Playing Possum

This is an audience participation entry. With the build-up to the Tour and all the coverage available to us in this electronic era how will the media frenzy effect you dear reader? Do you find yourself missing sleep watching the days stage or reading about it online in your "Cave of Tour Isolation" computer room? Or do you risk termination from that most important of duties - earning the coin to fund you wheel life or is it real life or is there a difference, because you are caught on cyclingnews.com when you're supposed to be drafting a document at said work? Are your family, spouse or significant other at peace with your upcoming Tour of Duty? How have you prepped them or are you just suddenly going to be missing in action as the lawn goes unmowed, garbage piles up, car goes unwashed? How about that important pass time, your training, will it suffer? We have been besieged with the center of the "Mobile Universe" He's been on the cover of "Mens Health" or some other such grocery store checkout decorations. Print ads such as Bontrager's remind us that "It is Good to be" Him, while Oakley has "Perfection Gets Personal. How about the tender "real men don't use emoticons" from The Shack? But what do you think, what has he done this year? crashes, illness, field finishes, a DNF. But then there is The Tour de Suisse, a second place GC thanks to a TT final stage. But then his TT was bested (11th) by - yeah I know - Cancellara, but also Maxime Monfort, Jacob Fugelsang, Wouter Pouls and Gustav Larrson. Not to disparage these fine athletes but were talkin' Lance here. Or is he just playing possum. He does the psych game better than anybody. Did he go just hard enough to get a podium place and not draw too much attention. He did a faster second half split. What do you think, and more importantly, how will your life fare during the month of July? Use the comment box below the post. Keep rollin' HH

new adventures

I think I've mentioned the parks (yes plural) across the street from our apartment. There is a city park with tennis courts, great playground, baseball, a good size lake and walking paths/trails. This links to a county park with a bigger lake, more nature stuff, then into a huge state park of 5000 acres w/30+ miles of hike/bike/equestrian trails. We had to get mountain bikes. I finally got mine a week ago. I have been into the park several time on my cyclocross bike, but a lot of the terrain is steep and rocky, not really CX territory. Annadel Park has a history in mountain biking as the site of the first(?) national championship mtb race, it was won by John Tomac, I believe. Today I ventured into some new areas. It's been 14 years since I had a mountainbike, so I have some skills to reacquaint myself with, but it was fun. The lake in the photo is Lake Ilsanjo 750', home is 165' and only 4 miles away. Lots of wildlife, deer and turkey are seen regularly but also bobcats and mountain lion, so far not seen! The area is volcanic in origin, all this area is - and makes good soil for grapes! It has been mined for Obsidian by ancient native americans and into the 1900's for cobblestone. So you guessed it, it is rocky but heavily wooded as well. Lots of exploring to do. panoramic shot of typical norcal hillside Mt. Hood in the distance, see previous blog 9/23/09 the lake is clear and good for fishing and swimming.

Still here!

Been a while, sorry to leave you without my occasional entertainments, but nothing has really jumped up in my mind to rant, brag or ruminate about. The Giro had me occupied for three weeks, especially since Universal Sports covered it more than once daily beginning at 6:30 AM that made it possible to see nearly everyday before work. If you didn't get to see it, it was the best stage racing I've seen. Lots of genuine drama as the lead changed numerous times and the usual quaint Italian back country scenery and gravel! roads. I venture to say that we are seeing a leveling of the playing field in some sense with regards to PEDs (performance enhancing drugs)Either few/none are doing them or all/most are doing just a little so as to stay undetected. There were no super dominating performances, it just looked like real racing. Same in CA. The ToC just didn't seem to catch my attention though, Versus TV didn't help with only one show a day at 2PM Pacific time. I don't see how they can continue with cycling if they don't think there is enough interest to rerun their expensive programing. But the HD was nice. Oh well we'll see what THE Tour brings. Weather here has been weird, still rain some, a sprinkle this AM. June rain just isn't right here. Thunder and lightning last week, also a rareity in Sonoma County. But spring is still here. Lots of wildflowers remain. Below are a few recent photos for your enjoyment. I hope your riding is going well. HH

Tour of CAtastrophe

Been busy lately, getting miles in pretty well, and I've done some new modest routes. Big ones yet to come.

The Tour has come through, ToC of course, I had planned to ride up to the small climb about 10K out with food, and beverage to watch the leaders (maybe a break!) grind over slow enough to see their faces. Then ride downtown to partake in the festivities, complete w/free valet bike parking. Funny how cold rain changed all that. We drove down with a friend, strolled through the festival, watched the Big Screen show the last 300 meters. You saw nothing less than I did, plus you were dry. Oh, I did see Coop.

We then walked down the course to the team bus area. the corner, a block out had several soigners trying to tend to riders. We stood and watched a grim looking bunch come in. The most famous was Mark Cavendish (dang, I didn't have the camera ready) also Popovich.

grim guy from Team Spidertech

team Bissell Pinarellos

second guy is Mike Friedman

one of the Jaques-Maynes bros

cool Mavic Carbone Ultimate wheel

The week before we saw BMC guys training numerous times and one Liquigas guy as well. For all the build up it was disappointing that TV coverage was non existent. I watched the days live coverage from the Giro broadcast in similar conditions, what gives with hi-tech USA? Don't let them fool you, its about egos and poor planning, not weather. It seems as long as advertisers are ponying up bucks the management doesn't care what goes on TV. They only hired ASO for prestige, plenty of US talent could get the job done. One moto camera guy was only to be there for the first hour, but when rain came the ASO guys weren't prepared for rain, so they the local guy had to stay out (with the wrong clothes) he got plenty of video tape. But production had no back up plan to get it from the field to production. I have a friend in cycle video production, who went through this with me. You can tell I'm rather let down after all the build up to the event. Now my rant continues to Versus.... I watched Tuesdays coverage rebroadcast, the schedule showed 9:30 PM. Well hockey was on, then the post game show dawdled on, I know its the playoffs and all, but they don't hesitate to cut cycling short. I just read the live broadcast earlier cut the last exciting mile for the damn PRE game show of "mullets on ice". Even Lance was pissed. I guess he'll have to be in all the sprints to guarantee final coverage. Cycling gets no respect

Oh well, lets go ride.

Levi sighting

Several pix from my morning ride today.

Ah, Spring, it really is grand. I'm sure all cyclists can relate. Longer days and milder temps.

Last week Susan took me on a route she had recently been introduced to, lots of wildflowers and interesting new views. Sorry, no camera that day, but it was bird day. Hawks, bluebirds,goldfinches and some tri-coiored woodpecker all made themselves known. Lots of Redwinged Blackbirds in their usual marshy habitat. Susan said we'd see them, I think they were looking for her.

On my Monday ride we had a Levi sighting. It was the first time I had seen him on the roads. He lives here in Santa Rosa. He was heading the other way, so we let him go on his way. We all brainstormed on were he was headed. I little last minute leg work before flying to NM for the Tour of the Gila, which started today. George Hincapie rode into town Sunday, on a 114 mile charity ride from Davis Ca. This ride drew 800 riders to follow the stage to Santa Rosa in the Amgen Tour of CA. Future references here will be simpy ATOC as I'm typing challenged and take certain liberties. Georges new team affiliation. BMC, tho' Swiss owned is US registered and based here in Santa Rosa. Look for details of the race day finish some time soon. The big day is May 17.

Keep the wheels turning, 'til later

HH

spring

Susan and I like to visit wineries (surpised, aren't you?) and its hard to take time to drive around, but we do take time to ride bikes around. While we out riding recently, we decided to stop at one a good ways up north in Sonoma County. We have frequented many tasting rooms here in cycling attire and never feel out of place! People are used to seeing cyclists, really! Anyway, the tasting room guy and a taster were taking about the Salmon out back in the river. This area has many rivers that take the Salmon upstream, way upsteam from the ocean to spawn. Check it out if you are interested http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinook_salmon. They even had little fish printed, cardboard frame sunglasses to help the vision. We were told it was just out back. Well, we started out removing our cleats and gingerly begin what turned out to be a painful stocking footed 25 yard limp down to the river edge. Nice day, no fish. I took my socks off and waded in a ways. Wow a first!- my barefeet in CA mud and riverwater. Back up at the tasting room. We were told the recent rain left the water too muddy to see the fish. Boy did I feel like I was sent on a snipe hunt! We continued the rest of our ride, 20 some miles laughing about our new experience. Spring has really sprung, you guys in NC seem to have jumped ahead temp wise for a while. Lots of new flowering plants here, and some familiar, I have seen a few Dogwoods, lots of Wisteria, but no Azaleas. Grapes are burting out new growth, at various stages depending on varietal and exposure. Pix follow.

That's all for now, I hope your wheels are seeing pavement

HH

Can't judge a book....

Every creature learns from experience. We are not continually a blank slate experience-wise. Animals learn not do to something, and then don't. Eat that, you get sick. Don't go near near the yellow flickering stuff, it burns. Humans are no different.Experience is a short cut, experience something once, you can build on it. That's essentially what education is, building on our universal experience. So you can judge a book by looking at the cover. Well I am sure you will agree one can't always do so. Literature reinforces our own lives events. So, we as higher functioning creatures get to apply a little more judgement. OK, are you still with me? So, Sunday I am doing my bikecommute to work, a nice 12 mile route, not hilly and on Suday its especially quiet. I left home a little late so I am not dawdling. I just crest the one little bump on the route, when a group of riders roll past. I think, "I had better jump on that train" so I accelerate up and announce that I am tucked on the back. We go a mile or so and get held up at an intersection, another guy looks over and I comment that appreciate the draft. They are a serious looking group, me, I am in jeans and on my old 1991 Bridgestone MB-4 with a pannier and fenders. He commented they were turning off another two miles up but I was welcome to try and stay on. Well, I suppose he misjudged the cover on that book, because I stayed with them. Sure, they were cruising out at a rather relaxed pace, but.... We've all done it, misjudged someone or something by appearance, only to be shown - wrong. Oh well thats life, look around, pay attention Last week I hit the 190 mile mark for a week! I haven't done that in a good long while. That is hardly heroic distance out here with these folks. But I am happy. Above panorama is the view across the Santa Rosa Plain. Lower ridge separates us from Napa County, the mountain is the far side of Napa. Mt. Saint Helena. Fortunatly, there is no paved road, otherwise I guess I'd have to climb it too! Happy Springtime, I told you it would get here. It looks like many of us are getting some sun on our deprived arms and legs now. Even y'all in NC. Ride on folks, thanks for reading. HH