Sunday Training Ride

Today we had an unusual immunity challenge (immunity pump pictured below) for the Scott&BR Show radio contestants. Things got serious right away when Jim handed out 3x5 cards and had us write the names of two riders who we thought should get cut from the team. Ouch! The smiles faded from everyone's faces as soon as we realized Jim wasn't joking. Everyone was stunned, silence ensued, and we reluctantly handed in our cards to Jim.

Today it finally hit home to all of us that this is a contest and anything may be thrown our way. How do you vote off two riders from a group of nine? Do you choose who you think will be kicked off? Or do you choose someone who you think will win? Tune into the XX1090 Scott&BR Show this Tuesday morning between 6:30 am and 7:30 am to hear Scott Kaplan announce who the two riders are.

We then proceeded with the morning announcements of which there were many. We have a double century ride coming up that will be from San Diego to Redondo Beach for an overnight stay on Saturday night, and then we head back to San Diego on Sunday morning. This should be an interesting test of stamina as we all push our bodies for 200 miles.

There were also a few announcements about some fundraising events and silent auctions that are taking place in a few weeks (listed below).

• Sushi for CAF Silent Auction
• Spirit of the Athlete Auction
• Exceptional Athletes, Exceptional People

The ride today was supposed to be an 80+ mile out and back to San Clemente with an optional 20 mile addition. Instead, it was decided to just do the San Clemente ride and keep the SAG stops quick and easy. Heading up the coast, the tempo was pretty steady, but not too fast. At least until we hit Camp Pendleton, then Bryon Black dropped the hammer and off we went, or at least most of us. I was unlucky enough to not notice the surge and it was too late by the time a few of us discovered we were out of luck.

Mike and Lisa Jennings, Agit, Deb, Deeanna, I and a few others put our heads down and started a pace line to try and catch up with Bryon's train. Just when we thought we could catch them after a steep but short hill, it looked like the main group was even farther ahead. That was some serious pace line we did, but it wasn't enough to catch up. Later I discovered that Bryon has two time trial races next week at Fiesta Island and is in training for it. I would say that he is ready.

The first SAG stop was at the end of Camp Pendleton and I saw the familiar face of Tina Perez. Tina had the peanut butter sandwiches already made and it was great not to have to wipe peanut butter off of my gloves from trying to spread it on the bread with a knife. Thanks Tina.

We then proceeded through the beach parking lot and maintained a pretty moderate pace all the way up to the start of San Clemente. The last few miles are through a residential neighborhood with lots of turns and stop signs. The half-way point was 7-11 where we all rehydrated and refueled. Mike H. took a snapshot of me after polishing off my banana. I felt pretty good at this point and assumed the way back would be just as pleasant. Boy was I wrong.

After getting back through the neighborhood's turns and stop signs, we found ourselves back on the Old Pacific Highway bike path. It was here that Bryon dropped the hammer again and off we went, well some of that it is. I tried to keep up but just couldn't and soon found myself halfway between Bryon's group of riders and the rest of the pack. It was windy, I was alone, and man did my legs feel tired. I managed to regroup with the other riders and we caught up to Bryon's group just past the entrance to the beach campground.

The only reason we managed to catch up was because one of the riders, Deeanna, went down in a patch of sand. Fortunately, she was unscathed except for her tire which had a large hole in it. Luckily, one of the other riders had a tire boot and we were soon on our way again. Bryon dropped another hammer all the way down Old Pacific Highway where we stopped at the SAG wagon again. This time, the stop was even shorter and we soon found ourselves in Camp Pendleton. Bryon promised that we wasn't going to pull anymore and was done. Yeah, right.

Bryon must have had one more in him because this time he decimated the pack and I soon found myself in familiar territory all alone with just the wind in my face. It was about this time Andrew pulled up beside me and we pace lined each other to the end of Pendleton. We caught up with Bryon who had let the others go ahead of him so he could make sure everyone stayed together and got through Camp Pendleton ok, which we did.

Everyone was cooked by this time and the last 15 miles or so back to the parking lot seemed like an eternity. Luckily, no more hammers were dropped and we all made it back in as one group. Today was a tough ride, but we all needed to be pushed a little. In a few weeks we have two long rides back to back and after today, I know we will all be ready for it.

It's coming together!

Please join me in raising the awareness. Donate today by clicking the link below.

http://mdc2008.kintera.org/northup4CAF

Thank you.

Torrey Pines vs Torrey Pines HS

Both Mike Henderson (another radio contestant) and I spoke several times this week and always ended our conversation with "see you at Torrey Pines High School" for our Thursday evening training ride. At least that is where we thought we were supposed to meet. You see, we have both been moving a mile a minute with our regular work, not to mention family, fundraising, and planning our Sushi Silent Auction to benefit the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF). So when we got it in our heads that we were meeting at Torrey Pines High School, it never dawned on us to see if it was Torrey Pines hill repeats instead.

After realizing no one else was going to come to us, we decided to ride our bikes over to Torrey Pines State Reserve and meet up with the rest of the group. When we got to the bottom of the hill, we hooked up with Kayvon (QMDC Chair) and got instructions from Bryon Black (QMDC Group Leader) who was acting like airport traffic control directing riders on which hill to climb (inside or outside), which gear to use, and how hard to push. It was nice to have this instruction, otherwise I wouldn't get the full benefit of the workout. Thanks Bryon.

Mike and I headed up the hill where we saw Momo (fellow XX1090 radio contestant and immunity pump winner at last Sunday's ride) already heading down the hill with a group of two other QMDC riders. Momo always has a smile on her face, has a great attitude that is infectious, and is a joy to be around. Mike and I hollared and waved and continued on up the hill. After coming down, we headed back up the outside hill again, then up the inside hill for some tempo work. Since we had to ride back to Torrey Pines High School, we cut the hill work short and started back.

This gave Mike and I some time to discuss our Sushi Silent Auction plans and brainstorm ways to raise awareness for CAF and QMDC. I must say, that I am having fun raising awareness and promoting this event. I have met some incredible people along the way and it just makes me want to do everything I can to pitch in and help.

When I got home, I had a nice surprise waiting for me. It was a notice from my QMDC sponsor page that a friend of mine (Ricky) just donated $500 with a corporate match of and additional $500. Ricky is my best friend from college and has a heart of gold. He is the one that suggested I start a Blog about my experience with the QMDC, CAF, and XX1090 Scott&BR Show. Thanks Ricky. I love you bro.

This now raises my total money collected to $4075. My goal is to make it to the full $10,000 by the October 5th deadline. August 31 is the deadline for the first $5,000, so I still have a ways to go to make my first deadline. Everyone is giving this all they have and we all want everyone to succeed and raise the total $1,000,000 for CAF.

It's coming together!

Please join me in raising the awareness. Donate today by clicking the link below.
http://mdc2008.kintera.org/northup4CAF

Thank you.

We Are Now Down To Nine

As I snuck out of the bedroom to listen to the Scott&BR Show this morning, I couldn't help but wonder if I was next to be cut. I am sure all of us remaining 10 riders were on the edge of our seats this morning as the announcement came on who was being cut today.

Momo had the immunity pump, so she was safe this week. But the other nine riders, including Nina who gave the immunity pump to Momo (see Sunday Ride Recap blog post below) were open to being cut. Scott Kaplan of the Scott&BR Morning Show had everyone going, including Nina, when he said that he had very bad news for her. Nina was relieved however, when Scott later revealed that the person being cut from the team was Matt.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, except Matt. Scott called Matt on the phone to make the announcement. Matt is a Group 1 rider and is a seriously strong rider and can climb a hill like a goat. I got to know Matt during a few rides in the beginning when he rode with Group 2. Matt has a great sense of humor and is always willing to give tips on riding skills and techniques and has helped several riders elevate their riding over these past several weeks.

Matt, we are all sorry to see you cut from the team, but glad that you will still be around to ride with us.

Right now, no one knows what the judges are looking for when they cut someone from the team. We all have our theories, but in the end, we are all just guessing.

Good luck to all of the remaining contestants on the Scott&BR Cycling Team.

Sunday Morning Ride Recap

Ok, this is going to be a quick recap because I was not able to make this week's Sunday training ride. I was in Sedona Arizona most of the week on a "guys only" mountain biking/hiking adventure. It was good cross training, but I am ready to get back on my road bike and do some long pulls.

I do have to give a shout out to Mike and Lisa Jennings who told me to visit Absolute Bikes when I got into town. Not only where they knowledgeable about the trails in Sedona and Flagstaff, but they were extremely friendly and even gave me a Red Rock Pass while I was there so I didn't have to buy one. Thanks Mike and Lisa for the great tip.

For a recap of Sunday's ride and immunity pump challenge, please visit Mike Henderson's Blog.

Stay tuned for more information on the CAF Sushi Silent Auction coming September 29, 2008 from 6 pm to 9 pm. More details to follow.

Help me support CAF by clicking on the link below.

http://mdc2008.kintera.org/northup4CAF

Thank you.

And Then, There Were Ten

We are now down to 10 riders in the XX1090 Scott and BR Show radio contest. This week's rider that was cut from the team hits close to home for me. Kris McDaniel works at American Specialty Health, Inc., the same company that I work for. Even though we are in seperate areas of the company, I have worked with Kris on many occassions and can tell you that he is an outstanding guy. It is hard to see him go, but I know he is fundraising for QMDC/CAF and I am sure that we will see him still on the training rides and eventually in October on the ride down from San Francisco to San Diego.

Kris, take care and we will see you soon.

Sunday's Training (Recovery Ride)

This week was recovery, and we were all very happy for it. We are going to ramp up in distance and endurance again soon, so it is these rides that I value the most when you can spend some time chatting with fellow riders and learning more about them. It is making us grow closer as a group.

We had another immunity pump challenge contest in the form of a quiz. This week, it was an Olympics-themed quiz with one question. "What are the 4 cycling events in the Olympics?"

That's easy right? Road, Time Trial, Track, and other :)

The actual answer was Road, Track, Mtn. Biking, and BMX

Scott Bailey (who also won last week's immunity challenge) won this week. Congratulations Scott. Scott works for Qualcomm, is a very strong rider, and is a fantastic guy. He is always positive, upbeat, and you will usually find him heading to the front of the group towards the end of the ride with lots of energy.

The ride was cut a little short this week, but no one seemed to mind. In fact, it was nice to stay a little after the ride and chat with fellow riders Mike H., Deeanna, and Dan Plummer of WOW. Mike H. and I are planning a Sushi Silent Auction and we needed to discuss some details. Deeanna and some other QMDC riders are putting together their own fundraiser and Deeanna gave us some good tips that she has learned along the way. Thanks Deeanna.

The Sushi Silent Auction will be held Sept 29th from 6-9 PM at the Southwestern Yacht Club. Mike H. and I are working with a good cycling friend of his, Lan Tran. Lan is very energetic and has a heart of gold. More to follow on the Sushi4CAF Silent Auction event including a list of some of the silent auction items and sponsors.

CAF Fundraising Update

These past few weeks, I have been busy with more fundraising efforts in the form of a raffle and selling nachos at work. The raffle last week included a pair of Chargers tickets to the Monday night football game against Seattle, another pair of Chargers tickets to the Dallas game last Saturday, some gift cards, and a hair styling certificate.

Then this week, a few of my fellow co-workers decided to sell nachos to our staff and donate the proceeds to CAF. I am very fortunate to work with such great individuals and a company that fosters creativity and innovation.

Next week I hope to have another raffle and perhaps sell some other food item at work. We'll see what happens. It is easy to come up with the ideas, but a lot of work to pull everything together.

Help me support CAF by clicking on the link below.

http://mdc2008.kintera.org/northup4CAF

Thank you.

Tuesday Morning Cut

We are now down to 11 riders who have all been putting in a lot of hours training, listening to the Scott&BR Show, fundraising, and helping to raise awareness for the Qualcomm Million Dollar Challenge and Challenged Athletes Foundation. I am sure this week was a tough one for the judges.

Kevin Davenport has been eliminated. Kevin is a seriously strong rider, has a great attitude, and I am sure we will continue to see him out on the training rides and perhaps even on the ride in October. We all wish you well Kevin.

None of the radio contestants have any idea on how the judges are basing their decisions. I think that adds to the excitement and mystery of the competition.

For a list of the final 11 riders still in the competition, visit the Scott&BR Show.

Coors Light, Lollipops, and Second Base?

This week found everyone ready to tackle the 11th week of training and pass the half-way point to the big ride in October. The day started off with a challenge with Jim Crowley distributing a quiz to the Scott&BR Show radio contestants. Scott Bailey (pictured right) had the most answers correct and received the Immunity Pump for this week. Congratulations Scott! Kevin Heil had the pump last week and cleverly added a bicycle water bottle holder with a can of Coors Light. Coors Light is a sponsor of the Scott&BR Show and is a fitting touch to have as part of the Immunity Pump. Nice going Kevin.

During the morning introductions, Kristine Entwistle announced one of the riders, David Lee, that we will be riding with in October from San Francisco to San Diego. David is also competing in the handcycling event at the Paralympics in Beijing in a few weeks. We all wish him good luck and look forward to seeing him compete in Beijing.

After the morning introductions were finished, we all split off in our separate groups and then we were off. Today's ride was titled "Oceanside Ranger Lollipop" because that is what the route looks like - a big lollipop. The route takes you up north to Oceanside, then east along the bike path and finally out towards northern Escondido. You then do a large circle and come back to the same bike path towards Oceanside, then back down the coast to Solana Beach. The ride was 85 miles and is the last of our long rides for this build-up phase. Next week will be a recovery week, with a 40 mile ride on Sunday.

The weather promised hot conditions and we were not disappointed. It could have been a lot worse however, because temperatures the day before reached 98 degrees and in several places reached over 100 degrees in Poway and Escondido. It was still hot, but there was a slight breeze and it was a little cooler than the day before. Thank goodness.

After heading north up the coast, the Group 2 riders found ourselves on the San Luis Ray Bike Path heading east. Early in the morning this path is pretty deserted and we found ourselves pretty much all alone with the exception of a few cyclists. Later on in the day, this path gets a lot of use by other cyclists, runners, joggers, hikers, baby strollers, dogs, and just about anything else that rolls on wheels. The QMDC Group Leaders (Bryon and John) split us up into two groups to keep us safer as we rode along the bike path. We soon found ourselves sailing along smoothly at a comfortable 20 mph and covered the 7+ miles of bike path in no time at all.

After exiting the bike path, we soon found ourselves riding up a dirt hill and doing a little bit of cyclocross. I am not sure what the name of the road was, but it was a nice steady hill and soon had us coming down a pretty steep fast descent. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the hill wasn't that long and we had to turn right at the bottom of the hill after stopping at a stop sign. This brought us to Olive Hill Road, a nice winding road through the oak trees. After crossing an intersection, we arrived at our first (and third) SAG stop. This is the start of the lollipop loop and we would end up back here after another 20+ miles of hill work.

Tina Perez was providing the SAG at this stop and what a welcome relief it was to see her again. I first met Tina, a volunteer for the QMDC and CAF, during the Kitchen Creek ride a few weeks ago. She has a great attitude and is really friendly. Today, Tina greeted everyone with a warm smile, lots of food, and a cool H20 sprayer. It is pretty nice eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich while getting sprayed with cold water after being in the saddle for 30+ miles. I actually didn't want to leave. But this was only the first stop and we had a lot of riding to do.

After leaving the SAG wagon, we headed up W. Lilac Rd, a grueling 4.5 mile climb that comes out at Old Highway 395. After regrouping at the top, we headed down 395 at about 40 mph. That was fun. It was then pretty flat until we hit another hill, turned left, then rode up more hills, and finally, made it to the top of another hill. This brought us to CR S13 (Reche Rd) and we regrouped again. Then it was left towards Live Oak Park a hundred or so yards to the second SAG wagon where Dan of WOW had the water on tap, the goo handy, and the shade welcome. Thanks Dan.

Our group got much larger because there were some Group 1 riders who I think took some wrong turns here and there and wound up at the SAG stop about the same time we did. We all took off together and rode through the oak tree-lined, winding roads. It was pretty amazing and offered everyone a lot of shade during the hottest part of the day. After being promised no more climbing, we turned right onto Reche road again and proceeded to climb - again. It wasn't too bad though and we soon found ourselves cooking along down Green Canyon Rd which had a lot of riders sprinting for the lead. It was a blast. Everyone was pushing each other to come and take the lead and we all traded off.

We soon found our way back to the SAG wagon (stops 1 and 3) again where Tina was still spraying people down with her H20 sprayer. We were all pretty tired at this point. It was at this SAG stop that a rider suddenly realized what Tina's shirt meant (“Save Second Base”). This got a few chuckles from the riders. All in all, it was a pretty short stay as we had to head back towards Oceanside and then south. This stretch of ride is not too difficult, but when you have already been on the bike for several hours and 50+ miles, it can seem like an eternity. Since our group had grown in size, Bryon and John split us up into three groups on the bike path this time. I was up near the front, so I went along with Bryon, Mike H., and Jeffrey Essakow.

Bryon took the lead pull and soon had us sailing along. When it came to be my turn to pull, I suddenly realized how strong the headwind was that Bryon was battling when he was pulling. I was hit in the face with a pretty strong wind and couldn't keep the pace that Bryon had set for very long and soon found my way to the back again. After another few pulls in the front by other riders, I soon found myself in back of Jeffrey and he was pulling. We reached about 22 mph into the headwind and all I could think about was come on Jeffrey, just a little bit farther. Please don't let me pull in this headwind, please. :) Well, Jeffrey did an awesome job pulling us into Oceanside.

By this time, I was really spent and it was a relief to stop and wait for the other two groups of riders. After downing a goo packet, and drinking a lot of water, we were off south and we pretty much stayed together as a group the entire way back. Some of the riders had some trouble with cramps and the group split into two with less than 1 mile to go. After we rolled into the parking lot back in Solana Beach, I took a couple quick self-snap shots of me with fellow radio contestants and QMDC fundraisers, Mike H. and Scott B. My family was waiting for me back home to start our camping vacation, so I had to get out of there pretty fast and wasn't able to stay for very long.

Below is a video I put together of some footage taken on this week’s ride. Enjoy!

Tuesday's Cut

This week, it was Greg Ramos who was cut from the Scott&BR Cycling Team.

Sorry to see you go Greg.

Training Week 9 – Only 11 Weeks to Go!

Sunday’s ride found us out along the coast again. And what a beautiful day it was. This is why we live where we do and pay the high cost of living. It was a picture-perfect day for the 82 mile ride up to San Clemente and back.

There was a pretty good turn out today for the ride. Some people that couldn’t make it last week during the Kitchen Creek ride for various reasons were able to make it for today’s ride. It was good to have them back. This resulted in pretty much all of the groups being pretty big. I decided to ride at my level again and stick with Group 2. I’ve suffered enough at the hand of Group 1 and wish them the best, but from here on out, it’s Group 2 for me. At least until I get overconfident again and try Group 1 J.

We started the morning out with another immunity challenge. As I started wracking my brain for the answers to Scott and BR trivia, I realized we were in luck. Today was a different challenge that required the contestants to guess the amount of total calories of Power Gels that were crammed into a large jar. We were allowed to see how many calories were in each packet, but we had to guess the number of packets in the jar and then figure out the total calories the jar contained.

Even though math is my forte, at 6:45am in the morning I find that my brain can only absorb data and not process data. I guessed that there were 150 packets in the jar, then proceeded to do the math and multiplied 150 packets x 110 calories. I came up with 6,500 calories and handed it in to Scott, the QMDC group leader and substitute for Jim during this week’s challenge. I felt that I had a pretty good shot at winning the challenge. After all, I am great with math.

On the way over to the morning announcements I realized my folly. I quickly double checked the math in my head and realized that I had made a huge mistake. I forgot to add on the one at the end. Instead of 6,500 it was 16,500. When Scott announced the winner, he said that there were a total of 155 packets in the jar and that the total calories were 17,505. I had missed it by 1,005 calories or 5 packets. Oh well, better luck next time. Maybe the next challenge will be another track stand.

Congratulations to Kevin Heil who won the immunity challenge this week. Well done. This is Kevin’s second round of having control of the idol. He added on the top hat during his last weekly reign as Immunity Pump winner and I have no doubt next week we will see something just as good. Since I had the pump last week, I had the opportunity to add my touch to it which was in the form of a cape with the Scott & BR logo on the back along with the QMDC and CAF logos. I must say that it turned out better than I had expected and this Immunity Pump has taken on a life of its own.

Immediately after the announcements, we soon headed out in our respective groups and rolled north up the coast for a change. Typically, we head south and then east on our rides, but this week we went north and it was an odd, but great feeling. North is where San Francisco is, the starting point for our 600 mile, 7 day event in October. Everyone could feel that this was a turning point in our training and after last week’s Kitchen Creek ride, we were all looking forward to riding along the coast on relatively flat terrain.

Since we were such a large group, they decided to give us three QMDC group leaders (Pat, Kevin, and Lisa) during this ride. At first it was just Pat, and I think they soon realized that it would be pretty tough for one leader to keep the lot of us all in line. I am sure he would have done a remarkable job, but seemed releived to get the extra help. The group leaders kept us all in line and pretty much on track the entire ride. With the exception of a few of us missing a light and getting split up at the beginning, we all pretty much stayed together as a group the entire way.

I have to hand it to all of the QMDC Group Leaders, they work their tails off and often have to back track and pick up the stragglers to make sure everyone stays together and gets back safe. They not only lead by example of fitness, but also lead by patience and integrity. Thanks again to all of the QMDC Group Leaders for keeping us all safe and getting us back home at the end of the ride.

The scenery along the coast was spectacular and at times I wanted to stop and watch the surfers ride the waves in. The air was cool with a slight breeze and made for a great day of riding. When we got almost to the half way point, we all decided to turn around early and bypass riding through a residential neighborhood with lots of stop signs. We rode through this section during the Southern trip from Anaheim a few weeks ago and you don’t really get much out of it other than stopping, and starting, then stopping again, the starting again through about a dozen or so stop signs.

On the way back, I decided to try and ride ahead to the restroom at the San Onofre State Beach. I told Kevin what I was doing and that I would hook up with the group at the SAG stop. Well, I misjudged the distance to the restroom because after a while of being out in front all alone and expending all of my energy, the group rolled up next to me. Oh well. Better luck next time. Luckily, a few others had to stop too.

We soon found ourselves back at Camp Pendleton and fighting a head wind. I don’t know how I wound up out front, but it was a struggle to keep up the pulling. It felt good though and I soon got into a good rhythm. Dee joined me at one point, as did Andrew. Once we got to Oceanside, it was pretty much cruise control the rest of the way. I drifted to the back and cruised home with Debbie. We were able to chat a little about her upcoming auction and I told her that I would post it on my blog when she has the information ready.

At the end of the ride I dug my chocolate milk (good tip Carl) out of Mike Jennings’ cooler and chugged it down. It went real good with Mike Henderson’s chocolate chip cookies and CAF-decorated cookies. Mmmmm. I had to take off pretty quick since my wife is consulting on a project and usually works weekends. I realize that I have not thanked my wife, Britt, on my Blog for being so supportive of my goal to raise awareness for CAF, QMDC, and challenged athletes everywhere.

I love you, Britt.

Thursday Evening Hill Repeats

We found ourselves at Torrey Pines again for more hill training. I admit that I was a little shaken by my last performance on hills during the Kitchen Creek ride last Sunday. I thought that my legs wouldn't recover in time for more torture as we prepared to climb Torrey Pines hill the alloted six times.

Luckily, my legs found their strength again and I soon found myself going at a constant cadence. Most of us kept a fairly mellow pace and managed to conquer the hill six times as promised. Everyone kind of went at their own pace and soon we were done for the evening.

Several riders had to boggie home or meet up with their fundraising charity auction partners to plan their big event. I spoke with Debby a little and I am looking forward to hearing more about her charity auction that she is doing with three other QMDC riders, including Carlos and Deeanna). It sounds like they have some really cool raffle items and I know it will be a big success.

Help me support CAF by clicking on the link below.

http://mdc2008.kintera.org/northup4CAF

Thank you.