In San Juan waiting

I'm in San Juan waiting to go to our hotel in the afternoon. I'm still debating wether I want to take the lap top with me. My niece told me that thieves walk by cars with some type of device that lets them know if there's a computer in  the car by detectin the battery. They break the window and your lap top is gone. I may have to post from the hotel guest computer.
Safe and waitnig in San Juan. (still sunburned)

News for the Manatoc race in September

Yes I know is only January but thge news are good.
My wife's Godson Eudaldo "Bebe" Asencio was just signed by Team Jamis mtb team to ride in their squad. We are all very happy for him, he has worked very hard to get to that position.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/editions/mtb-news-and-racing-round-up-monday-january-24-2011


















He has been the Puerto Rican National champion and has represented the island on numerous competitions.
Anyway, I have invited him to come participate in the Manatoc race representing team Jamis and I'm very
happy to announce that he is considering taking the trip. His parents are really exited to come visit and spend time with us. Last year team Jamis Blake Harlan attended the race and hopefully this year we'll have two riders from team Jamis if both can make. Let's hope they both attend.
Signing off, safe ans sunburned from PR.

Tuesday / Wed

Stopped at the favorite coffee shop yesterday to have my usual late afternoon coffee and my lap top battery died. Forgot it didn run without power...duh. Anyway I'm always complaining about the way people drive here even though I lived here for 25 years, well, yesterday I found that the rules for right of way have changed dramatically since I moved. I'm coming up to a light and it changes to green before I got there, I turned my signal light on to turned right and almost got broadsided by a car turning left. Now you tell me, If you are turning left and I'm turning right on to the same road I have the right of way, right. Apparently not here, the car turning right has to be faster and challenge the cars turning left. can you figure out what I'm saying, it's kind of confusing for me to. Stopped at the light and the lady in the car I basically had to speed up so she wouldn't hit me rolls the window down and proceeds to tell me I had to stop and let her go first. I told her I had the green and therefore the right of way. No she says,I was turning before you did so I have the right of way. The good thing about all this was that the conversation was very civilized and it ended up on both of us believing we were right. Whatever, I never cease to amaze myself.

Back to what I came here for, La Vuelta. Rode for another 2 hrs yesterday and my feeling is that I'm not going to be riding in group A. I don't think I have the legs after yesterdays ride I was left suffering under the sun. I'm not getting used to the heat as fast I thought I would. I have never had any problems when I visit but this time I'm hurting. I put my time in on the rollers and trainer and rode outside any time I could but right now it looks like I may even slide to group F, G or H.
I'm driving back to my sisters house tonight and meet with our riding group to plan the 3 days. I didn't even ride today, opted to stay at my parents and spend the time there.
I'm really going to have to save energy and become the best "wheel sucker" of the ride.

UFO's any one?????????????

Maybe this is one of them!!!!!!

This guy chased me during my ride yesterday, I smelled like death limping home.

A great frozen treat after the ride to revive.

Monday

Last night it rained for a couple of hrs and didn't need to turn the ac on, just the ceiling fan. Slept in until 7: 30, read the daily news, warched sportscenter since I forgot about the Pitt. NY game, got ready and rolled out the door at 10am for a planned 2-3 hr ride.
Riding aginst traffic is nothing here, cars going by at 5o 60 miles an hr.

It was so windy plus climbing a grade my HR was at 160 within 5 mins of leaving the house. Took the usual route I always take when I visit but my Mom said it had not rained in almost 3 months and there's been a lot of grass fires.

Tsunami area.

This is a new Catholic church built like in the old days with very colorful colors.

After 2.5 hrs under the sun I was wasted, got home took a bath ate lunch and even took a nap, something I very seldom do.
I'll take more pics tomorrow when I feel better.
Sounding off from PR safe and SUNBURNED.

Saturday

Finally made it to a place with Wi-Fi. Left Cleveland where it was 5 degrees and arrive in PR where it was 83. Right now sitting at a sadwich coffee shop place in sunny 85 degrees. Sunday morning I joined my niece and her husband for a 40 rolling miles with a 2 mile climb where I tested the legs and they were not there. Very heavy. Was chased by dogs that would not give up, emptied both my bottles on their faces and until I finally pulled the can of maze and sprayed them didn't go away. Dogs here are like african wild dogs. Going out for 2-3 hrs later today and will post pictures later.
Safe and warm in PR.

What's the big deal??????????????

Got up, got ready 5 degrees outside and here I'm at the airport waiting to board. My ? is, what is the big freaking deal with the body scanners. Such a big freaking deal was made of it that I was waiting for my violation report to come out saying I needed to go into an office or something, cops to come out running with guns drawn. As you can tell is my first time through a body scanners, I don't travel a lot and I was expecting something different. I walked in half naked after I took half my clothes off, heard the guy laughing behind the computer and I was free to go. It all happened so fast I didn't even have time to fix my underwear, no wonder he was laughing, I had a wedgie. Then it was another 15 minutes by the time I finished dressing myself. It all took less than 15 minutes to go through the line, of course it helps to be at the airport 2 hrs before you are suppose to take off and then sit around writing nonsense and surfing the web for bike deals.
Hope my bike makes it with me, they just announced that this is a small regional plane. They told me is big enough for the bike but you never know. I may ene up working as a volunteer at the ride.
Later, have a great cold, gray, snowy day, I'll be thinking of you when I'm drinking a mojito at 6pm today in shorts and flip flops showing the rican girls my white six pack abs.

Packed and ready to go

Took the bike appart and boxed it for Saturdays flight to warm weather for 10 days.
Jamis box, Specialized bike. Suntour wheel covers..some of you probably don't even now what Suntour was. Don't need a hard box, Regular card board box with 1/8" plywood on each side and yuo have a hard box, less that 30lbs.

Waiting is over

 I've joined  Edge Outdoor mtb team and we'll be riding Jamis Dakota D29's.

It finally shipped and I'll have it after I come back from PR.
My new wheels. Under 23lbs. Jamis Dakota D29 Team.
Thanks to Jason at Edge Outdoors.

winter pics

Courtesy of The Augger.
My favorite, Buckeye trail run.

Change of plans

My trip to PR to do La Vuelta is around the corner and I was leaving on Tuesday the 25th but I decided to change the flight plans and fly out on Saturday. That'll give me a few more days with my parents and 5 days of 2-3 hrs each day of warm weather riding before the ride. Warm weather riding at the end of January, I love it. It is going to be great, maybe I'll be able to ride longer with the Hammerheads in group a before I slide back to group B,Cdefg. The bike box is ready all I need is to finish packing.