Southern California - Ride May 6th In Thousand Oaks, CA

I am looking for bicycle riders to join our team, Team Dragon Lady. This ride takes place in Thousand Oaks, CA on Sunday, May 6th. This is a ride not a race. Riders of all levels are welcome to join the team. You can ride 62, 30 or 5 miles. Yes, it will cost you $20 to ride which includes rest stops & SAG. Yes, they ask that you raise $150 for the American Diabetes Association which is tax deducible. No, it is not the best food you will get but you will not starve and they had pasta & salad for riders last year. This will be my fourth year with this event and we always have fun. We had 14 team members last year. (We are up to 8 team members already.) Today, Team Dragon Lady is one of 18 teams formed. Please join and be in our team picture this year.

I have friends, co-workers and acquaintances who suffer from this non-curable disease so it is special to me. Once you start talking about riding for the American Diabetes Association you will be surprised how many people tell you they are diabetic or have family members who are, it is a hidden killer many do not talk about. I don’t know why. For example, I just found out one of the SFVBC members I ride with on Sundays is diabetic.

2006 Tour de Cure pictures (http://www.meyerowitz.net/tour06/index.html) which includes some training rides and the event.

Join My Team (http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR?px=1733561&pg=personal&fr_id=4405&et=DK5Ea-ICVNvkgScj07PEXg..&s_tafId=59570) Click on the CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY TEAM button.

View Team Dragon Lady web page (http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR?team_id=176118&pg=team&fr_id=4405&et=L5MgXWizUKSDrpQeAOzmjg..&s_tafId=59570)

TO Tour de Cure route slips (http://main.diabetes.org/tdc07/55206-8030-routeslips.pdf)

More info on the event (http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=4405)

In previous years thank you gifts are given for those who reach $250 fund raising and more. Not all gifts are riding apparel, but for example: Tour de Cure jersey by Sugoi at $500 and matching shorts at $1,500 and on up to a kit. Nice stuff too and you will see some of it in the pictures from last year.

Thank you for your time in considering this opportunity.

I am in...duh....

This sounds interesting. I'll look into it.

This sounds interesting. I'll look into it.


Thanks Jason...Thousand Oaks has some great riding...

Team Dragon Lady now has 13 riders. For a limited time (until we order) riders of Team Dragon Lady can get a team logo t-shirt for $11 each.

For those of you who need a bigger challenge I offer this, one of our returning riders (Damon Erb) rode so fast last year that he finished the metric before the event staff had the finish line & lunch setup. If you join our team I will hook you up with Damon to ride this event together. Others can ride with old pokies like me.

To date the Thousand Oaks, Tour de Cure event has 19 teams formed.

See my first posting to join Team Dragon Lady and to review event information.

Mark, I can't join that weekend, but I congratulate you on riding for this cause. :)

If this wasn't the day after BA, I would be all over this ride!!
A great cause AND VERY local to me...

If this wasn't the day after BA, I would be all over this ride!!
A great cause AND VERY local to me...


Karen..do the 30 as a recovery ride....or do the 62...you will still smoke me!

Karen..do the 30 as a recovery ride....or do the 62...you will still smoke me!


No smoking on the bike.:p

No smoking on the bike.:p

Someone tell Sunny that...
Well he doesnt smoke on the bike...but he does on breaks and when hes done...and he is *%$) fast...

If this wasn't the day after BA, I would be all over this ride!!
A great cause AND VERY local to me...
It's the day after BA for me, too, and it's not at all local to me, yet I'm considering it. Think of it as a chance to show off your BA jersey. ;)

Damon dopes, j/k.

It's the day after BA for me, too, and it's not at all local to me, yet I'm considering it. Think of it as a chance to show off your BA jersey. ;)

Yeah, you're right!!! Wow, if you are considering coming for San Diego, I really have
no excuses coming from 5 miles away, do I?
I am considering it, and I will know for sure closer to the date!

K :) :)

I'll jump in on this, looks like a good Cruisin the Canejo warmup and a good cause to boot.

I'm on another ride on Saturday. But you guys have fun up there! :) Karen, I noticed that you are now not doing the 25th ride. Are you and Tony considering watching the Fargo Hill Climb? If so, would you guys like to meet up with the group and ride there?

I'll jump in on this, looks like a good Cruisin the Canejo warmup and a good cause to boot.

Thats great Ron....we'd love to have ya on our team!

I'm on another ride on Saturday. But you guys have fun up there! :) Karen, I noticed that you are now not doing the 25th ride. Are you and Tony considering watching the Fargo Hill Climb? If so, would you guys like to meet up with the group and ride there?

EDIT: Oops...this was meant for another thread!

EDIT: Oops...this was meant for another thread!

D'oh

I am so excited about Team Dragon Lady’s achievements for the May 6th Tour de Cure ride I want to share it with you. Everyone knows it is hard to calendar riders with our busy lives and commitments and we all know it is especially hard for a fund raiser ride. With those thoughts in mind, I am proud to be able to tell you I am part of Team Dragon Lady’s 21 riders who have collectively raised over $10, 500 for the American Diabetes Association. We have no matching contributors or corporate sponsors. It was all done with hard work by 21 women and men who mostly don’t even know each other. Until this Sunday!

There is still time to join us if you are interested!

Mark, congrats on the organizing your fundraising crew, great job!. Good to see you and Herb again today. Sorry I couldn't stay at the end, I had an errand to run after, and mostly, I got dehydrated during the ride and I was feeling pretty miserable at the end.

My ride report:

There wasn't a huge crowd of people doing the 62 mile option, so the start line wasn't too crowded. We went out around 7:30 and immediately went into some mild hills and HEADWINDS. No worries, at this point, I was feeling pretty good and just spun through the wind and powered up the hills. The course wound through Thousand Oaks. It's a very nice area for biking, the frequent lights aren't my favorite on organized rides like this, but it seems like it'd be a great town for bike commuting.

After the first 20 miles, I was starting to feel a little off. My ride on Saturday went from an expected 30 miles to an unexpected 50 miles, and I didn't hydrate well during or after the Saturday ride. With the headwinds and heat on Sunday, it was starting to catch up with me a little.

At the 30 mile mark, we passed by the starting point and I was tempted to call it a day, but I wasn't feeling that bad, and I really wanted to do Potrero, so I kept on going. I figured since we'd been riding into the winds for most of the course so far, we'd be due for some tailwinds. I figured wrong.

We went down Lynn road and turned onto Potrero, and was immediately hit with a full force headwind going into the steepest climb of the day. That aint right!

On Potrero, I started in my easiest gear figuring I'd just limp up the hill. About 1/2 way up the hill, I started to feel good, and started increasing my cadence and upshifted a couple of times. I passed several people and was going over 10 mph as I went over the top, that felt really good. The headwinds were still there, so it somewhat dampened the rest of the ride on Potrero, it's so beautiful riding through the section between Lake Sherwood and the big hill, and all I was thinking about was cussing the wind.

At the last sag stop, I was pretty spent, and was "hoping" the rest of the ride would be going back with the tailwind. I was wrong.

The winds continued to come directly at us, I found a few people to pace with, but there just weren't that many people on the ride. The last climb up Erbes(?) (which I wasn't expecting) wasn't too steep, but of course, went into the headwind. We finally crested the hill, turned direction and had a lovely tailwind down the hill back to the finish.

I don't know how much of the course overlaps with Cruisin the Canejo (I know Potrero does), but that should be a beautiful ride. Hopefully the winds will subside just a tad.

I'm pretty psyched with my time, considering the hills, headwinds and poor hydration. Lesson learned on the hydration.

Here are my Garmin stats.

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/2661921

Total Time (h:m:s) 4:22:29 4:18 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s) 4:03:40 3:59 pace
Distance (mi ) 60.96
Moving Speed (mph) 15.0 avg. 38.9 max.
Elevation Gain (ft) +4,353 / -4,364 (sportracks shows 4050)

The new bike helped... a lot!

Nice going on the ride and congrats on raising some money for a good cause!

Sheldon



Mark, congrats on the organizing your fundraising crew, great job!. Good to see you and Herb again today. Sorry I couldn't stay at the end, I had an errand to run after, and mostly, I got dehydrated during the ride and I was feeling pretty miserable at the end.

My ride report:

There wasn't a huge crowd of people doing the 62 mile option, so the start line wasn't too crowded. We went out around 7:30 and immediately went into some mild hills and HEADWINDS. No worries, at this point, I was feeling pretty good and just spun through the wind and powered up the hills. The course wound through Thousand Oaks. It's a very nice area for biking, the frequent lights aren't my favorite on organized rides like this, but it seems like it'd be a great town for bike commuting.

After the first 20 miles, I was starting to feel a little off. My ride on Saturday went from an expected 30 miles to an unexpected 50 miles, and I didn't hydrate well during or after the Saturday ride. With the headwinds and heat on Sunday, it was starting to catch up with me a little.

At the 30 mile mark, we passed by the starting point and I was tempted to call it a day, but I wasn't feeling that bad, and I really wanted to do Potrero, so I kept on going. I figured since we'd been riding into the winds for most of the course so far, we'd be due for some tailwinds. I figured wrong.

We went down Lynn road and turned onto Potrero, and was immediately hit with a full force headwind going into the steepest climb of the day. That aint right!

On Potrero, I started in my easiest gear figuring I'd just limp up the hill. About 1/2 way up the hill, I started to feel good, and started increasing my cadence and upshifted a couple of times. I passed several people and was going over 10 mph as I went over the top, that felt really good. The headwinds were still there, so it somewhat dampened the rest of the ride on Potrero, it's so beautiful riding through the section between Lake Sherwood and the big hill, and all I was thinking about was cussing the wind.

At the last sag stop, I was pretty spent, and was "hoping" the rest of the ride would be going back with the tailwind. I was wrong.

The winds continued to come directly at us, I found a few people to pace with, but there just weren't that many people on the ride. The last climb up Erbes(?) (which I wasn't expecting) wasn't too steep, but of course, went into the headwind. We finally crested the hill, turned direction and had a lovely tailwind down the hill back to the finish.

I don't know how much of the course overlaps with Cruisin the Canejo (I know Potrero does), but that should be a beautiful ride. Hopefully the winds will subside just a tad.

I'm pretty psyched with my time, considering the hills, headwinds and poor hydration. Lesson learned on the hydration.

Here are my Garmin stats.

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/2661921

Total Time (h:m:s) 4:22:29 4:18 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s) 4:03:40 3:59 pace
Distance (mi ) 60.96
Moving Speed (mph) 15.0 avg. 38.9 max.
Elevation Gain (ft) +4,353 / -4,364 (sportracks shows 4050)

The new bike helped... a lot!

Cool. Congrats on the fundraising! :beer:

I finished the metric in 3 hours 45 minutes. I wanted to stop at the last rest stop to fix my cleat, which came loose around mile 40, but I couldn't find it. Afterwards I found out that I lost a screw on my cleat.

The wind was annoying but it wasn't too bad. The lack of any flat roads was more annoying. I was unimpressed with the food service in the end area. Last years lunch was much better organized. The goodie bag was a nice surprise though. I can always use more free tools and dominos gift certificates :)

Ron, it was great to see you and your new ride...its very sweet!!

Our team - Tream Dragon Lady had 22 riders...I beleive we were the largest team there...the overall event raised over $100k...I think our team was #2 in fund raising also!

It was a pretty easy decision as to what to wear... no windbreakers or warmers..we could tell it was warm when we arrived. My bigger concern was the wind that started to blow...
I said a bunch of hellos to teammates and a friend from SFVBC ,then geared up and got to the start...
One of the things I dont like is that rides in this area start climbing immediately...I need a few miles warmup....but thats the way it is....so off we went...started some small climbs...when we turned onto Moorpark we got hit with the wind...pretty bad as far as I was concerned...Ron dropped me and sped off inthe distance...new bike, weight loss...he is riding incredibly well!
As usual I was at the back of the pack....pretty soon I was alone...I had a real hard time on the climb up Olsen..this hill is so-so tough..but with the wind it was really tough..but what I realized as I got near the top was how weak I was feeling....I realized it had been 3 1/2 hrs since breakfast...I meant to have a banana and 1/2 a bagel at the start but got busy and never did...very bad...there was a downhill then some more climbing to get to simi valley..I know the 1st rest stop was at 12-15 miles so I figured I could make there..had a 1/2 bagel and some peanut butter...that helped a bit...I rode with a guy names James till rest stop 2...had another 1/4 bagel and PB..now I was starting to feel pretty good...I heading up Moorpark...and had a great downhill...caught up with my friend Tami from SFVBC and her teammate Elizabeth...cool..someone to ride with....Tami was sayind the she didnt realize how hard this ride was...so I said we could take it easy...ELizabeth was a really strong rider...she would ride up ahead then wait for us to catch up...
Another guy passed us (Dan I think) he and ELizabeth rode together up ahead...we stated heading up Lynn knowing Potrero was coming....on the last big hill on lynn we saw dan get off and walk......we said he was ok....so we kept going...up Wendy then onto Potrero....Tami stopped a bit into the start when he foot cramped, but she insisted I keep going..so I did...I made it to the top which was a goal since I had to walk part of it last year...bu no means at Rons 10mph...I was more like 4-5...that is one tough hill and at 40 miles with the wind in your face ..it really sucks....Elizabeth was waiting at the top...we talked for a bit...she rides with CVC ( conejo valley).....
We waited a bit then a truck pulls over and tami and Dan get out...they couldnt make it to the top...
So offwe go down into Hidden Valley...very pretty down there..some wind as well, then up to Lake Sherwood...one spot we got hit with major head winds I had to pedal hard to keep moving and I was going downhill!!
Finally the last rest stop at Lindero and Trifuno...guess what ..no they had no water...so I had to take their yucky electrolyte mix....but only 10 or miles to go....
The route this year ending with a couple of climbs...the one on Erbes is pretty good...at 59 miles its tough...Tami was suffering pretty bad...and I was pretty fried myself so we opted for a short cut that bypassed the climbs...still had 60.2 miles and almost 3600ft of elevation...
The roads in TO are just awesome for riding...Simi wasnt to bad this year..the simi part of the route was much nicer...
But overall, my time was better than last year...I made it up Potrero, and I was actually not the last person to finish this year!! Plus I had 2 lovely ladies to ride with and I had a good time, so it was all good!

Great to hear others' reports on this ride. I rode with a couple of other Colavita riders, and we kept our pack together pretty much the entire day. The wind would have sucked riding solo, but taking turns in a paceline made it more bearable. The climbing was tough, and I was concerned I would have to stop and rest on Potrero as I did on a training ride, but I churned my way to the top. I have been having issues with my quads cramping in the recent past, but I started taking Hammer Endurolytes in training a couple of months back and they seem to have minimized the problem. I did have a massive cramp when I tried to stand up on Potrero, but I was able to sit back down and keep spinning without losing momentum. As it turned out, I had minor cramping from about that point on, but it was intermittent, and I was actually able to stand and crank over the summit of the last climb on Erbes. The last gradual climb up Olsen from Erbes seemed like a downhill by comparison, and we rolled into the finish after just over four hours (3:51 ride time according to my Garmin). A blind cager did try to take us out as she turned into a driveway about 100 yards from the finish, but we avoided that last challenge and made the finish.

The rest stops were pretty basic, with water, an occasional bagel, and some kind of electrolyte drink. There wasn't even any fruit (although they had plenty at the finish?). Still the volunteers were cheerful and trying to help as best they could.

I was proud to ride alongside (well, mostly behind) my buddy Dan, who has been living with diabetes for 31 years. He is an example of what is possible for people who have diabetes, as he is just a strong, strong rider and all-around athlete.

Here's a link to my Motionbased activity:
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/2665158

Jim

Wow...I didnt realize there were so many BF'r on this...very cool....great job everyone!!!

Jim...I was having cramping issues a while back..I added a some potassium to my vitamins and that seems to have helped....but I am interested in the HEED stuff..everyone seems to like their products..I wil have start trying some of them...I also carry some Sports Legs just in case..they seem to help as well during a ride!

Wow...I didnt realize there were so many BF'r on this...very cool....great job everyone!!!

Jim...I was having cramping issues a while back..I added a some potassium to my vitamins and that seems to have helped....but I am interested in the HEED stuff..everyone seems to like their products..I wil have start trying some of them...I also carry some Sports Legs just in case..they seem to help as well during a ride!

I have been using HEED for a year or so. I like it..very mild flavoring and it seems to work for me. Hammer sells small containers of it if you want to sample for a low price. I tried both flavors that way.

Sheldon

I've taken to drinking SMARTwater the day before a ride and also mixing my first two bottles with SMARTwater and HEED. When I do a good job of hydrating consistently like this, I really don't have any problems and I find I don't notice the heat very much. I too like HEED for it's mild taste. I used to use Cytomax, way too sweet, and I feel stronger at the end of a ride after drinking HEED.

I just did a terrible job of rehydrating after Saturday's ride.

Plus after I ran out of HEED on Sunday, that 'electolyte mix' they were serving wasn't exactly inspiring me to drink it. eesh.

I've taken to drinking SMARTwater the day before a ride and also mixing my first two bottles with SMARTwater and HEED. When I do a good job of hydrating consistently like this, I really don't have any problems and I find I don't notice the heat very much. I too like HEED for it's mild taste. I used to use Cytomax, way too sweet, and I feel stronger at the end of a ride after drinking HEED.

I just did a terrible job of rehydrating after Saturday's ride.

Plus after I ran out of HEED on Sunday, that 'electolyte mix' they were serving wasn't exactly inspiring me to drink it. eesh.


OMG...that stuff was aweful....I had a packet of mix...but at the last stop...NO WATER...HELLO...MCFLY...I just climbed Potero..I needed water...so I had to take some of the yucky mix...
Hmm smartwater and heed....interesting idea
You sure look strong at the start....

I have a couple of heed packets I will have to give them a try
thanks
and thanks also Sheldon!

Where was the rest stop on Triunfo and Lindero? I made the left hand turn at that intersection and didn't see anything.

Where was the rest stop on Triunfo and Lindero? I made the left hand turn at that intersection and didn't see anything.


Right where you made the left onto Lindero at the end of Triunfo...there were over on the right side corner...
You didnt miss much....bagels, no PB and NO WATER..well they may have had water when you went by...not later..they said they only got 2 bottles...and the early rest stops that were deserted had tons of water..

Right where you made the left onto Lindero at the end of Triunfo...there were over on the right side corner...
You didnt miss much....bagels, no PB and NO WATER..well they may have had water when you went by...not later..they said they only got 2 bottles...and the early rest stops that were deserted had tons of water..

Funny story. A woman who I'd been leapfrogging with all day asked the kids at that last stop there how they got involved with volunteering. I guess she was expecting some nice story about them having family members with diabetes or some touching story. The kids said they knew someone who knew the organizer and they needed to do some community service hours. The woman got a disgruntled look on her face and left.

Funny story. A woman who I'd been leapfrogging with all day asked the kids at that last stop there how they got involved with volunteering. I guess she was expecting some nice story about them having family members with diabetes or some touching story. The kids said they knew someone who knew the organizer and they needed to do some community service hours. The woman got a disgruntled look on her face and left.


Thats a good one...yeah...that figures...they were very different than the people at all the other rest stops!

Right where you made the left onto Lindero at the end of Triunfo...there were over on the right side corner...
You didnt miss much....bagels, no PB and NO WATER..well they may have had water when you went by...not later..they said they only got 2 bottles...and the early rest stops that were deserted had tons of water..

I didn't see anyone there. I asked another guy that was with me and he didn't see anything either. Maybe they weren't set up yet. I just needed to tighten my cleats and was hoping theyd have a screw driver. My left cleat literally almost fell off at the end. I ended up losing 1 screw and having massive float in all degrees of freedom. I had to hail over some random mountain biker around mile 40 to borrow a screw driver hoping the last rest stop would have a screw driver for me to use.

Tour de Cure pix

http://www.meyerowitz.net/tour07/index.html

Great pics! And Ronjon, you just keep shrinking! ;) By the way, I started my diet this week. Four days and counting...I want to shrink too.

Great pics! And Ronjon, you just keep shrinking! ;) By the way, I started my diet this week. Four days and counting...I want to shrink too.


That and the new bike...you shoulda seen him fly.....

Great pics! And Ronjon, you just keep shrinking! ;) By the way, I started my diet this week. Four days and counting...I want to shrink too.

me too :p

me too :p
Sigh...where from? :rolleyes: I've got back, woman. But I love this new tracking my nutrition thing. If anything, I feel more energetic this week. :D

Spinach, eat spinach. Also, try and find this dressing:
http://www.followyourheart.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=fyh&Product_Code=7031

You can find it in the refridgerated Vegan section of Ralphs. It's got 25 calories per tblsp.

So basically, you can dump a 6 ounce bag of spinach in a bowl (40 calories), slather it in that stuff (100 calories) and have an orange (I have 2 @80 calories a piece) for a grand total of 300 calories for dinner.

I'm allowed 2000 calories in a day. Figure 400-500 for breakfast times, 1000 for a burrito for lunch, and that for dinner. Drink 64-100 ounces of water. Gold.

Spinach, eat spinach. Also, try and find this dressing:
http://www.followyourheart.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=fyh&Product_Code=7031

You can find it in the refridgerated Vegan section of Ralphs. It's got 25 calories per tblsp.

So basically, you can dump a 6 ounce bag of spinach in a bowl (40 calories), slather it in that stuff (100 calories) and have an orange (I have 2 @80 calories a piece) for a grand total of 300 calories for dinner.

I'm allowed 2000 calories in a day. Figure 400-500 for breakfast times, 1000 for a burrito for lunch, and that for dinner. Drink 64-100 ounces of water. Gold.

Well...I'd venture to say you are missing a few nutrients, Ron. :o How about, instead of the dressing (100 cal), you cut that in half and add some tomatoes, bell peppers, kidney beans and fat-free feta cheese (all at Trader Joe's). I don't know about the burrito. Meat or chicken? I've consumed no more than 1800 calories for the last four days (with cardio and weight workouts this week). Tonight I'm riding, but I'm still going to go light at dinner. I'm reading about fat-free chocolate milk as a post-ride jewel. I may have that for dinner. :D

Tour de Cure pix

http://www.meyerowitz.net/tour07/index.html

Cool, I'm in all the starting line pictures!

Cool, I'm in all the starting line pictures!
what color jersey you wearing?

what color jersey you wearing?

The black nike one with the white helmet.

The black nike one with the white helmet.
yum ;) :D

yum ;) :D

Why do my arms look so big :(

Great pix. Congratulations again on raising so much money for a good cause! (and having fun doing it!)

Sheldon

Why do my arms look so big :(
Huh? If you're the one I'm looking at, you look all nice in proportion. ;) :D

Well...I'd venture to say you are missing a few nutrients, Ron. :o How about, instead of the dressing (100 cal), you cut that in half and add some tomatoes, bell peppers, kidney beans and fat-free feta cheese (all at Trader Joe's). I don't know about the burrito. Meat or chicken? I've consumed no more than 1800 calories for the last four days (with cardio and weight workouts this week). Tonight I'm riding, but I'm still going to go light at dinner. I'm reading about fat-free chocolate milk as a post-ride jewel. I may have that for dinner. :D

Yeah, that's my extreme light/lazy dinner when I had too much during the day. I often make a can of 3 bean chili or similar and dump that on the spinach instead of the dressing. When I'm feeling motivated, I mix it up with mushrooms, beans, brocolli, sprouts, red peppers. I try to avoid cheese at night.

Also, on pre ride nights, I usually have a BIG bowl of spagetti covered in tomato sauce made with ground turkey and yes, spinach.