Saturday Suffer-fest

 Al and Omar put on a spectacular event. The turnout was much larger than they anticipated. That's a good thing and they deserve it.  My guess is 3/4's of the field raced team category. I do not know which would be tougher: Scaling back 25% effort and see how many laps you can do in 6 hours solo. Or team up and race it like a freakin' time trial. We learned  fast from the other teams that the transition wrist band / hand off/  delivery is done on- the- fly.

     We completed 10 laps. Jodi was the star on this one. Competition was stupid hard. (that's me whining right now). Pin it, red line it, WFO every lap. In lovely 100 degree Inland Empire weather. You can see the salt deposits on Jodi's kit. Salt I would liked to have had mid into my 4th lap. 

I love this shot of her closing in and soon passing this fellow young competitor. Hooks up on his wheel and then taking the inside on the corner. The other pic would be me. Suffering. But then so was everybody else. 

          We took first place Expert coed team. Narrowly. Battle from the start to finish. And this one is all credit to Jodi. I was damage control when the temp hit triple digits. Cramps suck. But this race and everyone in it didn't. Great atmosphere. Great sportsmanship. Great event. Thanks to all who volunteered. See you next year. With some extra sodium.

            

  

6 hour Endurance Mountain Bike Race this Saturday @ Bonelli Park!!!!

It starts at 9 a.m.  Multiple fun up and down 6 mile loops. For six hours. You can race day sign up. Several categories for all. Going to be a hot one. Bring fluids that you can leave in your pit area.
              Dug up this vintage pic from a Bonelli race. Racing on one of THEEE first single speeds let loose in the area back in the day. It was a Cannondale 1FG. Which stood for one fu#^=ing gear. I remember it well. And I dug it. C'Dale headshock. Lockout at your fingertips. Mechanical disc brakes. Simple. Light. Fast.  Oh and those now pretty much obsolete 26" wheels! Sure worked though.

Tuff Races behind Tough races ahead

With Nutty/brutal Mt. Baldy Time Trial race to the ski lifts done. Even nuttier so the off road Snow Valley duathlon run/bike/run done:  Jodi's long haul/by/herself/roadtrip to Ironman Canada Whistler all behind us (all in the same month)  It is time to chill just a tad. Chill as in still swim around the O'Side Pier. Run the sand to Carlsbad and back. Still bump out a hard ride here in our local San Gabriels.......... With a few potential Hawaiian World Championship triathlon races coming up, being slack ain't happening right now.
      But do get in some dang good surf sessions and long open water swims every time we are down in Oceanside. This shot taken by Robert L. from the O'Side pier Saturday eve. Take off. Bottom turn. Pull into the tube. Repeat. Stoked. Big. No pressure. Good vibes.

Jet Settin' Jodi departing for Whislter Canada

She has trained properly. Tapered correctly. I just packed her bike. It's off to the airport where I will drop her curb-side. It's all good. It's just that 99.9% of the time we travel and race together.  With us down to one lab from the last of three we can not leave our little 'ol girl Roxy without one of us here. Having her failing sucks 100% more than me not going on this trip. Jodi is a great traveler, experienced world wide competitor and will be just fine. And ready to rock the Ironman course. Go girl. We will be with you the whole way.

Hotter Than Hell Mt. Baldy Time Trial his morning

That's one demanding climb. Very much so with the words Time Trial attached to it. Just as long, just as steep as last year. 2012 I took  1st place  category with one hour 16 minutes. This year one minute and 36 seconds faster ( I attribute it to the cooler temp albeit hot as hell still)  Good stuff. Done in my 11-23 cassette. A glutton for punishment yes. Racing attendance seemed double in size. Yet I seen VERY few locals. Wonder why that is? Can't seem to quite figure that one out. Show up. Clip in. Head up the mountain. See what you can do. 

                                                                   Nice going David Robertson. Nice going Scott Palmer. Thanks Robert L and thank you T. for the awesome moral support and pics..and ice freeze down the back of jersey 

Mt. Baldy Time trial: Ironman warm up

This is Jodi just ripping Mt. Baldy TT up last year. If you are familiar whatsoever you know any and every segment is brutal steep. May be the toughest climb in Cali. At least one of 'em. The TT is again happening this Saturday. With Ironman Canada up for Jodi in two weeks she will actually race her TT bike up it this weekend for kicks. Certainly not a TT bike course. But after hammering up this this beast, Whistler will certainly feel a little tamer.

Xterra Duathlon Snow Valley

Gary and Carla McMurtrey and their whole team from Inland Inferno put on the one of the best races in California. They offer the longer tri race, the shorter race, trail run races and the off road biathlon. Biathlon like mid 80's biathlon: Run/bike/run. Only this is off road. At 7500' elevation.

           Thanks to all the crew, volunteers, new friend Paul Hubbell  (dude built like a tank on the left) who made it one heck of a fun and challenging day. He and I battled from start to finish.

           Great to see long endurance/athlete/guru Paul Romero today also. You rocked it. Jodi rocked it. The Carnahans rocked it. Jeff Henley rocked it. John Skelton won his division. Anyone and everyone who did this monster of a course rocked it today. 

           The McMurtreys put a huge amount of love and effort into this event.( the awards must have taken a week each to make)

 Because that's who they are and what they are all about. Only wish it was more common these days..