I Was Wrong

Just found out that two Team McAllen riders placed 4th and 5th in the Sadie Conde Benefit Race. I guess my impression was wrong!

Sadie Conde Benefit Ride Results

Just a wild guess, but it looked like there were about 80-90 riders in the race, with 15-20 from Team McAllen. It was a mass group start, and I started out with 4-5 riders from Team McAllen. We were surrounded by lots of riders from Laredo Cycling Club, River Rockets, Sports Federation of the Valley, and others.

I feel really good about today's race. I managed to ride with the peloton for the first 15 miles, and I maxed at 29.3 mph. I think the peloton was averaging around 25 mph. Laredo Cycling Club was really pushing the peloton, circulating their riders to the front for breakaways, then blocking off the rest of the group. They were very organized and were executing planned tactics without any problems. Frankly, the 4-5 of us from Team McAllen seemed to be just riding, drafting, and trying not to get dropped.

To make things exciting, I accidentally dropped one of my water bottles around mile 13, but luckily nobody crashed. At mile 15 I was fading, and I stopped to refill my remaining bottle, and I rested for about 2-3 minutes. I then picked up with the next group, and rode the remaining miles with them.

So here's the stats:

Elapsed Time: 1:53:24
Saddle Time: 1:51:10
Avg Heart Rate: 176 BPM
Avg Speed: 21.1 MPH
Avg Cadence: 90 RPM

So, GOALS ACHIEVED! Lastly -- the Lone Star Pacesetters hosted a well organized, enjoyable event. Thanks!

Riding Sadie Conde Benefit Ride

On Saturday, April 29, I'm planning on riding a 39 mile tour / race that benefits Sadie Conde. It's organized by the Harlingen Pacesetters, and they're pairing the ride with a 5k run. Trophies for the top 5 times in each. My goal is to ride effectively with Team McAllen, draft, pull, and average 18-20 mph with >80 cadence. If I achieve this, I'll buy myself an ice cream on the way home. If I don't, I'll still buy an ice cream.

The Daily Commute

My daily commute takes me from Mission, Texas to Hidalgo, Texas, then across the Rio Grande into Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Here's a few shots from the drive, most of them taken through the windshield.

Crossing the Hidalgo International Bridge

Not the River. This is a Canal in Reynosa.

Pedestrian Crossover (Use for Access to FRIED CHICKEN)

Very Common Mode of Worker Transport

I Work in 'Parque Industrial del Norte'


Police Always Drive with Lights Flashing


Actually a Nice Hotel, Despite Graffiti

Museum Field Trip

V, B, and I went to the McAllen International Museum of Art and Science on Saturday. Based on focus and content, I think a better name would be the McAllen Children's Museum. Here's what we saw:

• A large children's section, which was great. The most interesting thing was a large contraption that moved blue plastic balls around and represented the movement of water through the ecosystem. It's a small wing, but the quality of the exhibit is good.
• A VERY nice outdoor play area, again with a focus on moving water. There are water guns to shoot, pumps to move water, and typical playscape equipment. B loved this stuff.
  A wing that housed one small exhibit of oil paintings, most with orchids as the subject matter. The art was okay, but not my favorite. I wish I could remember the artist...
• Multiple small rooms, primarily for children. One had 4-5 live reptiles and amphibians, and another had a water / ecology interactive area.
• A small multimedia room with still images from the Hubble Space Telescope, a video documentary, and some rock exhibits.
• Several nice sculpture pieces, displayed outdoors in the courtyards.
• A wing that was hosting a traveling motorcycle exhibit. We didn't pay the extra $$$ to get into this area.

For the valley, the content of the museum was good. Compared to other metropolitan museums I've visited, the museum earns a C-. My favorite part of the museum was the architecture of the building itself. Photos follow...

Corner of Building at Main Entrance

Courtyard Between Two Wings (Sculpture at Left)

Spanish Mission Play Area with One of the Largest Mesquite Trees I've Seen

Interesting "Beehive" Made from Recycled Plastic Decking Material

Vannie Cook Ride

Last Saturday, April 20, I rode the Vannie Cook Ride, organized and sponsored by Team McAllen. This was my first century, with my previous long ride the 87 mile 2006 Shiner BASH. The wind average was around 20-25 MPH, with a tailwind on the out, and a complete headwind on the return. Very tough, but fulfilling. Thanks to Team McAllen for keeping the SAGs open for about 10 of us, and for providing encouragement!

Packet Pick-Up

At the Start