Wiped...

I had a great time in Taiwan, but the jetlag is really beating me up. I've been fading in and out ever since returning last Wednesday around midnight. Hopefully I'll be back to "normal" soon...


... hopefully.

Tim

It's Friday... YIPPEE!

It's Friday- do your happy dance!

This has been a long week and my brain is cooked to a crisp... crispy enough that I have a headache that feels like it might crack my head open. I did however manage to get out of the office long enough for a short lunch ride today, after missing my ride yesterday. I struggled a bit to find my rhythm, but I did eventually find my pedals again and was able to salvage my short spin and enjoy my time in the sun.

Tomorrow morning, while my wife is at the pool swimming, I'm going to head out for the weekly group ride again and see if I can make it a little longer this week before I pop. No promises...

Speaking of my wife... tomorrow is also her birthday, so please feel free to leave her a birthday comment here.

Alright- my vision is getting blurry from this headache so I think it's time to unplug for tonight.

Tim

How did this happen?

I hopped on one of my bikes yesterday and rode for a little over an hour for the first time in a month. I had been riding for only about a week before this last "hiatus" after coming off another 3 week ride stoppage, thanks to injury and sickness. I think in the past 3+ months, I've gotten a grand total of 2.5 to 3 weeks of riding in. Ugh...

Today, at work, I rode again for a little less than an hour... and it was easily one of the most painful rides I've had in a very long time. The combined loss of fitness from the past few months has really taken a toll. I dare say, I'm in worse shape than I was when I came back from my crash over a year ago. Granted, the night of the crash I was actually feeling quite fit... but I came back from near death in better shape than I am in right now! Again- ugh...

Thing is, these past two days of really lackluster riding have helped me realize how much I love my bikes and how much I have missed them. I hate being so out of shape and so overweight (by my standards), but I love to ride. I'm looking forward to losing weight, regaining fitness and then hopefully getting back to racing in 2010. It's time to get on the USA Cycling website and buy my racing license and try to figure out how I'm going to find enough time to train. The bruised ego is still smaller than the desire to get out there and race. It's humbling to now be pack fill, but I sure do spend a lot of time smiling at the back of the group.

I won't be fat and outta shape forever- that much I know. So here's a call to all my fellow "wanna get back in shape" friends; let's make it happen in 2010. We'll support each other, share our experiences, offer help, advice and encouragement... and we'll enjoy riding our bikes.

What say you?

Tim

Is it me, or is the world spinning?

Busy? Yep!

For the first couple years of this blog, which will be 5yrs old in March, I used to infrequently remark, "wow, today/ this week was really busy!" Over time that began to slowly migrate to "wow, this has been a busy month!" Now... "busy" is the new status quo and "I'm losing my mind" has become the new change of pace.

This weekend and last night, I had the pleasure of finally meeting some "old" friends face to face and making some new friends at various tweetups in town as the PRSA09 conference was in town. I got to finally meet my friend Kellye Crane, new friend Lauren Vargas and old new friend Steve Woodruff. I got to make new friends like Kami Huyse, Jacob Sloan and Fran Stephenson- among all the others whose names I have forgotten and business cards I have yet to rediscover. All of these folks are very smart people deeply involved in public relations and/ or social media. We all know I'm an SM geek, but I have a strong respect for PR professionals as well- a lot of what I do with marketing and branding shares very similar traits with PR. I was lucky enough to get to join these folks at various get-togethers during the week after the conferences. It should go without saying that I had a fantastic time and I am very happy I got to share some conversations and laughs with some folks I have a lot of respect for.

Tomorrow will hopefully be the day I get back on the bike for the first time in more than a week since hurting my back. The muscle is still pissed off with me, but it seems to be getting better... and I am growing too impatient to wait any longer. It's gonna be one of those agonizing recovery rides where everything feels wrong and I feel like I should just take up golf... but you have to start somewhere. I've been hoping for months that this winter will be the winter where I actually get back into the routine of steady training- even when traveling- so I really am anxious to get back on the bike and even into the gym. I'll try to report on how things go tomorrow...

So many cool little things going on right now and hopefully I'll be able to report on them very soon. There's some exciting things going on- I promise.

Tim

Insanity

I rode at lunch today for the first time in a long time- seems like months, but maybe it hasn't been. My schedule and workload has meant a lot more rides on the rollers than I would care to admit to. That said... I'm trying not to complain too much.

Tons of projects going on all at the same time right now- each on it's own would be enough to cause headaches, but all of them combined is enough to cause an aneurysm.

I've been wanting to post more and to share more about the wedding, but I still have another week or two of total commitment to these projects that require the small, remaining amounts of cerebral capacity I still possess.

I will be back- promise. And, as always, I'll have lots to say... or at least I'll say a lot.

Tim

Back at it

Today was the first day in the office for 2009. Oddly enough, it felt no different than the last day in the office for 2008. Well, I feel a little fatter- because I am- but that's about all.

We had a series of different meetings today to get ready for many upcoming things... including the planning on the next catalog. It dawned on me during the meeting... "CRAP! I have to start writing another catalog!" A few months ago I was full of ideas for the new catalog and all kinds of ideas of what I wanted it to look like... but now that I have to start actually thinking in terms of execution, it seems that all those ideas have vanished. ARGH!

It appears that my brain is suddenly running into fatigue... on my first day back in the office for the year! 2009 might be a looooooooonnnnnggggg year!

Tim

Home now...

Got home a little while ago. Still can't fall asleep yet, as my internal clock is totally confused.

The flight from Washington Dulles was pretty uneventful and I got lucky to have a bulkhead seat behind 1st class, so even though I had the window seat I had lots of leg room. The highlight of the flight was watching an electrical storm as we flew over New Mexico/ Arizona- watching the lightning flash and travel through the clouds was amazing. Between the clouds though, it was equally impressive to see the light of the huge moon shining on the water beneath us. Sometimes the earth is such an amazingly beautiful place.

My right leg took a pretty good beating on the flight, even with the Skins tights- but I shudder to think what they would have been like without them. I am hoping it is just from all the travel and the standing and walking... if not, then it could mean more/ worse clotting issues than originally thought.



Here's my leg at least 30 minutes after taking the sock off my foot... and it's still totally swollen. To quote my doctor- "not good."

As promised photographic proof that I was working hard in Montreal. For the record, Logan (from Norco) and I lost badly... twice... to a girl who just totally kicked our asses.

More to follow. Gonna try to sleep and elevate my leg.

Night,
Tim

The waiting game... again...

Delayed in Washington Dulles. Sitting for an extra hour. Means I get to San Diego around 10:00PM now.

Montreal was great- which I've already said several times. As soon as I can get to a solid internet connection, I will start uploading some pictures.

I woke up so sore from all the standing and walking of the show that I did not get out and ride this morning... the most beautiful Montreal day you can imagine too. I have spent the day walking with a bad limp, a really sore knee and a very uncomfortable leg. My right arm (elbow) is still really sore from sleeping with the brace on last night. Usually my arm feels better a few minutes after removing the brace... but today it has just stayed sore.

I am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed and hopefully getting some good sleep. As bad as I feel right now, I have a feeling the next 6 hour flight is going to be a real joy... NOT!

Pictures to follow as soon as I can get them off my camera and get a reliable internet connection.

Tim
Oh yeah- Lance is coming out of retirement to try and win an 8th Tour de France. There... I've now covered it and never have to mention it again.

Tired in Montreal...

Montreal has been awesome! The response to the bikes has been incredible. Norco didn't bring in much of the line to Canada last year and is REALLY increasing the commitment this year. The retailers here seemed to be very excited about the brand- liking the models and the colors. It's a great way to get ready for Interbike in a few weeks. It is always great to see the familiar faces of the industry as well as the face of retailers that I remember meeting and speaking to before. Hearing from retailers here who brought in bikes and then had great luck selling them is a fantastic treat for me- it sure goes a long way towards validating the very hard work we do in creating the bikes and rebuilding the brand.

The weather has not been all that great, so I haven't been riding yet. Hopefully tomorrow morning I can get out for a ride along the river. Montreal is such a beautiful city and I always enjoy getting to see it from my saddle. I would post some pictures here, but the hotel wifi is unbelievably slow and unreliable- as it has been since my first stay here 3 years ago. It's a great hotel otherwise- but the wifi signal is always very unreliable.

The downside to the Montreal experience, aside from losing my cell phone in a taxi on the first night, is that my body is really beat to hell by all the walking and standing in the booth. My right leg is extremely sore, as is my back and my neck. I feel like I've been run over by a cement truck... which has me pretty worried about Vegas and Interbike. I may be crippled by the time the show is over in a few weeks. I love what I do for a living... but right now it's taking a heavy toll on me. That said, I do feel as inspired and invigorated as ever! The feedback and support for the bikes and the various things we've been doing has been amazing and I am super happy about where things look to be heading. Success is an intoxicating thing!

Ok, I'm falling apart sitting here in the lobby of the hotel using the better wifi signal, but I'm caling it quits and heading to bed. Pictures will be downloaded and shared... promise.

Tim

The fun never stops...

Sitting here in the near-dark trying to select new colors for bikes that will get color updates in the Spring of next year and also trying to get my head around exactly what new models will be introduced in Spring as well. You folks haven't even seen the new Fall bikes and I'm already on my way to Spring and Fall of next year.

For the record; the tiny paint samples in the color books are hard enough to look at in good lighting and in the crappy lighting of my apartment are nearly impossible. Spring bikes might have a few color surprises... to say the least!

Tim

I can feel that.

I needed a little therapy tonight, so I hopped on the Speciale Fixed again and rode my rollers in the driveway. It felt better than riding my turbo trainer, but I had forgotten how much resistance you get from small drum rollers. It only took a few songs on the iPod for my legs to start complaining and for me to start shifting around on the saddle trying to get comfortable. Again, my right arm was feeling tired and sore nearly instantly. Once again my I find myself humbled by my injuries and the road to recovery. Still, I am so fortunate to be able to feel this way- I am literally lucky to be alive, after all.


It seems pretty amazing in some regards that just a little over 3 months ago I was laying in a hospital bed hooked up to a morphine drip, wearing a cervical collar and wondering if I'd ever ride again at all.

Heavy...

Tim

Getting back to it.

This past weekend was spent mostly cleaning and doing chores around the Masiguy Casita (that's Spanish for "little house"- I don't know the word for "tiny apartment"). Saturday was exciting because of the revelation of the SoulVille showing up in the Audi A4 commercial being aired during the primetime coverage of the Olympics. Sunday was spent doing more of the cleaning but also at a BBQ at my folks' place. As I was getting ready to go to thBBQ and to go pick up my daughter for the week, I removed the Band-Aid I had on the thumb to protect the nail and removed the nail as well! After regaining my senses and managing not to barf, I cleaned up the finger and got my shower.

****WARNING: GRAPHIC THUMB PICTURES- DO NOT LOOK IF YOU'RE SQUEAMISH!****

The nail; free of the thumb itself.

The thumbs; minus a nail.

It's far from pretty, but it's still attached!

Tonight, after a long day, I got out on the stationary trainer for my first trainer ride since the crash on 4/29. It was very humbling. I rode for maybe 40- 45 minutes on my Speciale Fixed with a 46x16 gear, which is normally a pretty easy gear for me... but it felt like an actual workout. It also took my forever to get into "the mood" to ride. I don't like riding a trainer t begin with, but riding it at far below good fitness just sucked... but I sucked it up and enjoyed myself regardless. Towards the end, I began to enjoy myself more and feel less like I didn't know how to pedal anymore. It was a very humbling experience to feel like I was starting from such a low level- which I basically am. My right arm tires out almost as soon as I start riding; I am still unable to fully extend it and the strength is really gone from it. The triceps have lost almost all strength and with the arm unable to straighten, they are really getting a workout. Towards the end of the "workout", I switched back and forth to do ILT (Isolated Leg Training) work. My right leg has been dominant for as long as I can remember... until now. My right hip burned out very quickly and my left just kept chugging along, by comparison. After 3 sets with each leg, both hip flexor muscles were cooked and I was done. I also seem to have an undiagnosed wrist injury and a possible rotator cuff injury as well- both the wrist and shoulder were very sore and weak during the workout. Needless to say, the ride was far from perfect... but I did just grin and bare it. I'm just glad to be riding again; the night of the crash, I weighed a solid and fit 205lbs. After leaving the hospital for the second time, I was down to 184lbs. As of this morning, I am now back up to 211lbs! For the math averse- that's 27lbs! Oy... not good. So as of this morning, I am riding as much as I can force myself to do and I'm going on a diet.

Leaving Sunday for Vancouver. Will be in town to present at the Norco National Sales Meeting and then I'll be heading out to meet some Masi dealers in the area- best of all; we're doing the shop visits by bike! While there, I'll also be meeting with Mia and the lovely "Momentum Girls" from Momentum Magazine. All in all, it should be a great time and a great rehearsal for my trip to Montreal and then Interbike (both in September).

Needless to say... it's still a very busy time and the rest is far off in the distance. That said, it's still good to be back... and I'm enjoying the fatigue.

And now it is time for sleep.

Tim

Plugging along

Yes, as I normally say when I've missed a few days of posting here; "I've been incredibly busy with..."

There has been a lot of follow up after our National Sales Meeting a few weeks ago. I'm heading to Vancouver, BC on the 17th and return on the 20th (or 21st), for the NORCO (our fantastic distributor) Sales Meeting. In September, I travel back to Montreal for the Canadian equivalent of Interbike, BTAC/ Expo Cycle. Then a few weeks later, it'll be time for Interbike. So there is a lot going on that has a lot of details and a very short time to complete... hence my sporadic posting as of late.

The good news is that I am officially back on the bike and riding a little, but as much as I can handle. Last Friday was my first ride in nearly 4 months, then I did my grocery shopping via my SoulVille on Sunday, then rode my Speciale Fixed on Tuesday night and did a ride at lunch today! 4 rides in the past 6 days! Nothing in the way of mileage or intensity... but it's a lot for this banged up body. Slowly, but certainly, I feel like I am getting some small bits of my lilfe back.

The ride on the Speciale Fixed was a trip! My legs have a lot of relearning to do and the 46x16 gearing felt just barely small enough to get around town on. Today's lunch ride felt really weird though, just because I had so little strength and the loop I rode is one that I would normally use for my recovery days. Today though, it was my own little Spring Classic- we have almost no flat areas to ride near work, so you have rolling hills in every direction you ride. I was stubbornly pigheaded and refused to allow myself to ride in my 39x23 granny gear and would grit my teeth or stand up on the pedals and crest each little rise in my 19t or 21t cog... because I was trying to prove the point to myself. The point was made and I rode without any real pain. My right arm still doesn't straighten completely, so I have a lot of muscle weakness there and the arm fatigues very, very quickly... but I made it. I also have noticed that after 3+ months off the bike, even my favorite saddles seem to hurt my ass!



See- I've got my helmet on! (Thanks Chris!)

Umm, yeah, I know it's a lame shot... but it's all I got using my camera instead of my video camera.

I'll be back again- I promise... but it's back to work now...

Tim

Getting back to the routine...

Last week's sales meeting was great- the overall energy was higher than I have felt in the past few years. Haro MTB, Haro BMX, Premium Products and Masi all seemed to be received well by the sales reps and the consensus is that things are looking good for the next group of products coming out this Fall.

Something romantic to set the mood...


MTB Brand Manager, Jill Hamilton, along with her partner in crime, MTB Product Manager- Pat Crosby.


Eastern Regional Sales Manager, James Ayres, looking terribly brilliant as always.


BMX Brand Manager Tony D, looking spiffy as always... probably mouthing the words "get that thing outta my face"...


THE Boss- Joe Hawk- opening the Sales Meeting first night. (Note the Corona in the background...)


The parent company- Haro Bikes. This year is the 30th anniversary of Haro- that's pretty damned cool.

Ok- more pics and tales to follow.

Two days in to this week and it's already a doozy. Lots of follow-up projects after the meeting and in preparation for Interbike. I'll be in Vancouver, BC in mid August to help with the Norco sales meeting as they plan their distribution of Har and Masi up in Canada. I'll be in the city for a couple days, so let me know if you're in the area for a possible drink/ coffee somewhere.

Alright... I'm calling it quits for tonight. More regular posting to follow now... I promise.

Tim

Busy...

Super busy...

Tim

2008 MS150 Report- Arrival, Prep and Day One

As promised, here is the ride report for the 2008 BP-MS150 Houston to Austin ride...

I got into Houston around 5:00PM with my bags and bike all at the same time! Considering the
hectic nature of the day, I was very pleased. The fiasco with American Airlines really impacted a lot of travelers and the other airlines. San Diego was a mess, as was San Francisco. Houston was less of a mess, but the ripples were still there as well. In San Francisco, I saw several American planes sitting on the far end of the runway, looking like they were being serviced. One has to assume it really hurt them. Anyway, I got the airport in one piece and with all my pieces, but Brian and Nathan were stuck in the slow-moving Houston traffic and I settled in to a beer and some chicken wings and gumbo while I waited for them to arrive and pick me up. We got the hotel and Brian and Nathan took off to get some dinner, since they hadn't eaten all day, and while they were gone I built my bike. By the time it was all said and done, it was nearly 9:30 by the time I was done and ready to ride. Yes... I rode! I brought a taillight with me, though I didn't have a headlight, so I took off down the main drag near the hotel and went for a 45 minute ride to get my legs loosened up. After a long day of flying and airports, a ride was exactly what I needed.

Friday came early for some reason... or at least it felt like it with the two hour earlier time difference. Still, Brian and I got up and got our selves organized enough to get some breakfast in us before Nathan showed up with James and then the four of us headed out for a nice little ride out of the area of Houston we were staying in and headed out towards some slightly more "country" roads. It was cool- I saw a number of snakes (including a pretty good sized Copperhead- the mostly venomous snake in the Southeast US) and a bunch of turtles... but the wind was beginning to blow... which becomes important to this story later.

After the ride, we got cleaned up, ate some lunch and then headed over to the ride expo to get our rider packets and help the folks at Sun & Ski with the sale event there. The expo was packed with the thousands of riders doing the ride and numerous event sponsors and retailers. It was organized chaos. Later, it was a tasty dinner and bedtime since Saturday was to begin very early for us- shuttling bikes and gear to the event start at Tully Stadium (one of three different start points for the nearly 14,000 riders).

Just as we feared, Saturday morning DID come early... but we still managed to get up and get ourselves to the event start with several thousand of what were to become our very close friends. The morning was cool and clear with no signs of the winds that would meet us later in the day.


As you can see from the boys and the other folks, it was a nice start to a day that would ultimately end in La Grange- about 101 miles later.

The ride began without a single problem for us, though there were the inevitable flats and other minor mishaps for other riders. As the sun rose, the temperature got a little warmer, but it was ultimately a pretty cool day and I finished the entire ride with my arm warmers still on. We rolled along with the pack for the first little more than an hour and then at about 25 miles +/-, a small group of riders on TT/ Tri bikes rolled past me and I simply couldn't restrain my itchy legs and I took off with them... leaving Brian and James for the day (unknown to me at the time). A few miles later, I was on my own and riding through the countryside from Houston out West to La Grange (the overnight camping spot). Once out on the open roads though, the winds began to pick up until they became incredibly strong- strong enough to send some riders seeking shelter in the sag wagons early in the day. There were a few gusts that were strong enough to blow my 205 pounds across the road. Still, the ride through country was truly beautiful with all the wild flowers in bloom.

I am admittedly too competitive for my own good sometimes, especially on my bike, so once I realized I was riding reasonably well, I decided to roll on with a nice brisk pace. Since the ride starts in 3 locations and there are about 14,000 riders, no matter how fast I rode, I was going to be passing riders all day long all the way to the finish. But with the crazy winds, it was even worse- I just rode the ride as if it were a time trial and plowed away into the headwinds at near maximum effort. I stopped at two of the several food/ water/ rest stops along the way and really should have stopped at least one more time.

The last rest stop was 11 miles from the finish and since I had one half bottle of water left, I figured I'd just roll the last few miles and get in to the camp area as quick as I could. Well... about one mile later, that proved to be nearly my undoing. I rolled past that stop point and then went back into the crazy winds... and that was when I saw the Care Bears and Elmo, with Papa Smurf sitting on my handlebars trying to tell me that every thing was going to be ok once I had some Smurfberry pie. I crawled along at what seemed a snail's pace into the wind, but I managed to continue to pass other riders who looked as equally glazed and confused as me. With about 5 miles remaining, I had a partial recovery after downing another gel packet and eating half a food bar. This mini rally was enough to get me over the last couple of rollers and into the finishing shoot at the fairgrounds. It was like finishing a big time race, with people lining the finish area clapping, yelling, whistling and ringing cowbells as if I'd just won a Belgian Spring Classic. It was nothing short of spectacular. After crossing the finish line, I rolled to the Sun & Ski team tent in a total confused haze (but Papa Smurf said it would be ok).

I met the Sun& Ski folks and sat on the top tube of my bike chatting with them for a few minutes filling them in on the day's ride details... and because I was too beat to go any further. After regaining my composure, sorta, I headed to the sleeping tent and found my bags so I could shower before the huge crowds arrived. After my shower, I had a phenomenal massage (compliments of Sun & Ski- which they provided for all of their team riders) from a young woman named Alexis. It was heavenly! After arriving at the tent 5 hours after the ride start, it felt great to get my poor muscles worked on before hitting the roads again the next day.

About two hours later, Brian came rolling in- but I didn't have my camera out in time to get a picture of his arrival... though I did get him hunting for his bags... and having a recovery beverage. About an hour later, James rolled up... looking pretty good for a guy who'd never ridden a full century before. Brian, come to think of it, had never ridden a full century before either. Honestly, I was quite proud of them both. Both of them were also smart enough to partake in the massage as well... and both agreed it was heavenly!


Throughout the day, riders continued to pour in to the camping area and the lines for the showers got longer and longer... and longer. Sun & Ski kept things hopping with repair services and plenty of items for sale. Since it was quite cool in the morning, and predictions were that would be cooler the next day, arm warmers, lightweight jackets and base layers were quite popular.

The day went on with delicious, ice cold Shiner Bock beer and some of the finest tri-tip BBQ in Texas. After eating WAY more than we needed to, we went back to the main sleeping tent with a few hundred of our closest friends and tried to get some sleep. Sadly, it was a very cold night and the ground was hard and rocky... so I didn't actually get much sleep- and neither did either Brian or James...

... and morning came very early again...

More to come,

Tim

Back... sorta...

So I'm back from the Taipei show. I'm also in one hell of a jetlag coma too. I never sleep well on planes so I took a few Tylenol PM and had a couple glasses of cheap airplane red wine and slept most of the way back... but I feel like somebody slipped me an elephant tranquilizer.

I have pictures and even a few videos to share, as always, so stay tuned.

I'm gonna go to bed now... sucks to be so wiped out on one of my favorite days of the year (St. Patrick's Day). Tomorrow is also my birthday, so hopefully I'll be semi-coherent long enough to blow out my candles.

Good night,

Tim

Back. Tired. Buried.

Back from Boulder City, Nevada now. Our trip went very well- our customer was very happy with each of our product presentations, as well as the nice fleet of demo bikes we brought (between all the Haro MTB and Masi road bikes). All in all, reports are that things went well.

The first day there, as mentioned before, was freezing! For a SoCal boy (even though originally from Alabama), 26 degrees is danged cold... especially when you only packed for 50 degree weather! The second and third days were warmer, though still quite cool. But, the good news is that the wind died down a bit as well and made the riding much more enjoyable.

Wednesday provided two different rides- one with our fantastic customer/ host and the other with my fantastic coworkers! And then Thursday served up one more group ride with the fine folks from Sun & Ski.


James Ayres (our Eastern Regional Sales Manager), me (duh) and our good friend and customer TJ (after all these years, I still can't remember if TJ even has a last name or what his official title is- he's just always been TJ to me) standing on the Hoover Dam.


My fat head/ helmet, Jill Hamilton (Haro MTB/ Lifestyle Brand Manager) and the peeking-around-my-shoulder head of Bryan Hayman (our Western Regional Sales Manager) down near Lake Mead.


I didn't really get any good group pictures on Thursday, but I did get this great shot of a chipmunk hanging around at our scenic stop. He looked hungry and not at all bashful.


Here's Bryan getting bikes out and ready to be ridden by some happy guys. Between the Masi bikes and all the Haro MTB bikes, we had around 30 bikes being ridden... and we saw lots and lots of smiles!

Though it was "work", it was also a lot of fun. Getting to ride and talk bikes for a few days is not a bad job... I admit I dig this gig (as if I really need to repeat that). The riding in Boulder City really is quite good. There's hardly a flat spot anywhere- it seems like you are either climbing or descending nearly the entire time- and even though the shoulder is very narrow and roads are heavily trafficked in places (mostly in the construction areas), the riding is still great. The views are incredible as well- the Lake Mead and Hoover Dam areas are really quite beautiful. BUT... Boulder City, and to some degree Henderson, have also really embraced cycling. In fact, there is now a fully separated bike/ pedestrian path that goes 31 miles along the lake and then into and around Boulder City/ Henderson. It is smooth, fast and fun to ride. It's a beautiful place to ride a bike. So much so, I can easily see myself going back for a cycling vacation... and you should too. If I were to organize a team training camp of my own, it would likely be in Boulder City... if you're reading this, Squirrel...

Now the work restarts though... now I have to get our catalog finished for Spring. The copy is all done, but now I have to work with my Product Manager (Wayne Doran) to make sure all the bikes have been photographed by our Photo-God (Pete Demos). Then I have to work with our Catalog-Dog (Rick- the Hispanic Panic- Ortiz) to finish layout and work with Pete some more for some nice action/ lifestyle/ image pics for the catalog as well. All of this has to be done so that we can turn in our catalog layout to the printer by February 19th. Yeah, the February 19th that is only 11 days away... that one. AND our Spring sales Meeting is the first week of March. AND then I head to Taiwan on March 10th. At least all the stress has helped me lose weight and keep it off. That's cool... right?


Yeah, the happy me... the one riding his bike... he'll be back in a while...
(Sorry for the spotty posting as of late... again. I'll be back with more posts, more podcasts and hopefully more video as well.)

Tim

Not dead, just busy...

Sorry for the drop in posts and podcasts and vidcasts... it's been a very hectic December/ January time period. Lots happening. Finally finished the copy for the Spring '08 catalog that will be done and printed in March. Just going over the final tweaks of spec information and assessing the last photo needs. All of the Spring sample bikes are done and in our hot little hands. My Product Manager, Wayne Doran, scrambled and managed to get the samples delivered to us and built... so at least we'll have pretty pictures of pretty bikes in the catalog. Also have to work up a PowerPoint presentation for a very important retailer training camp next week out in Boulder City NV... but the good news is that I get 4 days of riding in warm, dry weather in Nevada. Bonus!

Tomorrow is Thursday and already this week is a total blur. Hard to believe I came off of a 4 day weekend because I'm already wiped out... though that could have something to do with the cold I'm still fighting off. Hopefully I can get healthy by Sunday, as one of my all-time favorite crits is this weekend. I don't think I've ever finished out of the top 10 on this course and I've won once and been on the podium a few times, so I have a soft spot for this course. If my head clears up from this cold enough (and I can get my sister or mother to watch my daughter for a couple hours), I'm gonna try to get in the race and mix things up. The last time I did the race was two years ago- and it was won by '84 Olympic gold medalist Steve Hegg. I was 8th that day and I would argue that I have better legs this year. So we'll see.

Ok, I have a lot of work to do tomorrow and need to get a little sleep... so good night folks!

Tim

Another day in paradise...

Today, after all the rain of the past few days, was a beautiful day. It was still windy, but not as bad as yesterday. Most importantly though, the rains had done their usual magic and washed the skies clean and clear for that impossible blue sky and wonderful clarity that we really only get here after a rain.

It's official- I've got a cold during my little "vacation". However, I haven't let it completely steal away my riding. Today I went for a shorter 1hr 45min ride on my Speciale Fixed. I spent much of the morning actually "working", answering emails and working from the "virtual office". By just before 11:00, I was finally out on the road for a steel-fueled blissful ride.

Here's a view from the end of Point Loma, near Cabrillo National Monument. This overlooks the ocean on one side and the San Diego Bay on the other. This is looking towards the city, from the opening of the bay and the edge of the ocean. Downtown San Diego is down in the middle.

Point Loma is also home to the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery.


I visited my grandparents today. I stop by now and again and say hello and tell them that I love and miss them. They were great, great people who taught me a lot about life.


Both of my grandfathers were veterans of WWII and both taught me a great deal of respect for the military. Agree with current national policies or not, hate the war or not, we all owe every man and woman in uniform a huge debt. They protect our rights to be a Democrat, Republican, Independent or non-voter. If it wasn't for the sacrifices of the men like my grandfathers, I would not have had the privilege of registering to vote as a Communist when I was 18. I would never have been able to so blatantly and angrily argue with the system of this country. I would never have been so free that I could take freedom for granted each day- none of us would. Each time I visit my grandparents and I see that sea of white grave markers, I get pretty choked up by the magnitude of the prices that have been paid for our freedoms.

Here's another shot of the bay and downtown... obscured by my fat head. Speaking of fat, for those keeping score and playing the home game, I am hovering right at 200-201 today. I knew the 199 was going to go away after I got some dinner and some fluids replaced.

My legs were feeling pretty worked over from yesterday, but they turned the cranks over reasonably well up all the hills to Cabrillo. The ride down the main hill was pretty fun- the 46x16 gear was suddenly feeling mighty small as my legs became a blur on the way down. At one point, I was going a little over 40mph and was passing cars obeying the speed limit. I flew by one woman who was driving along, not expecting to be passed by some 6'3" cyclist with legs spinning at an obscene cadence, weaving between slower cars- the look on her face was totally priceless... and it looked like she dropped her soda in her lap.

I'll probably take the ride tomorrow kinda easy and try not to flog myself too hard. I might even skip riding on Sunday in favor of resting before going back to work on Monday. I'm feeling mighty congested at the moment, though my lungs feel and sound clear still. So far it's all in my sinuses, but I want to keep it out of my lungs.

Ok, it's time to drag my tired, sniffling, congested carcass to bed and get some rest.

Tim