I am in SFO (San Francisco for the non-frequent flier crowd) and it was Planes, Trains and Automobiles to get here.
The good news was as much as I fly I got upgraded and that meant free movies, breakfast and all you can drink Diet Cokes. They even had power in the seats now without a converter – very cool.
So – I am out west for work for 2 weeks and a few surgical conferences and I knew this trip would have some downtime on the weekends so I brought my bike.
Thanks to Paulie Fitness for the bike case that doesn’t really look like a bike case I got through check in without the $175 surcharge – BIG BONUS.
TSA decided to make sure that bike was not a national security threat – and as usual the curious georges did their inspection and less than perfect repacking job. I saved $175 on the baggage but TSA cost me $60 for a new derailer hanger and barrel adjuster – I can’t imagine how hard they jump on the case to get the metal to bend but they did.
I goggled shops near my hotel and I found Pacific Bikes on 4th street. These guys TOTALLY HOOKED me up. I brought in my broken ride and in a few hours it was not only fixed but tuned and the damage with a few CO2’s on the bill $60.00 – too cool – thanks guys!!!
In the interim between having a complete hissy fit at my ride being trashed and getting it fixed I needed to get my mellow on and went for one of my favorite runs in the world.
It runs from Market street to Embarcadero to fisherman’s wharf (listen to the seals barking) and around the corner and over the hill to the Marina. I dig this run as I have done it SO many times in my life and they are years apart. It is really cool to reflect on the different stages of my life when I ran here. Passing the Aquatic park I am always amazed to see some idiots in the water swimming laps around the course with no wetsuits…REALLY. It’s cold out and the water is frigid and these guys (and a woman this time) just always seem to be there.
Stopping at the Marina I got to look out at Alcatraz and that was awesome.
The Escape from Alcatraz will remain as one of my TOP races I have ever done as it is just that cool.
I started back and even picked up the pace enough to feel like a runner again and finished my 15K in 1:20 – a few minutes off my River run effort :)
There are certain places that I dig running in and this city is one of them.
I dig it so much I ran again today and finished the big loop – starting at the Marina and heading up to the Golden Gate and over the hill to beach and back. I like to ice my legs after running and cycling and I forgot my Recover Gear so I opted for the all natural alternative.
It was NOT as nice but still such a cool moment I went back to the car for my camera.
I think Newton should start a picture program where they have their shoes featured all over the world – it would be a cool collage – here are my entries…
I know…I am shameless and I will definitely send this in to them and ask from some swag :)
Speaking of running – I saw a cool link on Matt Fitzgeralds post – check out http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm
Other random coolness:
C-Bone’s B-Ball Team is undefeated (ok – they don’t keep score but he is STILL undefeated)!!!
I dig the logo T’s on 5 year olds :)
Speaking of 5 year olds – Tim Houston gets his running leg on February 3rd – BIG PROPS to Challenged Athlete Foundation – I will be raising money for them again at St. Anthony’s – they do good work. The link below is from the original story.
http://www.beachesleader.com/articles/2008/12/24/beaches_leader/news/doc4951be42773e4651517371.txt
Also - this is from B. Hart – this is NUTZ!!!
wingsuit base jumping from Ali on Vimeo.
That’s all for this entry – off to dinner with a client and then back at work tomorrow.
With some luck I plan on riding in the Headlands tomorrow afternoon doing the Brett Snyder favorite route…it ain’t flat :)
I can feel my knees asking for the icy bay already :)
Speaking of not flat – below is a guest post from Freddie B…I hope you enjoy it – Rich and I laughed our a$$es off :)
This is totally for your amusement..........and it's all true. I had to share this with someone and you're one of the few people I know who will "Get It" and appreciate it for what it is.
So the other day I'm reading your blog and you mentioned something about riding Alpe d'huez. So I'm thinking that would be cool, I gotta give that a try.
So I download the course, load er up, fire up the computrainer and let the games begin.
Keep in mind, I've got the your time for the ride in the back of my head (close to 59 minutes). Now I fully realize that there's "No Way" I'm doing a 59 but I'd like to think I could do a reasonable time. See back in the good ole days, dudes would just plop em on a table and see who's is bigger, that settled most things between guys. Now we've got things like Watts, Watts per kilo, Heart Rate, total time, how many puke buckets we filled, sweat puddles etc etc. Sorry I digress, back to my story.
So away I go...the first 6 miles are a breeze, just flat, keeping my heart rate in zone 1-2, able to talk, watch TV, just enjoying my time. I know the hill is coming, but i'm looking forward to "Bustin a Move for 21 switchbacks. I'm watching the clock tick by and start to calculate my potential finish time.
Then the 6.01 mile mark goes by and we go from 0% grade to 7.9%. OK, I can deal, I've paid for all of my gears, might as well use them. The first few minutes are hard but doable. the legs needed to make the switch from 90 rpm to 60 rpm. Then we jump to 10.5% grade.....this is not good.....out of the saddle time. Heart Rate jumps to 175, (High Zone 3, pushing Zone 4) What seemed like miles going by we're only tenths of a mile going by. I'm starting to smell burnt rubber, and I am working my A$$ off. I sweat thru the first towel. Now the mind games. I'm only 1.5 miles into the hilly part and I'm trying to justify only riding 2 miles on the hills today and doing the other 6 miles another day. Who's going to know. Then I think back to the blog and those dark places your mind takes you (damn you Billy Hart) and I keep on, keeping on.
By this time I'm doing the math.....6 miles per hour, 6 more miles SH!T, that puts me at 1:30 for the entire course. How the HELL did Burke do this in 59? (editor – I actually rode JUST the climb – not the flats – Freddie did 5 miles more – to me that makes it even funnier :))
Anyway, I've still got 3 more miles and I'm praying for the grade to drop to 7% from 12.2%. How sick is that, I want the grade to only be 7% just to give my quads a break. By now I have seen my heart rate max out at 193 - not time to call 911 but getting close. I know I'm still watching TV, but I couldn't tell you whats on. I'm just focused on getting up this freakin hill.
2.5 miles to go, which at this rate is 20 minutes or so, I'm almost spent and I need a quick fix: some type of gel, which of course, I don't have. there's no way I'm getting off the bike becase I'd never get back on. So I pick up the phone and call Nikki's cell (she's in the other room) I barley sqeek out: Water....Gel....quick. She got the message and came armed with fuel. I down the gel, swigged back some H2O and began the final push
I'm watching my ave speed drop like a stone, my heart rate ave rise to new levels and cursing the day I ever bought this damn computraner.
Well, I'm glad to report I did finish. 1:28 and change.
Hopefully this is one of those training sessions that I remember when times get tough during IMFLA. I'll know I've banked some harder miles.
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