Blue Trolley

I really piled on the miles this week. With the Everest Challenge and the Steamboat Stage Race coming up I'm looking at back to back racing with some long stages and even more daunting elevation gains. So with that in mind I did a 135 mile/10,000'+ day on Tuesday, a 76 mile / 5600'+ day on Wednesday, and a 106 mile/3000' day today; that made for a 28 hr week with 388.86 miles and 21,000' of climbing.

The goal this Sunday was to ride up to Fallbrook and back - with a stop at Pedro's Tacos for a Bean, Rice, and Potato Burrito. I haven't had one in years... a worthy goal. Sunday morning was fairly quiet, but by late morning the roads were filled the usual SUV and Harley craziness. Not fun.

Long days

17 hours of riding over the past two days... 206 miles... 10,709 kilojoules... 16,000'+ of climbing.

Tuesday was an epic day, I left the house at 6am and rode up though Escondido, grabbed a espresso and roll @ the Blue Mug, a couple of Bananas and a Granny Smith at a fruit stand and climbed up Valley Center Road towards... well, Valley Center. I dropped down Cole Grade and on a whim began to climb up Nate Harrison Grade... so steep. They are doing some road work on it, large trucks rumbled past, kicking up plumes of beige dust. At the top they were busy laying asphalt and so I had to turn around and slide back down the mountain.

I headed back up 76 and after Lake Henshaw took a right and climbed up Mesa Grande to Santa Ysabel. I hugged the white line and dropped down to Ramona and headed back home via Scripps Ranch. The new asphalt on Kearny Mesa Drive was well welcomed. 134 miles and some cramping legs. By the way, if you haven't tried DZNuts... run out and grab a tube now.

Wednesday was the weekly Cyclovet ride, with the two headed cycling monster of Arnie and Floyd - I was hoping for a slower day... Don, Jay, and I managed to get away on the first climb up to Jamul. We worked well together, I put in an effort towards the end of the climb and crested the climb solo. As I pulled into the stop, I looked over my shoulder and the two headed monster was just pulling in... barely made it.

One the second climb I struggled to stay with the two headed monster and Josh, but dropped back at the top and couldn't tag back on, although it looked like they slowed up for me. I dangled back about 20 meters and by the later portion Arnie/Floyd had gaped Josh as well. By the third section I was feeling the day before and struggled the rest of the way.

On the descent of Mexican Canyon the monster passed by like a freight train, and barreled by everyone, except for Don who latched on to a UPS truck's draft and and carried the speed through the sprint...Chapeau!

Week One

This week training for the Everest Challenge begins in earnest:

Monday: Trainer workout 1A

Tuesday: 85 miles with 10,000 feet of climbing @ 69-94% of LT

Wednesday: 75 miles with 5600 feet of climbing w/ 4 x 5 minute intervals @ > 4000' per hour

Thursday: Trainer workout 1B

Friday: 15 miles recovery ride

Saturday: 45 miles endurance ride @ 69-83% LT

Sunday: 50 miles endurance climbing 5 X 10 minute intervals @ >3000' per hour

285 miles with 26,000' of climbing

ouch...

Tuesday

Long day today.... Escondido to Lake Wohlford to Mt. Palomar South Grade... down and back up East Grade to Cole Grade and back to Escondido.

82 miles

9944' climbing

6:56 hrs.

Long Day

Progress

Finally, I'm feeling a bit better. For the past few weeks I've been somewhat exhausted. Not certain exactly what it was, but I felt slow, sore, and generally lethargic.

Last Saturday I participated in a last minute race in Chula Vista - part of the International Friendship Games - at the Olympic Training Center. A pretty cool race - teams and riders from both north and south of the border competed. They closed down about 1.2 km of road and made an out and back course with about 160' of climbing per lap. It was much harder than I thought. I averaged over 320 watts for the 45 minute race and was pretty knackered by the end.

It was just what I needed.

Tuesday I did the morning sprint workout at Fiesta Island - need much more work in this area and then Wednesday did the Cyclovet ride. Climbing has been much easier as of late; as has any type of tempo riding. So my efforts going forward will be some sprint drills and anaerobic efforts.

I've committed to the Everest Challenge this year - more for the experience; I have no illusions about winning the California HC championship... can dream though.

San Luis Rey

So, SLR didn't go as smoothly as I would have liked. It was my first race as a 4 and the field was twice as big as my previous racing forays. Two laps in we were still 40 riders strong. If I learned one thing at this race it is to not hang out at the back of the group. Moving up on the climbs was all but impossible with the centerline rule in effect.

On the third lap a rider ran into me from behind... We both hit the ground, I thought he was the one worse for wear, but he managed to climb back on and scamper away. I, on the other hand, wound up walking my bike back up the hill, at least until my leg seized up.

The tally for the day: one broken handlebar, two out of true wheels, one deeply bruised thigh, one bleeding calf, and one defeated bike racer.