California Dreaming
I’ve not ridden outside in a week. Down with a nasty bug, I could complain about my 90-minute riding week and how out of shape I might be, etc. But rather it gave me a little time to reflect on the hectic exciting week of team training and bonding at the Sho-Air/Cannondale Team Camp in Santa Anna Hills, California.
Due to important and exciting developments at Sho-Air’s corporate HQ we had a change of plans to move our camp from the original ride destination of Santa Cruz. I was bummed at first since I’d done a bit of route prep and my mental mojo was going towards the initial plan.
Once we were settled, our camp took shape but so did some of the personalities of the team. Pua the super-food eater likes early rides, solo missions and yoga. Max likes to kick it pretty relaxed and have a beer with dinner now and then. Alex, well Alex loves long rides and eating treats that would have me racing Clydesdale by March! Not like total junk – just Trader Joe’s cookies and those chocolate peanut butter cups made with dark chocolate. Hmmm… Me; I drink too much coffee and need to put my dishes out of their misery or I forget they exist as my mind jumps right to the next day’s route.
Our rides were a sampling of some good SoCal trails; near the Vision Quest course http://www.warriorssociety.org/events/vision_quest_general_info.html, Holy Jim, Upper Trabuco Canyon, San Juan Trail the oaks or Santiago Oaks Park. www.mountainbikebill.com is a cool site I found to help sleuth out single track. Later in the week, we hit GMR or Glendora Mountain Road and Mt Baldy. I even did the Canyon Velo Group Ride on my mountain bike (not a good idea unless you want to do 400+ on every hill).
We had great team dinners, and enjoyed some of Pua’s amazing whole-food, raw, organic, super-food cooking. Talked trail, surf and fishing talk with Max, and exciting conversations with Ty and Scott about the big year ahead and all the race choices we have. Meeting up with mechanics Jordi and Paul allowed us to hang out and get used to working together and make plans for the season – and of course just have a good time riding and prepping for the adventure ahead.
Some of the riders had fits done by the ever knowledgeable and highly entertaining sage of spin Thom Coleman. Others trolled the Internet, as cyclists with idle time are known to do. We all watched the train wreck of Doprah.
We also had a great time meeting and learning more about the nutrition and science inside Osmo from Ben Capron. In a nutshell: it’s faster at what it does so if you like going fast… Check it.
I even learned a taste for coconut while in SoCal. I guess you never know what the future holds I used not like the stuff but now it taste great sometimes ya just have to try something new! I had a good time at camp and locked down some great training.
Should be super cool to start the season off on a good foot.
Thanks to Ty Kady and Scott Tedro for putting the camp together and giving us the tools to hammer!
– Jeremiah
[To read the latest SHO-AIR/CANNONDALE Team updates, check out the team blog.]
