Training Camp UPDATE # 5 - 2010 - Santa Barbra

Day # 7 Friday - 2/25/10

Today was get used to the borrowed Mtn bike day . No road bike at all.

After my two hours of an easy noodle fest riding Mtn bike along Ocean - Gary shows up and the pace tripled. I kept hearing in the distance go faster ( BIG RING - BIG RING ). I just dripped sweat all over myself ... I did have a blast Mtn bike trails at local park up up then rip down thru switchbacks / repeat ...

Pic from Summerland south of Santa Barbra..

DAY #8 - SAT - 2/27/10

Wake up to grey skys & stiil raining, it started last night around 10:00. Sun pops out then back to rain plus all kinds od CRAZY weather warnings :

Tsunami :

Issued by The National Weather Service West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center, AK 9:04 am PST, Sat., Feb. 27, 2010... A TSUNAMI ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT WHICH INCLUDES THE COASTAL AREAS OF CALIFORNIA - OREGON - WASHINGTON - BRITISH COLUMBIA AND ALASKA FROM THE CALIFORNIA-MEXICO BORDER TO ATTU ALASKA...

PERSONS IN TSUNAMI ADVISORY AREAS SHOULD MOVE OUT OF THE WATER... OFF THE BEACH AND OUT OF HARBORS AND MARINAS.
TSUNAMI ADVISORIES MEAN THAT A TSUNAMI CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG CURRENTS OR WAVES DANGEROUS TO PERSONS IN OR VERY NEAR WATER IS IMMINENT OF EXPECTED. SIGNIFICANT WIDESPREAD INUNDATION IS NOT EXPECTED FOR AREAS IN AN ADVISORY. TSUNAMIS ARE A SERIES OF WAVES POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SEVERAL HOURS AFTER INITIAL ARRIVAL TIME. ESTIMATED TIMES OF INITIAL WAVE ARRIVAL FOR SELECTED SITES IN THE ADVISORY ARE PROVIDED BELOW.

FLASH FLOOD WATCH:

FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE RECENT BURN AREAS IN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY IN SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING THE JESUSITA... LA BREA... GAP... AND TEA BURN AREAS.
* THROUGH 9 PM PST THIS EVENING
* SHOWERS... HEAVY AT TIMES... WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THIS EVENING. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR RAINFALL RATES TO AROUND ONE INCH PER HOUR... WITH INTENSE SHORT DURATION RATES OF A HALF INCH IN 20 MINUTES POSSIBLE WITH THUNDERSTORMS. THESE RATES ARE IN EXCESS OF THRESHOLDS DETERMINED BY THE USGS TO BE SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE FLASH FLOODING AND DEBRIS FLOWS IN AND BELOW THE RECENT BURN AREAS.
FLASH FLOODING AND DEBRIS FLOW WILL BE A PARTICULAR THREAT IN ANS BELOW THE RECENTLY BURN AREAS OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTIES.

Coastal Flood Statement for Santa Barbara County South Coast, CA

... ABOVE NORMAL SURF FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING...
ALTHOUGH WIDESPREAD SURF OF 7 FEET IS NOT EXPECTED AT BEACHES ON THE SOUTH COAST OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY... BREAKERS OF 4 TO 6 FEET WITH MAX SETS TO 7 FEET ARE POSSIBLE FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. THIS INCREASING SURF WILL PRODUCE DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS WHICH CAN MAKE SWIMMING CONDITIONS HAZARDOUS FOR ANYONE.
More Information
... A HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR THE WEST AND NORTHWEST FACING BEACHES OF SAN LUIS OBISPO AND SANTA BARBARA COUNTIES...

Training CAMP UPDATE #4 - 2010 - SAnta BArbra

DAY #6 Thursday 2-25/10

Today was a double ride day -- Whew......

First I started out doing the same ride as Sunday Worlds , It was like Tue meet @ the fountain near the warf @ 8:00. Gary & another Steve & I all went off with the group ( I'm thinking 30+ again ) unlike Tue I could not hang with the group today . Some Guy named Gary was off the front with a few other guys which in effect picked up the pace so the OLD Man could not hang on. I did the last few miles of the first half of the ride alone, then rejoined the group for the ride back. Gary was kind and gave me a few pushes so I could get up the small hills & hang with the group with my tired legs. I hung on for the rest of the ride and GAry did @ ITT to get to work and I went to the house to get ready for ride #2. ( ride #1 -40 miles, a little over 2 hours & 1850' of climbing .

Ride #2 I put on a dry set of riding stuff ate a apple , some nuts, and stuffed a few bars and a gu in my yersey. Up up and MORE up .....

This is where I'm going .. Into the clouds I head & it looks like these shots below...

Three miles from house and several hundred feet of climbing and I'm @ Gibraltar Road. Till I hit 4000 feet above sea level it's all uphill about 10 miles - Fun fun fun & some serious sweating.

So @ 1200 feet up I take another pic of the ocean .

Ok I had to smeel the flowers also ( I am on vacation).

Next stop 2100 feet, 7 miles up.. :

From the TOP looking East to the next Mtn ranges.

Me looking south west

Part of the road I came up is in this Pic I will be ripping down it shortly.




Oh Yea I did some hang - gliding today also ..

Training CAMP - UPDATE #3

DAY 5 - WED - 2/24/2010 -

COLD RAIN today so I went to next town north to get the Mtn bike I'm borrowing for the race in San Diego Sunday. ( Thanks MARCO )

That's all I did bike related today ..........

But I did some EARTHY stuff ........

I started a GARDEN for GARY, I got some plant advise from Marco and went to buy plants and seeds for my ( Wait ) Gary's & my project. Do you read that GARY !!

Yes those tiny green thigs are brussle sprouts ...... Left side is Parsley....

The back rows with the mulch pushed back are a row of Garlic and yellow onions.

These will go in the ground tomorrow after the ride and my hour + relaxing in the sun post ride . Should be high of 66 NICE....

Snap peas, other pea variety, radishes and bush string beans are some of the seeds I also got.

It almost time for Peppers, Cucumbers + Tomatoes - Maybe in 2-3 weeks . Wow so far ahead of Conn ( short growing season ) .

.............................

Oh yea were going to the Banff Film Fest. tonight can't wait..........

Muddy shoes & dirty fingernails & I hope a sweaty KIT tomorrow . Should be dry for the 8:00 am Thursday Worlds ride..

Training CAMP - Update #2 - DAY #3&4

DAY – 3 Monday – 2/22/10 - continued -> I checked my e-mails checked work e-mails and surfed for a while at local Santa Barbra Coffee shop Jitters ( What a cool name for a coffee shop ) .

State Street Santa Barbra just after leaving the coffee shop ..

A little history on the Santa Barbra wharf..

So I get back to house chill out in the sun for about a hour ( did I say vacation is good )then Gary shows up we get dressed up and get the bikes out my bike has a flat we fix it up and were off. Gary is going to show me around Santa Barbra a bit more, I need to know how to get to the OLD MISSION. From the old mission we take a few more roads – note it’s all up hill around hear unless you go down near the ocean. I wanted to learn how to get to one on the famous climbs called Gibralter Road, I think If I remember correctly it’s 8 or 12 miles of non stop climbing to the top of the beautiful Mountains just EAST of S.B. . So we get maybe ½ way up to the start of this road a few miles and I get another flat, we fix it and the tube was bad and blew . a HUGE hole. In goes the last tube and we decide to head back to house for more tubes, it’s down hill and fast . Some great roads out here I am having a blast. We get tubes and head down hill this ride to the ocean and ride along the beach, take a left and were climbing again. We wander here and there then get up on this ridge with what are some crazy expensive houses with killer PAcific Ocean views.

We have to get back to the house as I need to get Gary to the airport big work thing came up and he’s off for 48 hours. I drop him @ airport in Goleta then I hit bike shop for tubes & CO2’s. Then my favorite food store Trader Joes. With all this riding I need food I’m hungry.

DAY - 4 Tuesday 2/23/10 – Tuesdays in S. B they have a ride similar to the Sunday Worlds @ 8:00 so I got up @ 6:30 ( hey I’m on vacation what the heck) It’s Ok my body still is sorta on east coast time so it was like sleeping till 9:30 & I’m good with that. I wander down to the wharf where this ride starts and @ 7:57 no one is around Opps did I get something wrong ?? I wait a few min’s and riders start appearing cool … About 25 people show up, I guess no one works in SUNNY Southern Calif ???? Anyhow the ride starts and few more join in at various points along the way so we have 30+ The pace is way easier than the Sunday ride and I’m cool with that, I have been sick -still am & I’m a little beat so for day three after not riding for 12 days with being sick and the snow storms I needed a easy day. I actually stayed with the group , I skipped Gub ( a variation with a stiff climb) and hung with about ½ of the group that went the regular way I know. We got to the top of Bates and kept going for the extra loop around the highway. Out hear you can ride on the highways. So this loop goes down an entrance ramp rides on the highway for a ¼ mile then jumps off the next exit, and climbs back to the top of Bates . All the rides were hanging out some more showed up and off we went back to S.B. . About 5 miles from here I was in the back 1/3 of the group and no one yelled or pointed out a rather large long 2-3” deep and same wide POT-HOLE I hit it and double FLATTED. Good thing I chose to carry two tubes today I normally only carry one! END of my ride with this group as they keep going. I fix the two pinch flats and check my time and miles so far 25 miles out & I think I have about 15 miles with no more tubes. I get back to Gary’s house jump into a chair in the back yard and sit & enjoy the sun and remember this is what vacation is all about. No plans – no place to be for the rest of the day & it’s 11:00 am and I’m good with that.

I have no idea what kind of tree this is but it's sure different.

This house is across the street from Gary's House - Real nice - Lots of Mexican theme buildings around here.

Flower Pic’s from near the beach.

My Mom God rest her soul had this cool plant in Fla. at her house- Bird of Paridise

I have this in Andover in a pot in cellar ( waiting for warm weather) cause it will die if you leave it outside. I know I lost two of them 3 years ago.


Calla Lilies make mine look sick small.

Training CAMP 2010 - SAnta BArbra

Training Camp - Feb 20 – March 9, 2010


DAY 1 –Sat. 2/29/10 - Alarm goes off @ 5:00 am just 5 hours after I went to bed. Man I did not want to get up I snoozed the alarm several times. Finally I get up do my stretches and we get off to the airport. The trip was not bad I made up for loss of sleep with two snoozes one to Chicago for an hour and a two hour nap on the way to LA. My son Gary picked me up and we drove to Santa Barbra. Gary just moved to a new place just a few blocks from State Street SB .

Gary & I unloaded my stuff he showed me my room for the 2+ weeks, then I got to see his new 2010 SL3 ( for most of you that have no idea it’s a real nice race bike). We then took a walk a few blocks to the Natural Café as we were starving. After some good grub we walked back to the house and started planning week #1.

DAY 2 – Sunday 2/21/10 - I wake up @ 7:30 for our 9:00 Famous Santa Barbra Sunday world’s road ride. 7:30 was 10:30 to my EAST COAST body JET LAG STUFF , I get some chow and get outside to adjust Gary’s 2009 S-Works race bike to fit me( change seat height, & seat for/aft dimensions ), this is very important so I don’t injure myself. You see your body gets used to certain settings so I needed this bike to be set up just like mine sitting back in COLD CT. Now the best part is it’s Feb 21’s ( WINTER ) and I have been doing my Group rides back east on Sundays in 10- 20 degree freezing weather – It’s sunny and warming up fast by 8:00 I have my coat off and I think it hit 55 before we left on the ride.

The ride was a blast as usual, this is my third year doing a vacation in southern Calif . Back to the ride when I first did this ride 3 years ago I was not much or a road rider and it was real hard these guys & gals rip your legs off. This is my report the first year I was so far off the back I had no idea where to go and just wandered along till I found GARY again. They were all ready to head back to SB , and I got dropped again maybe a ½ hour later he came back to rescue me. Last year after a year as a road rider, I stopped mountain bike riding and rock climbing cold turkey for 2008 and just road my road bike. So I was a bit stronger but still got dropped just not as early in the ride. Well so how did I do this year after racing for a season and riding over 7000 miles in 2009. I still got dropped just a little bit later than last year. It was and always is a great ride, for some sections before the fast guys took off I was going 30 MPH and thinking # 1 I have been sick and off the bike for 12 days, I have been doing only base training rides in Conn all winter and this is above race pace for me !!!!! I was just hanging on for dear life, also of note my MAX HR I have ever recorded over the last two years as a roadie is 170 BPM. Well today trying to keep up I hit 179 BPM - WOW.. Anyhow the ride was great some Pro’s were present Tim Johnson and a few others I can’t remember the names. So from what Gary said the pace out front was WAY FAST.. Dave - Cliff – Scott – Tom-- BEWARE………

After most of the ride was done Gary and a bunch of teammates went off to climb up several thousand feet more . So I opted to head back with the group to SB. I’m getting to know my way around SB it was so nice some where in the 60’s I just rode all over the place for about a hour. I took some pic’s of the ocean and some plants & flowers we will not see in CT. till mid summer. I think I could live hear………

OK time for ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz……………..


DAY – 3 Monday – 2/22/10 - Gary has to work ½ a day so I plan to walk to the local Coffee shop and Dump this word doc on my BLOG , and check my E-mails .. We have a ride planned for 12:30 who hooooooooooooooo..

Last Nights ( 2/11/2010) Dinner - SLOP

I was a total experiment - ended up a bit bland Forgot something .....


It's a work in process - Will spice it upsome more tonight . Tofo chunks were browned up with lots of Cayenne pepper as were the veggies. Also added Oinion power Garlic chunks & Black pepper & salt to the whole mix .. Maybe the beans masked up all the spices ????

Thomaston Night climbing 2/3/2010

Thomaston Night ICE..........

Look Ma no hands

JDW doing the stem thing .........