ChrisCowan.us

I decided to take three days off this week (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) to get a much needed break from work and spend some quality time with the family. It worked out to be a pretty brilliant plan considering I only have to work 2 out of 10 days (last Monday and Friday). The other cool part is the office closes at 3 pm Friday so I 'm not even working a full 2 days... BONUS! So what did we do with our summer vacation? Tuesday I watched the girls all day so Amanda could go to the spa and get some much needed alone time. It also happened to be her birthday so that ended up being my gift to her. In order to keep everyone occupied and happy I decided to tow the girls in the Burley to Cuesta Park in Mountain View. Tough Ride! On Wednesday we had already decided to take the girls to the Monterey Bay Aquarium for the day. Which went smoother then I had expected. No real outburst... no embarrassing bickering between Amanda and me, just happiness and bliss. On Thursday I had decided I wanted to try and kill two birds with one stone by riding to Pescadero and meeting up with Amanda and the girls for a day at the beach. My master plan was to do a MEGA mixed terrain ride where 50% of the ride would be on dirt. What I didn't factor into the plan was that Thursday was fucking HOT. Okay I know most of my readership consist of people who live in Arizona but really it was FUCKING HOT for NorCal. In my excellent planning I had only made two bottles of water and one energy shake (Hammer Perpetium). My plan was to ride through as many parks and preserves as possible on the way to the beach. I had gotten off to a late start by my standards (8 am) and it was already so hot that I didn't need any leg or arm warmers. That should have been my first sign that I didn't bring enough water for my trip.  I headed out on my normal route towards the first preserve. On the way out I almost felt sorry for all the suckers who where commuting to work that morning. After miles and miles or riding with traffic I arrived at Arastradero Preserve Arastradero is not number one on my choices of places to ride singletrack but it's a nice escape from the traffic. After riding through the preserve it was time to get back on the tarmac I made my way towards Alpine to start my ascent... This sign was some what encouraging considering I was taking Alpine Rd. all the way to Skyline. It's been a while since I've climbed up Alpine Rd. I forgot how deserted it was. I finally got to the end of the paved portion of Alpine Rd. Now for some more of that mixed terrain... By the time I got to the top or what I thought was the top I was spent and almost out of water. Even though I was on the verge of death I kept pushing forward on my quest to the ocean. Here is a shot of Russian Ridge. and here is exactly where I ran out of water. I descended West Alpine Rd. as quickly as I could with out killing myself My original plan was to go through Portola Redwood State Park and refill my bottles there then ride Old Haul Rd. (fire road) but in my dehydrated stuiper I missed my turn and had to ride to La Honda to refill at the general store. He is a picture of me looking stupid from the dehydration. After downing a bottle of water and getting everything topped off I headed towards Pescadero. Here is a quaint little farm just out side of town with some goats in the field. I'm not sure why I took this photo, maybe I was still stupid from the lack of water. Once I got to Pescadero, I grabbed a nectarine, Life Water and the last chocolate croissant. When i ride I have a tendency to focus on food for the last 10 miles to get me through to the end. Lately I've been craving chocolate croissants. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of the food but here is a nice shot of the picnic tables behind The Country Bakery. Once I finished refueling I decided to go scope out the beach while I waited for Amanda and the kids to arrive. I thought this sign was fitting... artsy huh? Too bad my camera had a huge smudge in the corner of the lens. Once Amanda got to town she called me frustrated because she got lost and Cate got car sick. It also didn't help that we didn't make any actual plans to meet some where. Once I found them (Pescadero is really small) I was hit by the smell of Cate's vomit all over the backseat of the Prius. YUK! luckily there was a hose out back behind the bakery where we were getting our lunch so I could clean everyone up and try and save our day at the beach. After all the vomit, car sickness, dehydration and shotty directions form Google Maps, we finally made it to the Beach. Here is the family enjoying the beach... an almost perfect day. Ride Stats:

• Distance: 48.8 miles
• Altitude: +4735 ft / -4704 ft
• Calories Burned: 5053
• Total Time: 05:05'40
• Moving Time: 04:02'13
• View the full stats

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One thing I've been stuggling with lately has been some sore knees. I was thinking that there was something wrong with my saddle height or cleat position but none of that has changed. I've also been try to push lower gears to keep my RPM as high as possible, still sore knees. I've also noticed that they seem to be really sore in the mornings when I wake up. It didn't dawn on me till today that I've also been struggling to drink enough water since my ride to the ocean and back. So on our way to Monterey today I've been drinking a ton of water along with having to pee every 5 minutes like a old man with an enlarged prostate. My knees feel a little better. I'm not sure if there is a relationship with how hydrated you are and sore knees. Tomorrow I'm planning on riding to the ocean to meet up with Amanda and the girls at the beach and drive back with them. Hopefully my knees will hold up for the ride. Update: I did some minor adjustments to my saddle, moved it back a bit, leveled it out a bit and moved it a bit higher. Seems like the pain is almost totally gone!

Yesterday I embarked on one of the hardest rides I've done this season. It was one of those rides where I had to dig really deep just to make it back. You might be thinking, "How far did you ride this time?" 18.8 miles! But it was a really tough 18.8 miles because I was pulling 60 lbs of cranky babies and I didn't eat enough calories to support the effort. Well, I ate enough had we left 3 hours earlier but because we had to give everyone baths, get everyone dresses, get bottles, get snacks and get blankies and bears we left about 3 hours after I expected and during all the hustle and bustle I forgot to eat more food. Pulling 60 extra pounds on a bike is really really tough but the statistics from the ride don't really reflect the effort:

• Distance: 18.8 miles
• Altitude:  +989 ft / -975 ft
• Calories Burned: 1416
• Total Time: 03:51'46
• Moving Time: 01:34'47
• View full stats

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Since I started riding this season one of my goals was to ride from my house to the ocean and back. I knew this would require special circumstances, like the family being out of town and an unlimited amount of time to do it. This week I started planning my route and invited a few friends to join me on my quest. Some how I suckered 3 people into going with me. The initial estimates for the distance and elevation gain where about 80 miles and 6700 feet (respectively). Here is a photo essay of our adventure... This is the entire crew on our first climb of the day (up Old La Honda). Once we got to the top of Old La Honda Andrew peeled off and headed back to work on his magazine. The rest of us keep pushing forward down the west side for OLH. After we descended the west side of OLH we started down Hwy 84 towards La Honda. This is a picturesque Red Barn that I feel compelled to stop and take a photo of every time I pass it. Once we got past La Honda it was time for our second major climb up Pescadero Rd. Thankfully there was a nice descent into Pescadero. Here is a photo of Rob enjoying a roast beef sandwich in Pescadero. I ate the other half... Thanks Rob! Here is Jeff about to quinch his thirst with a Gatoraide On the way out of town we saw a bunch of naked ladies in a graveyard. We continued to follow Stage Rd... and of course we had to stop and take pictures of the skeleton with the machine gun! as we past the San Gregorio General Store we ran into a few other cyclists. There is about $500,000 worth of cycling gear in this photo. Unfortunately, I forgot to take any photos of the Ocean so you will just have to take my word that it was there. Plus every time I saw the ocean we where going down hill at 35+ mph. But I did manage to take a photo of this ranch on Tunitas Rd. And finally, the shot you've been waiting for, a panda on the last major climb of the day, check out how sweaty I am! At the base of the last climb we started discussing what we should eat when we get finished. I needed something that would motivate me to push over the top. Jeff started talking about how last Friday he finished his focals for all of his direct reports and his treat was a large pizza and a pint of ice cream with out any restrictions on how much he could eat. This was what I used as my motivation to get home. I ate the entire salad, half the pizza and all of the ice cream (of course)! Ride Stats:

• Distance: 88.8 miles
• Altitude: +7936 ft / -7927 ft
• Calories Burned: 8766
• Total Time: 08:27'22
• Moving Time: 07:01'11
• View the full stats

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Recently Rich has been joining me for my morning rides. He's pretty new to the whole road biking scene is and is just building up his bike skills and endurance. Its been a real joy to be able to share something I'm really passionate about with someone who really wants to learn. It's also cool to see the same roads and climbs that I've done hundreds of times through a fresh set of eyes. I've been getting a little nostalgic on our rides remembering climbs and hills that use to be a real challenge for me and seeing Rich attack them for the first time. I also forgot how difficult it was learning when to shift and anticipating climbs. These are bike skills that many of us take for granted because it becomes second nature when you ride a lot, I don't even think about shifting. I forgot about all the times when I shifted into a low gear way too early or forgot to shift to the low gear way to late and had to suffer up the hill because there was too much tension on the chain to shift. Today we also did a little winding decent down Altamont Rd. and being the crapy coach that I am I said "Make sure you take it easy through the next couple of turns. They are sharp and steep and I don't want to have to clean you off the road." Nice... nothing about how you should bleed off your speed right before the turn and accelerate out of it (think Nascar)! It wasn't till we got to the bottom that I shared that nice little tid bit. Rich said "That was scarier then the climb (up Page Mill)!" Here's some photos from this morning's ride: Here Rich is attacking Page Mill for the first time... I was going so fast down Altamont Rd. that I started to transcend into the 4th dimension! Luckily Rich was also transcending into the 4th dimension at the same time... And a ride with a camera wouldn't be complete without a Panda Shot!

During last weeks "Mixed Terrain" recon ride I realized that I had a need for a camera other then my iPhone. The iPhone takes good enough pictures for my purposes but I needed something I could use while riding the bike too and the iPhone's interface is difficult to use with one hand. I also needed something that if dropped and destroyed I wouldn't be heartbroken. My requirements were simple: 1. something cheap; 2. something that I could download photos on to my Mac laptop; 3. something that took photos as good as or slightly better then my iPhone; 4. something with a wrist strap. So with that in mind Rich and I went on a lunch time mission to Fry's to find a cheap digital camera.  And cheap digital camera we found... The Sakar 4.1 MegaPixel Digital Camera with 1.5 inch Preview Screen. So just to give you a glimpse of the quality of photos you can expect to find on this blog I present to you my "Test Shots".  Capt. Carlos was shocked when he found out that I only paid $50 for this Craptastic peice of magical technology. But that's not all folks... no... no... no... I though this really capture the moment (when Rich was walking around his car!) Now I know what your thinking "How does it do with Macro Photos?" Crappy! And how about those self portraits I love to take? Some what blurry but the background is in focus! I actually like the fact that I'm slightly blurry, it helps hide those flaws. But my favorite feature on the camera is how it makes moving things look like they are transcending into another dimension! I bet your saying, "This thing is Fantastic! Does it do video?" You bet your sweet ass it does! I highly recommend picking up a Craptastic Camera if you like to take photos and ride your bike at the same time. I can't wait for my next ride so I can do a field test!

This morning I decided to do another "Mixed Terrain" ride and do some reconnaissance for next weekend's adventure I'm planning. The route I choose to take today was to ride from my apartment in Sunnyvale, up Steven's Canyon Road till I got to the end where I picked up Canyon Trail. Then I climbed the trail to the top until I got to Page Mill Road. After I reached the top, I descended down Page Mill till I got to Central Rd. and cut across to a horse path which dumps me out on to Moody Rd. Then I raced home realizing the climb up Canyon Trail took me a bit longer then I expected. There where a few obstacles and technical sections that were unridable on Canyon Trail that gave me the perfect opportunity to try out some dismounts and mounts. What better place to practice something you've never done before then a deserted trail with nobody around for miles to rescue you if things go horribly wrong (that's the parent in me talking). The adventure I'm planning on doing for next weekend is to ride from my house to the Ocean and back. A friend of mine suggest I turn it into an epic cyclocross ride. After climbing up Canyon Trail today I'm starting to have second thoughts, I was totally beat by the time I got to the top. The gearing on my cross bike is better suited for climbing on paved roads not 7 miles of loose trails with steep sections. Don't get me wrong I had a total blast and this loop will probably become my new Friday ride. Here are a few photos I snapped with my iPhone (Classic):  As I got closer to the top I started climbing into the morning cloud cover. This is one of my favorite times of year to ride in Northern California. There is usually a mild chill in the air (which keeps you from over heating) and there is usually a ton of wildlife out in the fog scampering around, I saw a couple of dear today. This is when I started climbing out of the top of the clouds. And this is my reward at the top! Back on the tarmac heading home. Ride Stats:

• Distance: 39.3 miles
• Altitude: +3976 ft / -3968 ft
• Calories Burned: 4169
• Total Time: 03:26'10
• Moving Time: 03:05'47
• Google Map of Route

(Eventually I will get my GPS Ride Site launched so I can just link to this stuff)

I was cruising through some photos of Ken Conley today and discovered something horrific. Apparently he was taking photos at a recent RoadBikeReview.com group ride. I must not have notice his candid stealthy shooting style because it's pretty obvious I was caught off guard. Normally when I'm out on group rides and someone starts whipping out a camera I promptly suck in my gut, puff out my chest and try to stand in a more flattering pose to make it appear like I'm not a total fat ass, sound tactics that real FatCyclist has recommended in the past. If you also look closely I'm wearing bibs to help mask the gut that is mine. For most of those who read my blog (and by most of you I probably mean you) you don't understand what cycling bibs are. They are cycling shorts with suspenders which are suppose to keep your shorts pulled up. But as we all know in the cycling world they are really a girdle for fat cyclists. It's purpose is to help keep those jiggly bits in place so it doesn't look like this is the first time on your bike in several months (even if you ride 100+ miles a week). It's quite obvious from Ken's photos that I'm not fooling anyone! This picture really shows the girdle/cycling bibs failing miserably at making me look good. It's pretty obvious what Ken was trying to do with this photo, it's suppose to be a compare and contrast between what a cyclist who rides a ton looks like vs. a cyclist who weighs a ton. Thanks Ken I've just found the images to help motivate me to keep chasing those last few pounds. Is 25 considered a few pounds?

In my last post I complained about being in a rut and how I had a plan to climb out. Well I did about two ride and found my self in the same rutty place. According to this month's issue of Bicycling this is a very common thing amount cyclist like me (people who don't race but ride tons of miles). Their suggestion was similar to the interval plan I was trying to do except more structured (which also validated my plan). If you know me structure is not really in my vocabulary. The article explained that I've been operating at the "fight or flight" mode for too  long and now I've hit a plateau (or something like that). So I decided to take a new course of action.  I started taking my cyclocross on some off road adventures instead of just riding on the road all the time, I believe they call it mixed terrain (BIcycling has an article this month about that too, like the intervals I started it before I read it so I'm slightly ahead of the curve). There is something thrilling about taking a fully rigid bike with drop bars and skinny knobby tires off-road. I think that thrill has re-invoked the fun hormones that have been over worked due to my excessive workouts... At least that sounds like a good explanation to me. I'm also giving up on loosing that extra 10 pounds I've been struggling with. If riding 600+ miles a month is not going to make it go away then I should probably just accept it.