2008 Notes:

- Dec 21:  Well I've posted my event plan for next year.  It's aggressive.  Some rides I probably won't be able to do for various reasons, but I've found a number of new rides that I'd really like to try.  I've loaded August with some distance just in case I decide to to the "Voyager" Hoodoo 500 in September.  If I don't do the Hoodoo, then I'd like to try the Amtrak Century and the Moab Century.  I'm making good progress getting back on form and expect to be close to where I was in 2006 by February.

- Aug 2:  With the lack of consistent training over the past year or so I'm no longer at a level to be able to complete the really long rides that I enjoy so much, so after the Davis Double I decided to step back and re-group.  Part of my problem is a goal conflict.  I want to lose weight, but I also want to perform well.  Doing one impacts the other.  So I'm focusing on weight loss or I should say fat loss.  One of the guys at work turned me onto beachbody.com's p90x program, an in-home daily video series focused on burning fat.  That's my current focus, we'll see how it goes in 90 days!  You'll notice I really cut back on rides for the rest of the year.  I like the Durango Fall Blaze, but I'll wait until closer to the end of August before deciding if I really want to do it.  I am, however, committed to doing the California MS150 "Bay to Bay" tour.  Somehow I got roped into being the team captain for a NetApp cycling team!  Donations are gratefully accepted here.  :-)

May 4:  Just posted my ride report for the Globe to Show Low ride on Apr 19th.  I've had it written for a couple weeks, but just haven't gotten around to posting it.  I also adjusted my schedule some and took off some rides.  I was a bit over-optimistic about the number of rides I want to do this year, so I'm cutting back.  My fitness level is coming back up though, so I'm optimistic for a really good Cochise Classic this year! :-)

- Apr 4:  I decided to take the Mulholland double off my ride list.  It’s 202 miles with 16,500 feet of climbing (ranked as the 3rd hardest in the California double series).  I did surprisingly well at Solvang, but it only has 7500 feet of climbing.  The analysis of the different climbs on the Mulholland ride show Potrero Road with 2.88 miles @ 8.5% avg (25% max), Balcolm Canyon with .65 miles @ 13.2% avg (24% max), Decker Canyon with 3.71 miles @ 7.8% avg (20% max) and Stunt Road with 3.72 miles @ 6.9% avg (12.5% max).    Certainly looks challenging!  But I’m nowhere near ready for that kind of challenge!  I’ll look for a couple easier Doubles.  Hopefully I’ll be in shape for Mulholland next year, because it looks like the kind of challenge I’d really enjoy if I were in better shape!  I'm pretty sure I'll be in Sunnyvale the week of May 12th, so the Davis Double on May 17th is looking pretty good right now...

- Feb 12: Wow, took a few months off the bike and my power to weight ratio plummeted!  I'm calling this an "artificial injury" and will need to rebuild some base miles before I think seriously about a good long ride.  So I'm scratching February rides, but at least have been back to riding my rollers in the mornings.  I'll use Mine Country as a barometer for whether or not I'm up for an "easy" double later in the month.  Hopefully within the next week I'll be back to a more consistent training routine!  Jeff suggested that I keep my goals somewhere easily available, so I've posted my 2008 Goals under my "Goals" page.

- Jan 12:  I'm off to a slow start this year.  I wasn't able to get a lot of training in over the last few months, but hope to turn that around soon.  My primary goal this year is the California Triple Crown.  There are plenty of California doubles, so even with the slow start, I think it's an achievable goal. :-)