PCH Rando 200K

1/2/10

127 mi

5,700'

first ultra of the decade :)

Stagecoach Century

1/16/10

100 mi

4,700'

Camino Real Double

2/20/10

200 mi

8,800'

triple crown 1/5, grand slam 1/4

Solvang Century

3/13/10

100 mi

5,200'

0:00 sleep!

Solvang Double

3/28/10

200 mi

7,200'

10:38

triple crown 2/5, grand slam 2/4

Tour of Flanders

4/4/10

162 mi

4,000'

12:32

um... cobbles!

Wildflower Ride

4/24/10

100 mi

6,500'

5:24

Breathless Agony

5/1/10

114 mi

6:32

KOM 2/3

Central Coast Double

5/8/10

215 mi

14:62

triple crown 3/5

Tour du Green

5/15/10

100 mi

4,700'

Heartbreak Double

5/29/10

202 mi

15,500'

14:35

triple crown 4/5, grand slam 3/4, KOM 3/3

Ojai Valley Double Metric

6/5/10

129 mi

8,000'

9:20

Death Ride

7/11/10

130 mi

15,000'

9:48

Cool Breeze

8/21/10

126 mi

8,100'

7:12

fastest 200K ever for me!

Cool Breeze 200K was

Sunday, 08/22/10 10:58 AM

Yesterday I rode the Cool Breeze 200K, for the second year in a row, and it was ... a great ride.  Starts in Ventura, up the river along the bike trail, back into the quiet neighborhoods East of Ojai, then the climb above Lake Casitas and descent into Carpinteria, through Montecito, up into the hills above Santa Barbara, down into Goleta, and back along the coast via Hope Ranch, downtown Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, the 101 Freeway (!), and the coastal bike path.  The weather was perfect, and I rode most of it with some good friends from the Conejo Valley Cyclists which made it even better.

Some pictures, of possible interest:

the route: 126 miles, 8,100' of climbing, and yeah a cool breeze along the coast

self portrait in the early morning light of Ojai

my CVC compatriots Jim, Richard, and Gary climb the Lake Casitas grade

above Lake Casitas - wow! - all the climbing pays off

view of Santa Barbara and the Pacific Ocean from East Mountain Road

paceline through Hope Ranch - amazing properties

bike path along the Four Seasons in Montecito ... a perfect day

Rincon Beach checkpoint - all I needed was a book and a beer

riding the 101 is not my favorite part; traffic to the left, ocean to the right, paceline ahead

feeling great on a perfect day

And when I was all done?  I'd done it in 7:12 riding time, the fastest 200K ever for me.  Yippee.

on top of the world

Saturday, 08/14/10 06:52 PM

This afternoon I went mountain biking up Palo Comado and China Flat and Simi Peak, and I ended up with the view of the world looking out over Simi Valley and Camarillo and Oxnard and the Pacific Ocean.

And you may ask yourself... how did I get here? :)

It was 102º and not an easy trail, I definitely had to work, but how great was it, with U2 accompanying, out there all by myself, to be rewarded with such a view.  I may do it again tomorrow!

Death Rider

Sunday, 07/11/10 07:21 PM

Yesterday I rode my third consecutive Death Ride - yay me - and I enjoyed it quite a lot.  The weather was nicer than in previous years; I thought it was going to be hot, but it wasn't, and it didn't hail or rain on the final climb.  And I felt reasonably strong on that final 15 miler up to the Carson Pass, all things considered...  for the record, I finished in 9:48, a personal best by about 20 minutes.

route profile - click to enbiggen

As usual I managed a few snaps for your perusal (and please click to enbiggen)...

Mosquito Lake in the morning - calmest spot in the universe

downtown Markleeville
can you hear them cowbells?  more cowbell!

wildflower awesomeness

the magnificent view from Carson Spur

climbing up to the Carson Pass, accompanied by the delightful sound of Chrystal Springs

picture postcard meadow in Hope Valley

climbing up to the Carson Pass

Red Lake overlooked

the final checkpoint! - at the top of Carson Pass - yay

Death Rider!
best tasting orange popsicles *ever*

After the ride I met my brother Jeroen, cousin Anita, and her husband Tom at the Lake Topaz Lodge for an amazing prime rib accompanied by a '95 Stag's Leap Artimus.  The perfect recovery meal :)

Tour de France 2010

Saturday, 07/03/10 11:53 AM

This post will be a compilation of all my posts regarding the 2010 Tour de France.  Please enjoy the great battle between Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador, with Andy and Frank Schleck, Cadel Evans, Ivan Basso, Michael Rogers, Bradley Wiggins, Christian Vande Velde, and a host of others in the mix.  Not to mention team players like Levi Leipheimer, Alexander Vinokourov, and George Hincapie.  And the great sprint duals between Mark Cavendish, Tyler Farrar, and Robbie McEwen.  And Fabian Cancellara, Jens Voight, and ...

all 2010 Tour de France posts

Please bookmark (!) and enjoy!

Heartbreak Double

Sunday, 05/30/10 05:06 PM

Yesterday I completed the Heartbreak Double, a maniacal ride from Palmdale to Gorman and on into the Los Padres National Forest; 204 miles, 15,500' of climbing, 13:35 riding time, and 14:55 elapsed.  In addition to being tough - there is no such thing as a flat section anywhere, and there is wind, and cold, and heat - this ride is beautiful; in particular the views of the Central Valley from Mil Potrero Highway are amazing.

You just might remember I rode this event last year too, and managed to get lost in the dark (!); I succeeded in turning a long ride into a much longer ride, and almost didn't finish.  This year I found the key was to ride faster so I finished before nightfall.

Yes of course I took some pictures :) you can find a gallery here:

2010 Heartbreak Double

And I have posted a selected few below...

the route: 204 miles, 15,500' - the crosshair is on Heartbreak Hill

full moon in the early morning leaving Palmdale

the amazing beauty of Los Padres National Forest

incredible views into the Central Valley from Mt. Pinos

descending route 54 for miles and miles

halfway: 104 miles down and still smiling

entering Lockwood Canyon; a road sign or a metaphor?  (or *both* :)

climbing Heartbreak Hill - 3 miles and gets steadily steeper, topping out over 10%

looking back down the Heartbreak climb

late afternoon self-portrait, blasting home

Next weekend: theOjai Valley Double Metric (a double metric is 200km = 130miles instead of 200miles).  Interestingly it heads up route 33 from Meiner's Oaks and almost connects up with part of the Heartbreak.  Stay tuned!

Tour du Green

Saturday, 05/15/10 10:23 PM

Today I rode in the Ventura Velo's Tour du Green.  It was a nice little century, 105 miles and 4,500’, from Ventura up Santa Rosa Valley to Moorpark, over Grimes Canyon to Fillmore, Santa Paula up and over to Ojai, and then back to Ventura via the bike path on the river.  Along the way there were eight checkpoints showcasing various “green” installations in Ventura County; pretty cool, our tax dollars at work.

This was my fourth consecutive Saturday with a long ride; the Wildflower Ride, Breathless Agony, Central Coast Double, and now Tour du Green.  Unfortunately I don't have a ride scheduled next weekend so that will break the string; although I do (of course) plan to ride Rockstore and watch the Amgen Tour of California's Stage 8 next Sunday.  Maybe I'll ride it four times like the pros to get in 100 miles... :)

You will not be surprised if I tell you I took some pictures, if you’re interested you may find them here:

Ventura Velo's Tour du Green

And here's a selection:

The route: 102 miles, 4,500', and eight interesting 'green' stops along the way...

stop 1: City of Oxnard's LEED Gold Water Campus & Brackish Water Desalter Facility

stop 3: City of Thousand Oak's Hill Canyon Plant's large solar array
watching a slideshow about the bio-methane electric generation facility

blasting down Grimes Canyon toward Fillmore - halfway point

stop 4: City of Fillmore's new Water Recycling Facility

crossing Sespe Creek

awesome bike path along the Ventura River from Ojai

not everything on this ride is 'green', even if it is green :)

back at the beach - still a little overcast
105 miles, 5:35 riding time, 6:45 elapsed

I did manage to spend an hour playing with my bike; at stop 5 (Ventura Regional Sanitation District Bio-solids Drying and Bio-methane Electric Generation Facility) I flatted three times consecutively, used up all my tubes and had to wait for the helpful SAG to bail me out.  A bad moment in an otherwise good day.

Cheers and see you out there!

Central Coast Double - 215 miles, 14,000'

Sunday, 05/09/10 03:53 PM

Yesterday I trekked up to Paso Robles for the Central Coast Double, a beautiful ride which goes out to the coast at Cambria, up PCH for about 40 miles (stiff headwind), climbs inland to Mission San Antonio inside the Hunter Liggett army base, and then meanders past Lake San Antonio and Lake Nacimiento before looping back via the mountains East of the 101.  At 215 miles and 14,000’ this is one of the more demanding doubles around.

The ride started at 5:30 and I didn’t finish until 10:00 last night (!)  15:46 for 215 miles, it was endless.  Compounding the fun I managed to wipe out on a pothole in the dark, broke my headlight, and had to follow other riders in to the finish.  I will say the scenery on this ride was awesome, I’ve posted some pics if you’re interested:

Central Coast Double

And here are a few excerpts:

the route: 215 miles, 14,000' of climbing
that long stretch up the coast is the best, but it is *all* headwind

the early morning voyage to the coast, down seldom-used lanes

pacing along the beach from Cambria, how beautiful

the Piedras Blancas lighthouse in San Simeon guards the past

happy cyclist at Ragged Point

the Big Sur coastal views are *amazing*

climbing Nacimiento Road; 7 miles at 7%, yippee
views back down to the sea made it worthwhile

in Hunter Liggett army base, two pacelines pass each other :)

Mission San Antonio, lunch! at the halfway point

powering through vineyards with a tailwind

great views from the ridge between Lake San Antonio and Lake Nacimiento, wow

Now that it's over I can relax and enjoy it, with that pleasant sense of accomplishment that accompanies long rides.  During the day it was not so pleasant, a lot of hard work on a  l o n g  day.  Last night I celebrated with a cheeseburger, two shakes, and six tacos.

breathless agony

Sunday, 05/02/10 05:26 PM

Yesterday I rode the 2010 edition of the famous Breathless Agony, "the hardest century in Southern California", and man is it a killer.  Seems harder every year.  You have 112 miles, 12,000' of climbing, and the summit is the 8,400' Onyx Pass above Big Bear Lake.  Not to mention heat in the lowlands and freezing breeze near the top, where the mountains are covered with snow.  My favorite part is the climb from checkpoint 2 to checkpoint 3, where you go from 3,000' to 6,000' in 11 miles in one long unremitting ascent, two hours at 7%.  Yikes!

Anyway it was great fun - now that it's over - and the scenery was *amazing* as always.  And yes, I took a few pictures:

the route: 112 miles, 12,000' of climbing, with the summit at 8,400'
the real killer is that steep section between miles 44 and 55
the descent is pretty wild - 35 miles of downhill

the flat early sections in the morning light
not too much traffic out here

Jack Rabbit trail - the first summit - features some nasty sections of road
note the snow off in the distance - that's where we're headed later

Oak Glen - the second summit - as the sun starts beating down...

and on to the third summit - 11 miles straight uphill at 7% - yikes

checkpoint 3 - smiling because I made it this far, and there's only 20 miles and 2,500' left

more and more and more climbing - the last 10 miles seem to take forever
also where - gasp! - are the oxygen masks

final straight up to the summit! - yay - 8,400'

the hills up here are covered with snow
makes for a nice icy breeze

For the record it took me 6:32 to reach the summit - pretty good.  Every year after I finish I say it's the last time, but already by the next day I'm less sore and the hard parts are forgotten...  onward!

Wildflower Ride

Sunday, 04/25/10 07:15 PM

I rode the Wildflower Century yesterday.  This is a wonderful ride staged by the San Luis Obispo Bicycle Club in the rolling meadows SouthEast of Paso Robles.  The entire ride takes place on quiet roads winding through the silent fields, with beautiful views of wildflowers (!) and vineyards and big mansions and wineries.  There are 50 and 75 mile versions of this ride too; if you ever want to participate in a really beautiful ride, check it out.

Seeing those acres of vineyards and beautiful wineries really made me want to live like that.  I could definitely see retiring to a great house in the middle of a nice vineyard, in a beautiful area like that.  Well let me rephrase, I could see living like that; I'm not sure I can see retiring, ever...

Oh yeah as usual, pictures...

the route: 100 miles, 6,500', through the rolling meadows SouthEast of Paso Robles

starting off in the early morning mist... wet and cold and where are the wildflowers?

but the sun came out and there they were, brilliant and beautiful

the amazing vineyard properties were a highlight of the ride for me

mile after mile of quiet road threading between silent fields - good think time
(and music listening time :)

yay, another century
(and yes my brain was cleared out some...)

See you out there!

watching the (Pro) Tour of Flanders

Sunday, 04/04/10 11:40 PM

After having ridden the Tour of Flanders course yesterday, today I had a chance to watch the Pro Peloton tackle the same thing.  Wow, what a day.

I began with a little strategy, huddled over my strong Belgian coffee; where should I watch?  The 260km course features 15 muirs (hills), and twenty-five sections of pave (cobblestones), any one of which would be fun to see.  I decided on a hill - easier to watch as the riders are going slower - and then I decided on a late hill - more decisive.  And yet the very latest hills are a zoo, "everyone" is there, maybe I couldn't get a good view.  So I finally decided on the Tenbosse climb at the edge of the city of Brakel; it's the third-to-last climb, long enough and steep enough to be decisive, and because it's sort of in town, there would probably be enough viewing locations that I'd be able to see everything.  Turned out to be a great decision :)

at the top of Tenbosse climb - it will be a bit more crowded later on :)

I had plenty of time to kill - the Tour wasn't going to pass through here for four hours - so I walked into Brekel and found a cool little bar crowded with cyclists watching the early part of the Tour on a large TV.  The "Ronde de Vlaanderen" is one of the biggest sporting events in Belgium, think "World Series" or "Super Bowl"...

watching the early part of the race from a cafe on the village square

I mosied on back to the climb, hungry, and was delighted to find a vendor grilling frankfurters.  Yippee.  With some Jupiter (Belgian bier) it was perfect.

these guys' hot dogs and bier were killer

There was a little pub right near the top of the climb; I found myself a spot at the bar and watched the middle of the race.  As the peloton moved into the cobbles and climbs it splintered, and a lead group emerged which swallowed the early break.  On the famous Molenberg Fabian Cancellara attacked, and only Tom Boonen could follow, and those two took off in the lead with about 40km left.  Chasing were the usual suspects (Phillipe Gilbert, David Miller, George Hincapie, Steyn Devolder) and a little pack led by Lance Armstrong.  What a race!

watching the middle part of the race with a bunch of Belgian fans
they were rooting for Tom Boonen, as he marked an attack by Fabian Cancellara

And then suddenly it was time!  Everyone filed out of the bar and joined the [huge] crowd which had assembled lining theTenbosse climb.  I managed to find myself a prime spot, right on rail on the inside of a slight bend.  Helicopters appeared, a cavalcade of police filed by, silens wailed, and then silence ... and then there they were!  Tom Boonen flying up the hill, with Fabian Cancellara right on his wheel.  Wow.

the race leaders! Tom Boonen followed closely by Fabian Cancellara
man they just blew up this hill, amazing

Next on the road came Phillippe Gilbert and David Millar, then George Hincapie and Steyn Devolder.  And then The Boss himself, Mr. Lance Armstong, who got a huge cheer from the crowd.

the boss! - Lance Armstrong leads the next chase group
the Belgian fans cheered louder for Lance than anyone except Boonen

After the peloton passed through, everyone piled back into the bar to watch the finish.  (And I do mean "everyone"; no fire codes in Belgium, apparently :)  On the next climb, the famous Kapelmuur, Cancellara attacked! and pulled a gap, and time trialed to victory.  The Belgian fans were sad to see Terrible Tom lose, but gave Fabian a big round of applause; they knew the strongest man had one on this day.  What a race!

But my day wasn't over...  I rambled back to Ghent through the Belgian countryside in my little Peugeot diesel - watching the charming little towns go by while listening to African techno (!) - and ended up in Brugge, where I found a cute little cafe nestled among the canals.  A great dinner was the perfect ending to a great day :)

Brugge has a ton of canals (brugge means bridge)
this one is named after Jan van Eyck

more: riding the Tour of Flanders

Sunday, 04/04/10 11:22 PM

Yesterday I rode the Tour of Flanders (yay, me) and gave a brief report; but here's more...

(Oh, and I posted a bunch of pictures, please check 'em out if you're interested.)

You start the 260km (162 mile) ride in the medieval city of Brugge, beautiful in the early light, from the pro podium (!) which is in the central square, just in front of a gigantic cathedral.  Appropriately solemn.

the starting podium in Brugge Markt (central square)

There were 3,000+ riders, and they all looked fit; about a hundred languages were spoken, with Dutch predominant (this *is* Flanders :), French second, and English third. 

ready to roll in the early morning
I must tell you it was cold, brrr...

The first leg takes you West toward the ocean in blustery conditions, a continuous peloton of riders streams along.  Too bad the wind was from the side, and the road was too narrow for echelons.

heading West toward Oostende

Next there's a long stretch South East through West Flanders, into the teeth of a headwind; rolling farmland interrupted by quaint little villages.  Lots of company on the road, and beautiful, but urgh that wind!

heading East toward the Ardennes where the muirs and pave awaits

With 3,000 riders the checkpoints were absolutely jammed.  Besides needing food and drink, you had to get your ticket punched - literally.  Food was a bit different - Belgian waffles! - and drink was lemonade, no Hammer in sight.  I ate and drank as much of everything as I could...

the checkpoints were a zoo

And then the rain began, just in time to enter the Ardennes...  and the cobblestone stretches begin; bumpy and slippery when wet.  The climbs are hard because they're steep and slippery, and the descents are hard because they're so bumpy.  Miles and miles of it, too.

climbing the cobbles - arms sore already and much more ahead

The Ardennes features long stretches of isolated narrow roads, winding through the hills.  Some of the paths are steep and slick, but the views are amazing.

warning, slippery when wet

The climbs which combine cobbles with narrow steep sections are particularly fun, Belgian cycling at its finest :)  Here's the bottom of the famous Koppenberg - I would have taken pictures near the top, but was desperately trying to keep my bike moving.  Sitting is the key, in fact sitting back; mountain biking experience is helpful...

the Koppenberg - wet cobbles and 20% grade, Belgian cycling at its finest

After what seems like an endless series of short steep hills and cobbled stretches, punctuated by picturesque little towns, you finally reach Noneve, and there it is, the finish!

raining again but the finish is a sight for sore eyes, yay, I FINISHED!
152 miles, 12:32 riding time

After you finish the whole thing suddenly makes sense.  You need all that distance, the cold, the rain, the wind, the cobbles, and the steep climbs...  all the obstacles just making overcoming them to finish all the better.

one exhausted, wet, cold, sore rider...
and feeling rather pleased with myself

Next up, the Pros race the same course, in the legendary Tour of Flanders!  This year featuring Tom Boonen, Fabian Cancellara, George Hincapie, Phillipe Gilbert, ... and Lance Armstrong.  Stay tuned for a report on that...

riding the Tour of Flanders

Saturday, 04/03/10 09:14 PM

Well, I did it!  I completed the Tour of Flanders or should I say Ronde de Vlaanderen.  Just me and 3,000 other riders :)  It was really hard - really hard - and I am exhausted and sore; man riding those cobblestones is brutal.  Not my most powerful ride - I was tired and it rained all day and my rental bike didn’t behave itself – but I rode steadily, rationed my strength, and managed a respectable 12:25 for 161 miles.  I am buzzed with accomplishment (or maybe just really tired :)

In this ride there are fifteen "muirs" (hills) and although a few of them are steep, none of them are long, so the climbs are no problem.  But the ride is 260km (161 miles) and there are twenty-five cobblestone sections... and they are tough.  Particularly tough are the cobbled descents - you are flying, your bike is falling apart (yeah, I broke a spoke in my front wheel, fortunately it didn't "taco" and hung in there), and your arms are getting the workout of the world.  After a long ride you would think your legs would be sore, but for me, it is my arms... 

Here's the route (click to enbiggen):

Tour of Flanders route
note all the "muirs" (hills) and especially all the cobblestone sections
(click to enbiggen)

Anyway I have to SLEEP but I did want to post a picture to give you a flavor of the day; this is the bottom of the Koppelberg, one of the tough cobbled climbs, they get steeper and steeper and steeper and the cobbles get slipperier and slipperier and the narrow road is littered with fallen riders near the top, and lined with screaming drunk fans - true Belgian cycling!

The bottom of the Koppelberg
note cobblestones, rain, narrowness of road, and spectators
not pictured, steepness; I wish I could have taken a picture near the top, but I was otherwise occupied
(click to enbiggen)

Tomorrow I'm going to watch the "real" Tour of Flanders - the pro cycling race - and will post more pictures and a fuller report.  In the meantime please stay tuned...

[Update: here's more: Riding the Tour of Flanders...]

Solvang Double Century, x3: in 11:53 elapsed

Sunday, 03/28/10 11:07 AM

Yesterday I rode the Solvang Double Century, hard upon my return from Washington DC the day before, and I must tell you I had a great ride.  It was a spectacular day, Spring has sprung, and I managed to break 12 hours elapsed for a double for the first time (11:53!).  Solvang isn't the world's hardest double - about 7,200' of climbing - but no double is easy.  Making this one just slightly more interesting, I broke my rear derailleur cable descending Drum Canyon at the very end, and had to ride the last ten miles in my biggest gear.

I came out of the Washington trip on a total high... and it spilled into my ride.  I loved replaying the week in my mind, all the things which happened; it was an amazing week.  Oh and I replayed the music too; when I ride I am music driven...  it was great.

Some pictures:

the route: 200 miles, 7,200' from Buelleton up to Morro Bay and back
initial climb is Foxen Canyon, final one is Drum Canyon

the peloton gets started in the early morning light

grapes sunning themselves in Foxen Canyon; beautiful!

wow, PURPLE; Spring has sprung on the road to San Luis Obispo

turnaround point in Morro Bay with the famous rock in the background
102 miles down, and it's all downhill from here :)

riding along the beach makes me happy

some amazing seaside vistas in Avilla Beach

climbing Drum Canyon, the world's worst surface
actually broke my derailleur descending the backside

one happy camper with another double under my belt
11:53 elapsed, 10:38 riding time (!)

Onward!  Next up the 260km Tour of Flanders...

Solvang Century, x4: in 5:45 on 0:00 sleep

Sunday, 03/14/10 11:56 AM

Yesterday I rode the Solvang Century, for the fourth time.  That's the most I've ever ridden a single event; I first rode it back in 2007, before I was really into riding Centuries and such...  at that time just finishing was my goal, and I was most proud of myself for having done so.  I've since moved on to various "ultra" events but I still enjoy Solvang; I enjoy having 4,000+ riders on the road, and the little towns in Santa Barbara County's wine country, and now I pretty much ride it for time.  This year I managed to ramp up the difficulty factor by returning from New York Friday night on a late flight which was delayed into becoming a red-eye; for the record it took me 6:43 elapsed, 5:45 riding time; pretty good after 0:00 sleep!

I posted a bunch of pictures in case you're interested...

Here's the route, the "usual", with about 5,200' of climbing...  most of it comes near the end, climbing Foxen Canyon, and in my long history of doing this ride I've bonked and cracked badly on that part...  but not this time.

the route: 99 miles, 5,200 feet

A highlight of this ride was passing through the Santa Rita Hills, home of the world's greatest Pinot Noir; here's a picture of the awesome Sea Smoke vineyard, nestled up in the hills at the West end of the valley...

the awesome Sea Smoke vineyard

Overall it was a fun ride, I'm glad I did it.  If nothing else it helps get me into shape for the Solvang Double Century in two weeks...

still smiling after 70 miles, only Foxen Canyon left...

Cheers all and see you out there...

Camino Real Double

Sunday, 02/21/10 09:58 AM

Yesterday I rode the Camino Real Double, my first of the year (first of the decade!)  I had a good ride; although it started a little rainy and was coldish and windyish all day, it was on the whole pretty pleasant.  I spent a good part of the ride alone, and finished in 13:43 elapsed time, ended up 30th out of 170 riders, not too shabby...  I am quite pleased with myself.

Some pictures:

Sunlight off the water, passing through San Onofre

The beauty of the Camp Pendleton wilderness adjacent to the ocean

at the 150 mile mark, still able to smile
then the climbing began, and then it got dark

During this ride I ate hardly anything, instead I ate as much as possible beforehand, and drank Hammer constantly.  It seemed to work.  Near the end I got some string cheese and at the last stop they had soup and chili...  that was pretty nice.  The memorable part of this ride is always the last leg through Santiago Canyon in the dark, surrounded only by cactus while you are only a few miles from the urban sprawl of Orange County.

Next up is the Solvang Spring Century on 3/13, despite being a mere Century I always seem to bonk.  Stay tuned!

Palomar in snow

Sunday, 01/24/10 11:23 AM

Today I made my annual pilgrimage to the top of Mount Palomar, accompanied by my British colleague and friend Peter.  We start at Lake Henshaw, ride about 10 miles along the base of the mountain, then ascend the South Grade, 8 miles at 8%.  (Yee haw!)  Visit Mother's, visit the observatory, and then descend the East Grade, 13 miles at 5%, for a nice little 40 mile ride with about 4,000' of climbing.  This year's incarnation was made more interesting by the fact that Palomar is presently shrouded in snow (!), and in fact we were unable to go all the way to the observatory because the roads were closed.  We also shared the day with hundreds of families who thought to take their kids to the snow.  And yes, it was a bit nippy at times, but all in all it was a great day. 

Anecdote of the day: Peter rented a [nice] Cervelo from Nytro in Encinitas, which happened to have a 36x25 as its low gear.  We're climbing, and he says he wishes he had a 27, and I said yeah I have a 27, wish I could give it to you, since I'm not using it.  (What I didn't tell him, I didn't use my 25 either; did the whole climb in my 23.)

Some pictures:

on a clear day you can see for miles and miles and miles and...

yes this is a real climb, an epic climb, Lance even said so :)

self-portrait, top of Palomar in the background (going around a switchback)

relaxing in the "front yard" at Mother's
the back yard was filled with white stuff

surreal scene descending the East Grade, Californian winter wonderland

Riding the Stagecoach (Century)

Saturday, 01/16/10 07:38 PM

Man, today was a  l o n g  day...  got up at 0400, drove from Carlsbad to Ocotillo, rode the Stagecoach Century (more about that below), drove from Ocotillo to Westlake (took approximately forever), and now I'm blogging.  Whew.  And tomorrow I'm driving down to San Diego to watch the Chargers beat the Jets!  And driving back.  And Monday, back to Vista...

But about the Stagecoach Century - well, I did it last year, and it was much the same, and actually I did it slightly faster, 5:22 riding time.  It's a nice out and back - on the way out, you're somewhat climbing, so you know once you make the turn "it's all downhill coming back".  It isn't really but it's a nice mental image.  The skies were threatening but no rain fell, and the wind was moderate, and overall it was a great day.  I am hobbling around but feeling great.

I have to relate a little story; on these rides it is all about pacing with other riders, and at 75 miles I was with one other guy and he was blown.  So I went into a rest stop for water, but really to pick up some riders.  No good, nobody there.  Just as I'm getting back on my bike, a paceline of four riders blazes by.  I realize if I can power for a few minutes and catch them, I'm set.  So I ride as hard as I can but it's no good, one rider against four and I can't catch them.  Suddenly they hit a little climb and slow down, and I'm able to hook on.... and I can see they're four women, riding as team.  (The Stagecoach has team racing as well as individuals.)  They're all strong and working well and we're blasting through the desert at 30mph.  I go to the front to take my turn, and the lead rider says she can't hook on, as a team they're not allowed to have any help.  I can draft, but I can't pull!  So for the next fifteen miles I rode caboose on the paceline, being towed along by four women.  How excellent is that?

A few pictures, of course...

the desolate beauty of the desert is ever-present on this ride

turnaround point - 50 miles down, 50 to go
this guy is going to stamp my hand to prove I made it

so far so good, still able to smile
knowing there was more climbing in the first half than the second helps

the final approach to the checkpoint, check out that sky!
(click to enbiggen)

my paceline from mile 75 to mile 90
they let me draft, but I was not allowed to pull
so be it

self portrait riding through the finish
5:22, yay

Well it was a great day, even if it was a little long...  onward!

first ultra of the decade

Saturday, 01/02/10 08:49 PM

Today I rode my first "ultra" of the decade, the PCH Rando 200K.  I've done this ride in previous years, too, but this year they added some serious climbing; a total of 5,700' spread over 127 miles.  Yikes.  It was great fun.  I managed to do it in 8:00 elapsed, 7:20 riding time, which is pretty good for that much climbing.  Out of 70+ riders, I think I ended up fifth, yay me.  I am completely blown and hobbling around the house, but very happy.  There is no feeling quite like successfully riding an ultra...

the "teeth" at the 55 mile mark are the climb around Lake Castaic
routemap courtesy of the awesome ridewithgps.com
(note automatically generated profile)

a little excitement at 70 miles (Carpinteria), broke a spoke
was sure I would end up "tacoing" the wheel, but although it was wobbly it made it
thank you Mavic

the view of Santa Cruz Island, 20 miles offshore
the wild beauty of the ocean is a feature of this ride

obligatory shot of the space park at Point Mugu
nice tailwind here, but it was a headwind all the way back to Moorpark

at the finish
one tired puppy, could barely smile, but happy inside :)

A great way to start the decade.  One of the best things about long rides is the think time; you are concentrating on nothing, your mind drifts, and it is such a luxury.  My typical days are go go go always focused on doing something.  Maybe that's why I ride?  I can't say I solved all the world's problems, but I did at least contemplate them for eight hours :)

[Update: thanks to Bill for pointing out this New Yorker cover; that is exactly what goes on in my head while riding...]