Training

Been slow to start, but I've started riding again with some consistency. That riding though has been limited to indoor riding on the trainer I bought a few weeks back so that I can ride in the evenings when I get home late from work. Anyway, made it out to the coast this last weekend and boy it was beautiful. Here's the route I took. Bought new wheels for my bike (Easton EA90 SL) and so this was the break in ride. Much stiffer than my old wheels, which seemed to help a bit, but also rolled very nicely (perhaps my old wheels would have done well if I simply had the bearings repacked ;)).

Here's my route from MapMyFitness.com.

To the coast!

I've ridden to the coast several times this year already, but yesterday's ride was a bit different. I hadn't been feeling well most of the week, however, still decided to go riding yesterday with Nahoko. The original plan was to ride out from Sunnyvale, up Old La Honda, and finish out around the Portola loop. Instead I talked her into riding to the coast via Old La Honda and San Gregorio. This of course meant riding back Tunitas Creek ;).



Our time up Old La Honda (44 minutes) was a little slower than the previous time (42 minutes), but still ok. I usually do about 32 minutes (give or take a minute), but it's nice to slow it down a bit. Instead I just lower my gear selection and make it a bit tougher to pedal (hopefully giving me a bit more practice for upcoming challenges). Once reaching Skyline we didn't bother to stop and instead just made our way down the west side.

It took quite a while to get to San Gregorio because of the wind and because we just weren't riding that fast downhill. Only a short stopover in SG to get something to eat (most of the sandwiches, actually all but one, were already gone) and drink. Going up that short stretch of Stage Rd was a pain in the ass with the wind in our faces. It was clearly having an affect.

On Tunitas though, the wind was nonexistent (excluding the occasional gust in the lower portion of the road). Once reaching the trees, there was no wind, but it was chilly. One fun thing we saw on the way up, was near the bottom there were some tadpoles in a small pool of water. Thought about bringing a few back with us in an empty water bottle...though we decided against it ;). We took our time and eventually made it. Nahoko made it up without stopping. We only took a rest at key points like the wood bridge and the crest of that fun 1.9 mile stretch.

Nahoko's shoulder was hurting quite a lot by the top of Tunitas and so even riding downhill on King's Mtn Rd was going to be a bit painful, but fortunately it wouldn't require much effort to get back to the truck.

Long day (plus mountain pass info)

After last weekend's century completion (only my second one so far after deciding in Feb '07 to complete one) I thought I'd head out again for the weekend and attempt a good long ride to the coast and back via San Gregorio and Tunitas Creek. Well the ride was going quite well, but as I got closer to finishing Tunitas, I realized that certain body parts (specifically one) were really hurting badly. Let's just say I could sit down any longer and still had a long way to go to get home :|.




The original plan was to turn around and go back up King's Mountain Road, but I wasn't able to sit to ride home and so knew going back up King's, wasn't going to happen ;). I took what I thought was the shortest route home heading back for Foothill Expressway and did the best I could not to sit (tough to do all things considered). Total mileage for the day was only 75, but still came out to about 5170'. Actual ride time was slow as always compared the vast majority of serious riders, but not bad for me. After 6 hours and 17 minutes (not counting about 25 minutes worth of "breaks") I was finally walking back into my place in Sunnyvale. It's funny, the more I do these rides, the better I feel, and yet I still find myself asking [myself] during each long climb "wtf was I thinking?" I'm sure when on the DR in July I'll be saying that during the ascent of the backside of Monitor pass (just as I was doing on last years ;)).

Speaking of Monitor pass, I had been wondering when the various passes in the mountains would be opening or if they had been opened already. Found the following details that show when various passes were closed in the past and when they were opened. As you will see Monitor pass was opened on 4/9/2008. Sweet! Maybe I will go up there next month as originally planned and if I'm lucky, maybe Ebbetts will also be opened as I much more enjoyed that pass ;). And of course, there's always Sonora pass (yet to be opened) when I'm at Pinecrest Lake this coming August for the yearly camping trip.

Sierra Nevada pass closures

bad week, but it's friday

This has not been a great week. From stress at work to getting rather sick this week and thus not being active I'm feeling really bad right now. On top of it all, I once again have poison oak! Though I keep being told it's NOT poison oak, I'm almost certain it is. Regardless of what it is, I itch like hell! I so want to be able to go out and ride, go to the gym, hike, something, so that I can get on some sort of a consistent path to July.

Unfortunately the weight has crept up a bit and so I've got to get back out there and get working on it. Not really concerned considering last year's progress from really April to July in which I dropped some 30 lbs before riding the in the DR. This year I expect to drop about 15 though I'm already below where was at last year's ride so regardless it'll be MUCH easier to achieve the results I want...at least I think it will ;).

Right now I just need to stop being sick!!!