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August 2007 - Posts
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Happy Friday! You're receiving a special Friday edition of the blog today because there won't be a blog entry on Monday due to the Labor Day weekend - hopefully I'll be floating down the Llano River on Sunday and Monday, as far away from a computer as I can I possibly be...
Labor Day Weekend Training Opportunities
 Just because it's a three-day holiday weekend doesn't mean you have to take a break from training. Carl Crawford has volunteered to lead three medium length rides for us this weekend, one each on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Check our training schedule for details. Way to go Carl! If you join him this weekend, ask about the upcoming ride in Tennessee he's training for.
Rider of the Week
As we prepare as a team for the Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach, we're going to focus once a week on a team member in a section we'll call "Rider of the Week". This week's spotlight is on Keary Lambrecht, who will be doing his first MS 150 this year. To read his story, click here. Send an e-mail to cycling@valero.com if you have someone you want to nominate as a future Rider of the Week.
David's Account of the HHH
 Fundraising Board Member David Sloan wrote a wonderful write-up of his experiences at this year's Hotter 'N Hell ride. If you haven't read it yet, click here. Hats off to all the Velo riders who participated, and Pat if you're out there - I need my jersey back!
Tour de Valero
If you're a Valero HQ employee, I encourage you to join a team and compete in the Tour de Valero. The Fitness Center did this for the Tour de Cure in 2006, and it was very popular. The TDV is a great way to motivate you to train consistently for the MS 150. The five-member teams accumulate points based on the types and frequency of workouts team members do, and there are prizes for the first teams to reach 1500 points, and the first three teams to reach 2500 points. As an extra incentive, the Velo Valero Board will award a prize to the Velo Valero team member who is riding in the MS 150 for the first year who participates in the TDV and accumulates the most points. What are you waiting for - go sign up right now!
Jersey Order Deadline
 All riders participating in the Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach as part of Velo Valero must wear a current team jersey (see photo to the left). We are the title sponsor for this event, and we want to good for the cameras and represent Valero well. The deadline for ordering a team jersey for the MS 150 has been moved up to noon on Friday, September 7th. You can order the jersey on-line at our Team Store. We'll get the jerseys in early October and distribute them at our on-site packet pickup (tentatively scheduled for October 10th). If you need a jersey, please order it as soon as possible - I would hate for you to miss this deadline.
Registration Going Up
Today is the last day to register to the Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach at the low, low price of $40. Beginning September 1, the fee goes up to $50. If you've been thinking about registering, do it today and save yourself $10. To register on-line, click here.
...That's it - have a great Labor Day weekend!
- Peter
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Good morning, and Happy Hump Day! Lots of team news today, so let's get right to it...
This Week's Rides
Here's our midweek rides:
- We'll once again do our Wednesday Hump Day ride from the North Garage of Valero HQ, with wheels up at 05:45 pm. Since John is out today, send an e-mail to peter.ray@valero.com if you are interested in riding. Distance and pace to be determined based on who shows up, but count on a few good hills.
- The family friendly Thursday night ride will leave from Specht's Store at 06:30 pm.
Carl Crawford (carl.crawford@valero.com) has offered to lead a series of medium length rides this holiday weekend.
Remember - our Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach Training Ride kick-off will be on Saturday, 09/08, leaving from Valero HQ. Make sure to wear your team jersey so we can take some photos with the Team Truck!
To see our complete schedule, click here.
Deadline for Ordering Team Jerseys
All riders participating in the Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach as part of Velo Valero must wear a current team jersey (see photo to the left). We are the title sponsor for this event, and we want to good for the cameras and represent Valero well. The deadline for ordering a team jersey for the MS 150 is noon on Friday, September 7th. You can order the jersey on-line at our Team Store. We'll get the jerseys in early October and distribute them at our packet pickups (date to be announced shortly).
Fundraising for the MS 150
Fundraising is one of those things people either love or hate about participating in the MS 150. As a member of Velo Valero, we require you to raise the minimum ($300), but encourage you to do more. It's no secret that our goal every year is to be the top fundraising team (in addition to being the team that has the most fun). On a regular basis, we post our team roster, and do so in order of fundraising for this event (from most to least). Why do we do this? Well, we participate in this event because we want to do the most good for those inflicted with MS, and we do this by raising the most money for the MS Society. End of story.
Some people meet this requirement by writing a $300 personal check to the MS Society. This is one way to do it, and I have no problem with this (I did it for many years). But if you have done this in the past, I'd encourage you to try something different this year. As a rider in the MS 150, you are doing an extraordinary thing by pedaling 165 miles over two days into a fierce coastal headwind. Believe it or not, this can be very inspirational to friends, family, and co-workers. Let them share in your pain and triumph by contributing to your fundraising. You'll be surprised how many people are more than happy to write a check on your behalf for this great cause.
And now for...Today's Fundraising Tip
Electronic fundraising is all the rage, and it's really quite effective. The MS Society allows you to create an E-Donate Link for your fundraising that folks can go to and donate on your behalf. They can do this via credit card, and it gets you out of the business of collecting checks and cash from your donors and forwarding them to the MS Society. To create an E-Donate Link, go to the following link on the Official MS site:
http://www.ms150.org/b2b/donate/edonate_link.cfm
Put in your name and your e-mail address (the one you used when registering for the MS 150). Also, put in a short message that describes who you are, why you are riding, etc. Here's the message I'm using:
Please join me in raising money to fight MS! As in previous years, I'll match dollar for dollar any contribution made on my behalf. This is my 8th year to ride the Bike to the Beach, which requires me to pedal 165 miles over two days from San Antonio to Corpus Christi. It is your support that gives me the confidence and strength to participate in this incredible event. This year is special for me, because I'm the new Captain of Velo Valero, the corporate cycling team of my company, Valero Energy. Each year we break records as the largest team and the top fundraising team, and I expect 2007 to be no different! For more information, go to http://www.velovalero.com. Thanks for your support!
Once you have your message entered, click on the New button. You will receive an e-mail from the MS Society with two links in it - one to send to your donors, and one which allows you to edit your message at any time.
The next step is to create an e-mail and send it to anyone you think may want to contribute to your campaign. Please make sure to include the E-Donate link you just created into your email to folks. Send this off, and watch the money come in! (NOTE: You'll receive an e-mail from the MS Society every time someone donates on your behalf).
If you have any questions, please contact our Board Member in charge of fundraising, David Sloan (david.sloan@valero.com).
We Always Knew Jacque Robertson Was Larger Than Life, Now We Have Proof
 Jacque Robertson has been a member of Velo Valero almost as long as I have. Those who know her know she's always been larger than life, with an incredible sense of humor and an even more incredible laugh. Jacque doesn't just walk into a room, she transforms it. Well, we will soon have proof of how much larger than life she truly is. In early September, the MS Society in conjunction with Clear Channel will be putting up billboards promoting the MS 150 at locations all around San Antonio. Since Jacque somehow manages to end up in 90% of the team photos we take, it was inevitable that she would be on the billboard - and she is. A proof of the billboard is below, along with a map showing the locations where they will be located. (Jacque is second from the left.) If you pass one of these billboards, don't forget to honk your horn to show your support for the team and the event!
See ya' on the road!
- El Hefe
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Here's David Sloan's account of this year's Hotter 'N Hell ride...
It's pitch black dark with only a few street lights illuminating the scene. It's so dark you cannot read the numbers on your bicycle computer to be sure your are re-setting the right things and not changing from MPH to Km/H. You are NOT alone, in fact there is a gathering of more than 10,000 bicycles and their riders and it is filling up every space on the street for blocks and blocks behind the start line as the night turns into daylight. Velo Valero friends and team mates are nearby to share the moment with Pyro Pete - the guardian of Hell's Gate standing by, U S Air Force fighter jets flying over in a finger four formation, and then the cannon goes off - B O O M !!! We were a couple of blocks away and could feel the concussion! After the start, it was a literal river of cyclists on the road for at least the next 30 miles!
David Sloan (right) with Darryl and Chase at the starting line. For more photos, click here.
Andrea, Chase, Darryl, and I started together with PJ, Donna, Ken, and Paige nearby. We saw riders from McKee and other Velo Valero team mates from the Houston area including Bill Garner, who I first met two years ago during the MS-150, and whose picture is prominent in the photo that graces the tailgate of our MS-150 trucks.
By the time we were over the bridge just after the start, I had lost track of every other Valero rider in the crowd. That was OK since I was pointing for the 100K ride and they were all doing the 100 miles. I was with a group that was going 18 - 21 MPH and I was feeling good, so I stayed with them for most of the first 20 miles before I stopped for my first break. The sight of thousands of colorful cyclists as far as you can see ahead of you when you crest a rise is just awesome! That will be one of my many vivid memories of this year's HHH. Coming out of the rest stop, I joined up with a couple of riders that were up from Stephenville and we stayed together at a pace of 17 - 19 until I had a flat just as we were entering the area of the 40 mile rest stop. After that, I was pretty much on my own until I caught up with Stella and we rode together for a mile or so. I think we were the only Velo Valerians on the 100 K route. That wind and long uphill grade on the IH-44 access road is a real killer, and for a change, I was actually passing other riders on that stretch. I saw Stella again as I was leaving the 50 mile rest stop and heading for home.
One of the highlights of this year's ride was the route through Sheppard Air Force Base. Only the 100 K and 50 mile riders were fortunate enough to share this experience. After we entered the base and rolled past the huge B-52 "Buff", we turned onto the tarmac where an array of planes were lined up on both sides of the route. I saw and recognized the T-34; T-38; F-15; F-16; A-10; and C-130 and there were several other planes besides. The real excitement was still to come. Remember Sheppard is the largest training base in the Air Force, and the entire trainee population turned out to cheer us on! Imagine having thousands of young men and women lining the route clapping and cheering. Fortunately, the pavement was smooth, and the terrain flat to slightly downhill so I just coasted and held out my hand and thanked them for their service to our country. It seemed like every one of them wanted to reach out to touch my hand - it was an incredible experience - brings tears to my eyes again as I write this.... Those on the 100 mile route really missed out!
From Sheppard, it was only another 5 miles to the finish line. I finished in just under 5 hours for a 12+ MPH total average, with an average of 15.7 or so while on the road. A personal best for this ride and for this distance.
The Toyota trucks garnered a LOT of attention this year. We were able to find good, prominent parking spots for them on both Friday and Saturday. When we were not at the truck, we stuck flyers on it and when we returned they were always almost all gone. We talked to lots of folks about joining us on this year's Valero MS-150 while on the road, at the expo, and on the parking lot. This was my third HHH experience, and this was by far my most enjoyable experience.
David Sloan
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"Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for?" - Robert Browning
Lots of Velo Valero cycling went on this weekend. This morning's blog will be all about what we do best and love the most - riding our bikes. I'm so proud of all new the new and nearly new riders who are achieving personal milestones every week they ride - folks like Chase, Keary, Darryl, Jim, Hal, Grace, Glenn, etc. That's what the Browning quote is all about - bumping into your limits, and then going way beyond them...
Hotter 'N Hell
A bunch of Velo riders did the Hotter 'N Hell. Here's Patricia Jones' report:
Hi Peter! We missed you. Have lots of funny stories. Ride was great. We had a blast. It wasn't "hotter than hell" with a high of about 94. It got a little windy (as the morning progressed), but even that was mild for Wichita Falls...still was a struggle toward the end into the wind though. David Sloan and Stella Rocha did the 100K. The rest of us (Paige, Andrea, Donna, Ken, Luis, Pat, Steve, me and some guys from McKee) all did the full route, which my odometer read 101.91 miles when I crossed the finish. I think there were some folks from Houston, but I didn't get their name as well. Definitely the longest ride I have ever done! The crowd is so immense at this ride, a team photo is impossible... I did the best I could, but I never saw Pat O'brien for a photo...I am sure he "smoked" the 100 mile route. Ken and Luis had great rides and finished in about 5 hours or so. I was riding with Andrea, Chase and Paige. We got to Hell's Gate at about 11am (60 miles), which was open, so Andrea "chided" us into the 100 rather than the 80 miles we had planned on doing...'nuff said!! I finished with Paige and Andrea, and we were happy with our 5 hr 45min time as well...with Paige and I wanting to shoot Andrea toward the end with the wind!! Just kidding. We had a great time, and we did lots of Valero & MS 150 recruiting all along the route. By the way, we are all proud of Chase!! He is a new rider with only about 10 rides now under his belt, and he finished the 100 mile course. Hat's off.
Get David's stories from the 100K. I hear it was thrilling riding through the airbase, with the guys slapping hands with the riders congratulating them for riding. ( Click here to ride David's account of the ride.)
The start of the race is a flyover by four F16's and then a big canon blast. It was incredible with riders stacked for about a mile back waiting to start. Really something to see and experience.
Will tell more at the office. Attached are a few photos. I will send all and explain them. Stella has photos as well when they return from vacation. I wanted one at Hell's Gate, but there was nowhere safe to park a bike to take a photo of Pyro Pete (the big balloon that guards the gate).
Ciao, PJ
Chase, PJ, Andrea, and Paige. For more photos from the HHH, click here.
East Side Ride
On Saturday, I joined 25+ Velo Valerians at Judson High School for various routes on the East Side of San Antonio. As we get closer to the Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach, we'll do more rides in this part of town, because it more closely approximates the ride experience we will have during the 150. I was with the group that did the long route (55 miles) and we had a good, fast ride at an 18+ mph average, including some high 20s on the smooth pavement around Sutherland Springs. For some of the ride, I had the pleasure and the honor of pedaling next to Laura Vaccaro, 2005-2006 Team Captain, and the mentor and inspiration for my role as current Team Captain. In addition to lots of bike team chit chat, she gave me plenty of good advice on my new dog, Hannah... Early in the ride we encountered precariously high waters on Lower Sequin Road and had to revise the route, but after that it was just smooth, sweet pedaling thorugh some of the prettiest farmland in Texas. All the groups hooked up at Bretzke's Station in New Berlin, where a number of folks indulged in breakfast tacos - I won't mention names, so as not to embarass Kirstin and John...
John, Peter, David, Hal, and Jacque in front of Bretze's Station in New Berlin. For more training ride photos, click here.
Sunday Ride
On Sunday, Carl Crawford led a group of riders that started and ended at the HEB in Leon Springs. Here's his report:
We had five riders show up for the ride on Sunday morning at the HEB parking lot in the Leon Springs. This group included three new riders on the Valero team: Jim Kuhl of Valero, Leigh of Clark High School and Bill from Habitat for Humanity. The route took us up Toutant Beauregard to I-10 and HW46. We passed the Shell station and stopped at the Valero's Corner Store in Beorne. Then we continued to Ammann Road and through Fair Oaks Parkway and stopped at another store for more fluids. At this point, Leigh, Bill and Derrick decided to go down the access road for a total of 33 miles. Carl and Jim cut over to Beorne Stage Road and went up Scenic Loop to Babcock Rd and then Celio Vista totaling 42 miles. We should congratulate both Leigh and Jim for their rides this weekend. Sunday was Leigh's longest ride since starting a couple of months ago and as a new rider, Jim did approximately 85 miles of hills this past weekend (way to go Jim!)
...This is what I love about this team - everywhere I look, I see people pushing their limits, and accomplishing things they never thought possible.
See ya' on the road!
- Peter
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Just a few quick midweek items...
MS 150 Social Tonight
If you haven't registered for the Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach yet and plan on doing so, there's one last opportunity to take advantage of the $25 early bird special. From 05:00 to 08:00 pm on Wednesday, August 22, at Pappasito's Cantina on West I-10 in San Antonio, the MS Society will be holding a "Captain's Social" for MS 150 Team Captains. All riders looking for a team are invited to attend. Me and some of the Board members will be there, dressed in our team jerseys, trolling for new team members and preaching the gospel of Velo Valero to the masses. Anyone who registers at this event gets to do so for the low, low price of $25 - bring a friend or two, and get them to sign up also! If you've registered already, come by anyway - there will be drink and food specials, plus some giveaways by the MS Society.
...This week me and some of the Board Members - Laura, Donna, Zora, David, and Lucy - have been calling folks who rode with Velo Valero in year's past and haven't registered for this year's MS 150 yet. If you got one of these calls, this is why - we'd love to have you back, and we want to save you a little money with this registration special.
Hotter 'N Hell This Weekend
This weekend the legendary Hotter 'N Hell ride wll be held in Witchita Falls. David Sloan (david.sloan@valero.com) and Patricia Jones (patricia.jones@valero.com) will be driving two of the Team Trucks up for this event, and will be joined by team members Stella, Luis, Donna, Andrea, Pat, Steve, etc. If you're a member of Velo Valero and plan on doing this ride, please wear your team jersey and hook up with David and PJ at the starting line. I can't wait to see the pictures and hear the stories from this ride! (Someday, I'll actually be man enough to do it...)
Rides This Week
- We actually snuck in a ride last night from Valero HQ, and I had the pleasure of riding with longtime Velo Valero team member Grant Hopwood, along with a new rider Glenn "Funky Cold" Medina. I'm working on getting both of them to do the MS 150 this year.
- Our Wednesday night ride will not take place tonight because many of us will be at the MS 150 Social, drinking cervaze and woofing down chips and hot sauce.
- The family friendly Thursday night ride will leave from Specht's Store at 06:30 pm.
- On Saturday, we're doing the East Side again. We'll be leaving from Judson HS with wheel's up at 07:30 am. John Tenison will be leading. NOTE: We won't have SAG support on this ride, because the trucks will be at the Hotter 'N Hell. So, bring plenty of fluids!
- On Sunday, Carl Crawford will lead a ride from the Park and Ride at the HEB in Leon Springs. Wheel's up at 08:00 am.
Remember - our MS 150 Training Kickoff Ride will be on Saturday, 09/08, leaving from Valero HQ. Make sure to wear your team jersey so we can take some photos with the Team Truck!
To see our complete schedule, click here.
Who's That Guy on the Team Truck?
A number of people have asked me, "Hef, who is that guy on the side of the Team Truck?" Well, that person is none other than Wayne Genzer, Velo Valero cycling legend and retiree from the Corpus Christi refinery. To read his story, click here. Here's a photo that was taken of Wayne with the truck when it was on the road trip to Corpus Christi and Three Rivers a few weeks ago.
See ya' on the road!
- Peter
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Well, I write this on a Sunday evening after a very relaxing weekend. I had planned on doing the Pancake Ride and pool party Saturday, then heading out to my place on the Llano River to host 35 Scouts and their parents for two days, but Mother Nature had other plans - again! First, the Pancake Ride was cancelled because of concerns about high water crossings on Salado Creek, then the Scout Camp Out was cancelled because the Llano River was expected to rise 22 feet. So, I went from being overbooked to being underbooked (more on this later...).
This Week's Rides
Our Wednesday night ride took off from the North Garage of Valero HQ as planned. We had a small group (me, John, and Gene) but we got in a solid 30 miles with no rain. NOTE: This week we will do the ride on Tuesday night at 05:45 pm, because of the Team Captain's Social at Pappasito's on Wednesday (more on this later!).
The Thursday night ride from Spechts Store was rained out (surprise!).
After much teeth gnashing and a flurry of e-mails, Donna decided to cancel the Pancake Ride Saturday morning. This was the right decision - because of the heavy rains last week, there were lots of dangerous water high crossings along the route. John Tenison decided to schedule a ride Saturday morning from Valero HQ to provide folks who wanted to ride an opportunity to get on the road and "test the waters". About 10 of us left at 07:30 am, and followed a route that included Babcock, Scenic Loop, Toutant Beauregard, and Ammann. There were numerous places were there was water on the road - I stopped counting at 5 - but for the most part, it was shallow, slow moving, and reasonably safe (although, I did get some mud on my new bike). The only place that was a real issue was Cibolo Creek outside of Fair Oaks. This was raging like the Amazon and there was no way in hell we were going to try and cross it, so we backtracked to Ralph Fair Road, and cut across to Fair Oaks Parkway. After that, it was a tight pace line into the wind along the I-10 frontage road back to Valero HQ. We finished with David, Luis (love that Dark Side of the Moon jersey!), John, and myself registering 50 miles for the day.
On Sunday, a group of riders met Patricia Jones, aka PJ, at the Exxon on 471 outside of Helotes. Here is her report:
Wow, weather was great and so was our rider turn out today! We had 10 folks join us. Most of us that had more time this morning chose to do a 38 mile loop from the Exxon station (471 / Castroville / Hwy 90 / Hwy 211 / Portranco / Talley / 471 back to the station) rather than the Castroville out and back. We all had a great time, and it was a good ride to help some of us prepare for the Hotter 'N Hell next weekend. As a side note, most of the road conditions were very good; however, a small portion on 471 in the newly paved section was unfortunately torn up during last week's flood, but it is just a short section. Additionally, a good portion of Talley is being repaved and should be nice when they finish in the next couple of weeks. Again, it was a great ride!
Another Opportunity to Register for the MS 150 for the Low, Low Price of $25
If you haven't registered for the Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach yet and plan on doing so, there's one last opportunity to take advantage of the $25 early bird special. From 05:00 to 08:00 pm on Wednesday, August 22, at Pappasito's Cantina on West I-10 in San Antonio, the MS Society will be holding a "Captain's Social" for MS 150 Team Captains. All riders looking for a team are invited to attend. Me and some of the Board members will be there, dressed in our team jerseys, trolling for new team members and preaching the gospel of Velo Valero to the masses. Anyone who registers at this event gets to do so for the low, low price of $25 - bring a friend or two, and get them to sign up also!
The MS 150 is exactly two months away on October 20-21. Every Monday the San Antonio Express News will carry an article on the event; click here for today's which has a few quotes from yours truly.
A Boy and His Dog
As mentioned, because of the weather related cancellations I found myself unexpectedly with a whole lot of free time on my hands this weekend. I used this windfall to:
- Watch a backlog of movies on HBO - from the sublime ("Little Miss Sunshine") to the unbelievably crude but funny ("Beerfest" and "Ali G Indahouse") to the unimaginably awful ("Man of the Year" - what were they thinking???)
- Test drive a bunch of new cars, since I need to buy something to replace the Honda Element I'm giving to my 16 year old daughter, now that she can drive. I will admit that I looked at sports cars, and had exhilerating test drives of the Mazda Miata, Nissan 350Z, and Honda S2000. Each of these cars are unbelievable, and if I buy one of them, I'll need to get a second job to afford the premium gas and the speeding tickets...we'll see what happens. It may be too soon for this - I'm not technically old enough for a mid-life crisis and a roadster, since as Pat Harrington said on Saturday, "50 is the new 40" - which makes me at age 44 a thirtysometihng, and way too young for this sort of behavior...
- And finally, play with the newest addition to the Ray household, a German Shepard-Welsh Corgi mix we got from the Live Oak pound named Hannah. She's 10 months old, and like all the other dogs we've gotten from the pound over the years, still a bit skittish while she's getting used to us. But, she gets along well with our older dog, Louie the beagle (aka, the "Happy Wanderer"), and the kids love her, so it's all good...
El Hefe and the newest member of the Ray household, Hannah
See ya' on the road!
- Peter
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Happy hump day! The finger is healing, and my typing speed and accuracy are gradually increasing again (although I will never, ever, ever learn how to spell Slyvia correctly....). As promised, here's some hard core team news -
This Weeks Rides
We continue to plan training rides throughout the week - we are, after all, a cycling team! These are our planned rides, weather permitting...
- On Wednesday, we'll do the Valero HQ after work ride from the North Garage with wheels up at 05:45 pm. This is 20-25 miles of hills and thrills in the late afternoon Texas blast furnace - bring plenty of water!
- On Thursday, the family friendly ride leaves from Spechts Store at 06:30 pm.
- On Saturday, Donna's Pancake Ride has been cancelled due to flooding road conditions on Salado Creek. As a result, John Tenison has suggested starting at Valero HQ at 7:30am for a ride up to Boerne via Babcock/Scenic Loop/Toutant instead of starting at Roger Soler's, hoping those particular roads won't be flooded. John will be the ride coordinator.
- On Sunday, Patricia "The Funky Pirate" Jones (patricia.jones@valero.com) will lead a short ride from the Chevron Station on 471 near the intersection of 211. This will be an out and back to Castroville with very few hills and covering approx. 33 miles. Wheels up at 07:30 am to beat the heat.
For our complete training schedule, click here.
MS 150 News You Can Use
Lots of you are planning on doing the Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach with the team this year. To help you prepare for this extraordinary event, the Board and I put together a copious compendium of News You Can Use. To access it, click here. We'll continue to update this as we get closer to the event.
Board Meeting, Carl Back on the Board
My hard working and extremely good looking Board of Directors met last week. We had a productive 90 minute meeting that covered lots of agenda items, most of which were devoted to the upcoming Bike to the Beach. To see the minutes from the meeting, click here. At the meeting, we voted on filling the Board vacancy created by the departure of Ken Mayfield earlier this summer. I'm happy to report that Carl Crawford has rejoined the Board, and will be assisting with Training Rides and Special Events. Great to have you back, Carl!
Finally, Talking the Talk
Those of you new to cycling face numerous challenges - how to ride a bike, how to wear spandex in public without feeling goofy, and how to use phrases like peleton and granny gear effectively during Happy Hours. Well, we at Velo Valero are all about helping you become successful at our favorite sport. To this end, we direct you to the Wikipedia entry on bicycle terminology. This concise but well written collection of definitions of the most important cycling terms will have you talking like a Tour de France veteran in no time. Highly recommended!
See ya' on the road!
- Peter
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Here's a cornacopia of MS 150 Bike to the Beach news you can use!
Team Jerseys
If you haven't ordered your team jersey yet and plan on doing so, time is running out! We'll be taking orders between now and noon on Friday, September 7th. Ordering a team jersey is quick and easy at our Team Store, which you can access by clicking here. The jerseys should arrive a few weeks before the MS 150 in early October. We'll distribute to folks in the San Antonio area at one of our packet pickups; for folks out of town, we'll mail them. Remember - all riders on team Velo Valero must wear a current team jersey on Day One of the MS 150. We are the title sponsor, and we want to look good for the cameras. Some teams make you pay a registration fee to join; we just ask you to buy an award-winning team jersey that you get to keep forever after the ride - all the other perks of riding with Velo Valero are on the house, baby!
NOTE: We did not change jersey styles this year. If you have a 2006 team jersey, you do not need to order a new one. The 2006 jersey looks like the picture below:
Also - We aren't offering the shorts this fall. This is the last year we're using this design, and don't expect many new orders. The manufacturer needs a minimum of 50 shorts to do the order. We tried in the spring, didn't have enough orders, and had to refund everyone's money.
Training Kick-Off Ride on Saturday, September 8th
Mark your calendars - we're planning a kick-off ride for our Bike to the Beach training on Saturday, September 8th. The ride will depart from Valero HQ at 08:00 am, and Velo riders of all skill levels are asked to join us if possible, and to wear a current or prior year team jersey - we'll be taking some group photographs in front of our Team Truck, and want everyone to look sharp. We'll have lots of different routes available to meet the needs of everyone from the rookies to the hammer heads.
Rider Profile
If you are riding the MS 150 this year, please take the the time to fill our our Rider Profile. This profile provides us all the information we need to make sure you'll have the best experience possible as a member of our team - this includes details such as where you'll sleep, when you want a massage, your transportation requirements, and your t-shirt size. To access the profile, click here.
Fundraising
David Sloan (david.sloan@valero.com) is our Board Member in charge of fundraising. All members of Velo Valero participating in the Bike to the Beach need to raise at least the minimum ($300) but are encouraged to do more. We don't want to be the largest team, we want to be the team that does the most good for the MS Society - and we do this by raising the most money. Contact David if you have any questions about your fundraising, and to get some tips and techniques from a fundraising guru.
Training Schedule
 I'm working with John Tenison and the other training coordinators on the training schedule for the rest of the year. Click here to see what we have so far. We will continue to do rides on multiple days - Wednesday and Thursday nights, along with Saturday and Sunday mornings. As we get closer to the MS 150, the distances will increase, and we'll do fewer Hill Country rides and more flat routes on the east, west, and south sides of town. We'll also focus more on group riding techniques, including pacelining - which you absolutely need to know how to do successfully if you're going to survive the second day of the Bike to the Beach.
Other Organized Events
Velo Valero team members will be participating in a few other events leading up to the Bike to the Beach. These events are great ways to experience all the nuances of an organized ride before you do the MS 150. These include:
Volunteer Opportunities
 There's more to the MS 150 then just riding - we also need an army of volunteers to help out. It is the volutneers who are really the backbone of this event, and we require a bunch of them - last year we had almost as many volunteers as riders! There are many different types of jobs available - from driving our support vehicles, to staffing the Kenedy rest stop, to preparing and serving the food in our team tent Saturday and Sunday in Beeville. Board Member and human dynamo Laura "the Queen" Vaccaro (laura.vaccaro@valero.com) is coordinating the volunteer effort this year - send her an e-mail if you have any questions or concerns about volunteering. The jobs will be posted on the Valero Corporate SignUp facility in the next week or so. If you have co-workers, friends, or family who not willing to pedal the 165 miles to Corpus Christi but want to support you in your efforts, get them off the couch and make them volunteer! For your co-workers, this is a great teambuilding opportunity - some of the folks that work for me are going to work the Kenedy rest stop... NOTE: All volunteers get a free Velo Valero MS 150 t-shirt, with our great new theme for 2007 prominently displayed in it - no, I can't tell you what the theme will be, you'll just have to wait...
Training Journal
If you haven't downloaded your training journal for the Bike to the Beach, what are you waiting for? To access the journal, click here. Use this simple spreadsheet tool to keep track of all the cardio work you do to prepare you physically for the challenge of riding the Bike to the Beach. Each time you do any sort of exercise, record it in the journal, and it will automatically tally up your weekly and overall totals. This includes team and solo rides you do, plus activities such as spin classes. For non-cycling exercise, record this as "other". For the mileage you record on these types of activities, use the following guidelines:
- One hour of low effort = 10 miles
- One hour of medium effort = 15 miles
- One hour of high effort = 20 miles
The goal is to increase your overall miles in an steady, incremental manner, week by week, until the week before the MS 150, when you'll reduce your workload in order to "recover" before the ride. At the top of the spreadsheet, it has two options for setting your goals. One is the weekly increment - by default, this is set to 5 miles. This means you are going to increase your target miles by 5 miles each week. The second is starting weekly mileage - this is the base you want to begin from. The default is 65 miles - play around with this until it generates a set of targets you are comfortable with. If you have any questions on this, send an e-mail to cycling@valero.com.
...That's it for now...we'll be providing more details in weeks to come. We're so glad you are riding the MS 150, and that you are riding with Team Velo Valero!
See ya' on the road!
- Peter
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Good morning and happy Monday! This will be a short blog today, primarily because of a huge bandage I have on one of the fingers on my right hand. It's almost impossible to explain, but on Saturday I had a freak accident with a lounge chair that almost ripped the tip off one of my fingers (more on this later). It's really painful to type right now, particularly with words that need letters from the right side of the keyboard....
This Week's Rides
 Andrea sent me the following on the Thursday night ride from Bullis Country Park: We had another great turn out last night. We had one rider who had trouble with hills, so two Valero riders rode with him. Ken Mayfield came back to check on us; Trey then came back to check on Ken. Trey ended up missing us on Ammann Rd. and did most of the ride by himself. It was very eventful but all came together at the end. We picked up a new rider (she read about the ride on Bicycle Heavens web-site) who hopefully will be riding with us on Saturday.
I talked to John and Andrea about the Saturday ride, and it looks like we had a great ride and a great turnout. There were appriximately 22 folks who showed up to do the three routes. Rama volunteered to ride SAG for us in the Team Truck, and from all accounts did an outstanding job keeping folks on the course and keeping them hydrated.
 PJ sent me this on the Sunday morning ride: We had great ride today and a good turn out with 10 folks: Rod and Isabel, Stella and Luis, Chuck, Donna, Paige, Laura, Dan (Donna's neighbor) and me. The majority of us did the full Pancake route, and a few cut the ride short. The full route is approximately 59 miles; however, some of us don't need to look at any "stink'in map" and ended up with a few more miles for grins ::!!) Over all, the ride was great; however, we all really noticed the heat today. Summer is officially here now, so riding early and hydrating properly is key! Also, I am really pleased to point out Stella had her longest ride ever today at 59 miles...yes, she & Luis actually read the map and wisely road with Donna!! (Way to go Stella!)
Weekend at the Beach
This weekend I went on the last of my summer mini-vacations. I traveled down to Port Aransas with approximately 20 family members to spend 3 days at a condo on the beach. This was really a lot of fun, but as mentioned, it was marred by a freak accident with a lounge chair that did major damage to one of my favorite digits (the third finger on my right hand). ...On Friday, I met Patsy and Effie from the Corpus Christi refinery, along with Tony Ralf and the gang from the MS Society, at the Corpus Christi Aquarium to review and plan options for the Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach finish line. Just seeing the causeway and smelling the salt air got me so pumped up about the ride this year!
Patsy Benhcoff, Maria Araiza, and Effie Torres from the Corpus Christi Refinery pose with the team truck
...Saturday morning, I went deep sea fishing aboard the Wharf Cat, but somehow managed to catch not a single fish in one of the world's great fishing zones. ...The rest of the day was spent on the beach, playing with my nieces and nephews - making sand castles, throwing the frisbee, hunting for crabs, etc - until I went mano a mano with the chair and lost. On Sunday, I got up at 07:00, and decided to take a little bike ride along 361, which connects Port Aransas with Padre Island. This was an out and back. The first 15 miles were wonderful - the wind was at my back, I was on the new Cannondale, and I was smokin' at 22+ mph. The coastal scenery was amazing, with flocks of pelicans flying through the sky and the the morning sun lighting up the bay. The return ride was a little different. I was pedaling into the coastal wind, which slowed me down, and I could suddenly feel the bumps of the pit gravel shoulder I was riding on, along with the molten heat of the Texas summer sun. I began to sweat profusely, which seeped into the gash on my finger, which proceeded to hurt like hell. When I made it back to the condo, I joined the family at the beach, and was so hot at this point, I just jumped into the ocean in my cycling duds - hopefully they will survive the salt water.
El Hefe and his mom on the beach in Port Aransas, right before he jumped into the water to cool down after the ride
The Importance of Pace Lines
The return route I took on 361 was very similiar to the second day of the Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach - flat road, pit gravel surface, and a ferocious head wind. The key to success on the second day is to particiate in an effective pace line. This means riding in a row of cyclists, and alternating who is "pulling" - i.e., leading the group. We'll spend a lot of time between now and the ride discussing pace lines - I sure wish I had one on Sunday...
I'll provide more hard core team news later in the week when the bandage is removed...
See ya' on the road!
- Peter
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On the eighth day, God created the bike, and it was good...
...I say this as the proud owner of a new bike for the first time in 8 years of cycling (the Trek 1000 I bought in 2004 doesn't count, because it was a returned item from another customer, and was, as they say, "gently worn"...) This bike was built from the ground up based on my specs and the consultation of Branton over at Bicycle Heaven. It is very similiar (some would say identical) to the high-speed Cannondale that Chuck bought recently, but we won't quibble over the details. All I can say is that I'm one happy camper. One thing I really enjoyed was the extensive time I spent at the shop having the bike sized to the way I ride. This involved lots of measurements, test rides, and adjustments; this will go on for a few weeks as the bike settles in. Even if you're not buying a new bike, I'd highly recommend this sort of thing if you want a more comfortable and efficient cycling experience - any bike can be tuned and sized, and most bike shops do this sort of thing at a fairly reasonable price that is well worth the money.
This Week's Rides
Velo Valero will continue to offer a variety of training ride options during the week to meet the diverse schedules and needs of our members.
- Chuck and Peter will lead riders on our Wednesday night ride from the North Garage at Valero HQ. Wheels up at 05:45 pm. The route will be determined based on who shows up, and the distance will be 20-25 miles.
- On Thursday, Andrea will once again lead the family friendly ride from Spects Store at 06:30 pm. Andrea tells me when it's not raining, 15-20 folks are showing up for this, which is not a bad turnout for a weekday ride. If you're a new or intermediate rider looking for a group to ride with mid-week, check this out!
- On Saturday, we had to change the schedule at the last moment, because Blanco State Park is hosting a Triathalon that was rescheduled from earlier this summer. So, John Tenison will be doing a joint ride with our friends from NuStar and their team captain, Ken Mayfield. We'll be starting from Bullis County Park with wheels up at 07:30 am to beat the heat. There will be distances of 22, 32, and 55 miles, and we will have SAG support using the team truck again. NOTE: If any one would like to volunteer to drive SAG for us this weekend, let me know!
- We are working out the details on our Sunday ride. It will probably be a variation on the East Side Pancake Ride route again with Donna and PJ leading. Check our training schedule later in the week for up to the minute information.
And the Winner Of Our Photo Content Is...
...former Velo team captain and San Antonio cycling legend, Rusty Fergusen. On Sunday night he correctly guessed that the Stonehenge and Easter Island photos were taken at the ranch outside of Hunt, TX, that I pass on the way to the Bear Creek Scout Camp. Click here to see the satellite photo from Google. Rusty is the proud winner of an Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach hat, but unfortunately, I don't have one large enough to fit the size of his head. (Jus' kiddin' Rusty...)
MS 150 Fundraising
Our team size and fundraising totals for the MS 150 are slowly starting to creep up. To see where we're at, click here. NOTE: If your name isn't on this list, and you are certain you signed up to ride the event, please send an e-mail to Tony Ralf at TRALF@NMSSLONESTAR.org and ask him to add you to Team Velo Valero and Captain Peter Ray, aka me. Remember - we require all team members to raise at least the minium ($300), but we'll encourage you to raise more if you can. We are carrying on the mission that Laura started two years ago: We don't care about being the largest team, but we do want to be the team that does the most good for those affected by MS. And, we do this by raising the most money. In the weeks ahead, I'll be working with our Board Member in charge of Fundraising, David Sloan (david.sloan@valero.com), to provide the resources and support to help you be the most effective fundraiser you can be.
...This weekend I'll be taking the last of my summer mini-vacations - I'll be in Port Aransas for three days at another family get together. On Friday morning, I'm meeting Tony from MS and Patsy from the Valero Corpus Christi refinery to start planning the MS 150 finish line. After that, between fishing and reading trashy novels while lounging on the beach, I hope to ride a portion of the MS 150 route just to check it out. I love that section on the causeway as you approach the Harbor Bridge - it's the stretch of road that got me hooked on cycling a long time ago...
See ya' on the road!
- Peter
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Good morning and happy Monday. I promise this will be a short blog entry today - and this time I mean it! I just turned on the hot tub, and it takes 10 minutes to heat up, so I'm going to type as fast as I can...
Weekend Training Rides
What a weekend! Barry hit number 755, A-Rod got 500 at 32, and Glavin is going for 300. San Antonio was a cornacopia of live music - Linkin Park on Friday, Ozzfest on Saturday, and ZZ Top on Sunday (those guys are still alive??). Plus, I got to travel the world recruiting new riders for the Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach (more on this later). And - there was lots of good cycling going on.
On Saturdary morning, 20 folks showed up to do the legendary Luckenbach ride. We willingly did one of the most challenging rides on our training schedule during the first week in August when we all knew tempuratures would hit the mid-90s. PJ rode SAG for us in the Team Truck on a day when we definitely needed it. It was a day to remember. The first leg of the ride wasn't so bad. We started at 07:30 when it was cool and the traffic was light, and the lead group did a brisk 18 mph on the way to Luckenbach. Like Waylon sang, when we got to the legendary central Texas honky tonk, nobody was feeling any pain (that would come later). We left as a group, and then slowly spread out over the 20+ miles to Waring. It was during this stretch that the clouds parted and the vicious Texas sun started beating down on us with the fury of a sledgehammer. I ran out of fluids about 5 miles from Waring, and called PJ to see if she could replenish me. From the sound of her voice, I could tell she had bigger issues to deal with on the road, so I gutted it out. When I got to Waring, I found out that the store had my favorite mid-ride pick me up - a 16 oz tall boy of original recipe Dr. Pepper made with real cane sugar. Fueled by this high octane blend, I motored up the remaining hills along I-10 to Boerne and celebrated the end of another successful 62 miles in the saddle.
NOTE: This was a bittersweet moment for me. This was the last ride I'll do on the burnt orange Specialized that has been my chariot and companion for the last two years and 3000+ miles. I finally succumbed to peer pressure and joined the arms (legs?) race going on with team members who are buying new bikes this year - folks like John, Kirstin, Chuck, David, etc. I pick up my new wheels tomorrow, and will hopefully transfer the Specialized to a strong rider and team member who will give me occasional visitation rights.
Chickens roaming Luckenbach
Group shot taken by a local with a bad case of beer googles from the night before
Team members working the hills of 1376 between Sisterdale and Luckenbach
Stella Rocha stylin' in her pink ensemble at the Sisterdale rest stop
Lots of other Velo Valero folks were on the road Saturday also. Some of our new riders were doing the San Antonio Wheelmen (SAW) new rider program. Ben and Kerry did a 26 mile loop sponsored by the MS Society, including the always invigorating hills of 211. Here's Ben's report -
Keary Lambrecht and I were the only ones that showed up for this event (Zora was sick). Yours truly wore the Velo Valero Jersey to represent our team and made an impressive finish (Like 4th from our group). I guess all the spinning training paid off or yelling from the instructors. Keary said he kept on saying to himself Deidra's class is harder, Deidra's class is harder. And I kept on saying to myself breakaway, breakaway and it worked.
On Sunday, a group of team members did a dry run of the Pancake Ride route. This included folks like Donna, Stella, and Luis, who also did the Luckenbach on Saturday (you folks are really sick...) Here's PJ's report:
Gene and his friend Scott rode with Donna, Mark, Laura and me. We met up with Luis and Stella about 15 miles or so into the ride. Mark only came to lead us out of the neighborhood and headed back home. On the long route, it was Gene, Scott, Laura and me. We had a good 59 mile ride. Donna rode with Luis and Stella...then caught a ride back to her house with there car. Laura, Donna and me plan to ride this route again on Sunday the 12th. We want one more good run at the revised Pancake route from Donna's house to plan reststops and continue to learn the route.
Carl informed me he was joined by two other riders on his Sunday morning ride. Hopefully more people will take advantage of this as we move into the fall.
Traveling the World to Recruit New Riders
On Sunday, I spent the entire day in my never ending quest to recruit new members for our team and the MS 150 event this fall. It is that extra distance I go for the team that makes me such a great Captain. My travels took me across the world to rural England and the monuments on Easter Island. If you doubt me, check out the photos below. How did I do it? Well, for one thing, there is that incredible V8 engine in the team truck, and secondly, I've always had a bit of a lead foot (just ask the police in Blanco...)
NOTE: The first person who e-mails me with the secret behind these photos gets a MS 150 Bike to the Beach hat (send e-mails to peter.ray@valero.com). And, Photoshop is not the answer...
Team truck parked in front of the legendary Stonehenge monument in Wiltshire county, England. No riders were recruited, but I did meet some really groovy Druid chicks.
Team truck on Easter Island. I was unable to recruit the momument to ride with us because he was not a cyclist (due, no doubt, to the fact he has no legs).
And the winner is...Rusty Fergusen, former team captain. He correctly guessed the ranch near Hunt, TX, which I passed on the way to Bexar Creek Scout Camp to pick up Alex.
MS 150 is Only 11 Weeks Away
It's time to get your game face on. Enough said.
...The hot tub is ready, and it's time to soak my legs after that Luckenbach ride - see ya' on the road!
- El "The Hot Tub is Calling" Hefe
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Good morning and happy Thursday!
Training Rides
Just wanted to quickly review the rides we have planned. The Bike to the Beach is only 12 weeks away, and if you plan on riding, you need to be spending time with your bike. We have plenty of opportunities over the next week for you to do just that!
On Thursday night, David Sloan (david.sloan@valero.com) will be leading the family friendly ride that departs from Spechts Store at 06:30 pm.
On Saturday, John Tenison (john.tenison@valero.com) will be leading riders on the legendary Luckenbach Ride. Wheels up from the FiServe building in downtown Boerne at 07:30 am (to beat the heat). This will be plenty of hills and thrills (35, 45, or 55 miles), so be prepared - get a good night's sleep, and make sure to eat a good breakfast. You'll also need to bring plenty of fluids, because it is August and it is Texas. For this ride, Patricia Jones (aka, PJ) has volunteered to drive the official MS 150 Truck as a SAG vehicle for us.
Also on Saturday we have a few team members participating in the San Antonio Wheelmen (SAW) New Rider program. Early feedback on this program is very positive.
 On Sunday, Carl Crawford (carl.crawford@valero.com) will be leading a 30 mile loop on the Northeast side of town. The ride starts at Longs Creek Elementary, with wheels up at 08:00 am.
Finally, we have resumed the proud tradition of the Wednesday night ride from Valero HQ. Wheels up at 05:45 pm from the North garage. There is no better way to break up the work week then to ride the hills of Northwest San Antonio with your friends and co-workers. We typically do 25-30 miles, and follow a route that is negotiated at the start of the ride. I did this last night with Chuck, John, David, Gene, and newcomer Chris, and we had a blast.
Cool Velo Valero Gear for Sell
First of all, let me admit up front that I shamelessly pilfered this idea from our friends and colleagues with the Valero Motorcycle Club (VMC). Velo Valero has partnered with Cafepress to allow you to purchase all sorts of cool merchandise with the Velo Valero team logo on it, including t-shirts, golf shirts, hats, mugs, and bags of all types. To check out all this groovy Velo Valero Gear, click here. Since we are focused on fundraising for the MS 150 this fall, we set up the shop so that for every item you purchase from the store, $1 is donated on behalf of the team to the Multiple Sclerosis Society. NOTE: Purchase of this gear is optional. Purchase of the team jersey is mandatory if you want to ride with us in the MS 150 and you don't already have a current team jersey. To purchase a team jersey, click here.
See ya' on the road!
- Peter
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