2014-2015 Events calendar 8/1/14 (update 9/28/14)

Last November, I posted a blog that lists athletic events, races and training plans for the year 2014. This was helpful to share my goals with my friends and Coach and handy for me to come back for the quick link.  So I decided to do it again.

You may think this is an odd time to be planning my “season”.  Most cyclists take winter months off when the weather is unfavorable outside and engage in old school LSD or long slow distance in early spring.  Once I started running, I learned in Texas, run season slows down middle of summer, but goes through winter months.  So I decided I should build my base in mid-summer and start my “season” in fall and go through early summer. 

Cycling is good until around November on and off and usually I go into complete inside mode until February or March.  Running will become humanly around September.  During cycling season, I looked for Sunday run races, but once it gets cool, I am hoping for some Saturday races when preferable distance races happen closeby.

2014

September

9/21 (Sun)  

Plano balloon fiesta run 5K

9/27 (Sat)

Waco Wild West 100 Bicycle Tour This is our annual event, we gave up this year.  Instead
Plano Pacer’s 5 miles

October

10/4 (Sat) Make A Wish  100k (Here for next year's reference)

10/11 (Sat) Saturday before fall break
Pumpkin Run 10K (here for next year's reference)

10/26 (Sun)

Esprit de SheDu.  My A-race for this year.  This year, I signed up for long course: 18 mile bike sandwiched between 5k runs.

November

11/1 (Sat) 10K Oak point park

11/16 (Sun)

Bronda's Du: 2-mile run 16-mile bike and 2-mile run

11/29 (Sat) Plano Pacer’s 5/15k

December

Spinervals Challenge???

2015

January

February

March

April

May

June

6/20 (Sat) Tour de Cure

Thank you, Tour de France 7/27/14

I think I work very hard during two semesters, so I grant myself a long summer off from teaching.  I get to follow good amount of mid-season pro-cycling events.  Last year, Tony and I ventured out to Europe, which was first time for both of us.  We were on Giro d’Italia tour and saw Vincenzo Nibali won.  This year we stayed home for early summer vacation and saw Nairo Quintana (a.k.a. my Colombian nephew) won Giro. 

Of course, Tour de France is the biggest event to follow and this year, it was extra fun because I got to be with Tony.  When the Tour started, we were in New Mexico for family vacation and when we came back, Tony had meetings locally, then took one last shorter vacation for the summer.  Last year, Spinervals Team hosted a group competition using NBC Sports Fantasy Team competition

and Coach Troy kindly provided a prize.  This year, I created my own thread of pro-cycling news leading up to Le Tour.   Having Tour Tracker, iPad app to watch NBC Sports all helped enjoying the race. 

As we watched the Italian won Giro in my own eyes, Nibali was my favorite all along.  He was rather quieter in early season and openly criticized by Olympic gold medalist and general manager, Alexander Vinokourov.  Main stream media was all between Froome vs Cantador, but I wanted to cheer young American GC hopefuls. 

Irish friends we met at the Giro Tour told us about Nicolas Roche’s book and at the Vuelta last year, I started to follow Irish Independent online where he posts inside report of the race. 

As most of you know, when his team leader Cantador crashed on Stage 10. Roche was the one who gave Cantador his bike so that he could continue.  My heart became heavy after reading his diary that day.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/cycling/we-were-so-confident-in-alberto-we-didnt-have-a-plan-b-then-plan-a-went-out-the-window-30431225.html

When Talansky suffered and French TV covered him until he finished, unusual gesture of French TV, Michael Rogers, the last teammate Cantador thanked in the mist, was interviewed.  He was asked about Talansky and said, “Been there, done that.” and said everybody has a good day and a bad day.  Maybe it was simple thing to say, but having a small athletic ambition, his words struck my heart, mostly to my high performing friends.  Three-week race is a long time and danger is everywhere and people do get injured. The race is not just athletic, physical test, but psychological and mental one after so much sacrificing and determination.

Watching parade portion of last stage was like saying good bye to my friends.  It was a reminder of my precious summer vacation is wrapping up.  I like international nature of cycling and I saw riders were usually riding like our group ride; two abreast and talking.  Often times, the pair was from different teams.  Maybe good friends are finally able to catch up and enjoy chatting.  I was spinning on the trainer myself and felt like I was chatting with them in the peleton and sharing champagne with Team Astana. 

Every year, as we watch entire race broadcast in the morning and replay later in the evening, we end up watching same commercials.  Even we mute the sound during commercials, Tony started to yell, “Uuuuun stoppable!” and “What is in your wallet?” and sang the tuba.  Among those commercials, those two were my favorite from this year.

You know I like US Continental Team Jelly Belly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-TiwjFN7XU

The message as well as the international flavor of this PeopleforBikes.org Collaboration

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLR_y-nQnRQ

THANK YOU, Tour de France for another wonderful three-weeks of my vacation in France (UK and Spain) and husband, Tony for following it with me to make the experience extra special!