Lap Around the Lake - Festivus Version

8 of us congregated at the French Bakery. Plan was to take a big bite out of the Festive 500 with an extended ride around Lake Travis. Way around.

Not a great start to the day for ME. iphone alarm goes off at 6am. Morning ritual in the bathroom reveals that the power is out. Yes, it took ME that long to figure it out. [Note-inserting contacts in the pitch black is a challenge.]

Initial plan was to head to HEB for some provisions. Trudged to car at 6:10am. Drove to gate. Guess what? Gate doesn't open when power is out. Plan B? Go back to bed until 7:15, then mooch off my buddies.

7:15am - iphone alarm v2.0. getting dressed for the big ride - - phone rings. Ullrich. "Hey man, my car battery is dead". ME "I will come get you".

PRERIDE SUMMARY: Clusterballs. No breakfast. No Coffee. Day off to great start.

ME, Ullrich, Coppedge, Dykes (Goldfinger), 4FN, Bergie, and Dan and Ray (two compadres of 4fn) constituted the peloton. Tyler was our SAG, as this ride ran through vast stretches of country roads. Tyler, you were awesome, and very much appreciated. And a lifesaver.

Roads were soggy from a night's worth of God spit. laggards and deuces put us about 15 minutes behind our 8am start. The ride up 620 was predictable. Loud, trafficky and not a lot of fun. Interesting note: This was Ray's first time to ride 620. And likely his last. Legs felt like molasses in this stretch. Doughboy vest was bedazzled with road speckles. That is likely a gift that will keep on giving.

Wind started to stand up a bit when we hit Lakeline Blvd. Seemed like we were riding into the teeth of it FOREVER. Upside of riding in a strong group: Lot of time to tuck in. Which I did.

Mile 40 - We finally began to escape suburban Austin. Wind picks up and we are still headed into it. Note here that Bergie has a tiny tank. Luckily for him he is very fast.

Mile 58 - Finally turn south into the tailie. AND we are at the highest elevation of the ride. Let the games begin. 10 mile stretch of descent separated the group. Two run-ins with dogs here.

DOG1 - Big Golden lab running alongside of us downhill right, pops out in front of Dykes. He pulls his William Wallace maneuver, full scream in dog's face. Scares shit out of dog, which jumps out of his way. RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. Brakes locked, skidding through gravel at 25mph, I am Pre-Endo. Somehow, that pooch jumps out of the way 1.2 milliseconds from impact. Coppedge, who witnessed the event, suggests I check my chamois for residual matter.

DOG2- I employ the Dykes Maneuver. Take that long-haired lab mix.

Ride to Marble Falls split the group mightily. Regrouped at MF, where Tyler saved us for the third time of the day. Once through MF, Ray took us though his backyard. great country riding. Rubber band of the peloton continued to stretch, snapping a few times. Coppedge flatted (2nd time) on CR962. (we skipped the caliche experience of Shovel Mtn). Ullrich took off while Coppedge was in maintenance mode, giving him 10 minutes on the group.

I guess the testosterone accumulated during the flat change, as the rubber band snapped pretty hard, stretching the group out until we hit our final sag stop (Paisano Way, right before the Pedernales climb). We were certain Ullrich had missed a turn, as we hadnt caught him. But there he was at the sag stop, waiting for us. Incredible solo work Ullrich!

Let's just say the climb out of Pedernales sucked. And the death gauntlet of Hamilton Pool Rd from 12 to 71 sucked even harder. But we all made it. Some faster (bergie, Dykes) than others. But it wasn't a race, was it? At ride's end, Tyler left us with some celebratory suds. See below for a pic of the survivors.

Well done fellas, and thanks for the wheels!!

Festivus, for the rest of us

HCD, the season is upon us. Rapha’s 322 mile challenge starts 12/24, converging with many team member’s personal goals for the year. So here is the current plan for the HCD. Start times and locations are TBD for now, but will be communicated at least a day in advance, based on weather conditions at that time. I have tried to vary the routes and the distances to appeal to all. As mentioned previously, we will have two flights on most rides (unless it’s tagged “recovery”). If it’s at RP, the plan is to ride slow, work out the Lactic acid, and catch up on conversation. Where there are two flights, the faster group will ride 18-19mph, while the other group will ride closer to 15-17mph. Recovery rides will be around 15-16mph. Generally, we will start at or ride by Lola Savannah. The Premier ride for the Festivus is 12/28. We will log an endurance ride around Lake Travis. Tyler Marcoux, (the Badger) has generously offered to SAG! Which is critical on this route, as there are not many natural rest stops. This was my favorite route for 2012, and I highly encourage you to take advantage of this one. Please let me know which days you are planning to ride. Once assembled, I will get a roster out to the group, with designated ride leaders.  So prepare for feats of strength and the airing of grievances! Festivus is upon us!

22-Dec	Ride toward Andice	80
23-Dec	Recovery Ride to Circle C for a Loop or two	35
24-Dec	Mod Oz	40
25-Dec	Recovery Pace – From FB	20
26-Dec	Toward San Marcos	60
27-Dec	Dam Loop (recovery pace)	35
28-Dec	Lap Around Lake Travis (Start at 12 and Hamilton Pool)	125
29-Dec	East Side Ride (recovery pace)	60
30-Dec	Bell Springs Loop (start at 290 and Sawyer Ranch)	45
31-Dec	Wild Card (Based on Status)

Thanksgiving Leads to Crank Living

All, it's been a long time since my last post. Having taken the summer off the blog, forgive ME any rusty turns of the phrase, or redundant messaging.

To catch everyone up, time in the saddle continued in earnest (at least for ME) until September. Great rides that will remain undocumented included the Loop around Lake Travis, Livestrong and Levi's Gran Fondo.

Due to personal circumstances, Levi's ride eluded ME. Ullrich, Hoodie and Growleur all went and are better for it. Life has been a little bumpy around the house of ME, with the loss of some loved ones in the Sep/Oct timeframe. Looking forward is the motto for 2013. That is if the Mayans aren't right....

Last week's Thanksgiving Break proved to be a boon for both increased mileage and robust saddle sores. Great rides that week. Specifically:

1. Tuesday (43 miles) - Panozz and I rode a brisk but manageable pace around the Bell Springs Loop. Any ride with the Boss is a good one. Highlights included some unseasonably warm weather, great conversation (when I wasn't furtively gasping oxygen) and a tour around the Belterra Crit Course. Heart rate was absurd for this effort, mostly due to time off the bike, aforementioned pace and cumulative beers ingested during football season. I regret nothing.

2. Wednesday (35 miles)- Hooked up with the core of the Dough (MC, Hoodie, Ullrich and VJ) and rode another Hill Country track. Bell Springs/Fitzhugh/McGregor lane. Highlights? Just getting the band back together! And some post-ride beers. Only uttered the phrase "Where's VJ?" 3 times. Again, weather was transcendent.

3. Thursday - No riding. Some Thanksgiving, some beer drinking, some Longhorn mourning.

4. Friday (65 miles) - Krause Loop with Shannon (Velo View Tours), Malo and Scheibs. With Karl adhering to a coach's plan that required his heart rate to approach zero, we parted ways with the dynamic YPO duo at the Rube Hay Caliche. Shannon and I had some serious bonding time from that point forward, heading first into head winds of 20-30 mph, then enjoying the breeze. This is the single most fun route for me around. Topped it off with a PR up from Pedernales to Bell Springs to cap the ride.

5. Saturday (25 miles) - recovered solo. Barton Creek West residents are probably getting sick of me. This was my 22nd Anniversary, which was spent hanging out with my lovely wife. Violet Crown and a steak at VY's. All around great day. Saw Silver Linings Playbook, which starred Katniss from Hunger Games. See 3/18/2012 post for further Hunger Games material.

6. Sunday (55 miles) - Shannon, his buddy Jon Peters, Ullrich and VJ partook of a big dam loop, ridden counterclockwise. Which is reverse for me. Jon has some legs that belonged on a Kazakhstan pro cyclist. Highlights were limited to the conversation, which was great. Good crew for a day of suffering. Winds made this one hard work, at least for ME. Heart rate looks to be getting more representative, which is a Silver Lining in my Playbook. Shannon and Jon stopped by ME casa for a little water refill, as they put 80+ in the saddle. Lost Ullrich and VJ climbing up to the Oasis from Bullick Hollow. They survived.

223 miles for the week. Not bad for a middle aged dad.

Going to California with an aching in my heart

Dropping your first child at college can be tough! I guess going to San Luis Obispo did make it a bit easier. What a beautiful college town. People there are so laid back and easy breezy. I went to rent a bike for the four days and all the shop had was a 57cm. I mentioned to the wrench that I usually ride a 56cm to which he responded, "Hey man, why don't you just take my bike?" Sweet. Oh yeah, it was carbon and probably 5 pounds lighter than the aluminium tank they use for rentals. Found a good "out & back" route on Strava and headed out toward High Mountain Road. Greeted with this on the way out. This is going to be good. Mountains and vineyards.



Later I had a nice climb up to a reservoir. The road wound around the edge of the lake and this was pretty much my view in this section

Around each corner there seemed to be a nicer view or something unexpected. This next shot was me emerging from a canopy of large oaks over the top of a hill and into the next valley stretch.

Finally from Day One, there was this:

Day Two:

I did the same route but cut it short for two reasons. First I had a thirty minute flat. Yes Main Event, even though I have improved, I screwed up and did not make sure the valve was all of the way through the carbon rims. Did I mention that I had carbon rims too? Second, I had to stop for a conference call, Even though I'm not a CEO (yet), I am still VERY important. So, I took the call CALI style.

So, here's what I was greeted with for my 9:00 am start. Can you see the Hotel California in the center on the hill?

Here's a shot of my conference room complete with two tastings of a very bold Pinot

Got back on my bike a rode the last ten miles back to the B&B. Guys, I have decided that there are so many great places to ride our bikes. We have to plan more trips, bring the wives and ride like there is no tomorrow. Of course, I loved Cal Poly. What's not to love?

HCD 2012 Copper Triangle

Some select members of the HCD convened in Colorado last Saturday to climb some Cat 1/2 mountains and sample some local microbrews, in that order. Herein documents the most notable moments of the weekend.

It was a whirlwind weekend for ME. Having spent a good bit of the week in Houston at the AAU Junior Olympics, good fortune shined on ME, in the form of a) Yeti's offer to transport my bike to Colorado for the  2012 CT b) Hoodie and Ullrich's offer to let me crash on their condo couch AND pick me up at the airport. There aren't a cooler bunch of guys than my HCD brethren. Thanks fellas!

Jumped on the plane Friday, totally excited about the maiden voyage at altitude with the Fly. Or any bike for that matter. Hoodie and Ullrich picked me up and we crept through the Denver rush hour and up the hill. They had done Mt. Evans that day. Insane. As in, it made ME insanely jealous. 27 miles of HC climbing. Goldfinger also rode with them, on his dad's spare Madone. I think Hoodie is working up a summary of that epic event. Check back for details. Needless to say, they were not fully engaged in my pre-Copper hysteria. Given that they had just done 7,500 feet at full altitude, they looked to be in great shape for the minor 6k of CT climbing that awaited us the next day.

Dinner with the Carlsons, ME, Hoodie, Ullrich, and Carlson's friend Christine was great. Heard some facts about CO from the fount of knowledge (Christine), had a pasta dinner and a glass of cab. Then off to bed.

We convened at 6am, kitted in full HCD gear. The vest was a lifesaver. IN AUGUST!!! How awesome is that? The ride laid out as follows:

• leave parking lot (temp of 36 degrees)
• Start climbing

First climb was Fremont Pass. about 2k of ascent on totally buttery roads. The air was thin, and the heart knew it. This forced a 10-15% reduction in wattage effort. 

MOST ASKED CONDESCENDING QUESTION OF DAY - 

"How are you guys from Austin handling the altitude?"

This question was posed over and over again to each of us. If Coloradans are proud of anything, it's how high they are every day. Seriously, they love to be high. The answer to this question varied by Austin rider. For ME, the answer was typically either a glare of disgust, or a simple admission that the Governor was on my motor. Goldfinger (a licensed Doctor of Orthodonture) had a different strategy. Apparently, his response to altitude was to fully exhale ALL oxygen from his lungs, then INHALE DEEPLY, all while PUNCHING the pedals. On Mount Evans, this nearly led to blackout and death. I think the medical profession needs to revisit its informal altitude strategy.

Fremont Pass climb (10.3 miles)
For ME, this was manageable, and a welcome bit of work. It was sub 40 degrees, and climbing ignited the heater. Having paced Hoodie to the top, we regrouped with Yeti and Ullrich. Note that The GFinger rode with his dad, so we didn't see him til post-ride beer 5.

BEST DESCENT OF DAY
Fremont. The descent lasted about 18 minutes and covered just under 10 miles. This descent generated freezing fingers and childlike, hysterical laughter. 4.5 minutes at 38mph, with a top speed of 51.3mph. Never tapped the brakes. At the bottom, the HCD showed it's downhill dominance, forming a paceline and blowing by all the little high-altitude smurfs in their Wheatridge gear. That they overtook us in the next incline is forgone. But they felt the wrath of our girth for at least a brief moment. REAP IT little ones! reap it.

We then found a rhythm that carried us over the bump that they call Tennessee Pass (3 miles). Only 423 feet of climb. Fuhgettaboudit.

Nice descent, then on to Battle Mountain (1.9 miles, 425ft) , which was a better climb than Tennessee Pass. We stopped halfway up. Check out the pic below:

Ullrich and ME on Battle Mountain.

The descent from Battle Mountain was a little more technical than Fremont. Some switchbacks, and blind corners. Average speed was only 30mph, as I descend like gramma. Still, I went fast enough to laugh like a five year-old. What a blast!

VAIL PASS (11 miles at 3.6%) Category 1

We all started together. Same pace as Fremont for ME, but this was harder. Warmer, and some steep kickers in a few spots really tested patience. Prior to this climb, I had never truly climbed. 300 foot kickers are just not the same. There is nowhere to recover when you are going uphill for an hour (or more). This climb was where they did the TT at last year's USPCC. The markings on the road "Go Big George" were both encouraging and entertaining. Really cool to contemplate how fast they must have been going, while I suffered along at 8-11mph. No wonder they didn't use TT bikes. That track was made for a climb trial, not a  time trial. Worst part of the day? The natives call it "The Wall" it's a stretch of road that loops under IH 70, downhill, then STEEP uphill for about 100 meters. Grade hit about 20% at the steepest shot. People (NOT ME) were unclipping like Houstonians at the MS150. Really embarrassing for the natives. I was tempted to ask them if it was the altitude as I pedaled by en danseuse. Yeah, I was huffing. But unclip? Hellz no. 

Regrouped at the top. Check out the pic of the big fella and the yeti-

Hoodie and the Yeti atop Vail Pass. 

Elevation - 
Yeti was at 10,882 ft, 
Hoodie was at 10,883 ft

POST_RIDE

After five hours in the saddle, first freezing, then sweating up the Cat 1/2 climbs, we deserved some brew. Four White guys. Three white rascals apiece (though Yeti pawned his last one off on his lovely bride). Sun was shining. People kept rolling in. Cowbells ringing. For some reason, a lot of folks were crowded around the Rudy Project tent. From the looks of it, they engineer some pretty tight products.

Short nap back at the room (which overlooks the finish line). As we basked in the glory, Hoodie steps on the balcony - - - 

Best Line of the Weekend-

Hoodie bellows from on high to the people still finishing "I kicked all your a$$e$! I AM THE KING OF ALL THAT I SURVEY!!!!' 

More beers at Endo's. Post-ride surprise. A friend i hadn't seen since 9th grade (Gigi) stopped by to catch up. An Edwards native, Gigi is an avid cyclist (rides a Gunnar with a triple) and proved to be as funny now as back in Mr Howden's Social Studies class. GFinger and his pops also stopped by. As I recounted my climb up Vail Pass (getting passed by a hard looking girl, then seeing her at the beer tent), GFinger asked me:

Second Best Line of the Weekend-

"After the ride did you ask for your balls back?" Ahhh, youth.

50 Shades of Vert

As recovery courses through my body in the form of various over the counter elixirs, it's time to reflect on the week. Strong-armed into joining the Rapha Rising Challenge, which requires an entrant to climb 22,575 feet (or 6,881 meters, if you are continental about your measures), the contest left ME apprehensive. Why, you say? Let ME indulge you.

Facts about ME
1. 45 years old
2. went on vacation last week to Destin
3. brought the bike
4. Rode it about 200 miles
5. With cumulative elevation of 200 feet (like 70 meters)
6. Drank a lot of beer on vacation
7. Came home with extra 5lbs of souvenir weight
8. Generally not a Grimpeur

All whining aside, it was a lot of fun. If you define fun in masochistic terms. 50 shades of vert, with 50 shades of hurt. The suffering definitely arrived in different forms, some hills more subtle in their menace than others. Here is a brief summary of the week.

Sunday - 52 miles, 4700ft. - Stanton, ME, Tyler, Ullrich, Dr Vert and Dustin hit Lost Creek, Cuernavaca, Marly Way and the Haggis. First salvo fired, and it was substantial!

Monday - 31 miles, 3,243ft - ME, Ty. Lost Creek, Cuernavaca, Barton Creek West. Easy climbing!

Tuesday - 30 miles, 3,400ft - ME, Ullrich, Ty. Traded Cuernavaca out, added full Marly. Good pace left me very confident about the rest of the week. Hubris....

Wednesday - DAY OFF - Celebrated wife's birthday. Wine, steaks, etc.

Thursday - Here is where the pain began. Rode in the evening with Dykes (aka Dr Vert). He must be reading a lot of Edgar Allen Poe. Cuz he is looking superhero-ish on the bike. We met at Hat Creek. I rode from downtown, up and out from the river, worked in a side climb in Lost Creek. Then we hit Cuernavaca, and headed over to Courtyard. In the Mind of ME, Courtyard = Waterloo. I popped like Don Ho's Tiny Bubbles. Body began to revolt, with HR spikes at relatively low power outputs. Managed to climb the hill, which was in real doubt. Then limped home. 38 miles, 4,750ft.

Friday - 30 miles, 3,400ft. See Tuesday. All by ME-self.

Saturday - Big Group Ride - Hood, Ty, Ullrich, Scheibs, Stanton, Tim, MC, with a guest appearance by AEJC (4FN). Best line of the day "I don't think the F stands for First" Funny stuff AEJC! We did the dam loop, finding the low water crossing at mansfield dam. Then we added Big View. Scheibs, Stanton and Hoodie climbed Cuernavaca as well. I was content skipping it. The guys with fresh legs left ME in the arriere. Sacrifices must be made. Scheibs and Growleur, and of course the Badger all climbed great. Well done Fellas! Totals: 47 miles, 4,400ft. 106% of the target.

Legs are toast. Just about the time I started feeling pretty good about myself, I checked out the stats of the leader.His link is below. He is at 440% of target. Averages 465 miles/week on the bike. Wtf?

As of right now, here are the HCD that finished the Challenge: 1. Coppedge (honorary member, inflictor of low RPM pain) 2. 4FN 3. Dr. Vert 4. Ullrich 5. ME 6. Growleur Link to Leader- http://app.strava.com/athletes/2919


http://app.strava.com/challenges/rapha-rising-circle-of-death

Recovery Week

Cycling conundrum. What's harder, VO2 max intervals at 200% FTP or riding really slow during a recovery week? For me, it's the recovery. I feel like my muscles are gonna jump out of my skin. Got a deep tissue massage, took three days off (in a row), and rode today. At 14mph.  Taking it easy is really hard. 

summertime blues

Is there a cure for the summertime blues? If so, please direct me to it.

Kind of at a bike inflection point. I still love to ride, but am feeling like a Groundhog Day extra, getting up, working, cranking out an hour or so of steady state/tempo/recovery. Shower. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.

Having waved off Copper Triangle (my daughter has a track meet), and been Heismanned by the HCD en masse on the USAPCC,  I have no motivator in the near-term. Levi's King Ridge looms in September, distant enough that it's on the fringe of consciousness.

I am a mudder. By this I mean that I enjoy the ritual of the workout for the ritual's sake. I find the structure comforting, however redundant. Hopefully something reignites the passion. Until then, I'll just slowly sharpen the blade...

In Memoriam

On this wonderful May day, as we relax by the pool, reflection beckons. This is Memorial Day. A day to commemorate those that have given their all for this Country. Since it's safe to conclude that other more poignant authors have this subject covered, I propose to take Memorial Day in a different direction. Let's remember all those that have graced the peloton, only to fall victim to life's inevitable demands. Some had kids. A few got too fast for us. Others just burned out. Some ate so much they looked like they were about to have a kid. Whatever the circumstances, let's celebrate their memory. And why they are gone.

1. BunnyHopper Dan - As we rolled past the Walgreen's, Dan's tree looked well fertilized. Many remember Dan's signature move with the HCD. And I'm not talking about the bunny hop. Love.

2. Malo - Our best recruiter. Many HCD faithful connected to us through Malo. Not our best attender. Early start times.

3. Stevie Z - Once renowned as Stevie Big Ring, now Z has resorted to muddy buddy races for fitness. Kid's baseball.

4. Q - Too fast for our bunch. MTB racing.

5. Dustin - Once a celebrity attender, Dustin's cameos have faded to black. Parenthood.

6. Wulf - The dervish has not spooled with the HCD in nearly a year. Work.

7. Drain-O - His bike gathers dust as he tours the world on NI's nickel. Other pursuits.

8. Rey - while not actually a member of the HCD (just ask him!), Rey is included for his ardent participation in email chatter/assassination. Kim-chee.

9. Mike - This guy evolved to a higher plane of existence. Talent.

10. AT - Once a top 4 attender, AT is now as visible as Jimmy Hoffa. Nachos.

Sherpa Dreams

ME, Hoodie, Veej and Ullrich. Full Aussie. Hoodie wanted to swing by a friend's house on Mountain Villa. Which is off Cat Mountain. Two streets that connect, both having the word "Mountain" in their names. We passed. Sherpa Dreams are not on plan for today.

Pretty easy pace all the way around the loop. Except for some 3x8 intervals. Or 3x5, depending on your schedule. Gathered another rider on the back of two intervals, one guy on Spicewood, and another on Shoal Creek. We should charge bus fair.

Great weather today, albeit windy. Lost Veej in Rollingwood. 

Krause Loop

Memorial Day weekend started early for the HCD. We chose (thanks the the Badger!) a phenomenal track. Leaving from HP and 12, we rolled down Hamilton Pool, then a northern, counterclockwise loop. Mauricio joined us, an awesome surprise. Fresh off his trifecta at the Driveway, I think our 65 mile endurance pace proved to be a nice recovery pace for our cat3, HCD graduate.Whatever the circumstances, it's always awesome to roll with Mauricio.Along with ME and Panozz, we had the old faithfuls, Hoodie, Badger and Ullrich.We kept a nice, manageable pace throughout the ride, perfect endurance pace for ME. Everyone has a slightly different endurance pace, but the ride wasn't long enough to seriously blow any gaskets. Ullrich PR'd his climb out of Pedernales. Well done bro!

Top 7 Ride Highlights:

1. Saw this guy when we stopped for a bio break. So cute.

 Tarantula Season!!

2. Hill country views aplenty! This route is spectacular, if a little on the dry side. Make sure you bring three bottles. And stop at the C-Store on 71 bu Opies.

HCD at the Apex

3. Big, Fast, and (thanks Jesus!) Friendly Dog

On the way south we were greeted by a diesel-like lab. He sprung outta the bushes and acted as my wingman for about a minute of balls-out sprinting. If there was malice in his heart, I would have had teeth in my calf.

4. Caliche, or Texas Rube-Hay

Having just done this stretch on Shovel Mountain Road a few weeks back, I was looking forward to hitting it again. Caliche is always different. Really depends on the weather, and I guess the timeframe since it was last graded/augmented. Today it was a little soft. Hard work. Then I punctured. It was a pinch flat, caused by ME bouncing my flabby carcASS all over the caliche. Then, in my haste to change, I didn't fully align the bead. Hence, puncture #2. This one was more entertaining, as it sounded like a gun. Sorry fellas.

5. Green-dressed country girl

I will say no more. For details ask Ullrich.

6. Pedernales bridge crossing

We bombed to descent into the Pedernales, taking the turn a little wide. This surprised a middle-aged woman who was standing on the bridge. She SHRIEKED. This was entertaining.

7.  Good company

Needs no explanation. Except we saw Wayne Ziegler headed the other way on HP. We were in the home stretch. He was just getting rolling. Wayne, you need to ride with us!!

Georgetown Red Line

Have you ever ridden a train when you are eagerly anticipating reaching your destination? I have a few times: the Monorail at Disney World, the L in Chicago, and the T in Boston. Each time, either going to another theme park, sporting event, or music concert, the designated stops came too frequently and seemed to be conspiring against me the entire time. Once there, those agonizing moments waiting on the train seem to “go” away like a Kid-n-Play  haircut. Now, that's a fade, fellas.

I can now add the G’town Red Line to that short list of train rides. My oldest daughter’s basketball tourney at Georgetown High School gym had me missing out on the HCD’s weekend cycling adventures. Knowing I’d have a chance to hit the road after the last game on Sunday afternoon, I quickly charted my route from the high school parking lot to my house, packed my gear and bike into the truck, and headed up to watch Sophie’s Westlake Hoops get decimated by AT Elite, 13-43. I swear: Britney Griner's little sister plays for the Elite team.

Two websites figured dominantly in my ride planning. First, Strava (of course!) came in handy to identify the route, distance, elevation, and any segments. The eventual route selected included a couple of segments I’d either never ridden or had previously but poorly. Like this one: Andice Meltdown & SAG Wagon Bitch. Going solo on this route could spell disaster for the Big Fella. Forty miles into a head wind wouldn’t be fun. Immediately, I consulted WeatherUnderground.com. Hmm … not too bad. No rain forecasted, cooler temps, and (wait for it …) a slight tailwind. "Uh Oh!" I hastily clicked the browser’s back button to check out the “My Results” pages on several segments. Times (and a few names) noted.

I won’t regale you with a blow by blow of the ride. Those are best left to oneself to relive … time and time again! But for those of you that have ridden with me know the following: fresh legs + 40 miles of relatively flat / descending roads + a slight tailwind = Train Starts A Comin'. Each stop light that I missed gave me just enough time to catch my breath, Scratch myself, and then quickly clip back in. I couldn’t wait to get started again because I knew what lay ahead. I had some unfinished business from last weekend’s ride up the 360 Hills.

End of story: seven PRs with three coming on the 360 Hills. Nice way to end the weekend and start the week. Giddy Up!

Loop Around The Lake

Sparse crowds and cool weather greeted de Oro Dedo (dOD)and ME this morning. For the ignorant, the Jester King (where we met at 6am this morning) holds court and cranks out some incredible farmhouse brew on Fitzhugh, near Crumley Ranch road. dOD decided to ride to the start. Why not? It was only a 120 mile ride. What's another 20 miles for the arch villain? The inaugural ride, which benefitted the Walnut Creek Academy, felt a lot like a slimmed down version of the Marble Falls GF. For those that rolled the MFGF, a more intimate peloton may not seem possible. However, we had an exclusive 21 entrants today. Weather scared away some, travel others, mileage the rest. HTFU, people.

Guess what? the weather was frakkin' perfect! Starting temps in the 60s. Most of the ride in the 70's. Slight header to Liberty Hill, resultant tailwind the the back half of the ride. 

The pelo was an eclectic mix. Some docs (one that rides an Isaac and works for Hoodie), some weekend warriors, and King Jimmy, who rolled with the HCD on day 2 of the MS150. 

dOD forgot his water bottles.Scrounging one from the SAG, he sucked down one of my bottles at the start of the ride. Hydration was a potential issue from pedal stroke #1. Not to be redundant, but the weather rocked. Spun a sweet warmup down Crumley Ranch, Hamilton Pool and 620. At Panozzo Point, dOD punctured, leaving us #20 and #21 in the group. Ever the scrupulous Ortho, dOD's attention to puncture reparum was fastidious, all encompassing, and pretty slow. SAG refilled our bottles as we waited, allowing us to skip Rest Stop 1. Still, we were WAY back. This proved to be a good thing.

Without the pressure from the Jimmy KIng, we found a rhythm, spinning Steady State up 620. reeled in some of the arriere' on 620, but no sign of the Jimminator and the main group. Wheeled up on the ride founder (Bryce Hendrix) who proved to be a pleasant source of conversation, a good guide and a willing worker at the front. We weaved our way through Round Rock/Cedar Park on Lake Line and Bagdad, finally finding some country roads, truly in the sticks. 

INTERESTING NOTE - 3 separate bugs got lodged in my helmet today. This is a disturbing sensation. It gets in there, and you just wait for it to either sting you, or insert some brain eating larvae. good times.

Rest stop 2 was fortifying. We crammed stuff down our gullets, and discovered that Jimminy Crack-it was about 5-10 minutes ahead of us, having passed rest stop 2. Back on the road, we resumed our even pace, making some good time without hitting the red zone. Until the SAG pulled up. Two lovely ladies asked us if we wanted them to motor-pace us to the lead group. UH YEAH!  (mistake) A BMW driven by two ladies can crack two Dough in about 13 minutes.

Mission accomplished, we reached the lead group 3:45 into the ride.

From that point forward the ride got a little more painful. We somehow got in front of the group after Jimmy tried to confirm directions with a well-intentioned, but NON-helpful PO-PO. Since I had the route in my Garmin, dOD and ME trusted the machine, and rolled on.

Jimmy caught us on the south side of Marble Falls, rolling up with a smile on his face, and menace in his legs. We had a great conversation util we hit the Roubaix section. Caliche and gravel must be a bike-rodesiac for Jimmy, as he busted ass in front of us with absolutely no sign that you shouldn't go 20mph uphill on gravel. ME and Dykes just watched him go, thinking we could cut back into the bulge once we got the downhill pavement. When we crested, the distance Jimmy put on us was ABSURD!! He was a tiny dot, moving rapidly out of view and into legend. 

Rest of the ride was WORK.  ME and Dykes finished on the podium, with Jimmy #1. If there was a podium, or anyone that really cared.

Jester King Brewery was awesome. The place was jam packed with an Austin sub-culture that I don't typically rub elbows with. We got six beers. and all were frakkin awesome. We need to start rides there sometime. Great location for riding, and prime location for post-ride carbo-sustenance.

In Summary - - If you missed this ride, melancholy is your friend. Sadness your wingman. If Ullrich would have done it, his conclusion would have been "Best Ride Ever!"

HCD SHINER RECAP

Sitting in with Veej-

Dykes, Charlie and I joined up with Dr. Goldfinger's friends from Castle Hill Fitness for the Shiner Ride.  Of course the hardest part of this ride is getting a ride back to Austin from Shiner.  Thanks to the Castle Hill team not only did we have a ride back on some spacious vans but also a personal SAG vehicle all along the route.  The Castle Hill team is mostly the staff there and from what I could tell, they rode for their founder Paolo, who tragically passed away last year.  We heard a lot of great stories about Paolo and his contributions to Austin and the biking community.  A neat guy from all accounts that gave back in many ways.

The ride started well enough, overcast with a little wind.  The plan was to hammer it out of the starting gate and skip the first stop to create some gap between us and the crowd.  Well that broke up the group pretty quickly and my bladder issue forced me to stop at the first rest area.  As I pulled in, Carlson was directing traffic and Kim was there feeding the crowd.  It was great to see both of them; thanks for the support guys.  I left the stop and hammered it to catch the group and caught them by the time they pulled into the second stop.  The group stayed together for a while, then Dr. Goldfinger sped up the pace.  I stayed with the lead group for a while then had to pull back when I realized it was only 35 mile and I was burning way too many matches.  I stayed with the rest of the Castle Hill team for most of the rest of the ride and did not see the Dr. until the end.  After the 50-mile lunch stop, the temperature and the humidity started to rise and along with the constant headwind, it made for a difficult ride the rest of the way.  I don't think I ever remember seeing so many people using the SAG; a lot of people getting hit by heat exhaustion.   Well we finished the ride and enjoyed a few brews and braust wurst and headed back.  Along the way, Charlie picked up a few tips on women from Celeste and we convinced the driver to stop in Lockhart and picked up some bbq.  That really hit the spot.  Nice ride and Castle Hill is a great group to ride with. 

/s/ Veej

Off the front with Goldfinger-
Heck yea!  Very good write up.  Vijay and Celeste were hammering out of the second rest stop and started a reaction in Shannon and myself.  The rest of the morning we traded pulls and gave a ride to the occasional passenger.  By mile 70 we were both pretty cooked and Shannon was waving me on so he could spin easy the last 25.  As the winds were increasing exponentially, I resorted to motivational barking so we could finish together.  Shannon dug deep and stayed on while we evened out the efforts and survived the final miles.  The last 10 from Moulton on in to Shiner were right into the screaming headwind and it felt like a blowdryer.  Each rest stop progressively looked more and more like one giant Med tent with very little conversation audible by the last one.  Highlight suppor food for the day was pizza at mile 50!  The Brats and sausage at the end were decent but by that time I think a fried grasshopper would have been just as tasty.  The Shiner Ruby Red Bird is beer of the day IMO.  The ride back was supremely comfortable thanks to the Castle Hill gang and that BBQ at City Market was a complete treat after a great day of biking.  The Dough came, saw and conquered some Shiner!

/s/ Goldfinger

Scheibs' Ride North

Quick recap on our ride. I rode from the W to meet Steve and Sam (last name escapes me) at the Arboretum. We rode up to Parmer, then north to RT 29. On the way back we had an ugly head wind. However the 3 of us ran a disciplined pace line, rotating every minute. This was my first ride with my new power meter and I felt like an "OnStar" operator with Steve asking me countless times....what are "our" watts now. On the way back into the headwind we got passed by a guy on a time trial bike. He must have been on the red line trying to catch us and Steve sensed the guy was about to blow. Steve let out an animalistic grunt, moved to the front and dragged our pace line single handily (which was now up to 5 with the addition of 2 strangers) to catch and blow past the person who disrespected the Doughboy colors.

My low light was while I was sitting at a light and a hearing a somewhat feminine voice say..."hey you don't look so doughy to me." Turning around, expecting to see someone reasonably hot, I was greeted by a rider who looked like the twin of the landlord in the movie King Pin. What a bummer. Don't remember her....here is a short clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zIDgPVg9HM

Sunday Recovery - - Prayers for Verter Ginestra

Cycling Accident on 360
Horrific tragedy yesterday. Verter Ginestra (http://www.linkedin.com/pub/verter-ginestra/1/975/21b), a 54-year old cyclist was killed by an 85-year old driver on 360 right by Westlake High School. I had never met Mr Ginestra, but in looking at his linkedin profile, he appeared to be a perfect candidate for our club. Middle aged cyclist, engineer/business guy. Someone also mentioned that he lived in the Homestead, which is very near us. Tragic. I am really shocked that this happened. That could have been any of us. We ride that route frequently. Ullrich, Hoodie and Veej rode it yesterday, just hours before the accident.  I think Anthony was hit in that area as well.  It may be time to revisit driving privileges past the age of 70. Like, requiring an eye test every two years or something. Prayers go out to Verter Ginestra and his family. Cycling safety needs to improve in this city. So many people out there on bikes. What can we do? 


http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/statesman/obituary.aspx?n=verter-ginestra-simoncelli&pid=157410884


Sunday Ride Notes-
Went Hans Solo Sunday for an easy effort recovery roll. Took two days off on coach's orders, and today's ride indicates that my body rejects days off. The heart rate was absurdly high for the low effort. Tapering is a myth. For full disclosure, I ate a big cheeseburger yesterday, and drank some great Tobin James "fat boy" Zin as well. So maybe I wasn't as hydrated as I shoulda been. 


Punctured on 360. No indication of a problem on the outside of the tyre. However, on the INSIDE of the tyre, I found an ENTIRE staple. Case closed Sherlock, I found the flat tyre perp.


Ran up on Guz on the way down Rob Roy Hill. He was futzing with bar tape. He eventually caught me, as he was doing some superhuman 3x20 intervals. Guz, you are strong like bull. And light like feather. I predict you will rain pain on the pelo in Corsicana!

Spinning for Winning - MS150 and the Race Against MS

Dough, it's so easy to get caught up in the fun of the ride. As I will detail below, the MS Society puts together a very well supported two day affair that gives cyclists of all abilities the chance to take a swing against MS. Leg shavers may turn up their nose at this charity affair. If you are in that camp, lighten up Francis. The ride is secondary to the expression of support for those battling a mysterious, debilitating malady. It's an unpredictable affliction. It can take you tomorrow, or just sit there, hovering over your life for years. An ever present shadow threatening to tint your daily existence.

It takes courage to fight. So kudos to all those battling MS, and to their loved ones for supporting them, and all the medical professionals treating patients and/or frantically searching for a way to beat it.

It also takes courage to get on your hybrid and ride 175 miles in a weekend. More courage than I possess. So kudos to all the non-cyclists that ponied up for this weekend's ride.

Except for the guys that almost hit me. You guys need to keep right when the pain train is rolling through town. I am joking, of course. But seriously, when someone says on your left, it means DO NOT GO TO YOUR LEFT. Quite the opposite.

HERE ARE THE WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS:

Pre-Ride (friday)
The Badger picked up ME, Hoodie and Ullrich, shepherding us in his F150 Palace to Chipotle. There we met Mauricio and Veej (aka "Where's VJ?) for our now-iconic pre-rdie lunch. As instructed by Hoodie, we all wore our 337 T's. Which are so pro. While sitting there, a fellow patron asked if we were part of a cycling team. To wit, Hoodie replied, "well, kinda." An appropriate response, in light of the Patron's next comment "My daughter works for Radio Shack Nissan Trek." Yeah, we know those guys....

On the way out, we had to wait for VJ, who had to squeeze the lemon one more time. [Recurring theme for the weekend!]

Bus ride was pretty uneventful. Dykes (aka Goldfinger) and Stanton (stay tuned for his newly christened nickname) joined us. Panozz spent the entire ride outfitting Hoodie's new steed, and passing out tips to save $$ on cycling gear. Look for a new feature on the website that incorporates some pearls of wisdom from "THE FRUGAL CYCLIST." For the 3rd consecutive year it rained all the way down to Houston.

In Houston, we checked into the supremely mediocre Omni Hotel (which also describes our cycling skills), and wandered the halls. St. David's rolled out the hospitality, with some excellent pre-ride carb loading-beer and pretzels. There we met some of the guys down from Tulsa. More on them later.

At Carabba's for dinner we partook of some fine wine, heavy carbs and light conversation. Reunited with Dentite Greg from last year's MS150, and his lovely lady friend Vanessa. Those two plus all the guys mentioned above worked our way through our meals with single minded dedication.

After the meal, we cabbed it over to Tully to retrieve our bikes. Shining moment of the day. Veej, of course. As the last guy to get his bike, Veej is asked to produce his claim check. Classic response of the weekend. "I have a claim check?" Thank you Veej, for all that you do.

Post-bike, we all checked in early.

Saturday
4:30 Breakfast. I ordered the organic farmer's breakfast. Apparently, the organic farmer is a tomato hater. Lamest tomato I have ever eaten. Oh yeah, I ate it. Stanton showed up with a double venti Starbucks, lamenting his intricate pre-ride routine. That guy has a very fine-tuned engine, and I am not talking about his bike. Which is awesome. I hereby posit that Stanton out-rivals even Ullrich in his fastidious dedication to the pre-ride plop stop. You know what I am talking about. Let me mention here that we have been agonizing over a nickname for Stanton for years. At this point in the morning, I was subconsciously digesting the inputs for a name that had substance. One that would stick. Onward.

6am Rogue Roll from the Parking Lot. We rocked the HCD red kits. So pro. Paceline? ME, Hoodie, Mauricio, Ullrich, Stanton, Goldfinger, Where's VJ? and the Badger. Plus a host of guys from Tulsa. I think they were six in total. I only recall the names of Wayne (mega-beast), Kevin (world's nicest Okie), and Colnago Dan. To the rest I can only issue:

1. an apology for not remembering your name
2. a heartfelt thanks for the yeoman's work you did in the paceline
3. and most importantly a HOOK 'EM HORNS. Look me up 10/13 in Dallas. I will buy you a beer after the Horns put a whoopin' on Landry Jones!

I digress. Our rogue roll was a stroke of genius. Can't say enough good things about the guys we rode with. Both the Tulsa Toughs and the HCD contingent. wind in our face ALL Day at 20mph. Still managed nearly 19mph on the day. Of course, we stopped about 6 times, as we are all getting too old to pass up two things. One is a bathroom, and the other is not meant for this blog.

Awesome work in the paceline from everyone made for as pleasant a day in the saddle as you will ever get while heading into 20mph gales. Plus, the rogue start absolutely eliminated the population. We were passed by exactly NO ONE. It was somewhere on this ride that I was struck with the solution to the Problem of Stanton. Triggered by his now-iconic throat clearing.

Everyone, welcome the Growler to the HCD!

Saturday POST-RIDE
Beer. Sweet Beer. Thanks to Mickey, Becky and Mike and the rest of the St. David's support crew. What a sweet setup. bags all there, gumbo cooking on the pot, cold Shiners, water, etc waiting for us. My massage was lower quartile, but the day wasn't so demanding that I needed a lifesaving soigneur.

In the shower line, I was struck by a conversation happening in front of me. Two younger guys talking about the cancelled ride through the park. One says "the last hill in the park is so steep, and so long. It's the biggest climb in Texas!" Not so my friend. Not so. I would wager Fort Davis is about five times longer. and there are only thirty or so climbs in Austin alone that make the bump in the park look like a bump in the park.

Two meals later, plus some lemonade and vodka (thanks to the Growler and Goldfinger http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgN50uAp4pg !) we were sated and ready for some inspiration. So we headed to the finish line. Talk about courage. People still rolling in en masse at 5pm. That's a long day in the saddle ladies. Best sight of the day? A dude on a hybrid. 3 bills. and wearing an aero helmet. You can't make that stuff up.

Saturday Night/Sunday Morning - this is the timeframe where I annually conclude that I will never do this ride again. This year was no exception.

Sunday Ride
POSITIVE - winds died to nothing
NEGATIVE - NO rogue start. leading to a lot of Stranger Danger. Plus, no Tulsa Toughs.

Equaled out to a very very slow start. Teeth chattering, praying for the sun, we headed out of La Grange, snails on wheels. The ride was relatively uneventful. Highlights:

1. Chasing back to the group when Jimmy (TacoDelian) punctured
2. Nice pacelines lead by Jimmy, Panozz, and....Ullrich!
3. Tommy Boy lookalike at rest stop with a small jersey and a large belly. And sunscreen slathered all over his exposed midriff. pretty sight? No. Eventful sight? YES.
4. Near accident while ME and Hoodie pulled the paceline. Maybe my fault. I don't know, but seriously, when someone says on your left, it means DO NOT GO TO YOUR LEFT. Quite the opposite.
5. Great work from Veej and Vanessa, who finished in tandem.
6. Hoodie and Ullrich showed off the fruits of the PedalHard Labor. Well Done Fellas!
7. Panozz is at such different level that comparisons do not apply. OK, maybe we could compare him to Jimmy.
8. St David's kits? so pro.

Post-ride summary-
1. God is great, beer is good and people are crazy.Thanks again to the support team. Such a great time!! Team St David's has raised $59,000 thus far. Take that MS!

337

April 7 marked our second annual venture west to God's Country. Leakey Texas. Where FM 336 meets FM 337. Heart of the Hill Country. Attempts to describe the natural beauty of that piece of Texas cheapen its brilliance. Rolling vistas, only lightly touched by civilization, all under truly magnificent Texas skies greeted us on our Friday pre-ride roll.

Attendees: ME, Ullrich, Hoodie, VJ, Ty, Scheibs, Bergie, Dykes, Panozz, Garreth, Charlie and MC.

MC entered the weekend on one leg. Victim of a knee issue created by his failure to accept the aging process. Too many innings on the mound, followed by a Pebble Beach extravaganza left his right knee grapefruitish. Gamer that he is, the Yeti gave the big roll a shot.

This year we got two places off HomeAway, an Austin success story. Dudes in one, ME, my family and the Ullrichs in the other. Our place was easily the nicer of the two. Biggest fumble of the weekend was on  ME. Neglect to the finer points of the rental agreement left the fellas without linens or towels. Sorry guys. All my bad. 

Friday dinner of homemade lasagna (thanks to ME bride!) provided some carb reserves for the Saturday ride. Add in a few brews and we were all ready to crush it! Ty got his electric smoker firing Friday night for the Saturday postride meal of brisket, pork and sausage. The Badger can do some work!

Saturday morning we congregated at the Hog Pen, a Leakey Biker Bar. 

Hey, where's VJ?

After VJ's Pavlonian devotion to inopportune urination, we got the roll underway.The morning was a little moist at the start. Three hills came at us in rapid succession early in the day (mile 6, mile 11 and mile 20). We regrouped at the top of the last climb for a photo op:

As you may note, MC was not in this pic. He had to pull out after climb #1, done in by his fastball. Shortly after this was taken Charlie and VJ rolled up. At this precise moment, Panozz declared "allrigh Veej, let's go!" That truly never gets old.

Descents in the mist were pretty harrowing. Scheibs was a foot from going off road, saved by his precision steering skills. On a personal note, KS may be the most detail oriented (aka "anal retentive") sales guy I have ever met. He had his bike completely deconstructed, degreased and re-lubed about 1 hour post-ride. This includes degreasing each cog in his rear cassette. This is equal parts awe inspiring and scary. I can no longer look at the Scheibs without seeing his eyes judging the skank all over my bike.

Slop and grime ushered us from the Sisters to Medina, where we met Hoodie's "tres chicas muy rica", who acted as our SAG for the day. Toni and kids were our lifeline, feeding us Allen Lim-inspired carb loaders, water, Nuun, fruits and PBJ. I cannot say thanks enough times! Awesome sauce!!

Hoodie and his better half. 

VJ's countenance has been hidden for his protection. 

This photo was clipped from a 

COPS episode focused on public urination

From Medina to Utopia, there was a fair amount of separation in the crew. The Sisters, the rollers and our differentiated training regimens dropped us into different pockets of suffering. Can't speak for the rest of you, but it was so fun for ME! Got on Garreth and Panozz's wheel and just hung on. What a blast. It was mostly downhill on this stretch. Highlight at this point was Dykes' attempt to go Pro. In ride bladder relief. It should be left to TdF riders. You may need to burn that Chamois my friend.

We regrouped in Utopia, meeting Toni and Team for the second and final time. Initial reports had Ullrich about to SAG out of the ride, which shocked ME. But 337 is a mean beeyotch, and the Deutschlander had a knee issue. Turns out, reports of the German's demise were premature, as he wheeled into town smiling like a fat kid with a fistful of smarties. Apparently, VJ's "Dr Fuentes" bag hanging under his saddle contained some magic pills. Shout out here to Bergie for domestique duties, bringing the Advil to the Ullrich.

However, Domestique of the Day goes to Garreth. Talk about giving someone a little push? Big G physically pushed Charlie up a hill around mile 70.All while riding next to him on the bike. Truly amazing!

Post-Utopia, we stuck together, if you loosely defined that term. Bergie did some work on the front, and the German made an appearance, rejuvenated from his Fuentes pills.

We regrouped at the turn onto 2748. Charlie nearly pulled a Gump, shooting past us while we screamed at him. Well done on the ride CG! That was good work. More than you have ever done before, which is reason to pause and celebrate. 

OK, now that the celebration is over, time to get back into the paceline, which actually stuck together the entire final 10 miles of the ride. Despite an adrenaline fueled break by the German, we all rolled into Leaky together. Safe and realtively sound.

Ty's post-ride meal was legendary. He is a great cook, and we all got the benefit. I loaded about 5k calories onto my plate!

Saturday night was a blast, though most of the HCD had dispersed back to ATX. Hot tub, White man's fire, beer, wine, port, a true victory celebration. Thanks to all who participated. Special thanks to:

1. Joanie - awesome dinner, and thanks for your tolerance of my two-wheeled addiction.

2. Toni and kids - Lifeline!

3. Ullrich's Kids and Jake - I am looking forward to seeing the photos you guys took!

4. Lynn - Bride of Ullrich! Thanks for the great food!!

5. Ty - great job on the BBQ

Got some decent video, so keep eyes out for that! Have a great week fellas!

Post Ride Carb Load

Great recovery today with ME, Ullrich, VJ and Big Fella. We all rode nice and easy. VJ had about 12 PR's, thanks to the prodigious wake thrown off by his rolling mates. Post-ride, we celebrated with a few lagers at Napolis...

Pedal Hard Stella. Pedal Hard.

Volente Caliente!

We must have the coolest kits in the ATX. Constantly answering questions about the Dough from adoring passers by (on dirt bikes, in Soccer Mom SUV's, on other bikes, you name it!) makes me appreciate the design skills of Hoodie's brochacho.

Nice group this morning! ME, Ullrich, VJ, Hoodie, Dan K (back!), Sean the Lurker (also back!) and Ty the Badger made for a great pack to roll Lime Creek + Dam Loop.  We took it nice and easy on Bee Cave, heeding the call to warmup thoroughly prior to unleashing any furry. As we emerged from the warmup period, bombing 620 from High School hill, another Dough double bombed past us! Dr Dykes on the war path!

Apparently, Dykes was 5 minutes late to the start, and spent the first 35 minutes working his way back into the Pelo. All that effort didn't seem to take a toll on him, but it must have burned up his tyres, as he blew a back shoe on the dam hill. ME and Hoodie were in the middle of a coach-induced interval, so we left Dykes and Ullrich to clean up the mess.

Heavy rolling on 620 flats demonstrated the growing strength of the Badger. He gets scarier every day we roll. Extended stay at the 7-11, awaiting Dykes and Ullrich created rapidly dropping core body temps. Sweat+Fog+standing around=Freezing your stones off. It's simple Physics.

We had a great, controlled spin around Lime Creek, punctuated by an excellent, mega-pull from the Badger. Nice intervals on Anderson Mill to 7-11, at least for ME..., nice pull on Anderson Mill by Hoodie, Nice intervals on Spicewood and 360 made for an excellent day of training in the saddle.

Great effort by all today fellas!!

Marble Falls "Gran Fondo"? or HCD Hunger Games?

In honor of the March 23, 2012 release of the Hunger Games, the club will temporarily assign cast members to club members.

The Hunger Games

Cast:
Peeta Mellark (Scheibs) — The male tribute for District 12, and a baker's son. Peeta is described as being medium height, strongly built and has ashy blonde hair. Not much to look at, but a survivor.

Rue (Badger)— The tribute from District 11. Small and lithe, you wouldn't assume that she could last long; but her knowledge of trees, plants, and hiding keeps her alive. She warns Katniss about the tracker jacker hive, and they later become allies. She is later murdered by the boy tribute from District 1, Marvel. Rue has dark eyes and is of African decent.

Cato (Bergamo)— District 2 tribute. Having prepared for the Games his whole life, he is described as a "ruthless killing machine", he is extremely strong and the most likely choice of a winner. He, Katniss, and Peeta were the last three tributes to face the mutated dogs with the other tribute's DNA. Unfortunately, Cato got bashed in the head with a rock.

Foxface (4fn) — Known by no other name, this red-head from District 5 is hard to catch. Though she doesn't have brute strength or knowledge of weapons, she can outsmart everyone in the arena. She made it to the final 4, then she dies by eating nightlock left out by Peeta. Described as having fox- like features, hence her name.

Thresh (Hoodie)— Male tribute from District 11. With the same brown skin and golden brown eyes as Rue, he is extremely resourceful and immensely powerful. His most notable act was that of sparing Katniss due to her alliance with Rue. He died shortly thereafter. (Probably due to lack of directional skills).

Glimmer (Ullrich) — The Female tribute from District 1 who is described as beautiful, tall, has Blonde hair and green eyes. She was part of the Career pack and was killed alongside the girl from District 4 when a hive of tracker jackers was dropped on the camp.

Glimmer showing off the goods

Effie Trinket (MC)- The District 12 escort, who was happy and bubbly. She wore many different colored wigs and helped Katniss and Peeta get sponsors in the Games. She constantly bickered and argued with Haymitch. Very proper, she hated it when people did not have proper etiquette.

Haymitch Abernathy (ME)— Haymitch is Katniss' and Peeta's mentor. He is drunk at almost any given time, with a glass in one hand and knife in the other. He drinks to forget the memories the 50th Hunger Games, which he was crowned victor of.  He won during the second Quarter Quell, where double the tributes were required to participate in this deadly game. A badass, scarred forever by his over-competitive nature.

HCD Hunger Games, or 2012 Marble Falls Gran Fondo

The Hunger Games were not as popular in Marble Falls as you might think, with only 45 participating Tributes. The morning of the Reaping was overcast. Moist with possibilities. The HCD Tributes selected for the HG brimmed with anticipation. Glimmer (Ullrich) spouted enthusiasm. Sporting shiny new shoes and kit, Glimmer was all form. But what about function? Nerves betrayed inner feelings however, as Glimmer backed the dumptruck up twice pre-ride. Cato showed off his new Jersey, proudly noting its clean "new kit feel". (This is foreshadowing). Peeta knew the value of nutrition in the Hunger Games. At every opportunity, he piled calories into his maw, storing for the impending struggle. Foxface appeared suddenly for the pre-ride photo, seemingly conjured out of thin air. Thresh sat tall on his 7, an air of confidence oozing from his chamois.Effie was effervescent as always, smiling and ready for the day. Haymitch was drunk. With anticipation.

The Games began at 8am. Great fanfare welcomed the group onto the course. Great, as in one fan exhorted the participants to greatness. Exhorted, as in that one fan drank a cup of coffee as we rolled by.

The Games began on familiar turf, as the HCD pulled the entire crew for the first 20 miles from Marble Falls to the first rest stop on Cypress Mill. Seeds of doubt were sewn into Glimmer's sports bra at the start, with a Heart Rate elevated to fever pitch. Glimmer would suffer greatly on the Fondo, but would survive. Cato, the killing machine ambled comfortably at the back of the pack after the first rest stop. Unfortunately, a hackerjacker got him in the eye, separating him from the rest. All alone, and wounded from the DNA-enhanced insect, he put the pedal to the metal (aluminum), frantically working back. It must have been the hackerjacker venom that blinded him from the water in the road. And the algae underneath the water. One second, he was humming at 26.9mph, the next he was body surfing on e-coli infested chip seal. So goes the Hunger Games.

The food provided was not Gran Fondo in quality or quantity. Our 2011 337 ride was supported far more luxuriously. And NO SAG wagon? Come on.

OK - back to the story...

At mile 70, Thresh lost his mind. Well, at least his way. Perhaps it was the Hill Country air? or the screaming descent on Lower Crab Apple? Maybe it was the gravitational pull of Enchanted Rock. Whatever the cause, He was never seen again. Another victim of the Hunger Games.

Like the end of the book, the surviving HCD  finished the MFGF anticlimactically. By the time the contest was completed, there were about 3 pieces of chicken, 2 pieces of brisket and 23 beans remaining for the HCD. The delay in completion can be attributed to the group's concern over Cato's grisly elbow combined with the disappearance of the big fella. Hence, the Hunger Games continued until I got home.


*(aren't we all badasses in our own narrative?)