From St Petersburg with Love

January 8th Alley Cat race....it's sure to be a pretty sweet event!

See you there!

Caio,
Rikc

Christmas Holiday Rides....

Being solo here in Florida wasn't too bad....I ended up doing the Ride-n-Roll group ride Friday morning @ 7:30am. I thought it was supposed to be in the 50's but was in the low 40's instead....it took a long time to warm up but had a great 50 mile ride with some really good people...hit up the Starbucks in Clearwater to warm up....


Saturday a smaller group of us met at 10ish (we wanted it to be warmer at the start of the ride); I made it to the starting point in Largo....."so where are we riding to" I ask. Craig starts grinning...we thought we'd ride to St Pete and back on the bike trail....they laugh....that's exactly where I just drove from! It was a nice spinning ride of 40 miles with a stop in St Pete at Starbucks. Other than the "KOM points" at the overpasses, it was a relaxing, fun ride.
I took sadie to the park for fresbee and hung out next to the water for a bit.

Back at work today and planning the rides this Friday and Saturday....maybe some MTB?

Caio,
Rick

Nutcracker III Alleycat Race

Brutal but fun race.....garmen info is here. 33 miles on the Pinerallo fixie.

I was in the front group of 5-6 and messed up the first check point by not having my manuscript ready to sign...got gapped and wasn't going to be able to bridge up. I sat up just a bit so Chuck could come up and we worked together the rest of the race. We missed the 3rd check point by roughly a mile; (You never know what each check point will involve....your going as hard as you can go to find/get to each check point. This one we had to get a picture of us with Santa and have the manuscript signed....)

lost 3-4 spots and then buried ourselves trying to make up the spots. We did. I started to have my damn left leg cramp up on me (again) and Chuck was cool enough to take extra pulls.



Results per the Florida Fixed site.

"Fastest results ever.

1. Dave Horst *
2. Pete Young – 1st overall
3. Kelby – 2nd male
4. Ben Pridgeon – 3rd male
5. Chuck – 4th male
6. Rick Adams
7. Mondo
8. Michael Davis
9. Stu G
10. Carol Davis – 1st female
11. Andrew Delia – 1st out of town
12. Jackson Meadows
13. Chad Williams
14. Todd West
15. Dylan Felix – most eggnog – 51 shots without puking
16. Ross Bond
17. Baddaskat
18. Trevor Martin
19. Randon
20. Bradley DFL
21. Aston – 2nd female
*Dave was ineligible for prizes due to winning Nutcracker 1"
35 started the race......

So, three Alleycat races and three 5th places for me. The finish is important but just doing this type of race is a blast.

I hope everybody has a Happy Christmas & New Years! Happy Hanuka too.....

Ciao,
Rick

morning rides and new ride.....

With daylight running out before I even get home....I've been doing (until the recent cold snap) two 6am morning rides a week. My boss is letting me come to work at 8:30am on Tuesdays and Thursdays which allows me to do around 26 miles those two mornings....

It was so cold I ended up trying to surf Tuesday.....it's always good to get back on the water...even if I'm not catching many waves....

I also purchased a Honda Element ('04) as a personal car.....
I have a company provided minivan, so I'll be just driving the Honda on weekends/vacation.....Sadie & I like it a lot.

I've got an Alley Cat Race in St Pete this Saturday....


Lots going on....gotta run!
Ciao,
Rick

Dade City 'Cross Race

Next to last finish in my age group.....sweet. ugh, the horror, the horror.

Very well run and put on, it unfortunately was a dirt/sand crit course that favoured a "power type" of rider with out much technical skills needed.

Yeah, I hated the course.

Sadie & I hung around for awhile and I shot some photos.


Neat area, but I miss the Northern Ohio and SoCal series for the designs of the courses.

Ciao,
Rick

Clermont, FL cyclocross race

My first race in FL was a b*tch.....I haven't gone at/over max for 45+minutes in a race in a long time.

The course was pretty cool; here's the garmen on it.

I did well at the mass start but after about 30 minutes the bear jumped on my back and the wheels came off the wagon....I lost some places (the 35+ was racing just behind us) and was hurting...heck, that's what one guy said to another and I passed where they were standing...."that dude looks like he is really hurting"!

I held it together until the last turn right before the bell lap and caught a post coming down a hill into a right hander....I went over the bars hard and laid on the ground for awhile..."well, I got one lap to go" so I got up and finished the last lap.

I ended up coming in 4th in a field of 10....go figure.

The FL championship is this weekend in Dade City...I'll race at least one of the two days depending upon how I feel. I hurt my back on the wipeout during this race.

It's supposed to be cold (40-50's) for FL this weekend so it may even feel like 'cross!

Ciao,
Rick

Turkey Shoot 'Cross Race

On last Sunday, the 28th we had a "local" cyclocross race that Kelby put on....the first race for Tampa at Picnic Island.

Course layout was great (no paved sections due to park traffic) and the vibe was great.

Everyone started the same time and were supposed to race for 45 minutes with two different groups at the start; the A's and B's.

I had a very good start and settled in to a good pace with some very good riders around me. One Taylor and (?) were both on SS (Taylor was on a Fixie!).....we swapped positions for a few laps and at the bell lap the SS guy comes around me so it's a 3 way race for (I haven't received what place we were in yet) bragging rights....I caught the two guys in the spiral and was able to pass and hold off the guy on the SS but wasn't able to close down the gap on Taylor.....awesome race.

Garmin Data is here.

Not exactly like Cleveland 'cross....maybe like the SoCal Series I did last year...

FL State CX Championships this weekend.....

Ciao,
Rick

T-Day/50th B-Day Family Visit

For the Big 5-Oh my folks and my son drove down to sunny FL for the Holiday.

It was great seeing and having my son stay with me (my folks stayed in Lutz @ my Bro's place) to celebrate Holiday and Birthday. We watched a friend race in St Pete via walking down with Sadie...

Went to the Ft Desota Dog Beach and went over the Suncoast Skyway Bridge....


We had a great week, plus even I got in 180+ miles and did well at a 'cross race....I miss him already but it's nice I could be with him that week.

Caio,
Rick

Ellsworth Replacement frame

I decided to replace the Ellsworth with a BMC from a local dealer - St. Pete Bike n Fitness. It was a demo/used frame so the price was were it needed to be and when all was said and done it came in at 16.1 lbs!


I've put almost 180 miles on it in just a week and I'm pleased with the stiffness/comfort of it. I'll give more photos/reviews of it as I dial in the fit.


I'm back with gears!

Caio,
Rick

50th B-Day & T-Day

Here is the ride that I did on my 50th (52 miles)...via my Garmin 405cx....on the BMC.
:-)

St Pete Group Ride - 50th B-Day & T-Day by rickadams60 at Garmin Connect - Details

Ellsworth Scant Frame

Being one of my favourite road bike frames that I've owned...I was depressed when it developed a loud "dry wood" creaking sound when riding and really loud when sprinting or climbing. I had two different mechanics look at it and they thought possibly frame separation where the carbon meets the scandium.

It's at Ellsworth now for evaulation.

We will see what happens......I'm bumming big time meanwhile.

Caio,
Rick

APT Update...

Some more recent photos of the apt.....I'm loving the area!

Yet another move....

I gotta tell ya I'm so sick of moving I could puke.

But I now have my own place, my own furniture, more room and in a better location (almost downtown St. Pete).

Sadie likes it too....

I have mucho unpacking and organizing to do but am feeling pretty good about things now....just "liv'n my life" now and continuing to more forward.

'Cross season in FL starts in November so I have time to get into shape for it along with another AlleyCat race at the end of this month.

Pictures of the place when I'm done and yes, I'll have room (finally) for visitors this winter...
:-)

Ciao,
Rick

Back to the Basics

My last big purchase in a long, long time will be the Pinerallo Lungitva SS/Fixie.

This area is perfect for one and the bike, while not a true track bike will work on the track.....hopefully I'll go to the one in the Ft Lauderdale, FL.

I rode in the Tampa Bay AlleyCat race and came in 5th I think out of 55 finishers; due to riding with Paul & Robin, two fast folks that knew the area like the back of their hand! I did the race setup as a SS, but have flipped the wheel and now have it set up as a fixie.....the rear brake comes off next.

Ciao,
Rick

A New Addition

I finally felt like I was settled in enough to look for a dog. I've had several dogs in the past and for FL thought a Australian Cattle Dog/Blue Healer mix would be good plus I miss the last one I had Cooke.

I found Sadie via Petfinder.com and got her through a rescue house. I was able to meet the owner (2 hrs away in Ft. Myers) and picked her up on August the 8th. She is a 7 yr old female and a touch out of shape.....she's great at catching a Frisbee and just the right mix of laid back and playful. I'll be working with her on getting back in shape and running with me via foot and bike.

At the crit last night some poeple watched her while I raced and she did great....she even ran next to me on the bike back to the car perfectly....I don't think she's ever done that before.

Everything is going well and I'll give updates....

Tampa Training Crit

I've been doing the Tampa Training Crits almost every Weds night here. They are well run, fun and it has (finally) gotten me back into crit/road racing.

The series started out with the A & B field combined...which was tough. I got sick and missed a couple of weeks and when I started again they had split the A & B groups up and 'cause I'm a CAT4, I was going to be doing the B group race. It's only (roughly) a mile course with 3 sharp but not too tough turns and we race for 30 minutes plus 3 laps. I was able to get back into the grove of it and get two 3rd place finishes and two Saturdays ago get a second in the first race (10 laps) and a first in the second race (5 laps) that was done right after the first. So I got invited up to the As. Last week when I raced As....it was fast and I felt really good to the point of joining a 2 man break and we stayed away for 3-5 laps. I was able to not blow up and stayed on with the group to finish the 1 hour long race. I was stoked.
Last night at the A race I felt like crap all day and during warm ups knew this wasn't going to be good but pushed on ahead anyway.
Mistake.
I felt terrible; in the legs and in the mind. I couldn't mentally push trough and fell off the back, got on the next lap and even though I was cramping a bit didn't toughen up and for the first time in a long time...DNF. I'm not happy.

I will be out this Saturday and next Weds to see about not having that happening again.

Ciao,
Rick

The Keys

I only live less than 6 hours away from the FL Keys and with the BP Oil spill, I had wanted to check it out again just in case the worst thing happened.

Jode & I left Friday @ 1ish loaded down with camping gear, snorkeling gear and cameras.

It was a great time...the vibe in the Keys is the best. We stayed (camped) in the Bahia Honda State Park on Big Pine Key.

Hanging out at the camp ground watching the sun set, snorkeling, visiting Fort Vachary & running into hanging out with Karol, going to Sloppy Joes for chow and drinks (they got a brain freeze drinking).....it was a great time. I picked up 4 indigious FL plants (Seven Year Apple & Spider Lily) and renewed my love of the Keys and the coral reef there. More pictures are here. I just hope the oil stays away.

Ciao,
Rick

I have moved again?

Good grief....I needed to move again and this time I'm in my OWN apartment, no more sharing. I like how someone wanted to know if I was in a witness protection program...it has felt like for the last 1.5+ years I have been on the go the whole time.

Clearwater Beach was a cool spot and location for doing the beach thing and riding with the Ride-n-Roll crew, but my room mate's schedule and mine just didn't jibe. After looking for 2-3 days I found a SMALL apartment in St Pete's. I'll post some picts of it soon. It's a year lease so I think things should stablize for me a lot and I definately need some of that right now.

The riding here is really good and if I was ever able to run again...the TRI scene is huge here.

Next weekend I'm heading to the Keys for camping and snorkeling; the the oil disaster that has happened in the Gulf, I want to revisit that special place in case the unthinkable happens to it....

Ciao,
Rick

things are going well

Update long overdue.
Sold the Mini Cooper Clubman....really liked the car but not the monthly payment and I have a "free" company car....it's just a thing.
Looks like the refi is going to happen and Gary will be moving into my place soon.
I have been riding "naked" without my Garmin 405CX for a week now but will be getting that back Tuesday?
Broke the Ti rail on my Selle Italia SLR seat and that's the next thing to "fix"
Doing a lots of Ride-n-Roll groups rides and having a difficult but good time of it.

Hopefully I'm getting back into shape and things are finally failing into place after all heck breaking loose in Nov 2008....patience is a virtue but it's been a difficult lesson to learn.

Every day is getting better....

Caio,
Rick

Up and Down

So, I had just moved in, raced my first crit and found a really cool EARLY morning (5:30am) group ride to do....and I get sick again. Real sick this time. A week and a half goes by and I figured I'd do an easy ride over the weekend to see how I'm doing.
Ride from the house to the St Pete ride (22 S) and back by rickadams60 at Garmin Connect - Details">My ride Saturday

"recovery ride" from the house south and back by rickadams60 at Garmin Connect - Details">My ride Sunday

No crit race or fast group ride this week but I will get in more zone 3 miles til I'm 100%.

Here's looking towards the weekend!
Ciao,
Rick

Riding & Moving today

I'm going on a group ride out of St. Pete this morning then moving to a beach cottage two blocks off of Clearwater Beach. I'm pretty excited cause when (it doesn't happen often)the waves are good, I want to be able to do the Dawn Patrol then go to work.

I'll post some pictures of the place later; Tim is going to be my house mate so I'm hoping we will get along together well....he's dating a TRI gal so it will be nice to have active people around the place.

I did my first training Crit race this week and finished in the pack and felt pretty good. My left leg still hasn't loosened up yet so I'm going to see about getting a message or something to help loosen it up....it's still pretty sore.

Sold the Mini Cooper this week, that helps a lot....I'll miss it but I can always get one later.

Well, mucho packing/riding to do.....I hope everyone has a good weekend and here's to Aimee's doing well at her TRI this weekend.

Ciao,
Rick

Mountain Biking in FL?

Yes there is great mountain biking in FL. This is the second time I've been to Alafia River State Park and I think it's a blast to ride.

Alafia River State Park by rickadams60 at Garmin Connect - Details

I met up with Chris B and two buddies of his today.

More later....bed time and a road ride tomorrow morning.

Ciao,
Rick

Tampa Crit

The Tampa Crit is something I wanted to do in a bad way...short story is I was making progress in my conditioning and then got sick again 4-5 days before the race.

That sucked and I'm racing down here as a GDI so I thought it would be dumb to race not feel'n it so I went and took photos of it.

So I got better rode well for another couple of weeks and got hit again by another cold...laying low for a week but am going to go out for an easy ride tomorrow night.

Best of luck for my northern friends entering race season now.

As far as my racing season.....we will see.

Ciao,
Rick