Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Wounded Warriors

Sorry, forgot the camera, but GU and I wanted to share a story that happened on our ride today.

Ride 2 Recovery (Wounded Warriors) were riding by Cambria today and headed to Pismo Beach for the night. We always love to join in with the riders that are traveling through our area. This ride had many amputee riders (riders missing a limb) and it was amazing to see. They rode in a double paceline, but the strong riders were encouraged to head to the back of the pack to push (yes push) the less strong riders to help them stay with the group. It was great to see. Of course, GU was a hit for most of the riders, many of them taking pictures or just getting a laugh.

After riding for a little bit we (GU and I) pulled up next to this nice gentleman. We started talking and he mentioned that one of the Shimano guys told him to throw away his SIDIs and wear this new pair of Shimanos. He was telling us he thought they were great, but probably needed to adjust them since his right foot fell asleep and his left was starting to. Everyone laughed while Gu and I looked over at the new shoes to see the gentleman was an amputee and didn't have a left foot. We enjoyed his sense of humor and hope they have a safe trip to LA.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Who takes care of who (whom?)?

GU, the GREAT CHIWEENIE (dog)

(Saturday) Cub gets home and looks like someone punched him in the face a couple of times. He takes me out and then heads straight to the refillable flushing drinking bowl. He comes out and falls asleep. He wakes up and goes and sits by the refillable flushing drinking bowl, occasionally looking in (I think he was thinking of taking a drink).

He stumbles over to the foot of the bed and doesn't make it. His head is on the blankets and he keeps closing his eyes. I went over and did doggie first aid. Soon, he got up and made it to bed. Don't tell him, but he still looked like someone beat him up.

CUB, the sick rider (human)

It all started when I got stung in between the eyes by a bee thursday night on a downhill while we were riding our bikes. Saturday after the meet my eyes and face still swollen I had the shakes. I spent quite a bit of time in the bathroom. Sweat was pouring out of my body despite the shivering and chicken skin. After sitting by the toilet for almost an hour, thinking I was going to see lunch again, I tried to make it back to bed.

I don't remember what happened except I was laying on the floor at the foot of the bed and every time I wanted to close my eyes GU would lick my whole face. After about an hour of this process, I started to feel better and made it to bed. By 9pm I was feeling alive, not great, but enough to watch some shows on the internet.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

OUT OF JAIL

Gu hurt his leg jumping out of the Honda Element and has to stay in the bedroom for a while (no stairs, jumps, or high speed chases). Inside their heads, this is what we were thinking during these 12 seconds...

CUB "the other rider" (person)

I hope Gu realizes he'll have to stay in here till his knee gets better. Poor GU.

GU "the Great Chiweenie" (dog)

Cub, Cub, CUB, CUB!!!! We can break out of here. Let's go. Oh no! I smell chicken. Let's go. Let's GO. LET'S GO!!! Jail can't hold the both of us. C'mon let's go. CUB. CUB. PLEASE. I can smell dinner. I'm gonna starve in here. Look at me, I'm emaciated. CUB! The Guard is coming.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Mountain Bike Nationals here I come!


GU, the Great Chiweenie (dog)
The ride to the race was longer than usual, but the place we got to place our den was perfect. Up
on a hill with a bunch of other dogs and their rider companions. Cub was nursing his broken ribs from playing kickball and Megan was getting ready for her 2 races, cross-country and super D.

Cub and I cruised around cheering and meeting new people around every turn. I cheered loudest for Megan and she looked to be riding pretty fast. We even got the chance to try our first pump track...I think I should have tried with Megan first, but Cub was starting to be able to hold his ground with those 5 and 6 year olds.

I was pooped. Riding around and being up for most of the daylight hours was tough. I even met
some guy who was trying to be stylish like me, with his red sunglasses, and another guy who just won the short track that seemed to like getting his picture taken.

Cub, the other rider (person)
Driving to Colorado for a couple of races is always tough, but sitting in the car with broken ribs made it even tougher. Megan wanted to race the Sport Cross-country race and the Open (non-pro) Super D before we headed for more summer adventures. Camping was crazy packed on a hill above the main starting area. We were lucky to even find a spot in the high grasses on a pretty steep slope.

Megan raced great, with a 3rd in the Cross-country and 2nd in the Super D. Gu, as always, whined every time he saw her coming or going. While waiting for one of Megan's award podiums, we went over to try to pump track (small area that you should be able to use your momentum to get you over the small bumps). I wasn't very good at it. Most of the children around were way better than me.

On our last day, we watched the PRO short track races. They are fun because you can see most of the course and it doesn't take long. After the race, we asked some of the riders if we could get a pic with GU and them. JHK and Adam Craig were happy to cooperate. Too bad I almost missed getting GU in the shot with JHK.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

I COULD HAVE DONE MORE.

INTERVIEWS WITH CUB AND GU (SAME QUESTIONS, BUT ASKED WHEN THEY WERE AWAY FROM EACH OTHER).

Question 1: You finished 3 laps in the 8 hour mountain bike race and you still had 3.5 hours left, why did you quit there?

GU (dog) - I could have done more, but Cub's steering in between the tree wasn't going too well. At one point he tried to run me into a tree, but luckily I moved to the other side. I think he decided that the trail was too hard for him.

CUB (person) - I could have done more, but GU kept moving the wrong directions to catch new smells right when there were trees lining the trails. We were on a technical swoopy trail that my handlebars barely fit between the tree and then he switched and ran me right into a tree. I think he was tired, so I decided we should be done.

Question 2: You stayed to watch the 24 hour race as well, what was your most memorable moment for the weekend?

GU (dog) - Dinner. (thanks Jim Northey)

CUB (person) - After seeing the legendary Tinker Juarez finish, we rode by his RV and introduced ourselves to him, his family and mechanic. He was lifting his son for a picture with GU and he had to hold him up for about 5 minutes. Tinker then said, "I'm a little tired here." Maybe it wasn't the best time to have him pose for pics...he did just ride for 24 hours and rode way over 200 miles.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

THE OTTER 2009: Cyclists, Bike Riders, Cheerleaders and Legends all in one.


JUST A FEW PHOTOS FROM SEA OTTER. SORRY FOR THE DELAY (FAMILY EMERGENCY).


Pua Sawiki - endurance mtb champion










Mountain bike hall-of-famers:

Ned Overend and Greg Herbold










Below are the GT Cheerleaders


THE COOLEST 24 IN 24 WORDS

GU - THE GREAT CHIWEENIE (dog)

Rain. Hard rain. GO Cub. Don't take me. YES. Rain. Sleep in warm tent. CUB. MORE Rain. Pizza! Harder Rain. Is that CUB? DONE.

Quote of day
"Don't put me down in the mud. You might not see me again."
CUB - RIDER WITHOUT A NAME (person)

Rain. Fun mud. Rain. Not fun mud. Creek pulls me in. Grips float down stream. Creek pulls me in. Warmer. HARD RAIN. I'm done.

Quote of day
"There's puddles so big they have puddles of their own."

THE COOLEST 24 was a great race that raised money for the DREAM FOUNDATION this year. Thanks to all those out there cheering and to my support crew.

I finished 8 laps before sunrise (app. 99.2 miles and over 14,ooo ft of climbing) and didn't feel that it was safe to take GU out on any of the laps. He was thankful for that.

*** The race was shortened to 22 hours due to the weather forecast and safety of the riders and my fenders made me look clean compared to other riders. GOOD CALL TYLER!

Thursday, April 2, 2009

THE WILDFLOWER RIDE

(Cub) Both Gu and I decided to write about yesterdays mountain bike ride even though we had a great time this past weekend at the Redlands Rotary Ride, Redlands Classic and LA Circuit Race. Today's blog was written as if it was happening to us at the moment (Gu thought it had more creative flair from that perspective).

Setting the stage: April 1st, 2009. A short ride up Cypress Mountain Road to show Megan the wildflowers that Cub saw the day before on his long ride through the beautiful hills between us and Paso Robles/Templeton. After riding up and down we decided to take riding photos and some off the bike...

CUB ... Rider without a Name (Human)

"This is the spot," Megan says "Can't you see the red flower."

"I know this is the spot, but I can't find the flower," I reply.

Megan takes Gu out of the pack and she is slowly moving up the hill with Gu. She's stopping near the red flower.

"Megan can you move a bit so I can get a better shot of Gu and the flower, " I say.

Megan is moving a bit to the left and Gu spots something. Boy he gets scared easy. Its probably a small bug or something.

Click. Click. Zooming in. Click.

"What do you want GU?" Megan says. "Cub I don't know what he wants."

"Boy he's cute though," I say. "Okay, that's probably enough pics for today." Climbing up the small hill.

Megan picks GU up...
GU...The GREAT Chiweenie (DOG)

What's that noise I hear. I guess I can take a closer look. WHOA!!! That's a snake. That's a SNAKE.

"MOM. MOMMMMM!!!" I say. "Don't you see the snake? It's goin' to eat me. Can't they open their mouths 3 times the size of their head? If that's true, he could eat me."

Megan's not paying attention to my pleas. I guess I have to meerkat to show I'm serious. WHAT? Your still not picking me up.

CUB. Quit taking pictures and come get me. PLEASE!!!!

YES. Cub's walking up the hill. "Okay, that's probably enough pics for today," he says.

"SNAKE," Megan finally says. Pick me up. Yes. She does. "It's right there", she says.

"Where?" Cub says.

"There," she says, "Let's go."

Put me down I'll get us out of here. I'm going to run out of here as fast as I can.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

WHAT A DAY! THE BIRTHDAY RIDE.


GU "THE GREAT CHIWEENIE" (DOG)

We went for a ride and stopped at one of my favorite spots (Sebastian's near Hearst Castle). I know Cub went off on his birthday ride with a group of people we know. Megan and I decided to work the lunch detail. My job was to be a good watchdog and protect the sandwiches.

Megan drove and I continued to do my job (and doing it well, I think.). I hate curvy roads. I try to grip onto the seat, but each turn is a full body workout. I've never fallen off the seat, but didn't want today to be a first.

We finally see riders, but no Cub yet. They all looked really cold and beat. We checked on everyone and finally saw Cub cruising behind Big Tom at the bottom of the hill. He seemed cold, but pretty comfortable.

Then it was time for my job to end and Megan pulled out the lunches. Everyone gathered around the heater and munched on their food. I could see happiness on their pained faces at that point (and maybe only at that point). I wanted cake, but I think it was chocolate...DRATS.

The ride home was slow with stops to check on the pack. Tyler opted for the metric century, so he was hanging with us in the car. On the way back to drop him off, we saw one of the riders getting picked up early (not the century or the metric century). He tried to hide his face, but I know who it was (not to mention any names...).

Cub finally made it home with a smile on his face as he finished his lunch off with a little help from me!

CUB "RIDER WITHOUT A NAME" (PERSON WITH A BIRTHDAY)


My birthday ride was a century from Cambria to the top of Nacimiento (no clue how to spell it) and back. Approximately 100 miles with 0ver 8000 feet of climbing. I decided to ride with Tyler, Big Tom and Jim. We kept a constant pace all the way til the 2700 foot climb (half-way mark).

We didn't see much of the pack that we started with or the others who opted for the 55 mile version from Ragged Point, but the ride was beautiful. Not a sunny day, or even a very warm day, but its still Southern Big Sur coast at its best.

We started to see the other riders as they were going downhill. "Don't hang out at the top, its freezing up there," one of the Mike's said as he cruised past us on his way down. One by one, out of the fog another rider would go by.

Tyler had bike issues on the way up and Big Tom flatted on the way down, but we weren't in a hurry. I had given Megan a time frame and we were still on pace to eat lunch at Sand Dollar.

By the time we got to lunch, most of the riders were already done eating and gathering around a fire built in one of the camping grills. The few blankets from the car around some of the riders helped warm the bodies that still needed to ride 40 more miles.

The ride back was quick except for the grinding noises coming from my bike. I stopped before the major downhills to try to figure it out or at least to ease my mind. Descending the hills in Big Sur don't leave much room for error, human or mechanical.

Back at home, Gu and Megan greeted me in their own way. Man that sandwich tasted good.

Thanks to all who came and took part.

Friday, March 13, 2009

WHAT'S MINE IS YOURS...ONLY IF I SAY SO



GU - THE GREAT CHIWEENIE (DOG)

"What's mine is yours," I told Cub by placing my chew bone by his foot. He seemed stressed out looking for all the stuff he needs for tax time. He thanked me for my willingness to share, "thanks Gu, but no thanks. You can keep chewing on it."

While Cub has been battling with his own demons, I've been working hard to hold my ground on the local turf wars. There has been a BIG older dog that has been trying to work me over and take the pavement and bushes that were by all means, MINE!

I've been drinking water by the tub and eating everything I can, just for that opportunity to go outside and mark my land. I even speak my mind when I hear the BULLY outside trying to take my bushes and poles.

Cub lets me out almost every time I speak. "Well, let's go see what's out there," he would say and I would rush down the stairs and out the door. I'd look down the drive and one time we had a showdown. I think I scared him off for good...we'll see.

CUB - THE RIDER WITHOUT A NAME (PERSON)


What's mine is now my endless search for receipts for the tax man. It has been stressing me out. I think even GU could see my frustration as I looked through all the piles of papers in the house. He probably thought I was sniffing around for food as I was down on all fours scouring through the piles.

I felt a quick soft touch on the back of my leg, so I looked over. Gu dropped his yellow chew bone at my feet and even though I appreciated the gesture, I really didn't want it, "thanks Gu, but no thanks. You can keep chewing on it." He then proceeded to chew the bone for the next hour.

Other than that, Gu has been the other species on a mission. I think he was purposely drinking as much water as he could, just so he could mark his territory outside. Our neighbors 3 doors down were around for the week and their little dog seemed to like Gu's favorite pee spots. And somehow, Gu has been pooping 4 times a day vs. the normal 2.

They did have a standoff the other day. Gu rarely barks, but does when he feels his territory is being approached on. He won't stop barking until I let him out to prove the scary threats are long gone. But ONCE, the small neighborly dog was sitting on the long drive. Gu stared. The other dog stared back. GU GROWLED. THE OTHER DOG GROWLED BACK. Gu ran back inside the house. I don't think he'll be back out there any time soon.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Are you Kidding me?

GU, the Great Chiweenie (dog - we think)

...I look at Cub, "why are you waking me?" Stretching my legs and elongating my back I put my head back down and go back to sleep.

CUB, the rider without a name (human - we think)

..."are you kidding me?" as I'm awoken by this loud vibrating noise. HHHHAWWWWGGGGG! I didn't know GU could pig call like that. HHHHAWWWGGGGGGGG! "GU!" I say quietly, trying not to wake Megan (how did she sleep through it I don't know) as I lightly touch GU's chest.

He wakes up and lifts his head off my pillow and gives me THE LOOK, more stern than Lance Armstrong to Jan Ullrich. He proceeds to stretch and lays his head back down and was snoring again before I could close my eyes.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

CRASH AND BLEED!

GU, THE GREAT CHIWEENIE (DOG)

It was the normal wait. Cub reading as I sit patiently looking down the drive. There she is...she's home. I get a little excited and shout with glee.

I stay on Cub's lap (in the little camping chair) and when I hear the parking brake I jump away to greet Megan. My back legs clipped Cub's hands and 4 feet away I land face first.

Its a little fuzzy what happened next, but then I did my job and greeted Megan with all my heart.

My wip is a wittel swoyen now!

CUB, A RIDER WITHOUT A NAME (PERSON)

It was the normal wait. Gu sitting somewhat patiently looking down the drive and me reading a comic book. We see Megan's car and Gu can't control his excitement, wagging his tail and whining as only Gu can do.

He stays on my lap as she drove all the way down the drive and engaged the parking brake and he was off. Whack! Face plant onto the driveway. He stood up and tongue was going in and out while he looked stunned.

When he saw Megan he still tried to show all his excitement and within 2 minutes he was full Goobie dog excited.

We watched him and wouldn't let him sleep for a while, but the only thing we could see was a little blood on his chew toy, so that was taken away. For a little bit, a soft-food diet.

He seems fine today!

Thursday, February 26, 2009

INTERVIEW WITH THE GREAT CHIWEENIE AT PASO ROBLES

http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/sports&id=6668411

Watch the whole thing because Gu is interviewed towards the end of the segment.

LANCE ARMSTRONG, LEVI LEIPHEIMER AND THE GREAT CHIWEENIE BRAVE THE WINTER WEATHER AT THE 2009 TOUR OF CALIFORNIA


GU "the Great Chiweenie" (DOG)


Nine weeks is a long time to go without my normal 12 hour naps, but the Tour of California was here and we were there to see the best riders in the world race in my backyard. The first week was chillier than I prefer, but seeing rider after rider fly by was cool. I dozed off a bit, but I think I smelled Lance go by.


Weeks 2 and 3 blended together into a soggy mess. The only thing I could see was water droplets on my lenses. The riding was fun, when we got the chance because the smells were great, but standing around was no fun at all. I got to meet Bjarne Riis (Saxobank director and former rider). He looked confused when Cub said, “can I get a picture with you an my dog.” Doesn't everyone want a picture with famous people and their dog? Riis did seem to enjoy my sunglasses and tried to trade with his, but I stared him down to let him know whose the boss.


Weeks 4 and 5 flew by without Megan and then the rain came again, but Cub was quick to get out of the downpours and under shelters. We didn't get to ride much these days, but Cub eats better junk food without Megan.


Weeks 6 and 7 they were in our area of the state (Central Coast). The sun was out and I was happy. I even ran with Megan beside Levi seven seconds.


Weeks 8 and 9 were warm and cloudy. I was upset to here one of my favorite riders say with an unusual accent, “that's not a dog!” as Cub took a picture of us. We did get to ride a bit more the last couple of weeks. And we got away from the crowds and enjoyed watching the finishes for once.


I'm glad to be home.


CUB "rider without a name" (Person)


Nine days is a long time to follow a bike race, but the Tour of California was here again for the fourth time. The first day showed that the crowds would be out in full force to see Lance and all of the world's best riders.


Days 2 and 3 were stormy. Gu didn't seem the happiest, but when we rode he still stood up to get the smells. We even got to meet Bjarne Riis after the stage in Santa Cruz. He was confused when I asked him, “can I get a picture with you and my dog.” But the confusion went away when he saw Gu with his sunglasses. At the end of both days, we would take Gu out of the pack and he would feel like a portable heater (he does where a wool sweater with his jersey over top in cold weather).


Days 4 and 5 were long and hard without Megan. I drove her home and went back up to Modesto. Gu was tired and slept pretty good in the car. We avoided the rain and had one really nice day in the Fresno area.


Days 6 and 7 were close to home and I enjoyed sleeping in my bed. Gu seemed to agree. The sun was out and Megan and Gu even ran beside Levi in the time trial for less than a second.


Days 8 and 9 were packed with people. Jens Voight (sorry if I spelled it wrong) was nice enough to get a pic with Megan and “that's not a dog”, Gu., as he rode to sign in to the last days stage. Rabobank was nice to let us (really GU and since we were with him, Megan and me) into their tent area near the finish. There was nice people, good food and a great spot to actually watch the race finish.

FUN FACT

Cub gained 3% of his body weight. Gu lost 4% of his body weight during the week.


Thursday, February 19, 2009

Podium girls, rainy days, smelly cars and oh yeah TOUR OF CALIFORNIA

HIGHLIGHTS (and LOWLIGHTS) SO FAR:

BEST things so far (as of THURSDAY of the Tour of California)

GU
1. SLEEPING IN THE SUN AND WARMTH.
2. Fancy dog treats and Cub dropping tri-tip.
3. Riding down the empty streets with the wind in my face.
4. Being kissed by the Podium Girls.
5. SMELLY CAR after the rainy days.



CUB

1. SUN AND WARMTH RETURNS (the cloud burst was cool though).
2. Seeing lots of people excited about bike racing.
3. Seeing lots of great riders race in America.
4. Talking to new and old faces alike(not age, but how long I've known them).
5. Riding my bike.

WORST things so far (as of THURSDAY of the Tour of California)

GU
1. COLD and when sitting still, the rain.
2. No 12 hour naps.
3. Not meeting LANCE or the other riders I like.
4. Getting woken up by a mean fan.
5. Not getting to ride as much as I want to.

CUB
1. COLD and the rain.
2. People being rude to each other.
3. Not getting to ride as much I want to.
4. SMELLY CAR after the rain.
5. DRIVING too much.

Monday, February 16, 2009

See us on CBS 5 in San Francisco


GU and CUB

At home. Needed to drop off Megan so she can go teach for a couple of days. It will be the just the 2 of us the next 2 days.

We made the news. We are there more than once...so check it out!!!

http://cbs5.com/video/?id=46228@kpix.dayport.com


We also have started a fan site for THE GREAT CHIWEENIE on FACEBOOK...here is the link:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/The-Great-Chiweenie/122206730050?ref=nf



Thursday, February 12, 2009

Time to tell both sides of the story.

Hey! I'm Gu, a.k.a. “the Great Chiweenie”. Most people have a hard time figuring out why I'm a Chiweenie, but it's easy to explain. A Chiweenie is half-dachshund and half-chihuahua. I'm sharing this blog with Cub, my adopted father. He said he wanted to get his side of the story out there, not just mine. Neither of us are the best at grammar or spelling, so please forgive any and all errors. Hope you enjoy! ADOPT A PET. RIDE A BIKE. SMILE.


GU “The Great Chiweenie” -

Weeks with my family can be busy, traveling to different places usually to go for a ride. The past two weeks was no different. We (Megan, Cub, and I) went to two charity rides that were going to have some cycling stars attending. The first week was cold and threatening rain. I wanted to stay in bed, but the money raised was going to local families.

A grouping of riders that looked like skeletons were hanging out with crowds forming around them. Cub and Megan got excited and wanted to take pics of me and some of them. The first guy was tall and slim, and didn't realize I was on Cub's back. Then he turned to look and slightly jumped by surprise, I'm pretty sure it was my lazy eye and my morning breath that startled him. The other guy spoke kind of funny, but I had met him during the 2008 Tour of Missouri (seems like years ago). The ride itself was fun. We met quite of few female riders. I'm pretty sure they thought I was cute. We hung with the group until the air left Cub's tire and then we chased.

Luckily, there was food. Good food. Really good food, but then we rushed away to try to stay with one of the groups. Then the worst thing happened, Cub lost Megan. She was right behind us, then when we stopped to wait, she never showed up. I told Cub we'd find her, but he was panicky. After looking for her for hours, we finally found her, of course, where the food was at the end of the ride.


Now the second week was different. The day was clearer, but still cold. We convinced Megan's brother and mom to go with us, since we were down there for their birthdays. The ride was nice and slow, with good smells as we rode out of the town. I kept telling Cub to go faster, but he kept going at his pace.

Towards the end of the 25 mile ride, some of the riders doing the longer route were passing us. One group went by and giggled, I looked around, but couldn't figure out what they were laughing at. Cub asked if he could go with them and Meg said “Go!”. Cub stood up and quickly caught onto the group. I was hungry and ready for the ride to be done. The group had a female we had met the day before and the ride was at a nice friendly pace that brought enough wind to make my ears go up. BUT, there was some hairy chinned guy whose bike was making noises. WHAP, WHAP, WHAP, over and over again. It was annoying and disturbing my concentration on the increased wind in my face. We rode on and then we ate. Afterwards, we went back to Nana's and ate even more, STEAK!!! All was well.

CUB “The Rider without a Name” -

Weekends are great. Going out for longer rides and usually traveling to races or charity rides is always fun. This past weekend was no different. We (Megan, GU, and I) went to two charity rides that were going to have some professional rides. Saturday we went to Avila and rode the Pedal to Pier with Team Columbia. I always like when rides benefit local organizations and families.

It was chilly and I thought it was going to rain, but we were pretty lucky during the ride. Before the ride some of the Columbia riders in their new yellow, white and black kits were hanging out. People asking for their autographs or to take their picture. We were no different. Megan got out the camera and we went right towards George Hincapie. I turned my back so GU could be in the shot and many other cameras were going off. We then went over to see Micheal Rogers. I met him briefly at the end of the 2008 Tour of Missouri, when Mark Cavendish wanted to take a picture of GU. It was after the award ceremony, he stopped their team car and asked for us to come over. Rogers was in the back seat and I shook his hand and introduced myself (actually I introduced GU and might have mentioned my name).

The ride itself started nice and easy. Some of Columbia's womens team were riding around us and laughing at the Goober (one of GU's nicknames) and asked Megan questions about him. We were going to shorten the ride because I had a job interview, but looked at Megan and GU and realized the pace was perfect with the highway patrol giving us a rolling closure. “We gotta do the long ride!” Megan agreed until the flat tire. We tried to hurry, because there really was no group after the front pack, just a few spread here and there.

At the food stop, we just missed the second group heading out, with Hincapie and Rogers. Megan told me to try to catch them, but it was not going to happen. I tried for miles, but wasn't close enough to get the rolling closure. Finally, after Morro Bay, I stopped and decided to wait for Megan. GU was getting whiny as he always does when he can't find her. We waited, waited and waited some more. Then I asked one of the riders if he'd seen her and he said, “we haven't passed anyone since Cayucos.” So GU and I took off and rode a majority of the ride by ourselves. Luckily the rain held off until after we were done, because then it poured.


Now the second day was different. Not too warm, but no rain. GU didn't seem happy with the weather conditions. He likes the heat with wind. We were heading down to Thousand Oaks to celebrate Megan's mom and brother's birthday and convinced them to ride the Breakaway from Cancer ride at Amgen. We rode with them almost the entire time. I think we were some of the last riders on the short route. GU was a little whiny when Megan gave him to me to carry. He quieted down when the wind and smells increased, but completely stopped whining when we rode fast.

It just happened to happen that some of the long route riders passed us on the final couple of miles, so I jumped to ride the rest with them. Kim Anderson from Team Columbia's women's team, who we had met the day before, was with the group as was most of the Amgen's Masters Team. But the guy they were all surrounding was Bob Roll. WHAP, WHAP, WHAP. His tire was flat and he kept riding with it. I asked the guy next to me “how long has he been riding with the flat?” and the guy said, “three or four miles.” Rolling over the last few hills he still seemed in total control as his rim was now against the road. We rolled in as the announcer (who by the way sang a great national anthem) welcomed us home. Then it was time to eat and I'm pretty sure GU agreed.