After getting done with the Mt. Shasta ride, I thought I'd be toast due to all the climbing. I had climbed almost 12,000 feet. I had not done that much climbing in one day. In spite of that, I felt great on Monday. Legs felt strong. Nothing like my STP experience. I then decided to ride the local century that starts at the High School and rides through the wine country. I have done the Vine Ride 4 years now. I love the route and I know the roads so that makes it easier.
I headed out at 6 AM. I promised Christine I'd be done by noon. I was at the first rest stop before they were set up. I was the first rider to the 45 mile rest stop. I hit 60 mile rest stop and met up the 65 mile lead riders. On my way to the 85 mile rest stop, I passed a lot of the 35 mile riders. When I got back at noon, nothing was ready. All the festivities started at 1 PM. I only saw one other rider there. Christine and Cassie had ran over to meet me so I had my own cheering section as I crossed the finish line. Cool!
I felt like I was on the break all day - solo. I didn't mind. I got to think about a bunch of things. I had been to the Hillsboro Air Show the night before and had the Lee Greenwood song stuck in my head. "...across the plains of Texas..." kept ringing in my ears.
I rode 105 miles in 5 1/2 hours on the bike time. It was a good day in the saddle.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Mt. Shasta Almost Super Summit Century
I have been doing a considerable amount of riding this year in order to prepare for the mountainous Mt. Shasta Super Summit Century. It is 138 miles with 16,500 feet of vertical gain. It has been climbing and more climbing for me. It has been nice to prepare with a few friends as we have suffered over all of the climbs in the area a few times over.
The Mt. Shasta ride was on August 1st and started early in the morning. We met and rode out by 5:30 AM. It was still a bit dark but we managed. It must have been the moonlight off of the snow that helped. The first climb was long (13.5 miles) but steady grade the whole time. There might have been a few spots over 8% but they were not long. I hooked up with another ride doing my pace and we gabbed and rode to the top together. There were great views from the top. Going down was fun but scary at the same time. The roads are one lane narrow with riders coming up.
We meandered from Weed back to Mt. Shasta before starting the second climb. I flatted after I hit some larger rocks in the road. A nice gentleman driving by stopped and offered assistance. He had an air compressor and asked if I needed it. I was impressed - this never happens to me.
The second climb was a bit more challenging than the first. The first 8 miles or so were fairly similar to the first climb. It was the second 6 that caused severe damage. It was steep and it seemed to go on for a while. 6% never looked so good and I hit the top of the climb. At the top of the climb there was pure carnage as riders laid down and rested. I sat down, drank a Pepsi, and enjoyed the view while trying to stay out of the sun. There were times on the steep sections that I had to talk myself into staying on the bike. I am glad that I had rode all those hills. The descent was nice but the temperature rose slowly as we descended. At the bottom, it was hitting 85 degrees.
At the base of the third climb, I took off. I had heard that it was less steep and flattened out at the top. The heat got to me so I stopped for a few minutes and waited for my friends. They caught up and we rode up the rest of the way. It did get flatter but only like 4% to 5% grade. The view at the top was spectacular. There was a high lake that was freezing cold. Mt. Shasta looked like you could reach out and touch it. As I sat there, I realized that I had a decision to make. It was already 3:30 PM. I needed to be finished by 6 PM in order to drive home safely. I didn't take a day off on Monday and needed to be at work. The last climb was the longest at 14.5 miles. It also had the most elevation gain. I figured that I had one descent and back to the car. I'd have to do Mt. Shasta another day. It was a very fast descent. This was a 2 lane road that was nicely paved. We hit 40+ most of the way down.
It was sad to have to not ride the last climb. I was grateful for my riding companions who hung with me. I longed to be with them as they started the last climb and I took the left back to the start line. In talking to them the next day, it reinforced my decision to leave when I did. They didn't get done till almost 8. I was almost home by that time.
I feel like I have some unfinished business with Mt. Shasta. Maybe next year ... there is always next year.
The Mt. Shasta ride was on August 1st and started early in the morning. We met and rode out by 5:30 AM. It was still a bit dark but we managed. It must have been the moonlight off of the snow that helped. The first climb was long (13.5 miles) but steady grade the whole time. There might have been a few spots over 8% but they were not long. I hooked up with another ride doing my pace and we gabbed and rode to the top together. There were great views from the top. Going down was fun but scary at the same time. The roads are one lane narrow with riders coming up.
We meandered from Weed back to Mt. Shasta before starting the second climb. I flatted after I hit some larger rocks in the road. A nice gentleman driving by stopped and offered assistance. He had an air compressor and asked if I needed it. I was impressed - this never happens to me.
The second climb was a bit more challenging than the first. The first 8 miles or so were fairly similar to the first climb. It was the second 6 that caused severe damage. It was steep and it seemed to go on for a while. 6% never looked so good and I hit the top of the climb. At the top of the climb there was pure carnage as riders laid down and rested. I sat down, drank a Pepsi, and enjoyed the view while trying to stay out of the sun. There were times on the steep sections that I had to talk myself into staying on the bike. I am glad that I had rode all those hills. The descent was nice but the temperature rose slowly as we descended. At the bottom, it was hitting 85 degrees.
At the base of the third climb, I took off. I had heard that it was less steep and flattened out at the top. The heat got to me so I stopped for a few minutes and waited for my friends. They caught up and we rode up the rest of the way. It did get flatter but only like 4% to 5% grade. The view at the top was spectacular. There was a high lake that was freezing cold. Mt. Shasta looked like you could reach out and touch it. As I sat there, I realized that I had a decision to make. It was already 3:30 PM. I needed to be finished by 6 PM in order to drive home safely. I didn't take a day off on Monday and needed to be at work. The last climb was the longest at 14.5 miles. It also had the most elevation gain. I figured that I had one descent and back to the car. I'd have to do Mt. Shasta another day. It was a very fast descent. This was a 2 lane road that was nicely paved. We hit 40+ most of the way down.
It was sad to have to not ride the last climb. I was grateful for my riding companions who hung with me. I longed to be with them as they started the last climb and I took the left back to the start line. In talking to them the next day, it reinforced my decision to leave when I did. They didn't get done till almost 8. I was almost home by that time.
I feel like I have some unfinished business with Mt. Shasta. Maybe next year ... there is always next year.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Thoughts on STP 2010
I thought I'd share a few thoughts about my 5th STP.
All previous years I have set goals and made plans on how to approach the ride. This year, there was no plan except to meet with Rob at 4:45 AM and then start to ride. I treated this as a training ride in preparation for the Shasta ride in a few weeks. We rolled out - the last to go in the first group. There must have been several hundred riders in front of us plus all those that started early as well.
After catching up with Rob on his exciting Friday of work and getting to Seattle. We started to ride - passing riders slowly. Pacelines don't form till after getting out and away from Lake Washington so we just rode around large groups of riders. When we could get a paceline going, Rob and I had the same thought - ride at the front. In the back, it is like a yo-yo - sprint and then brake and repeat. It drives me crazy. I like a steady, even pace, even if it is uncomfortable. We then moved to the front and began to rotate. Eventually we recruited another rider to help. For about 25 miles, we had a long line of riders behind us, averaging over 20 MPH.
We hit the hill in Puyallup and the group blew up. Rob and I started riding again and another group formed behind us for the next 10 miles into Spanaway. As the other riders peeled off to stop at the rest stop, Rob and I kept going. We then hooked up with a small group of riders with the same fitness level as us. We worked together for the next 35 miles. Along the way, I noticed he lead rider lean over to a rider we were passing with a BYU jersey on. A few miles later, I asked him about it. I found out that he was a 2001 graduate from Vegas and was riding with 3 other BYU graduates. We had a good talk about riding, missions, Cougars, and other things. The miles just flew by. We rolled into Centralia at 10 AM - my earliest time yet! The first century was an incredible ride.
After a Subway and a little rest, we hit the road for the second half. We scored early in the ride. A large cycling club from Renton swept us up and we sat behind them for 30 miles. We sat in their draft and just cruised. They stopped in Vadar and so did we. We left as they were leaving but we got out front and didn't ride with them again until Lexington and then only till we got to the bridge. The group did very well on he flats but the hills blew up their organization.
Usually miles 150 to 175 are my trouble spot. With Rob, this was not the case. We hooked up with 2 other riders and just flew to St. Helens, averaging above 20 MPH. Soon after mile 150, Rob says to me that he needs real food, no more power bars. Maybe the speed was the combination of flat roads, a tailwind, and a hungry rider. The other key was having 4 to work and keep up the pace. We were riding up hills at 18 to 20 MPH that I had a hard time riding up at 15 last year.
We cruised into Portland and across the finish line at 5:15 PM. I am so thankful for a friend and riding companion like Rob. He is my hero. He has this ability to turn off pain and work through it. He was key in getting me through some tough miles. Plus, we had a good time doing it.
Who knows if I will return to do STP next year - the kids are growing up and I had to sacrifice watching water polo games and a swim meet to complete a personal goal. For me, not quite the right answer. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the ride and felt good about the effort. Yet, the kids grow up so fast and I want to be there for them. I can ride more STP's later on.
All previous years I have set goals and made plans on how to approach the ride. This year, there was no plan except to meet with Rob at 4:45 AM and then start to ride. I treated this as a training ride in preparation for the Shasta ride in a few weeks. We rolled out - the last to go in the first group. There must have been several hundred riders in front of us plus all those that started early as well.
After catching up with Rob on his exciting Friday of work and getting to Seattle. We started to ride - passing riders slowly. Pacelines don't form till after getting out and away from Lake Washington so we just rode around large groups of riders. When we could get a paceline going, Rob and I had the same thought - ride at the front. In the back, it is like a yo-yo - sprint and then brake and repeat. It drives me crazy. I like a steady, even pace, even if it is uncomfortable. We then moved to the front and began to rotate. Eventually we recruited another rider to help. For about 25 miles, we had a long line of riders behind us, averaging over 20 MPH.
We hit the hill in Puyallup and the group blew up. Rob and I started riding again and another group formed behind us for the next 10 miles into Spanaway. As the other riders peeled off to stop at the rest stop, Rob and I kept going. We then hooked up with a small group of riders with the same fitness level as us. We worked together for the next 35 miles. Along the way, I noticed he lead rider lean over to a rider we were passing with a BYU jersey on. A few miles later, I asked him about it. I found out that he was a 2001 graduate from Vegas and was riding with 3 other BYU graduates. We had a good talk about riding, missions, Cougars, and other things. The miles just flew by. We rolled into Centralia at 10 AM - my earliest time yet! The first century was an incredible ride.
After a Subway and a little rest, we hit the road for the second half. We scored early in the ride. A large cycling club from Renton swept us up and we sat behind them for 30 miles. We sat in their draft and just cruised. They stopped in Vadar and so did we. We left as they were leaving but we got out front and didn't ride with them again until Lexington and then only till we got to the bridge. The group did very well on he flats but the hills blew up their organization.
Usually miles 150 to 175 are my trouble spot. With Rob, this was not the case. We hooked up with 2 other riders and just flew to St. Helens, averaging above 20 MPH. Soon after mile 150, Rob says to me that he needs real food, no more power bars. Maybe the speed was the combination of flat roads, a tailwind, and a hungry rider. The other key was having 4 to work and keep up the pace. We were riding up hills at 18 to 20 MPH that I had a hard time riding up at 15 last year.
We cruised into Portland and across the finish line at 5:15 PM. I am so thankful for a friend and riding companion like Rob. He is my hero. He has this ability to turn off pain and work through it. He was key in getting me through some tough miles. Plus, we had a good time doing it.
Who knows if I will return to do STP next year - the kids are growing up and I had to sacrifice watching water polo games and a swim meet to complete a personal goal. For me, not quite the right answer. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the ride and felt good about the effort. Yet, the kids grow up so fast and I want to be there for them. I can ride more STP's later on.
Friday, July 2, 2010
June
It was a good month for riding. The weather was atrocious in Oregon but that didn't stop me from logging the most miles I have ever done in a month. I knocked out 854 miles on 18 rides. This pales in comparison to what the pros will be doing starting tomorrow but there is a reason they are professional cyclists and I do something different.
This week on vacation, I racked up 230 miles, culminating in a climb up Little Cottonwood Canyon in SLC, UT. I'd say this is probably one of the hardest rides I have ever done. Partly due to the grade - it averages 9.2% over almost 9 miles - and the other part due to the elevation. Riding at sea level and then trying to ride up almost 3,400 feet of elevation gain starting around 5,000 feet causes the lungs to burn a bit. I loved the ride and would do it again. The craziest part was the descent. Recently in Bicycling Magazine, the descent down Little Cottonwood made their top 10 list of the best descents in the US. Crazy it was. I hit my brakes to slow down to the mid 40's. The road is good in some places and suspect in others. I can only imagine the toll the weather takes on that road - freezing multiple times in the fall and winter and then being heated above 100 degrees in the summer. Even with all that, it is the best and craziest descent I have ever done. This was a great way to top off the week of riding.
Only two weeks to STP. I figure one more week at 200 miles and then a taper week to do the STP. Then back on the stick for a few weeks and then Mt. Shasta. Today's ride gives me great confidence to do Shasta. It is all in the head now.
Last note: I rode in 98 degree weather on Monday. It was crazy hot. I was fortunate to have my heart rate monitor with me. I feel that it helped me to not push too hard and keep my cooler. I constantly monitored my heart rate and kept it under 140. Although the ride punished me, I didn't get heat exhaustion or pass out.
This week on vacation, I racked up 230 miles, culminating in a climb up Little Cottonwood Canyon in SLC, UT. I'd say this is probably one of the hardest rides I have ever done. Partly due to the grade - it averages 9.2% over almost 9 miles - and the other part due to the elevation. Riding at sea level and then trying to ride up almost 3,400 feet of elevation gain starting around 5,000 feet causes the lungs to burn a bit. I loved the ride and would do it again. The craziest part was the descent. Recently in Bicycling Magazine, the descent down Little Cottonwood made their top 10 list of the best descents in the US. Crazy it was. I hit my brakes to slow down to the mid 40's. The road is good in some places and suspect in others. I can only imagine the toll the weather takes on that road - freezing multiple times in the fall and winter and then being heated above 100 degrees in the summer. Even with all that, it is the best and craziest descent I have ever done. This was a great way to top off the week of riding.
Only two weeks to STP. I figure one more week at 200 miles and then a taper week to do the STP. Then back on the stick for a few weeks and then Mt. Shasta. Today's ride gives me great confidence to do Shasta. It is all in the head now.
Last note: I rode in 98 degree weather on Monday. It was crazy hot. I was fortunate to have my heart rate monitor with me. I feel that it helped me to not push too hard and keep my cooler. I constantly monitored my heart rate and kept it under 140. Although the ride punished me, I didn't get heat exhaustion or pass out.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
A few pics from Dad
My Dad scouted the Tour de Blast a few years ago and took some pictures at the top. I wish we could have seen this on Saturday after all that climbing but ... that's the way riding goes in the Pacific NW- it rains sometime and then it rains other times. Thanks Dad for sharing the pictures.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Tour de Blast 2010
My first official organized ride of the year was this last weekend - the 2010 Tour de Blast. The ride starts in the town of Toutle, WA and follows the Spirit Lake Highway up to the Johnston Ridge Observatory. I knew it would be a tough ride with about 7K worth of elevation gain over 84 miles, just what the doctor ordered in my preparation for the Mt. Shasta ride in August. What added to the toughness of the ride was the almost constant rain and near freezing temperaturs at the observatory.
I started at about 6:40 AM, thinking that the climbing would start almost immediately. I was wrong. The first 12 miles or so was flat and then for the next 4 is was only slightly up. I was able to climb in the big front ring with no problem. I stopped at the mile 17 rest stop to respond to the call of nature. I then heard one rider say to the other, "ready to have some fun." I knew it was on. The climbing started almost immediately. For the next 15 miles, the road averaged a little over 5% grade. At one point, it was raining, I am chasing down dark figures up the road that become other riders, I look up the road thinking and even saying out loud, "this has to end sometime soon" only to see around the next turn more uphill. At mile 32, the up hill turned to down hill. On most days, this is part of the payoff of the climbing. Not today - I froze on the way down. I was soaked from the rain on the outer clothes and sweated through the base layer from the climbing. I was so happy to get to mile 36 or so to start the last climb up to the observatory. The only real challenging part of the climb was the final mile where the road hit 7 to 8%. I was third to the top. Not that all the riders started at the same time but no one passed me on the way up and I was able to get around quite a few riders. Another payoff of climbs usually is the view - not today as all I got to see was the clouds. No view of the crater at Mt. St. Helens or the surrounding landscape. I can tell it is beautiful from the glimpses that I was able to catch every now and then.
The down hill was worse than the first since it was colder at 4200'. The real payoff was the final 12 miles. I time trialed it in and average 22 MPH. It felt good to end all that climbing with some speed workout. All in all, I accomplished what I wanted to do on the ride - get in some long climbs and see how I responded. The work I have been doing is paying off. I didn't suffer on the climbs, just on the descents due to the temperature. Shasta is only a 7 weeks away. I hope to redo the ride next year but with less freezing.
I started at about 6:40 AM, thinking that the climbing would start almost immediately. I was wrong. The first 12 miles or so was flat and then for the next 4 is was only slightly up. I was able to climb in the big front ring with no problem. I stopped at the mile 17 rest stop to respond to the call of nature. I then heard one rider say to the other, "ready to have some fun." I knew it was on. The climbing started almost immediately. For the next 15 miles, the road averaged a little over 5% grade. At one point, it was raining, I am chasing down dark figures up the road that become other riders, I look up the road thinking and even saying out loud, "this has to end sometime soon" only to see around the next turn more uphill. At mile 32, the up hill turned to down hill. On most days, this is part of the payoff of the climbing. Not today - I froze on the way down. I was soaked from the rain on the outer clothes and sweated through the base layer from the climbing. I was so happy to get to mile 36 or so to start the last climb up to the observatory. The only real challenging part of the climb was the final mile where the road hit 7 to 8%. I was third to the top. Not that all the riders started at the same time but no one passed me on the way up and I was able to get around quite a few riders. Another payoff of climbs usually is the view - not today as all I got to see was the clouds. No view of the crater at Mt. St. Helens or the surrounding landscape. I can tell it is beautiful from the glimpses that I was able to catch every now and then.
The down hill was worse than the first since it was colder at 4200'. The real payoff was the final 12 miles. I time trialed it in and average 22 MPH. It felt good to end all that climbing with some speed workout. All in all, I accomplished what I wanted to do on the ride - get in some long climbs and see how I responded. The work I have been doing is paying off. I didn't suffer on the climbs, just on the descents due to the temperature. Shasta is only a 7 weeks away. I hope to redo the ride next year but with less freezing.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Competition
There has been a nice side benefit of uploading rides and climbs to Strava – I think about my efforts every time I put my wheels on a known segment or climb. I am pushing myself harder up climbs in order to put up personal best times. This last week, I had a few. One was up Kruger and over Gibbs Cemetery. I hit a personal best on Wednesday by over a minute. I thought that this was quite a feat, especially when the best time I had I thought I had pushed hard. On Saturday, competition shows how it can impact performance as well. Saturday was the Reach the Beach ride. The century leg starts in Beaverton and finishes in Pacific City on the Oregon coast. Although I was not participating on the organized ride, my planned ride for the day put me on the same roads. I had already been up a portion of the climb earlier in my ride but I had done the Haugen Road at about the halfway point and was climbing up over Kruger and Gibbs to come home. I had riders in front of me at the start. I chased them down and about halfway up, two riders rolled around me. I thought, “not in my backyard.” So I jumped on their wheel and got over Gibbs with them. We talked on the way down as we dropped into Newberg. I then headed out North Valley. When I uploaded to Strava, I had beat my Kruger-Gibbs time by over a minute again. Wow! I was at 45 miles and 5K of climbing when I started the climb and I crushed my old time. Legs felt tired but a little competition motivates.
I am loving Strava.
STP only 8 weeks away.
I am loving Strava.
STP only 8 weeks away.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Climbing and Strava
A few months ago, I clicked on this link on the velonews website that took me to Strava. After not being impressed with the website, I took a survey about my thoughts and how to make it better. With that survey response, I got a free one year membership. The membership opened up a new part of Strava for me. The premise of the website is that many cyclists are competitive and like to talk about how fast they ride, especially up hill. So, on Strava, you can upload your rides, pick out the climbs or other segments of the ride, and Strava shows how fast you rode the climbs or selected segment. It then sees if other riders have ridden the same roads and compares their times with yours - competition is on. The external link to my page is www.strava.com/athletes/cbeecher. I have found only one other that has posted their time up rides that I have done in the area so not much competition as of yet. What this also does is help to save for me my best times up certain climbs. Cool!
Saturday was a monster day on the bike - it was the most elevation gain in one day for me - just a hair over 8K in 70 miles. I figure that is was close to the effort that will be needed in August at the Mt. Shasta Super Summit Century. It was painful at times but well worth the ride. I found out on the climbs that I like to climb in silence - I need the time to focus. I was riding with music for the first few, not a lot of strain on those climbs but on the most intense part of going up the back side of Bald Peak, I had to take out the ear buds and just focus on the climb. It helped to get me up the hill. Interesting and good to know.
Only about 8 weeks till STP and then 3 more weeks to Shasta - good times.
Saturday was a monster day on the bike - it was the most elevation gain in one day for me - just a hair over 8K in 70 miles. I figure that is was close to the effort that will be needed in August at the Mt. Shasta Super Summit Century. It was painful at times but well worth the ride. I found out on the climbs that I like to climb in silence - I need the time to focus. I was riding with music for the first few, not a lot of strain on those climbs but on the most intense part of going up the back side of Bald Peak, I had to take out the ear buds and just focus on the climb. It helped to get me up the hill. Interesting and good to know.
Only about 8 weeks till STP and then 3 more weeks to Shasta - good times.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Happy to see 6%
I got home from work last night, the sun was out and the sky was clear and blue. I decided that it was time to ride up the back side of Bald Peak. In August, I am riding the Mt. Shasta Super Summit Century which is 135 miles with 16,500 feet of climbing. Yes, that is over 3 miles of elevation gain. I figure the best way to prepare is to go out and climb. This is what I have been doing the last few weeks. Saturday's have been reserved for recuperation rides because my legs are shot by Saturday morning. The back side of Bald Peak is 5 miles of up without relenting with 1800 feet of elevation gain - averages 6.8%. There are no flat spots like the Newberg side. I decided to take the a bit shorter route and start on Laurel instead of Bald Peak Road. This cut out about a mile. This means the average grade is 8.5% - a little bit different. The ride was great but tough. There were times I looked down at the Garmin, the grade was 15% and I am going 5 MPH. Crazy! I thought about stopping for a break a few times but resisted the urge. There were several moments of joy when I could look down and see 6% on the Garmin. It never felt so good. I'll admit the hardest part was about a half mile from the top. The road hair pins and then pitches up steeply. The legs are already screaming from the previous 3 1/2 miles of up and then this harsh grade. Cruel! Who designed this road? Who decided to ride up this way today? Yeah! It was a good ride and I felt it today when I went out and did a recovery ride with only 2K worth of up. For the week so far, 92 miles with 6,700 feet of climbing. I'll get some more tomorrow and probably end up near 9K. Got to be ready for August.
Time to get back to watching the NCAA tourney - my bracket is blown up but no worries, it is a great tourney so far!
Time to get back to watching the NCAA tourney - my bracket is blown up but no worries, it is a great tourney so far!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
No dogs at 9%
Yesterday, I got up and decided that I needed to ride some hills. The problem was an 8 AM basketball game, a son needing to get to a Merit Badge Clinic by 11 AM and be back home by 12:30 PM in order to get over to the District Swim meet in McMinnville. The soluton was to play ball, get home, load up the car with bike and son, and drive to Dayton to drop him off, get the bike out, and ride Eola hill.
It was a good ride to the hill, about 12 miles to get to the base of the climb and then 3.5 miles to the top to the climb. It probably averages 6% but it ramps up to 12% in spots, most of them in the first 1/2 miles. This is the notable climb in the Vine Ride. It felt good to ride up this hill. On the way up, I look down at the Garmin and it reads 9%. Out of the corner of my eye, I see this dog starting running towards me. All I can think is "I don't need any dog chasing me up a 9% hill!" I am confident I can out ride a dog on the flats but on a 9% hill - advantage dog. So I jumped out of the saddle and started to work, the dog must have figured the effort too great since he shut it down and stopped in the driveway, content to bark a few times. At the top of Eola hill, it was misty and socked in. I took a few pictures that I have posted on my twitter site. At the top, I turned around and headed back down. I realized that I needed to hussle to get back to meet my other deadlines. The pavement was wet so I took it easy most of the way down the hill. On dry pavement, I'd probably been hitting 40+ most of the way down but since it was dry, I maxed out at about 20. Once on the flat, I got into the drops and pushed back to Dayton. I averaged a bit over 20 MPH on the way back in. It felt good to put in a good effort after a nice climb.
I am focused on the Mt. Shasta ride in August. This means to prepare I must ride a lot of hills - all part of the plan. In June or July, I am going to take on Mt. Hood from Newberg. It should be a very challenging ride but a good prep for Mt. Shasta.
Last night, I timed at the District Finals swim meet. Cassie was on the 400 yard relay team and they swam in the lane I was timing on. It is real hard to be unbiased when your daughter and her team are in your lane. It is harder to not cheer. Cassie had the third leg. When see dove into the pool, they were tied for 1st place. Cassie and the other team's racer stayed close through the first 50 yards. Then Cassie put it in another gear and began to pull away, opening up a body and a half length lead for the anchor leg. It was incredible and very fun to watch. The anchor brought home the District Championship in the relay. I am so happy for Cassie - she swam well.
Craig is playing basketball and his quickness and aggressive defense is shining through. He is playing with us on Wednesday nights so he should learn a bit more aggresiveness as well.
It was a good ride to the hill, about 12 miles to get to the base of the climb and then 3.5 miles to the top to the climb. It probably averages 6% but it ramps up to 12% in spots, most of them in the first 1/2 miles. This is the notable climb in the Vine Ride. It felt good to ride up this hill. On the way up, I look down at the Garmin and it reads 9%. Out of the corner of my eye, I see this dog starting running towards me. All I can think is "I don't need any dog chasing me up a 9% hill!" I am confident I can out ride a dog on the flats but on a 9% hill - advantage dog. So I jumped out of the saddle and started to work, the dog must have figured the effort too great since he shut it down and stopped in the driveway, content to bark a few times. At the top of Eola hill, it was misty and socked in. I took a few pictures that I have posted on my twitter site. At the top, I turned around and headed back down. I realized that I needed to hussle to get back to meet my other deadlines. The pavement was wet so I took it easy most of the way down the hill. On dry pavement, I'd probably been hitting 40+ most of the way down but since it was dry, I maxed out at about 20. Once on the flat, I got into the drops and pushed back to Dayton. I averaged a bit over 20 MPH on the way back in. It felt good to put in a good effort after a nice climb.
I am focused on the Mt. Shasta ride in August. This means to prepare I must ride a lot of hills - all part of the plan. In June or July, I am going to take on Mt. Hood from Newberg. It should be a very challenging ride but a good prep for Mt. Shasta.
Last night, I timed at the District Finals swim meet. Cassie was on the 400 yard relay team and they swam in the lane I was timing on. It is real hard to be unbiased when your daughter and her team are in your lane. It is harder to not cheer. Cassie had the third leg. When see dove into the pool, they were tied for 1st place. Cassie and the other team's racer stayed close through the first 50 yards. Then Cassie put it in another gear and began to pull away, opening up a body and a half length lead for the anchor leg. It was incredible and very fun to watch. The anchor brought home the District Championship in the relay. I am so happy for Cassie - she swam well.
Craig is playing basketball and his quickness and aggressive defense is shining through. He is playing with us on Wednesday nights so he should learn a bit more aggresiveness as well.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Into the mist
The Saturday's weather looked promising on Friday night. It was going to be dry. At least that is what the weather said was going to happen. I got up and dropped Craig off for a merit badge clinic. The roads were wet but there was no rain. After getting home, I debated between riding in the garage or hitting the road. After mulling it over for 20 minutes, the die was cast to ride outside. I am glad the die was right. 
There is the entrance to the park at the top of the climb. Victory again! Bald Peak is one of my favorite climbs.
I started over the 99, not knowing where I was going to ride. I knew I had about 90 to 100 minutes to ride before I needed to be home - basketball was calling. While I was contemplating the route, the subconscious guided me to take the right on Springbrook and up to Bell Rd. I took the left down Bell and thought, I should do some climbing so I headed up the 219. When I got to Bald Peak road, the road was still wet and there was a little bit of mist starting to form. Then I decided to head for the Peak.
As I rode up through the mist, several thoughts came to mind. One was of the first time I had rode through thick mist, doing the Rock Store climb for the first time on the Conejo Valley Century in 2006. The climb just kept coming and I kept pedaling. It felt like an eternity to get to the top. I kept telling myself that it was just around the next bend and I'd be at the top. After a few miles, just around the next bend finally came as I passed several cyclists walking their bikes to the top.
The other thought was a bit more spiritual in nature. I noticed the fog line and could remember riding the fog line during the pitch black nights in Costa Rica as we were heading back home after a night of missionary work. It was so dark, the stars seemed to jump out of the sky but there wasn't enough light to see where the road went. So I'd stare at the fog line to be sure I'd stay on the road. It reminded me of the Iron Rod. I followed the fog line and got home much like the Iron Rod will if we hold to it. This trip to Bald Peak sparked another fog line thought. If this fog line went onward and upward, eventually we'd break through the clouds to the glorious vision of the sun and the sea of clouds. What a magnificent vision it would be and even greater if we held to this fog line or Iron Rod to the time we'd see our Father again. What a magnificent time that will be!
Back to the ride - I stopped about halfway up as the mist started to thicken and took a few pictures. At the top, I stopped and did it again. I just wanted to have something to remind me of the day's ride. I really enjoyed it and the suffering wasn't all that bad either. Here are the few pictures.
Looking across the road to the valley.
A few more miles up there is the top of this climb.
Across the street from the park. I have a picture of Craig by this sign. On a clear day, you can see 5 peaks from up here.
A few more miles up there is the top of this climb.Across the street from the park. I have a picture of Craig by this sign. On a clear day, you can see 5 peaks from up here.There is the entrance to the park at the top of the climb. Victory again! Bald Peak is one of my favorite climbs.
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