Traveling to Our "A" Race

This morning Ricky and I sit in the farmhouse at Strayhorn's farm in Chapel Hill. We traveled from the coast last night and stayed here. That way we can split the trip distance in half and arrive in Lexington, N.C. more relaxed. Tonight is the criterium leg of the Piedmont Triad Omnium stage race. Our plan is to arrive at Davidson County Community College in time to ride the time trial course we will race on tomorrow. Scouting a course like this can give us valuable seconds in this race against the clock simply because we'll know the course---its curves, hills, and tight corners.

Last year was the inaugural Piedmont Triad Omnium a race promoted by Jim Martin, a prominent local from Davidson County, who is himself a cyclist. It is a well-run race in a beautiful setting and deserves to be experienced. The Omnium features a criterium through the streets of Lexington tonight, a 14.4-mile time trial Saturday, street sprints back in the town of Lexington Saturday night, and finally, a 33-mile road race on country roads with a rolling enclosure on Sunday.

Our club is fielding more riders than ever with eight, two of which are female. Last year there were only four of us. It's always a morale lift to see teammates in the field competing in the race's various divisions. It's also special to see a rider wearing your team's jersey in the peloton racing with you. I'll let you know how it goes.

As far as surfing at home on the Outer Banks---right now the ocean water temperature is around 78-80 degrees. We have had a few days showing a small pulse of rideable waves in the knee to chest high range in the last few weeks. Nothing remarkable but just some glassy conditions and fun summer swell.

We're moving into the doldrums in the next few weeks however. Tropical conditions will prevail with clear, translucent blue-green ocean water, great free diving conditions and no wave in sight. Then aorund the beginning of August, the real tropics will begin to boil and we'll be squarely in the swell window again. We can't wait. I'll keep you apprised.