First real CX bike experience

Friday afternoon I received a group email from Scott L (You think I know enough Scott's yet?) asking if anyone was interested in riding some trails on CX bikes.  Uhhhhh, yeah!!!!  All in!

We agreed to meet up in South Prairie at 8:30 am, then ride out towards Fairfax bridge.  It was not the most beautiful morning, it was cold, wet, and cold, but I was very excited.  You could liken my excitement to that of a child waiting for his birthday.

Scott and I hit a few small trails before getting to Carbondao, where we then transitioned to a long trail that took us towards Fairfax Bridge.  This being my first experience not on the road, I was unsure what to expect.  I A-B-S-O-L-U-T-E-L-Y loved it.  I had the time of my life, and cannot wait to do it again.

The trail we were on took us past an old structure, that Scott told me was an old dynamite storage house.  It was very neat to see, all the wood was gone and only stone remained.  It had also become overgrown with bushes and trees.  So, what do you do when you see a structure like that...Duh, use it to go to the bathroom.

At some point, we hit some good CX cycling...There were rocks, logs, water, and mud.  I learned that mud is so much easier to crash on, compared to grass and asphalt.  At one point, my left side was completely covered with mud!  I was very pleased with myself, and could not have been happier.  I also manage to crash and fall into some bushes.

We also road down to an old camp.  There are no houses, nor footprints of the houses.  However, there was a big open field.  After riding through the field, Scott asked if I thought I could ride up a hill.  I said I could try, but waited for him to give it a shot.  If this hill did not have a grade of at least 45%, then I would be wiling to eat mud...wait, I ate lots of mud on this ride.  Scott, gave it a good effort, but after about 5-10 ft up the hill he crashed.  We then ran up the hill with our bikes on our shoulders.

We road for a while longer, experiencing some rain, hail and sleet, before deciding to turn around.  It was at this point that I realized I was VERY VERY VERY cold.  I also realized that I had not eaten while on the ride, and thus was having even more trouble warming up.  It also did not help that I was covered in 38 degree water and mud.

Scott was the ultimate trooper, and kept by my side through the walking, slow riding, complaining, near crying, and my almost succumbing to the oh so warm fetal position.  Ok, most of that is true, but I did not come close to crying...maybe!

We finally made it back to to Wilkeson and I told Scott I was going to do the least manly thing ever...I called Bella to come and get me.  I thought I could go into the one breakfast restaurant, but it was closed.  I thought that since it was 11 am I might be able to go into the bar, but it too was closed.  I then went into the "corner store" and promptly found out that they had no bathroom, nor did they have any hot water.

The lady working was kind enough to offer me my least favorite beverage...Coffee.  I hate the smell of coffee, and find the taste even worse.  I can honestly say that I have consumed coffee 1-2 times in my life.  While waiting for Bella, I consumed the offered coffee.  It might have been the worst stuff ever.  I would guess that it was 2 years old, burnt, and HOT!!! 

I slowly drank the disgusting brew, while my body shook so hard I thought I would fall over.  My fingers, as the thawed, hurt so bad I really did want to cry.  Slowly I warmed, some, and Bella appeared.  She wrapped me in a blanket, not to keep me warm but to keep her precious car clean, and drove me home.

What an almost epic ride, and a total blast.  Hopefully Scott will give me another chance.

Ride to Sunrise

Today my teammate Brent and I rode to Sunrise.  No not to see "THE" sunrise, but rode to Sunrise on Mount Rainier.  This is always an amazing ride, with lots of climbing, some good switchbacks, and tremendous views.

Brent and I agreed to meet at my house, difficult for me, at 7 am, and then drive to Greenwater.  Brent did a great job holding up his end of the agreement, and pulled into my driveway at 7 sharp.  I quickly loaded up my bike, gear, food for an army, and water.

The night before, I considered pumping my tires but decided to wait until the morning.  I always bring my pump, and top of my tires just before the ride starts.  I asked Brent if he was going to want me to bring my  pump, and he said yes...Guess what I forgot to put in his truck two minutes later.  Yes, the pump.  Luckily for me, my tires had a good bit of air...Brent, not so much, but he did have enough to still have a good ride.

Once we began our ride, both Brent and I wondered if we would see many cyclists.  Then we remembered that this weekend was the STP (Seattle to Portand).  The STP has about 10,000 cyclists participate in the ride.  Some of the cyclists choose to do the 200+ mile ride in one day, while most prefer to do the ride in two days.

I have often been asked if I want to do the ride.  I always say no, and I have two reasons why.

1 - I was finally convinced in Feb. 2010 and began training in earnest.  One month later I was hit by a car, broke my neck, had a severe TBI, and lost over 6 months of memories!  (accident part 1  and  accident part 2)

2 - While there are a lot of avid cyclists that participate in the STP, there are 10 times more that are totally inexperienced and borderline dangerous to others on the road.

We did not see one cyclist between Greenwater and the Crystal Mt turn off.  From there to the Mt. Rainier turn off, we saw 2 or 3.  I was really beginning to think we were the only ones not participating in the STP.  Once through the gate for Mt. Rainier, we began to see some cyclists descending from Sunrise.

The climb to Sunrise, from the park entrance, is about 14 miles...straight up!  This is after having a gradual climb from Greenwater to the Crystal Mt. turn off (14ish miles), and then about 4-5 miles of climbing to get to the park entrance.

Once we started the climbing, to Sunrise, Brent and I shared the workload, but I took the lead for the majority of the time.  This had nothing to do with Brent's ability to climb, rather it was about me.  There are different types of climbers, and I am the type that likes to settle into a rhythm and do the pacing.  I like to think of myself as a super domestique...work till I pop, and then let the big man take over.  Brent being the nice guy, and smart, decided to let me do what I do best, WORK on the front.

About halfway up the climb, Brent was following my wheel and I decided to send a message that I Would like some help on the front.  I bet you are wondering "Rod, what was the message, and how did you send it?"  Easy, I let his front wheel hit my rear wheel.  This does nothing to me, but usually would result in Brent crashing.  However, Brent is an expert bike handler, avoided crashing, and then apologized to me for not paying attention...Such a nice guy!!!  Actually, I had no intent of that happening.  Brent was looking behind him to see if cars were coming up from behind, I was swinging wide for a sharp, steep turn, and the stars aligned for up to hit wheels.


Brent and I kept working, climbing, working, climbing, working, climbing, until I knew the last switchback was upon us.  From there the grade of the road became less steep, and it was a straight shot to Sunrise.  I powered through the turn and opened the gap on Brent.  I always forget that this part of the climb is not easy at 3%, and is still about 3 miles long.  Eventually we finished off the climb. 

Once in the parking lot, we sat for a few minutes outside before moving into the old lodge.  There Brent ordered some food, and we chatted with another cyclist.  After refueling, re-hydrating, and using the facilities, we made plans for the fast descent back to the main highway.

Before getting on our bikes, we decided to take some pictures.  Me being the serious person I am, made sure everything was legit and perfect.  We then found an unsuspecting man who ended up taking at least 4,132 pictures of us...He was really nice and accommodating.

Brent and I started the fast descent, and he quickly decided to stop us for another photo op.  Good thing too, the picture had me and Mt. Rainier...I know what you are thinking, and yes the picture would have been better without me :)

We quickly resumed our descent, and I was carving turns like a warm knife through butter.  I might have slowed to less than 25 mph one time for an extremely sharp hairpin turn.  Each time we approached a sharp turn I would signal Brent, so that I could open a gap.  The last thing I wanted was Brent on top of me if I misjudged a turn and went down.

After one such turn, I looked over my shoulder and did not see Brent.  I could not slow very fast, I was going 42 mph, and was in a slightly technical portion of the descent.  Eventually I was able to come to a near stop , and still no Brent.  Reluctantly I turned around and started climbing.  Turns out Brent flatted in the middle of a hairpin turn...NOT GOOD.

After changing his tube, we were back on the move and working back towards Greenwater.  From Sunrise back to Greenwater, 34 miles, I would guess that we did not go slower than 23 mph.  That was even fighting a growing head wind, which was really moving the trees by the time we made into Greenwater.

Once in Greenwater, Brent and I loaded up the bikes and drove into Buckley.  We both agreed that we were due an adult beverage at the local beverage stop...Hello Elk Head Brewery!  The day was great, the company was great, and the ride was a blast.

North Carolina...That's a wrap!

I finished my North Carolina trip with two more rides.

Ride #1...I will call this the no sense of direction ride.

I knew I had a longish ride planned, so I did not want to start by going up hill from the get go.  This was definitely the correct decision!  There was plenty of climbing, and almost nothing flat on the route.

If you remember from a previous post, I was having shifting issues, well everything came to a head on this ride.  I quickly discovered that the bike would not shift into the big ring, which meant I would spin out around 23 mph.  You might think this is not a major issue, but I like to build speed and power into climbs.  This makes the start of a climb a little bit easier.  I also like to power down descents and hit high speeds...There is no real reason for that, other than it is a lot of fun.  Even with all the climbing, a 37 mile ride becomes very long when you cannot access your big ring!

While on the ride I was able to take in the beauty of Lake Glenville.  Surrounding the lake are beautiful HUGE homes and lots of rolling hills.  There were also lots of people enjoying the cool waters, while I was "suffering" in the heat an humidity at a brisk pace of 20 mph (on flats), 12 mph (on climbs), and 35 mph (on descents).

About halfway around the lake I was surprised to find quite the climb.  Actually the climb was not really that, but it was pretty cool.  Why?  Because I was able to ride over the Eastern Continental Divide.  After the Eastern Continental Divide, I continued to ride around Lake Glenville taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of the good ole south.

I was getting to the point where I needed to turn around and head for home.  Sense I am directionally challenged, I did not realize I was actually close to my final destination, so I turned around and round the same route home...check out how close I was

black line shows how close I was to home...Oh well.

Once back to Trillium, I still had the hard climb to my Dad's house...OUCH!  All said, the ride was great, hard, and fun.

Ride #2...the hurt locker

This ride consisted of me torturing myself for an hour and a half, with 3,251 ft of climbing.  It was not the most exciting ride as I just did short loops around my Dad's development.  There were some exciting parts though.  Since I did the same ride my first day (one more loop this time) I was more familiar with the descents.  As a result, I was able to go faster each time though the hairpin turns. 

I really enjoyed my time in North Carolina.  I was able to see family, celebrate my grandfather's 90th birthday, and get in some good riding with extremely steep hills.  I hope to go back and ride again in the near future.

North Carolina...Part 3

Sunday, July 1st, we finally headed for the Blue Ridge Mountains.  I was excited, as we were about to leave 100 F heat and get the temperatures down to the low 90's, and eventually into the 80's.  What's not to like about that?  I was also eager to test my legs on the hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, because I knew they would be different from what I normally experience.

We arrived at our destination around 2 pm and I eagerly unloaded my bike.  I was like a child at Christmas...I was dressed in exactly 2.132 seconds, and on my bike in another 0.321 seconds.  If you are not good with math, I was out the door and riding in exactly 2.453 seconds.  That is pretty amazing, and I figure that is a world record of some sort!

The first thing I experienced was climbing.  I did not get a flat section to warm up on, instead I was instantly going up at about 8%...Ouch.  Luckily for me, this was near the end of the climb I was about to do 3 times.  At the top of the climb there is a FAST descent, with some sweet hair pin turns.  I took those slow the first time, but with each pass I gained confidence and speed.  At the bottom of the descent is a nice road with rolling hills, then I would turn left and start the climb.

There is not much to say about the main road, but there is a lot to say about the climb.  Strava told me the climb averages at 10.2%, and I suppose that is correct.  However, there is a very short steep down hill about a third of the way up the climb. (note: upon further review, that was not part of the designated climb).  If you remove that down hill section, I would bet my bottom dollar (which happens to be my only dollar...good thing too) that the climb would average around 12-13%.  Yes you read that ride.

There were some places on the climb that were consistently over 20%.  I noticed 30% in one of the turns, and a few spots that registered 26%.  This climb was so steep that I really had to use the handle bars for leverage while pedaling.  If I was not careful, and I am not, I would lift the front wheel off the ground.  This is not a good feeling, so I chose to do most of that section standing,.

After that section the climb became easy, and the gradient hovered around 5-6%.  I know exactly what you are thinking, but trust me, 5-6% feels flat after the previous section.  The respite was short lived as the gradients quickly went over 8% again.  The held that way to the top, where I would take the descent and do everything again.

The first time through the climb was AWESOME!  I loved feeling the burn in my legs and lungs, seeing my HR climb higher and higher, feeling my legs start to lose power, and mostly the sense of accomplishment of cresting the beast.  The second time through the climb was LESS awesome...I started to think "this sucks a bit."  I also thought, "am I nuts doing this?"  Do not forget this one too, "it is really hot outside, and these water bottles are weighing me down."  The third time through the climb I just kept thinking, "this is my last time, and I promise to never do something this stupid again!"

I made sure to ride up to the top of the climb, which is past the turn off to my Dad's place.  As I descended from the top of the climb, I noticed my Dad and Bella walking out to take pictures of me.  The did not get the good stuff, me suffering, but they did still get a nice picture.

descending...is way more steep than it appears

There are two more parts to this adventure, yes I know you are thinking "how long can Rod milk this trip?"  Well, I can do this for a long time, but I won't.  I promise not to disappoint with the next two posts, and as a hint...my direction disorder comes into play as well as mechanical issues.

See you tomorrow

North Carolina...Part 2

The previous nights celebrations went a little longer than expected, I ate way more food than I thought possible, and consumed a couple of scotches...Oh well, I only had to be up at 5:30.

When the alarm went off, I had to gather my bearings.  I could not figure out where I was, what time it was, and only barely remembered my name... I hate waking up in new surroundings.  I did know one thing, and that was I had a bike ride with my cousin's husband. 

I quickly got up, silently moved around the hotel room like a ninja assassin, gathered my gear, and got dressed.  I then wheeled my bike to the elevator, went to the lobby, and out to the car.  It was warm, HUMID, and still very dark.  The hotel employee's looked at me as if I were a total freak, but I know the truth is they are the freaks and I am normal.

I expertly put the bike on the bike rack, secured the bike on the bike rack, and familiarized myself with my father's supersized SUV.  Everything was going to plan, the navigation system was running, and I should get to Phil's place in no time flat...Whaaaa, Whaaaa, Warning, Warning, Danger Will Robertson...

What the heck was that awful sound?  I stopped backing up, pulled forward, and got out of the SUV.  I immediately noticed the entire parking lot behind the SUV was completely empty, it was still pitch black, and someone decided to park a jet black Lincoln Town Car directly behind the SUV.  That person had about 250 spots to choose from, and he chose to park directly behind a supersized SUV that had a bike rack mounted on its rear...Not a good start!

I provided the hotel my contact information, and proceeded to carefully drive over to Phil's.  From his house, we rode through some really nice areas of Charlotte.  My favorite was the "Booty Loop."  Yes, I just said Booty Loop.  Yes, Phil told me it was actually called the Booty Loop.  No, I will not share what images and thoughts went through my mind.

The ride was not too exciting, but I did get to chat with Phil.  We had a good time, covered about 25 miles, and noticed there were some small issues beginning to show with my rental bike.  I had a good time, and was now excited to golf in 106 F heat.

North Carolina...Part 1

I was lucky enough to travel to North Carolina for my grandfather's 90th birthday.  This allowed me to see many of my extended family, and have an opportunity to ride in an area that I have never ridden.  Since you could not care less about my family, I will focus on the riding...You are welcome.

Shortly after arriving my father picked Bella and me up from the airport.  My sister was going to land about an hour later, so me made the plan to head over to Queen City Cycles in Charlotte.  Turns out that the bike shop did not open at 10, so we went back to the airport, picked up my sister, dropped stuff off at the hotel, and then went back to Queen City Cycles.

I immediately noticed the shop was nice and clean.  I then noticed that I was not greeted and had to try and identify who worked at the shop.  Once that was taken care of, I was excited to get my rental bike.  The employee wheeled my bike to me, it was a Pinarello FP Quatro with Sram.  I have never ridden with a Sram drive train, but I knew it would not be difficult to adapt.

I have never rented a bike before, but I did have some expectations on how it would go...

1 - Bike would be clean...Damn, cross that off the list as the bike was not clean.
2 - Drive train would be clean...Nope, looks like it was last cleaned 3 months ago.
3 - Quick bike fit...Check saddle height and fore/aft positioning.  Nahhhh, why do that, slap the thing on and send me out the door.

After leaving the bike shop it was off to the hotel and the first evenings activities.  I was also excited that the next day would be my first day on the bike.  The plan was get up early, beat the 100+ temperatures, ride with my cousin's husband, play 18 holes of golf, and finally celebrate my grandfather's birthday.

Sorry, I have been away...

To all my amazing followers, thanks mom, I have been away enjoying the heat and humidity of the South, and will be back at the end of the week.  Until that time, I am not going to be updating the blog...other than this post.

Upcoming posts will talk about golfing in 105 F heat, renting a bike and the expectations one should have, riding in the mountains of North Carolina, and how to travel with your wife without losing your cool when packing.

I hope everyone is enjoying the Tour De France.

Skate Creek Loop Part 4

This is the final post regarding Skate Creek...Unless it isn't, but I think it is, however I am not totally positive.

The Diesel brought his go pro for the ride, and did a great job filming the event.  The only problem with the The Diesel is that he did not fully charge the battery, and we did not get the entire ride recorded.  Oh well, such is life.

The Diesel must have spent a serious amount of time editing down the video, and choosing the music.  Thanks for all the work.  Again, I also want to thank Jim, John, Mark, and Dan for letting us tag along on the ride.

Golf...

But wait you say, this is a blog about cycling????  Well right you are, and while the title of this is GOLF, it will be directly related to cycling.

I once read an article stating if you golf, carrying your clubs and not driving, you will burn approximately 2,000 calories.  I thought "wow, I suck at golf so I must burn about 3,000 calories!!!"  Yesterday I decided to put the article to the test.

Here is the process:

1 - Find someone to golf with me...Thanks Erik
2 - Find a course that will allow me to get the biggest bang for my buck...Thanks Riverbend Golf Complex
3 - Get golf balls...Helloooooo Wallyworld (Walmart)
4 - wear my Garmin HR monitor
5 - bring my Garmin Edge 500
6 - Play golf, if you call what I do out there playing

Just like with racing, I hate being late for golf.  Since I did not know exactly where the course was, how heavy traffic would be, and the amount of time to get there, I left very early.  Turns out I over estimated, and was at the course with nearly an hour to spare.  Once paid, thank you groupon, I was ready to go.

I turned on the Garmin when I walked onto the putting green.  After putting for about 30-40 minutes, was not reflected in my game, I had a pulse of 62 bpm, walked 0.6 miles, and burned about 12 calories.

Once Erik was ready, we were off to the first tee and ready to go.  In typical first outing of the year fashion, I stepped up to the tee and promptly whacked the ball left, and 20 feet forward.  I immediatly though "oh shit, here we go..."  I teed up again and this time hit the ball about 230 yards straight down the fairway, second shot was on the green 25 feet from the hole, and 5 shot was in.  Yes, I did skip 3rd and 4th, but you really don't want to hear about those two putts, trust me on that.

Periodically through the round, I would give Erik an update on my progress.  I would also look like a fool as I would adjust my HR monitor.  I pictured a man adjusting a bra strap, at least that is the way I believed I looked.

Erik and I kept playing, and I was getting my money's worth...Erik more so.  I know you are not supposed to be happy when your friend is doing worse than you, but I was quite happy.  Supposedly golf is a gentleman's game, and you root for your compatriot...I say hog wash!

At the end of the round Erik and I both checked the numbers.  Erik told me that I shot a 99 (50 out and 49 in), and he shot a 104 (54 out and 54 in).  I was stoked, as I cannot recall the last time I beat Erik in a round of golf.  I told Erik that I walked 6.52 miles, had an average speed of 1.5 mph, and burned 670 calories.

The way I figure it, I should have burned around 1200-1300 calories instead.  The Garmin basses its calculations on HR, average speed, power output, time, etc.  Since there is a lot of standing, the computer perceives there is no work occurring and uses that in its calculation. 

While I enjoy golf, it is not the same thrill as cycling, it is slower, and it is not nearly as scenic.  However, I have a plan to spice up future golf rounds making it more thrilling for me, and more interesting for everyone else on the course.

What do you think?

Wishram Part 3...Refueling

Any avid cyclist knows that you must refuel if you plan to continue riding, which occurs both on and off the bike.

Any ride over 40 miles requires me to bring two water bottles.  If it is going to be hot, I place Nuun tablets in both.  If it is going to be cool, I place a Nuun tablet in just one bottle.  If the ride is going to be over 40 miles, I try to creatively plan a route so I can fill my bottles at convenience stores.  There is nothing worse than being on a ride and not having water.

I always bring at least one e-gel on every ride, no matter how short.  Rarely do I need to use the e-gel on anything under 30 miles, but it is better safe than sorry.  On rides over 30 miles, I tend to bring a combination of gels, bars, and/or other food.  One trick I always use is to mix the flabors.  There is nothing worse than being on a long ride and discovering you just cannot stomach a specific flavor any longer.

While down in the Wishram area I always took two bottles of water (pretty remote), and enough food for a 70ish mile ride.  Why?  Well, there is spotty cell service.  That means if something were to happen, I cannot be guaranteed that Bella could "rescue" me.  Plus, what real manly man would want to call his amazing wife, admit the road defeated him, and take the sag wagon home?

Refueling does not end once you are off the bike, and that is where the real fun begins.  In order to maintain my body weight, I need to consume between 1800 and 2000 calories a day...Before I even pedal a single stroke.  Factor in that I ride between 600 and 800 miles a week, on average, I burn an additional 1000 - 2000 calories per ride.  If you do the math, I burn in the neighborhood of 2800 - 4000 calories a day.

Due to burning so many calories, I get to indulge in one of my favorite pleasures...food and beverage.  Lucky for me, the Columbia River Gorge has some great places for me to refuel.  In fact, I am positive most of the local restaurants, breweries, and wineries were opened for yours truly.

Me (right), Bella (left), D&R (back right and left, respectively)

Some of my favorite haunts are in The Dalles, White Salmon, Hood River, Lyle, and on, and on, and on.  Let's see if I can name them all...

1 - Double Mountain Brewery...Amazing beer, and just as amazing food.  I like the Hop Lava and pizza
2 - Everybody's Brewing...Delicious full bodied IPA, and a very tasty pub burger.
3 - Clock Tower...Carries an amazing selection of Gorge beers, and good food.
4 - Solara...Brand new brewery with a good hoppy IPA and an amazing wild rice burger.
5 - Cascade Cliffs winery...specializes in Piedmont wines.
6 - Domaine Pouillon...very tasty blends
7 - Jacob Williams Winery...Deep, flavorfull, and full bodied reds
8 - Waving Tree Winery...My very first experience at a winery, and they treat me like family.

Well, I know there are a lot more places that I like to visit, I just cannot remember all of them.  On this trip, I visited:

Double Mountain

Oops...I was hungry and thirsty, slow down!

Everybody's

From Brewmancenw.com

Solara

sitting behind the brewery

Domaine Pouillon

from Winetrailsnw.com

Cascade Cliffs.

early spring picture

I was also joined by Bella and my good friends D & R at each location.  All three of them thought I was a total nut job for riding so much while down there.  I would be up around 4:30, on my bike and out the door by 6:00.  It is a good thing that I rode so much, because I definitely consumed more than enough calories to refuel. 

I think the best day was Saturday, where we hit a couple of our favorite locations and Fred Meyer.  Why Fred Meyer?  I had to get supplies to make my world famous beer brats...Beer, Bratwurst, and Worcestershire Sauce. 

Before cooking up the brats, we decided to take a quick hike just 30 seconds from D&R's house.  There is a great cliff to hike up, and you get amazing views of the river and surrounding areas.  A good time was had by all, and we burned a few more calories which enabled us to indulge in some seriously good brats.

Bella (left) and R (right)

As always, we cannot wait for our next trip to Wishram, it is new adventure around every corner.

Wishram Part 2...fun!

I awoke to some seriously sour weather, which was only confirmed when I looked at the weather station my friends have in their house.  The temperature was 59 F, winds were steady at 22 mph from the west (gusting to 43 mph...found that out once home), and rain was coming fast!  Do you think I got on my bike?  Hells yeahs I did!

How could I not get on my bike with weather like that?  This would be one of those "epic" rides that would hurt, make people go "hmmm", and something I could brag about to anyone who should care but really do not.

The big decision I had to make was go into the wind at the start, or into the wind to finish.  I chose going into the wind at the start, and have an easier, more enjoyable ride on the way back.  I definitely made the correct choice.

The first half of the ride might have been one of the toughest I have ever done, and at one point I was excited when I hit 12.5 mph!.  There were some times that I could barely hit 10 mph, due to the wind, and there are very few flat spots on the route.  The temperature was also dropping as the storm quickly approached.

I was determined to log my miles, but Mother Nature had other ideas and turned against me.  I started to feel little stabs of pain on my face, arms, and legs.  With each pedal stroke, the stabs of pain occurred more frequently.  The wind was picking up and even gusting hard enough to move me more than I felt comfortable with.  Still, I pressed on...until the skis opened and I had to stop due to wind and rain.

I quickly turned around having completed only 11.69 miles in an eye popping 53 minutes.  This might have been the slowest 11.69 miles...EVER!  The ride home was unbelievably fast, and I completed the same 11.69 miles in 27 minutes.  Again, there is nothing flat about the route.  I was moving fast on the ups and downs.

The speeds I hit on the way back made all the pain on the way out worthwhile.  It is always tough riding the Wishram area due to temperature, wind, and elevation profiles.  This time was no different, and I look forward to another extreme weather ride (hot, cold, rain, wind...I do not care give me your best shot Mother Nature) in the area.

Wishram Part 1...how to get there

Thursday was the day Bella and I had been looking forward to for quite some time...Wishram day!  The plan was to be in the car and on the road by 8:30 am, but departure time is not a strong suit of Bella's and we were out of the house at 10:00 am.  Oh well...

Wishram is about a 4 hour drive from where we live, and it does not matter if we take the easy way (freeway) or the beautiful way (Chinook Pass).  Which way do you think we took?  Correctamundo, we went via Chinook Pass, through Yakima and Goldendale, and finally slipping into the Gorge to Wishram.  However...I did not drive the whole way.  Why waste some perfect weather and scenery in the car, when I could hop and and ride to Wishram?  Well, that is exactly what I did.

About 40 miles from Wishram, somewhere close to absolutely no where, I pulled off the road and Bella humored me while I put the bike together.  The distance was 22 miles to Goldendale, so I figured close to 40 miles to Wishram.

The first thing I noticed was that it was hot...When we left our house it was 60 F, and where I got  out it was 84 F.  I also knew that the temperature was only going to rise the closer I got to Wishram, due to it being in the "desert."  I was prepared though and had two water bottles, as well as some food.

The second thing I noticed was that my legs were stiff!  I do not do well sitting still, much less for 3 hours.  Getting out of the car and immediately on the bike did not feel real good at the start, and it took me a long time to get loosened up.  Good thing I had a slight downhill...Oh that was just an optical illusion, and I was actually going up on a 1-2% grade for about 2.5 miles.

This is where the fun started, I then had a 4 mile climb and gained nearly 1,000 feet.  It is really amazing how much easier and shorter climbs feel when you are in a car.  I kept expecting the climb to end, as I went, but the dang thing just went up, and up, and up some more.  I knew that I had a long way to go, so I did not push hard on the climb and average just under 12 mph.

What is the best part of climbing???  Knowing that you have really accomplished something is one, but also knowing that there will be a fast descent is the other.  It is always refreshing to fly down a mountain, and feel the pain slowly leave your legs.  On the descent I easily stayed above 32 mph.  I could have pushed hard and really flown, but I knew I still had a lot of miles, wind, and heat to come.  I was trying to be smart and tactical....Two traits I do not exhibit very often.

After the easy descent, I was treated to another climb...This one was much shorter (1.5 mi) and easier than the first, so it went by in the blink of an eye.  From there I should have had easy "spinning" to and through Goldendale...Should have.  Turns out someone thought I was having too good of a time, so they dialed up the wind a few notches as well as cranking up the temperature.

After the second descent, the ride was flatish for a good 8-9 miles, but by no means easy.  In fact, I would rate this portion of my ride as the hardest.  The temperature steadily climbed, while the wind went from next to nothing to STRONG.  So even thought these miles were flatish, they were by no means easy.  I worked hard and harder to hold decent speeds.  This is also where Bella decided to start the photo story of my ride.

Bella, the ever organized, made a grocery store stop in Goldendale.  This worked perfectly, because I would have food and beverage when I arrived in Wishram, and also get to see what I look like pedaling down the road in the middle of no where.  Yes, I know that all the drivers think I look like an idiot.

One thing I bet you did not know is that Goldendale is a MAJOR player in the alfalfa market.  Here is the proof...

After Goldendale, there is a 4 mile descent into the Columbia River Gorge.  Normally there is a very strong wind from the west, which does little to help with the heat.  Surprisingly, on this day, there was almost no wind.  I was baffled by this, especially since Goldendale had so much wind.

Since there was almost no wind, I knew I was going to be dealing with some serious heat.  I am glad that I put nuun tabs in one water bottle, and drank that bottle first.  Why?  Two reasons...

1 - I would not be low on elctrolytes while riding in the heat.  If I drank the regular water first, I would have lost a lot of electrolytes and would not be able to replace them fast enough while riding in the oven.

2 - I could use the regular water to squirt on my head a cool down for about 3 seconds before it evaporated.  Doing this with electrolytes would be stupid and just add to the salt build up on my face and clothing.

So how hot was it?  100.4 by the time I arrived at the house in Wishram.  Yeah I know what you are thinking, and it is true...I am on the dumber side of fool, but I am still the most intelligent man in my house.  I actually enjoyed the heat...On the west side of Washington it is still cold and wet, and that will not change for another couple of weeks.  Little did I know that the east side was going to get some west side love real soon.

Part 2 to follow soon...

Frivolous!!!

I am really bothered, sometimes upset, by the fact that many people in America tend to think cause and effect is someone else's problem and not a result of the poorly thought out actions.

Buying hot coffee (which is what most people want), placing it in your lap (not the smartest move, but I do it with drinks), and then getting upset when you spill and burn yourself...What does one do?  Easy, sue the company that provided the hot coffee.

Play football (American), hit your head into other heads and bodies for years, refuse to admit you are injured, continue to play...What does one do?  Easy, sue the NFL for allowing you to do such a stupid act.

How do those two statements relate to cycling???  Good question.  There is now a lawsuit against Strava.com due to the death of a cyclist in 2010.  I will not go into the details, you can read them from the above link.  However, I will give my thoughts on the matter.

Anytime I hear of a cyclist, or person for that matter, having an untimely death I feel horrible for the family.  Even though death comes to us all, no one expects its arrival.  Worst of all, parents never expect to outlive their children.  I do not know the details of the cyclist's family...Was he married, did he have children, were his parents still alive???  Regardless, there are now people in the world who will live with his memory and not him.  I sincerely wish the best for his family, but hope the lawsuit is thrown out of court before a single word is spoken

What bothers me is that the family somehow believes, or has been convinced by someone, that this is the fault of a cycling website.  Unless I am wrong, this person chose to descend the road at high speed, this person chose to take risks on the descent, and this person chose to "compete" for a KOM. 
To my knowledge, Strava has never commanded anyone to take undo risk or intentionally break the law to earn a KOM.  I love using Strava, and will try and improve my positioning on KOM leader boards.

Before I started using Strava, and since I have been using Strava, I always tried to go fast and faster.  I always knew my best times for a given route.  I always knew how long it took me to climb.  I always knew how quick I descended.  I ALWAYS have tried to better those times.

Trying to best my times, or a friends time, has nothing to do with Strava.  Rather, it has to do with my competitive nature.  Ask anyone who knows me, I HATE TO LOSE...I want to be the fastest!  If something happens to me, which I hope nothing does, it is not the fault of Strava, or any other website!  It is my fault for taking a risk and competing against myself, my friends, or a name that I saw with a better time.

Give them some room

While reading the interwebs, and other blogs I frequent, I found a link on http://www.dcrainmaker.com/ for a new street sign in Texas.  I must admit that I am a huge fan of the sign!

from bikesnick; http://www.thewashcycle.com/

Here in the great state of Washington we have a similar law.  The problem is that many drivers either do not know about the law or do not follow the law.  This does not mean that all drivers do not follow the law, just many do not.

There is nothing quite like the feeling of having a side mirror come close enough to you that you almost feel it touch you.  Another favorite of mine is the guy who has a trailer and you could write a message on the side, due to the closeness of the trailer.  I also like big diesel truck guy who mashes the gas right as he passes you.  It scares the crap out of you, and then you get the added bonus of riding through a black cloud of exhaust.

There are also the drivers I love to wave a thank you to.  They are the ones that get completely in the other lane, if there is no on coming traffic.  If there is traffic, they edge over to the yellow line, so that you know they intend no harm.  I love those drivers and try to always acknowledge them with a friendly wave and thank you.

Drivers need to remember that cyclists have just as much right to the road as cars.   Drivers also need to remember that our intent is not to cause problems or be obstacles.  We just want to enjoy the scenery, get a workout, and see new places.

Cyclists need to remember that while we have a right to the road, cars are bigger, faster, and can do more damage than we can.  We also need to remember that our job is to stay out of the way.  Most states have a law that states we are to ride as far to the ride as is safe.  Cyclists should also remember to follow the same laws as motorists.  That means obeying traffic signals, stop signs and other postings.  By ignoring those we just frusterate drivers and they generalize those actions to all cyclists.

Hopefully these signs, in Texas, will educate and reinforce the law to the general public.  I am always amazed at the risks some drivers take.  They do not think of the ramifications of their poor decisions while driving closely/too close to cyclists.  From a person who has been hit, I can tell you that it SUCKS major!!!

Skate Creek Loop Part 3

Skate Creek Loop Part 1

Skate Creek Loop Part 2

We formed a pretty fast pace line as we quickly approached Packwood.  Jim was leading, followed by David (forever known as The DIESEL), myself, and Jon brought up the rear.  We all shared the workload as we rode towards our next climb (Backbone Ridge).  As always, the plan is to climb at your own rate and then regroup at the top.

Backbone Ridge is about 2.6 miles with an average gradient of 4.2%.  I rode at a pretty good clip, but did not want to over do it since we still had quite a bit of work left for the day.  Once at the top, I was joined by The DIESEL, who is really enjoying his compact crank, and shortly there after Jim and Jon.  The climb was perfect, I do not think I saw one car, I enjoyed the views, and got a good workout.

We again formed a solid pace line, and rotated when each person felt their speed dropping.  The DIESEL was "the man!"  I wish I took note of the time he started his pull, but guessing off the top of my head, I would say he pulled everyone for a good 10-15 minutes!  After he finished I took over and settled into a good rhythm.  We were still going downhill, but it was not steep and there were some small rollers along the way.

I was busy doing my job, and enjoying it, when I heard Jim yelling something at me..."This is our turn!!!"  as I motor pass the turn.  I quickly hit my brakes, slowed and turned into the gas/convenience store.  I am pretty glad they let me know to stop, or I could have ended up in Idaho.  After all, I am directionally challenged!  We decided this was a good place to refill water bottles, eat some food, and talk for a few before hitting the last 20 miles home. 

This might be the most memorable moment, for me, of the entire ride...

I walked into the gas/convenience store and noticed there were about 3 customers and 8-10 employees.  If this were my business, I would want a different ratio!  I saw an older woman behind the counter, near the register, and asked if I could fill up my water bottle (20 oz.).  If you did not know, this is a pretty common practice with cyclists...you can only carry so much water.  The woman looked at me, totally deadpan, and said "it'll cost ya."  I wish I could have seen my face, because I was completely shocked, surprised, bewildered, and confused.  I nicely asked how much, thinking she was pulling my leg, joshing me, yanking my chain...JOKING!  How much do you think she said? 

1 - $0.05 
2 - $0.10 
3 - $0.25 
4 - $0.50

Hahhhhhh...Trick question, the answer is none of the above!  She said "$0.32."  Again with a totally serious look on her face, but I still thought she was joking.  I went through the process of pulling everything out of my jersey pockets to find my "emergency" $5 bill.  Her counter now looked like a thrift store.  Here is a list of what came out of my jersey pockets:

 1 - rain cape
 2 - knee warmers
 3 - arm warmers
 4 - 2 energy gels
 5 - 2 power bars
 6 - beanie to keep my head warm
 7 - cell phone
 8 - nuun tablets
 9 - ID
10 - 2 credit cards
11 - $5 bill

At this point I was realizing that she was serious.  Me being a spiteful SOB, thought about using my American Express to pay for the water.  Why the Am Ex, because I get 1.5% cash back and also because they charge the vendor the most for card use.  In the ended I decided to use my $5 bill and increase the weight I was carry...I now had four $1 bills, and $0.68 in change.  You know the saying, "train heavy and race light."

After paying for my 20 oz. of water, I shared the story with the guys.  The guys all told me they just filled up and did not ask.  We all had a good laugh, spent a little more time talking and eating, and then got back to business.  Here we come Ashford, 20 miles to go.

The next 12 miles were going up at a very moderate 2 - 3% gradient, forested, and scenic with Skate Creek flowing on the right side.  We also saw a ton of GREAT spots to camp and fish for trout.  There were, again, almost no cars on the road and we were able to talk while riding at a casual pace.

Jim kept telling me that I could take off and ride at my own pace.  It became a bit of a joke, and he would say he could see my fingers twitching as if I were about to change gears and accelerate.  I kept telling Jim and the others that I would ride with them, and that it was no big deal.  After a bit I told the guys that I might jump out of the pack at the end to "win."  I am uber competitive!!!

Once we finished the gradual 12 mile climb, it was sweet sailing to Ashford.  We again formed a good pace line and shared the workload for the last 12 miles.  As always, my good friend The DIESEL, gave multiple solid efforts on the front, and me being strategic positioned myself to pull just before him.  Why is this strategic you ask???

Well, I am glad you asked...Remember my uber competitive statement?  The DIESEL was doing another solid, and I could see the main highway, AKA the finish, up ahead.  I, sitting at the back, started to get all twitchy and let a small gap open between myself and Jon.  I then switched into a higher gear and started a gradual acceleration.  Just as I was about to ride into Jon, I again shifted, pulled out of the draft and accelerated for all I was worth ($4.68, yep that is all).  As I passed The DIESEL, I looked over and gave him a nice word of encouragement..."SUCKA!!!!!!!" 

I flew past The DIESEL, looked over my shoulder and noticed I had the gap.  I guess they did not know this was really a race.  The DIESEL tried his best to catch me, but I was able to sit up and give a victory salute as I soft pedaled the last 20 meters.

I was spent from the effort, The DIESEL was spent, and Jim said his mind wanted to go but his legs said "no, no, no."

What a GREAT ride!  The Cyclopaths are a good group of guys, and all strong riders.  I have now been told that I am an official Cyclopath, and I am honored to be considered a part of the group.  I hope to represent well, and do them proud on future rides.

David, Me, Jon

Thanks for the ride Jim, Jon, Dan, Mark, and The DIESEL.

Skate Creek Loop Part 2

Read Part 1 here

Once we were all warm and toasty, quasi rehydrated, and refueled with gels and bars, we made for the exit.  To our surprise, the sun had started to break through the clouds, and the temperature was a tad warmer.  Good thing too, we had a long fast descent and I wanted the roads dry from the mist.

As I have stated in other posts, I am the smartest man in my house.  Thus, I made sure to ask Jim about the descent.  Jim told me the descent is technical in spots, and that the road has some poor surfaces in locations.  I am glad I asked!

Upon departing from the Lodge, we immediately discovered our desired road was closed.  This was not a major problem, it just required us take a detour and we missed out on a stunning views.  After a short descent and a quick rise, we saw why the road was closed...It was completely covered in snow, maybe 5-6 deep!

Once the descent began in earnest, we hit speeds of nearly 40 mph...Had I not been wearing my parachute, also know as my rain cape, I could have hit speeds of 50 mph.  That would have been pretty cool!

There were some great hairpin turns that allowed us to carve some sweet lines, and long straights to drop into tight tucks and go even faster.  There was also the bad road surface. Since road bikes have no suspension, you can be bounced around pretty good and crash, or you can use your legs as a sort of suspension.

At one point, I was in a tuck, near 40 mph, and did not see a really bad stretch of road...until I hit the section.  I felt the dip, the up, and the shake, and new my bike was not in a good position.  Somehow I kept my balance and pushed through the trouble...upright, and unscathed!  David was behind me about 30 feet, and said that my rear wheel came off the ground about 6 inches and went to the left.  If you are not sure, I will tell you this is not a good thing.  You want your rear tire on the ground, and directly behind your front.

After that section of road, I was a little more cognizant of the road surface.  The rest of the way down was less technical, but there were a few spots that I had to avoid.  The problem...you could not see them until nearly on top of them.  I therefor made sure to turn and give a deliberate point so the rest of the group would know to avoid that area.  Jim was not sure what I was doing until it was too late.  Luckily he came out OK.

Once off the fastest portion of the descent, we realized how warm and sunny it had become.  We pulled off to remove some layers, hydrated, ate some food, and then it was back to business.  At this point we had about 20 miles to Packwood, it was getting really warm, and we were flying.

Stay tuned for Part 3...tomorrow, and hopefully a GoPro video of the ride including the descent.

Skate Creek Loop Part 1

I had been waiting for this ride since last Saturday.  It is another Cyclopath ride, but was cancelled last week due to weather.  The plan was to meet up in Ashford at 7:00, drive to the start, and be on the road by 7:30.  I have to say that we did a good job, because we were on the road by 7:33! 

There were 6 of us, Jim, Jon, Dan, Mark, David, and myself, and we started with a casual pace...We only had 79 miles and 6300 ft of climbing to tackle, why hurry.  About 5 minutes into the ride Mark experienced a flat.  We all pulled over, and as cyclists do, watched as he and David changed the tube.  If you have never seen a group of cyclists, when one of their group has a flat, it is quite comical.

David and Mark made quick work of the flat and we were off in no time.  After a few miles were were at the Park entrance, and started to climb towards Longmire.  This is a pretty gradual and easy climb, but you are still gaining in elevation.  I sat on the front and was doing some good work, when I was told that we opened some gaps.

Taken with my iphone, while riding, by me...

Jim decided to pull over at Longmire, with David and Jon, to wait for Mark and Dan.  They told me to go ahead and just wait at the Paradise visitor center....So I did.  It was quite overcast, but some of the views were still amazing.  It also did not take long before I was noticing quite a bit of snow on the sides of the road.  Each vertical foot equaled more snow and cooler temperatures.

Once I was in the "clouds" I experienced quite a bit of mist and some pretty cool winds.  I was actually happy to get the cool wind, as I was getting very warm from the amount of work I was doing while climbing.

I also really enjoyed the fact that there were almost no cars on the road.  This allowed me to choose the portion of road that was smoothest.  Sometimes that was on the right, sometimes in the middle, and occasionally on the left.  I try not to make it a habit to ride anywhere other than the right side of the road, but could not resist since there was no traffic.  If I saw more than 8 cars during the 21 mile climb I would be shocked and eat Mark's bad tire (more on that later).

Once at the top I met a very nice family.  I noticed they had a Bianchi on top of their car, and made the sarcastic comment "I see you took the easy way up."  The father laughed and said no, my wife rode from the entrance and we met her hear.  We made small talk, and I found out she was training for the RAMROD.  No that has nothing to do with try to beat me up, it stands for Ride Around Mt. Rainier in One Day  I also learned that she was now planning on hiking up the mountain a ways with her family...More power to you!!!

Once I finished my conversation, I went back to the road to cheer on the guys. 1, 2, 3, me...Where were Dan and Mark?  We decided to get some water, use the restrooms and wait.  Still no Dan and Mark, and I was now getting VERY, VERY, VERY cold.  David, Jon, and I went to the lodge, to warm up as Jim waited, waited, and waited.

While in the Lodge, yours truly discovered there was a MONSTER fire place, AND it actually had a fire going.  (If there is one thing that all people should know, is that I LOVE fire.  In fact, if you have a fire, and are within 10 miles of me, I will probably show up at your house.  Another thing you should know is that you should have something preventing me from playing with the fire.) I immediately took up residence in front of the fire.

Evidently the people at Paradise have been warned

Soon Jim too was in the lodge saying that he still had not seen them, and then went back out to wait some more.  Once completely warm and content, Jim reappeared and said that Mark and Dan made it to Paradise, but that Mark had another flat.  As a result, Mark did not want to ride the whole route on a tire that had now flatted two times in less than 20 miles, and I could not blame him.

Once Jim was warm, we decided we should get moving, as we still had near 60 miles to ride.  We walked out to a great surprise...Sun!  I knew the next part of the ride was going to be GREAT!

Mud Mt Dam

I decided to take Tuesday off after 3 consecutive days of riding and some serious vertical feet in my legs.  However, I was able to contact my friend, David, to arrange an afternoon ride on Wednesday.  The weather was supposed to be nice, partly cloudy,  and above 60 F.  I figured this would be a great day to ride...

Turns out, again, things were not as advertised.  It was above 60, 60.000001 F, but there was some wind and lots of clouds.  Still, it was not a bad day and David was able to join me for the ride.  Because I am gearing up for the TEARs rides, I really need to start climbing more.  As a result, David and I decided what better way to increase the climbing on a ride, than to do repeats of Mud Mt Dam.

If you are unsure what a repeat is, what a repeat is, what a repeat is, then think about how it sounds.  Repeats involve riding up a climb, then down the climb, back up the climb, etc.  You do these until completely mad, bored, or have accomplished your goal.  Since David and I did not have a set goal, we would probably be considered mad when finished.

David and I were lucky enough to have the wind at our backs for the ride out to Mud Mt Dam, and we dealt with almost no wind on climb (very forested).  Since we did not have a set number of repeats in mind, we rode the climb at a pace that made talking difficult.  On the last time up the climb a couple started to waive at us, obviously thinking we had gone mad.  I decided to have fun and yelled, "how the hell do you get off this damn (get it) mountain?"  They started laughing and cheered us on.

In all we did 4 repeats, all above 10 mph, and one HARD effort where I averaged 12.2 mph.  The climb has an average gradient of only 5.1%.  However it is a very difficult climb due to the constant grade variations.  With constant variations it is extremely difficult to find a good rhythm, and I am a rhythm type of climber.  After the 4th repeat we decided to head back home via HWY 410.  This meant two nice, fast descents, and one long drag that is slightly up and into the wind.

David did a lot of work keeping our speed up on the first and second descent, and I rewarded him by killing myself on the long drag in between, fighting the wind and slight upward tilt of the road as I went.  I almost looked liked Tony Martin, due to the drool and snot pouring out of my mouth and nose.

Once in Enumclaw, David and I kept up a good pace, rode side-by-side, and had a good conversation before splitting to head to our respective homes.  All said and done, my ride was 40.6 miles and over 2900 ft of climbing.

I  took off yesterday, am taking off today, but planning on doing an 80 mile ride with some good climbing tomorrow.  So far the weather is not looking great, and there will be some good wind.  Look for a report Tomorrow evening or Sunday morning.

Cheers

Ride to work

Yesterday, Tuesday, might have been my last ride to work, and as such, I wanted to try and go for a few PR's.  On the way to work there are 3 climbs, 2 are on strava, and on the way home there is a descent and a climb.  I was also hoping to best my PR of 20.7 mph to work, and move up the strava leader board for the other segments..

While I had all these hopes and dreams, the stars were not aligned.  I also, conveniently, forgot that I did nearly 10,000 ft of climbing and 85ish miles between Saturday and Sunday

I left for work at a good time, the skis were clear, and the temperature was near 50 F.  It did not take long to warm up and settle into a good pace.  By the time I arrived in Orting I was on track for beating my current PR.  The only real obstacle in my way was the Old Soldier's Home climb.  If I could crest the climb in under 5 minutes, I would easily beat PR for the whole trip.  The climb has an average gradient of 8.3%...Which puts the climb in the "pain locker" category.

I decided to try a new strategy for the climb...Do not go all out and save some for the last half of the climb.  This is difficult for me, but I figured I should give the strategy a shot.  Turns out the tactic resulted in my best result, in some time, but not a PR.  I was 5 seconds from tying my current PR, though I did not know this, for the climb.  Still, I felt I had a legitimate shot at beating my PR for the entire ride.

Even though my legs and lungs were on fire, I dug deep into my "suitcase of courage", thanks Phil Ligget, and pressed hard.  As I approached my turn onto Meridian, I noticed things were not going to line up right.

1 - I had just been passed by about 6-8 cars.
2 - There was no one in the turn lane on Meridian...changes the light patterns.
3 - The light was currently green and none of the cars were at it when it turned yellow.
4 - There were 3 cars still waiting when I got to the light.

As a result, I had to slow and stop for the light, which affects the time.  While I do not know how much time, avg speed, the light cost me, and I knew it was going to be significant. 

Once through the light, it was hammer time!

No, not MC Hammer...

I worked just below my red line and felt I was gaining some of my lost time.  As I neared the turn into Sunrise, I knew I was about to experience the same issues as I encountered with my turn onto Meridian.  However, it was worse this time.  I stopped behind the cars, then I would roll forward as one car turned, then stop, then roll forward, then stop, then roll forward, then stop.  This definitely crushed any hopes I had of a new PR. 

I finally made it through the light, and was determined to continue working hard.  I still had "some dumb hill" to try and gain a strava PR on.  As I approached the hill I went for it.  I went past my red line and kept pushing.  I pulled on the handle bars and I crushed my pedals.  Gravity and the bumpy surface were my enemies.  Not only must they be destroyed, but they needed to be humiliated. 

Once over "some dumb hill" I was able to make quick work of descent, and sprint the last bit of road into work.  I pulled into the parking lot knowing that I would not have a PR, but was hoping for one of my better rides.

After my accident, I set the goal of 20 mph average to work.  This year, as a result of training for races, I was able to set a PR at 20.7 mph.  Turns out that I was peaking at the time and have not come close since...Until this ride.

When I caught my breath, I clicked through my Garmin pages and saw an average of 20.5 mph.  I was both excited and disappointed at the same time. Excited because I am past my peak and had all the stops.  Disappointed because I still wanted a PR...Oh well, such is life.

One the way home my goals of getting 2 PR's were dashed when my legs just had no energy.  I decided to go for the descent of Old Soldier's Home.  My current PR for the descent is 39.7 mph, and I knew that if there were no cars in front of me I could get the PR. 

Again, the stars were not aligned, and a school bus plus 4 cars got ahead of me.  While descending a driver decided that I obscured his vision and made a risky pass while in a corner.  I was maintaining the gap between myself and the cars in front of me, that is why I know it was his vision being blocked rather than stupidity...Why else would a highly intelligent individual choose to make a pass, in a corner, when I was exceeding the speed limit and not losing ground on the traffic in front of me.

At the bottom of the descent, I was able to draft off the driver and other cars for the straight away.  During that time I was pedaling at 35 mph, for a distance of about 0.5 miles.  I could have kept this up for a bit longer, but had to slow for a 90 degree left hand turn.

After the turn I decided to shut it down and take a pleasure cruise home.  I reflected on how the stars were not aligned, and that I did not set one PR for the entire commute.  Things did improve as I turned onto my street and looked towards my house.  There was Bella, sitting outside, reading, wearing her sexy cowgirl hat, waiting to cheer my to the unofficial finish line. 

Bella then immediately said all the important things I needed to hear...

1 - you look sexy (like she really needed to inform me of this, my theme song was sung by Right Said Fred)

2 - I looked hot (I took think to mean the same as above, though she informed me it was about the temperature, not my looks)
3 - I am an amazing cyclist (while also true, and reiterated by my mother, it is good to hear someone else agrees with me)
4 - Here, have the amazingly cold and frosty beverage.

My day was then complete.  Hope all had a day as good or better than mine.

Hill repeats...FUN!

Today was supposed to be the Skate Creek Loop with the Cyclopaths, but the weather at Paradise was supposed to be in the 30's, 20-25 mph winds, and chances of snow...As you can guess that ride was put off till another day.  Instead we did the Camp 1 Rd climb, with a whole lot of repeats.

Leon and I were the early birds of the bunch and arrived at the designated parking area at 6:00 am.  The temperature was a VERY warm 45 F, with a little wind, and wet roads.  From where we parked to the top of the climb was a hair over 5 miles.  However, we did most of the repeats on the last 1.3 miles.

The area has almost no traffic, and is very wooded.  It is near a gravel quarry, and in the middle of a logging forest.  IT is also very quiet and beautiful...While climbing, you even get views of Tacoma and the Olympic Mountains, when the clouds allow.

cool old stump with a no trespass paper

If you look at the profile, it looks like a saw that a magician would use to cut his beautiful assistant in half...do not tell Bella, but I think I might try this with her :)

Looks like fun...right???

Leon and I had a great time climb, descending, climbing, descending, climbing, descending, climbing, descending...I think you get the point, but it sure is fun to type climbing and descending repeatedly (did I really just say that...intended).  On the climbs, Leon and I would talk.  It was a blast, and I was happy to see that Leon enjoyed talking as much as I.  If you have not noticed from all my posts, I am not on the short side of verbose.  Not sure where I got this ability, thanks mom, but it comes in handy when there are awkward silences...I fill them with awkward talking.

After a while, Les decided to make an appearance.  Les quickly stated that he wanted to try and earn a strava KOM for the segment we were riding.  I told Les that he had a great idea and I would partake in the attempt too...I forgot that I had already climbed a total of 4800 ft prior to his arrival.

After unloading my water, emptying my bladder and losing my rain cape, Les and I were ready to go.  I took off like a bat out of hell, thanks Meatloaf, and was quickly making a move up the climb.  Les was somewhere behind me thinking "what a fool."

I probably went a little to hard at the start, but was still holding some good speed as I climbed.  I managed to arrive at the top before Les, but was really hurting.  Les was not far behind, and looked a whole lot better than I.  This is when I remembered that I had already climbed 4800 ft, and going for a KOM was probably not the best idea.

Leon, at the time current holder of the KOM, thought I probably was the knew leader.  I was hopeful, but did not know any of the leader board times.  Turns out that I did not get the KOM...I am behind Scott and Leon, but I think I might go for another attempt tomorrow.

All said and done, I rode 51 miles and climbed nearly 6500 ft.  I had a good time chatting with the guys and look forward to my next ride.

Have a great weekend!