I’m not sure why I’m dwelling on this so much, but I can’t believe how many miles I get and it is still way before I normally even leave to ride. These guys get going too early. But it isn’t too early if you’re racing at 9 am a couple times this week. I’m trying to get on that schedule. It’s not my body’s normal schedule for sure.

We drove over to Rancho Santa Fe and met Don and Sue’s friend, Brad at the bakery. We then rode over Del Dios Hwy. and I turned around after about 10 miles. I went back to the bakery, had a coffee and muffin and then headed over to the coast, a little out of the way North.

It amazes me how many people ride bikes out here on the weekends. I saw 100’s. Multiple 100’s. Individuals, packs of 50. Lots. It is nice being able to tag onto the back of a group any direction that you happen to be heading. I got behind a small group of 10 most the way to the coast. Easy.

I have to put new cleats on my shoes, mount cross tires on my clinchers and get my bike ready for the race tomorrow up in LA. It is going to be nothing like Oregon. This will be a desert race. But, I think I need the intensity that I’ve been so avoiding the past 4 days. I have nearly 350 miles the past 4 days. Like I said before, probably not the best for a short cyclo-x, but that is just too bad.

I heard some interesting news that kind of depresses me. The time trials that they are running up in Bend for Masters at Nationals aren’t being held at the Nationals venue. I haven’t confirmed this, but I assume it’s true. That is so wrong. I was wondering how they were going to close the course down in the morning to run those qualifiers. They aren’t. So, they are holding a 10 minute race on another course to decide how good everyone is to line up at the start of a different course? Maybe they should just do computrainer races instead on a simulated Nationals course. It would be about the same. Who wants to spend time riding a different course the day before their event? Not me. I’m wondering how many people are even going to be pre-riding that course? I thought it would be kind of fun comparing times from the different categories. Not anymore. They need to come up with a better way to do the whole thing.

Wayne Stetina is going to hate reading this, but historically, The USAC Nationals, in most all disciplines, are some of the least thought out, worst run events I go to. That wasn’t the case in Bend last year though and hopefully it won’t be the case this year.

I saw this Mercedes AMG in front of the bakery. I’d never seen one, even in a magazine. It has gullwings and the styling is unbelievable. I looked it up on the internet, 200K. New for 2011. I think you can put your name in for the wait list.

Check out the size of these front brake calipers and rotors. I think the rotors are ceramic?

My little group for the ride back to the coast. Every rider here was on carbon. And not one duplicate frame. Colnago, Specialized, Motobecane, Wilier, Orbea and lots of others. My ti Eriksen was the standout.

The fun filled day continued. Sue and I drove up to Del Mar and ate lunch up on a park overlooking the ocean. Then we took her two dogs over to doggy beach. I guess from October until April, the beach is open for dogs off leash. It was a blast. Tons of all different breeds of dogs running crazy. Ranger, a German short hair was the fittest by far. Never stopped running the whole hour. Crazy for gulls. Or any birds. Bromont would kill him, of course.

Tomorrow morning I’m driving up to Palos Verdes to do a local cyclocross. I’m a little apprehensive about going up there. I’m kind of worried that there won’t be many riders. I’ve been warned. It really doesn’t matter much. I’m just trying to get a workout. The map of the course looks like a lot of pedaling. That’s fine. I’m kind of beat from all the miles and schedule, but I’m planning on taking it easy most of next week.

Okay. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Ranger with all his electronics. A Garmin collar and a shock/warning collar. Obviously, he can get carried away with his bird observations.

Sue not wanting to be photographed. The tide was way out this afternoon.

I love this picture and this dog. He was totally consumed the whole time by anything that moved underwater. Strange for a bird dog.