Waves to Wine 2007 Training Blog...

2008-01-15T11:49:00.000-08:00

100% of 2007 Goal Attained!

2007-10-30T16:11:00.000-07:00

Had a last minute donation this afternoon of $10...Reached my 2007 goal for fundrasing with the NMSS!

Again...it was an amazing experience, and everyone' kind words & contributions will not be forgotten.

Keep checking back for more updates on 2008 rides! And of course, I will be riding again next year in Waves to Wine!

Cheers!

Taking my bike to Los Angeles for Thanksgiving...

2007-10-23T10:55:00.000-07:00

I am taking my road bike to Los Angeles over Thanksgiving to do some riding...

Per Southwest Airlines' website:

"Non-motorized Bicycles, including Bike Friday and Co-Pilot, will be accepted as checked baggage at no additional charge provided the limit of three checked bags is not exceeded; the bicycle is properly packaged; and the box containing the bicycle fits within the 62-inch sizing limit and weighs 50 lbs or under. (Maximum weight is 50 pounds and maximum size is 62 inches (length + width + height) per checked piece of luggage). The handlebars, kickstand, and pedals must be removed and placed inside the box. A $50.00 each-way charge applies to bicycles that don’t meet the above criteria. Bicycles packaged in a cardboard box or soft-sided case will be transported as a conditionally accepted item."

Just need to get some sort of carrying device!

Photographs from Waves-to-Wine...

2007-10-01T14:41:00.000-07:00

A full post-ride update is in the works...

Here are some photographs for now!

Waves to Wine Photos <---- Click here

And you can continue to donate until October 31st!!!

Registered & Ready to go!

2007-09-28T18:04:00.000-07:00

I left work a few minutes early this afternoon & headed over to Mike's Bikes to pickup some final provisions before the ride tomorrow. Talked with the guys, they gave me a few pointers for the ride & recommended some hydration supplements which I will add to my water bottles.

After that, I headed over to Parking Lot A near AT&T park to register, pickup my rider's packet & drop off my bike. The staff for the Northern California Chapter of the National MS Society were wonderful, smiling faces & seemed to be just excited as I am about the event. They mentioned there are nearly 1700 riders participating this year!

Lil' Red is now sitting in the bike corral, ready & waiting for her first long distance bike tour.

Hopefully there will be some wireless internet access at the campsite for Day 1, I am still considering bringing my laptop with my gear on the SAG wagon & uploading pictures after the day is over.

Thanks again to everyone who has supported me with both donations and well-wishes through the past few months!

Team Wiz is now 2 strong!!!

2007-09-27T23:28:00.000-07:00

My friend, confidant & fellow cycling buddy has decided at the last minute to join Team Wiz and embark on an amazing weekend adventure with me. A Cleveland, OH native & San Francisco transport whom I met through the wonderful restaurant reviewing world of Yelp.com, will be waking up bright & early Saturday morning to enjoy one of the best MS fundraising rides in the country.

I've learned there are many different fundraising rides over the next few weeks, but I can't help but believe the Waves-to-Wine event will be the most beautiful & trying of them all.

She is a card-carrying member (like myself) of the San Francisco Bike Coalition, and volunteers her time with them to promote safer streets for cyclists in the city of San Francisco. She is currently fighting Proposition H, which will allow for more cars on the streets of San Francisco. This will cause more congestion for cars, cyclists & pedestrians alike--while allowing unneeded parking spaces & garages to increase throughout the area.

Here's to you, Jessica!!! Such an awesome weekend ahead!!!

Mom & Dad leave on vacation tomorrow...

2007-09-26T22:26:00.000-07:00

They are visiting Carmel, just south of Monterey--the home of California's 17 Mile Drive & Monterey Bay Aquarium. I found this quaint hotel near the Pacific Ocean & Sutro Baths a few months ago & they will be staying there on Friday! They're basically following me at different destinations on my ride north into the wine country.

Mom made this awesome sign for me too!

:-)

Hit the $2000 mark this morning!!!

2007-09-26T08:44:00.000-07:00

It is truly inspiring to witness everyone's generosity in the fight against MS!

I wasn't quite sure how many people would donate, and a little nervous that I wouldn't even raise the $250 minimum. Obviously, we have raised much more than the minimum & are very close to reaching the $2500 goal. For my first major fundraising event & long distance bike tour, $2500 is not bad at all considering some of the challenges I faced with initial fundraising.

Some of the people who have already donated include friends & family both old & new on both sides of the country, both local & corporate business owners, concert going buddies, coworkers, artists, writers, teachers, and people who someday I hope to shake their hand & put a face with the name I now hold in highest regards.

If I could take every single one of you on my ride this weekend, I would.

Your generosity will keep a smile on my face as I pedal my way through some of the most beautiful views in the country.

THANK YOU!

Muscles Relaxed...

2007-09-25T17:54:00.000-07:00

After finding out that my normal doctor in San Francisco is either retired or on an extended vacation, I scrambled to find someone who could see me about the pain in my right knee. A few minutes of research turned up Downtown Medical Center, in the heart of the Financial District--only a few blocks away from my office.

I called & scheduled an appointment at 4:30pm, and was able to visit with Dr. Bryson. He & I discussed the ride & the fact that I have been pushing myself harder physically than I have in recent history. He reccomended that I take it easy for the rest of the week, and prescribed be Naproxen. It's a combination muscle relaxer & pain reliever. This should be of great help over the next week or so.

I am visiting next week after the ride, to see if I have incurred any serious damage.

Places you can see the event...

2007-09-25T08:16:00.000-07:00

A few people in/around the city have been asking where they can see the ride...

Here are a few of the best spots, in my opinion:

AT&T Park (watch the start, around 6am)
Crissy Fields (before heading across the bridge, 6:30am--lots of parking)
North End of Golden Gate Bridge (7am - there is some parking, and it's a beautiful view)

Route Information: http://www.wavestowine.org/route.html

Visiting the doc tomorrow...

2007-09-25T07:12:00.000-07:00

My right knee is still somewhat irritated from last weekend, and I will be visiting my doctor tomorrow, hopefully I can get some extra strength tylenol and/or an anti-inflammatory. If anyone has suggestions for some over-the-counter stuff, please feel free to let me know.

I am also thinking about bringing some Icy-Hot for the overnight in Sonoma Mountain Village, that way my knee will be in good shape for the Sunday ride...as that will be the tougher day when fatigue has started to set in.

And the soreness sets in...

2007-09-23T08:12:00.000-07:00

The rain subsided by 11am on Saturday morning & never returned! There was a cloud cover throughout the entire weekend, which helped keep everything nice & cool on the road.

Needing some stuff for the BIG weekend ahead, I stopped by Mike's Bikes downtown to visit with my new pals. I purchased a cycling jersey, knee warmers, cycling socks, tubes & a hand pump. This cycling venture definitely became much more expensive than I had ever imagined...but definitely worth it. I now am the proud owner of an awesome bike with all the needed tools/accessories, as well as a nifty looking outfit. I am the most stylish cyclist on the road!

I left from San Francisco, by 1pm & managed to ride approximately 60 miles through the North Bay & Marin Headlands before returning home. While I was sore, some stretching & a hot shower help manage the slight pains.

The story became much different on Sunday.

I decided on a shorter ride for Sunday, thinking it would be better to conserve my energy and taper off before Waves-to-Wine. I did the Paradise Loop, a similar route from which I had done on Saturday. By the time I was about halfway through, the muscles in my right knee were getting aggravated. I managed to finish the 40-mile ride averaging about 14 miles per hour, but today I am definitely hurting.

Planning on visiting the doctor sometime this weekend, hopefully they will prescribe me an anti-inflammatory to keep the swelling & pain reduced. I will be taking it easy until Wednesday, when I plan to do a short 15 mile flat ride to keep my legs ready for the weekend.

A good massage sometime next week is in order, as I will be one sore puppy when this is all over.

Rain Rain Go Away!!!

2007-09-22T07:12:00.000-07:00

It's Saturday morning, and has been raining on & off all night. While it made for a soothing sleep with the windows open, the ground is now saturated & my final long distance training ride is up in the air.

Some of the PacWest crew is leaving in a half hour, and traveling north to Fairfax. Some other local routes would include either the Paradise loop or Rio Honda road & Skyline Highway down south.

I'm actually pretty bummed about the rain, normally I enjoy it...but the timing of it right now STINKS!

Thank you EVERYONE!

2007-09-21T11:05:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to express my gratitude to all the people who have recently donated. I set my goal of $2500 in June, and for awhile I did not receive many donations.

Today, I am at 61% & over $1500 in donations! Wooohoo!

I'm guessing the next week or so will see many more donations from people!

We can do this! $2500...

I'll even send you a picture of me at the Finish Line on Sunday, September 30!

Backing out of Woodside Tour this weekend...

2007-09-20T18:20:00.000-07:00

After much thought & some discussion with more experienced cyclists, I have decided to hold off on the Tour for Woodside this weekend. It is to be held south of San Francisco, and is designed to raise $$$ for schools in the area.

I have been told that my 75 mile ride on Saturday will be plenty, and that I should probably do an additional 35-50 mile on Sunday while I gear up for the 150 mile tour the following weekend.

I can't believe it's only a week or so away, I'm excited & nervous at the same time.

150. 150. 150.

Yikes.

Feeling a little better...

2007-09-18T19:06:00.000-07:00

My back and shoulders are still hurting from last weekend, but I managed to get out on a 20 mile ride after work today. Departed from the Financial District in Downtown, moved along the Embarcadero through Fisherman's Wharf & the Marina District and then headed across the bridge.

1500 ft of climbing & then a quick ride down to Fort Cronkite (near Lisa Wiz's work) before heading home.

Total riding time was 1.5 hours, average speed was 13 miles per hour.

Off to Sushi for dinner & drinks with a friend!

Back & Shoulder Problems...

2007-09-17T09:53:00.000-07:00

After a long weekend on Treasure Island, doing a photo project for Treblezine at the Treasure Island Music Festival...I am hurting. My back has been bothering me since I got home on Sunday night.

I have been keeping relatively mellow the past few days, in hopes that my back will get better. One of my biggest fears is that I will have severe lower back pains on the 2nd day of Waves-to-Wine & it will be extremely tough to complete the 2nd portion of the tour.

Also considering going to a masseuse in the next week or so, maybe she can work out some of the knots in my back from carrying around all of that camera equipment.

We'll see.

Donations also accepted for a good chiropractor! ;-)

Official W2W Schedule Posted...

2007-09-10T13:40:00.001-07:00

I have already decided to take Monday, October 1st off from work. Coincidentally, it will be the day I left from New Orleans, LA in 2006...a completely different life changing event for me.

My job downtown is only a few minutes away from the ballpark, so I will be headed over there after work on Friday, September 28th to take part in the pre-ride festivities. I imagine that my pasta consumption the week before the ride will be higher than ever...if there is anyone that wants to cook me a pasta dinner that week, you are more than welcome to do so. :-)

After the 80 mile ride to Rohnert Park on Saturday, I will be camping at Sonoma Mountain Village with the other riders. They have beer & wine! And massage tables! Awesome! The overnight festivities end at 9pm, and off to sleep I will go.

Sunday morning, breakfast begins at 5:30am and the 2nd day's ride starts at 7am. This should be a fairly easy ride, except for the fact that it's another 70 miles. As long as I stay stretched & well-rested, I should be able to complete this in a reasonable amount of time.

PDF Version of the Schedule

60 miles! My longest ride yet!

2007-09-09T21:31:00.000-07:00

Bright & early on Saturday morning, I met with the rest of the PacWest Athletics crew and we embarked on quite the journey. It started in San Francisco, moved across the bridge and through Sausalito. We then continued through the Marin Headlands, and onward towards Stinson Beach--this was actually part of the route which I will be completing on September 29th.

When we reached Stinson Beach, I checked my tires had a CLIF bar and refilled my water bottles....Not quite ready for what was ahead. We started our ascent to Mt. Tamplais, which I never thought would end. Nearly 3500 feet later, my thighs were burning and I was in a completely different weather climate. It was now sunny & warm, where Stinson had been overcast & cold. I had actually traveled above the clouds.

We spent a few minutes resting at the top of the mountain, before descending through the trees back towards civilization. When we arrived in Mill Valley, we started heading east toward Tiburon & the notorious Paradise Loop. This portion of the ride was relatively flat with some rolling hills & gave us a view looking south at San Francisco and eventually of the east bay.

Finally, we were headed back towards San Francisco...one final ascent from Sausalito to the Golden Gate Bridge and back to my apartment.

As detailed in the Route Map, we traveled 60 miles, with a total of 4500 feet of climbing.

This was by far the toughest ride I have done yet...and I am told the Waves to Wine route will not be quite as tough as the one I completed on Saturday.

Downtown - Tower - Beach

2007-09-06T20:48:00.000-07:00

Left work this evening to a cloudy, windy ride.

No problems, except WIND!

Still a great ride, though.

Here's the route:
Bike Route 50 to the Zoo from Downtown

To the tower...

2007-09-06T08:18:00.000-07:00

As summer comes to an end and fall approaches, I am losing precious sunlight. By the time I leave work, the late-afternoon shadows crawl around the buildings downtown. This is a problem for me. I don't have as much time to ride before it gets dark & more dangerous. But i've found a great route which allows me to practice hill climbing & still get home before the sun goes down.

Yesterday I left from 2nd & Market, and went all the way to Sutro tower. Long hill climb, but great view from the top.

Today I will be doing the same hill, but then riding to the beach afterwards.

Saturday is going to be very important--65 miles, 4000 feet of climbing. I'm a little nervous about this one...but know I can do it.

Thank you Yelp.com!

2007-09-05T20:07:00.000-07:00

A social networking & restaurant review site that I frequent made my review of the Northern California Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis the 'review of the day'. Thanks to them, more people are aware of the event, and my cause.

Much appreciated, Yelp!

Here's to you.

My review

Flat tire hell...

2007-09-05T12:15:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, I left for a ride through Marin county called the 'Paradise Loop'. It's a decent ride, something like 45 miles round trip with some minor hill sections.

Tires were pumped to 12o psi, feet clipped into my pedals and off I went.

And about 10 miles down the road "pssssssssssss...hissssssss", and I stopped. And I replaced the tube. I even checked the tire itself for glass or other debris, and found nothing.

By the time I reached Tiburon Village (which everyone should visit sometime), my tire was flat & hissing AGAIN! What gives!?! I found the only bike shop in Tiburon, fixed my tire again and finished the ride.

Yesterday, I went back to Mike's Bikes again and started talking with my pal Dan. He explained the advantages/disadvantages of different road tires, and as usual had me leaving with more than I bargained for.

I picked up some super hefty tires, a new bike pump & and some extra tubes/CO2 cartridges.

Bandana Arrived!

2007-08-30T15:51:00.001-07:00

It will look much better on my head!

:-)

Tour for Woodside!

2007-08-29T18:25:00.001-07:00

In preparation for Waves-to-Wine, I have decided to join another ride the week before. It will take place in the hills outside of Woodside, a community adjacent to Stanford University.

The event itself is designed to raise money for certain disadvantaged schools in the South Bay, and has three length options. I have elected to do the 55 mile loop, thinking it would be good practice before the big event the following week.

Tour For Woodside

Planet of the apes road

2007-08-27T18:13:00.000-07:00

After my new pedals were installed, I decided to hit the road with some friends. Initially, we were going to take the Caltrain south towards Woodside, CA. Because of a flat tire, we changed plans.

The ride started in downtown SF, and moved through the Mission District & onward towards Daly City. We stopped in Lake Merced to regroup, check our bikes & directions before moving on. We were headed to "Planet of the Apes road", as a bay area guide to cycling book mentioned it. Unfortunately, we never made it.

We battled with directions, flat tires & fatigue--especially when giving up on the mysterious road & turning around as the sun started to set.

Finally, we reached Daly City again and ate dinner at Burgermeister.

I'm looking forward to this ride again, next time we will figure out the directions beforehand!

"Clipless Pedals"

2007-08-26T15:30:00.000-07:00

After getting a new bike in June, I still needed to make some minor improvements to endure a 150 mile ride. I decided on Saturday evening that some new & more efficient pedals would be in order as the weekend ended. Per usual, I headed to Mike's Bikes in San Francisco.

I was greeted by Daniel, the guy who actually sold me my bike! He remembered me and asked how the training was coming, and we talked for a few moments before getting to the task at hand. I explained my need for cost-effective clipless pedals that would still perform well in the long run. He recommended a set of Shimano clipless (great brand & value), and gave me some choice in shoes.

Cycling shoes are actually somewhat diverse--one can own strictly road & relatively no walking or mountain & hiking shoes. I opted for the nifty looking mountain-style shoes which would allow me some mobility on foot. The total cost for my new equipment was quite reasonable, and Dan even put me on an in-store trainer to teach me some technique with clipping in/out of the pedals.

1 month left...

2007-08-25T11:06:00.000-07:00

Waves to Wine is almost here!

1 month from today I will be riding across the Golden Gate bridge and onward towards wine country. Training has been going fairly well, although I have been a little lazy this past week. I was asked to work Saturday as a favor for a co-worker, so I'm actually updating the blog at work! No training with the PacWest athletics crew today, as I am stuck in a building downtown.

I will be riding tomorrow morning, not sure if I will be headed north or south.

More to come!

"Champions Against MS"

2007-08-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

Because I am riding in my friend's name, the Northern California chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society has asked me to wear a red "Champions Against MS" bandana. This will signify that I am actually riding for a person who fights the disease, I was told that most people who ride aren't actually riding in a friend or family member's name. They want me to talk to people about MS, and teach more about it.

I thought this was really cool, and because I have learned a lot about the disease...I am honored they have asked me to raise awareness. Who knows, maybe I will build a team of cyclists for 2008!

General Update...

2007-08-03T23:22:00.001-07:00

Truth be told, life has been very hectic lately.

I have been super busy with work, and personal life the last couple of weeks. I am currently in Los Angeles for my Uncle Jack's memorial service. He died of lung cancer about a month ago, and I have been taking some time to myself to mourn the loss & focus on other things that are also important in my life. I have found that cycling through this has actually been very helpful, gives me something to concentrate on & lose myself at the same time.

Unfortunately I will be missing tomorrow's training with PacWest Athletics, but will return to the group next Tuesday for some evening training. I have been consistently able to ride 30-45 miles in a sufficient amount of time, but will need to start increasing my distance as the Waves to Wine event is getting closer.

My Mom & Dad are also coming to San Francisco in September, to see me ride! I'm so glad that I have supportive parents who are behind me in whatever I do...I'm also hoping to reach my goal of $2500 in fundraising for the event, I win an 'elite fundraiser' jersey if I do!

That's all for now, more to come soon!

Pacific West Athletics - Team Photo

2007-08-03T12:20:00.000-07:00

Received an e-mail today from PacWest Athletics, with our training team photo!

Destroy Your Spokes!

2007-07-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

If you have noticed my 'bike-related reviews' section of my training blog, I am actually a member of an online networking community that promotes restaurant reviews and activities for like minded people. Doug D, a fellow yelper, recently organized an event for other Yelping cyclists to get out & enjoy a morning ride together.

We met at the Sports Basement around 9:30am, introduced ourselves & headed across the bridge towards Tiburon. The ride which we endured together was called the 'Paradise Loop', which I have actually done on my own before. It was awesome to ride with my new internet buddies, and one of them was of great help when I got a flat tire.

Alfonso E. taught me that can actually patch a tire with foil, or even a CLIF bar wrapper. I didn't have an extra tube, so Doug generously offered one of his. Very nice people, made me very happy to have some new cycling buddies. I'm looking forward to the next DYS event, hopefully the turnout will be even bigger the next time around!

Spaaaaandex!

2007-07-23T11:17:00.000-07:00

After nearly a month of longer rides & relative discomfort, I made the decision to start wearing spandex shorts. Don't worry, though--I wear normal shorts over it. Do I dare post a photograph? We shall see. They are definitely comfortable...I hate to admit but I have actually worn them around the apartment for hours after I finish my ride.

Tour De Fat!

2007-07-22T11:53:00.000-07:00

A fellow cyclist & Yelp.com buddy told me about the San Francisco Bike Coalition's annual "Tour de Fat" event. In association with the New Belgium brewery, the event is designed to promote community amongst cyclists of all sorts & also raise awareness about the environment/bio-diesel fuels.

Mike's Bikes was there repairing people' bikes free-of-charge, and there was cool music playing. Fat Tire beer was being served & there was even a bike rodeo!

Good times, Good people.

Tour De Fat Website

Hill training...

2007-07-18T10:47:00.000-07:00

Last night was not fun. Noooooo. Not fun at all.

I was bitter about being back at work, and generally upset about some other stuff in life lately. So I left work at 5:30pm, down the Embarcadero and over to Crissy Fields for training.

When I arrived, the weather was horrible--and it got worse.

Because it was so incredibly foggy, the coaches decided to keep us in the Presidio & do hill exercises. We worked the same damn hill for almost 2 hours, over & over & over again.

I rode the route 6 times (see link), until I couldn't do it anymore.

A few other riders and myself lapped the others a few times...felt good to know I was performing well even on the nasty foggy hills.

Presidio Hills Loop:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1149775

Day of the destructive tire tubes...

2007-07-16T19:43:00.001-07:00

Although I was a bit tired from the weekend' activities, I managed to hitch a ride with my brother to the airport this morning. Getting through Burbank Airport was easy as usual, just the normal hub-bub airport security checkpoint stuff. I was back in San Francisco by 1pm, and stopped by Mike's Bikes to chat with Dan & pickup some new tubes, CO2 cartridges & a cycle computer.

He recommended that I get something which will allow me to work on both my cadence & also monitor speed, total distance, etc...I decided on the Micro Wireless CatEye Computer.

I headed home, fixed my rear tube (with help of my roommate) and headed off shortly thereafter for my 20 miles Marin Headlands session.
The ride itself was pretty normal; heavy foot & cycle traffic on the bridge, and tourists attempting to look back towards the city through the heavy fog. As I continued my ascent through the Headlands, the wind kicked up & the fog got extremely dense. Regardless of weather, the Headlands loop is by far my favorite ride that I've found in the bay area.
I continued towards the westernmost part of the area, where I found the coolest YMCA on the planet! It is nestled amongst abandoned army facilities, and is no more than 1/4 mile to the Pacific Ocean.
Just as I passed the YMCA to snap the last photograph, I looked down and found that my rear tire was AGAIN flat! I was miles from any real help, and started to panic. Then I remembered, being the smart guy that I am...I had packed an extra tube & C02 tank. Phew! So I flipped my bike upside-down on the side of the road, and went to work. The first time I repaired my tube, it took me nearly half an hour...this time I had a good idea of how to do it & spent no more than 5 minutes getting the job done.

Ft Cronkite & Pacific Ocean

I continued through the valley portion of the Headlands, and through the one-way tunnel. I thought it would be interesting to post the photograph for people to see...as a cyclist you actually can push a button which allows a little extra time to get through the tunnel before you are met with head on traffic.
After that, it was the normal route back to the city. I beat my time on the Headlands loop again, start-to-finish it was about an hour and a half.

The toughest portion of today's ride was repairing a flat on the spot, but i did quite well considering my relative inexperience with the bike!

Training tomorrow with PacWest Athletics, we're doing the same ride I believe.

Check back soon!

Wedding Day / Plans for Monday ride...

2007-07-15T10:23:00.001-07:00

Today is my friend Brad's wedding! Woohoo! I will post some pictures & hopefully everyone involved will also be visiting the site in the near future, to check in and see how I'm doing with the training! Who knows...maybe they will even donate to the cause (wink wink).

So...As I previously mentioned, my rear tire is currently flat. I am returning to San Francisco tomorrow around 12pm, and have the day off. I will be fixing my tire & headed out for a 30 mile ride for the rest of the afternoon.

I am going to ride through the Headlands again, as that parcticular grade seems to be the best training on a ride of about 30 miles. If I am feeling extra adventerous, I may double back halfway and try a new route through the area with a seconday uphill section. Should be a great workout!

For now, time to celebrate my friends' special day!

Los Angeles for the weekend...

2007-07-14T12:51:00.000-07:00

One of my best friends is getting married on Sunday to his lovely fiance! They live/work in Los Angeles, so I have headed back for the weekend to visit them & my family. I arrived at Bob Hope Airport yesterday afternoon, and Mom cooked me some tacos for dinner (still my favorite meal of all time).

I watched "Entourage" last night, and got to bed pretty early. I totally wish that my bike was with me today!!! Would have been nice to ride some roads in Southern California. My friend Brad had picked up my tuxedo--I am one of his groomsmen, and I went over to his place to try it on today. It fits wonderfully, and oh man do I look like a stud! Watch out, ladies! :)

Before I left, he pulled something else out of his closet. It was a Triple-Five Soul blazer that once fit me before I moved to San Francisco, but living in Los Angeles and working at an italian restaurant took its toll on my weight. I gave Brad the blazer when I left for SF, weighing about 215lbs. Since I have moved to the city, and started cycling more...I now weigh 195lbs. Not bad!

My goal is to weigh 185lbs when the Waves-to-Wine event happens in September.

@#$%*^!

2007-07-11T19:55:00.000-07:00

Popped my rear tube on the way home from work today! Ugh. I don't have time to get it fixed until I return on Monday from Los Angeles.

Maybe some magical road bike fairy will come into my apartment while I am gone & repair it for me.

Meh.

Perfect way to finish a long day at work...

2007-07-10T23:58:00.000-07:00

As I sat in the office yesterday, I couldn't help but looking forward to Day 2 of the official training program. It seemed like time was going backwards! I just wanted to get away from all the All-Star game hustle Downtown, get my legs moving & endorphines pumpin'...

I watched the clock strike 5:30 PM, and I was out the door like Superman. I rode along the Embarcadero, through Fisherman's Wharf & onward to the Sports Basement near Crissy Field.

Here's the link from start-to-finish of the ride:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1128373

Needing some new bike accesories, I picked up two water bottle holders (carbon-fiber may I add) & some water bottles. Also grabbed a cyclists multi-tool, so I can make minor adjustments to "Ol' Red" on my own. The training class met outside & we introduced ourselves to each other again.

I mentioned to some of the cyclists that aren't yet on a team, that I am recruiting! Who knows...Maybe some will join Team LisaWiz! Leslie (who I previously mentioned) wants to join my team, but asked that we make her aunt our "team hero". Not a chance. Lisa is the hero on this team!

So we embarked on our evening ride, which was initally going to be a hill exercise. I rocked out to a playlist made by none other than the Wiz awhile back and kept good pace. As we moved across the bridge & practiced drafting off each other, the wind started to kick up. Oh, and by "kick up" I mean 45 mph gusts as we cornered the various bridge towers. Scary!

Coach Ridgeway decided to keep us out of the Headlands due to the high winds & we proceeded down Sausalito Lateral towards Mill Valley.

Overall, it was a nice ride. I was a little bummed that we didn't get to practice riding up hills more, but it was nice to get out after work...listen to some tunes & clear my head of all my worries. My new pal Leslie even showed me a cool route through the Presidio to my apartment!

This is the bike path in Sausalito towards Mill Valley & Tiburon...

This is the view looking south from to my fair city...I suggest visiting Sausalito for a weekend afternoon--it's quaint, a little sleepy & somewhat tourist-driven. You can even take the Ferry there & back (or you can ride your bike like me).

Total trip time: 2 hours

Total Mileage: 22 miles

Toughest Section: The Windy Bridge! Those gusts were atrocious!

Takin' it easy today...

2007-07-08T14:00:00.000-07:00

After yesterday's longer ride, Coach Jay mentioned that I should do a shorter ride on flat road for Sunday. I found this awesome website (which can be found in the links section) that calculates distance point-by-point & even calories burned!

It would work great for cyclists & runners alike.

Here's the link for my ride today:
Great Highway & Lake Merced Loop

This is the Sutro District, it is located at the end of Geary Avenue. In the 1920's, San Francisco's social elite gathered here to rub shoulders. Since then, it has been broken down by years of poor maintenance, vandals & crashing waves.

This is the view looking south from Sutro District---Pacific ocean on the right, Outer Richmond District on the left. Around the same time the Sutro District thrived, there was also a boardwalk where you now see large amounts of sand.
The Great Highway -- good for a long flat ride to work on cadence & rhythm while riding.
Lake Merced borders southern San Francisco & Daly City...It is also very close to San Francisco State University where I am currently studying Photojournalism!

Total Mileage: 15
Total Tiime: 1 hour 15 minutes
Toughest Section: Riding on main streets/avenues on a Sunday afternoon! Yikes!

Official Waves to Wine route published...

2007-07-08T10:23:00.000-07:00

Here are the links!

Day 1 - AT&T Park to Sonoma Mountain Village in Rohnert Park, CA

Day 2 - Rohnert Park, CA to Lake Sonoma in Healdsburg, CA.

Goodbye ol' Marin Mountain Bike.

2007-07-07T17:33:00.000-07:00

I was able to recoup some of the $$$ that was spent on my Canondale road bike by selling my old Marin mountain bike for $350...
Thanks Louis for buying my bike! I hope you treat it well!

Pacific West Athletics - Official Training Day 1

2007-07-07T15:00:00.000-07:00

After my ride to Sutro Tower on Monday & some thinking throughout the day on 4th of July, I resolved to sign up for the official training program for Waves to Wine. I found the training program very easily, it was on the Waves to Wine website in the official sponsors section. The holiday week wound down, and Day 1 grew closer. Wanting to have all the energy possible for my first day of training, I stayed home and had steak & tater tots with my buddy Scott Smith (soon-to-be volunteer). I was asleep by 11pm, with sweet dreams of crossing the Waves-to-Wine finish line in better time than most others.

My rooster alarm wakes me up, and I'm off! Grabbed some water & energy bars, and hit the streets for a cold, wet & foggy ride through the Presidio. I met the training team at Sports Basement, just a hop, skip & a jump away from the Golden Gate Bridge.

Training started with our coaches teaching us a few things about our bikes, etiquette & technique while riding.
Jessica Fewless, event director for the NorCal National MS Society chapter discussed the MS150 tour route & answered questions about the event. After that, we hit the road!

We went across the bridge, through Sausalito & onward to Tiburon. Turns out that today was the San Francisco breast cancer walk, so everything was pretty congested on the paths...but we still managed to maneuver and learn how to use hand signals quite well! In a pack of 15 or so cyclists, I managed to stay within the Top 5 the whole time! Pretty good, eh? I thought so.

I also managed to make a new cycling buddy, Leslie. She's from Pennsylvania & is riding for her aunt who is living with MS. I'm guessing that amongst a few other people, she & I will probably stick together through the Waves-to-Wine ride.

Total miles for Day 1: 38
Total time: 3 hours, 15 minutes.
Toughest section: Return Hill from Sausalito to Golden Gate Bridge.

Next training session is on Tuesday evening!

Ride to Sutro Tower

2007-07-03T10:16:00.000-07:00

My eyes & mind thanked me for yesterday's solace, but my calve muscles did not. I left work at 2nd & Market with the reins of my new horse trained on the most visible landmark in the city.

I moved quickly through rush hour traffic Downtown, Castro, and Upper Market...where I slammed into the back of a Prius who cut me off & slammed on the brakes. Don't worry, I was okay though! The driver quickly apologized. Onward I went, through the hills..more hills...still more hills...did I mention their were hills? Finally I reached the tower, only 30 minutes from downtown to the top!

I am always amazed by the view of the city from Sutro Tower. You can see everything--North, South, East & West. The city seems so much smaller from up there--all the people in it moving along like ants trying to get through their day & make a life for themself just like the rest of us. It's peaceful, really. A great place to stop and reflect for awhile.

I've visited the tower before with friends & family, and I still can't get enough of the view. The most gratifying part about riding up to the tower, was actually riding back down.
I was riding faster than the cars moving down the hill at the same time!

New bike!!!

2007-07-01T22:17:00.000-07:00

So I picked up my new bike over the weekend! This is the one which I will be riding in the tour. Spent some time getting used to it on Saturday afternoon, I actually cut my time by about 45 minutes on the same ride through the headlands which I previously mentioned. I am holding it above my head to show how light it actually is. Sooooo stoked! More to come on training and everything soon.

Mike's Bikes experience...

2007-06-29T12:43:00.000-07:00

My Mike's Bikes experience started with searching no further than the Waves to Wine website, where I found out they are an official sponsor. Checked around their website & found my way to some decently priced bikes. I then got a little excited about them being on 8th & Howard--pretty close to my cubicle world Downtown.

So I made my way over there...browsed around for a few & then met Dan, the Sales Manager. He was awesome & totally helpful. He explained everything about road bikes--wheels, frames, handlebars, shoes...you name it! The bike is offered with three months free tuneup & a 5-year tuneup guarantee for $95. You could tell that this man truly loves bicycles, I think he probably has every possible bicycle one can own.

The store itself was separated in two parts, clothing & bikes/accessories.

I am headed back on Saturday to pickup the bike & get fitted for it. Totally stoked. On another note, bike for sale if you're interested. $300. It's in great shape.

http://sfbay.craigslist....

Looking to get a "real" road bike...

2007-06-25T22:27:00.001-07:00

While I was living in Los Angeles, I would mostly ride off-road trails & needed a bike designed specifically for that. Well...after moving to San Francisco, it became evident very quickly that I would need some street tires. The street warrior slicks have worked well so far, but with longer distances in the near future...I'm going to need a complete overhaul on the bike frame.

Here's the new bike I'm checking out at the moment:

Somewhat affordable & very lightweight, this will improve my stamina & speed. Hopefully I will be able to get on this bike by late July, pending budget. Zoom zoom zoom!

Who knows, maybe I will even get a matching outfit!

:-)

20 Miles through the Marin Headlands

2007-06-25T22:03:00.000-07:00

The weather in San Francisco has been amazing the past few days, perfect for getting out & hitting the pavement. I woke up this morning with one major goal for the day--test my stamina through the hills.

I headed out & across the bridge through the Presidio, cautiously dodging tourists and keeping a good pace going. When I hit my first major incline of the day, I quickly learned that conserving my energy would be the key. As I continued up the hill, I could see the entire city and bridge below. Such an amazing view!

When I finally reached the peak, I paused one last time to take in the view & then I was headed into the valley and towards my makeshift checkpoint--Fort Cronkite. I have never moved so quickly on a bike in my entire life. At maximum speed, I must have reached at least 35 MPH...quite exhilarating being along massive cliffs above the Pacific Ocean. I made my way to Ft. Cronkite and was generously offered lunch and a refill of my water bottle, by none other than Lisa Wiz! We chatted and walked a seaside trail for a few until she had to get back to work.

The ride back was less strenuous, but a little scary when headed through the one-way tunnel which was wet & a little dark (not the best conditions for a bike at quick speeds).

Total trip time, estimated at 2 hours and 15 minutes...That needs to improve.

Welcome to my MS150 training blog!

2007-06-24T21:01:00.000-07:00

Chances are that you have surfed into my training blog after visiting the Team LisaWiz sponsorship page. If you have already donated, thank you so much! If you haven't, there is still some time--just don't forget! With a starting goal of $2500, I feel it's quite attainable...with the support of wonderful people like you.

For now, I am the only person riding for Team LisaWiz. I'm hoping that some people will decide to join the team & volunteer at the event...or maybe even ride with me! I'm super excited about completing the tour, this is my FIRST long distance bike tour EVER.

I will be updating the blog periodically, with new information about my training process & different experiences I am having on the road.

Thanks again for your support & be sure to bookmark this page!

Waves to Wine Official Site