DAY # 16 Sunday 2/22/09

Final Training camp comments - I fly home in the AM....

WOW WHAT A TRIP - * = + ! ~ --> Thanks Gary..................

Words can't say how much special fun I had with the time spent with Gary + Jon . Three of my kids live in Ct and Gary in Calif so the fact we got to hang out for 16 days was special time that is hard to find in the hustle + bustle of normal day to day life. We pulled off a great father + 2 son's vacation that I will not forget for years .....

I hope when I get back to COLD and snowy Ct. I can find a way to keep the fitness I have worked so hard to get. I will be calling John K + Jon D to keep the weekday rides going for sure. Plus I hope we get weather for weekend rides and we need to do some EPIC's.. After this week a 30-40 mile ride just won't seem right....

Todays ride was a lot of climbing ( 6800') 48.5 miles and almost 4 hours with some crazy water crossings way out in the back country. Yes water crossings instead of bridges you just ride thru the water.. Pic's in a day or two.....

Our tour leader ....

Gary on the first of 7 of these water crossings out in the back country.

Steve going in ..........

Scotts turn ......

The road riding in Calif is just fantastic only a few impatient Car/Truck driving nuckleheads all week and some roads I will never forget and can't wait to ride again if I can do this again next year..... Plus some VERY biker friendly people all over the place!!!!

Final CAMP STAT's ;

Total trip 16 days - I rode 14 of those days .......

45 Hours - 690 Miles - 44,100 feet of climbing

Who hooooooooo

Day #15 SAT 2/21/09

Today's spin was to SB for coffee and to meet Gary around 11:00 am he already did 2 + hours and 30-40 miles before we all met him.


We made the decision to ride up past the old Mission and climb up on Mtn road - then Gibralter road where 350 homes were lost several months ago in the BIG wild fires .

Short day - 40 Miles - 3:20 - 6400' of climbing. Best part was I felt great + climbed well.

Training camp STAT's :

After 15 Days ----- Rode 641 miles - 41 hours and about - 35,000 ft of climbing. Man I don't want to go back to work Tue.

Dad + Jon + Gary starting up Gibralter Road......



Steve way up top around 4000 feet above sea leval, Pacific in background.

Missed from Solvang yesterday - Pic's still coming in.

Plus read this :

http://platinummtb.com/news.htm

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29313191/

http://www.bicicorsa.com/blog/2009/02/local-riders-dominate-race-of-truth.html

http://www.independent.com/news/2009/feb/20/leipheimer-goes-3--3-solvang-time-trial/

http://www.santamariatimes.com/articles/2009/02/21/news/featurednews/news01.txt

Gary + Brian


Sevilla

Chris HornerLance

Dave Z

Day # 14 Friday 2/20/09

SOLVANG TT Day for the Pro's but first :

Gary raced the amateur TT same course just before the pro's

And Won -- Time -- 33:45 COOL

BIG KISS


More Podium Girls



More Girls + Gary

Girls + Jon

The D's after the race

Oh yea we saw saome PRO's also :


Levi

Lance




Chris Horner






My Man George

Marc C



These guys

And these guys

Day #13 Thurs

REST day 20 ish easy miles

Day #12 Wed 2/18/09

Big climbing day ride to Solvang so Gary could pre ride TT course for the BIG race FRIDAY ..

Ride today 67 miles 6200' climbing 4+ hours..

Weather perfect !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Steve looking west just about 5 miles from Solvang

Day # 11 Tuesday

Worlds loop with GUB climb Scott + GAry went + did MEGA more climbing Jon +I went back via SB got soaked again in the rain.

Getting sick of the cold + rain - we have this in the east WTF..........

4 hours 22 min riding -- 71 miles

Day #10 Monday 2/16/09

REST DAY ......... I rode for the last 9 days ( 434 miles so far this trip) and today was cold and wet, plus I needed to get this cold better.

Did 90 min's of YOGA after dinner ( with Gary, Scott + Jon) plus my Core / Stretch yoga stuff I do every AM . Nice relaxing day.....

Gary and Scott went off and did some sick EPIC ride in rain. Hell 10 min's after they left it was hailing . WTF this is southern Calif....

These pic's do no Justic to the EPIC mountain ride Gary + Scott did....... But note the dirt of Garys clothes....

NEWS FLASH - Change in plans ****

Gary is going to do the TT before the Tour of Calif PRO's Friday @ Solvang sometime around 11:15 -12:00..

This will be one very cool day I will get to drive Garys car behind him with spare road bike on roof he will race his Cervello P3. We will all be yelling and going nuts inside car.

Maybe we will make local news footage as the biggest nuckelheads..

Friday February 20, 2008 starting at 11:15 am

Your unique adventure starts at the official Time Trial Chute on the starting line of the Stage 6 Amgen Tour of California where you'll be sent off the ramp by the ATOC starters, wearing your Official ATOC bib number, racing against the clock to the finish line on Copenhagen Drive.
Top 3 finishers will receive recognition on the Awards Stage at the conclusion of the Amgen Tour of California Stage 6 Pro Race.

Tell me this isn't f'n cool...........

http://www.tourofcalifornia-solvang.com/
http://www.tourofcalifornia-solvang.com/raceoftruth.php

DAY #9 Sunday - 2/15/09

Sunday is worlds day so Gary Jon + I headed down to SB for the 9:15 start. I was very worried about my legs with the HUGE riding day we did SAT. The ride started out with a nice easy pace for the first several miles. At the polo fields area were the speeds always seem to ramp up - OFF they went and my protesting legs would not let me hang -- POP I went ..

I rode the next several miles to the 1/2 way re-grouping point alone. On the way back I held on a bit longrer but was spit off the back again and rode back to SB with a guy I met on the ride from Boston who was in town on business.. ( 54 miles 195 min's).

Scott another training camp member showed up this afternoon so after the bike was built up we had to go for a ride . I was shot but we all suited up, Gary decided we needed a ride with great views at the end of the day so UP UP we went....

We did Old San Marco + Painted Cave roads just 18 miles of riding but 2750' of climbing .... Now my legs ate 100% SHOT.

Monday looks like 90% rain so maybe a full REST DAY........

DAY # 8 Sat 2/14/09

Up early leave house 7:20 - ROCO for 8:00 am - Sat loop - Worlds ( or most of it) +big killer climb - ride around the lake to Ventura then back along coast - Unbelievable route .

I want to be a bum and live here and ride every day all year long.

We skipped race as weather did not look good when we checked last night and very cold in the mountains.

87.5 Miles for today - 5 hours 5 min ( first 77 miles 17.8 MPH) I have been in town for 8 days rode every day 370 miles so far . My legs are protesting off + on, I will keep riding/training till they won't WORK........ More later and Pic's gotta go...............


Jon + Steve after ride SAT .

DAY # 7 Fri. - 2/13/09

FRIDAY the 13th.........

I don't worry or care about that stuff........

Today we met Kim for a easy recovery ride out + about , we started out with very light rain off + on and kept pushing out towards Mountain Road , but we never made it the rain got woorse and we turned around.

I took a 4 hour NAP - working to get my COLD better . Rain did not help either.

Plans to race Sat SCRUBBED with lousy weather predicted, AND MY LOUSY COLD.

Pic's of Mountains up above Goleta from Gary's house with snow today

.

DAY # 6 Thurs. - 2/12/09

Tues WORLDS loop again - w Gary + Jon + a bunch of other locals 8:00 am start @ ROCO ,

So normal routine leave Gary's house @ 7:20 ride to Santa Barbra meet @ S. B. Roasting Coffee company - do worlds loop return.

59.5 miles almost 4 hours saddle time today for Jon + I today with some cruising around downtown SB after the ride. Gary had to scoot into work, so we just rode all over the place. - no rush - no worries - no plan - Vacation is great

3 hour NAP after ride . I can get used to this.........

DAY #5 WED - 2/11/09

OK where was I ??

Got behind so much fun, plus I have been sick and sleeping every afternoon away attempting to get better.........

Today was raining in the AM so we went to meet Gary @ lunch for the HOPE RANCH sufferfest Ride he does every Wed. We got to Gary's work and it started raining. Went anyhow - I bailed and went back to house -- Jon GAry + 3 others went + Climbed .

I SLEPT.........

Day #4 Tuesday - 2/10/09

Today Gary got up at some early awful hour like 5:50-6:00 -Hells it's vacation . Oh yea he still has to work this week..

Anyhow he went off to climb up to the sky - OSM + P Cave - 2600' in 6 miles.. I slept for a hour longer then got my tired bones up and met him at the botton of the climb. We then headed to Santa Barbra for another group ride ( same route as Sunday worlds) Gary was going to be late for work hanging out with DAD.. Todays group was smaller maybe 25 fast west coasters + me. I held on to the multi colored train way longer almost to the 1/2 way point. I was HAPPY on the way back I stayed with the group all the way. After the ride I was told this group was not pushing at the Sunday speeds . Bubble buster .........

Later other son Jon showed up and I did the Airport run to pick him up. Just like when I showed up Sat Jon wanted to go for a ride --- So off we went.................

Jon was due @ 3:05 I took this Pic from Garys porch @ 3:06 - see right side of Pic that his plane.

Jon Doing his thing.........

Jon + DAD @ UCSB

Phase one of our dinner - Pasta was cooking and I was just about to add spag. sauce.

It was Good. EATS .......

DAY #3 Monday 2-9-09

Woke up to a rainy day so I gave Gary a lift to work and then did some errands ( Trader Joe's - Etc) .

Later in the am the clouds cleared out and the roads dried up .. I did not come all the way across the USA to sit on my Ass so off I went on a nice easy recovery ride .


Local Beach ( Sea) @ Goleta

University near the Sea

Sea of bikes


Rainbow + Nucklehead near the Sea


Another sea
Art near the sea

Fruit tree near the sea
At the sea again

Also near the Sea

Red Tail HAWK near the Sea

No more stuff to SEE near the sea................................