tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61671621317603863232024-03-14T03:21:00.351+00:00ranch cyclingOfficial blog of the Ranch Cycling Teamriderpittshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03494034078896265495noreply@blogger.comBlogger220125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167162131760386323.post-38869342864504855352016-09-17T12:26:00.000+01:002016-09-17T12:40:51.070+01:00Haute Route Dolomites compact ! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Arrived into BOLZANO, the perfect blend of German sense of tidiness and organization with the undisputable magic that only Italy can offer. Bolzano, while being in Italy present itself and refers it self as a German town. Class, style and awesome genetics are just one of the few reasons why any Rancher should consider coming here and check this place out. </div>
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Stage One- Bolzano to Cortina D'Ampezzo - 175km +3,700 metres </div>
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The dolomites a truly outstanding ridding territory with breath taking views.</div>
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After finishing HR Compact Stage one, with my pal Sebi, who after a day of fiercely competition beats me in the grueling stage into Cortina. Compiting has never been sooo fun! </div>
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Stage 2 HR Compact - Cortina D'Ampezzo to Venice 175km +1700metres.</div>
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Early start to tackle a beautiful stage. First the Passo Giau and then a long decent and very fast flat section to finish the timing section at the top of Passo San Boldo, committed to set the record straight on the ranking Seb and rider Eazy-E had yet another day of fiercely competition ...</div>
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finished in Venice, always tight on time we packed bikes and rushed to the Airport to take the Sunday afternoon flight back- it was a fantastic weekend where the only thing pending was the Bellinis at Piazza San Marco, next time!!</div>
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<br />rider eazy-ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00037193345751731642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167162131760386323.post-22395616910829287672016-09-14T21:05:00.000+01:002016-09-14T21:15:08.853+01:002016 Ride The RockiesRiderMama and RiderTurbo back at it again. <br />
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10 years of marriage, 2 kids later, still committed and going strong!<br />
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Battle Mountain<br />
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Independence Pass outside of Aspen, Colorado<br />
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Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mtn. National Forest, Elevation 12,183 feet<br />
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Finish Line in Fort Collins, Colorado<br />
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<br />riderturbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502602737860439948noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167162131760386323.post-46864329592444033842016-05-08T19:53:00.000+01:002016-05-08T20:43:03.132+01:00IRONMAN 70.30 AIX EN PROVENCE - JESUIS PIERRE!!At very last minute my friend Vincent from Place Vendome got me a spare number to take part of this IronMan. I was very keen to do it given it's superb location and challenging course but when I tried to sign up a few month ago it was sold out.<br />
Logistics were classic Eazy-E - jumped into plane last minute, no bike, no wetsuit... just strong will and the thinking that it will all be cool. Got into Nice airport on Friday, got my Avis car, drove to our beloved Hotel de la dare en Ville Franche -where No show will surprise me the next morning!- did a nice spin up to La Turbie and hit the sack early. Saturday morning drove all the way to Aix to meet Vince and sign up.<br />
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Luckily for me our friends at Rue Libre in Nice had sorted me up with a nice Giant bike. The wetsuit I got it last minute in the TRI exhibition -it was going to be of no use as the swim got cancelled due to extreme weather conditions-<br />
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By the time I was crossing the finish line with a very respectable 4h:34' I knew all the last minutes effort had paid off!<br />
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As any experience of life, its better when you are sharing the moment, Vincent and twin brothers Aurelien and Julien were great host and made me feel part of the team... they also beat me!!! To my surprise the customary Ranch farting contest was very well known by my new French fellows, specially by the twins who competed fiercely on the space! Merci beaucoup guys for a fantastic weekend!!<br />
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rider eazy-ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00037193345751731642noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167162131760386323.post-61107971341151721512015-07-23T15:55:00.000+01:002017-04-24T23:11:52.247+01:00Chamonix<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's been some time since I have posted so I thought this might be a good one. It was a weekend of the Mont Blanc Marathon so a great time to go check out CahLi's investment in his future.<br />
I took off the Friday in oder to take the train to GVA and Matthew was kind enough to pick me up in his beast of a Land Rover. Benno came in later that eve as he made the giant effort of flying to GVA, getting to Verbier then driving down from Verbs. Hugely appreciated and great to see him.<br />
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Well, I figured since we were in chamonix - The center of outdoor activity in the french alpes that a bit of mtn biking should be in the cards and Cals had already taken care of logistics. <br />
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We had a terrifc ride if not somewhat technical!<br />
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Then to fuel up for the 10km the following day we stopped by Tom Teague's home for a wonderful steak and pasta dinner. And when it became dark we all were amazied at the 80km runners coming down off the Mont Blanc in a line of headlamps. Something quite beautiful about the human condition when watching something like that.<br />
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Next day as Cals went off to run a vertical kilometer, Ben and Noshow headed off for the 10km with 1498 other folks which while difficult was great fun as Mr. and Mrs. Calner were there to show support taking pictures as well... While Ben was setting a new course record for old guys, Noshow was dieseling along huffing and puffing and the water the Sharkbite provided before the finish was enough to see him through...<br />
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And so went the day of fun and sun and athletics bodies. The sunday we decided to attack the vertical kilometer and as we began all nice, Ben soon decided he had his eye on some New Zealander babe who passed us and soon left NoSHow and cahli in the dust,. Noshow suffered and Cahli was kind enough to wait at certain rest stops on the way up!</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">We were treated to a nice view from the top where Cahli and Ben discussed...no, not the way to world peace, more likely it was how firm so and so's derriere was.....</span></div>
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Twas a lovely weekend and one to remember with good buddies. The only regret was there weren't more of us together.. Stay fit boys. NS</div>
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RiderNOSHOWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00381036042608888623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167162131760386323.post-36560202927264699932014-11-04T08:06:00.003+00:002014-11-04T08:09:20.890+00:00Mama Wins Again - Pumpkinman VictoryRider Mama just won the F40-44 age group of the PumpkinMan sprint distance triathlon in Las Vegas, placing 11th out of 186 women overall. The race was festive preceding Halloween and included racers from many collegiate club teams including Stanford, the University of Colorado, Colorado State University, BYU, the Univ. of Arizona, Arizona State Univ. and others. The Hoover Dam towered over one end of Lake Mead where the picturesque 750m lake swim was held. And the 300m elevation gain over the 20km bike leg gave Mama a decisive advantage after a summer training on the bike for the Haute Route Alps.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Most of all, Mama appears to have inspired the next generation of Ranch racers who look not too much unlike herself...</span><br />
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<br />riderturbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502602737860439948noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167162131760386323.post-3830699833247360042014-09-27T05:02:00.000+01:002017-07-12T20:39:38.051+01:00Haute Route Alps 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Photo and Video Essay</div>
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Geneva, Switzerland to Nice, France </div>
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904km Distance / +21,400m Climbing / Prologue +7 Stages / Aug 23-30, 2014</div>
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Geneva Prologue Start - Cut, Polished and Ready to Race! </div>
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Eazy Blasts Out of the Start House for the 9km Prologue Time Trial. Ranch riders solidly bunched together in the 12-14min time range.<br />
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Ranch Video Summary of Haute Route Event Produced by RiderSwissTrain, a<br />
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Hugely Valuable and Newly-Added member of the Ranch</div>
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STAGE 1 - GENEVA TO MEGEVE - 130km/+3100m<br />
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Col de la Columbiere - Spectacular Mountain Landscape Ridges, Peaks, Valleys and Clouds<img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pRzEFSAizEs/VB9u_5Vz5DI/AAAAAAAAED0/mPUpabAQvkc/s1600/1-24-08-14_ALPES_FV1007.jpg" width="640" /><br />
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"Le Petit Ranch" Ascending the Columbiere<br />
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Col de Croix Fry - Gorgeous and Green with Sharp Teeth<br />
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Col des Aravis - High Alpine with Surrounding Rock Faces</div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Hotel Recovery Lab with Normatech "Space Boots" and Marc Pro EMS (Rider Mama sleeping with head under blanket)</span></div>
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STAGE 2 - MEGEVE TO COURCHEVEL - 130km/+3900m</div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Cormet Roseland - Picturesque Mountainside, Lantern Rouge Approaching from Behind</span></div>
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Courchevel - Finishline after Big Day of Climbing +3900m</div>
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STAGE 3 - COURCHEVEL TO ALPE D'HUEZ - 137km/+4650m</div>
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Col de Madeleine - Rainy, Windy and 5deg C -- 50 people Dropped or were Forced to quit by Broom Wagon on the Col d'Glandon, including all but 12 women</div>
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SwissTrain's Wash Rack after Cold, Rainy day on Bike<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dZFx-VK0hYU/VCYqjlEi6iI/AAAAAAAAEFw/jRek6GoQJA0/s1600/IMG_2662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dZFx-VK0hYU/VCYqjlEi6iI/AAAAAAAAEFw/jRek6GoQJA0/s1600/IMG_2662.JPG" width="640" /></a>STAGE 4 - ALPE D'HUEZ TIME TRIAL - 15km/+1100m<br />
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Descending from Alpe D'Huez to Bourg D'Oisan to Prep for Individual Time Trial Back Up<br />
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Turbo in the Alpe D'Huez Time Trial Start House Sporting US National Haute Route Jersey</div>
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Mama Climbing Alpe D'Huez in 1:21h time, beating 17% of Male Field<br />
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Rider Turbo giving 100% to cover the 15km and +1100m in 1:08h Time following Myers 59m, Cah-li 1:02, Eazy 1:09, Armstrong 39m, Pantani 37m, site of battles between Hinault, Lemond, Indurain and myriad other Tour de France Champions and Ghosts of the Past. Beautiful Weather, Legendary Climb, Electric Ambiance.</div>
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STAGE 5 - BOURG D'OISAN TO DIGNE LES BAINS - 187km/+2900m</div>
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Sporting "Ride the Rockies Kit" for a 187km Day with Three Big Climbs in South of France</div>
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Lookin' Good, Feelin' Good<br />
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STAGE 6 - DIGNE LES BAINS TO MT. VENTOUX - 145km/+3050m<br />
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Top of the "Geant de Provence" after 145km stage and 2 hours of hard climbing at the end. Epic.<br />
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STAGE 7 - DIGNE LES BAINS TO NICE - 160km/+2700m<br />
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Final Day, Five More Climbs<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x1KPWRAbPyU/VB9vRj3T8dI/AAAAAAAAEEU/ZK7iXCdXiao/s1600/7-30-08-14-Florian-_185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x1KPWRAbPyU/VB9vRj3T8dI/AAAAAAAAEEU/ZK7iXCdXiao/s1600/7-30-08-14-Florian-_185.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Last Stage Team Push -- Mama Borrowing Watts with EZ's "Carlos" Technique<br />
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Final Timing Mat atop Col de Vence- Team Crosses in "Ranch Style"<img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nq4Eu_75eho/VB9vVKI5t8I/AAAAAAAAEEc/j2b9d74KZ6g/s1600/7-30-08-14-Florian-_323.jpg" width="640" /><br />
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Finish Line in Nice- Meditteranean Backdrop - Vive Le Ranch!<br />
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Billed as the "toughest race in the most beautiful place." Olympic distance "plus" consisting of 1500m Swim, 40km Bike, 6.5mi Run. High altitude hematocrit-builder at 7000-8000 ft elevation. Hilly time trial bike leg with no drafting and plenty of climbing. Grueling run with a mix on and off road plus 1100+ft. elevation gain on rocky single track trails. <br />
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Great cross-training for the upcoming Haute Route Alps. RiderTurbo results: Time 3h 6min. Rank 38/150 overall and 6/13 Men Age 44. Struggled on the swim, strong on the bike, gritty on the run. Just the way it should be given the recent focus on cycling preparation. <br />
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All followed by three more days of mountain cycling, kayaking, paddle boarding, hiking, picnicking, waterfall hunting and frolicking in the mountains with the wife, kids, aunt and nieces! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1500m Swim: 35min <br />
Swim @ 8000 ft. and Gasp for Air!<br />
Ear Plug Out! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TAwvJcECyG0/U8ZLerWHAiI/AAAAAAAADgc/AU5yBpXjeLI/s1600/RWC+Olympic+Distance+Bike+-+June+Lake+Tri+(6.12.14).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TAwvJcECyG0/U8ZLerWHAiI/AAAAAAAADgc/AU5yBpXjeLI/s1600/RWC+Olympic+Distance+Bike+-+June+Lake+Tri+(6.12.14).jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">40km Bike: 1h 14min w/ Hills <br />
32.2km/h avg speed<br />
Smooth!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RLmpESi0j08/U8ZLe9iIXEI/AAAAAAAADgg/c4Wp1t68hlg/s1600/RWC+Olympic+Distance+Run+-+June+Lake+Tri+(6.12.14).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RLmpESi0j08/U8ZLe9iIXEI/AAAAAAAADgg/c4Wp1t68hlg/s1600/RWC+Olympic+Distance+Run+-+June+Lake+Tri+(6.12.14).jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6.5mi Run: 1h 14min<br />
Hot, Tough Mountain Trail Run <br />
Ok! </td></tr>
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<br />riderturbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502602737860439948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167162131760386323.post-62889656560140264522014-05-26T21:53:00.000+01:002014-05-26T21:53:05.425+01:00Teamwork - Felice Gimondi 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sharing the work, watching the road like hawks...<br />
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Ranch Spirit, sprinting to victory after 128km together as a team...<br />
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I can tell you this much about the experience of racing as a team. I know in few years time, I will not remember, how fast I rode, what was the timing I clocked in the race, were the climb hard or not, was it hot or cold, sunny or rainy; all that I know it will be anecdotical but, without a shadow of doubt; I know I will remember and more importantly, that it will bring joy to my soul and surely a big smile, crossing the finish line with fellow rider no- Show.<br /><br /><br />
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And that my dear friends.... is priceless, for everything else there is master card... Be well- rider Eazy-E</div>
rider eazy-ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00037193345751731642noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167162131760386323.post-60214824175188486472014-05-19T02:27:00.002+01:002014-05-19T03:04:26.818+01:00Huge May Opener - Summer's here - Let's Roll! <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4hYzXBElWA8/U3lCed3eADI/AAAAAAAACi8/ccKeDc8kyhs/s1600/VMTRNSLOGO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4hYzXBElWA8/U3lCed3eADI/AAAAAAAACi8/ccKeDc8kyhs/s1600/VMTRNSLOGO.jpg" /></a>Ranch West Coast has kicked off the summer racing season with a bang. Starting on May 4th, 2014, where RiderMama "Ran the Verdugo."<br />
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Eager to get back on a racing schedule three years after the birth of Rider Sasha and a handful of races last summer, Mama kicked off the racing season in May as RiderTurbo took babysitting and spectating duties. <br />
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The Verdugo is known as the toughest 10k trail race in Southern California. It is an up-and-back on dirt fire road with 1735ft elevation gain in the first 5km followed by 5km down. Despite severe cramps forcing 3-4 minutes of walking on the descent, Mama clocked a respectable pace given course conditions and punched 8th place out of 45 women finishers age 40-44. <br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xDJlf6cepdc/U3lC4BrTFUI/AAAAAAAACjE/s7JQsVO5UBc/s1600/events_2011renegadexterra_logo_1295041651.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xDJlf6cepdc/U3lC4BrTFUI/AAAAAAAACjE/s7JQsVO5UBc/s1600/events_2011renegadexterra_logo_1295041651.png" /></a><br />
<a href="http://racewire.com/live_results.php?firstname=&lastname=&town=&bibnumber=&id=3686&agegroup=F%2040-44&division=10K" target="_blank"><span style="color: #eeeeee;">Verdugo 10k Results 2014: F 40-44</span></a><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CNLLdXURe0M/U3k_mMLiSyI/AAAAAAAACiA/krLrnnanwKM/s1600/IMG_1483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CNLLdXURe0M/U3k_mMLiSyI/AAAAAAAACiA/krLrnnanwKM/s1600/IMG_1483.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>Next up on May 17, 2014, Mama took on the Xterra Renegade off-road triathlon. Following the <a href="http://ranchcycling.blogspot.com/2011/04/ranch-victory-xterra-renegade.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #eeeeee;">one-shot-wonder performance of RiderTurbo winning the recreational division three years ago</span></a>, RiderMama set out with high expectations. A severe shortage of training time prior to the race due to work demands meant Mama had done only one swim set all spring. Woefully unprepared for the water, Mama choked up and went into familiar anaerobic panic mode in the first 200m of the 1/2mile (800m) swim. Somehow she pulled it back together and finished with the help of mental fortitude and last-ditch, save-the-race breast stroke mode. Despite the worst swim of her triathlon career, Mama managed to get out of the water in one piece and salvage the race with a stomping 7.5mile mountain bike and snappy 3.3mile trail run. The result: <b><span style="color: yellow;">VICTORY.</span></b><span style="color: yellow;"> </span> Mama won the recreation division beating all-comers, both women and men! She finished just in time to rush off to the hospital to perform weekend call duty at work, which is the principal reason she did the rec. division rather than the longer competition division in the first place. 45 minutes shorter in length made the rec. division the difference between doing the race and not, giving time to make it back to work. Still no complaints. Clock a victory, jump in the race van and head back to work! Now that's a victory, Ranch style!<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eYgdxf_ac80/U3k_5i62b7I/AAAAAAAACic/GCo7Ap8ho70/s1600/IMG_1489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eYgdxf_ac80/U3k_5i62b7I/AAAAAAAACic/GCo7Ap8ho70/s1600/IMG_1489.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #eeeeee;"> <a href="http://www.geminitiming.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/rectrioverall.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: #eeeeee;">Renegade Xterra Rec. Division: Results</span></a></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mama Descends en Route to VICTORY in the Xterra Renegade Recreational Division 2014</td></tr>
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After the excitement of the Verdugo and Xterra, we moved on to May 18, 2014 where the team enjoyed a very special moment. The final stage of the final day of the Amgen Tour of California passed directly behind the backyard of RiderMama and Turbo in the Westlake Village suburb of L.A. <br />
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The Tour of California is America's biggest cycling race. The title sponsor Amgen is the <a href="http://www.epogen.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #eeeeee;">proud patent holder of EPO</span> </a>and somewhat fittingly, the Tour ended near Amgen headquarters in Thousand Oaks, CA. RiderMama and Turbo managed to get in an early morning Double Decker Training ride for the Haute Route Alps (<a href="http://goo.gl/maps/wbMRp"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">http://goo.gl/maps/wbMRp</span></a>) while catching the peloton near the summit of the climb (video below). Team Sky lead the peloton protecting GC leader Bradley Wiggins. <br />
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Mama and Turbo descended Rte. 23 Decker on the Westlake Village side moments after the broom car passed only to be stopped half way down the canyon behind two ambulances where two pro riders had launched over the guard rail on a steep, high-speed descending turn. Fortunately, neither were badly hurt and both later rejoined the peloton. <br />
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Later that day with Mama again on call at work, Turbo took kids RiderZoe (6) and RiderSasha (3) out on the Trek Mystic Girls bike and Optibike/MT202 trailer rig, to watch the finishing loops around the village and to watch the grand finish. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wiggo Whizzes by Turbo and Mama's back yard </td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/may/18/bradley-wiggins-wins-tour-of-california" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;">Bradley Wiggins won the Overall and Mark Cavendish won the finish line sprint on Stage 8</span></a> to cap off three weeks of great racing in May for the Ranch. The summer has started with a bang and its going to be amazing! <br />
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<a href="http://amgentourofcalifornia.com/competition/standings-results/2014-results-overall" target="_blank"><span style="color: #eeeeee;">Amgen Tour of California 2014 Results</span></a><br />
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Tour of California Final Stage Passes By Turbo & Mama's Back Yard!<br />
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmkvMmt-Tbk" style="background-color: #eeeeee;" target="_blank">AMGEN Tour of California Stage 8 - Last Kilomters HD</a></span><br />
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<br />riderturbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502602737860439948noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167162131760386323.post-23340934285112926582014-05-10T14:23:00.001+01:002014-05-10T14:23:37.884+01:00Felice Gimondi 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Big weekend for the Ranch going back to Italy to ride the hills on the outskirts of Bergamo. 4 riders, The Show, Eze, The Wolf and Cah Li, arrived for the weekend's challenge. We could go through the details of VAMs, power outputs and the rest of the noise that we usually go on about.... These weekends have become more about an escape from city living and the noise and the nonsense that comes with it.... I wish I had more fotos to upload and more weekends like this past one with the boys. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167162131760386323.post-49746246840486394612013-08-31T17:40:00.000+01:002013-08-31T18:29:19.335+01:00Biting It<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Saturday, August 31. Morning training ride. Martigny climb to Col des Planches. Steep ramps. A manly climb. In the background, Rider Sharkbite gassing it. Oblivious to anything behind him.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the foreground, some Bradley guy. Out of the saddle, working hard to reel in the 'Bite.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ranch Respect!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the way, when he passed me, I had no idea what hit me. He smoked me. Said "Good morning" as he passed. I had no idea there was anyone coming, no idea who it was, and was stunned in incomprehension for 3 solid seconds that some guy had come by me that quick in a section that steep. "Nice speed" I forced out of my lungs, at the wheel pulling away in front of me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am pretty good up a climb. But that man is truly faaaaaast.</span>Rider SharkBitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00986275367319940342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167162131760386323.post-86733409626511746172013-08-13T20:49:00.000+01:002013-08-14T07:05:52.547+01:00The wanna be pro.......At the end of July RiderZinni joined a fantastic ProAM event in the Alps called "<a href="http://www.troisetapes.org/#all">The Trois Etapes</a>".. The "wannabe pro" is getting a bit of publicity these days check it out <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/active/recreational-cycling/10215130/Trois-Etapes-2013-two-worlds-collide-in-the-high-Alps.html">here</a>...<br />
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The good thing is that RiderZinni did it for Charity and managed to raise more than GBP 10,000 for<a href="http://www.empowerweb.org/"> EMPower UK.</a> The <a href="http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=VincenzoZinni1">fundraising site is here</a> in case you want to chip in more money :-) If you want more fun you can watch this <a href="http://vimeo.com/m/71204756">video</a> as well ... Vive le Ranch, which got me into cycling few years ago... So this post is a little "thank you" to all the lunatics in the Ranch..<br />
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<br />riderzinnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03198136060616922857noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167162131760386323.post-68577710708546413122013-07-09T23:36:00.001+01:002013-07-09T23:36:28.115+01:00Rocky Mountain High<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WL-0XYdMF0M/UcIR5FudY0I/AAAAAAAABxU/AdiBa9J_lAk/s1600/RTRlogo2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WL-0XYdMF0M/UcIR5FudY0I/AAAAAAAABxU/AdiBa9J_lAk/s200/RTRlogo2013.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a> As July passes, fine weather prevails, sunny days smile, and summer challenges abound. This is prime cycling season. On June 9-15, 2013, Riderturbo and Ridermama made their second annual pilgrimage back to their native State of Colorado with family in tow for Ride the Rockies. This 500+ mile tour with over 2000 riders every year traverses the finest alpine road cycling routes through the Colorado Rocky Mountains over seven days riding.<br />
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Home state to Rider Turbo, Mama and Lone Wolf, whose youthful roots lay in Boulder, Snowmass and Aspen, respectively, the tour is not only beautiful and challenging, but also nostalgic in that it provides the snow-capped mountains, evergreen trees and high-altitude landscape that we grew up with in this part of the world.<br />
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The tour itself consisted of 7 consecutive stages, each day averaging 73 miles over several 9000-10,000ft mountain passes including <span style="color: #eeeeee;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lizard_Head_Pass" target="_blank"><span style="color: #eeeeee;">Lizard Head</span></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf_Creek_Pass" target="_blank"><span style="color: #eeeeee;">Wolf Creek</span></a></span>, Hesperus Hill and Poncha Pass. Because of unexpected wilderness fires closing the route in the Royal Gorge area, the 6th stage was redirected from Salida to Canon City over 9000+ ft <span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="color: #eeeeee;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardscrabble_Pass" target="_blank"><span style="color: #eeeeee;">Hardscrabble Pass</span></a> </span>with and additional 33 miles added in distance. This brought the total route to 545 miles with four consecutive 84+ mile days averaging 78 miles per day with 22,000+ vertical feet of total climbing, all comprising the longest Ride the Rockies route ever recorded in the event's 28 year history. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZfQJYOwHdMw/UcIRbIpoSLI/AAAAAAAABxM/PmKlMrbeaQY/s1600/RidetheRockies_map13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZfQJYOwHdMw/UcIRbIpoSLI/AAAAAAAABxM/PmKlMrbeaQY/s640/RidetheRockies_map13.jpg" width="640" /></a>Flying the Ranch Aircraft into beautiful Telluride on the first day, Turbo and Mama met up with the grandparents who shuttled the 5 year old RiderZoe and 2 year old RiderSasha during the first three days from start to finish line. <br />
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Turbo and Mama pulled out the old pair of durable aluminum <a href="http://www.trifuel.com/product/11987/overview#.UcNwkbjn8bx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><b>Cervelo Soloist</b></span><b><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">s</span></b></a> from grandpa's garage in Colorado -- a la Eazy-E -- not the lightest steeds in the peloton, but dutifully equipped with triple cranks and wide-ratio cassettes equally suited to big pass climbs, fast descents, and pace line flats over this state-side version of the layman's "Grand Tour."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_rrfEieVo6Q/UcMiK4yw1ZI/AAAAAAAABx0/5Cz7IrvZBT0/s1600/806151204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_rrfEieVo6Q/UcMiK4yw1ZI/AAAAAAAABx0/5Cz7IrvZBT0/s400/806151204.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Wolf Creek Pass</b></td></tr>
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The daily schedule felt like a professional team: up at 6am to suit-up, grease-up, pack-up, prepare equipment and mix nutrition, followed by 7am family breakfast , 8am ride start, and the finish time between 12-2pm. After this, an ice smoothie recovery shake, professional leg massage, fun visit, playful swim and tasty dinner with the kids and grandparents before retiring for bed about 8pm only to do it all over again the next day, seven times in a row. That's what Ranchers call a vacation.<br />
<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">2013 Route Summary:</span></strong><br />
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June 8 — Telluride – Registration<br />
<a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/fullscreen/166394022/" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #ce0f42; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">June 9</a> — Telluride to Cortez | 75 miles | Lizard Head Pass – 10,222 ft.<br />
<a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/fullscreen/166397328/" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #ce0f42; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">June 10</a> — Cortez to Durango | 64 miles<br />
<a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/fullscreen/166406364/" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #ce0f42; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">June 11</a> — Durango to Pagosa Springs | 86 miles<br />
<a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/fullscreen/166410944/" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #ce0f42; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">June 12</a> — Pagosa Springs to Alamosa | 91 miles | Wolf Creek Pass – 10,850 ft.<br />
<a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/fullscreen/166413776/" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #ce0f42; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">June 13</a> — Alamosa to Salida | 84 miles | Poncha Pass – 9,019 ft.<br />
<a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/fullscreen/167997326/" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #ce0f42; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">June 14</a> — Salida to Cañon City | 67 miles | Royal Gorge Bridge Park rerouted over Hardscrabble Pass -- 9,085 ft total 93.5 miles<br />
<a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/fullscreen/167999678/" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #ce0f42; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">June 15</a> — Cañon City to Colorado Springs | 46 miles<span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></div>
One notable activity for the kids were nightly hotel hallway wind sprints that kept fellow hotel guests and bystanders wondering who those rowdy "Ranch" kids were.<br />
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Beyond that, grandparents shuttled the kids by car each day and entertained them with mountain hikes, nature walks, gondola rides, visits to the fish hatchery, local parks, horseback rides and dining establishments en route to the next stop, typically about 1-2 hours each day in the car. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Hardscrabble Pass --- matching S.U.R.M Jerseys harkening days of the 230km Schwarzwald Ultraradmaraton, in Alpirsbach Germany 2005...the hardest ride we've ever done</b></td></tr>
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Another vital component to mention was the nutrition strategy -- the newly discovered key to success in ultra-distance and multi-day events as deployed, tested and vetted by Turbo and Mama. Here, the Team adopted the vaunted and frequently misunderstood "all liquid" nutrition protocol following guidelines spelled out in the <a href="http://www.hammernutrition.com/downloads/fuelinghandbook.pdf" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Hammer Fueling Handbook</span></b></a>. The protocol is based on three pillars: hydration, calories and electrolytes. At odds with the majority of riders, Turbo and Mama fueled according to formula using precise amounts of water, "liquid food" and electrolyte supplments. First a normal breakfast of waffles/oatmeal, eggs, fruit and coffee was enjoyed each day with a 30-45min time lapse prior to ride start. For hydration, the first hour of riding was accompanied by only one bottle of pure water 500-750ml each, allowing time for breakfast to digest. Subsequent to the first hour of riding, for the second hour and each hour following, one bottle of water was consumed per rider per hour. On the second and each subsequent hour of the ride, Turbo and Mama also each consumed 1/3 of a calibrated three-hour feed bottle of <a href="http://www.hammernutrition.com/products/perpetuem.pp.html?navcat=fuels-energy-drinks" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><b>Hammer Perpetuem</b></span></a> providing Mama with 200 calories per hour and Turbo 225 calories per hour long-chained complex carbohydrate with a carb-to-protein ratio of 7.5:1. Three-hour feed bottles were remixed after the 4th hour of the ride using Perpetuem carried in the Ziplock bag of Turbo's riding Jersey. For electrolytes, the pair consumed one <a href="http://www.hammernutrition.com/products/endurolytes.elt.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #eeeeee;"><b>Hammer Endurolyte</b></span></a><b> </b>capsule per hour proportional to water intake for Turbo and one per 1.5 hours for Mama to preclude hyponatremia and the dreaded "long ride" cramping and muscle lock-up. At the end of each day, a crushed ice fruit protein smoothie for body core temperature cooling and glycogen recovery was consumed within 10 minutes of the finish line followed by a vigorous professional leg massage to flush lactic acid buildup. The strategy worked flawlessly producing abundant energy, zero bonking, zero cramping, zero bloating, zero G.I. distress, near-perfect recovery, amazing energy reserves and tremendous stamina each day of the ride. After accumulating a 1500-2000 calorie deficit each day on the ride, the team indulged in a massive 1000-2000 calorie dinner each night, giving an adequate 10-12 hours to refuel overnight, clear digestion and following a 4 to 5 am water-chug each night, void all excess waste and weight on the toilet early morning prior to riding the next day. It took us ten years to figure it out, but if you put the right amount and right mix of fuel into the furnace, it burns clean and pure on these long rides. <br />
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Until next year, when we hope to do it again with more Ranchers who join! </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oKxn6-4K230/UcMiMQehmXI/AAAAAAAAByE/gejps9fbgS4/s1600/806156504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oKxn6-4K230/UcMiMQehmXI/AAAAAAAAByE/gejps9fbgS4/s640/806156504.jpg" width="423" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Finish Line -- 545 miles in the history books. Go Ranch!</b> </td></tr>
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riderturbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502602737860439948noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167162131760386323.post-16383598528147656582013-06-07T23:22:00.000+01:002017-07-12T20:42:57.445+01:00Vent Violent.....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warning Signs on the Motorway<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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What a day. When we were about to land in Marseilles on Friday I realized that the weekend was going to be windy. The aircraft was all over the shop while we were approaching the airport. We drove to "Baumes de Venise" (the starting point) and the wind got worse. The race is only tomorrow, I'm sure the wind will come down; that's what we thought.</div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br />Saturday morning Rider NoShow, Rider CahLi and Rider Zinni rode to the start point (5km from the hotel) and we had the wind in our favour, so it was great. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Before the start the organiser said in French and English: "Be careful on the last three km of the climb as it's a bit windy", carefully forgetting to define the speed of the wind and few more details.<br /><br /><br />We start the race, good pace, wind all over the directions, so the first 20km are fine. Wind high (30/50km/h) but manageable. I hear few times the same thing like: Putain, le vent est terrible; but we keep going.<br /><br />We arrived in Malaucene, one of the three approach to Ventoux. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Climb<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">This is where the 21km climb starts. The wind picks up again, but there are trees protecting you. So I keep thinking, this is ok, the climb is fine, manageable a bit windy but ok. We ride, we climb and slowly reach 10km sign to the summit. The gradients start getting higher, but it' ok. We can do this! I think...</span> </div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Then we get to minus 7km to the summit. I am getting colder and I start thinking: "I should have had used my leg warmers and my proper gloves, never mind", and I keep climbing. I see riders riding back on the other side of the road and I think, what a loser, why are you giving up? CahLi says the same.</span> </div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I get to minus 5 km to the summit, I can feel that I am getting slower, and I am running out of water. My legs are heavy... The feed station is only 1km to go. I can see CahLi and No Show in front of me. I reached the feed station and I am feeling cold. CahLi shouts: "get some water and let's go as it's getting colder here". I fill up the bidon and I quickly start pedaling.</span> </div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We are at minus 2km from the summit now. It's very cold, my fingers are frozen and we still need to climb another 250 meters to reach the summit. We keep pedaling. Suddenly you cannot see anything anymore. We are pedaling in the sky, among clouds, the wind pick us again, there are no trees to protect you, you are in the open space.</span> </div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">This is where the odyssey starts. I can see an hairpin in front of us that turns left (we later realized that was the last hairpin to the summit), I can see my Garmin and I realize that I must be close to the top. While checking my Garmin and going thru the hairpin a gust of wind hits me and few other riders. It was insane, I would guess more than 100 km/h.</span> </div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">My bike shakes, I shake, I can barely hold my handlebar because of my frozen hands. I try to stay on my bike but the wind is too strong. I came off and walked for 20/30 meters, I got on my bike again and start pedaling but I see everyone turning back. "Putain, le col c'est ferme'". I keep going up. Once I get to the top I see No Show who tells me to turn back as it's impossible to go over the col and we will not be allowed to cross the Col. A motorbike is on the floor. It looked like a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPwAIo0fseM">War Zone!</a></span> </div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We turn back and ride to the Cafe' near the food station or 4km from the summit and we see Zeke.<br />Zeke looks at me and says, what's wrong with you? You look really bad. Go Inside!! I am seriously cold and start shivering. I get an hot chocolate and I can barely hold my cup. I get another hot drink, but again I find very hard to hold the cup. We slowly get warmer and decide to go back to the start line, 35 km away.<br /><br />It was a great experience, scary at times but we were all glad we climbed the Ventoux. We were annoyed not been able to go over the Col but it was not safe.<br /><br />A Ranch weekend cannot be complete without a proper dinner. Rider No Show was in charge of this and we had an amazing dinner. We talked crap over dinner, as usual.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's how the summit looked like at 6 PM in the evening<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Vive le Ranch. </span></div>
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riderzinnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03198136060616922857noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167162131760386323.post-23175945712616458022013-05-07T10:05:00.001+01:002017-07-12T20:43:48.038+01:00Varsity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So Cah Li and NoShow in preparation for their upcoming ride over the Mt Ventoux decided to take a flight to Nice and stay with our old friend Willem Bonestroo the owner of Les Deux Freres in the charming medieval village of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qCKm0Y0ohSo/UYivcYb8UbI/AAAAAAAAAc4/SIOhjuUeVsM/s1600/ldf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" mwa="true" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qCKm0Y0ohSo/UYivcYb8UbI/AAAAAAAAAc4/SIOhjuUeVsM/s320/ldf.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
We began the weekend by CahLi picking up NoShow and Alix from the Nice airport and zooming up to La Turbie for a nice meal coupled with a glass or too many of rosé at Cafe de la Fontaine.<br />
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And after a snooze we were up early and having breakfast and made it on the road by 9:30am for our 100k loop into the mountains behind Nice. The idea was to try out some other Cols we had heard about and hadn't ridden yet so Noshow had planned a 4 cols smorgasborg with the first 60k going up and most of the rest coming down.<br />
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So off we went all happy and loaded up with water and energy bars. Little did we know what we were in for. The first couple hours was ok - mostly uphill but the pitch wasn't horrible and we were fresh. Col de At the top of Col de Braus there was a small cafe we stopped at to refresh water bottles and grab an iced tea. We shared it with these fellas....<br />
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Then we continued up into a thinning tree line on D54 a very lightly used old road which brought us eventually back out onto D2566 which we would follow up to the top of Col de Turini and then decend for 30 km toward Sospel.<br />
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On the way down we zoomed through one village (Moulinet) with a 12th century chapel (Notre dame de la Menour) just outside of town - quite picturesque with a stunning waterfall across the valley droppping off the top of a cliff into the air...<br />
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After this we coast into Sospel only to realize that we have just one more feat to accomplish. Completely exhausted we have to get back over the col de Castillon before we can decend back into Menton and get something to eat.<br />
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And eventually we end up back in town after a 5 hour loop and munched a much needed panini and sparkling water. The only part left was the final few kilometers climb back up out of Menton and to the hotel but we took it easy with CahLi pulling Noshow all the way back so he didn't fall off his bike from the gravitational pull. And so, after a nice dip in the Med Sea to pick up Alix who had dozed in the sun for hours only to wake up and realize her sunscreen hadn't been as effective as hoped for, we took a small nap and shared a wonderful meal overlooking the Sea.<br />
Sunday morning - we needed a refresher so after a light breakfast CahLi and Show went out for a 40k loop with the star being the climb to La Turbie from the steep side and then on to the backside of Madone for a u-turn and a race back down the mountain.<br />
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A wonderful way to have a morning and back at the hotel by 11am to shower up and head off for a lunch in Menton. Overall a great weekend of sport, eating and just being with good people. <br />
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When can I do it again.</div>
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RiderNOSHOWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00381036042608888623noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167162131760386323.post-14710398929560358532013-04-30T00:10:00.001+01:002013-04-30T00:52:32.143+01:00ITU San Diego 2013 - Return of Mama<br />
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<a href="http://3a1e3a558290c303ab3c-0acbf57e00c47a50e70a1acb89e86c89.r61.cf1.rackcdn.com/san-diego-logo-omegawave.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="ITU World Triathlon San Diego" border="0" src="http://3a1e3a558290c303ab3c-0acbf57e00c47a50e70a1acb89e86c89.r61.cf1.rackcdn.com/san-diego-logo-omegawave.png" /></a>Highlights from the<span style="color: #cccccc;"> <a href="http://sandiego.triathlon.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cccccc;">ITU World Triathlon in San Diego</span></a></span> on April 20, 2013. RiderMama made her debut back into racing 2 years after giving birth to RiderSasha, giving rise to the next generation of Ranch racers. <br />
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRKVVA1ce2qFLtQWXZCuY4JR0Pdp0E4OcRaraYUL9eBaThJJvPe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRKVVA1ce2qFLtQWXZCuY4JR0Pdp0E4OcRaraYUL9eBaThJJvPe" width="320" /></a><br />
RiderMama comes back in impressive form to win <a href="http://www.sportstats.ca/displayResults.xhtml?racecode=104143" target="_blank"><span style="color: #eeeeee;">11th out of 30</span></a> competitors in the women's 40 age group, Sprint Distance involving 750m open water swim, 20km bike non-drafting and 5km run. RiderTurbo posts <a href="http://www.sportstats.ca/displayResults.xhtml?racecode=104143" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cccccc;">10th out of 36</span></a> in the men's age 42, Sprint Distance. <br />
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A remarkable and first-time coincidence was the wave start with RiderTurbo beginning exactly 5 minutes behind RiderMama and eventually catching her one mile into run leg. This enabled the two to cross the finish line together in fine Ranch form on the blue carpet in front of a loud crowd cheering from the grandstands, all announced over the race loudspeaker by Tri-icon <a href="http://www.gregwelch.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Greg Welch</span> </a>and appearing on the MegaTron LCD towering overhead. <br />
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The action was followed by a lazy afternoon lunch and drinks under the pool cabana with the kids at the <span style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="http://www.thedana.com/default-en.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Dana Hotel on Mission Bay</span></a>, </span>with sushi for dinner and a fun-filled day with the family at<a href="http://california.legoland.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cccccc;"> Legoland</span> </a>on Sunday. All and all, a superb weekend opener for the 2013 summer racing season!<br />
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And here's a little video of the secretive, nordic-inspired, high-altitude winter training program pursued in the alpine backcountry of the Sierra Nevada that led to the fabulous spring results. Champions are made in the off-season.</div>
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riderturbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502602737860439948noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167162131760386323.post-4345808022695402642012-07-02T20:40:00.002+01:002012-07-02T20:40:45.393+01:00Ranch weekend Madone.<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/oS68z0_QMN4" width="420"></iframe><br />
<br />RiderNOSHOWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00381036042608888623noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167162131760386323.post-32343019459375617452012-06-18T20:29:00.000+01:002017-07-12T20:40:57.477+01:00Felice Gimondi 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167162131760386323.post-15253892772969716542012-06-18T19:55:00.000+01:002017-07-12T20:38:34.392+01:00Grandfondo Sportiful: Feltre, Italia 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167162131760386323.post-3241559667266227962012-05-29T20:54:00.000+01:002012-05-29T20:56:44.694+01:00ITU San Diego Triathlon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TmCbkaHF1fs/T7GWkDX_Y2I/AAAAAAAAAsw/-Bm_DDZnftM/s1600/web-HOTJ0930.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TmCbkaHF1fs/T7GWkDX_Y2I/AAAAAAAAAsw/-Bm_DDZnftM/s320/web-HOTJ0930.jpeg" width="214" /></a>Results posted for the 2012 ITU San Diego Triathlon, World Championship Series. Riderturbo wins 12th place out of 63 men age 40-44 category over the 750m swim / 25km bike / 5km run. Swim time 12:21, bike time 51:45, run time 26:38 in a blow up of epic proportions after overamping on the hilly non-drafting bike leg. Lovely wife and beautiful kids in the cheering section helped, followed by a pleasant afternoon at the San Diego Zoo and following morning at Sea World watching Shamu. All told, not a bad result in the timeless war of attrition: either get faster the old-fashioned way boosting wattage, dropping weight and training VO2, or simply hold your pace year after year while the competition gets older, fatter, slower and drops out, one at a time. Either way, hold on long enough and you'll eventually find yourself at the top. Go Ranch! <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KJhSQvD9kUs/T7GWkdyoCiI/AAAAAAAAAs8/cxTujlYNVGQ/s1600/web-HOTA3897.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KJhSQvD9kUs/T7GWkdyoCiI/AAAAAAAAAs8/cxTujlYNVGQ/s320/web-HOTA3897.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div>riderturbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502602737860439948noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167162131760386323.post-59584052630710382072012-04-17T21:32:00.006+01:002012-04-18T15:55:43.012+01:00ITU Triathlon - World Champ Series - May 2012Time to drop weight, cut fat and get fit for summer. Ranch West Coast with a big opener in May. Saddled up with elites in one of the last qualifiers for London Olympics 2012. Videos below. Race report to follow. Viva la Ranch! <br /><br /><object width="560" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Doshuw0WbAk?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Doshuw0WbAk?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="560" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YY8TxwpxmLQ?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YY8TxwpxmLQ?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>riderturbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502602737860439948noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167162131760386323.post-8108960003400300352012-02-22T16:09:00.008+00:002012-02-22T16:47:08.857+00:00Backyard Riding - Point Mugu State Park<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gUa-faVnO3c/T0UT3bx4GAI/AAAAAAAAAsk/LmY9pTxEPbs/s1600/photo.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 299px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711993545460029442" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gUa-faVnO3c/T0UT3bx4GAI/AAAAAAAAAsk/LmY9pTxEPbs/s400/photo.JPG" /></a> <em>The thermometer of success is merely the jealousy of the malcontents.</em> - <span style="font-size:85%;">Salvador Dali</span><br /><br />From the streets of London, Regents Park, Richmond Park and Turville, to our present-day backyard playground -- the Santa Monica Mountains -- a little photo of RiderMama and RiderTurbo in pre-season training in Point Mugu State Park, California.<br /><br />Eat that, Ranch London!<br /><a href="http://venturacountytrails.org/TrailMaps/Sycamore/AreaTrails.htm"><span style="color:#ffffff;">http://venturacountytrails.org/TrailMaps/Sycamore/AreaTrails.htm</span></a><span style="color:#ffffff;"><br /></span><br />And a little joke for the technical cognisceti among us...<br /><br /><strong>Understanding Engineers</strong><br />Two engineering students were walking across a university campus when one said, 'Where did you get such a great bike?' The second engineer replied, 'Well, I was walking along yesterday, minding my own business, when a beautiful woman rode up on this bike, threw it to the ground, took off all her clothes and said, 'Take what you want.' The second engineer nodded approvingly and said, 'Good choice; the clothes probably wouldn't have fitted you anyway.'riderturbohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502602737860439948noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167162131760386323.post-54927029773453456682012-02-12T08:46:00.009+00:002017-07-12T20:42:31.542+01:00Machine Upgrade<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167162131760386323.post-43192395383046391052012-01-28T15:43:00.000+00:002012-01-28T15:43:48.560+00:00musings of "quality"Having been on the road for three weeks with about 30,000 miles to speak for - i found myself with the ever diminishing asset "time" suddenly in big supply. This was especially so with the various changes in time zones resulting in 3 am ceiling stares and planes who continually pander to i'm not sure who - stocking their movie selections with pap like hangover 2, the transformers, or bad teacher. However, one movie that i did manage to see though was "margin call" which given what most of us at the ranch do for living was cause for uncomfortable reflection and began the musings which this blog plays heed to.
Ever more quizzical eyes focus on banker compensation these days which when coupled with the new capital adequacy measures which make for less levered banks, which make for less return on equity, and ultimately less dough to go around this time of year. This is not unexpected nor necessarily wrong - rather as we need live in the present - its just reality. "Occupy" has changed the conversation at least for now, and Wall Street needs to answer for its part in driving the gulf between itself and main street. I hope we are all enlightened enough to say that someone needed to find the dimmer switch under which we partied the night away - and shine a brighter light on the ugliness greed and entitlement brings.
While living in the present is all well and good - this does not mean we can't ponder the future and gently daydream of other alternatives to "I'm never at home" jobs. Reflecting on a great line from my father - one should never confuse that which is familiar from that which is best for you. Unfortunately to get to the "best for you" part - it necessarily implies a critical amount of introspection which may happen for the 3 minutes one is under the shower each day - but beyond that we really just whizz by with life. That is of course until one day we happen upon another reality which makes us say "hey wait a minute" maybe i got this all wrong. As one begins to field more panicked calls from disgruntled bankers, troubled friends, and young markets people that look up with that "what just happened coach" gaze - the critical thinking becomes ever more acute. What pushes an old fuzzy thinker like myself to take that more than pregnant pause is when you see what is possible when a good friend and rancher breaks away and stays true to goals which start with "whats best for my family" "whats best for my health" and "whats best over the long haul" haul being a path to grow old gracefully with control over time and relevance. The rancher who propelled me into this "hmmmm" moment is our pal rider turbo.
As this is a cycling blog i will hereby dispense with the "emotional intelligence" prelude and dive into guts of my 3.5 hours with turbo in the hills of santa monica which has forced pen to paper.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is the map of turbos backyard - all the place names; "Malibu", "Pacific Coast Highway", "Encina", are familiar to us as we have been force fed LA geography through hollywood and mass market TV. But what never comes out is just how perfect the setting truly is. As i pulled into turbo's driveway at 10:30 am i remember him nattering about just what an ideal ride is out his back porch. At the ranch we have played witness to lots of "best of" boasts as far as rides go so of course I'm going to take any claim to "ideal" with a pinch of salt. Nevertheless, living in Asia with my loop being a 30 minute smog choked - not that interesting - traffic dodger - i was pumped for views that didn't involve lots of tall buildings. Turbo being the attention to detail rider we all know - had pristine ranch kit kept only for race days or in this case visiting VIP's - laid out for me with a base layer and my shoes being my only contribution. He had saddled up an older but wonderfully kept cervelo frame, matched my in step measurements to saddle height, prepared the pedals for my look keo cleats, and had two filled water bottles mounted. Tossing an energy gel at me he said today we will bag the "double decker" - which is an out and back ride over the two summits which comprise decker canyon.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We set out under a 22 degree late morning sun, no wind, no traffic, and came to the base of the first climb within five minutes of his home. Beginning gently the climb kicks up to somewhere around 12 percent in places and spinning consistently we crested the top after about 35 minutes. The ride then bobs along the top of the canyon for about 15 minutes then descends with wide open views of the pacific ocean on one side and the santa moncia and malibu parklands on the other. Ranches of various description line the route and traffic was limited to a car or two every ten minutes.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The first descent spills onto the pacific coast highway which you pedal on for about 500 meters veering off eventually onto an immediately steep ascent - which is the start of the second climb - or as turbo calls it - decker two. This climb felt a little more challenging and took us 45 minutes to gain the summit. Again little traffic was seen aside from the solo guy who passed us at pace. We danced along the ridge line and ultimately came to the same road we had been on earlier. The descent was painless although the writer of this post was holding up the show with a more tentative line than the aptly named turbo, and we pulled into case turbo 20 minutes later.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The ride ended all too soon as i had to shower and make hay for a late afternoon flight to san francisco. My cab was waiting and again, timed to perfection as i checked in on the bell.
Coming back to the musings part - turbo has found the most remarkable of quality of life gigs a man could hope for. The thing was he didn't hope - he actualized - as too often we dream about a better situation - which is nothing more for 98 per cent of us than idle fantasy. Great family with him and a wife who not only he has to chase after or up these california climbs, but who is helping people everyday as a oncologist in one of the best hospitals in the country - he seems he has sacrificed little in his choices. True not all of us can run 600mln of hedge fund assets from CA, but we can sure try to plan on doing something productive, in a healthier, and more affordable situation - which doesn't start or end with a financial capital of the world. To borrow Easy E's line - that kid is winning - to me i think he has won .riderpittshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03494034078896265495noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167162131760386323.post-64396812389669843832011-12-09T12:36:00.001+00:002011-12-25T13:58:53.603+00:00nepal ultra 250 - the pitts's story<strike></strike <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Racing the planet does 4 desert races each year: antartica, gobi, atacama, and the sahara. In addition there is one roving race - in 2011 the choice for the 5th was Nepal. The 6 days consist of a marathon a day with 2 on the 5th day. In sum the total vertical is just under 10k meters with most of the up and down found on stones cut into the side of the mountains. This makes for dangerous going early in the morning as the dew pools atop the rocks making the surface worse than a saskatchewan skating rink - in addition the spacing can be deep making for extreme pressure on unprepared knees. I played witness to an unfortunate flat lander who despite his ironman tattoo, rolled off the course in front of me holding a snapped i.t. band. The race is entirely self supported which means you must pack your own food (one must prove 2k calories per day), sleeping stuff, and whatever else you consider important to surviving, what is provided by racing the planet is water (every 10k) and tents.
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Nepal, while being undeniably beautiful, is also in the sub tropics and as such - is the perfect place for baddy germs or bits of disease fueled vermin. The mountains are dotted with villages and no matter how remote you think you are, the familiar waft of open sewage comes trickling by throwing ones senses back to the dark congested ally ways of Delhi. Nepal, my old doctor friend Calvin warned before i left, is the dirties cesspool on earth - disinfect at every opportunity. So i did.
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Emphasis is on keeping ones pack as light as possible - one would be amazed at the number of blogs, chatrooms and the like devoted to ultra light backcountry gear. My 32 liter osprey weighted in at all of 8.2 kilos. Simone opted for a few comforts (wool booties for sub zero nights, a camera, and slightly more food as she planned to be on her feet more than me). The key to getting through the race which averages a 50% drop out is somewhat whats in your engine - but more - how your skeleton holds up (knees, turned ankles, blisters, backs). The unforeseen knock out punch in Nepal was a gastro-intestinal bug that ripped through camp putting 50% of the participants in a 24 hour tizzy of vomitting - soupy runs - and shivers. Remember, that all this sickness comes at a time where you are racing to meet cut off times and spend as little time on your feet as possible given that blisters are what keep most athletes from continuing.
An example of one of my more admired pieces of equipment is "my feathered friend" sleeping bag coming in at under one pound and good until -3c, which i buttressed with a silk liner giving me an additional 5 degrees. I ordered this bag from Seattle as it has an almost cult like following amongst the climbing community - the guy whom i spoke with over the phone lectured me for 30 minutes on my gear choices - love that guy and love that store.
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Simone and I agreed to both go at our separate pace - however the second day she woke up doubled over with the bug so my job was squarely and uniquely to get her over the line. Despite her friends telling her that it wasn't worth the effort given she had 2,800 meters of climbing ahead of her in +32 weather - she put her head down and plowed ahead. This made for a challenging marital dynamic: remembering its my wife that was near death so compassion need be demonstrated - yet coming to grips with the AAA nature of a competitive middle aged canadian beast i obviously didn't want my race to come an abrupt end, sick wife or no sick wife - thus the delicate balance began. Pausing after the first hour to projectile vomit which funneled out on a 5 foot arc, it was obvious the day was going to be eventful. The puke pauses became our hourly ritual until later in the afternoon when, the odd bit of bile aside, the condition degenerated into dry heaves that would scare any freshman at chico state. She keep her calories up by licking GU gels and nibbling at lance's own honey waffle stingers. After crossing a 200m swinging bridge over the most striking deep gurgling gorge - the end of the day was in sight and she trotted into camp with 30 minutes to spare. Our tent mates, and other friends ripped her pack off - got her mat and sleeping bag set up, and warmed some beef broth with dried noodles which she had thoughtfully brought as a one day alternative to dehydrated expedition food. By 6:15 she was snoring away with a double imodium dose - waking up 12 hours later feeling somewhat fresh and ready to race. God bless my wife - so strong. Below is a shot of her at the start of our day together - i love the way the picture oozes pale pain.
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The week really pivoted on the 85km day. Containing 3,500 meters of up and down - its estimated that one will burn 15-17k calories. For a posterity, a picture of our "game faces" morning of the biggie.
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I paced the day with a pal of mine Ali who was on his 3rd ultra so he knew what to expect and we worked together entering camp around 11 at night after our 7 am start. Very much a consistent slog with us running the flats and the downs until night hit where we marched at about 5km per hour under headlight. Never having put that much strain on my legs before - getting to sleep despite being bushed - was a challenge as my quads wouldn't stop quivering and i felt real water retention on my left shin which wasn't as achey as it was pulsing a heavy gooey sensation. Simone came in with her crew in just about 24 hours to the minute. Incredibly her laughing as she came across the line was what woke me up - and all smiles - blister free - she silently downloaded and slept until late morning.
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The final day was an easy flat 16k run back into Pokhara - where pizza and beer were waiting for us - pictures were snapped, people hugged and most felt a certain sense of achievement - and i just sat - content but without the tingle that i used to get racing the bike - i would describe the feeling as a nice warm thud. Would i do a race like this again - absolutely. No question if i don't have a race to train for, a well articulated goal with a tangible chance of failure to scare - i lack the intensity and drive to maintain what i consider an acceptable level of condition which ultimately insulates us all from growing old where it matters most - in the mind. The happy clear minded couple um ziel.
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riderpittshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03494034078896265495noreply@blogger.com6