K-Swiss/TREK - My ride with world champions...

Yesterday was a big day in my realm of triathlon..

Started last Wednesday night when I picked up Chris Lieto at LAX.  His flight got in at 9:40 not to many hours after battling Lance Armstrong on Queen K for 22k TT!  Lance got Lieto by 9 seconds!!  Lance was wearing skin suit by the way.  Lieto and I stopped at pizza joint to grab a couple slices because he was starving.  I had eaten but not going to turn down chance to grab dinner with Lieto.  Super nice guy and his computer was crashing because the number of folks signing up to follow him on twitter and the notification emails!! 

By Thursday most of the team was hanging around the office, playing ping-pong and checking out the bikes TREK was building up in our lunch room.  Looked like Christmas morning with all the boxes, wheels, bikes, components, etc.  Thursday night was team dinner and fun was had by all!

Friday got good.  Presentations by TREK (totally bad ass bikes), K-Swiss, SRAM, Bontrager, etc.  Team is well outfitted to say the least.

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Friday night was Press Conference in our Santa Monica Concept Store...

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At the table is Fraser Cartmell, Julie Dibens, Chris Lieto, Andrew Yoder, Heather Jackson, Paul Matthews, Michael Raelert, Matt Lieto, Joe Gambles.  Pretty damn impressive.

Saturday was all day in office with RETUL fittings, publicity shots, team photos, etc, etc. Hung around and chatted with two world champions, 2nd place KONA guy, and three young uns' that are going to kick a--!!  Heather jackson was playing college hockey two years ago and now is riding down Michellie Jones at her last event!  A beast on the bike and learning to swim.  Ran 1:23 in her first 70.3 and had never run that far!!  Andrew Yoder.. kid is unbelievable on bike/run.  20 years old and living with Julie Dibens and husband in Boulder.

Sunday was big day.  Riding with the team.  Decided on Saturday afternoon that since I had still as of yet actually ridden on asphalt (all trainer) up until then that I would go for ride.  Rode Mulholland Hwy to Malibu Canyon to PCH, up Kanan-Dume Rd back to Mulholland Hwy.  Came down the infamous Rockstore Climb (thinking I hope I never have to ride that) and back to house.  Went to bed on Saturday night with lots of anticipation.  Oh, by the way, my TSS on Saturday afternoon was 196 for 1:39.  Lots of hills here.

Sunday morning broke a bit chilly and we met up at office at 7:30 am.  Lieto had tweeted Saturday evening that the team was riding so come if you wanted.  In addition to the team, 4 K-Swiss folks and a couple TREK guys there was about 20 or so others.  Rich Roll, the 6th place finisher at UltraMan showed up!  Pretty nice guy himself.  We rolled out about 7:50 and within10-12 miles we were starting the climb UP Rockstore.  Holy crap that is a tough climb.  Split the group immediately with the team and about 8 others (including me) staying with the main pack for about 1/2 way, then some jousting up front and we were split into two groups.  I was NOT in the lead group.  About this time I was cussing myself for having expended 196 TSS only about 14 hours previous. 

View from top of Rockstore..

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We crossed Kanan-Dume and climbed a bit more on Mulholland Hwy and then a screaming descent down Encinal Canyon.  About 2/3rd of the way down it started to rain on us and the wind got pretty brutal.  Right behind Joe Gambles and he had 90's and was getting blasted by the wind.  He tucked in right beside me and let me take the wind for him.  He said I go too fast down hill!  We rode PCH out to Pt. Magu and stayed pretty well packed up.  Riding into wind/rain at about 22mph and about 2/3 of the way there 4 of us fell off the back.  Just getting crushed.  Re-grouped at Pt. Magu and it had stopped raining and sun was out.

Lieto, Raelert and yours truly..

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We rode back down PCH and then split up.  Group going 4 hours and group that was going to go 5+.  Already feeling in the bag, I opted for group going 4 hours.  Consisted of me, Raelert, Paul Matthews, coupld guys from office and 3 others.  Rich Roll went with us.  We climbed Mulholland Hwy which is about a 7.5 mile grind.  I was second to last one up, but also one of two on TT bike!  We descended Hwy 23 which is crazy steep and curvy.  TOC is going to go 4 times down this road.  Will be some wipeouts for sure.  Back at office in 3:40 ride time.

Ride data: 3:40, 57 miles, 5420 climbing and 388 TSS!  pNorm was 231 for entire ride with my PT set for 248 FTP.  High 90's for IF.

Needless to say, today I am fried.  Two crusher rides and have dug a bit of a hole.  Taking today off.  Totally great experience and my gut is that this team concept is going to be big.  Young guns that have the elders to help them.  Team mates pushing one another and everyone looking for the team to do well.  As ambassadors to the brands, I have to say they are all pretty good folks and will do us well.