Aug. 19, 2010

In Fitness and In Health: Attorney Cycles Back to Cycling

By Lisa Kestenbaum Daily Journal Staff Writer Three months ago, securities attorney Howard Caro took a close look at his diet and exercise patterns and decided they needed improvement. So he dug through his stored belongings until he came across a bicycle, his old Bianchi Eros that had grown a mothball fur coat. After dusting it off and fixing it up, Caro began riding and slowly looking to increase his mileage. His dedication paid off earlier this month when he completed the Marin Century, a 100-mile endurance ride across Marin County. Here, Caro, a partner in Hogan Lovell’s San Francisco and Silicon Valley offices, talks about training for the Century, his favorite weekend ride and where he will take his wheels next. What made you get into cycling? I used to cycle a number of years ago and, for whatever reason, I stopped. But I got back into it about three months ago and all of a sudden I find myself riding more seriously than I did before. So I started [cycling] for health reasons and kind of became obsessed and went all out. Was this your first Marin Century? Yes. It was fun, there were a lot of people, and it’s a big event. I rode extremely well and had a great time. How did you train for it? I tried to ride two or three mornings a week before work. I’d do one long ride every weekend and build up. I’m not one of those people who exercise for exercising sake. I need a challenge. Do you have a favorite weekday or weekend ride? I live sort of between Golden Gate Park and Golden Gate Bridge, so I go across [the bridge] and then up the hills [on the other side]. Or I’ll do a few circuits through the park. For a long weekend ride, I like crossing the bridge to the top of Mt. Tam, riding down through Fairfax Road and back around, then down Skyline Boulevard to Woodside and then back up. Do you have a favorite bike? I upgraded my ride to a new Bianchi Infinito carbon fiber bike. Does anyone in your family ride? I have two young kids learning to ride. I’ve found [riding] partners here and there but, mostly, I ride by myself. I’m a lone wolf. It’s very peaceful and relaxing, definitely an escape. Are you training for anything now? I’m training for the Levi Leipheimer’s King Ridge GranFondo. It’s in Sonoma County in early October. It’s a 100-mile ride with a lot of climb. It’s a bear. My routine incorporates a lot of hills and I like to climb. Ultimately, my goal is to do the AIDS ride next year. lisa_kestenbaum@dailyjournal.com