Ok, Ok - I’m late with my last training camp blog. Almost all the sponsor guests had left by Sunday morning, so just a handful of hardcore cyclists rode with the team. We tried to go on a closed highway that we had ridden on Saturday, but the guy guarding the roadblock wouldn’t go for it. So we just adapted and changed our route. It was a short ride - the guys had to be back by 11:30 to get ready to head for LAX. Most of the guys had direct flights to London, so they didn’t expect the big storm to delay them enroute, anyway.

We did one good climb and some guy in a white van about four vehicles back got really pissed - was hollering and swearing at us. I’m not kidding, the guy had the biggest, loudest voice I’ve ever heard! He was a nasty one, for sure. It’s road rage guys like him that makes us always have a follow vehicle behind our guys, so nobody will do something aggressive and stupid. But then, when he passed us (and not that long of a wait), he didn’t say a word - I didn’t even see any sign language.

So when we got back, we all said au revoir with hugs and then I headed back toward the Bay Area. I decided to go on down toward Venture and go up Hwy 1. Everywhere, there was mud and slides, and front yards covered with two or more feet of dirt, and equipment doing cleanup work. I didn’t realize that I would drive right by La Conchita - I didn’t know it was right on the highway. It was really a sad sight to see, and there were people picking through debris in houses and yards - how awful to lose everything you own in this world.

I popped back into Solvang for an errand, and saw that the Health Net team was arriving there for training. They were staying at the Marriott. So the drivers in Solvang are not going to get a break at all from cyclists on their roads.

I stopped for coffee up the line and to check my email. I was standing in line when a lady in front of me saw my Live Strong bands and asked where I got them. She said she had been going everywhere to find them and she really wanted one. I could tell by her voice that she was person who had a compelling reason. I carry a couple extra with me just for that, so I gave her one and she was so happy - I could tell it really meant a lot to her to wear it. She then told me that she was a breast cancer survivor.

Well, I had a wonderful time helping at training, and now I am really missing the guys. It seems a bit dull here on the home front. I probably won’t have much to say in this blog for a while. I’ll try to keep it as current as I can. I am actually going to start the planning meetings for the Sea Otter in Monterey, as well as the Cat’s Hill Classic in Los Gatos, so maybe I will have something cycling to talk about. Thank you all again for reading and for your great comments. I really appreciate hearing from you! Cheers!