San Diego Velodrome Clinic

July 5, 2009

Velodrome, fixed gear bicycles, banked corners...all foreign to me. I will admit that I was a bit nervous about this outing. We gathered early to get fitted to one of the velodromes track bikes and gathered around the infield for some instruction. Keep pedaling were the words that stuck in my mind...after all, the pedals don't stop until the bike stops. There are no brakes, and definitely no coasting on these rigs.

Lisa Jennings was our instructor. She taught us some basics and had a fellow Scott & BR Cycling Team rider demonstrate the fundamentals. We started out with some basics, learning how to start, get strapped in, stop, etc... The drills were a blast, I did not realize until later how much they hurt!

Once we were all comfortable we did some sprints. We all raced the clock in the flying 200. Everyone was cheering and having a great time. My elapsed time however, not so great... I was hurting. I put in a few to many miles over the long weekend and underestimated the beating 140 miles puts on the body. We then did a full lap sprint. Talk about burn! Legs, lungs, core, everything was on fire during the hot lap.

After all the times were logged we took a group picture and chatted it up a bit. I am still ecstatic to have been chosen to ride with this group and participate in the Scott & BR Cycling Team radio contest. Great people! Thanks again Mike, Lisa, and the CAF/QMDC Crew!

Angels Stadium to Solana Beach

June 26, 2009

Today was a big one for the Scott & BR Cycling Team and the Qualcomm Million Dollar Challenge crew. 80 miles with a bit of a different format, with our bikes being hauled to Anaheim by Wheels on Wheels (Thanks Dan!) and the riders taking the Amtrak train to Anaheim to ride back. It was an early start to the day to catch the train by 6:45 and get the bikes loaded up and on the road.


The train ride was a nice change. We got the opportunity to chat with each other and get to know each other more than we can on the road. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to ride and compete with all of the other Scott & BR Cycling team members. It has been an extremely enjoyable experience so far and I have no doubts that I am building great memories.


I rolled out with group 2 today. I rode with them last week and it went realy well, so I decided to stick with them. The pace was pretting fast from the start. The miles ticked by faster than I realized. Before I knew it we were at our first SAG for a quick top off and on our way again. I stuck to the back to get a feel for the people I was riding with and chatted a bit with some fellow contestants, riders, and a little with Mari Holden. Before I knew it, we were at our lunch break at San Onofre. The turkey sandwiches were a treat, compared to the normal cliff bar and gel regimen. A big thanks to the support crew for their efforts!


We rolled out after a short break and started to get organized. They said that we were going to pick it up, and they meant it. We had a super organized, tight, and fast paceline going. I did not look down much, but I was seeing 23, 24, 25, 26, even 30 MPH in a rotating paceline on the bike path. It was a cool feeling to be moving like that in those speeds and as fluid as we were. The speeds started to beak our group up, but I was determined to stay on. We cruised through Camp Pendelton in no time at all.


Oceanside, Carlsbad, Leucadia, Encinitas, Cardiff all flew by. The only hiccups were a few close encounters with beach traffic, but that is to be expected on a Sunday afternoon in Southern California. We made it back to Solana Beach around 1:30. I am very pleased with the ride. This group challenges me to ride harder than I would normally do (yet still within my comfort zone), and I am all grins that I can keep up. Today's average speed was a personal best for me. 18.9 MPH over 80 miles. I am happy.


This was by far the smoothest ride I have ever done. No flats, no mechanical problems, no accidents or spills by anyone. Smooth sailing the whole way.


I stayed at the finish for a while talking to some of the riders and organizers. This is truly a great bunch of people. CAF and QMDC, Thanks for the opportunity to ride with you