Happy trails

The camera phone is going to be great for sending back pics of lions, zebras, wildabeasts, and suffering cyclists... for now its just fun to show off some of the beautiful rides I have been having lately. The temps are back up too... today I got a bit hot in the full length leg warmers, beanie, and multiple layer long sleeve jersey - what a nice change!!

phone blog

Well if this works we may be able to post from the road! This is the first attempt at a message sent from the phone. Pic is from my road ride over Mt Tam a couple evenings ago...

Tom sets sights on Guiness Book after Cape Epic...

Tom sends me the article below and says... ha, after this winter in Seattle and our Cape Epic race... I can probably kick this guys butt. Besides look at this last sentence, "Hood took a few brief power naps along the way. Guinness Book rules allow a five-minute break for every completed hour of cycling."
I mean really! What kind of record is this???



BURR RIDGE, Illinois (AP) -- George Hood may have pedaled his way into the Guinness Book of World Records on Saturday night.
The 49-year-old Aurora resident began riding a stationary bike at the Five Seasons Sports Club in Burr Ridge at 4 a.m. Wednesday and surpassed the previous record of 82 hours by 8:28 p.m. Saturday. He stopped several minutes before midnight after completing his goal of 85 hours.
"He's very grateful -- and very tired," said Matt Baron, a spokesman for Five Seasons.
Baron said Hood was talking and thanking his supporters right up to the end, but was taken by paramedics to a hospital as a precaution after he got off the bike.
"He'll be under observation for a while, and they're going to administer fluids," Baron said.
The record of 82 hours was set last year by Brian Overkaer of Denmark.
Getting Hood's accomplishment into the Guinness Book may take several weeks as officials need to certify it, Baron said.
As Hood neared the 82nd hour -- and spun more than 1,000 miles -- he sped up.
The Drug Enforcement Administration supervisor and 23-year federal law enforcement veteran had been averaging 12.7 mph. Coming down the final stretch, he cycled at 13.5 mph.
About 200 people gathered at the club to cheer him on.
Hood hoped the feat would help raise thousands of dollars for the Illinois chapter of COPS, an organization that helps the families of slain police officers. Illinois COPS president Jennifer Morales has said Hood could be the largest single fundraiser the local group has had.
Baron said Hood raised $25,000 for the group -- $5,000 more than his goal.
Hood took a few brief power naps along the way. Guinness Book rules allow a five-minute break for every completed hour of cycling.

Some rewards for the early mornings....

At least the views are beautiful on these 6am rides... What you can't tell from these pics is how cold it was!! Temps were in the high 20's to low 30's - brrrrrrr. I have to echo Tom's comments on our serious disadvantage of having to train through the winter for this epic adventure. Those boys down in South Africa are surely working on their cycling tans right now.

These pics are from a ride around the Marin Headlands and up to Mt Tam. What a beautiful place to live!!!

Keep updated to what is going on!

I just found a great service from FeedBlitz that allows people to sign up for an email feed to get updates whenever we post to our blog. This should be great once we are out in the "bush" of South Africa... Check out the box on the right - add your email and follow the directions if you want to be kept up to date!!

Training: Seattle-style

Well this is my first foray into the world of blogging. Jim has insisted that I post a dispatch from the pacific NW. I have been extremely jealous of those folks training for the CE in South Africa. (Actually Jim has been training in sunny weather down in SF. . . ) Their summer is in full swing, their biker tans are probably already evident and rain is a mere afterthought. But to those of us in the northern hemisphere, training during our winter is a bit of challenge. Couple that with the fact that I live in Seattle and that it's been one of the wettest winters I can remember. My new salvation: skate skiing. What? Cape Epic is a bike race? No matter. Skating takes me away from the wet road and trails and lets me explore the solitude of the mountains. My legs this year feel quite good on the hills--most likely due to the new skis my dad got me for x-mas. Thanks dad. Plus I'm told that lots of mtn bikers skate in the off season. Unfortunately this is technically not the off season for me, with the CE exactly 75 days away.

But back to the rain. It has been relentless. Those guys training in Africa may have the tans, but I will have the mental fortitude of a thousand men. I'll let the cold wet dreary miles take their toll and when I get in the sun the miles (er kilometers) will be as enjoyable as ever. So without my riding buddy today I was forced to do something that I never thought possible: I rode for 3hrs on the trainer. I never want to do that again. I am a bit skeptical of riding on the trainer and whether it builds fitness. Seems like suffering outside in the elements does more to work your body into shape than any number of hours on the trainer. Like I said, this feat will not be repeated. Next week it's the mtns or bust. However, I have to believe that mentally, 3hrs on the trainer is the same as 5hrs on the road. At least that's what I'm telling myself. So below is a picture of my basement torture chamber.
Notice the fan blows only on my seat. In theory that simulates the wind blowing through my pants and ultimately keeps my butt somewhat dry. So far I have not had any saddle sores while riding on the trainer. This little bit of advice has worked wonders. That's all for now. Pray for sun. Or at least cloudy skies.

December training recap

So, the official "Cape Epic" training is almost a month old. Looking back, I really only took the first week of December completely off.
Here is a recap of the totals for the month:
Week of 11th - 8.25 hrs, 124 miles
18th - 12 hrs, 184 miles
25th - 15.5 hrs, 177 miles (started weights this week and also had a 2hr xc ski workout in while visiting the bro in Boise for Christmas)
Epic training plan totals:
35.75 hrs
485 miles

Look for a bit more volume in the January recap!!

Some serious press...

Well, I didn't know it would be such a prominent feature!! Thanks to the BBC for keeping me in the limelight.... Now I just have to figure out how to deal with the pressure of finishing this thing for the TEAM!!!
Here is the latest promo in the January newletter http://berkeleybike.org/pneusletter/jan-07.pdf Check it out....