Ho-Hum Perfect Cali Weather

Feeling a bit better today.  Limiting my wheat intake may have helped, as possibly the poi I thawed last night.   Now I just need to not over do it after a ride.

Today's ride was alright, lots of hills but not the long ones I planned.  Unfortunatly the El Sereno dirt climb was too slippery for my road bike, so I aborted that and searched out a few Los Gatos area ascents. Otherwise the weather was perfect, 50-60's and cloudless.

http://app.strava.com/rides/212449

Crushed the Sierra Azul climb, a steep 13.6% 1/2 mile bastard in 3:28.  For my best VAM number yet of 1607.    I do okay on the shorties, but the long ones expose my decreased VO2 Max.

Warriors, Just Dominant

Hawaii is dismantling Idaho. It's 45-3. Shear dominance, I can't recall a Hawaii team this overwhelming. Atleast I have this to hang my hat on because it's been a bum trip of a week otherwise. My GI system has been a bloated mess, and has been affecting my riding, specifically my breathing (atleast I think). I have been riding slow up any hill requiring any sort of lung capacity. But I have more pressing medical issues on my plate, and have to take care of those. I get to have a needle plunged into my liver Friday to see if there's more crap going on in there. Even on today's ride up to Henry Coe Park this is what I had to say about this...

I'm sick of the never ending string of doctors office visits, and setting up more appointments for all my minor ailments seems trivial.   Especially when all I want to do is ride my frickin' bike! (It hasn't stopped me yet, and won't ever)

The Giants Win The Pennant!

It's going to be one of the Championships where I won't mind if either wins, because neither have won before. Actually if the Giants win the Bay Area might end up being too full of themselves...

One guy will get a World Series ring no matter what.  Lucky flabby bastard.
Name that Molina...

When It Rains It Pours

Hawaii just destroyed Utah St today 45-7. It wasn't even close, they allowed something like 150 total yards while gaining over 500. Moniz threw two bad passes in the first half, or it would have been worse. All this while there was a driving rainstorm which coincided with Hawaii running over the Aggies. Of note, Alex Green ran for 4 TD's the first time since 1995 when option QB Glenn Freitas did it against UNLV (sorry no pics available, the internet was still only in Al Gore's pants then) and he ran for 172 yards, wow.

I went on a harsh ride today. I think the ride I did yesterday took some power out of my legs, but I soldiered on. Up and down and up and... just check out strava
http://app.strava.com/rides/208485
I was fortunate the rain held out for the morning.  Got a decent ride in, this afternoon's been ugly, and tomorrow is supposed to be rainy.

So many people out driving this morning, just lame.  Where is everybody (not) going?

Misery Hates Company

I was up late last night as the Hawaii game went down to the wire, the good way (I would have been a bit bummed having stayed up past midnight if the Warriors lost). So I had a hard time dragging myself out of bed, because I'm not a late night person. I couldn't get going until 9 am (gast!). The weather didn't look pleasant but the weather reports said some light rain but nothing substantial. So I only bring (in addition to my normal kit), a pair of arm warmers, and a wind breaker. Fine if it's sprinkling and between 50 - 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

My plan was to set out to here...

Loma Prieta...epicenter of a certain geological event 23 years ago that postponed a baseball game.  God can be a bitch sometimes.

I wasn't going to the top, I was actually trying to generate a new strava climb segment for the rode up to the end of the pavement near 3000 feet elevation.  It's waaaayyy out in the boonies (for this area anyway), as there are lots of shutins, and crotchety old people who insist people suck enough to live as far away as possible without having to farm...  The bad news for them is dudes in tight pants and fluorescent shades love riding on these desolate low trafficked roads.

It took me about 1.5 hours to get to Old Soquel-San Jose road to the start of the climbing up to Loma Prieta (I already was up to 1528 ft elevation having climbing from Lexington Reservoir via Old Santa Cruz Highway...cyclists also like road called Old [road name here]).

About now the roads were damp and the drizzle was starting, but I was going uphill for the next 5 or so miles, no problem.  Up and up I went, there were a few locals and hikers in their cars (wimps), but I stay to the right  and ignore them.  It's not so bad until the end of Mt Bache, where I was regretting not having my 27 cog, then the last 3/4 of a mile of Loma Prieta was just a grind.  The rain was now falling, the roads were damp and I couldn't stand without spinning out my cheap tire mounted wheel.  I did make it, then realized, damn, I have to go back, and it's now raining, AND the clouds are in every direction.  I put my extra clothes on set out.  Descended a wet road for the first time in months, taking it relatively easy.  But I'm getting wetter and wetter. By the time I get back to Old SCruz highway I'm getting worried and COLD.  I tell myself to suck it up, thinking of yesterdays Giro d'Lombardia the whole time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpRNg8bIzIE

By the reservoir I was feeling awful and cross eyed.  Luckily all the fair weather walkers decided the weather was too unpleasant today to walk for a little while then reward themselves with a massive meal.  So it was clear sailing down the dirt path to Los Gatos as I hardly able to hold a straight line anymore.  Once I got onto the paved streets I got into angry "I'm sick of this" mode, and put the hammer down.  A light tailwind and tons of motivation led me to go into TT mode, even though I was feeling dreadful frozen and hypothermic (my jaw hurt as I clenched it to keep it from chattering).  I get home, put the wet bike on the balcony, tear my clothes off and take one blissfully grand 20 minute hot shower.

http://www.strava.com/rides/205022

Watching Man vs. Food I wonder how constipated Adam Richmond must be all the time.

Warriors WIN!!! Chee-hooo!

Suck it WAC defectors. Boise you're next!

Denzel at Macy's????

Saturday Night Live - Returns and Exchanges - Video - NBC.com

My mom might like this one, if her computer can play it.

Too Much

Too much to talk about, not enough impetus to care to talk about it. That and I ate too much after my CT/PET scan at UCSF.  I wasn't even all that hungry even after fasting for 18 hours.  The location of the scanning building is China Basin, across the street from Willie Mays!

Good thing the Giants won Monday night in Atlanta, or this place would have been a sea of people, and possibly no parking with a game tonight.

I actually took Tuesday of from riding to ensure the scan was valid, as sore muscles induce glucose uptake.  The point of the PET scan is to identify any suspicious glucose activity after the injection of a radiative glucose tracer.  The last two have been clear, but this one was to check on me post radiation therapy.  Then hopefully no massive doses of radiation (CT scans are like 4000 x-rays, at once) for 6 months, and hell my insurance hopes so too....

It's also been very summer like the past few days.  My cyclometer maxed at 96.6 deg F in the shade. Couple that with a full stomach and you got some major nauseous riding this afternoon.  I still managed to KOM a hill that someone had beaten me a few weeks ago in.  Also hit my highest heart rate since the treatments at 172 bpm, boy did that hurt, but it felt good.  My left leg cramping up didn't.  I can't wait for it to cool off a little, 55 degrees is so nice.

Just digits to me.

Actually 101010 is 42. Har Har Har....

I feel I am slowly progressing.  Still basking in the Fresno St demolition at the hands of the Warriors last, my legs weren't feeling all that chipper this morning.  I ignored it and headed out to the mountains.  Had to traverse the always obnoxious Lexington dam path with the hundreds of early morning weekend warriors who probably just go to a buffet and waste the 200-300 calories they burned walking in the dirt.  Along the paved dam road a strange event occurred.   So many bugs here and one flies into my mouth, and OUCH! Spit a bee out then spit the stinger into my hand.  Oh great, thankfully I don't get much of a reaction to bee stings (I'm awesome like that...superior genetics)  While it stung for a while I trudge on, and up Old Santa Cruz highway at a decent but still below my desired pace.  I continue up to Bear Creek, help out a lost driver, and decide to go to Boulder Creek. I figure I had the time.  Uneventful from here, just me plugging away, with my bent dérailleur hanger not allowing me to go below my 53X15 (junior gearing?).

Here's my ride on the awesome Strava app: http://www.strava.com/rides/200101#

I say awesome too much. But not as much as the Miz (I need that shirt)

Hawaii Kicking Arse....

and Triathlon still is lame.

Know who's not lame.

GREG SALAS, freaking stud.  I guess growing up in Chino, CA makes you tough as nails.

Hawaii 49 Fresno 20 , Sweet baby jesus!

Triathlon is boring...Cycling Rules

Today was the Giro d'Emilia, and some silly race with tank tops, handlebar mounted water bottles, the occasional dork running in compression socks, and another guy with sponges jammed down his sleeveless speedo. Watching that was excruciatingly boring, no matter how much the live video announcers tried to pump it up.

The Giro d'Emilia on the other-hand, awesomeness...

Giants Win!

Sad But True

Europe According to the United States of America (by alphadesigner)