And before you know it...

SMASH you are on the ground!

More about that later though.

Saturday I did some exploring on the road bike. I would like to find some new routes to ride and it is easier to explore without Allison (she has no patience for my route finding). So I ventured west on Rancho California into De Luz, very nice riding up there. I wasn't sure how to connect the route I wanted to and couldn't find the right road on the GPS screen, but now I know how to connect up a nice 2hr ride with some good climbing. There is really some great road riding up there and I can't wait to tap into it some more. I also found some dirt roads that make me really want a cross bike! Anyway I got a nice 2+ hrs. ride in.

Sunday morning I started my ride in Palm Desert (we stayed the night at my mother in-law's house) and rode over to Palm Springs. It was a very pleasant ride and I pushed my pace pretty hard for most of the 2+ hrs. It was really nice riding over there in the shadow of the big mountain. I couldn't help but look up at the rocky slopes and craggy peaks and imagine the trails that could be built up there and accessed by the tram. It is a damn shame we don't operate more like Europe and Canada!

My muscles were very sore today so I wanted to do a short 1hr ride after work to loosen up a bit and get the blood flowing before dinner. I once again was scouting new routes and checked out yet another cool dirt road that led up onto the plateau (with more than one dirt road I can now piece together a nice bit of riding, almost enough to warrant taking out the MTB). I stopped and spoke to a mountain biker for a bit about my routes before getting back on the asphalt. I was quite pleased with the beautiful evening ride and thinking about the new route possibilities, I was also scouting out a new connector through the back of Murrieta, as I made a right turn onto a street.

BAM! Before I knew what was happening I was literally skidding on my head. As I was making the right turn I ran through a rivulet of water on a concrete gutter. It must have been slicker than puppy shit on a linoleum floor because my front tire was gone before it registered in my brain. My right knee must have smashed onto the ground with great force as it is sore and unstable feeling, and the road rash is pretty deep in two spots (front and outside of the knee). I didn't even look at my beautiful carbon Felt bike other than straightening out my now scarred Dura-Ace levers. There is some cosmetic damage to my Giro Atmos helmet from sliding on it, and some road rash on my right hand, arm, and shoulder. I am also doing my best to ignore a pain that is eminating from my back, it is probably just some muscle spasms...

So now my training plan for the week is up in the air. I had it all figured out so that I would get my intensity early in the week and taper for the race this weekend. Now I am just hoping my knee feels better. Training on the road is supposed to keep me from hurting myself on my mountain bike! Ridiculous!