On the road: Last week I was able to get in 3 days of riding. My first 100+ week. Beecher has put in 7 or 8 of them. I got my work cut out still if I want to hang for 200. I got out today for another 25 and it felt nice. Saturday, I found a new route that was behind my house in the flat lands. I found a nice road hwy 87 with a "kinda" bike lane that took me to Coolidge. It was not that bad except for the wind. Also, they had 'Country thunder' in the area so there was a ton of traffic. I got in about 55 miles. Not too bad.
The real reason I am bloggin today is to dump my frustration out after game one. It was really a great game....but to lose the way they did......MAMA SITA. I was in agony...totally depressed that night as we went to the D-Backs game....which they won....take that all you Padre Fans. I knew their total domination of the game could not last... Typical Suns fashion. Coach Mike D'Antoni can't seem to put a team away. Great regular season coach. It's play-offs baby. Coach Pop or even Sloan would go Ape-Poop if their team allowed for this. So many chances....too many to name.......Dingo dung. I still have faith. Suns actually played well for most of the game. This series will go 6 games. Suns will prevail. If they don't...I am taking my son out to the court and teaching him how to fall down when somebody sneezes on you. Might be the only way to win championships by the time he gets to that age. The least it will get you is a 6th man of the year award :) It's too bad. I can see why people don't like soccer at times....all the acting. Now it is beginning to spill onto the B-Ball court. Darn you Vladi Divac for introducing the flop. Now even Kurt "Denzel" Thomas is doing it. (Notice he never did it last year while he was w/ the Suns). OK....no more bashing the Spurs. I tried to like them for all the years that we lived there...but the crying after each "no-call" and the flops convinced me otherwise. I will be at my sons Baseball game tommrw night......My hope is to get back in the car and hear Al McCoy say..."Suns tied up the series and they are coming back to Phx". We will see.......
Anyway...more to come....
Monday, April 21, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
On the road again...kinda
Well,
I thought I would let all know that I am officially back on the road. I have put in three weeks of consistent rides so I feel like I am on the right track....and can say I honestly "ride".
Last week I rode the Tour De Phx. It is a 75 mile course that winds in my old stomping grounds as well as close to where I work. So I was very familiar w/ the area. I met Dan, who once rode this course as a cat1-2 pro (when it was 100 miles he finished under 4:30) a few years back and he was pumped to be riding it again. All in, there were about 1000 riders. I knew the first 20-30 miles would be fast. We took off, and the next thing I knew, Dan dropped me in the first 2 miles. We were avg. about 26 mph for the first 20 miles. It was flat and intense. I was just gripping and holding on. I later discovered the disadvantage I had riding in a race like this using a compact crank. I felt like I needed 2-3 more bigger gears. I was spinning in my biggest gear pretty fast. I also discovered something a week later, riding in my biggest gear caused my chain to become stiff and there was no oil on these cogs. Enough excuses..? Did I mention I had a wooden leg?? Anyway, after about mile 25...we hit Shea blvd which is right by my work and I hit a wall. Yep...that freakin wall...at only mile 25??? I think going so fast hanging w/ a group that I really should not have been with...burnt me out. I know I had another 50 to go....so I regrouped w/ a slower paceline going up Shea hill. I actually did well going up hill and dropped the group I was in and caught up with the lady...I know...wheel sucking on a girl...but she was a beast there are no laws when the wind is in your face. (I actually did get out in front of her and let her hang on to the top)...but she did a ton of work. The next 20 or so miles were really uneventful. It was the last 10 that takes you up Ursury Hill. I thought I did ok here as well. We joined up with the 26 mile racers here so it was a big group of us movin up the hill. Down hill after that and into the finish line. My goal was to finish under 4 hours...where I actually came in +9 min of that. I will take that I guess considered my wooden leg and all. My neck of course acted up again and I need to see if the LBS can do anything about how I sit on the bike before the STP. All in I was ok with the ride. I will ride it again next year and have a goal to finish under 3:30.
I got out on a few lunch rides and also yesterday...where I tweaking w/my bike some and discovered my chain issues. Once I cleaned them and oiled them up...I felt really strong. Not sure if it was the chain, me or the cleaning acting like a placebo...but I felt really good on my 35 miler yesterday. I fear I need to put in more miles on Saturdays if I want to hang w/ the "Beast" Beecher come this summer. My goal is to ride at least three times a week from here on out. I will keep readers updated. Also, for those of you who don't know, I am signed up for the STP (Seattle to Portland) ride in the summer. 200 miles in one day. Freakin nutz I know....but that is my only goal this year. I will also ride the Tour de tucson at the end of the year to close it out...goal is to beat last years time by 45 min. (this means fewer stops and of course faster pace)
Well...that is about it. I look forward to watching Western Conf play-offs in the next week and the Sun is beginning to wram up the pool....perhaps some swimming to strengthen up my core.
I thought I would let all know that I am officially back on the road. I have put in three weeks of consistent rides so I feel like I am on the right track....and can say I honestly "ride".
Last week I rode the Tour De Phx. It is a 75 mile course that winds in my old stomping grounds as well as close to where I work. So I was very familiar w/ the area. I met Dan, who once rode this course as a cat1-2 pro (when it was 100 miles he finished under 4:30) a few years back and he was pumped to be riding it again. All in, there were about 1000 riders. I knew the first 20-30 miles would be fast. We took off, and the next thing I knew, Dan dropped me in the first 2 miles. We were avg. about 26 mph for the first 20 miles. It was flat and intense. I was just gripping and holding on. I later discovered the disadvantage I had riding in a race like this using a compact crank. I felt like I needed 2-3 more bigger gears. I was spinning in my biggest gear pretty fast. I also discovered something a week later, riding in my biggest gear caused my chain to become stiff and there was no oil on these cogs. Enough excuses..? Did I mention I had a wooden leg?? Anyway, after about mile 25...we hit Shea blvd which is right by my work and I hit a wall. Yep...that freakin wall...at only mile 25??? I think going so fast hanging w/ a group that I really should not have been with...burnt me out. I know I had another 50 to go....so I regrouped w/ a slower paceline going up Shea hill. I actually did well going up hill and dropped the group I was in and caught up with the lady...I know...wheel sucking on a girl...but she was a beast there are no laws when the wind is in your face. (I actually did get out in front of her and let her hang on to the top)...but she did a ton of work. The next 20 or so miles were really uneventful. It was the last 10 that takes you up Ursury Hill. I thought I did ok here as well. We joined up with the 26 mile racers here so it was a big group of us movin up the hill. Down hill after that and into the finish line. My goal was to finish under 4 hours...where I actually came in +9 min of that. I will take that I guess considered my wooden leg and all. My neck of course acted up again and I need to see if the LBS can do anything about how I sit on the bike before the STP. All in I was ok with the ride. I will ride it again next year and have a goal to finish under 3:30.
I got out on a few lunch rides and also yesterday...where I tweaking w/my bike some and discovered my chain issues. Once I cleaned them and oiled them up...I felt really strong. Not sure if it was the chain, me or the cleaning acting like a placebo...but I felt really good on my 35 miler yesterday. I fear I need to put in more miles on Saturdays if I want to hang w/ the "Beast" Beecher come this summer. My goal is to ride at least three times a week from here on out. I will keep readers updated. Also, for those of you who don't know, I am signed up for the STP (Seattle to Portland) ride in the summer. 200 miles in one day. Freakin nutz I know....but that is my only goal this year. I will also ride the Tour de tucson at the end of the year to close it out...goal is to beat last years time by 45 min. (this means fewer stops and of course faster pace)
Well...that is about it. I look forward to watching Western Conf play-offs in the next week and the Sun is beginning to wram up the pool....perhaps some swimming to strengthen up my core.
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