Hotlanta

This weekend we have a couple big races.

It is important that I ride prior to big races (well, all races but especially big races!) otherwise I will be mostly worthless.

I am in Atlanta. It is hared to ride when I am in Atlanta cause I am supposed to be at work.

And, I have to be there early in the morning.

And, I am usually tired and hungry and in need of a beer
by the time work is over.

But, I have a team and I have to train so I can race well.

So I went to my handy Atlanta Group Rides web page and
found a group ride both yesterday and today.

I find it easier to push myself on group rides.

I think the groups no the safest roads to ride.

I like to be safe.

The group rides start at 6pm

6:00 PM

Partly Cloudy 99°F

100°F

7:00 PM

Partly Cloudy 97°F

99°F

99• feels like 100•
97• feels like 99•

It just felt HOT!

But I am thinking about how cool it is going to feel this weekend!

Weekend Forecast for Yolo, CA

Friday Aug 17 Sunny High 93°F Low 57°F Precip: 0% Wind: WSW at 8 mph UV Index: 9 Very High Humidity: 33% Sunrise: 6:22 AM Sunset: 7:59 PM Sunny skies. High 93F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.

Saturday 18 Sunny High 92°F Low 57°F Precip: 10% Wind: WSW at 10 mph UV Index: 9 Very High Humidity: 33% Sunrise: 6:23 AM Sunset: 7:58 PM close details Sunny. Highs in the low 90s and lows in the upper 50s.

Backward Posting

These pictures are from a hike we took the day after the District Criterium Championships in Minden. Which was before the next post about our trip to Puerta Vallarta...which was before the following post when I spent three days flying in and out of La Guardia (did you read it with the accent? La Gwadia) to include the day I spent 14 hours in the cockpit because of weather....aarrghhhh.

Anyway, this is the Loch Leven Lake trail near Tahoe. It was a wonderful hike (thanks for the suggestion Tony!). It was easy to get to the trailhead and then about a two hour walk to the upper lake. There are more pictures here.

Sleep, Eat, Margarita, Nap, ...

Margarita, Eat, Nap, Margarita, Eat, Wine, Sleep....Repeat x 5

OK, so maybe we did a few other things...
like read,
and swim,

Oh, yeah
we went to Old Town
and La Zona Romantica
...did a little shopping and
had a nice dinner.

And,

one day
we went out on a boat where we
ate and drank margaritas and snorkeled...actually we snorkeled first then drank margaritas. The order didn't seem so important then but now I see the logic in it...

We saw the ARCH from
the boat on the way
to the little town of Yelapa

and once we got to Yelapa
we hiked (a very short hike)
up a trail to see a waterfall

and we
sat on the
beach and
drank ice
cold beers
from
Fanny's...
not exactly
Phanny
but close enough that I bought a shirt!

And we thought this was
a funny scene...

...packing out all the essentials,
but mostly soda!


More pictures here.

Guess Where I Went?

This is an easy one.

Stockton Interview

OK, so it isn't much of an interview...but it is coolio as oV would say.

Welcome to the Track

I finally made it down to Hellyah.

It was timed event day. No mass starts.

I borrowed myself a Felt and headed that direction.

I thought I was going to do an open training session after the timed events. But, it looked like everyone was having so much fun I had to join in. Good thing too, I left at 4pm and they still hadn't gotten to the Team Pursuit (really wanted to do that...bummer).

I got to do the 500, the kilo and the 3k.

When he said go on the 500, it was the first time I ever did a standing start sprint on a track bike. Shoot, for all practical purposes today was the first time I rode a track bike...period.

I had a good time.

I mean I enjoyed myself...my times, well let's just say I left some room for improvement.

I hope I have time to do some mass starts this year. I was out of town the good weekend (no local crit), this Saturday would have been perfect but it was Junior State Championships and I think my Saturdays are spoken for the next several weeks. Ah well, we'll see how it turns out.

A quick plug for the sponsors:

Have you seen the Sugar billboard on 101N with the cyclists?

Moto-moto-vate me

De-de-hydrate me!

95º....you gotta be whackin' me,
on the Peninsula?
at least it is a dry heat,
because it is not the heat that
hurts, it's the humidity...

...but I've had worse! I recall days over in the sandbox when my Polar read 118º. That was a dry heat. Just couldn't carry enough water on those days. Of course I didn't go riding in the middle of the day. I tried to get in a quick ride just as the sun was coming up when it was still in the low 90's.

Why in the world do I have to motorpace at NOON?

Wouldn't it be cooler in the AM?

'Cause that is when the scooter is going to show up. At least I have a scooter to pace with. If you don't have a scooter and driver here are some drafting tips. I am not sure I would do this though. Drafting behind someone not specifically out there for you sounds a little too dangerous for me. It's bad enough when they know and want you back there!

Why do I have to motorpace at all? It is supposed to be good for improving bike handling at high speeds and improving top end speed and good for the track.

I think it is also a mental thing for me. If I can hang on to the scooter going up and down the hills on Canada I should be able to hang on anyone's wheel pretty much anywhere...right?

And isn't the idea to be behind the scooter?

Three laps on Canada:
1.a. Behind scooter to warm-up (did I mention it's 95º)
1.b. In the wind on signal, recover behind scooter

2.a. Paceline with scooter, change on signal
2.b. See 2.a.

3.a. Behind scooter
3.b. Go home, you are red and tired and it is hot and I am sorry I ran over your full water bottle after you dropped it and squished all the juice out.

I finally figured out how to lose 5 pounds in an hour. I also figured out that vodka and wine are not the proper rehydration liquids. I am trying coffee now. I'll let you know how it goes!

Track Frame Possibility

We'll see...

They arrive next week...one could be mine!

And, it is black, all black!



UPDATE:
After oVs comment
I checked out Fetish Cycles

The ATTACK

Looks nice...I guess it is hard
to tell from a picture though.

And, lots of people make nice frames.



I uploaded this picture
not because it is a nice
track frame
(you'll notice it is a TT frame)
but because I thought it looked
pretty damn sexy...

and the bike looks nice too.