COASTAL BEAUTY

Donna and I started our Saturday (after Starbucks that is) at the coast. This area is my favorite of the California Coast - I much prefer rocks and cliffs to sandy beaches.

SWEET REWARDS

After all the hard work training and tremendous race effort on Friday, Donna FINALLY indulged in some Girl Scout cookies that she has had for months, waiting until after race day to enjoy. Despite all the sugar, she had no problem konking out around 9:30pm.

AT LAST.... RACE DAY

Donna made her racing debut Friday at the Sea Otter Classic. In a field of 35 she finished 11th, 7 minutes behind first place... a GREAT finish especially considering this was the first time she ever raced! She had a lot of fun with it, learned a lot and already is thinking about her next race!

LOVER'S POINT

We made it to lover's point Thursday night, close to sunset. The Monterey Coast is one of those things you never grow tired of.

THE BICYCLE HOSPITAL

Donna's Anthem make a short stop at the bicycle hospital but 20 minutes later we were on out way -nothing more than a loose rear hub. Two twists of the cone wrenches later, she's all ready for tomorrow's race.

BEST PART OF THE DAY

We saw really cool bike stuff, watched a little racing, went for a scenic bike ride and took a drive down the coast, but the best part of the day was hanging out with Donna, just sitting on the tailgate of the Montero and talking in the parking lot at the Sea Otter Classic.

PRE RACE-DAY SPINNING

We woke up to cold, windy, overcast weather Thursday morning and decided against riding the race course again. Instead we headed across the street and caught the bike path that runs along the coast. We had a great ride but I was really ready for a hot shower by time we got back to the room... brrrrr!

WEDNESDAY NIGHT

After a five-hour drive to Monterey, race registration, a ride around the course and checking in at the motel, it was time for dinner and a short stop to see a cross at the beach. Back at the motel, we watched a movie, thanks to my iPod and a cable set that plugs into the motel TV, and Donna had time to go through her race goodies bag.

SEA OTTER CLASSIC SCENERY

The scenery along the XC course at the Sea Otter Classic is amazing! Hopefully Donna doesn't find it too distracting while trying to race.

DONNA FIRST TASTE OF THE SEA OTTER

Donna got her first look at the Sea Otter XC race course today and is debating riding it again before race day. The course is brutal to say the least - sand traps, singletrack that will make passing others a nightmare and climbs that make the legs weep. The wind today was CRAZY!!! On more than one occasion it almost blew us over. One more full day before the race and Donna is more ready than ever.

SEA OTTER CLASSIC STYLE

Donna is dusting off her 'cowboy' hat for the Sea Otter Classic - you can't go to the first international cycling festival of the year in anything less.

DINNERTIME

Donna made a fantastic dinner tonight! White beans, spinach, onion, olive oil, salt, red pepper, fresh basil, garlic, chicken broth & topped off with scallops! All at 314 calories per serving.

DROPPIN' ME LIKE A BAD HABIT

Donna and I got out for a ride today and for a while all I could see during the climb was a tiny blue speck (donna's jersey) on the horizon. I made the mistake of letting her take the lead and after that she dropped me like a bad habit! She is soooo ready for Friday's race in Monterey! I also managed to get some funky tan lines on my head today - I'm gonna need to start riding with different helmets with different vent patterns to even it out.

ANOTHER SATURDAY

It took everything I had to get out of bed Saturday morning. Exhausted from the past week, I eventually rolled out of the bed and onto the bike. Two miles into the ride I finally started to get some energy, partly thanks to the ocean's cool breeze blowing from behind me. From there, life was grand.

SWEATING OUT THE STRESS

Thursday night I managed to get out of the office early enough to squeeze in some daylight riding. What a way to blow off stress! Beautiful scenery, fun bubble-like mirrors and hills that make the legs burn like crazy. I'll be heading into Friday in a much better mental condition than when I left the office Thursday evening!