never happened so I was not accustomed to telling the guys y'all go ahead without me I'll do my own ride. Ha! When we got to the wall it was all I could do to get up the darn thing. But there were the guys and all of a sudden I'm in front because they took the longer scenic route. At the time I turned off from their ride I was third in the group, but that didn't mean much because I was the one that got dropped earlier. So I'm feeling totally dejected and go ahead and do the Sunday church thing and get charged up.

The next day, Monday the lark visits again and I decide to go to Pleasanton again and take a different route that is less traveled, but should still give me 100 miles with less time spent on the chip seal shoulder that 281 offers.

Weather conditions are different than last time when the wind was 25 MPH. This time the wind was at 5 to 12 MPH from the South. I take a different tack than last time also. Rather than busting my butt going South I decide to just keep a decent pace not too hard and not too easy. I actually was going by feel rather than by sprocket.

I still get down there in about three hours which is alright, but I'm not wasted like I was last time. The portion of chip seal shoulder was still a pain in the butt, but it seemed to go a lot faster. I still only stopped three times and drenched myself for the cooling effect every time.

I basically fly home even better than the time before. I ended up doing 17.3 MPH with a maximum average of 20 MPH. Like I said I was flying! Total time for my best 100 PR and season PR 5:46 minutes.

What this tells me is that yes I may get dropped in the short ride going really fast, but I can sustain in the long ride going a moderate pace in comparison. Yes it's still a hard core pace for me, but it got me there and back in the least amount of time.

This was three days before I had to be back at work and served as a dedication to school starting up and I did it my way and ended the Summer on a positive.

Speaking of positive another PR for the Summer is in the works.

100 Miler on a Lark

So I'm supposed to meet Chris South of town for a ride, I'm running late and when I get there no Chris so I decide let's see what it's like to go to Pleasanton since the wind is vigorously out of the South at 10 to 25 miles an hour this would be a good time to fight the wind on the way out and then fly home. I still hold out hope to run in to Chris somewhere on the route and averaged 17.4 on the way South.

Since I decided to head even further South I was taking a route I didn't really know. So I go out this route that gmaps says is there and come to find out it is not. I end up in a dead end by this farmers field with this farmer on a tractor giving me "such a look!" So I figured out another way to get there by spending a little bit of time on the access then hitting the road I was looking for in the first place.

As the morning goes on the rolling hills become harder and harder and fighting the wind all this way doesn't seem as fun. By the time I get to Pleasanton I think I was pushing 13.5 or something ridiculously slow. But then...we always have the way home to look forward to enjoying.

I must have looked a little ragged when I got down there, and because I mentioned something about making it back to SA before night-fall to the cashier of the Chevron I stopped at for refreshments and a bite. Then all of a sudden there's a paramedic that's into cycling talking to me to make sure I was OK. He was very smooth and non-chalant, but I wonder if that cashier called him to come by and see if I was OK :-) Found from this guy that there's no bike shop in
P-ton and that they drive 100 miles round-trip when they need to buy bike supplies tubes and cartridges and such! He finally said goodbye and I took off home.

I believe this is just like as Christians we are saved and even though we're suffering now we have the rest of time to look forward to enjoying in the presence of God. Yeah, fighting a 25 MPH wind is tough, but flying with that same wind on the way back will be a breeze. Pa duhm puhm!

Those rollers I experienced on the way South became undulations and nothing more. I told a friend, "flying up a hill at 24 MPH is an experience I will always remember!" And all the pain in my feet and other places became a distant memory.

By the time I got home I averaged 16.6 overall for the whole 100! I had no idea I would get the best time in a 100 miler ever. I started feeling like Super Man! Started to think the laws of physics didn't apply! Ha! Nevertheless, I ended up finishing in 6:20 minutes which is pretty good for me.

Previous attempts this Summer had me at that length of time at 74 miles, two weeks later 94 in an even loner time and then just two weeks later I was at 88 in that amount of time. Sometimes everything works out great and other times it's just a struggle and never gets better.

Oil spill ruling leaves Alaska victims stunned

I don't normally get into politics and economic issues here, but this is a travesty of justice and no Exxon has not paid for the damage. 3 Billion by their estimates spent on clean-up. Bologna!

That ecosystem is not back - life there has been altered for ever. I'm sure big business feels good about this, but heck what's a quarter's profit to big business. Nothing! With the latest oil prices these guys are making money hands over fists! The poor fisherman is left with peanuts!

Big business may think that the average consumer has forgotten about this, and this is how it relates to my cycling because I have not forgotten - since the Valdez fiasco I only pee and poo in an Exxon. I don't buy stuff there. I haven't been to an Exxon since this happened years ago to buy anything: no gas, no snacks, nothing! I have run the risk of running out of gas in order to avoid an Exxon and I can sleep at night!

I say let's boycott Exxon, renew our committment to our fellow citizens in Alaska! Justice Souter is wrong! You can't put a price on the environment and an ecosystem!

Exxon Gas Sucks - Ride a Bike!

Training Update

Just finished with May and I'm only a couple of weeks behind on where I'm supposed to be for the year. Mileage is somewhere over 1500. I'm having to do my well-known rides or just use gmaps pedometer to figure out my mileage because unfortunately a few weeks ago my computer was run-over by a few cars before I found it. Anyone have a cateye type II wireless computer sitting around collecting dust?

New Stuff

Well, I tried out the new to me mavic wheels and they have worked out great! Excepting the blow out yesterday, but that's what I get for running a tire past its prime.

I was gifted with Spurs Giftcard and the very next day Performance had a 20% off sale so I went right away and bought the airstrykes I was looking to get. Now all I have to do is get my body used to the low profile position again since it's been 2.5 years. They are working quite well and look forward to using them on one of these really windy days.

I actually had a couple of guys stop and compliment the new bike. A quality litespeed titanium steed is recognizable and I thank God. Found out the bike is from 97. I thought it was older than that, cool huh!? It turns out it was only ridden/raced for two years in 97/98. It should last a very long time and I'm blessed.

C'est Tout - The rest is gravy!

Well, 20 days later and I should hit four thousand miles on today's ride. I'm just a little gunshy since it's 28 degrees outside. I'll probably still get going here in a bit. The rest of the miles for the year are gravy and I look forward to putting in some long miles on the Litespeed these next two weeks. I was gifted with some mavic wheels yesterday and will need to test 'em out later this week. I want to do it today, but there are still things to do and that would take time. The litespeed titanium steed is officially mine thank you Santa. It's in crit setup right now and for a little added comfort I want to get it to a TT setup. Anyone have some airstrykes sitting around? Again I just can't see myself putting an old pos aerobar on a brandspanking bike so I will wait to get the right gear to make it right! No word on the Caloi frame, all warranties say no satisfaction because of events this year. But that's alright because I now own a better bike. Il est un bon Dieu! Saw National Treasure last night, very exciting! Happy Christmas to everyone!