Memorial Ride

A couple of weeks ago a teammate of mine, John Peckham, was killed by a drunk, speeding driver on a quiet little road that I ride all the time. Today the club hosted a memorial ride that was attended by, I would guess, 600 or 700 riders. We rode to the spot where he was killed and each laid carnations and spread wild flower seeds, before continuing on for a 30 mile ride.

It has been a hard couple of weeks, but I think that many of us found the ride cathartic and can move on. I'll always remember John as I ride past that spot and ask him to look after me.

These photos and more are here.

End of the season

My first full bike racing season came to an end on Saturday with my 4th win. This was another hill climb, the Mt Tam this time. This was my third time at this race so it was great to finally get the win (in my age group and category) and to do it comfortably - knowing that the win was mine for the last 4 miles of the race.

Now to the off-season. I started today by not riding at all, and eating more than my fair shape of chips/crisps as we picnic'ed on the beach this afternoon. I'll see how many days I can resist riding the bike!

Here is a photo of a skinny guy riding up the hill and my full race report.

Update: I applied for a Category 4 to Category 3 upgrade in my racing license, and it was granted, so I am now a Cat 3 and I get to race against all the old guys who used to be pros; that will keep me motivated over the winter months!

Pau Pau visit

Cynthia's Mom (pau-pau, grandma) came to stay with us for about two weeks. It was nice to have dinner ready for us when we got home each evening, though two weeks was pretty much my limit for continuous chinese / burmese food. Pau-Pau is continuing her world travels and is in South Carolina at the moment but will soon be heading off to Singapore.

Soccer Season

In addition to being back at school again, 3 weeks already, Liam is back playing soccer. He has the same great coach as last year. His first game was yesterday; he is playing much better this year than last, much more confident.

I'll be filling this photo album with photos over the coming weeks.