I just thought it was a better title the "days of our lives"!!!
I just thought I would give an upate to what is happening out here. I am back into full swing at work. 2007 is pretty much planned out and it seems we have lost one of our players. My buddy from work as choosen to work for the "Dark-Side" and is moving his family to AZ. He will be greatly missed. We had a mean daily pool game going in in our break room. He beat me 4 games to 2 in our final champion round. It was great working with him. His wife was close to K as well and they hung out alot. I guess it is good they are moving to AZ so we can visit...plus it is a small world in collections. Other then that, work is great. I will be going to Europe in 2 weeks to make the rounds. Then once I get back.....it's back on the bike for some intense training. Speaking of Bikes::::
I have been out every Saturday...I even went out on Monday MLK day. That was where I took on Sierra Road. (There is an article in Bike magazine that talks about America's 100 best climbs.....Mt Hamilton and Sierra road represented for Cali and they are both right down the road from the house. Back to the ride...this was a monster hill.. By far the most difficult of all my rides. You are flat all the way to the base of the hill, you make a right turn and....WHAMMY. It's like a wall. I felt like turning back and trying it another day, but all I could think about was this old guy on the top of Mt Hamilton he told me he used to ride Sierra Rd. in his youth and it puts Hamilton to shame. I thought I had to at least try. I was standing on my pedals by 1/4 of a mile into it. My heart was pounding at 186 bpm and I was moving along at about 5 mph. I finally found a good pace and made it about half way from what it looked like and pulled over. There was no turning back now. Once the heart rate dropped some I was back on. It was crazy trying to clip in where I stopped since the grade was 13%. I kept diggin. Now the two lane road turned into one lane type you see on the top of Alp'de whatever in France. It is not a very long hill compared to others I have been on...only about 5K. I was inspired by all the signs on the pavement where there had been other races in the past. The challenge is that there are no flats or 3-4% grades where you can recover some. I finally made it to the top and decided to go up and over the back side. Looking at the mountains around me I was at the highest spot and I knew it would be all downhill back to the valley. In total it was about a 35 mile loop from my house... I will do it again on 2/17 when they do a "mock" tour de California ride before the real riders come in on 2/21. I will be on the hill both of those days.
I went riding yesterday and I was in a funk. I could not get going. I don't know if it was the wind or this new bib I was wearing. I hated it. I bought a size too small and it cut off all my circulation in all the wrong places. I made my planned 55 miler into a 35 mile loop since I was not feeling well. These guys came by and asked if I wanted to ride with them at about mile 25. I said sure. I knew on any given Sunday I could hang with them...but not today, every downstroke with my right leg felt like my "bizznets" were going to explode. The toasted me....they even waited for me since we were all going back to the same place. Talk about frustrating. I did find an weird riding position (standing up) where I was not in too much pain so I thought I would be able to catch up to them in the hills.....not happening. I rumbled-bumbled and stumbled my way back to the house. I felt like a used rent-a-car. So if anybody is looking for a new biking bib...I will be selling one on eBay for a great price. I hope that was the reason to my pain.
K and I found a new spin class we are going to try out Tuesday night and that will be the test to make sure all my bits and pieces are still functioning.
Well...that's all I got for now. I am working from home tomorrow so it will be nice to kinda sleep in and work in my PJ's.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Sunday, January 07, 2007
There and Back again...by Bilbo Baggins
Well, Just thought I would give a re-cap on my trip back home. It seems like a blur so I wil try and make it as clear as I can.
12/25
We had Christmas here at home in San Jose and that was nice. We had thought about spending it with the Beechers but it would have been too much to lug all our stuff down there. So the plan was to just surprise the kids and tell them that we were going on the day of. So...we save the announcement for the grand finale and the kids were like.."awww we want to play with our stuff"..then once they thought about playing with their stuff and the Beechers together....it was not hard to get them in the car. We took 2 cars down to the Beechers since K was going to stay with Christine for a few days on the return trip. We made good time and it was a long day. We hung w/ Chris and Christine that night and watched the kids challenge each-other in a "friendly" game of Scene-it. It was good to hang with Chris and I wish it could have been longer since they are heading up north to Portland for a job transfer. But I guess we will hang come Biking season.
12/26
It was a mistake to think we could just wake up and drive to AZ in 5 hours on the day after Christmas. It seemed everybody else has the same idea and we were all on the road at the sametime. It took us a little over 3 hours to get from Simi V to Palm Springs. Bumper to bumper all the way. It was crazy. The kids were crazy...and fast food was getting old. We finally rolled in around 8pm that night after more traffic when we got stuck behind an accident in PHX> It was nice to see mom and baby Heidi and Missy. Mom had some warm gulosh waiting for us and we chowed down. I think this leg of the trip was where my head cold compounded into head explosion. I wanted to ride the next day so I told myself I was fine....but I was dead.
12/27
I was called myself....or somebody called Kirk and I GOL's. (Gentlemen of Leisure). This was a true day of GOL. I did nothin but hang-out and sleep trying to kick my head cold. K took the kids to see their cousins and I just chilled all day. Watched some football, read some mags and slept some more. It was actually kinda nice. That night we had the annual white elophant exchange party over and grandmas house. We came away with nothin really. I tried to pawn off the "foam-o-nator" I had won to Ethan but somehow it ended up back at my Mom's house a few days later. (I told Kristin to leave it...but she thinks it will be fun in the summer???) Anyway, it was good to see all the cousins and I still can never tell Mathew and Michael apart.
12/28
I can't recall what we did this day. Ohh..We met up with the Beechers at Mattas. I was still getting over my sickness so it did not taste the same and I could not hold it down. The kids were running around the the garden room and we were asked by some snowbirds to keep them in check. I thought Christine was going to check them up against the boards if there had been some around. We met them later that night at the reception of Heather Brady. We also saw the Richardson's as well. Chris and I just hung in the corner watching to see if the Suns were going to beat the Mavricks...which they did not. Later that night we tried to think of something to do....but nothing really panned out.
12/29
Finally got back on my bike and I met up with Redivo and Chris. It was a great ride we took up the Bush and around fountain hills and back. We were movin on the way back. It took me 20 miles to get my head cleared out and I was good to go after that, I went to the Suns game later that night with my Brother. It was good to hang with him as we talked about everything. We caught two Suns shirts as they shot them out of the cannon's....I wonder what the odds were of that happening. It was a blow-out by the Suns but we had a great time...thanks J for hanging with me.
12/30
I went on another ride. This was a bit shorter...around 38 miles. I headed up Ursery pass and around the Salt River and back up Power road. It was a really nice loop. I felt pretty good on the ride. Later that day I had some Pete's Fish-n-chips. That never gets old.
12/31
We went to Church with my Mom. The kids thought it was cool that they did not go to sunday school or primary. I thought it was cool just hangin with Missy and Mom. Later that day we went to Mel's to hang with Tom and the family. They have a really nice place and it made me want to movie to AZ for a second. We celebrated New Years Eve at my Mom's place. K went to bed early and I stayed up with the boys. We went outside and threw some sparklers and made some noise. I have no doubt we woke up some of the folks in the 55+ community my mom lives in.
1/1
I rode the annual tortilla Flat ride with the AZ biking club. What a great ride. I was thinking I would be hitting some heavy hills however I found they were just anthills compared to what I ride out here. I did hit over 2000 ft of climbing but it was pretty spread out. The scenery was NICE.... Sunrise off the Superstition Mountains is one of a kind. I just hung with the main pack on the way there. On the way back I was off on my own for the first few miles when three dudes came by me thinking they were just passing another noob. Not this guy. I stood up and caught them and the caught my breath. There is alot more uphill on the way back and I felt a bit like Lance does in TDF when the mountain stages approach. I hung on the back of the last guy for about a mile when the two guys in front tried to increase the pace and shake me. One guy even stood up in an all out sprint...I let him go cause I knew he was going to crack...sure enough I see him 50 yards ahead flaming out. I kept a really nice spinners pace (thanks to YMCA) and soon I was the dictator. One guy dropped and just two were now on my wheel and I was setting the pace. I took it up to 175 beats a minute and just spun to see if they could hang. Another guy dropped about 1/4 of the mile to the summit and the last guy hung with me. At the top he said..."Nice pull"...and I could see the pain train I delt him. I too was in pain....but I felt great. They of-course killed me on the down-hill as I am still getting used to the new ride...but....did I mention I felt great. Anyway, I loved the ride. By far one of my top five. I will put it on motion based and download it for all to see....
1/2
The return was non-eventful. No traffic...No barkin from the dogs....and Momma cooked a breakfast with no hogg. I got back to San Jose that night and have been working since. No bike time yet....although I took it into the shop to get a tune-up and it is ready to go.....
That should get things caught up. I should get back out on the road next Saturday and hit the spin classes this week....
12/25
We had Christmas here at home in San Jose and that was nice. We had thought about spending it with the Beechers but it would have been too much to lug all our stuff down there. So the plan was to just surprise the kids and tell them that we were going on the day of. So...we save the announcement for the grand finale and the kids were like.."awww we want to play with our stuff"..then once they thought about playing with their stuff and the Beechers together....it was not hard to get them in the car. We took 2 cars down to the Beechers since K was going to stay with Christine for a few days on the return trip. We made good time and it was a long day. We hung w/ Chris and Christine that night and watched the kids challenge each-other in a "friendly" game of Scene-it. It was good to hang with Chris and I wish it could have been longer since they are heading up north to Portland for a job transfer. But I guess we will hang come Biking season.
12/26
It was a mistake to think we could just wake up and drive to AZ in 5 hours on the day after Christmas. It seemed everybody else has the same idea and we were all on the road at the sametime. It took us a little over 3 hours to get from Simi V to Palm Springs. Bumper to bumper all the way. It was crazy. The kids were crazy...and fast food was getting old. We finally rolled in around 8pm that night after more traffic when we got stuck behind an accident in PHX> It was nice to see mom and baby Heidi and Missy. Mom had some warm gulosh waiting for us and we chowed down. I think this leg of the trip was where my head cold compounded into head explosion. I wanted to ride the next day so I told myself I was fine....but I was dead.
12/27
I was called myself....or somebody called Kirk and I GOL's. (Gentlemen of Leisure). This was a true day of GOL. I did nothin but hang-out and sleep trying to kick my head cold. K took the kids to see their cousins and I just chilled all day. Watched some football, read some mags and slept some more. It was actually kinda nice. That night we had the annual white elophant exchange party over and grandmas house. We came away with nothin really. I tried to pawn off the "foam-o-nator" I had won to Ethan but somehow it ended up back at my Mom's house a few days later. (I told Kristin to leave it...but she thinks it will be fun in the summer???) Anyway, it was good to see all the cousins and I still can never tell Mathew and Michael apart.
12/28
I can't recall what we did this day. Ohh..We met up with the Beechers at Mattas. I was still getting over my sickness so it did not taste the same and I could not hold it down. The kids were running around the the garden room and we were asked by some snowbirds to keep them in check. I thought Christine was going to check them up against the boards if there had been some around. We met them later that night at the reception of Heather Brady. We also saw the Richardson's as well. Chris and I just hung in the corner watching to see if the Suns were going to beat the Mavricks...which they did not. Later that night we tried to think of something to do....but nothing really panned out.
12/29
Finally got back on my bike and I met up with Redivo and Chris. It was a great ride we took up the Bush and around fountain hills and back. We were movin on the way back. It took me 20 miles to get my head cleared out and I was good to go after that, I went to the Suns game later that night with my Brother. It was good to hang with him as we talked about everything. We caught two Suns shirts as they shot them out of the cannon's....I wonder what the odds were of that happening. It was a blow-out by the Suns but we had a great time...thanks J for hanging with me.
12/30
I went on another ride. This was a bit shorter...around 38 miles. I headed up Ursery pass and around the Salt River and back up Power road. It was a really nice loop. I felt pretty good on the ride. Later that day I had some Pete's Fish-n-chips. That never gets old.
12/31
We went to Church with my Mom. The kids thought it was cool that they did not go to sunday school or primary. I thought it was cool just hangin with Missy and Mom. Later that day we went to Mel's to hang with Tom and the family. They have a really nice place and it made me want to movie to AZ for a second. We celebrated New Years Eve at my Mom's place. K went to bed early and I stayed up with the boys. We went outside and threw some sparklers and made some noise. I have no doubt we woke up some of the folks in the 55+ community my mom lives in.
1/1
I rode the annual tortilla Flat ride with the AZ biking club. What a great ride. I was thinking I would be hitting some heavy hills however I found they were just anthills compared to what I ride out here. I did hit over 2000 ft of climbing but it was pretty spread out. The scenery was NICE.... Sunrise off the Superstition Mountains is one of a kind. I just hung with the main pack on the way there. On the way back I was off on my own for the first few miles when three dudes came by me thinking they were just passing another noob. Not this guy. I stood up and caught them and the caught my breath. There is alot more uphill on the way back and I felt a bit like Lance does in TDF when the mountain stages approach. I hung on the back of the last guy for about a mile when the two guys in front tried to increase the pace and shake me. One guy even stood up in an all out sprint...I let him go cause I knew he was going to crack...sure enough I see him 50 yards ahead flaming out. I kept a really nice spinners pace (thanks to YMCA) and soon I was the dictator. One guy dropped and just two were now on my wheel and I was setting the pace. I took it up to 175 beats a minute and just spun to see if they could hang. Another guy dropped about 1/4 of the mile to the summit and the last guy hung with me. At the top he said..."Nice pull"...and I could see the pain train I delt him. I too was in pain....but I felt great. They of-course killed me on the down-hill as I am still getting used to the new ride...but....did I mention I felt great. Anyway, I loved the ride. By far one of my top five. I will put it on motion based and download it for all to see....
1/2
The return was non-eventful. No traffic...No barkin from the dogs....and Momma cooked a breakfast with no hogg. I got back to San Jose that night and have been working since. No bike time yet....although I took it into the shop to get a tune-up and it is ready to go.....
That should get things caught up. I should get back out on the road next Saturday and hit the spin classes this week....
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