A mishmash of cycling stuff

Thanks to recent trips to San Diego and Yosemite, all of my latest blogs have basically been ride reports.  That’s fine because they were some really, really great rides.  However, there are a few more interesting things that have happened as well.  Since none of them are really long enough to have its own blog, I offer you this collection of random stories.  Are you ready?

Let me start by pointing out my new logo for Lee’s Life Adventure.  If you are one of my FB friends, you have already seen it or you may have noticed it just appeared not to long ago.  The logo came about after a conversation Coach Tim and I had one night after a training class that went like this.

Tim - “Do you have a logo for your blog?”
Me - “No! Why?”
Tim - “If you did I would put it on the ESP Fitness Training jersey.”
Me - “I guess I’m getting a logo.”

So that’s what I did.  I am proud to say that I came up with the concept.  However, it took the efforts of a very talented graphic artists to bring it to life.  So far it seems most people think it’s pretty cool.

On Monday, after my drive back from San Diego, I got the chance to head out on the West County Revolution Old Pros ride.  What made this ride kinda of cool was that we rode many of my favorite roads.  As much as I love riding in new places, I have to say I live in one of the best cycling areas in the world.  It’s nice to be reminded of that from time to time.

There is one other antidote from the Old Pros ride.  After topping a steep, steep little grunt of a hill, I was breathing very heavy.  Next thing I know, I have Steve’s hand in the small of my back pushing me along.  He tells me to stop pedaling and just take deep breaths.  It was awesome!  Nothing like having the team sponsor looking after you on a ride.

Speaking of our new team, the Team Revolution kits are done and I think they look freaking great and I can’t wait to start rolling around Wine Country flying the new team colors.  It will be an interesting change from our current rides where we resemble a race peloton with all of our mismatched kits.

Returning to riding, yesterday was the first day of Spring so you would think I would be out riding all over the place.  But alas, it was not to be.  Coach Tim has me doing back-to-back recovery rides.  As much as I hated missing out on the beautiful Spring weather, I was very fatigued at the end of last season because I did not spend enough time recovering.  I don’t want to make that mistake again.

The shorter recovery rides gave me time to get some yard work done and start seriously planning the next big cycling adventure, which will be France in 2011.  I will turn 50 next year so Sherry and I, along with 4 other couples, are heading to France.  As part of the trip, all of the cyclists in the group will climb Mont Ventoux.  I can’t wait.

As to my more immediate future (I mean like in an hour or so), well that involves our new stove.  Now, I can already hear the question.  Why is Lee talking about a new stove in his cycling blog?  Well, it’s like this.  The new stove has a central oval burner with a griddle over it, which is perfect for making what?  You guessed it.  French toast! 

It’s quite funny to me how a joke about french toast that I made over a year ago continues to hang around.  People will actually ask me about it if I go too long without some form of french toast reference.  I guess there are worse lots in life then having to eat Sherry’s fantastic french toast on a regular basis.

There you have it.  A mishmash of thoughts and stories all somehow connected to the great sport of cycling.  Now if you excuse me, I smell french toast cooking.

Ciao!