Time to Race.....

This was a picture of me at a race last year. I was dropped soon after this picture... That was how I rolled.  I would show up... give it all I had....come back for more!

Well tomorrow will be the first official race I will do in the RGV.  The Mercedes Challenge.  62 miles of wind, pain and suffering.  Some top competition from the valley and Mexico will be there and we know it will be a hurt-fest but we are going to go out there and go toe to toe with them.  Last year on the Mercedes race, it was unorganized...many people got lost, took wrong turns, did extra miles.  Hopefully this year they got that fixed and marked the course a little better than a flag that will eventually be blown away by the wind, as was the case last year.

Morning rides....

Race ready, should be there by now. We have been putting in the miles and now it's time to lay it out on the pavement. We have had a couple of races in which have been eye openers. Everyone else seems to be getting faster and faster. That's the way it rolls.

Mid Valley Crit....

So we got together to make our own little criterium series in the rio grande valley because there isn't any anywhere in the area.  Build it and they will come.....



to be continued.....

Two wheels a documentary...

Two Wheels: A Documentary from Jacob Ramon on Vimeo.

A very well made documentary by a 14 year old director made in my area and with people I know.

Second 125...

It started off so windy! As soon as we stepped outside our hotel room we knew it was gonna be a tough one. Facing 24 mph winds was something I was not looking forward too!


It was so tough that we decided to take a detour. The famous Kings Inn! Fish and shrimp will always win over 70 more miles of headwind.



It was a good ride. We had lots of fun and got in lots of miles.

125 miles....

Make new personal records. Why not? If you have the ability, go for it.





Yesterday we took off on our two day trek of doing 125 miles a day. Yea that's right 250 in two days. Are we crazy, to others. Are we smart, not really. Lol




Remember when I said to get some buddies that will motivate you, well mine are triathletes. And triathletes are the crazy type of people that do crazy amount of training, to do a crazy race. They are training for their full ironman, which consists of a 2 mile swim, 112 mile bike and then a full 26.2 mile run!!!! I'm just along for the ride.








When you work hard remember to take lots of water. Dehydration messes you up!

Gonna do my first criterium on Sunday!...

So they say they are risky, hard and tiring.  You have to have lots of power to do crits. Well I hope I'm ready for what is coming on Sunday because its gonna be an eye opener!  Just hope I can take the turns perfect, keep up with the other racers and do good.  This is gonna be my first race of the year. Lets see what all this training has helped me.  I'm gonna go in to it with my winning attitude, I WILL DO GOOD!

Seeing changes...

I want to lose weight! I want to look better! I want to feel good! 

 Those are all things many people say around these times, but how many people actually do something about it. In actuality, most of the times these words get said but never mean anything. But why? Well there are many reasons why, time being the main one. Why time? Because losing weight and keeping it off takes time. It takes exercise. Eating right is just a small part of it, we have to get sweaty. We have to burn a lot more calories than we take in. To lose one pound you have to have a 3500 calorie deficit. No way around it. The best way to have less calories without starving yourself is to burn them off. There are many ways to burn the calories but I chose cycling for physical reasons. I could not run or do any impact exercise because my back was shot. On the bright side, cycling is one of the best forms of exercise to destroy the calories.

I love and want to inspire people to change their lives. I've gotten my dad to lose 25 lbs just by not taking him with me to eat anymore. It was my fault others around me were heavy. I ate so they ate. Funny how that is but it is true. Another person I have been pushing is my brother. Every time I see him I ask for an update if he is eating well or going out to the gym. Those little questions might not seem like much but it puts it in their head that they need to keep doing it, a little reminder goes a long way. I always make sure to tell them they look better, fitter, or just plain tell them they are gaining weight. Honesty pushes you too.

Then we have Adrian. He is doing so well. Last year he joined me on my journey to lose weight only to stop and rebound like most people. All that work done only to give it all up because you want to be lazy. He had the time back then. He was still in college. No job. It was just him and his love of sleep and food. YOU HAVE TO MAKE THAT CHANGE. Now a year later he is picking it up again. But this time it's different. This time I can see that he really wants it. He set his mind to get it done. He is in the same mode I was in when I started. He is doing great. Now with less time because he is a teacher and has to make the effort to be at work on time, he is waking up extra early to get his miles in on time. He then goes to work and after work he does it again, whether it be cycling or going to the gym and spin. That effort is paying off. He has dropped 16 lbs in the past three weeks which is pretty awesome. He is also becoming a better cyclist. Today we did a pretty fast ride averaging 19.6 mph and was with us the whole way. A couple of weeks ago he would have given up within a couple miles. He has not missed a ride since he started. EFFORT PAYS OFF. I always ask him what food he has eaten. Now he counts all calories, a must! Some people say you can eat whatever you want as long as you exercise. True... If you want to maintain your weight. COUNT CALORIES.

Surround yourself with people that have similar goals and you will make things happen. Have a good time while doing it too and your life will be so much better, happier and fulfilling.  We back each other up. When one is slacking the other picks you up. Keeps you always on the go. Great people.

I'm still on my journey. 

My ride. 

I got my goals set. 

I hope that many people join me. 

It's a great experience. 

Staying on track 

Get ready for the Time Trial...

Finally got myself a time trial bike!  Well it's pieces from lots of friends bikes but it's beautiful :)  Have been riding it for the past two days and I have noticed a huge difference! I feel like I have more power, tucked in the aero position dramatically changes the wind resistance that I can maintain a faster speed.  It works.  The only part that I need is the front derailler but I pretty much only use the large ring all the time so until I can buy one I will keep it that way.

 Let's see what a difference it makes to have this bike on Sunday.  Right now just by doing our regular intervals, I feel like I can maintain a faster speed than before.

Looking Nice!

Surge Bikes.....