Wow! I can't believe there is only three weeks left...

 

In 2011; thus far, I’ve completed nearly 2000 miles on my bicycle withstanding such elements as bee stings, wind, rain and summer tourist driving season and lots of pain this year and it has come down to just three more weeks of training.  I ride to benefit those who can’t.   As many of you already know, on October 23^rd and 24^th I will bike 150 miles with 3000 cyclists and friends to do what we can to help those afflicted with the devastating effects of Multiple Sclerosis.

I have walked with many of you in the past in the “MS walks” and now ride my bike in these events organized by the National MS Society.  I ride in honor of my Mother Ellen who has been diagnosed and lives with MS for nearly 10 years now.  Ironically, she was diagnosed with MS after a horrific bike accident that nearly took her life.  Thanks to modern medicine and her will to fight, she won the battle over her bike injuries only to have a CT scan find the signs of MS surrounding the nerves around her brain.   Modern medicine is great but not yet against the nerve rattling affects that MS has on its victims.  She had symptoms of MS prior to her bike accident but wasn’t diagnosed with MS but lived with the daily grind that it takes on your body and nervous system and now has the ability to accept treatment such as inhibitors and physical therapy that help her get through the most trying days.  When you have MS, you don’t know when or if it will be a good day or a REALLY BAD day.  You don’t get a warning and believe it or not there is no cure for MS. 

I know the economic times are tough and asking for donations knowing this is also one of the most difficult things done.   Knowing that your donation could be the one that makes the difference in somebody else’s life makes that task for me very rewarding and I’ve seen first-hand how dollar for dollar donations to the National MS Society are extremely efficient and do make a difference in the lives of those affected by MS. 

With just a few weeks to the big event, I’m asking for your support to help me make my goal this year.  Any amount is welcomed.

 To make a donation through my personal portal page click here: http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?px=2633597&pg=personal&fr_id=17111&s_tafId=216453  

Thank you and thanks so much to those who have already made a donation to help end MS,

Best regards, Mike Flanagan

MyFitnessPal - Free Weight Loss Toolshttp://connect.garmin.com/activity/117044894

Easy spin to the beach and back in preparation to get he motor runnin' for tomorrows ride.  I anticipate about 75 miles to San Clemente and back riding solo because as of now no one has stepped up and said they would join me.  It's about this time of year that I'm a lone wolf out of fear that I might discuss or ask friends and family about a donation for my pledged support of the MS Foundation.  The human psych element of what I do by asking for donations is starting to wear a bit silent and transparent with most around me this time of year and can be a bit challenging.  Fear not; as I train to do what I love and in the end that is all that really matters as long as I keep on keepin' on. 

MyFitnessPal - Free Weight Loss Toolshttp://connect.garmin.com/activity/115082467

I know how you can help...... Fight MS!

Four more weeks until I embark on my third “Bay to Bay MS 150” mile bike ride.  I’ve been training hard for this event all year.  I have lost about 40 pounds and am looking to crush previous ride times to complete this event on my way to taking a bite out of Multiple Sclerosis.  This ride hides no hills.  70 miles in to the event is when the challenge begins and that has always been to the hills advantage.  This year I’m climbing like a mountain goat and each year just to finish this ride is an emotional one for just about every one of the 3000 riders who will participate.  We ALL know someone with Multiple Sclerosis and someone who either has a very hard time with the debilitating disease or who has passed away from years and years of fighting it. 

I ride in honor of my Mother who has been diagnosed with MS for nearly 10 years now.  Ironically, she was diagnosed with MS after a horrific bike accident that nearly took her life.  Thanks to modern medicine and her will to fight, she won the battle over her bike injuries only to have a CT scan find the signs of MS surrounding the nerves around her brain.   Modern medicine is great but not yet against the nerve rattling affects that MS has on its victims.  She had symptoms of MS prior to her bike accident but wasn’t diagnosed with MS but lived with the daily grind that it takes on your body and nervous system and now has the ability to accept treatment such as inhibitors and physical therapy that help her get through the most trying days.  When you have MS, you don’t know when or if it will be a good day or a REALLY BAD day.  You don’t get a warning and believe it or not there is no cure for MS. 

Until there is a cure the National MS Foundation has committed itself to help those living with MS and to ensure they have the resources necessary to live as normal of a life as possible until there is a cure. 

Many of the cyclist I ride with say that we ride for those who can’t and we take advantage of what we love to do on our bikes.  With the support of the MS Foundation we have made a difference but we couldn’t have made a difference without the support of people like you. 

Last year in just this one event we raised 3.2 million dollars that goes to those who have MS and need quality of life resources support. 

With only four weeks left, I’m asking for your support to help me make my pledge goal this year.  Any amount is welcomed and like I have said before, how would it make you feel if you knew your donation was the donation that brought us one step closer to ending Multiple Sclerosis. 

To make a donation through my personal donation portal page click here: http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?px=2633597&pg=personal&fr_id=17111&s_tafId=216453

Thank you and thanks to those who have already made a donation to help end MS,

Best regards, Mike Flanagan

MyFitnessPal - Free Weight Loss Tools

Can I lose weight by riding my bike? NO!

Wow!  Has it been that long since I took the time to update my riding??? 

Well; I'm extremely happy to say that the calorie management app "myfitnesspal" has worked even better than I intended.  I have added this new badge for this specific blog so that others can take advantage of what I consider the best free app EVER!  If this worked for me, it will work for anyone.  I was at the end of my rope and was seriously considering what would have been expensive medical procedures.   Funny though I don't seem thinner until I try and put a pair of old shorts on and have them fall right off my ass unless I tighten with a new belt that I had to purchase with a few interim pairs of shorts that will work until I reach my goal.  I have revised my goal to 190 lbs from 245lbs by the end of the year, which at this rate will not be a problem, but according to body mass index calculators for my height, I should be at or below 190 to be considered "normal" weight.  Hard to believe I was "obese" according to the calculators and have about 16 more lbs. to go to make this weight goal.   myfitnesspal.com has or will add years to my life and I feel better than I have in a LONG time because of it.  I would recommend to anyone who NEEDS to lose weight.  If you are reading this, you probably do if you're like most Americans.  I'm not saying that to belittle you or to insult you.  Americans just eat too much and still don't understand why they are so huge.   Listen; Give it 6 weeks with honest motives/actions and if you haven't lost at least 5% of your body weight, you can call me a liar.  I have lost 10 lbs. every month since May.  This is not a diet.  This is a cultural awakening and not rocket science.  It is and will be a lifestyle change for me and I'm OK with that.  I do miss stuffing my face with 3-4000 calories a day but not unlike any other new habit you get used to it and it becomes easier over time. 

I also have to say and was predicting that if I lost the weight my bike skills would improve.  Oh boy, did they ever!  I'm a hill climbing fool now and can ride with riders that are much lighter and younger than I am.  Even at my current weight of 206lbs.  Dropping nearly 40lbs. has done wonders for my hill climbing and endurance.  I'm riding less than I was in previous years but eating much smarter and managing my calorie intake, even on ride days.  I don't cut out the things I have always loved to eat.  That's the beauty of this management plan.  I just eat less of it.   It's simple really.  You can ride hundreds of miles a week but if you don't control how many (calories) go in to your pie hole, you will never lose weight.  Trust me!  

 

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MyFitnessPal - Free'>http://www.myfitnesspal.com">Free Weight Loss Tools

MyFitnessPal - Free Weight Loss Tools

2011 San Diego Century

I completed the first century ride (104 miles) of the year over the weekend and really have not been that compelled to write about the event until now. The preparation for this ride has been nearly nothing all winter and spring (377 miles) and it showed in my performance. The ride type (very hilly) is not the type of ride I would typically take on for this distance.

If I had to compare this ride to others I have completed with the MS foundation, it doesn't even come close in just about every category. The only high marks I give it would be for the views atop Mt Woodson at nearly 2000 ft. in elevation on what was a perfectly clear sunny day in the upper 70s to low 80s. Other than that, the ride was a complete fail as far as I'm concerned. I'm probably just spoiled from the past organized rides with the MS group. I'm not going to go into too much detail here as it can be echoed from the reviews found from other riders here on Active.com's website: http://community.active.com/thread/153895/san-diego-century-bicycle-tour-2011-reviews

I realized one thing on this ride and that at 245lbs., I'm not as competitive on hilly rides as the rest of the group I ride with and the last 30 miles or so really took a toll on my body with cramping and loss of water from the higher than anticipated temps. My ride data can be found here: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/87140451. This ride literally should have been completed in 7.5 hours instead of 8.75. This realization has prompted me to begin a calorie counting regimen; that if followed, I should be shedding 1lb/week for the next ten weeks. From there I will analyse and correct where needed. I will update the weight loss results each time I post to this blog as well and describe how it helps my riding. My ultimate goal is to loose 45 lbs by the time I do the MS Century at the end of October. Any support or advice with this plan would be helpful too as comments to this post. The calorie counter that I am using that I find very easy to load data either from my desktop or android phone is www.myfitnesspal.com

Until next time... No ride planned this weekend as I have family events planned with and for my daughters field hockey games at Cal Cup (Moorpark College). Go get 'em Hotstix! The week after I will be riding no less than twice a week for the forseeable future to prepare for the Solvang Century and the MS 150 among others that aren't on the calendar yet.

Latest updates

Offseason riding in Southern California is an oxymoron but we are spoiled here and when it dips to the 60s for daytime temps and you when you have to brave upper 40s and low 50s every once in a while for a early morning ride we tend to shy away from riding as much as we would like to. Many of us turn to garage trainers and stationary bikes at the gym as I have done lately but it just doesn't seem to give you that recharge you get when you finish a long ride back from the coast and fresh air.
I have been riding 25-50 miles just about each weekend, but definitely not riding as much as I would like.
I have organized a ride this weekend that should handle the fix I have been craving for a while now and one that I have done before. The ride is from Anaheim(Angel Stadium) to either Oceanside or Solana Beach. That will all Depend on who goes with me and the weather. I'm game for either and if no one ends up riding it with me, then I may just ride to Solana train station. This ride consists of riding the Amtrak to the Stadium and riding back to the the initial train station. Fun, fun and more fun! I have the ride saved in my Garmin for easy turn by turn directions but should be easy to remember as I have done this one before. It will be a good test for the San Diego Century I plan on doing in May.
I will update the blog on Anaheim ride afterwards and give some insight as to another future ride that this ride will be part of when I ride from downtown Los Angeles to San Diego later this summer. Let me know if there is any interest in joining any of these rides as I could use the ride support. Any online comments are welcome as well...

Bike the Coast event

Here's a little last minute ride that I did with a neighbor over the weekend.

This was more my type of ride. It was flat and near the coast. The weather was perfect and ended before 10:30am. The finish line has free catered food and beer... Parking was free and did I mention there was beer? There is really nothing like a good cold beer after a long ride and it really did hit the spot.

I did find a nice alternate route course that is strictly for bikes and pedestrians that is a safer alternative to crossing all the freeway interchanges at Carmel Mountain. You can also use it as a longer, but more relaxing route to the 56 path that takes you all the way out to Poway. I'm sure I will work it in to a future ride very soon.

Other than the massive amounts of beginner to intermediate riders on the course, it was an enjoyable ride and would recommend to anyone interested in a nice flat organized ride.

Poinsettia Loop

Just a quick ride the weekend after the MS ride to see if all the parts from the bike and body are working appropriately.
I had the bike taken in for a clean and tune at bicycle warehouse and pretty much appears that they just cleaned the bike and didn't replace parts back to my specific settings. The front derailler works about as bad as it did when I took it in. The handlebars were not even set straight, the seat angle was all jacked up. I was not happy with the $60 I spent on that tune-up needless to say. Needless to say, I will not be taking my bike back there again and will be taking any suggestions on a good bike mechanic for future tune-ups...
All of the parts on my body seemed to be working just fine. I felt like I could have done the MS ride again with just a couple of days of recovery time.

2010 MS Bay to Bay ride

Images of day one Start, Bike before event and wet, dirt and grime that was collected during the ride.

Attached are the Garmin files of Day 1 and Day 2 MS Bay to Bay bike event.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/53488060
(copy and paste to your browser to see details of day one)

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/53487986
(copy and paste to your browser to see details of day two)

Stats:
Total miles: 156.7
Total calories burned: 12,128
Total Elevation Gain: 7,690
Total donations received for the MS Society as of 10/18/10: $2,460.



Despite the early 5:30 and 6am arrivals to the starting lines, the cool headwind, the rain and mud that found my bike for the first time in its existence, a chain break on mile 12, the slow processions of team riding from the start and in to the finish lines and losing my new sunglasses to our dog Buddy(don’t ask), the ride was AMAZING!

First I must thank everyone that helped me complete this ride in some form or fashion. I set a lofty goal this year to raise $2000 and it appeared that I wouldn't make that goal up until a few days before the event. I even received donations on day one and day two of the event to put OUR current total donation amount at $2,460. I can assure you that those funds will go to a great cause and your support there is extremely appreciated by those afflicted with MS. I too am extremely grateful of all the support that I received in donations this year. I believe the MS Society will be keeping our goal links live a couple of weeks, so it is not too late to add to our total. Again, the link to donate is: http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/mikeflanagan

I couldn't have finished the ride without those who have trained with me encouraged me and helped along the rides with the maintenance issues. I though day one was going to end early on mile 12 of 109 but with the support of ride Marshall, Mike number 1289, literally saved me from having to abort. Macgyver like he fixed a broken chain with a small multi-tool wrench by completely removing a link and repairing it to the point where it actually felt like a new drive train. Not to mention he managed all of this on the side of the road with bikes whizing past in the rain on a wet grimy bike. I couldn't thank him enough and had nothing to offer but I’m fairly confident that he was pleased by just doing the right thing...

I would also be amiss if I didn't thank my family and most importantly my wife Martha for putting up with my hobby and the time involved it takes in order for me to complete events such as this, also for waking up early to drive me to my starting destinations over an hour away this weekend. Thank you Love!
As mentioned before, I joined the riding group from 24 Hour Fitness out of Southern California. This event was my first ride with them. I wished I had an opportunity to train with them prior to this event for many reasons. I felt more like an outsider even though they were all very welcoming and supportive. It so happens that almost 30 of the 71 total riders in this group were new as well. I'm guessing that I was the newest rookie based on conversations of previous rides. The group consists of riders that have been riding that are extremely talented on a bike that rode 158 with very little effort to riders that found the first ten miles in the rain to be one of the worst traumatic experiences of their life...
I was grateful for their support and event planning, but the processions away from the starting line and in to the finish lines dragged along to the point of frustration. I guess that comes with riding solo for so long. I appreciate the sport as an individual sport and have always biked that way and have never been passed up by a biker that hasn't asked if I needed support when I have mechanical issues. I appreciate the group managers wanting to ride in as one group, but when it takes an hour to finish the last 7 miles of an event to ride in as a group, it does more mental and physical damage to the individual riders than it accomplishes for the team. That's just my two cents and free advice to team managers out there and worth every penny you pay for it.
I’m also grateful for all those who willingly gave their time to volunteer for this event. The outpouring of volunteers was pretty impressive and always amazes me how smoothly they all pull together to make this event so successful each year.
Last year I didn’t ride much after the MS event, but feel committed and compelled to sticking with some form of winter riding and training so that I can ride more events in between MS rides. I’m currently interested in riding the Palm Springs Century ride in February, The Solvang Century in March, the San Diego Century in May and possibly the Santa Barbara Century in October of next year. My goal will be to ride in five Centuries a year for as long as I physically can and from my experience from riding with “older riders”, it is possible to ride well in to my late 50’s and in to my 60’s and remain as competitive as I am today. The average age of the top five most physically capable riders in the 24 Hour Fitness group was easily 50 years old. I’m also interested in an L.A. to San Diego ride, a Santa Barbara to San Diego ride as well as the ride across Iowa in 2011 or 2012.
I managed to find riders of my experience and riding capabilities on both days. Day one a little more of a challenge with the broken chain that put me about 30 minutes behind the faster riders, but with shorter breaks and lunch, I managed to catch up before we hit mile 100.
Day two started off very fast for a bunch of tired sore riders. I managed to find the quicker paced riders and stuck with them pretty much from start to finish up until the last rest stop 7 miles from the finish. That is where we ALL had to ride in together as a group.

Also on day two, we rode up Torrey Pines grade not once but twice. It was a new tradition that the group decided to start. They called it the "Extra Mile". This was a ride up Torrey Pines twice. Once for the event and once for those with MS who are unable. It turned out to be about five extra miles... Surprisingly enough, the second time up was easier than the first. I am glad I did it though. I thought of all those that struggle daily with MS like my Mom who have to deal with the challenges and pain of MS daily. Those thoughts really motivated me to do what I did last weekend. Torrey Pines to local riders is known as the widow maker for the enduring climb that doesn’t seem to end. The grade is about 6-7% and is 2.5 miles long. There were many people literally crying when they made it to the top. Many of them also wore the "In memory of" sheets on the back of their jerseys that represented the person or persons they knew who have passed away from the devastating effects of MS, but still continue to ride in this event because they know how important is it to find an eventual cure. Whether I ride with an organized group or not in the future, I will continue to ride the Torrey Pines grade twice as a tradition for those who can't.
Thank you all; once again, for your support! Together we did make a difference… Mike Flanagan
http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/mikeflanagan

Quick Sunday ride

I haven't had a chance to update in a couple of weeks and will make this entry short. Last weeks ride was of 68 miles was from RDO to Tresles and a Cannon Loop before I made my way home. Great training ride.

Yesterdays ride was a shortened training ride of 43 miles from RDO to Las Pulgas gate in Camp Pendleton. I rode out with a friend at a slower pace and flew back to test a hip flexor that has been troubling me. It passed the stress test and should be on my way to recovery. I'm laying off the mountain bike for a while until I can figure out what is causing the stress there. It just makes it much more difficult to climb and keep pace with more competitive riders. Almost feels like your rear tire is going flat but isn't. Frustrating! Safe rides! Mike

Less than three weeks until the MS ride: Won't you consider helping me reach my goal? Click here: http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/mikeflanagan

RDO to CVD(Carlsbad Village Drive)

This 31 miler(click on the title of this blog) was intended to be a supplemental midweek ride to see how I recovered from Sundays ride on short notice to my body and to see how it would fit in to my already busy schedule. All around, it was a great ride. I actually felt like Superman on the hills today. Not sure if that was just because it was a short ride or that I'm actually getting stronger on the hills. I'm going to have to continue to throw in midweek rides because there just isn't enough time to get the miles in that I feel is necessary to make the MS ride a successful one. I'm almost there, but the weekend before the ride is already going to be a non-training weekend because of pre-planned events.

UPDATE: As of yesterday, I'm have joined and will be riding with one of the largest organized bike groups on the West Coast. I joined Team24 Pacific; the 24 Hour Fitness riding group. This is a group that has a $100,000 commitment goal to help fight Multiple Sclerosis this year. Hopefully I can meet up with a group this weekend to see what their riding styles are. I'm hopeful it will be a challenge for me and will not slow my current riding style down.

Here's my new page so that YOU can help my team, Team24 win the battle over MS: http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/mikeflanagan

Fun, hilly ride to San Elijo and back

This mornings ride was a just under 58 miles. I rode out to the harbor to see if any of the usual group was meeting there anticipating that there might be one or two. No one showed up so I made up my own ride on the fly. A few of the riders in the group were doing an "Ultra run" this weekend which is running 100 miles in about 25 hours. Yes, that is frigin' crazy talk right there. People just weren't designed to do just that, but Joey, Eric and I believe one other rider are probably already finished with that run. Hopefully they were all successful on their run...
My ride today was riding from home, hit the SLR bike path and headed to the coast to see if anyone was going to meet at the Harbor for the usual Pendleton Sunday ride. No one showed, so I went south this time and headed inland on Poinsettia and up through Carlsbad to the top of San Elijo in San Marcos and back. As usual, you can click the title of this blog and see my actual route and ride data. The ride was to see how well I would do on some of the hilliest parts of the MS ride. I felt pretty good once I had 20 miles in and headed inland through the hills. The MS ride is a little different. I'll have 60 miles in before I hit the same hills instead of 20, but I did both directions (east and west) which more or less doubled up the hills and ended up with about 3000 feet of elevation climbing. It felt like more, but that is what the Garmin is telling me... It was a really productive ride and I feel more and more confident in my abilities to make this MS ride a very successful one. Last years ride really kicked me in the rear and I had more miles of training last year than I ever will for this years ride. I think the difference is the hill climbing that I'm doing this year. Riding all the way home instead of starting and stopping at the SLR bike path park at College.
Great Ride! No bees and no close calls with motorists...
I may end up doing a ride I saw from another Garmin rider that takes me to San Clemente and back to North County but then you do the Canon Loop, which puts the ride at about 90 miles with hills at the end. Much like the first day of the MS ride. I'm thinking this will be an excellent training ride for next Sunday...
Ohh; I also have a new contact from a rider I met that rides for 24 hour fitness. It might be fun to join a big ride group and it might not...

Ouch! Stung by another bee

Well, I was stung by another bee on the San Luis Rey bike path yesterday and have had a pretty bad reaction to the venom. The bee went in to my mouth and while I was riding and trying to spit it out, it got stuck to the side of my mouth and did its natural dirty deed. This was only about 10 miles in to my ride and right before I met up with the group that I have been riding with on Sundays. It started swelling pretty fast once I got the stinger out. I couldn't quite use the credit card technique to my advantage as I couldn't exactly see where it stung me on my lip. I really felt quite good on the ride physically in my legs and lungs, so I continued but it just got progressively worse and we were on Camp Pendleton for most of the ride. I wasn't prepared as I should have been with a bee kit to limit the amount of eventual pain and swelling that seems to be more and more likely with each new bee sting. I will be next time for sure. For now; ice, benadryl and rest as the benadryl is making me sleepy. Good thing it is Labor Day. We are supposed to rest on Labor Day, right??
I seemed to have earned the name Bubba from Forrest Gump with the ride group because of how the swelling looked on my face and was making my voice slur. I have popcorn shrimp, shrimp shrimp,....
Great ride otherwise.
I would still encourage as many experienced and new riders in the area to use as much of the trail as possible instead of using streets full of motorists that don't know how to drive. I'll take a bee sting a reduce the chances of getting swiped by a truck any day. Thanks to those who have given so generously to my Bike to finish MS cause. We still have a long way to go and less than 40 days to go. Won't you consider helping me reach my goal? http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?px=2633597&pg=personal&fr_id=14192

Home to Trestles and back with Joey's group

Nice 65 mile ride. I met the group that I have been riding with on Sunday's at the Harbor from my house and we headed up through Pendleton and on to Trestles. The rides was great going out, but I didn't realize I had such a strong tailwind at my back and paid for it coming back. Seemed like the whole way back I was fighting the wind in my face and didn't matter what direction I was riding in. My average mph was slowed by that quite a bit as well as from the hills close to home, but overall it was an enjoyable ride with the group. We had about seven of us out there today. I'll continue to ride with this group on Sunday's as it feels like we all get something from eachothers ride style and seem to be very complementary to eachother.
I had one big problem that I have to note so I get it fixed before my next longer ride and that is to fix the toe in/out on my left pedal. Fluid was building in that knee especially when I was pushing hard, so that will have to be set to more toe in and probably not more than a 1mm as the 4degrees of float will make up for the difference.

Bike path day

The ride Sunday was my first in two weeks. I felt strong though. Sometimes a nice break like that is just what the body needs. I was going out with the group I rode with two weeks ago from the Tressles ride and one of the riders discovered they had left their ID at home, so there was no chance that we were all going to get on to Camp Pendleton without everyone's IDs, so we just rode the San Luis River trail back and forth. Since I rode from my house on the trail to the harbor, I had already done this route once, so by the time I finished up at the harbor, had an after ride coffee with the group and back home again, i had been up and down the River trail four times. It is not the most exciting ride and with the strong headwinds, it made for a very mellow ride. The six of us made the most out of it though and was quite fun riding in a group again. I forgot how fast and strong you ride inside a draft; eventhough it was 2-3 riders in a group at a time. Like the ride a couple of weeks ago, I felt strong, so I led the group most of the time. I didn't mind as I'm sure the riders behind me didn't either. Riding in my draft is like driving a Chevy Sprint behind a semi truck on the freeway. No effort is required. It was a rewarding ride in many ways, none the least is how much easier it is getting back home up Mesa and Avenida De La Plata. Some of those hills will seem like they go on forever at up to 14% grades. Eventhough Im not riding the distances I was last year, I feel like I'm in better shape physically and mentally for the MS ride in October. Hopefully soon, I will be able to talk one of the group riders to take a trip to Anaheim on the train and back on bike soon as that is always a good test of distance and covers a big portion of the MS ride. Speaking of long rides... I was discussing the possibility of the boarder to boarder Iowa ride with another rider that has already done it. That ride is next June. That would absolutely be one feather in the cap of my bucket list of rides to do before I can't anymore. I also have a couple of century rides that I have penciled in for the next twelve months. One is the San Diego century and the other is the Solvang century.

Oceanside Harbor to Trestles with Joey and Raymond

The guys I rode with I bumped in to last week during their preparation to run with a large group. No, I wasn't running and probably never will with my knees. Thats why I ride. I know Joey as a friend of my Brother Brian. We have spoken to eachother about running in passing, but never about biking. Since Joey is a triathlete, I should have put one and one together and talked to him about biking a long time ago. The ride with the two other riders was great! It helped me focus on something other than spinning the cranks and making it over the next hill. This ride had practically no hills, but it was a fun 40 miler none the less. I was a bit skeptical how I would ride with guys who were in such great shape, but I managed pretty well and will be riding with them more often in the near future. Their typical ride is a bit shorter than mine, but I will just plan on riding from my place to the Harbor to meet them for future rides. This will add another 20 miles to my ride, which will be ideal for what I am training for.
Our ride is hyperlinked to the title of this posting.

Did I mention that I'm in a fight that I need your support with? Please support me: http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?px=2633597&pg=personal&fr_id=14192

I'm currently at 15% of my goal and only a little more than two months to go to reach it...

RDO to Buccaneer Park loop and back

You may click on the title of this post to view my ride.

This ride was more or less a "shake down ride" from yesterdays 70 miler. I do feel much better after this ride and not as sore as I was when I woke up. 99 miles in two days, in honor of my favorite NASCAR driver #99 Carl Edwards, who didn't win the Brickyard race today, but finished a strong top ten.
This was a quick solo ride and was kind of pushing pretty hard for a shake down ride, but it felt good to go fast in certain sections of the ride. I noticed a lot of club riders out today, which is one thing I have been meaning to do lately and that is to see what clubs are out there that would fit my riding style and schedule. I'm pretty sure that joining one would help improve my skills and I would be able to ride faster in a group, but not sure one would work with my ever changing schedule. I don't like to ride when I'm told to. I ride when I can. I find time, but it is always fit in around everyone elses schedule/s and needs. I'll look in to it and see if there is some group that is more flexible. Are there any suggestions?

RDO to Bagel Shop and back

To access ride information you can click on the title to this blog.

This ride was fun and longer than I anticipated. I only planned on riding to San Onofre, but felt like it was going to be neccessary to eat before I headed back home. I was going to stop at Carls Junior, which is the first restaurant that you come to on the southern end of San Clemente, but decided to go a little further to find something that wouldn't be counter productive for the ride back. I have heard from other cyclist about the "Bagel Shack" about 2.5 miles further north to find it and it didn't let me down. I got a strawberry/banana smoothie and a cheddar cheese bagel that really hit the spot and gave me enough to make the ride back home. Other than the need to stop and tretch a couple of time to get the blood flowing in areas that were having a difficult time, it was a nice relaxing ride. I made the hills coming back home with less difficulty too which is really the whole reason for starting and finishing from home and that is to see how I do on the hills after a long ride. I have to say they are getting easier and easier. I also had the grade feature working on my Garmin computer as well and was happy to see the grade % push to 12%, which is pretty steep. I was hearing how difficult the riders have it in the tour on grades that reach 10% on the Col d' Tormelet. Of course it is much harder when you are reaching speeds of 15-20 miles per hour over 12-15 miles over those grades, but it was nice to know that we have some road grade % right here in So. Cal. that rival those in France. I'm just looking forward to the day when I can tackle longer hills over a longer period of time without losing too much and suffering for it afterwards.
One item on my most do "bucket list" items is to ride from San Francisco to San Diego. I may do one leg of this ride over two days after the MS ride in October if some additional pieces fall in to place before then. I want to ride from Santa Barbara to San Diego. I won't do this without a partner/s because of safety reasons, so the search is on. I have a few leads. Anyone in?

North County Loop again

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/40781010

This post is a bit overdue. I did this ride Saturday morning. I started very early to avoid the heat that was supposed to stick around until late Sunday but never really materialized. Thursday and Friday were in the low to mid 90's so I got up early to avoid that. I'll let the boys in France hammer away in the mid 90's heat and sun. I was home from this short but effective ride by 9:15am. The cool cloudless morning was ideal for heading to the coast and tackling some hills just east of the coast through Carlsbad and east Oceanside. I really feel like 4-6 days off between rides is optimal, but feel like I need to vary my rides between heart pumping rides and slower casual rides so my legs get used to the long run of the Century ride scheduled in October.
I have another long ride that is in the early planning stages. This will cover two days and be, by far my longest ride. I would like to find a riding partner before I commit because I have only been on short portions of this ride. I'll discuss details of the ride in the next 30 days or so. I'm pretty excited about what kind of ride this could be for me. It will encompass a portion of a ride that has been on my "bucket list" for nearly two decades now.
The dog is barking for me to feed or walk him. Gotta go!!!

Tri-City Loop Ride

Took to the road this morning to compare last weekends ride to todays. It was the same ride except that I just cut inland at Poinsettia instead of going all the way to Swami's and then back to Poinsettia. If you look at it on a map, it looks like a loop. I like this ride as it really prepares me for what will be much of the last 30 miles of the first 107 miles on the first day of the MS 150 ride. The hill at Alga just east of El Camino Real still kicks my butt, but I'm feeling good about improvements I have made even since last week.
The ride ended with a flat just one mile from home. Bummer of a finish, but forced me to get the bike home and really do a detail job on all the powertrain and bike in general. The chain and rear cassette are soaking in degreaser overnight to get the grime off and then we'll start fresh with a nice coat of lube when I get it all reassembled. I personally feel physically and mentally stronger when riding a clean, well lubed bike so can't wait to get back on. This weeks total miles logged was 135. Not a bad start to the summer riding. If it weren't for this cool weather it wouldn't be as fun as it has been so thank you Mother Nature...

San Onofre State Beach ride

I planned Tuesday evenings ride to be a stretch ride from Sunday's tougher than usual hilly ride and was really feeling it less than five miles in to my ride. I had programmed my Garmin to ride with a virtual rider and used an actual ride from someone elses device that I uploaded to mine. Pretty cool feature! I started off with the intention of changing the whole ride if neccessary and was to the edge of pain where I told myself that the ride was going to have to be a short one. Once I got to the end of the bike trail at Oceanside harbor, I told myself that this was the point where I would have to make the decision to keep on riding with my virtual rider or do a quick turnaround and cut it to about a 25 mile ride. At this point the competitive nature in me got the best of me and I was competing against; guess who, the virtual rider. Geeez! It was like the the two voices on my shoulders duking it out sway my opinion. I was gassed already but opted to ride through Camp Pendleton and to the State Park just north of there and back. The ride was a lot longer than I should have gone out for, but it really was quite fun and invigorating. There are a few points on Camp Pendleton that really make me feel good about what I do on my bike. Just the most beautiful spots anyone could hope for on a ride or run. If you are familiar with the route, the spot where the trail goes through the bridge heading north of Basilone Road. Once you ride out of the bridge the view to the coast is the best 180 degree view of the ocean in San Diego county. Another area is coming back through CP over wide open plains and the ocean view near "Range 127". I will have to stop and just take pictures of these areas for the next ride and post.
Nearing the end of the ride and at about mile 47 a few guys had been riding up from behind me pretty quick in a tight pack and by the time they caught me, they were riding in a group of four. I quickly took refuge in their draft. I went from cruising speeds of about 17.5 to about 23mph, which was quite fun and relaxing in the draft until it was my turn to catch the next competitive rider/s ahead of us. I was winded by the time we hit the end of San Luis Rey trail, but well worth the exhaustion. Next planed ride will be Saturday morning. I'll probalby have over 160 miles logged in this week. That makes me feel good about my training. Oh the hills coming back home seem to be getting a little easier too. I'll have to go through and compare rides and speeds, but they really seem to be getting easier.

Copy of my ride: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/39699422

North County Coastal Loop

Garmin Link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/39208723

The ride this morning took me down to Swami's from my usual coastal route and on the way back I cut inland at La Costa and did "the hills" on the way back. This route takes me up and down several hills from 300-500 feet in elevation almost the whole way back. If you bike in North County, you have probably had to make it up or down Alga just east of El Camino Real. Tough climb from sea-level to 600 feet in two miles. It's just one those hills that never seems to end. This kind of ride is not very enjoyable, but if I'm going to do anything about my weight I know this is really what i must do. I feel like I'm in about the same shape as I was in last year this time as far as training for the MS ride in October. I just don't have as many miles in at this point. Time in the saddle is a must, but time has really been a premium commodity this year. I really just have to make time.

New, more safe route to my favorite ride

Yesterday I re-discovered Neptune Avenue just west and parallel to the 101 in Leucadia and Encinitas. This section helps me avoid by far the worst section of my favorite ride. By worst I mean chock-full of tourist and teen drivers with their 3000 lb. binoculars viewing everything except the road in front of them. I have never seen a rider get hit or injured and I have never been hit, but have always said that if I do, chances are it will be in this section of my favorite ride. Neptune almost completely navigates around that mess of a road. It is one lane of local traffic, joggers, bikers and surfers trying to get to their surf turf.
In the last two weeks, I have managed to find the best alternative routes around the most dangerous sections of my ride, which not only makes me feel more safe, but should give a little comfort to those who have expressed concern about me on my longer rides.
The ride itself was a butt kicker. The 52 mile ride was great for about 2-3rds of the ride, but I just didn't have enought gas at the end because of how I planned the pre-ride nutrition. I should have just stopped to eat something on the ride back, but second guessed that am now paying the price. That tough lesson will hopefully prepare me to make better decisions next time around.

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?px=2633597&pg=personal&fr_id=14192

Bike safety in mind

I discovered a newly opened section of the San Luis Rey bike/pedestrian path yesterday. My ride yesterday can be seen by clicking on the title of this entry. The path starts at the intersection near the community side of Highway 76 and North Santa Fe Avenue and goes all the way to the beach community of Oceanside.
Once on the path, there is a section that is very short section that is very lightly traveled by cars. (I didn't see one) Other than that, the path is unobstructed by curbs, autos and street crossings of any kind for more than 9 miles each way. I was on the bike path for nearly 2/3 of the entire ride. From all the regular riding that I have done through this area, I have found the least traveled roads where it makes the ride as safe as it can possibly be. This extension of bike path eliminates the worst intersections for bicyclists who ride the path regularly at College Blvd. and Highway 76. Safety is always a concern when doing anything on two wheels and mixing it up with others who share the roads with you. Eliminating all risk, as a cyclist, is not possible but minimizing it is. The city of Oceanside has gone a long way in doing so for me as a cyclist who travels this route frequently. The newly created section is by far, the most scenic, least travel and fun part of the path. It won't be a well kept secret for long. My next planned ride is scheduled for Thursday evening. I've included a nice detailed link describing the San Luis Rey bike path for anyone ready to walk or ride it. Let me know when your ready for a nice long weekend ride...

Link to Mike's MS 150 mile bike ride support page

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?px=2633597&pg=personal&fr_id=14192

The MS Bay to Bay 150 mile bike ride is is in mid October, but it's never too early to make my bid for your support. No donation is too small or too large. The MS foundation is a very efficiently run organization and a very high percentage of your donation goes to finding a cure and supporting our friends and family that have MS. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your support, Mike

First Ride and Goals for 2010

On Saturday, I went on a "warm-up" ride. I started from my house, which is at an elevation of 450' and rode to sea level just short of the the coast highway and back for a quick 20 miler. For a first ride, which included elevation changes, I was happy with the ride. Last week I invested in what I believe will change the way I ride this year. For the most part I was limited to coastal rides last year, which is nice, but really hurt me as far as training goes to be able to take on more "local rides" in San Diego county. Riding along the ocean is great, but there is an element of my riding that suffers without being able to climb. I bought a "compact crank set" at Performance Bike that was a deal too good to pass on, which should help me overcome both the physical and mental weaknesses of my rides. It worked out great on Saturday. The next challenge will come when I have to climb after riding for 50-60 miles. Our home sits on a hill, so on my way back is usually the hardest part of the climb. We will see, but initially the crank set worked as planned.

My 2010 goals include:
1. Finding time. Time has really been at a premium lately with new puppy, weather, kids sports and work related issues. There is really no excuses here. I just have to make time.

2. To ride 2000 miles this year. I'm off to a late start, but believe this is very attainable and might have to update if finding time becomes easier. I might have to update this goal if I find I'm riding more.

3. I will ride in the 2010 MS century + 50 again in October. It is actually about 150 miles. I'm looking for those outstanding sponsors that supported me last year in this endeavor. The ride was amazing in many ways, but most importantly was a huge motivating factor to get me back on my bike in 2009. In 2010 the MS ride does not conflict with the California Nascar race, so I'm ALL IN and ready for another great year in the saddle.

I'm looking for anyone who is interested in riding this year on weekends or weekday evenings once we get in to daylight savings...

Morning with my four year old Princess Sereina

Since February I have been training for the MS 150 Bay to Bay and have had to turn down my youngest of three daughters, Sereina, to take her out on a "bike ride". She gets a big kick out of riding in the bike trailer that I hook up to my mountain bike once in blue moon. Well I have to say, the trip was exciting and rewarding for the both of us. This type of riding really does a body good too. I should have been mixing in this type of riding more often as it builds a different set of climbing skills that I could have used for much of the ride last weekend. Sereina had a ball on our little 25 mile excursion to the Oceanside harbor from my place in Rancho Del Oro. I usually am reluctant to add more weight to my riding, but with the weight of the moutain bike, trailer, Sereina and all of our gear, I added what I usually don't and that is a wind/bug deflector on the front of the trailer. I found that it actually helps push the wind up and over the trailer and is a little more efficient with it than without. I'm so glad that I added it to the trailer because on our way back from the beach we went through the largest swarm of bees that I have ever hit riding. Luckily neither one of us was stung. I think the bees had another mission in mind than randomly seeking us out and stinging us. I'm sure the bug/debris deflector helped though and they seemingly swooshed right over the trailer and away from Sereina. It would have been traumatic for her if she were stung. I was at least a mile away from a road where I could have been picked up if she were stung multiple times like you hear about with the killer bees that loom around this area and I had no sting lotion on this ride as I usually do. I'm just thanking my lucky stars on the way we made it through the swarm unscathed. The only thing I could do at that point was just to warn riders going toward the swarm. Whew! I get all worked up just thinking about it knowing how many times I have already been stung this year...
The ride was a success and we both felt like we had some bonding time together I'm sure. We got to spend time riding and played on the beach at our half-way point, had a snack and ice cream at the harbor mart and watched the pelicans, sea-lions and seagulls play in the harbor. We also got to see the Oceanside Harbor Outrigger club whisking by us. The marine later clouds were a welcome site once we got to the harbor because it was already warming up and sunny just a half mile inland.
A perfect ride and time spent with my little Sereina and perfect start to the weekend. Now that my goal specific training is complete, I will definitely do more rides such as these with Sereina and try to get more of my family involved with this rewarding sport of biking.

MS Bay To Bay 150 Mile Bike Ride

Success! With a hiccup or three I rode the entire 150 miles to do my little part to help eliminate Multiple Sclerosis from the face of the Earth.
I can't begin to tell you how much preparation I put in to this ride and yet I can never seem to adequately prepare for long rides such as this. When you have to rely on the mental or even physical checklist, it really helps to have a buddy that your riding with to ensure that you have gone through the entire checklist once your standing there looking at the starting shoot to begin the ride. While shooting video at the start line, I must have dropped my glasses, so I rode the entire first day without any eye protection. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, but if it were even the least bit buggy out, I would not have been able to finish. Thankfully most of the bugs have found refuge in warmer climates and they didn't play a factor. A few people said that I would find my glasses at the finish in Carlsbad and sure enough, I went to the information tent and they had them, so I rode the second day with glasses. What a relief! My eyes are a bit red and irritated, but that could be from a lack of sleep as well. I didn't find my planned riding buddies until about mile 15 on the ride. I saw them entering the shoot 10 minutes after I was already in, so they were going to start behind me, so the part of the preparation and support that I was planning on getting from them was out the window at that point. I knew they planned to skip the first rest/nutrient/hydration check point, so I decided to stop there, use the rest room, grab a drink and move on. As soon as I got back to the course, they were riding by, so I caught up with them and rode with them all the way up to about the 95 mile mark. I can't begin to tell you how much that riding with familiar faces helps make the ride go that much smoother. It also has it's drawbacks however. During the 108 miles that we rode the first day, there was only one point where the group had to stop for an extended point because of a chain malfunction. The supported breaks where you "refuel" were too long for me. We stopped 5 times, I believe, and waited until everyone was ready to ride on. This was not easy for me. I have trained as a solo rider and take breaks as needed and ride when I'm ready. That is usually before my body goes into rest mode. My break usually includes a stop at the restroom, slamming down some kind of nutrition bar and drinking until my stomach says "no more" maybe applying another layer of sunscreen and then I'm off. Riding with a group has it's advantages and disadvantages. I mentioned to those that were going to meet me at the finish line in Carlsbad that I would be in around 3:30 at the latest. I think I actually made it in around 4:15 and left the group at the last rest area so I could make it sooner than they would be coming in. They were going to stop because our line had stretched out a bit and they were going to wait for those that were holding up the rear. Thankfully I was not one of those riders. Somehow I found the will to make it through the hills of North County and was riding with the "hill climbers" at that point. The rest of the 13 miles or so back to the finish line was all flat coastal so I had to make up a bit of lost time so that I wasn't holding up those that were waiting for me at Carlsbad too much longer.
I would like to back up and make some notes as to the the condition of the ride.
The weather was about as perfect as it could possibly be. Both days started off with a temperature of 60 degrees and partly cloudy. Riding along the coast in conditions such as this makes it so enjoyable. Once we hit Laguna Beach it all turned south. The city of Laguna Beach, just before the largest contingent of bike riders was about to make it through their city, decided that they were going to resurface the 101 coast highway and had ground down the bike lane and the first lane of traffic for about 5 miles. This was communicated the night before to all the riders and we were warned of the "rough road" in that area. I just have to say that this must be Laguna Beach's way of saying we don't want this ride to go through our town any longer or someone made a poorly made logistics decision. Needless to say, I made it through there, but was exhausted from the shaking and vibrating that this caused from riding on it. I'm amazed that my tires did not puncture. As a matter of fact, I will write to the manufacture Michelin and see what kind of free advertising I can do for them regarding the durability of their road bike tires. Specifically the Michelin Pro III's. Whoop, there I just did it. Seriously, there were many flats through this section and we all had to ride at a snails pace to make it through there without hurting ourselves.
Once we made it through Laguna Beach, we all rode together through Dana Point, Capistrano, San Clemente, Camp Pendelton, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Aviara Hills, San Elijo, Elfin Forrest, Del Dios Highway, Rancho Santa Fe, Solana Beach and then to Encinitas. The views and the atmosphere of the ride was about as good as biking gets.
I made it to the finish line with family waiting there to support my efforts. It was really a great feeling to make it this far and to have a few familiar faces there at the end to cheer you in. This ride was nearly 25 miles further than I have ever rode before.
I have never been so inspired by the outpouring of support along this ride. I would say I'm underestimating that there were over 1000 volunteers that supported this ride along the way from those at the start finish lines to the sag support vehicles to rest stop volunteers, to EMTs and other emergency responders who volunteered their time to those folks that were at street corners cheering us on to those pointing us in the right directions when it didn't seem so clear. I tried to go out of my way to thank those who volunteered their time and effort in order to make this as special as it was. We had what amounted to a catered lunch half way through the first days ride, at the finish in Carlsbad, breakfast the morning of the second day and lunch on the second day. There also must have been a rest area about every 10-15 miles. I generally stopped at every other one to ensure I was hydrating. As much as I thought I was drinking, I still found myself cramping up towards the end of both days and off the bike as I was stretching.
On the second day, I knew it was going to be a short ride, but I wasn't concerned about that. I had just done 108 miles the day before and then had to do another 42 the very next morning. I wasn't sure how that was going to play out. I arrived at the Carlsbad location the next day to prepare for the second day of riding. I went to the information tent, got my glasses, then went to get a bit more to eat, because the night before I had no appetite which was a little strange not to be eating after a long ride, but I accepted it and knew I would get it back sooner rather than later and really didn't get a chance to eat much before the ride. Im sure it was not good to fuel up and actually hurt my performance and from being able to keep up on long haul endurance runs with packs, so I was left to riding alone for much of the day.
The biggest challenge for me was to get up Torrey Pines hill after all of those miles. I made it up without stopping once. I think that was the defining point of the ride for me. I knew I had conquered the MS challenge ride once I cleared that crest. For it was almost all down hill from there. Once I got to the finish line, it was like I had crossed the finish line in an Olympic Stadium. Fans, Friends, Family, Volunteers, Support Staff, and those afflicted with MS there to support and cheer what you had just accomplished.
I was thanked personally by those who have MS and those who volunteered their own time to make this event possible and handed out as many thanks and welcome comments as I could to comfort those that one day there will be a day when our children only read or hear about MS as a disease of the past.
I imagined the pain and enduring feats that I felt during those two days and how many with MS deal with that on a daily basis. As long as I can walk, ride and support these events for the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, I WILL.

Prior to the event, with your help, we raised a total of $2,607.00 for the MS Foundation. I believe the MS foundation is still taking donations up until November, so I will leave this link up until then: To donate to finish MS: http://www.biketofinishms.com/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=304333&supid=259559506

I will continue to post rides and events on this blog until I either decide another blog would be appropriate or that I decide training for this event is a yearly event... Stay posted.

Short a.m. ride. Picked up ride number

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/15198827

This morning I tried a new ride to kind of break up the monotony of "the usual". Fun little 36 miler. I'll do this more often after the MS ride as it only took a little more than a couple of hours. I had to start early to be back home early. We were instructed to pick up our ride info and numbers today at REI in San Diego. Sure the round trip was 80 miles, but I was anxious to find out all of the final details of the ride and to get my numbers. I got number 302. Not a lucky number by any means, but I'll take it.
I checked in with almost $2,600 to contribute to the MS Society. I'm very happy and grateful for all of you that have contributed to this cause and my ride.
The foundation is still taking contributions all the way up to Friday October 9th I hear, so it is not too late if you are waiting until the last minute to contribute.
I'm hoping to take my digital camera with me on the ride, if I'm not too packed up with shot bloks, energy bars and other nutritional items in my jersey. The ride is supposed to be very well supported, so I will probably take the opportunity as often as possible to stop, take a quick break and consume some items of nutrition as 106 miles the first day will be quite a challenge for me. I'm very comfortable though with the fact that I will complete the task at hand. Something mechanically wrong with my bike will be the only way to keep me from completing the ride. Lots of preparation and lists will be made during the coming days...

To donate to finish MS: http://www.biketofinishms.com/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=304333&supid=259559506

Inland loop in preparation for MS ride.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/14438304

Another amazing ride and full of new discoveries full of fun and challenging roads.

This is not a ride that I would do again if I wasn't training. This ride included much of the ride that we will be riding on for the MS 150 ride after already completing roughly 70 miles on the first day, so the challenge is as clear as day for me, but at least I have a good idea of what I will face on that first day. Alga road, from what I understand is where many riders decide that the ride is just too much of a challenge and wait for sag vehicles to take them to the finish. NOT ME! I'll walk back before I take a sag vehicle. I would have to be physically injured and unable to complete before it came to that.
I managed to let peloton after peloton go by yesterday without a chase. I'm glad I did, because I needed what reserves I had yesterday to just finish. The only problem that I ran in to yesterday was the lack of nutrition. The carbo-loading I did the night before was not followed up with a large enough meal just before the ride. I wont say I bonked but I did not finish as strong as I would have liked to.
This was one of the longest rides I have ever done and it included door to door for me which means I did not start from the bike trail, where I usually start, so I had 450 feet of elevation staring at me on the last two miles of the ride. I finished, but was not happy with the finish. I'm confident that I needed to take a break or two which should have included more carbs instead of the bars and blocks that I was consuming. I was hydrating myself. I just did not give my legs what they needed to get me back as strong as they could have.
I'm just glad that I am learning these lessons before the big MS ride.

To donate to finish MS: http://www.biketofinishms.com/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=304333&supid=259559506

Generous Donation Received Today

I just received a very generous donation from donors who wish to remain anonymous at this point. I received the donations from one person and have asked that they all be thanked from me personally.
The donation of $527 will be added within the next 24-48 hours to the total, which puts us close to $1,500 in total contributions. This makes me feel like the training is starting to pay off and that I can make a significant contribution to an organization that is doing more for those with MS, so it gives me a comfort level that positive changes will come sooner rather than later. Thank you, once again to all of you who have supported me and this drive to "Finish MS."

To donate to finish MS: http://www.biketofinishms.com/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=304333&supid=259559506

Ride from Angel Stadium

Amazing ride yesterday. 81 miles of sun, perfect temperatures, scenery and biking for five hours.
I started off at the Solana Beach train station and rode with four others who were all about the same skill level as I am from Angel Stadium in Anaheim back to Solana Beach. It really made the ride much easier knowing that they had done this ride before so I wouldn't have to rely too much on my bike computer.
Here's the route: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/13705046
Probably not far from the route I posted the day before last. I think we went just a bit further when we turned off for the rest spots.
I stayed in a comfort level that enabled me to finish without any issues whatsoever. I really held back the dogs from getting loose a couple of times, but really no large competitive groups to speak of the entire ride. The group I was riding with was great.
I will attempt the hills in Carlsbad that are the final 20-25 miles of the 106 miles on the MS ride next Saturday or Sunday at the latest and throw in a couple beach runs in this week.
I wanted to thank all of those who have donated thus far to the MS ride. We have almost reached $1,000 with less than three weeks left. My goal is still $2,500 and am shooting high with this goal, but that's the way goals should be set. Again, thank you for your support with donations of $$ and your time if you are planning on riding solo, with a team or as a virtual rider. Every bit of your support makes a difference.

To donate to finish MS: http://www.biketofinishms.com/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=304333&supid=259559506

Ride planned for 9/19/09

My ride tomorrow morning: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/349490Will be jumping on the 7:39am Metrolink to Angel Stadium and riding back to Solana Beach.

50 percent of this ride will be completely new to me. This is the primary reason I'm doing this ride. A new ride is like a movie you have seen for the first time that you know you really going to like even before you see it.
Secondly, this is my chance to see much of the northern route of the MS ride, which is in only three weeks. Lastly it gives me a chance to ride with a bunch of guys who have the same interest in cycling as I do. They are all riding in the MS ride together as a team.
I will follow up on the ride on Sunday. As soon as I get back home we are headed out the door to a friends birthday party. Long day, so I will report back on Sunday.

To donate to finish MS: http://www.biketofinishms.com/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=304333&supid=259559506

Ride 9/12/2009

I had some growing pains with the new Garmin unit as it only recorded about half of my ride on three separate links, so I ended up deleting them all and used my failsafe computer that can really only give me miles and average speed as far as tools that I can use for training. The ride was 73 miles and I did the ride that I mentioned from yesterdays post and it was a very nice ride through Carmel Mountain, Rancho Santa Fe and Carlsbad on the way back before I reached the coast. Very hilly and found some fun groups to ride with.

The only thing that will keep me from finishing the 150 mile MS ride is my competitive nature. Riding at a nice comfortable pace I was passed by a peloton and quickly decided that it wasn't going to work that way. I caught up to the group and worked my way up to the front and found myself about 100 yards in front of all of them, which you never want to do. By the time I made it to Carlsbad only about two other riders were in range of catching the rabbit(me) and it would take a traffic light or my old body parts giving out on me and it was my right knee that started giving me troubles by the time I made it to the coast. I hobbled back home with about 15-17 miles remaining. Not fun! I really have to control these urges to compete and remember that if I can't pedal, I wont make it on these longer rides. Less than one month away.
I'm riding with a larger group next Saturday or Sunday from Huntington Beach to Solana Beach just to get a feel for the northern route of the MS ride. Hopefully I didn't do any long term damage to the old knee. I should have a grasp of the damage by the morning...

To donate to finish MS: http://www.biketofinishms.com/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=304333&supid=259559506

Saturdays planned ride

I have found a way to share rides with other Garmin gps users and will be using this route tomorrow morning: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/6872784

The ride is very similar to the ride I did last Saturday, but the northbound route takes me through some of the more hilly coastal parts of North County before reaching the coast highway again.

I try to inform Martha of my planned rides just in case I don't make it back home when I was supposed to and don't answer my cell phone, but I thought it might be a good idea to post future rides as well just in case the unfortunate ever were to happen.

I plan to be up by 5am and on the road by 6am. It really doesn't even get light until about 6:30 now, but the earlier the better and the first ten miles or so isn't even on traveled roads, so it is safe.

I will post my actual ride tomorrow night or early Sunday.

I'm going to throw in shorter rides during the week from here on out until the MS ride and one week off prior to the ride as planned.

Have a great weekend!

MS Day One Route

I finally have the day one route of the 150 mile MS Bay to Bay ride. Whew! The last 30-35 miles of the first day, which includes 108 miles total will be my biggest challenge. I've posted the map for those that are familiar with some of the elevation changes on the route. I will be doing much of this route in ten days with a group of guys that are familiar with the first day route. It should be a "tell all" to see if Im up for it. Not that I will back out. I really do have much more confidence compared to even a couple of months ago. I should have no problems.

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/2008-Century-Route

Ill post day two also for anyone interested in maybe meeting up in San Diego.

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/2007-Day-2-Route

This one will test how well I can repair myself from the previous day and do a little 43 mile bike ride. It does have the Torrey Pines grade on it though. That is no snoozer for anyone level rider. I'm pumped!

To donate to finish MS: http://www.biketofinishms.com/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=304333&supid=259559506

Garmin Edge 705

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/12648190

The link above is about as detailed and technical as I can break my bike workout down to.

Last week I broke down and bought the Garmin Edge 705, which pretty much allows me to track, measure and analyse my every move on the bike.

I'll share more about the technical aspects of the 705 later on but just wanted to make this entry short a sweet.

I ended up riding 75 miles as you can see from the link above and nearly rode to Poway. If I had realized how close I was I would have hammered it out the rest of the way. I will next time, now that I know how close it was.
With the 705 I was able to find the corridor for bikes and pedestrians that runs parallel to the 56 freeway, which takes you all the way out to east county(Escondido, RB, Poway, Scripps Ranch, etc.) During the winter months, those areas will be ideal rides.

Reminder to check the secure latch on the tire pump, adjust left cleat and pedal contacts(grease) and clean bike for next ride.

To donate to finish MS: http://www.biketofinishms.com/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=304333&supid=259559506

Good Sunday ride

I woke up this morning to the smell of smoke. The kind of smell that only a local wildfire can create. I was a little worried that a fire might have sparked up around us, but learned later that the fires all the way from L.A. that we saw first hand yesterday, the smoke had made it all the way down here. Those fires yesterday in L.A. looked like a nuclear blast had gone off in the foothills. The towering smoke plumes were something to behold and scary at the same time.
Where was I? By the time I got on my bike it was 6:20am and was a bit chilly and initially had wished I brought my arm warmers, but quickly became apparent the the weather was going to be quite warm. By the time I finished the ride it was 90 degrees at 10:30am. Way too hot for me and riding as hard as I do.
I made it all the way up Torrey Pines grade once again and did it faster than I have ever done it. I think the combination of the new cassette with the 27 tooth cog, the carbo loading I did with my secret weapon(speghetios), and the leg workouts I have been doing at the gym have really helped. I finished the bike path from College to the coast in record time riding westbound. My average speed was 19.4mph and did the bike path in 34 minutes to start the bike ride.
Personal note: I need to re-adjust my left cleat to pronate more toward the center instead of how I have them now.
About 17 miles in to my ride I had one of those moments that really has motivated me stick to riding and do what I can with it to make me a better person physically and mentally and do whatever I can with it to make this world a better place. OK, Im getting a little off course, but I was cruising about 21-22mph and this solo biker passed me doing at least 25-27mph, but the first thing I notice is his prosthetic leg from the knee down. I was so completely impressed that I realized that some people with handicaps use that as their motivation to be better than good. This guy would have blown by really good riders with two good legs. I thought I would just share that and maybe help motivate those that have or think they have a handicap for one reason or another and to use that as their strength in one form or another.
Total miles: 62
Total odometer 1717.

For donations:
http://www.biketofinishms.com/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=304333&supid=259559506

New YMCA membership

I've had gym memberships before in the past, but it usually ends up being a complete waste of money and time because you usually have to drive to where you are going and then work out amongst all of the other meat heads and hamster hyper "aerobies" that seem to be there for the meat market appeal rather than focusing on a healthy lifestyle and improving their chances at longevity on this earth. There's more steroids floating about these places then there are dumbbell or is that the other way around???
I recently purchased a family membership at the "Joe and Mary Mottino" YMCA and I can say that this is a place where one can go to find a healthy balance between real, caring employees and volunteers and member/patrons that are there to make the best of what it is intended for. A safe, family oriented organization, structured classes and workshops that are there for the community and those in it.
Best of all, this YMCA is 15 minutes away on foot, has a pool that we now consider the community pool because it is so close, a full featured gym with free weights and the habitrails for the "aerobies" and no one cares how you look, who you are with and no one looks like the unnatural -Lou Ferrigno. Man, the last two evenings have been some of the best workouts I have ever had. The only thing I will miss are the raquetball courts. My old knees have no quick lateral step to them anyway, so raquesball is really not an option for me anyway. Only a fond memory now...
I'm hoping now that the strength building leg workouts will transfer to more efficient hill climbing on the bike. The primary reason for the YMCA membership was for focused leg strength, but it turns out that this membership is one of the best investments I've made in a LONG time.

To donate to finish MS: http://www.biketofinishms.com/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=304333&supid=259559506