Climbing and Climbing

A bit of climbing over the past couple of days.

Wednesday was the usual ride up Highline Truck Trail. The length of the climb worked out well for a 20 minute TT test - although there were two downhill sections on which I had a hard time maintaining my wattage goals. In the end I hit an average of 317 watts - 5 more than my flat TT test 2 weeks before. I figure that my actual average wattage might have been a few watts higher if not for the downhills, but can't count what I can't prove. The 317 watt effort pushed my functional 60 min LT to 297... still not at my goal, but moving steadily towards it.




The ride also gave me a chance to pick Arnie's brain on some questions I've had regarding the relationship of Power to Torque, proper gearing for Mt. Evans and the Everest Challenge, and TT records up Torrey Pines... Floyd climbed it in what???!!!





Congrats to both Don and Josh for their rides @ the California State TT Championships!





On Thursday's plate was another healthy portion of climbing by way of north county's Palomar Mountain. Palomar is never easy, and with the previous day's 6000 feet of climbing complete with some race pace / post threshold riding it was slow going.





After turning up South Grade road it was time to work on 4 x 10 minute intervals. I didn't take it too hard, but it was stinging none the less. It was a little bit easier to climb in a harder gear, so I kept the cadence lower (actually, it was what Cody had set as a plan for today). It's a long, long climb - an so you just have to settle in to a good pace and watch the mile signs pass. By the top I was thirsty and planed to stop by the store for a drink, no such luck - still closed. I spun past Mother's Kitchen and headed up to the observatory. After some quick pictures, some luke warm water from their drinking fountain, I turned around an heading back to Mother's... still closed. What time is it anyway? So, I drove down East Grade. The climb back up East Grade should have been easier than the climb up South Grade, it's longer though not as steep, but the miles in the legs and the dry throat really hurt. I basically crept up the climb, just trying to keep the legs turning.

At the top I stopped by Mother's for the third time, finally! I grabbed a root beer and ran into Jack who had just finished climbing south grade - he's heading out to Mt. Evans as well. He's a climbing king (Looks a bit like Marco Pantani as well) and says he's be riding a compact with a 13-28. Sounds like a plan.

By the end of the day I had logged over 10,000 of climbing. Good practice for Everest.