Captain's Blog

Weekend Rides and Pool Party, Poth Ride to Remember, Hammerfest, Entourage is Back!

2008-09-07T21:53:00Z

Good morning and happy Monday! I'm going to keep this short and sweet because in an hour or so the first episode in what promises to be a glorious a new season of my current favorite show Entourage is on, and I ain't missin' it!!

Weekend Rides and Pool Party

On Saturday I did 30 miles of the hills on the Northwest part of town as part of the annual BIke MS Club 100 ride. This is a social ride that Bike MS does every year for the top 100 fundraisers and the other team captains in the event. Afterwards we all went to Pappasito's Legendary Tex-Mex Cantino for more schmoozing and great food, courtesy of Manager Chris Shaw who is a great supporter of MS, in addition to being one bodacious cyclist. Tony Ralf was there, but he did not do the ride; he said he was "saving himself" for the Tour de Pink on Sunday in Houston. All I know is I saw him during the ride getting very cozy with a very pink bike...

T Ralf caught red handed with one very pink bike at the Club 100

On Saturday, John Tenison led folks for routes of various distances from Judson High School. This flat to rolling ride is one we typically do this time of year, as we transition from the hills and thrills of the Hill Country to the farmland and endless miles on the East side that prepares us for the terrain of the Bike to the Beach. Afterwards, a subset of the riders headed over to David Gross' newly renovated "Club Guido" for good times, a dip in the pool, and a peek at his incredible new, hi-tech toilet.

2005-2006 Team Captain Laura, Emma, and Andrea

Guests enjoying the tropical ambience of Club Guido

On Sunday, I joined over 20 members of the newVcrew on a 50 miler on the East side of town. I am very impressed with what Megan, Carl, and Tanya have put together with these rides. With the NVC, along with Andrea's Family Friendly rides on Thursday, we have managed to provide a pretty good new rider program for folks new to the sport and our team. This may sound simple, but it is one of the hardest things we do each year, and I'm so proud of what we've accomplished in 2008. The first couple of long, group rides for a new rider is a make or break time. If we can provide a positive experience, we might turn them into a lifelong participant in our sport. If we mess it up, then maybe the one or two rides they do is all they will ever do. Hats off to all the leaders who have worked to make these rides successful this year. And, of course - hats off to all the new additions to the team that are gearing up for their first big ride!

NVC riders on the road

Potential recruit spotted in McQueeny...

...Carl wastes no time in making his recruiting pitch

Poth Ride to Remember

Also on Satuday, Carl "Teddy Bear" Crawford joined Board Member Eddie Gamez in the city of Poth for the first annual RIde to Remember. Here's his update:

This was the first year for the Ride to Remember in the city of Poth, which is just south of San Antonio and is one of the cities we pass through on the Bike to the Beach. The ride was very well organized with plenty of rest stops. There were plenty of rolling hills along the route. There were six Velo Valero Riders at the ride including Eddie from Corpus, Bernie, and Gracie and her husband from Three Rivers. Also, Annette Gorzell in Valero's Corporate Accounting department was there volunteering with her husband and all 3 of her kids did the ride. This is a great tune-up for the Bike MS: Valero Bike to the Beach. - Carl

Carl and Eddie pose with team members and volunteers in front of the Team Truck in Poth

Hammerfest

The 2nd Annual La Vernia Hammerfest is coming next Saturday on September 13. This is a great one-day ride close to San Antonio that has distances of 34, 53, and 65 miles. The terrain is rolling countryside similar to what we encounter on Day 1 of the BTTB. There is no fundraising required, but there is a $30 pre-registration fee ($40 on the day of the event). If you are a new or nearly new rider, the Hammerfest is a great way to get used to the logistics of starting lines, rest stops, etc, on a smaller scale before the Bike to the Beach. (NOTE: It won't be that much smaller. I talked to one of the organizers and they are expecting almost 2000 riders!!!) As I've been saying for weeks, I'd like a sea of Velo Valero colors at the ride start! Note: The Hammerfest will be our team Training Ride that weekend. For more information, click here.

Entourage is Back, Baby!

OK, that's it for tonight. The first episode of the new season of HBO's Entourage is only minutes away, and I need to make my way to the couch and settle in for the ride. I've always been a huge cinephile, and I love this show because it gives you a bird's eye view of how the movie biz works with some really amazing characters, particularly the highly combustible and unscrupulous agent Ari Gold played by the incredible Jeremy Piven.

...see you on the road!

- El "Yeah, I Tried the Toilet and It Was Pretty Cool" Hefe

Weekend Rides, Including Pool Party

2008-09-03T18:49:00Z

Good morning and Happy Wednesday!

Weekend Rides

The Bike to the Beach is only 31 days away - this means you only have four training weekends left. As always, we have a plethora of ride options for you, so you can adequately prepare for the event. As I've said repeatedly the last few weeks, it's not just about distance now - it's about riding, recovering, and riding again on back to back days. The rains have gone for now, and we've returned to a typical late summer weather pattern for San Antonio - hot, hot, hot. So, please hydrate before, during, and after the ride. Keep an eye on your body when you ride - if you stop sweating, it's a bad sign, and you need to find some shade, get off the bike, and get some fluids into you as quick as possible. This time of year, you can't drink enough water if you are cycling outdoors (although you can drink too much of a sports drink like Gatorade, which is why I like to mix it half and half with water...).

Tomorrow is the first Thursday of the month, so we'll be combining the Hillfest and the Family Friendly into one night, and including a meet and greet with eats at Specht's store afterwards. Here's Andrea's announcement -

Don’t forget the family friendly ride is on Thursday this week. Ride leaves from Specht’s restaurant at 6:30pm. After the ride plan on staying to enjoy a little food, beverage, and music at Specht’s.

A word of caution: We are losing our daylight a lot earlier and a few of you have been getting back to the park later than expected. It’s a good idea to have a light or two on your bike. You should have at the least a rear light and a headlight is recommended. There are plenty of affordable lights and reflectors to choose from. If you are not sure what you need any of the area bike shops will be able to point you in the right direction. A flat tire, a wrong turn, or leaving late will get us back to the park too late to ride safely without lights. - Andrea

Our Saturday ride will leave from Judson High School at 7:30 am. We'll have various routes that explore the East Side of San Antonio, including quaint little towns such as La Vernia and New Berlin. Afterwards, Board Member David "Guido" Gross is hosting a pool party at his house until 6:00 pm. Send him an e-mail at David.Gross@valero.com if you plan on attending.

We have another newVcrew ride planned for Sunday. This is our no-drop ride for new and nearly new riders. Last week we had almost 40 people do the ride. Here's Megan's announcement -

If you plan to attend this Sunday’s newVcrew ride, please be on time and ready to go at 7am which means that you have to get there early (~6:40am) to air up tires, etc. We will not wait for people who are late and you will have to ride on your own. Remember how hot it got towards the end of our ride this past week. The later we start, the longer we are out there in the heat.

Maps will be provided at the start of the ride but it is also attached (we’ll be going clock-wise again to put most of the hills towards the beginning of the ride). Also, our phone numbers are on the map in case you need them either ahead of or during the ride. There will be a rest stop in McQueeny and New Berlin (as well as a possible quick stop at the Double Ringer in Zuehl if it is after 12 noon). Click here to download the map.

As you have seen in past weeks on the east side of I-35, a lot of these country roads are not marked so it is important to stick with the group so as not to make wrong turns. - Megan

As always, check our Event Schedule for all the details.

Fundraising Superstar and This Week's Winner of Team Swag

This week's fundraising superstar is (drum roll please!) Tanya Carrasco. Tanya works at Valero HQ, and is doing her first Bike to the Beach this year. To read more about why she rides, and how she is conducting her fundraising campaign, click here.

And, as I mentioned last week, we are going to randomly draw the name of a rider each week that has raised above the minimum in this event ($300). This week's winner is (another drum roll please!), Mae Sattam, who has raised a whoppin' $1,280 so far. She is the proud winner of a Valero backpack with some team swag in it. Click here to see her personal web page - I love the photo of her laughing with the caption, "Please donate so I can be this happy!" Sometimes it's a simple thing that helps you fundraise.

The fundraising news is all good - we cracked the $50,000 mark this morning, and show no signs of slowing down. We are also up to 247 registered riders, which means we are on track to break the record for the largest Velo team ever in this event (274, set in 2005 when my good friend and mentor Laura "Queen of the Hills" Vaccaro was the Captain.) We are a force of nature getting bigger and stronger every day, my friends!

Lunch and Learns

Our Lunch and Learn yesterday went very well. We had over 40 people attend, and Matt Hamlin from Bicycle Heaven did his usual great job explaining the intricacies of pace lines, drafting, hill climbing, etc. (Someday I want to be as cool as Matt is...) We videotaped it, and I hope to have the video on the web within the week. Our next and final Lunch and Learn will be on September 24th, when we have a Final Bike to the Beach Briefing, to give you all the details you need about what to pack, what to eat, where to sleep, and so on. Stay tuned - I'll have more details for you soon.

...see ya' on the road!

- Peter

Weekend Rides, Rides this Week, Lunch and Learns, Jerseys, Hammerfest, Great Testimonial, Rethinking Hannahfest

2008-09-01T19:50:00Z

Happy Labor Day! I hope that each of you is enjoying a restful respite from the bump and grind of work.

Weekend Rides

Also, I hope that each of you riding the Bike to the Beach on October 4th and 5th had an opportunity to do one, two, or three rides this weekend. Just as important as riding longer distances is the need to ride on back to back days, to begin training your body to ride, recover, and ride again on consectutive days.

On Saturday, I joined John Tenison and over 25 other Velo Valerians in Old Town Helotes for a 60 miler to Castroville and back, including those delightful seven deadly hills on 211 and 16. John told me during the ride that he planned this route to give people the experience of riding the second day of the Bike to the Beach, where it's flat and windy for much of the route, until you get on the causeway and you have those last two bridges (aka, man made hills) to climb before reaching the finish. Getting to Castroville was easy; it's the ride back where the work began, as we turned into a fierce headwind on 471, and really had to execute a tight pace line to conserve eneregy for the hills (hats off to JT and Luis for pulling the rest of us for much of this section). Once we got on 211, the real work began - hill after hill after hill - the hits kept coming and coming. By the time I got to the last hill outside of Helotes, I was ready for the ride to end. And (this is hard for me, but I gotta do it) - I have to give Andrea some props for finishing beside me. Over the last two years, she has become quite the cyclist. I was ready to slow down a bit at the end, until she pedaled up next to me with that big grin of hers and I just knew that if I let her beat me, I would never hear the end of it. So, I had to turn on the jets, and I still couldn't shake her. Way to go Andrea!

Andrea showing El Hefe much love during the San Antonio Tour de Cure

Sunday was family day. The only cycling I did was a disasterous ride with my dog Hannah around the block (the lurid details are below) and a short ride with my daughter to the Brook Hollow Library (where I ended up carrying a backpack full of books back for her). I did get a call from an excited Carl at around 2:00 pm, saying we had almost 40 people at the weekly newVcrew ride And, I got a wonderful testimonial from a first time rider with the NVC that I'll save for the end of the blog...

I spent the morning of Labor Day doing a leisurely 27 miles on the Northeast side of town with Carl's crew, complete with a stop at Starbucks. Carl started the ride at a very user-friendly 08:30 am, giving me the opportunity to sleep a little later (thanks Carl!).

Carl enjoying a shot of caffiene with his crew at Starbucks.

Rao, Carl, and Alice roaring down Green Mountain Rd.

Rides this Week

This week we have a number of rides to get ready for the Bike to the Beach. We have the Hillfest on Wednesday, the Family Friendly on Thursday (with a meet and greet at Spechts afterwards), the Judson ride on Saturday (with a Pool Party at David Gross' afterwards), and another edition of the newVcrew on Sunday. For all the details, click here.

Lunch and Learns

The video from the very informative Lunch and Learn on Nutrition has been posted to the web site. Click here to view it. Thanks again to Laurel Tierney, R.D., L.D., from Nutrition for Heart and Sole for presenting this topic for us. I know I learned at lot, and hopefully by following her recommendations, I can finish the Bike to Beach stronger than I ever have this year.

Out next Lunch and Learn is tomorrow, Tuesday, September 2nd. The topic is Cycling Technique and it is being hosted by our good friend Matt from Bicycle Heaven. This will be in FB-128 at Valero HQ from 11:45 am to 1:00 pm. We'll cover the topics of pace lines and drafting that are key to success on the second day of the BTTB. All new riders are encouraged to attend! NOTE: If you can't make it, the Valero LEAD department will film the presentation for us, and we'll have on the web site in a week or so.

Jerseys

A number of people have asked me, "Hef, what kind of racket are you running? I paid my hard earned green weeks ago for a team jersey, and I still haven't got it. What gives? Do I have to get my cousin Guido to break your knuckles?" Well, we submitted the order two weeks ago, and I've been promised by the vendor Vomax that the jerseys will be in next week. My goal is to get them distributed to first-year team members who are riding the Lavernia Hammerfest on Saturday, September 13th, so they can wear the Velo teal in an organized event for the first time. For other folks, we'll distribute at the packet pick-up on September 24th. For everyone else, we'll mail them to you. NOTE: For those of you without a jersey, we ordered a few extra. Send an e-mail to cycling@valero.com if you are interested in one of these.

Hammerfest

As mentioned, the 2nd Annual La Vernia Hammerfest is coming up quick on Saturday, September 13 - less than 2 weeks away! This is a great one-day ride close to San Antonio that has distances of 34, 53, and 65 miles. The terrain is rolling countryside similar to what we encounter on Day 1 of the BTTB. There is no fundraising required, but there is a $40 registration fee. If you are a new or nearly new rider, the Hammerfest is a great way to get used to the logistics of starting lines, rest stops, etc, on a smaller scale before the Bike to the Beach. As mentioned, I'd like a sea of Velo Valero colors at the ride start! Note: The Hammerfest will be our team Training Ride that weekend. For more information, click here.

Fundraising

Our team size and (more importantly) our fundraising continues to rise. We are now up to 242 riders, which is one more than we had registered in 2007 - and the Bike ot the Beach is still over a month away!! More importantly, we are over $46,000, which is 23% of our target of $200,000. If you need some help with your fundraising, take the time to read the descriptions of our Fundraising Superstars - these guys have plenty of great tips and tricks they are sharing with us. As always, contact Team Vice President and Fundraising Jedi Knight David Sloan (david.sloan@valero.com) if you need some advice or encouragement. Click here to see our current fundraising totals.

Great Testimonial

As mentioned above, the team received an amazing compliment from a rider who joined Megan, Carl, and the rest of the folks on our Sunday newVcrew ride. It's long, but I'm going to include it in it's entirety, because it sums up so well what I've tried to create with this team. Hats off to the folks who lead all our rides - Andrea, John, Carl, Megan, Chuck, PJ, et al. It means so much to new and nearly new riders that we are there to help with directions, flats, motivation, and so on. It's been so long since I started this (9 years ago) that I sometimes forget what it's like to be a complete newbie and being scared of getting lost or getting dropped. Or, just wanting some encouragement to get over the next big hill. I talk often about the Team being ambassadors for Valero culture, and this, my friends, is what's it's ALL about.

A friend of mine was invited to the newVcrew ride on 8/31 and when she asked if she could bring a couple of her friends along, she was encouraged to do so. So the three of us, members of another team, joined the ride, along with five members of yet another team. It was the best experience I've had on a bike so far. We did the 50 mile route. A few miles into the ride, we were towards the back and I passed a rider with a flat tire. I stopped to help and was surprised when about six other people stopped to help, too. That never happens! As we continued on, we encountered another rider with a flat but were told to keep riding because four people were already there to help.

Because of the flats, we ended up in two groups at the first rest stop: a group that was already well-rested and a group that was a little bit behind because of the problems. We stayed in those two groups for the rest of the ride. There were a few experienced riders in our group and I was worried that they would get tired of us and leave us behind and even though I had a map, I didn't really know where I was going. But those riders didn't leave us. They stayed with us and rode ahead and stopped at turns to make sure that we didn't get lost. They were so friendly about it, too. They never got frustrated that they had to hang back and check up on us.

This was the best ride I've ever had. I've done three previous 50 mile rides that were unbearable and I really wanted to work on some issues during this ride: my form, conquering the hills, etc. I was able to do so because I didn't have to stress out about being left behind or getting lost. I just concentrated on what I needed to do to have the best ride possible.

Everyone was so nice and it was such a great experience, definitely not what I expected from people who are on a different team and a huge team at that. We were even invited to next weekend's ride. I was only able to thank two people in person so I thought I'd write you this email so that you could get the word out to everyone on that ride and let them know how much the three girls in the Gold's Gym jerseys appreciate everything about yesterday's ride. You all are awesome! - Amanda

Thanks for the compliment, Amanda. And yes, you and your buds are welcome to ride with us anytime!

The NVC at Gruene Hall last weekend

Rethinking Hannahfest

I'll end with a cautionary tale. A few weeks ago I was tooting my horn about how I had trained my young dog Hannah to run beside me as I rode my bike around the neighborhood. It was one of those win-win deals - I got some needed seat time in, and the ever energetic Hannah got some exercise. Well, Sunday morning I got up early, put the leash on Hannah, and we took off for a little mutt strut around the block. Everything was uneventful for the first few miles. That was until until that damn squirrel appeared. Hannah saw the squirrel, and I guess her instincts took over, because she took off like a heat-seeking missile for that nut eater and pulled me so hard I did a complete endo and ended up on the pavement with the bike crashing into me. The biggest impact was on my right knee, which swelled up and hurt like hell for a few hours. I whined like a little baby, much to the annoyance of my wife, but eventually the swelling went down. So, the moral of the story is: be careful! From now on, I'm going to only take Hannah without a leash, and hopefully I can train her to stay beside me most of the time.

...see ya' on the road!

- El "End Over End" Hefe

Labor Day Edition of the Blog

2008-08-29T18:03:00Z

Well, well, well - somehow I've managed to crank out four blogs in one week, a personal best. And, to be quite honest, this team has so much going on, four blogs is barely enough.

Weekend Rides

We have 3 rides scheduled this weekend. We have only 5 weekends left to train for the Bike to the Beach, so if you intend on riding both days of the event, you need to get some seat time in. If possible, get two medium to long rides in so you build up your ability to ride, recover, and ride again over multiple days. As always, check our Event Schedule for the complete details.

NOTE: Since we continue to have this freaky, unstable weather pattern, there's a good chance of rain this weekend, so PLEASE check our Training Ride hotline at 345-BIKE before heading out to a ride start on the other side of town. We'll try and update this at least an hour before the scheduled ride start if we need to cancel a ride.

Fundraising Superstars

Well, today we have not one, but TWO Fundraising Superstars. (I'm actually making up for lost time since I didn't do one last week...)

Carl "Teddy Bear" Crawford has been on the team for many years, and is always one of our top fundraisers in every event we do. To read more about his fundraising strategies, click here.

Megan "Movie Star" Lehnhoff is relatively new to the team (this is her second Bike to the Beach), but she has quickly become a cycling and fundraising dynamo for us and MS. To read how she puts the fun in fundraising, click here.

Fundraising Incentives

The Board and I really want to kick it up a notch with our fundraising this year. There is something our corporate parent, Valero Energy Corporation, does with its United Way campaign that I think is something we need to emulate. Valero wants to be the first company out of the shoot that starts and finishes its United Way campaign so that we are a pacesetter for the other companies out there. I'd like Velo Valero to be a pacesetter for the other teams and individuals participating in the Bike to the Beach. The Board and I voted earlier this year that we wouldn't distribute our "goodie bag" to anyone who does not raise the minimum ($300) prior to our packet pick-up on September 24th. Since you have to raise the $300 at some point, why not start now?? So, as an incentive to each of you, we're going to randomly draw the name of a person each week who has raised the minimum, and we'll award them an exciting prize. This week our winner is (drum roll, please!) - Barry Bennet, who as of today, has raised $510. Barry is from our Three Rivers refinery and is now the proud owner of a Valero back pack. Way to go Barry!

To see our current fundraising totals, click here.

Bike MS Board Photos

On Wednesday we did a photo shoot with Velo Valero top fundraiser and Valero CEO, Bill "El Hefe Grande" Klesse, along with Tony Ralf from MS. Unlike the dark, rainy, and windswept photo shoot we did in the spring, this one actually produced some decent photos, thanks to our good friends from the Valero Design Services Group. When I look at these photos, I feel so much pride in the team, and so much appreciation for the Board and all the incredible work they do on behalf of the team. Each of the Board Members is an unpaid volunteer who does this because they love cycling, they love this team, and they have a genuine desire to help others through our fundraising for causes like MS and ADA. To see the pictures, click here.

Board Members pose with Bill Klesse and Tony Ralf in front of the main entrance to Valero HQ

...see you on the road! And please keep the folks on the Gulf Coast in your prayers as we all anxiously watch the course of this latest hurricane.

- Peter

Special Thursday Edition of the Blog

2008-08-28T00:36:00Z

Good morning and happy Thursday! Never in over two years of cranking out these blogs have I dared to publish one on Thursday. Well, today is the day - I'm just bursting with team news and my heart rate is still up from 5 miles on the treadmill, so in the immortal words of the late, great Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On!

Saturday Ride

The Punisher and I put our heads together and decided we'll do the Helotes to Castroville Ride Saturday morning. We'll leave from Roger Soler's in Old Town Helotes with wheels up at 07:30 am and distances of 45 to 70 miles.

NOTE: People often ask me, "Hef - why do these Saturday rides take place at different locations around the city each weekend?" Well, I've been involved in the Bike Team biz in San Antonio for many years, and one thing I've learned is that people on the team live all over town, and San Antonio is a BIG city. This means that it doesn't matter where we start a ride, because someone is going to be inconvenienced and will have to travel a long way to the ride start. With high gas prices, this can be a huge commitment both in time and money. To spread the pain around, we start at different locations. This also provides a lot of variety in routes and terrains for more experienced riders who need that sort of variety (you know who you are!). So, over the last year or so we've settled on the formula of doing a number of rides from fixed locations on fixed days of the week (Family Friendly, HillFest, etc.), plus doing one or two longer, more varied rides each week. Now if it would only quit raining so much so we can actually get more time on the road!

Tour de Valero

The Valero HQ Fitness Center is cranking up the Tour de Valero again! This is a 30 day fitness challenge during the month of September to help Valero employees get ready for the Bike to the Beach. As in years past, you'll get various points for all the different types of exercise (cycling, spinning, running, etc.) you do, and you'll win prizes if you get above the rec goal of 300 points or the competitive goal of 500 points. Plus if you have more points than anyone else at the end of the challenge, you'll be crowned the King or Queen of the Tour, and you'll have braggin' rights for the rest of the year. (Someone please beat Andrea this year!) So, if you work at HQ, go down to the gym as soon as possible, sign on the dotted line, and start those workouts! You'll thank me when it's Day 2 of the Bike to the Beach, and you're blasting into that headwind at 20 mph and not even breathing hard, and you're looking at that Harbor Bridge and saying, "Is that all you got????"

The Tour de Valero starts on September 2nd.

Fundraising Update

Well, our Bike to the Beach fundraising numbers keep creeping up! As of last night, we were up to 238 registered riders, and more importantly, we are up to $41,302, which is 21% of our target of 200 large. We still have a number of you who haven't started your campaigns yet (168 to be exact, or 71% of our total) but I'm not worried - you are just late bloomers, and you'll get your game on soon. These are great numbers, and I know, they will only get better. To see our current fundraising totals, click here. If you see someone you know on the list with a prodigious amount of fundraising, don't be bashful - ask them what they did to raise so much green, and I'm certain they'll be glad to share their secrets with you.

And, you always have Team Vice President and RoboFundraiser David Sloan to bounce any ideas off of. Give him a shout at david.sloan@valero.com if you need some encouragement.

...see ya' on the road!

- Peter

Rides this Week, More Hotter Than Hell Stories, Lunch and Learns, Volunteers Needed

2008-08-27T15:52:00Z

Good morning and happy Wednesday!

Rides this Week

The drumbeat is getting more intense - the Bike to the Beach is only 38 days away! I can see the Harbor Bridge and smell the salt water all ready. As usual, we have a plethora of training rides scheduled to get you ready for the event.

John will be leading the Wednesday Hillfest at 5:45 pm from Mays Elementary. This is a hot, hilly, fast-paced, no mercy ride (as opposed to a no drop). We'll all try to keep up with Luis "the Rocket" Rocha, who (hopefully) will be a little tired after his amazing performance at the Hotter N Hell this weekend...

Andrea will be leading the Family Friendly ride from Bullis County Park at 6:30 pm on Wednesday.

We are still working on the details of our Saturday ride. I'll send out the information once we have the start, the route, and the disance confirmed. Count on a distance of 60 to 65 miles, although it won't be as hilly as the Luckenbach ride we did last week (nothing can be that hilly!). Odds are it will be on the west side of town and will include the rolling countryside around Castroville.

Megan will lead the newVcrew ride on Sunday -

The newVcrew is planning on doing the same ride as last weekend. WE WILL BE MEETING AT COMAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AT 7:30 AM. Because we are starting later, please be sure to come early to air up, etc. so that we can leave on time. Our rides have been starting later and later, and so we’ve moved the start time back to 7:30am, but that doesn’t mean that we roll out at 8 - we are leaving at 7:30 am sharp. Maps will be provided at the start of the ride. There are bigger hills than in weeks past, but it should only be 35-40 miles. There will be several possibilities for rest stops along the way including a wonderful photo opportunity in front of the legendary Gruene Dance Hall! - Megan

Carl has offered to lead a special Labor Day Ride on Monday on the Northeast side of town. The format will be similiar to the Good Friday ride we did earlier this year, where we leave from the community center in his neighborhood, and finish at his house, where we'll enjoy a little barbecue. Wheels up at a very user friendly 08:30 am and it will be a shorter recovery ride (30 miles). Send an e-mail to Carl.Crawford@valero.com if you'd like to join him.

As always, please check our Event Schedule for all the details. And, if the weather looks dicey, please call 345-BIKE to check the status of the training ride to see if it's been cancelled. We'll try and update this no later than an hour before the ride start.

More Hotter Than Hell Stories

Ken Mayfield, Valero Tour de Cure Event Chair, sent me this update on the Hotter N Hell. Apparently, there was a running event on Sunday that a number of current and former Velo Valerians did quite well on -

As David wrote, the Hotter’n Hell weekend was truly wonderful. Not only Saturday but on Sunday also during the very first ever Wee-Chi-Tah Trail Run. Velo Valero and San Antonio were well represented.

Erica Rougeau won the 5K 24-29 women’s age group race
Kerry Hart won the 5K 34-39 women’s age group race
Dora Esparza won the 5K 44-49 women’s age group race
I (aka, Ken Mayfield) won the 5K Men’s Master’s race.

Erica Rougeau, Director of the San Antonio Tour de Cure, experienced her very first ride, is now hooked on cycling. She rode 50 miles Saturday and this was the furthest she has ever ridden. She said she will ride the 100 mile course next year. Considering this past Saturday was only her 6th time riding (she only did 5 training rides) and she is riding a very heavy mountain bike, I know she will do it. - Ken

Way to go Erica, Kerry, Dora, and Ken!

A very proud Dora showing off her hardware. For more photos from the the run, click here.

I also received this update from Pat O'Brien -

You didn't get the real HHH story. I take off with Luis and a hundred yards into the ride Larry from the USAF team catches us. We are flying at over 25mph and at the 25mile point I decided that I'll never make it at these speeds. I ride my way to the 77 mile aid station where I found a very tired Larry ... Yes Luis has trained so well that he DROPPED Larry! Larry and I made out with an average speed of 20.3 and later sampling beer at a great Irish Pub I found Luis and his wife and Luis finished w/ almost a 22 mph avg speed. But again Luis dropped Larry! - Pat

Luis wearing one of the coolest cycling jerseys ever...

Lunch and Learns

Our Lunch and Learn last Tuesday with Laurel Tierney from Nutrition for Heart and Sole was a huge hit - we had over 30 runners and cyclists attend in person, and Laurel did a great job with the topic. I'll post the video in a few days, as soon as LEAD gets it to me (thanks again guys!). Mark your calendar for Tuesday, September 2nd for our next Lunch and Learn -

On Tuesday, September 2nd, we are having a Lunch and Learn on Cycling Technique hosted by our good friend Matt from Bicycle Heaven. This will be in FB-128 at Valero HQ from 11:45 am to 1:00 pm.. We'll cover the topics of pace lines and drafting that are key to success on the second day of the BTTB. All new riders are encouraged to attend!

Volunteers Needed

The Bike to the Beach is a little less than 5 weeks away, and we are beginning to assemble the mighty army of volunteers required to pull off an event of this scale. If you have friends, family, co-workers, etc., that would like to be a part of the Bike to the Beach but don't think they can do the biking thing, tell them they are more then welcome to volunteer - we have plenty of options available, from preparing and serving the food, to driving SAG and courtesy shuttle, to helping Board Member Lucy Hernandez create that unbelievable Saturday Night Team experience for us. If you are an employee, check the Valero Intranet SignUp facility to see what opportunities are out there. If you are not an employee, send an e-mail to Board Member Phoebe McCallum at Phoebe.McCallum@valero.com and let her know you would like to help (or know someone that does).

...see ya' on the road!

- Peter

Hotter N Hell, Weekend Rides, What You Eat = How Well You Ride, Olympics Over...the Withdrawal Begins

2008-08-24T14:37:00Z

Good morning and happy Monday!

Hotter N Hell

Received this update late tonight from Team Vice President David Sloan, who was our Event Captain for the Hotter N Hell this weekend. Here's his recap of the ride -

What a great weekend! We arrived on Friday morning and helped set up the display tables for the American Diabetes Association - Valero Tour De Cure and the Bike MS: Valero Bike To The Beach to spread the word about our two great bicycle rides among the thousands who register for the HHH and visit the huge bike expo the day prior to the event. The official Bike To The Beach Toyota truck was on display in front of the MPEC until the SAAB folks (SAAB was this year's HHH official vehicle sponsor) asked that the Toyota be moved into the regular parking lot, which we did without fanfare. Andrea Shull, Tammy Friddle, Paige Wright, PJ, and I all had a great time greeting the riders and getting to tell them about the Valero sponsored bike rides out of San Antonio. We got a lot of interest, and several newly registered riders as a result.

Only a handful of the nearly 30 Velo Valero riders made it to the photo session at 5:00 on Friday afternoon, but among them were the three person contingent from McKee Refinery led by Greg Thompson who almost missed the ride due to a recent muscle strain. However, Flat Peter was in evidence all over the place! The MS table, team photo shoot, a Valero store where unleaded regular was selling for as low as $3.46, and even with David's cousin and his wife at the Pioneer Restaurant in Wichita Falls where he was almost "strung up" for mistaking a wagon wheel for a bicycle wheel.

Saturday was an almost perfect riding day - clear, seasonable warm, and light winds. As usual, everyone got separated soon after the start, but several groups got together later in the ride and finished close together. I met up with Kerry and Dora at the 30 mile rest stop on the 100K route, and PJ, Andrea, and Chase rode the 100 mile route to the cutoff, making theirs a 74 mile ride, so that they could experience the thrill of riding through Shepard Air Force Base.

Two things really stand out to make me want to come back to this ride every year. The first is the start and first 20 or so miles where the road is filled with a river of colorful jerseys and fresh cyclists pushing over the small hills and around the curves. It's an awesome sight to see from the top of every rise - the flow of the colors and the mass of humanity. Awesome! The second thrill is the air base. After entering and riding past the B-52 "Buff" (Shepard was a SAC base during the Cold War), you make a turn and cross the flight line between F-16, F-15, A-7, T-34, A-10 and a couple of C-130's. Then comes the real highlight. Riding past a squadron of cheering trainees along a smooth and otherwise calm street. I just put out my hand and touched almost all of them, thanking them for serving our country as they cheered and enjoyed the recognition of a hand slap from a grateful citizen. From there, it's a quick 4 miles to the finish line and a well deserved rest.

Andrea, Kerry, PJ, myself, and Dora finished within 5 minutes of each other at around 11:30 or so. Chase came in a few minutes later. I didn't see others finish, but Andrea saw Erica Rougeau afterwards and she was feeling good about finishing her 50 miler. I am pretty sure that Paige did well as she steamed past me at about the 17 mile mark pulling a pace line of about 15 riders at probably 20+ mph.

My personal ride was my best ever. I got hooked up with a four person group just after the start and as traffic thinned out, we went from around 18 on up to 24 - 26 before I had to admit that I couldn't keep that pace for the whole ride and dropped off. Soon after was when Paige passed me. I had new personal bests at every distance. My average was over 20 mph at the 20 mile mark and I was at 18.3 after 30 miles. I finished the 63+ mile "100K" route with an average of 16.3 mph! Wahoo! As always, the hardest part of the ride is the long uphill and into the wind grind on the IH-44 access road to the 52 mile rest stop. By then, I was needing nutrition badly. I probably should have stopped at the 40 mile rest stop, but I was determined to make it a 2 stop ride and I knew I would need a rest at the 52. I should have taken the extra stop. After the 52 mile stop, some food, and liquids, I was able to finish strong. This was my best HHH, and one of my best rides ever! See you on the road... - David

Group photo with Flat Peter at by the Team Truck

Chase, Andrea, and PJ at the ride start

For more HTH photos, click here. I'll load more tomorrow - it's getting late tonight...

Weekend Rides

On Saturday, I joined a group of 10 riders who weren't doing the Hotter N Hell (and weren't scared off by the prospects of rain) to do the legendary Luckenbach ride. This was 60+ miles of some of the gnarliest hills around San Antonio. We had plenty of cloud cover to keep the temperatures low, but all the recent rains meant we had unbelievable humidity - close to 100%. We took it at a leisurely pace, with plenty of stops to regroup and chat about - what else? - the Olympics (see below). But, this meant we were on the road for a long time (5+ hours). That last set of monster hills on the I-10 frontage north of Boerne is really a test of will at that point in the ride. When I encounter 'em, I just put my head down, look at the pavement immediately in front of me (not the hill in the distance), and take it one painful stroke at a time until it's over. By the end of the ride, the combination of 5+ hours in the saddle and that oppressive humidity had really taken its toll on me - I was sure glad it was over. I'm also so proud of new rider Steve who completed his longest ride ever, and Alice who finished strong even though she hasn't done much road cycling this summer.

Board Member Carl "Teddy Bear" Crawford led the newVcrew ride Sunday morning. Here's his report -

We had great weather for the 45 mile bike ride this morning from Comal Elementary to Gruene Hall and back with the Sunday vCrew. There were a total of 14 riders this morning that included two new cyclists from the Broadway Bank Team and Tony Ralf from Pauline's Last Harrah. There is a rumor that I had two flat tires on purpose this morning!!!! Gruene Hall starts serving beer at noon on Sunday and I tried having enough flats that we would arrive just in time for beer. This did not happen due to the help of Matt Montez and Bill Krupa at the rest stop a couple of miles from Gruene. They changed my second flat tire. Maybe next time I can have my beer in the middle of the ride. This was also the first time that I crossed the new bridge in Gruene - it is a lot better than the old bridge. Unfortunately, the hill to Gruene Hall is still there. - Carl

Members of the Crew pose in front of the legendary Gruene Hall

What You Eat = How Well You Ride

Just one final reminder about our Lunch and Learn this Tuesday -

On Tuesday, August 26th, Laurel Tierney, R.D., L.D., (and Velo Valero teammate) will be speaking on Nutrition for Endurance Athletes. The event will be held in the Cafeteria Private Dining room and will last from 11:45 am to 1:00 pm. If you're an HQ Valero employee, use the Intranet SignUp facility to let us know you are attending; if you're not an employee, send an e-mail to cycling@valero.com.

Olympics are Over...The Withdrawal Begins

...After 16 days, the Olympics are coming to a close. I don't know about you, but I absolutely loved every minute of every broadcast I watched. From that incredible opening ceremony with those 2008 fierce drummers pounding away to that amazing human Memory Tower in the closing ceremonies tonight, I was spellbound. What's incredible was that for two weeks the four of us in the Ray-Sultemeier household had a rare concordance - two 40 somethings and two teenagers agreed to sit together and watch Olympic coverage each night, endlessly thrilling to the drama of athletes from across the planet pushing the boundaries of what the body and the spirit can accomplish. What a great way to end the summer. I know there will be a painful withdrawal we'll all go through tomorrow, but hey - the Winter Olympics are only 18 months away!

...see ya' on the road!

- Peter

Weekend Rides, Lunch and Learns, Pool Party in September

2008-08-22T15:01:00Z

Good morning and happy Friday!

Weekend Rides

This weekend, we have a large group of riders (25+) heading to Wichita Falls for the Hotter N Hell, and I can't wait to hear the stories when they get back. For those of you staying in town, we have two weekend rides to help you prepare for the Bike MS: Valero Bike to the Beach (which is only 43 days away!). Because there's a chance of rain (again) this weekend, we're going to try something new to communicate the status of our training rides to the team. Before heading out to a ride start, you'll now have three ways of checking the status of the ride. You can call the ride leader to get the up to the minute scoop. You can check our web site, which we'll update at least one hour to the ride start. And, beginning this weekend, you can call 210-345-BIKE (2453). If a ride is being cancelled or the start delayed on a given day, we'll update the message on this number to give you the latest and greatest details. Hopefully by doing this we can eliminate some of the confusion that surrounded the newVcrew ride last Sunday.

Hats off to team member and hammerhead Henry "Flash" Martinez for suggesting this.

On Saturday, John "the Punisher" Tenison will lead riders on the Legendary Luckenbach ride. With the recent rains, the temperatures have cooled down a bit, so it's time to tackle one of the toughest rides we do during the year. We'll start in Downtown Boerne at the old FiServ building parking lot, and we'll have routes of 45 and 65 miles. Wheels up at 07:30 am. Get a good nights sleep before the ride, and eat a good breakfast - this ride will take everything you've got (and more). But I can assure you - the gorgeous Hill Country scenery and the stops in Luckenbach and Waring make it all worth it!

Carl "Teddy Bear" Crawford will lead the newVcrew ride on Sunday morning from Comal Elementary School with wheels up at 07:00 am. If you do the Saturday ride, you should consider doing the Sunday ride also if it fits into your schedule, so you begin to get the experience of riding on back to back days that you'll need on the BTTB.

As a heads up, Carl has offered to lead training rides all three days of the upcoming Labor Day weekend, since he's training and training hard for the weeklong ride he does in Tennessee each year. I'll have more details next week... NOTE: Beginning the weekend after Labor day, we'll begin offering rides for advanced riders on both Saturday and Sunday, similiar to what we did last year. Stay tuned for more details... As usual, check our Event Schedule for all the details.

Lunch and Learns

Just a reminder - we have two Lunch and Learns planned over the next few weeks that will help you prepare for the BTTB. The events are open to all members of the team - employees and non-employees. Dress is business casual, and all will be held at Valero HQ near the intersection of 1604 and I-10. Park in the main visitor's parking lot and enter through the main entrance. If you are an employee, please register for the event through the Valero SignUp facility. If you aren't an employee but plan on attending, please send an e-mail to cycling@valero.com and let us know which event, and we'll add you to the list. NOTE: We'll also be filming it (courtesy of friends in the Valero LEAD department), and we'll post to the video to our web site like we've done in the past.

On Tuesday, August 26th, Laurel Tierney, R.D., L.D., (and Velo Valero teammate) will be speaking on Nutrition for Endurance Athletes. The event will be held in the Cafeteria Private Dining room and will last from 11:45 am to 1:00 pm.
On Tuesday, September 2nd, our good friend Matt Hamlin from Bicycle Heaven will pontificate on Cycling Technique. This will be in FB-128 at Valero HQ from 11:45 am to 1:00 pm.

Pool Party in September

Board Member David "Guido" Gross is having a pool party at his house after our training ride on Saturday, September 6th. Those of you who have been around Velo Valero for many years know that we usually do a late summer ride called the Pancake Ride each year. For various reasons we're not doing it this year, but we are going to keep up the tradition of a pool party at David's to celebrate the end of summer and the beginning of the real training season for the Bike to the Beach. The event will last from after the ride (which will start and finish at Judson High School) and last until "6 ish". Guido will provide sandwiches, salads, tea, and water - please bring towels and any other drinks you want to enjoy around the pool. If you plan on attending, please send an e-mail to David at david.gross@valero.com so he can get a headcount before the event.

...see ya' on the road!

- Peter

Weekend Rides, MPO Meeting, Hotter N Hell, Lunch and Learns, Dam 09

2008-08-19T21:56:00Z

Good morning and happy Wednesday!

Weekend Rides

The weekend is approaching, and you need to start planning your weekend training rides. The Bike MS: Valero Bike to the Beach is only 45 days away, and you need to be training and training hard to be ready. As usual, we have a couple of options.

The Hillfest is cancelled this week, because I'll be going to the MPO meeting (see below), John is out of town, and the rest of the gang is preparing for this weekend's Hotter N Hell.

Andrea "Android" Shull will be driving SAG in the Team Truck for the Wednesday night Family Friendly ride at 06:30 pm from Bullis County Park. (NOTE: Someone has pointed out to me that Too Tall bears a striking resemblance to Olympic beach volleyball phenom Kerri Walsh...) The Wednesday night Family Friendly ride has been cancelled due to the rain. Sorry...

John "The Punisher" Tenison will lead our Saturday ride with our usual start of 07:30 am. I'll publish the start and the route as soon as he gets back from Seattle and we decide what to do. Plan on a distance of 60 to 65 miles, since we need to be increasing our mileage.

As usual, check our Event Schedule for all the details.

MPO Meeting

The San Antonio-Bexar County Metropolitan Planning Orgaization (MPO) is holding a Bicycle and Pedestrian Project Workshop on Wednesday, August 20, from 05:00 pm to 08:00 pm. The event will be held on the Community Room of the VIA Metro Center at 1021 San Pedro. The workshop has a drop-in format with no formal presentation - come anytime and allow up to an hour. For more information, call 210-227-8651, or visit the MPO web site at http://www.sametroplan.org/. If we are really going to go from Fat City to Fit City, we need a vastly improved network of walking and biking trails in all areas of the city, and this is your chance to let your voice be heard on this issue.

Hotter N Hell

The legendary Hotter N Hell ride in Wichita Falls is only days away. Team Vice President David Sloan is our Event Captain for the day, and the last time I counted, there are close to 20 folks from Velo Valero participating in this ride. Send an e-mail to David at David.Sloan@valero.com if you plan on riding. If possible, we'd like all team members to wear our current team jersey and to pose for a photo at the ride start. David and PJ are also trying to pair riders up based on expected pace and distance - if you're not sure who you'll be riding with, please contact David or PJ and let them hook you up. (Once again I'll miss the Hotter N Hell, because it coincides with the first big pep rally of the Churchill High School football season, but ONE DAY I'll make it - I promise!)

Lunch and Learns

Just a reminder - we have two Lunch and Learns planned over the next few weeks that will help you prepare for the BTTB (which is only 45 days away!). The events are open to members of the team who aren't employees. Dress is business casual, and all will be held at Valero HQ near the intersection of 1604 and I-10. Park in the main visitor's parking lot and enter through the main entrance. If you are an employee, please register for the event through the Valero SignUp facility (we'll have setup later today). If you aren't an employee but plan on attending, please send an e-mail to cycling@valero.com and let us know which event, and we'll add you to the list. NOTE: We'll also be filming it (courtesy of friends in the Valero LEAD department), and we'll post to the video to our web site like we've done in the past. We are all about customer service at Velo Valero!

On Tuesday, August 26th, we are having a Lunch and Learn on Nutrition for Endurance Athletes. The event will be held in the Cafeteria Private Dining room and will last from 11:45 am to 1:00 pm. As I tried to push myself harder physically this year, I've grown to appreciate the importance of proper nutrition in improving your performance.
On Tuesday, September 2nd, we are having a Lunch and Learn on Cycling Technique hosted by our good friend Matt from Bicycle Heaven. This will be in FB-128 at Valero HQ from 11:45 am to 1:00 pm.. We'll cover the topics of pace lines and drafting that are key to success on the second day of the BTTB.

Glennis Does the Dam 09 Tri

Finally, I received this note from Glennis, a new rider to the team who has been riding with Too Tall on Wednesday nights, and will be joining the gang for the Hotter N Hell this week. Along with Richard, Kirstin and a few others, Glennis did the Alamo Heights Dam 09 Triathalan Event this weekend. I'll post some photos later in the week - had trouble viewing the first batch she sent me. Here's her report.

Saturday was my first ever Triathlon - the Dam '09! After cycling all spring and summer on the Wednesday night rides with Andrea, I was talked into this by our newest Velo Valero member, Roxanne Arndt. I can run and cycle, but thanks to Roxanne and her "forced water marches" at the Ft. Sam pool, I managed to swim 400 meters at a slow and steady pace (I'm no Dara Torres, believe me!) without stopping and came out breathing! The cycling was great, and why not?? I had soooo many training voices going on in my head--my husband, Andrea, Ken, Alfred, Trey...only the best. Then I ran for home! - Glennis

Way to go Glennis - I'm going to work on my swimming and try this one next year!

...see ya' on the road!

- Peter

From Fat City to Fit City, Weekend Rides, Training Rides, Fundraising Superstars, Hammerfest, Lunch and Learns, Hannahfest

2008-08-17T13:26:00Z

Good morning and happy Monday!

From Fat City to Fit City

...I don't know about you, but it seemed that everywhere I went this weekend I saw folks walking, running, or cycling. I don't know if it's because folks are being inspired by the Olympics, or that the Bike to the Beach is only 47 days away, or that the Rock and Roll Marathon is coming up in November, or that's it's all the teen athletes gearing up for another year of high school sports, or if it's just the high price of gas forcing people to find other ways to entertain themselves that don't involve as much time in a car. More than likely it's a combination of all of the above, but the bottom line is that it's all good. For many years San Antonio has had the reputation as being one of the fattest cities in the country, and the percentage of our citizens with diabetes has always been off the charts. It's at times like these that make me feel we are reaching a critical mass where maybe, just maybe this is starting to change. Maybe, just maybe San Antonio has turned the corner and we are slowly moving from being Fat City to becoming Fit City. (I sure hope so.) Each of you that rides with Velo Valero is doing your part - not just by improving your own personal health and well being, but by being a role model that inspires others. Not only are we helping in the fight against diseases like MS with our fundraising, we are also improving the quality of life in our communities by choosing to exercise regularly and lead healthier lives.

Weekend Rides

On Saturday morning, I joined approximately 25 Velo Valerians for a ride that started at the new Tri-Sition store at 1604 and Bitters. John "the Punisher" Tenison designed the route for us, then promptly left for the West Coast for a mini-vacation with the family. True to form, the 55 mile route was an endless and brutal Hillfest. Other then a few flat miles on Blanco, through Boerne, and on the 1604 frontage, this route was nothing but hills, including some real monster climbs on Blanco, Armann Road, Upper Balcones, and Babcock. (Many of you apparently enjoy these climbs, because the most popular download from our web site year after year is the map of routes in the Boerne - Leon Springs area - click here to download). Fortunately, we had a good cloud cover for most of the route that kept the tempuratures relatively cool (low-90s). I paced with Chuck and Lori for most of the ride, after we were dropped by Luis "The Machine" Rocha and Tony "The Animal" Gonzalez. After the ride, we all went inside the store to enjoy some cool water and cooler air, check out the merchandise, and watch a little Olympic action. We'll probably schedule another start or two from the store as we approach the Bike to the Beach (only 47 days away!) - it's soooo conventient, and Lorena (aka, Iron Mom), one of the owners, is such a nice person and such a huge supporter of the fitness community in San Antonio.

RIDE NOTES: Hats off to Trey for leading a group of newer riders on a 30 mile route...I think PJ is back - she led a group of folks on the massive peaks of Kyle Sealy on the way back, because, hey, JT didn't include a enough hills for her...Seymour did his longest ride since his surgery and hung tough...

El Hefe holding his gut in while posing with the very fit owners of Tri-Sition Area, Lorena and Marco.

Unfortunately, we had somewhat of a snafu on Sunday morning wth the newVcrew ride. Tanya called me at 5:30 am and we discussed the overnight rains, and the possibility of more rains Sunday morning, and decided it was too risky to lead a large group of new riders on a long ride. So, I updated the web site with a message indicating the ride was cancelled, and she waited at home for folks to call for an update on the ride status. Well, at 7:15 I get a call from Andrea saying that 25 people were at Cibolo City Hall waiting to ride. In the immortal words of Homer Simpson, "DOH!" I immediately called Tanya and asked her to drive to the start and check on things. I called her later in the day to see how things went. She said she got there after folks left, but caught up with most of them to distribute maps and keep people on course. Way to go Tanya! Also, thanks to a few of the experienced riders like Derrick who pitched in to manage the ride.

...Just a little background on why we'll cancel a ride, which fortunately we don't have to do too often. In general we err on the side of caution, particularly when new or nearly new riders are involved. I know we all need to be training, but I also have a responsibility to insure everyone returns home injury free to friends, families, and bosses. This is why we provide maps, drive the route ahead of time, and typically do a safety briefing at the start of each ride. We knew there was some water on the road from the night before, and we also knew there was a good chance of more rain in the morning, so we decided to cancel the ride. Well, we just had a failure to communicate. I updated the web site at around 5:45 am, and Tanya waited for folks to call for a status. Well, no one called. For those of you who got there expecting ride leaders and maps, I apologize. In the future if it looks like rain, please check the web site the morning of the ride - I usually update no later than an hour before the ride start. You can also call the ride leader and ask about the status of the ride.

Training Rides this Week

...I'll send out an announcement in a day or two about our training rides this week. John is out until Thursday, and Andrea will be resting up prior to the Hotter N Hell, so I'm not sure what we'll do yet. Rest assured we'll have rides scheduled - just need to figure when and where, and who will lead them. Stay tuned!

Fundraising Superstars

As mentioned last week, we going to be spotlighting stories from our top fundraisers this year as we approach the Bike to the Beach. Our first inaugural Fundraising Superstar is (drum roll, please!) Curtis Lang. To read more about Curtis and his campaign, click here.

Hammerfest

In addition to the Hotter N Hell in Wichita Falls on next weekend on August 23, there's another great event Velo Valero will participate in to get you ready for the Bike to the Beach. This is the 2nd Annual Lavernia Hammerfest, which takes place on Saturday, September 13. This is a great one-day ride close to San Antonio that has distances of 34, 53, and 65 miles. The terrain is rolling countryside similar to what we encounter on Day 1 of the BTTB. There is no fundraising required, but there is a $30 registration fee. If you are a new or nearly new rider, the Hammerfest is a great way to get used to the logistics of starting lines, rest stops, etc, on a smaller scale before the Bike to the Beach. I'm really hoping that our jersey order will be in then, and this will give folks an opportunity to wear the Velo colors for the first time in an organized event - I'll keep you posted! Note: The Hammerfest will be our team Training Ride that weekend.

Lunch and Learns

...I got a number of e-mails from folks asking about the Lunch and Learns we have planned. Yes, they are open to ALL members of Velo Valero. I'll be sending out instructions in the next week or with directions to our building, and how to check-in with campus security. To see the schedule for the Lunch and Learns, check our our Team Calendar.

Hannahfest

...I'll end with a photo of me on my mountain bike taking our youngest dog Hannah for a run around the block. It took a few practice rides, but I finally have her trained to run beside me at a steady pace and to hold the line (so I don't run over her). She's a handful like most young dogs are, but she is very affectionate and never turns down the opportunity for a fast-paced mutt strut around the block. If you have a hyper dog that needs a daily dose of exercise, combine it with your need for time in the saddle to get ready for the Bike to the Beach. Start slow, and only continue if the dog can actually hold the line, and not stop abruptly, or veer in front of you, or make like a Scud missle when a fiendish cat appears (all of which can cause you to crash and burn, believe me). Enjoy!

2008 Hannahfest, coming to a neighborhood near you

...see ya' on the road!

- Peter