The Last Granjeno Loop

CELEBRATING THE TRANSITION

Yesterday was a day of transition. As I'm starting my new job in Austin next week, I won't be able to do any Tuesday-Thursday training rides around the Granjeno Loop. Additionally, since Daylight Savings Time starts on Sunday, the semi-organized rides are done until next Spring. There's just not enough daylight after work to make it a feasible ride, and it's not a ride you want to do after dark.

In celebration of the last Granjeno ride of the season, Speedo rode his Surly commuter rig, complete with panniers and a bell. He had a special surprise in the panniers: 2 bottles of Chimay Red, and some plastic ale glasses suitable for drinking Belgian ale. After we finished our loops, he broke out the good stuff, and we all toasted the end of the season. I'm a lightweight these days, so I had a nice little buzz for the 2 mile ride home. THANK YOU SPEEDO!

GRANJENO VERSUS LIVESTRONG

Our Granjeno Loop training route is a 6 mile loop, flat, and often windy.  It's bordered by farmland, Sharyland Plantation, and the Rio Grande, as shown in the below map.  It's not very exciting, but you 'dance with who brung ya'.  The tail on the NE corner of the loop is my ride to and from the course.  We ride in a clockwise direction, and the wind is generally E/SE.  

View Larger Map

Yesterday wasn't a particularly intense ride.  The wind averaged 13.1 MPH, and was from the southeast.  We pushed a couple of times, but we maintained a relatively leisurely pace for a group ride.  I finished with 25 miles, and an average of 18 MPH.  Those are relatively boring numbers, but when I uploaded the GPS data, I noticed some interesting correlations and comparisons to the LIVESTRONG Challenge ride.

The below graph is a plot of my heart rate versus speed for the ride in Granjeno.  Overall, I averaged 131 BPM and 17.9 MPH.   What's noticeable is that when we turn into the wind, my speed drops and my heart rate spikes.  For example, at about the 5 mile mark, I made my first turn into the wind.  My heart rate jumped to 160-170 BPM, and my speed dropped from 20+ MPH to 17-18 MPH.  As the ride continued, we pushed harder, especially between miles 17-22.  My highest speed and heart rate occurred during a tailwind-driven sprint (30 MPH, 182 BPM).  But in general, each heart rate plateau, whether high or low, corresponds to wind direction.  Also, you can see several areas where I had HIGHER SPEED but LOWER HEART RATE.  That's called 'having a tailwind'.

On the other hand, the 65 mile Austin LIVESTRONG Challenge course was hilly (4000' of climb and descent), but with little wind.  For that ride, I averaged 152 BPM, and 17.8 MPH.  That's a longer ride, same speed, but significantly higher heart rate.  The plot is rather busy, but it looks like this:

    

It's hard to tell from the plot, but take me at my word:  my heart rate is at least partially inversely proportional to my speed.  That's due to the hills.  When descending, I gained speed with less effort, lowering the heart rate.  When ascending, I lost speed and raised my heart rate.  No dissertation material here, but interesting (to me).

So what's the conclusion?  I personally feel better climbing a moderate grade than pedaling into a moderate wind.  Both effects are non-linear, but for some reason the wind just annoys me more than a hill.  Maybe it's the noise.  Or the buffeting effect on the bike.  But I realized this week that I'm looking forward to returning to the hills, and getting a break from the Valley winds.

One Last LIVESTRONG Challenge Post

Today I found a website that posted 8000 photos of the 2008 Austin LIVESTRONG Challenge.  There's no link to bib number, so I searched and searched and found a few photos of myself and my friends.  My eyes only bled a little.  Nothing an eye patch won't help.

Here's one of the photos, taken as I crossed the finish line:

It's very cool that these were shot then uploaded so quickly.  Many thanks to Hill Country Rambling for giving me permission to use their photo.  You can find the event photos here (warning - takes several minutes to load).

Changes to my Blog

A few posts ago, BikeNoob asked me if I was going to keep blogging now that I'm moving back to Austin.  The answer is yes.

I originally started this blog so that I could document my life in South Texas, especially the cycling element, and specifically how it contrasted with life in Austin.  I'm going to flip that around and continue writing, with the focus on life in CENTRAL Texas, with periodic comparisons to life in the Rio Grande Valley.

Sound exciting?  It is!  Here's why:

• There are exactly zero bloggers in Austin that write about cycling, so I'll bring something completely new to the blog world.
  
• Best I can discern, there is NOBODY out there using '331 Miles' in a website name except me.  And nobody will ever search for it either.  So you'll be "in the know", while everyone else is missing out on something beautiful.
  
• I take an average of 0.08 pictures per day, and I must have an outlet to share them with the world.  This blog will be a release valve for these original photos, even if the release valve only needs to be opened every 12.5 days.  And I'll keep working on that whole dividing the image up and focusing on the intersections concept.  Leave me alone already.
  

Let me know if I missed anything.

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A Web Ad that Doesn't Work

Today is a rarity:  2 posts in one day, and only 50% of them are about cycling.  This post is the non-cycling 50%.

While wasting time in Facebook, I glanced to the right sidebar of the page and saw this ad:

From Random Blog Photos

I'm no advertising genius, or even a basic genius, but here's what I think is wrong with this ad:

• The company is named "Edicy".  Some might pronounce that as edd-iss-ee, as in "edit".  Others might pronounce it "ee-dicey".  Dicey is not a word you use to try to convince people that you provide a good service.
  
• The headline on the ad reads "Create a website US".  Hmmm....inconsistent capitalization.  And tagging on "US" at the end of the headline.  Why?  What?  I'm totally confused.
  
• And lastly, they have "tens of designs to choose from".  Tens?  How about saying "many" instead of "tens of"?  
  

And since Facebook gave me the opportunity, I gave this ad the electronic thumbs down.

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2008 LIVESTRONG Challenge Austin: Part II

I am proud to say that this is the first year that I picked a fight with cancer and participated in the LIVESTRONG Challenge.  Many of you helped me in the fight, and donated funds to the Lance Armstrong Foundation.  With your help, I was able to beat my goal and raise more than $1000 for the cause.  THANKS TO ALL OF YOU THAT DONATED!

My apologies, because with all that is happening in my life right now, I really don't have time for a lengthy post.  Here are a few quick highlights of the ride:

• I picked up my packet on Saturday, and had a great time doing so.  There were tons of cool sponsors and fun swag.  But the thing that sticks with me is getting choked up watching my fellow riders fill out their "in honor of" and "in memory of" commemorative bibs.  It's a tough fight, and bless those that fight it.
  
• I couldn't find any of my teammates that would ride the 90 mile route with me, so I settled for the 65.  That turned out to be a smart decision, but not because of the difficulty.  Instead, it simply helped me to finish faster and get the family back home to the Rio Grande Valley.  Even so, we didn't get home until 9:30p, and Lola cried for about an hour of the drive.  Misery...
  
• Here's the GPS data on my 65 mile ride.  If you're not the clickety-click type, I'll tell you that it included 4000' of elevation gain and descent, average speed of 18 mph and max of 40 mph, and a moving time of  3 hr 35 min.
  
• During the ride, we passed the results of a pretty horrific crash.  There was a steep downhill followed by a 90 degree right across a low water crossing, and a rider didn't make the turn.  She landed off the roadway in the creek bed.  As we passed, it appeared that she had severe facial injuries, and I couldn't shake the image until a friend of mine said they passed a few minutes later and she was sitting up, conscious, and doing better.  I HOPE SHE'S OKAY.
  
• I've never ridden a better supported ride.  Tons of course marshals, traffic control at turns, rough road markings, and food / water stops.  They even filled up the bottles FOR YOU at the stops.  That's both nice as well as smart, as it keeps things moving around the water coolers.  One of the stops had PB&J sandwiches with banana slices inside, which is absolutely the best thing I've ever had on a ride.
  
• I rode the ride with several co-workers, but mainly with one friend and co-worker whom I'll call Curly.  He was great company during the ride, and having someone there to talk to and pull with really made the miles fly.  It also happened to be Curly's birthday, and my gift to him was riding 65 instead of 90!
  

As Curly and I crossed the finish, my family was there to cheer for us and take pictures.  Vic, Besty, Lola, brother Troy, sister-in-law Kristin, and nephew Osby were all there.  It took a lot of effort for them to make it, as this was a huge event and required a long drive and riding shuttle buses.  THANKS FAMILY FOR BEING THERE TO SUPPORT THE RIDE.

Special thanks to Kristin for helping make a sign and taking photos.  Kristin took this one as Curly and I finished the ride, and entered the finish chute.  

I couldn't help myself, and I waved at the camera.  I think that's something that "they" tell you not to do, but who cares....

Vic, Betsy, and Lola had to get up early with Troy, Kristin and Osby, and that's just not fun.  If that wasn't enough, they got out paint and then Kristin and Betsy made the sign that Betsy is holding in the photograph.  Pretty cool, huh?

I dropped off my bike at the corral, then found the family.  Betsy gave me a big hug, then Lola yelled "daddy daddy daddy" until I picked her up.

They had lots of cool stuff for the kids, including rock climbing, jumpers, face painting, and other similar activities.  Betsy tried rock climbing.  The kid you see behind her was helping man the booth, and he could climb the entire wall in a few seconds.

It was a great event.  The ride was scenic, well organized, and just difficult enough to be challenging but not overwhelming.  The post ride party was wonderful, and included good food and good beer.  I'm looking forward to picking a fight again next year, and I hope you'll join me.

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2008 LIVESTRONG Challenge Austin: Part I

It was a long weekend.  I left home last Wednesday, and returned to the Rio Grande Valley late last night.  As such, I don't have time to write a real report on the LIVESTRONG Challenge.  That will be posted tomorrow.

Until then, I'll leave you with a photo of a meeting held in my hotel.  I totally wanted to crash the meeting, as I'm sure they were partying like it was 1699.

From Random Blog Photos

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Thoughts During My Commute to Austin

Today I made the first trip of my new career.  I stayed home just long enough to walk Betsy home from the corner bus stop, kissed the family goodbye, and started driving from Mission, TX to Austin.  It's about 331 miles, and the trip takes about 5 hours.  That's a lot of time to think.  I thought about:

• How it's nice to have a job, and nice to be moving back to Austin.
  
• How each week I will spend at least 10 hours driving from the Rio Grande Valley to Austin.
  
• How I will be away from my family 4-5 days per week for the next couple of months.
  
• How it will be great to work with friends that I've worked with for the last 10 years.
  
• How it will be great to work on new products, new things, with new people.
  
• Besty crying when we told her we were moving, then getting happy.
  
• The opportunity to buy a new house that isn't a money vacuum.
  

Even though most of this is positive, I somehow found myself feeling melancholy.  Changing jobs is stressful, and is right up there with death, marriage, divorce, and the other big ones.  I guess I shouldn't be surprised that I felt a little sad.

And on a very simple level, driving through dusk always makes me feel down.  Always has, even when I was a kid riding in the back seat with my brothers.  Perhaps it signifies change, and leaving something behind, and going into darkness.  As I watched the sunset today, I recognized these feelings, and decided to capture the above image with my cameraphone.  Not a good photo, but it does the trick.  Just looking at it again brings back a little sadness.

P.S.  I feel good again.  I just ate a warm Doubletree Suites chocolate chip cookie!  Nothing like creating a bad feedback loop...

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Hat Made of Grape Balls

Lola is learning to talk, and to play with food.  On Monday night, she had grapes for dessert.  I cut them in half to minimize the choking hazard.  Once she had her fill, she started saying "ball ball hat ball hat hat ball hat".  I looked over, and this is what she was doing:

From Random Blog Photos

At one point, she had 4 up there.  Lastly, I had to grab the camera phone to get this shot, so I'm sorry for the blurry quality.  

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Follow Me

I've added a new widget to my sidebar.  Google has linked up Google Reader to a blog feature called 'follower'.  You can 'follow' a blog, and Google will automatically add it to Google Reader.  Additionally, you can use the feature to create a blogroll of sorts, as well as see who reads your blog.

If you read my blog regularly, please have a look at the widget and click on the link to follow my blog.  Chances are, I've already added yours!

Moving Back to Austin

I knew it would happen.  I was on an indefinite tour of duty as General Manager of my company's maquiladora in Reynosa, and the tour of duty is complete.  Thanks to the looming recession and the amount of work at our maquiladora, it has been in discussion for several weeks.  The decision was finalized a couple of weeks ago, but it was not formally announced until VP of Operations sent the announcement e-mail last Thursday.  And that did it -- I start my new position on November 3.

 I'm happy to be starting a new position and moving back, but I'm sad to leave South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley.  While we were here so much happened:

• Lola was born.
  
• Betsy started kindergarten.
• Victoria quit her job and became a stay-home mom.
• I became consumed with cycling as my primary hobby and non-family, non-work activity.
• Vic and I became an aunt and uncle again.
• I was promoted from Director of Operations to Senior Director and General Manager.
• I joined Team McAllen, and rode and rode and rode some more.  I even rode back-to-back centuries to San Antonio with the team.
• We poured money into repairing our house, and had a pool built.
• We weathered Hurricane Dolly.
• I completed 5 century rides, and many more long rides.  I wish I had kept track of my miles.
• Lola started walking, and saying a few words.
• My company acquired another company in California and we transferred all of their manufacturing equipment and production to our Reynosa factory.
• I lost 24 pounds.
• Vic's grandmother died.
• Betsy started horseback riding.
• Lastly –WE MADE SOME GOOD FRIENDS.

These are just a few of the things that happened.  They all created memories, most of them good, but a few that aren’t so good. 

Moving, even to a city you love, is something that can be both sad and stressful.  It simultaneously can make you happy.  I’m sad to leave the people behind, but happy to know that we’re only 5 hours away.  To all our South Texas friends:  we’re sure to meet again, either in the Valley or in Austin, and until then, please stay in touch.

Century Training Ride for Austin LIVESTRONG Challenge

PROLOGUE

Saturday was my last long training ride in preparation for next weekend's LIVESTRONG Challenge in Austin.  Before I give you the details, please take a moment to consider donating to the cause.  The ride benefits the Lance Armstrong Foundation, and they are doing a great job in the fight against cancer, but they need your help.  You can donate at my personal LIVESTRONG Challenge home page, and help me reach my goal of raising $1000.

THE RIDE

At the urging of Piojo and others, I decided to meet a few fellow McAllen riders and ride out to La Gloria.  It would be a century ride for those that rode from home, but for me it was only 96 miles since I drove from home and met the group at a gas station along the route.  I met them at 10th and 107 in Edinburg, and was surprised to see a couple of dudes on mountain bikes had joined our group of 7 or so roadies.  It was around 60-65F, low humidity, and a beautiful day for riding.  We rolled out at 7 am, and proceed northwest to La Gloria.

Turns out the MTBers were strong.  They held the pace with us roadies, even when we pushed to 20+ MPH.  You know who you are -- I'm impressed.  The group thinned a little as we approached McCook, and from there it was me, Piojo, Rio, Major, and Santi on his full suspension mountain bike.  We continued to pedal northwest, being passed by oilfield trucks and hunters getting ready for deer season.  We rode into a slight headwind, which checked our speed a little, but it was a good strong ride.

We hit the ~50 mile turnaround in just under 2 hr 30 min, which I think is a great elapsed time considering the mix of riders and the headwind.  And now for the best part of the ride -- La Gloria.  Much like McCook, La Gloria is a tiny town, but it has a bullring.  All of us couldn't wait to see the bullring, and we took lots of pictures.  Here are a few.

From Random Blog Photos

From Random Blog Photos

From Random Blog Photos

We joked that we needed to plan a trip back to visit the cantina, took a few more photos, then turned around for the return ride.  We stopped at a great farm supply in San Isidro, refilled our water bottles, ate some high calorie junk food, then resumed the last 45 miles of the ride.

We had a tailwind on the way back, and our speed surged.  I averaged 20 MPH, and peaked at 27 MPH.  Rolling time for the return was 2 Hr 24 Mins.  Overall time for the ride was sub 5 hours, but since I only had the GPS on for the return trip (it's still new to me...), I don't have the full set of statistics.  You can see the data on the return trip here.

And in closing, kudos to those in the group:

• Santi is a monster.  I can't imagine doing this ride on a full suspension mountain bike, and keeping a good attitude.
  
• Piojo kept us laughing with his jokes about his anatomy, and with his persistence in the face of cramps in his legs.
  
• The Major, as usual, pulled like crazy.  Someone said riding behind him was liking riding behind a sheet of plywood.  I agree.
  
• Rio is the new recipient of the good attitude award, as he was mostly happy with riding a little slower so that we could stay together as a group.  Plus, he had the great idea of eating The Major if we were ever stranded in the wilderness.  Yes, it got a little weird out there.
  

This is one century that I would do again tomorrow if I could.  Good company, good route, good roads.  That's all you need.

Maverick!

I usually stay away from the discretely political stuff, but this is FUNNY, so an exception will be made:  PALIN AS PRESIDENT.

And my apologies if you've already seen it, as I know it has spread through the interwebs like newly authorized offshore drilling.

Fastest Bus in Mexico

A few weeks ago I snapped this photo with the ol' camera phone.  I couldn't pass up getting a picture of the fastest bus in Mexico.  That spoiler is great, but if only he had the money for ground effects and wheelie bars...

Cycling Shoe Repair

During my last ride to McCook, I was feeling a strange, rough sensation on the bottom of the big toe of my left foot.  I thought that my sock was getting threadbare, but when I got home I found this:

I've worn a hole through the footbed fabric, and into the foam.  You can see that this is also happening around where my pinkie toe contacts the footbed, but not as bad.

Since I wear Specialized BG Carbon shoes (can't remember the exact model, but I bought them in '07), I went to Specialized's website and found that they sell replacement footbeds.  They cost $30 plus shipping, but that's way cheaper than new shoes.  I ordered a set today, except they're blue/black instead of red/black, and are the updated technology.  They look like this:

As always, I'm feeling like when these arrive I will install them and will suddenly be able to ride much faster.

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TX - OU Weekend Part III: Pirates!

If you're wondering, this will be the last of my Texas - Oklahoma weekend posts...

As soon as we hit the Midway part of the Fair, Betsy and I decided we would ride "Pirate", one of those swinging ship rides.  She met the height requirement, and I remembered enjoying these things when I was a kid.  We paid our $27 and boarded the ship.

From 081010 Texas State Fair

As we entered the ride, the ride operator asked if Betsy had ever ridden this ride.  When I said no, he advised that we not sit past the 3rd row from either end.  So we picked the 3rd row, because we're all about carnival excitement.  The ship started swinging.

Betsy was out of her mind with fear.  She leaned over the lap bar, closing her eyes, and making me feel guilty for bringing her on the ride.  As the ship swung nearly vertical and we looked straight down, the feeling of weightlessness was fun yet nauseating.  By the time we got off the ride, Betsy was saying she felt sick.  So did I.  I guess we're lightweights when it comes to carnivals.  I'm not ashamed.  The smile you see in the photo is me gritting my teeth.

From 081010 Texas State Fair

TX - OU Weekend Part II: Game Day

As you most likely know, Texas beat Oklahoma, and has claimed the #1 ranking in the AP Poll.  You can get all the stats and details on the game from the sports sites.  Independent of that, it was absolutely the best football game I've ever attended.  The atmosphere, the rivalry, the great play of two of the best teams in the nation, and finally the outcome -- the only way it gets better is if it's a national championship game.  If Texas keeps playing like they did this weekend, that game just might happen in January 2009.

Until then, here are a few photos of game day excitement.

Mean, but Funny Dig on the OU Quarterback

From 2008 Texas v OU

Main Entrance to the Legendary Stadium

From 2008 Texas v OU

Halftime Card Routine

From 2008 Texas v OU

Honestly, Lots of Mobile Homes in Texas Too

From 2008 Texas v OU

Team Rushes the Field as Time Expires & Colt on the Jumbo

From 2008 Texas v OU

Texas Takes the Flag, and Sooners Take the Exit from the Stands

From 2008 Texas v OU

Some Crazy Dude with Tight Shorts and 1/2 Wifebeater

From 2008 Texas v OU

TX - OU Weekend Part I: Big Tex

Today was our first full day in Dallas.  We went to The State Fair of Texas, and spent our children's college fund.  Seriously -- Disneyworld can't be much more expensive than the State Fair.

But that's the grumpy side of me, which is 94% of my 'sides'.  For the other non-grumpy 6%, we had corn dogs, funnel cakes, ice cream, daiquiris in a bag (like a Capri Sun!), beer, carnival rides, Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders (really!), pizza, auto show, and other fun stuff.  But I'll post more about all of that later.  

For now, as I sit in the hotel bed getting ready for the big game tomorrow, I'll leave you with Big Tex shilling for Ikea.  Yes, an icon of Texas advertising for an icon of Scandinavia.  Weird.  And lastly, this is my first ever uploaded video.  It was shot with my Kodak still camera, so don't scoff at the quality.

Repairing Rotten Pergola

Note: As you read this, we're in Dallas for the Texas-Oklahoma game. Next post will be Monday at the earliest. Hook 'em!

Vic and I have owned and resided in four different houses: 2 in Austin, 1 in Houston, and 1 in Mission, Texas. Of these, our current house in Mission has required the most repair. The repairs have included typical, expected repairs, as well as total surprises caused by the ineptitude of the builder. Here's a quick list:

• Replaced water heater
• Closed in HVAC return, as it wasn't installed correctly and was circulating unfiltered air
• Repaired relays on both A/C units
• Massive rot & termite damage repair on front porch
• Caulked ALL windows (they weren't caulked AT ALL previously)
• Sealed holes in eaves and overhangs because bees were trying to swarm there and create a hive (this happened in back-to-back Springs)
• Repairing rotten and incorrectly installed pergola

And that's just what I can think of right now as I write. I know there are more. Many more.

So in perhaps my most boring post ever, here's what was involved in repairing the pergola. Hopefully someone out there will read this and learn something. Otherwise, the post will serve to generate sympathy from friends, family, and a few readers.

BACKGROUND

When we bought the house, the inspector notified us that the pergola beams were rotten where they attached to the house. We required the seller to repair, but did not follow up with another inspection. After we moved in, we figured out the history as well as how and why the seller made an inferior repair.

During construction, the beams were connected to the framing, and then the brick was laid around the beams. Since the beams were untreated, the beams rotted, which was accelerated by since the wood was surrounded by brick and thus staying wet virtually all the time. The rot within the brick area was difficult to remove and repair, so the seller just cut the beams to stubs and nailed new beams to the stubs. He caulked and painted to make the rotten wood look okay, but it was still rotten. Over the past 2 years they continued to rot, and eventually allowed water to enter the space behind the bricks.

Pergola Before Repair, Framed for Support

From 080907 Pergola Rot

Rotten Stub

From 080907 Pergola Rot

REPAIR TECHNIQUE

After consulting with my brother the architect and my Dad the handy dandy craftsman, I decided to dig out all the rotten wood, put in a moisture barrier, fill the holes with mortar, install a header board, and then hang the beams from the header board. Sounds easy enough...

Installing support framing (see photo above) and then removing the 15 rotten beams took 2 full days. I chiseled out the rotten wood, then the good wood, and it was physically difficult work. I had to pull out about 150 nails. Seriously. After I cleaned all of that out, I sprayed a tar-like vapor barrier material into the holes, then filled the holes with mortar.

Hole Sealed with Tar Vapor Barrier

Hole Filled with Mortar

From 080907 Pergola Rot

Once the holes were filled and cured, I hung a 2 x 12 header board. I used threaded rod, anchored into the brick using a Hilti epoxy anchoring system. I then nailed the beams to the header board, using Simpson Strong Tie joist hangers. Each hanger required 10 nails, so I bought a pneumatic palm nailer which saved me many hours of hammer swinging.

After it was physically anchored to the wall and the framing was removed, I spent two days (1/2 day each day) filling, sanding, caulking, priming, and painting. Vic helped, which saved me lots o' time. Photos of the finished project are below.

Finished Pergola

From 080907 Pergola Rot

Close-Up of Anchor Bolts and Joist Hanger

From 080907 Pergola Rot

And one last unrelated comment -- Blogger is a royal pain in the a** when it comes to working with images, especially centering them.

Solo Ride to McCook

My normal Tuesday evening ride was a literal wash-out. We had a little front come through, and it stirred up some thunderstorms in the afternoon. I don't mind if I get rained on during a ride, but I hate to start a ride in the rain. So I skipped it, and at the last minute decided to do a solo ride Wednesday morning.

I got up, ate breakfast with the family, and left the house at sunrise. This photo could have been taken in Baghdad, but it was taken from my driveway. The white bar of nothingness is a new wall that is being built. Right now, it looks rather plain.

From 081008 Ride to McCook

I rode north, heading for McCook. I took a route previously shown to me by the Major, with much of the northbound travel on Mayberry. This photo is typical for a Rio Grande Valley road: straight pavement, flat, orange grove on the right, mesquite scrub on the left, and not a car in sight. Also, the wind starting blowing pretty good while I was on Mayberry. About half the ride ended up being into a brisk north wind of 7-9 MPH. That's my experienced guess, anyway.

From 081008 Ride to McCook

And since I hadn't taken a self portrait in awhile, I took one today. My face is starting to get some serious lines. I'm getting old.

From 081008 Ride to McCook

As I got closer to McCook, I saw the grain processing facilities that I mentioned in a previous post about the McCook ride. It still reminds me of The Emerald City from the Wizard of Oz.

From 081008 Ride to McCook

One thing I did not realize during my only previous ride to McCook is that the shoulder is very rough. Since I rode with a group last time, we took part of the lane. As you can see in this photo, the lane is very smooth, and the shoulder is rough. In fact, the shoulder was so rough that once I stopped I checked the bolts holding on my bottle cages, as well as my spokes. I stayed on the shoulder because most of the traffic consists of large trucks and tractors hauling oilfield equipment, and I didn't want to get sideswiped by a trailer or blown around too much. Safety first!

From 081008 Ride to McCook

I really like McCook. There's one stop sign, 2 gas stations, a grain processing facility or two, and a few houses. If you wanted to get away from people, this is the place to go. Here's a photo of the intersection with the stop sign, and one of the stores.

From 081008 Ride to McCook

Here's a close-up of the store. The photo is a little misleading, as the store seems to be partially closed. The main entrance is to the right, and not shown in the photo. I think at one time it was a well-stocked grocery store, but now it's more like a convenience store, albeit a throwback. As I mentioned in the earlier post, it has screen doors, no a/c, wood floors, one gas pump, and a ton of personality. And yes, that's an old phone booth.

From 081008 Ride to McCook

One last thing -- today was the first time I used my new Garmin Edge 305 GPS cyclocomputer. I'm still learning how to use it, or I would post my route. Statistics are as follows: 67 miles, 18.5 MPH average, 84 avg cadence, 554' of climbing (aka nothing). Very nice ride!

LIVESTRONG Challenge Update

All of you have been very generous! You've donated $800, and now I'm only $200 away from my goal of raising $1000 for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. To those of you that have donated already, I send you the same message that one of Betsy's classmates sent to me when Betsy gave her a LIVESTRONG wristband:

From Random Blog Photos

But I still am $200 away from goal, so I ask all of you to dig deep, and if you haven't given please consider it. I know the economy is terrible. I know you've given to other causes. I know it requires a bunch of clicks, typing, and you'll have to get up and go get your credit card from your wallet or purse. All I ask is that you think about those that have been or will be affected by cancer, and consider if you want to help. This is just one way to do that.

If you want to give, HERE'S THE LINK, and thanks in advance!

Garmin Edge 305

The replacement for my Polar CS200 CAD has been delivered by United Federal Parcel Express: the Garmin Edge 305. Batteries are charging, installation to follow. Here's a photo of my new sweetie:

From Random Blog Photos

And today, Vic and I finally finished up the pergola repair. I may try to contrive a post about it for tomorrow...

Road Rash Saturday and Road Race Sunday

Since Vic was visiting her sister and took the kids, I was able to ride both Saturday and Sunday. Yahoo! Here's how it went...


SATURDAY

The Vuelta al Valle started on Saturday, but it was a 10 mile time trial. I elected to not do that, as I really wanted to get in some miles and seat time. So I met some of the Team McAllen folks that weren't doing the time trial, and we rode from Burger King as usual.

In what I thought was a little bit of a strange move, we decided to ride to the Vuelta al Valle starting point. I think the idea was to show some support. There were about 20 of us, and there was a mix of strong, experienced riders and very new cyclists. Along the way, one of the newer cyclists just 'fell out' and hit the pavement. Nobody was near her, and she didn't seem to hit anything in the road. This delayed us 15-20 minutes, but she was able to ride away, so it wasn't too bad.

We continued on, skittish and concerned about the mix of riders. Then, as we neared the Vuelta starting line, one of our experienced riders hit an orange road cone and went down. As the group slowed, another accident happened as a trailing cyclist hit another cyclist that was slowing to avoid the first accident. Yes -- 3 accidents in one day, although no major injuries or problems.

I decided I didn't want any more of the large group craziness. I picked up with 4 other very experienced cyclists, and we formed up and hammered all the way back to Burger King. We averaged 22-23 MPH, and managed to get a good rolling echelon going. If there is an opposite to what the original group was doing, this was it.


SUNDAY

I had posted an inquiry on the Team McAllen forum asking who would be there for the team ride on Sunday. I was encouraged to bypass the team ride, and join a group of Team McAllen folks at the Vuelta al Valle road race. I don't race often, so I liked the challenge and I decided to meet them. I arrived at 7:30a, and registered for the 35 mile road race in the Men's 35+ Category.

This was not a sanctioned event, so there was a little strangeness going on with the groups and riders. In the Open Category, there were some Mexican pro cyclists (so I was told) who would most likely win, barring an accident or a superhuman performance by some of the amateurs. Since there were cash prizes for the winners, this pushed some of our better, older local riders to register in the 35+ age Category instead of the Open Category. After the Open Category riders started and they started the 35+ group, I found myself in a group of about 20 cyclists, and saw that this included 4 really strong Team McAllen riders.

As we started, the Team McAllen riders pushed to the front. The entire group formed up in a paceline instead of a peloton, but with only a few of us rotating and pulling. As we made our first turn, 3 of the strongest Team McAllen riders broke away from the group, leaving me and another Team McAllen rider with the main group. The two of us were strong, but not that strong. Aware of who made the breakaway, I knew I would have a tough time catching them, and a tougher time staying with them if I caught them. Fortunately, Mike, the remaining teammate, told me 'hold back and don't pull hard'. I was happy to comply.

As we drew up side-by-side, he explained that one of the riders in the lead group needed to post a good time in the race so that he could podium for the 2 day event. If we allowed some of the other riders to post good times, it might push him off the podium. So we began to try to control the pace of the group, and make sure they didn't catch the breakaway.

It worked, and it was fun. When Mike or I was in front, we would drop the pace down a few MPH. We would do this until a rider from another team would speed up and execute a pass. If another team started pushing and trying to bridge up to our 3 teammates that were in the breakaway, we stayed on their wheel until they blew up. As they wove and moved to try to yo-yo us off their wheels, we cranked hard and made sure we stayed with them. In the end, the Team McAllen breakaway group of 3 took all of the 35+ Age Category podium positions for the road race. Our trailing group thinned out as we rode, until only 5 of us were left at the finish. I'm not a registered racer, and have no formal categorization. But this was really fun! It makes me want to get registered, and at least compete in a few races.

Oh yeah -- over the 35 mile course, we averaged 22 MPH. The 35+ Category winners averaged 24 MPH. Great race!

Motorcycle with a Bike Rack

One of the nicest riders on Team McAllen rides a motorcycle to the Saturday rides. He always has a smile, a handshake, and a 'hello' for everyone he sees. During the rides, you can hear his voice and laughter, usually followed by another rider laughing it up too.

In a perfect match to his personality, his motorcycle sports a homemade utility box with a bike rack, and it's decorated with stuffed animals and an American flag. It is the only motorcycle-mounted bike rack I've ever seen, homemade or store bought, decorated or otherwise.

As a guy who thinks for days about whether or not he'll put a bumper sticker on his truck's back window, I'm impressed by his creativity, originality, and personalization. I think you will be too.

From Random Blog Photos

From Random Blog Photos

Vuelta al Valle Race

This weekend is the Vuelta al Valle in Edinburg, Texas. It's sponsored by Sports Federation of the Valley, which is one of the local cycling clubs. The event is a two day event -- 1st day is a road race, 2nd day is a time trial. It sounds like a really fun event, but since I'm training for the LIVESTRONG Challenge in Austin, I really need to get in a longer ride.

When I mentioned the Vuelta al Valle to one of my cycling buddies, he referred to it as this:

It may seem like an insult, but I think an event t-shirt that integrated the Velveeta box with the Vuelta al Valle name would actually be VERY funny. It would probably have made me pre-register!

Good luck to everyone that will ride the event tomorrow and Sunday. Have a great time, a great event, and be safe! I may join you next year.

Chainrings are Beautiful Things

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I've recently replaced almost my entire drivetrain:  chain, rear derailleur, and cassette.  New chainrings came in on Wednesday:  a Full Speed Ahead (FSA) Super Road 53T and 39T  130mm set.   I took the picture because chainrings are amazing in their visual simplicity, which masks the complexity of the functional design.

From 081001 Chainrings

On Thursday, I made a quick trip to the auto parts store to buy a star driver set with a T-30 bit to match the screws.  I also bought some 'blue' threadlock, recommended by Speedo, but I was warned by the auto parts dude that he needed an impact wrench to break the stuff loose on some bolts on his car's headers.  Perhaps the high heat caused the threadlock to overharden? I'm going with Speedo on this one!  I wanted to install Thursday, but ran out of time, so now it's bumped to Friday.

And one last thing -- like new running shoes, these are sure to make me faster.  Even if that's not true, they're still pretty!

Crazy Face and Baby Osby

When I was in Austin, I met my brother Troy, his wife Kristin, and my nephew Osby, and we all went to dinner at The Clay Pit.  I haven't had Indian food in AT LEAST 2 years.  We shared pakoras, samosas, chicken vindaloo, lamb kebab, and chicken in coconut curry.   And you can't have Indian food without basmati rice and naan.  MMMMMMM good.   And thanks to T & K for picking up the tab!

We ate at 5:30p, because around 6pm Osby turns into a pumpkin.  My kids are the same way.  Our evening routine is so ritualized that they expect to be eating and on their to bath and bed at the same time every evening.  It doesn't matter if you're out to dinner, at a funeral, or visiting an amusement park.  Crankiness ensues when the routine is broken.  On the other hand, Osby was a joy, and he adapted well to being out of his routine.  He hollered a little when Kristin was a little slow getting the food from the jar to his mouth, but nothing that caught anyone's attention.  We had a great Indian meal, and Osby seemed to enjoy his pureed vegetable and meat selections.

When we left the restaurant, I tried for the 2nd time that day to hold Osby.  Since we moved from Austin before he was born, we haven't seen him as much as we wish.  He doesn't know me that well, so his lip immediately curled up and he wanted out of my arms.  Kristin snapped a couple of photos of Osby being scared, and me trying to mimic Osby.  Osby's uncle is mean!