Mugu's wild ride

Sunday, 12/07/08 09:25 AM

Yesterday I rode a 200k (that's 130 miles), my first long ride in two months, and survived!  Yay, me.  In fact, not only did I survive - completing the rather flat course from Moorpark to Ventura to Malibu to Point Mugu to Camarillo to Moorpark in 8:05 - but I was the first to finish!  How cool is that?  I have to confess, the usual hotshots were missing; it is December, and a lot of people [apparently] had other things to do on a winter's day than ride their bikes, but still...  it was an amazing feeling to pass the leader at 90 miles and ride for two hours knowing that I was tete de la course.  I kept thinking of pro races where the breakaways are often caught by the peloton with just a few miles to go, but of course in this kind of ride there is no peloton, just a bunch of people riding, and nobody has team cars or radios or anything like that.  I did get some cramps with about 15 miles to go, and stopped at a liquor store and bought a liter of Coke (!), and kept worrying that people would pass me while I was in the store.  But in the event I won by over ten minutes.

6:30AM - off we go

Grimes Canyon - a nice descent with a strong headwind

self-portrait riding through Ventura

Channel Islands Harbour

PCH - 40 miles down to Malibu, 30 back up

these guys better watch out for rogue waves!

California dreamin' - on such a winter's day

the sky starts closing in - beautiful

Mugu rock - the focal point of the ride... almost home!

It was a beautiful day, a rather balmy 60^o at the 6:30AM start and it stayed in the 70s for most of the day, cooling down a bit as some cloud cover descended mid afternoon.  There was wind - in fact a rather stiff wind - and in the way of such winds it was a headwind in every direction...  but it wasn't that bad.  And at just the right moment, as I was riding down PCH my philosopher iPod began playing...

All the leaves aren't brown
and the sky ain't gray
I've been for a ride
on a winter's day

I've been safe and warm
since I live in L.A.
California riding
on such a winter's day

So, another day spent in the saddle, my last long ride of 2008.  I ended up doing 2 centuries (100 miles) and 11 super centuries (over 100 miles), including 6 doubles (200 miles).  Amazing, at the start of the year I would never have thought it.  Who knows what next year will bring?

Riding the Wild Sierra

Saturday, 10/18/08 01:30 PM

Urgh - my legs hurt already - just read an announcement of Riding the Wild Sierra, a new double century ride next year, taking place in the same area as the Death Ride.  Only this will be 20,000' over 8 passes and 200 miles, instead of "just" 15,000' over 5 passes and 135 miles.  Mark your calendars - the inaugural event will be June 14, 2009.

Here's the route map:

It is essentially the Death Ride, backwards, with an extra 70 miles and a bunch of climbing up front.  Here's the profile, showing the eight passes and 20,300' in all their glory:

Making this ride extra-special, it saves the hardest climb for last - the 8% grade from Lake Topaz back up to the top of Monitor.  This is just a maniacal ride, it will be very difficult to complete in under 16 hours.  Wow.  And yes, I am planning to do it, but that's easy to say because it isn't until next June...

keeping score

Sunday, 09/21/08 07:49 PM

I just noted completing a sextuple double, by riding the Knoxville Double Century, but it was also my tenth ultra century this year (rides of more than 100 miles).  In the interest of keeping score:

Still, who's counting?  Okay, okay, maybe I am.  Hoping for some more of that metric magic :)

Actually I've been keeping score another way, too.  After each ultra century, I've fashioned a little sticker commemorating the ride.  This is what the top tube of my bike looks like now:

(ultra century stickers - click to enbiggen)

Pretty cool, eh?  I get a kick out of making a new sticker after each ride, and I like the admiring stares when I ride with my local club on weeknights (the Conejo Valley Cyclists). Yeah, I’m a bit of a ham, what can I say.

sextuple double - riding the Knoxville Classic!

Sunday, 09/21/08 07:44 PM

Hi - I'm baack...  I emerged from a self-imposed deathmarch to deliver some software, just in time to take off for a few days and ride the Knoxville Double Century, in Napa Valley.  I made it - riding, as usual, with my friend Mark Burson - and enjoyed it very much.  It took us about 16 hours overall, 13:30 riding time. 

The course has about 12,600' of climbing, and it is deceptive; unlike other rides where there are a few well-defined big climbs, the course spreads the climbing over the whole ride, virtually all of it was up and down on rollers.  I don't think I've ever shifted so much, and managed to drop my chain about ten times with badly timed shifts from the big ring.  There were few opportunities to really crank, it was more just staying focused and adapting.

Mark and I, about halfway done, and still smiling :)

I had one really scary moment; at about 175 miles I was barreling down a descent in the dark when I hit a bump, and my headlight shut off.  Wow, instant darkness, and I was still moving at 30mph.  I managed to come to a stop without hitting anything, and just sat there in the dark, my red taillight blinking its eerie glow without providing much light to see.  I had to wait for another rider to come along and then jumped on their wheel, and followed riders all the way to the next rest stop.  At which point, the headlight began working again.  Ah, Murphy, you're so much fun.

Adding to the pleasure of the ride, Friday night we had dinner with my friends Tim and Kathy Marshall, who have a beautiful property near Lower Lake, at the extreme North end of the ride route.  Serious amounts of excellent salad and pasta were eaten and Pinot Noir was drunk, including a fantastic wine called Six Sigma made by one of Tim's neighbors (an ex-GE guy, of course :)

Kathy explains while Mark listens, and I mug for the camera

Tim and Kathy live right along the race route, so we saw them during the ride, too - wow, fans!  Their 70-acre property is not quite the middle of nowhere, but you can see it from there.

At around 50 miles, Lake Berryessa

One of the real pleasures of this ride was the isolation, we were on back roads most of the day, with little car traffic.  The scenery was amazing.  It is always such a joy to realize how much wilderness still exists in California, even after all the development that has taken place.

Knoxville Road, in the Lake County wilderness

And then today we attended the annual California Triple Crown breakfast, where we were formally anointed as triple crown winners (as well as 1,000 mile club members).  I was able to tell Mark's story - he completed six double centuries this year on an artificial hip - and everyone was appropriately appreciative.  Among the highlights of the breakfast was the introduction of the 100 double century club, yes, that's right, these people have each ridden at least 100 double centuries in their lives:

The 100 double club.  Wow, just wow.

The guy second from the left in the picture above is Dave "big ring" Evans, who at 70 is still riding doubles, he completed the ride yesterday.  I can't even imagine that, but it is good to have goals :)

And speaking of goals, next up is the Furnace Creek 508!  Scary, now just two weeks away...

Furnace Creek 508 recon

Tuesday, 08/12/08 09:38 PM

Monday I spent the entire day in my car, reconnoitering the route for the Furnace Creek 508, the two-day cycling race across Death Valley in which I'm participating in early October.  If you're ever thinking of riding in the 508, do yourself a big favor and drive the route beforehand yourself.  You cannot possibly imagine the distances, heat, desolation, climbs, or beauty without actually being there.

Here's an overall profile of the route:

Furnace Creek 508 route profile
(click to enlarge)

The overall ride is much harder than I thought.  Not only is it 508 miles, but there is a lot of climbing, and a lot of rollers when the road isn't climbing.  For large portions of the ride the surface is not very good.  It will be hot during the day, and cold at night.  The physical challenge is significant.

However there is also a non trivial psychological challenge; the main impression I have after a day of driving the course is how boring this is going to be (!)  Seriously there are many sections of large distances where there is basically nothing.  Riding 20 miles across desert is not the same as riding 20 miles in town, with interesting stuff to hold your visual interest.  It is boring enough to go 20 miles in a straight line through desert in a car, but it only takes 20 minutes; on a bike it could easily take an hour and a half.  Compounding the boredom, you can often see the endpoint way off in the distance; so you'll be riding hour after hour looking at the road stretch on ahead into the horizon.  It will be hard to remain focused and find a mental zone which will allow these long distances to be traversed.

Please click here for a detailed report, including lots of maps, profiles, Google Earth satellite views, and photographs...

Death Rider! (da da dum)

Sunday, 07/13/08 01:09 PM

Well, I did it (yay me), and it ended up being really fun.  I must tell you with all the double centuries and everything I've done, this was the hardest ride by far.  I'm talking about the Death Ride, 129 miles, 15,000' of climbing, five passes over 8,000' high.  It took me ten hours, which means I spent about eight hours riding uphill at altitude.  And the whole time I was passing people, I actually feel like I did really well.  Wow.

As for the ride itself, the route profile pretty much tells the story:

Death Ride profile

Please click here for the story told in words...

quintuple double - joining the 1,000 mile club

Sunday, 06/29/08 11:28 AM

Yesterday I rode in the Grand Tour Double Century, my fifth this year, and have joined the California Triple Crown 1,000 mile club.  Yay, me.  This event was the 50th anniversary of the  original double; 50 years ago a group of century riders at the L.A. Wheelmen Club bet each other they couldn't ride 200 miles in a single day.  I completed it in 11:52 riding time, 13:55 overall, which I'm pretty happy about considering the amount of climbing - 8,300' - and the heat.  (I lost six pounds, clearly didn't drink or eat enough, and am rectifying that at this moment :) 

As usual I rode with my friend Mark Burson; here we are at the fifth checkpoint, 115 miles in, we're smiling because it was a nice day and there was food at this stop...

This wasn't the easiest double I've ridden - that would be Solvang - but it was the easiest for me; there is still no such thing as an easy double (there is always at least one point during the ride where you question your sanity) but I think I'm gradually getting used to spending that much time riding all at once.  My biggest problem on this ride was food; usually there is stuff at every checkpoint, but for some reason in this ride there really wasn't; well okay, they had bananas and orange slices and such, but how about some sandwiches, some power bars, something with calories?  I resorted to drinking [real] cokes, a source of sugar, but not exactly real food.

Next up - the Death Ride (dum dum dum), which is a mere 129 miles, but features 15,000' of climbing...

quadruple double

Sunday, 06/08/08 01:00 PM

Yesterday my friend Mark Burson and I completed our fourth double century of the year, the Eastern Sierra Double.  It was amazing, a great route starting in Bishop, CA, climbing up through Mammoth Lakes and June Lake to Mono Lake, and then back through the East Sierra badlands near the Nevada border, for a total of 10,000' of climbing.  The highlight was definitely the last 30 miles from Benton, downhill and downwind, averaging near 30mph all the way.  Took me 14:07 of riding time, which I'm pleased with considering the amount of climbing, and the altitude (most of the ride is above 7,000', and portions peek over 8,000').

Here's a picture of me at the 130 mile mark, having just crested the Sagehen Summit.  Note the amazing Sierras in the background.

This was also my third consecutive weekend doing at least 100 miles; last weekend I rode the Ojai Century, and the weekend before a 100-mile training ride.  Next weekend?  Father's Day!  I will do nothing :)

By the way, some of you may be wondering what's happening with Ole's Ride for Cancer.  Well it is very much still something I'm going to do, I'm making plans for the Furnance Creek 508.  I just need to get organized about managing sponsorships, thanks for your patience and please stay tuned...

back in the saddle

Sunday, 06/01/08 09:48 AM

Yesterday I rode the fabulous Ojai Valley Century with my friend Tim Huber.  It was a great event; interesting and beautiful route, good organization, perfect SAG, and [thanks to the organizers] excellent weather.  It wasn't the hardest century I've ever ridden - two good climbs, about 5,000' total - but we rode it at a nice brisk pace; I finished in a respectable 5:45 riding time.

One of the cool things about the ride was a professional photographer strategically positioned at the bottom of a descent; here's what I looked like:

If you're a regular reader you may be wondering how my chest felt; well, let's just say Motrin is a good thing :)  I will say sleeping seems to hurt more than riding, so I've been riding more and sleeping less... 

Next up: the Eastern Sierra Double Century next weekend.  Stay tuned for that!

breathless victory

Sunday, 05/04/08 07:24 PM

Yay, I made it!  Yesterday I completed the Breathless Agony century, 114 miles and 12,300' of climbing, including the final climb to the Onyx Pass above Big Bear, at 8,443' above sea level.  It was really great, in fact, I have to say this was the best organized and supported cycle race in which I've ever participated, right down to the fantastic chili meal served at the finish.  The weather cooperated nicely too, not too warm in the flats, and not too cold in the mountains.  I did wear a light jacket for that 38 mile descent at the end.  Yeah, that's right; after you reach the Onyx pass, you go downhill at speed for nearly two hours to the finish.  It makes you appreciate all the climbing!

(You guys may be getting tired of my post-race reports, but too bad; this is my blog, and I'm a cyclist, so some cycling is inevitable :)

The Breathless Agony mascot is the grim reaper; he was at the summit to help me celebrate:

This race is timed to the summit; I made it in 6:15, and I'm pretty proud of it.  Even more bragworthy, on the last two climbs I was not passed by anyone.  (We won't mention the people who finish in five hours, who were already up the road; they're disgusting :)  All in all a great ride, I can't wait to do this one again next year.

Next up is the Eastern Sierra Double, in the area around Mammoth Lakes.  Stay tuned for more...

Ole's ride for cancer

Thursday, 05/01/08 10:57 PM

As you saw, I have been accepted to compete in the Furnace Creek 508 bicycle race, "The Toughest 48 Hours in Sport".  This is a pretty incredible event; competitors have 48 hours to complete 508 miles through Death Valley and the Mojave Desert, including 35,000' of climbing.  For some people it is a race to see how fast they can do it, for me it will be a contest to see if I can do it.  It will be one of the hardest and coolest things I've ever done.

To give myself extra motivation, I'm asking all of you to sponsor me, and will donate the proceeds to the Lance Armstrong Foundation.  You may know, in addition to being one of the greatest cyclists of all time, having won seven consecutive Tours de France, Lance Armstrong is also a cancer survivor, and his foundation is prominent in funding cancer research, raising awareness of cancer, and most importantly helping cancer victims and survivors.  It is a wonderful organization and [I think] a very appropriate recipient of whatever donations I am able to raise in this way.

If you are interested in sponsoring me and making a donation to the Lance Armstrong Foundation, please let me know.  Your interest will be a pledge, and if I am successful in finishing the race, I'll let you know so you can make a donation.  The race is this October 4-6, and I'll post / email progressively more information as that date gets closer.  I also plan to post periodic updates so everyone knows how much money we've raised together!

I am pretty excited about competing in this race, but also pretty daunted by the difficulty.  In the middle of the night on Saturday, with 250 miles ridden and 250 left to ride, the idea that I'm helping to raise a bunch of money for cancer will be a great motivator.  Thank you in advance for your sponsorship (!), and stay tuned for more details...

Furnace Creek, here I come

Thursday, 05/01/08 10:34 PM

From:	508 Race Office [raceoffice@the508.com]
Sent:	Thursday, May 01, 2008 6:18 PM
To:	Ole Eichhorn [ole@pacbell.net]
Subject:	Furnace Creek 508
Attachments:	2008entry508.pdf

Hello and congratulations!

You have been selected to compete in the 25th Anniversary Furnace Creek 508 on October 4-6, 2008, "The Toughest 48 Hours in Sport".  You are part of a select group who will participate in this world-famous spiritual odyssey through Death Valley and the Mojave Desert.  We look forward to sharing the experience with you!

To confirm your spot in the race field, please submit the appropriate Furnace Creek 508 entry fee and the attached three-page Pdf form WITHIN ONE WEEK.

2008 will be an extra special edition of "The Toughest 48 Hours in Sport" as we celebrate the race's 25 year history.  Thank YOU for being a part of history!

Best of luck with your preparation and please let us know if there is anything else that we can do to help.

Sincerely,

Chris Kostman
Chief Adventure Officer, Race Director, and Totemizer
AdventureCORPS, Inc.
http://www.the508.com

Yay, I made it!  Or maybe, crap, now I'm in for it...  Whew.  There are two tragedies in life, not getting what you want, and getting what you want.  Which is this?  Stay tuned :)

contemplating breathless agony

Sunday, 04/27/08 09:52 PM

This Sunday night finds me contemplating Breathless Agony, a century in which I plan to ride next Saturday.  This appropriately named ride features 12,000 feet of climbing in 114 miles, and reaches 8,443' at the Onyx summit above Big Bear Lake.  Here's what the route profile looks like:

Here's the route map as plotted on Google Maps:

There are four main passes, the Jack Rabbit is 4 miles at 4% (max 8%), the Oak Glen is 5 miles at 6.7% (max 16%), the Damnation Alley is 11 miles at 5.2% (max 10%), and the Onyx Summit is 9 miles at 4.4% (max 10%).  That is two Cat 2s and two Cat 1s.  In fact Damnation Alley could be an HC.  This could be a Tour stage, it is that tough.

Extreme rides require extreme measures, I am considering removing my aero bars for this ride.  I won't need them, and they're just another pound to lug up the hills.  That will require rewiring my computer, but so be it.  Another key decision is whether to use bottles or a camelback; bottles are lighter, but with a camelback it is easier to drink continuously.  There are SAG stops at the top of each climb, so some don't take water at all.  I think I'll stick with my trusty camelback, this is no place to bonk.

Should be fun!

triple double

Sunday, 04/06/08 11:19 AM

Well, I did it, or actually I must say we did it; my friend and riding partner Mark Burson and I successfully completed the Hemet Double Century yesterday, making our third double this year and hence we have become - ta da - California Triple Crown winners.  We are [very] sore and [very] tired today, and [very] happy.  And more than a bit proud of ourselves :)

A couple of happy guys - we did it!

This story begins over a year ago, when Mark rode the Solvang Century in March 2007.  At about the thirty mile mark he had a bad fall and thrashed his hip.  He struggled to finish the century but did so, complaining of severe pain in his knee.  Making a long story short after some false diagnosis he discovered he had cracked his hip.  In fact, he had the Bo Jackson problem where the blood supply to his hip was interrupted, and he ended up getting his hip replaced on April 7, 2007.  Mark that date.

Being an avid cyclist and tough guy, Mark hatched a plan to rehabilitate via long rides, and set a goal of achieving the triple crown; three double centuries in one year.  And he got me, somewhat reluctantly, to agree to join him.  That was late last summer.  We began by doing the Lighthouse Century together last September; Mark's first long ride after getting a new hip.  That was a great victory for him and we discovered we enjoyed doing centuries together.  (I can't link a blog post, because, well, I wasn't blogging last year.  Boo.)  You can't do these rides with just anyone; you need someone of compatible speed and climbing ability, and also compatible temperament :)  I mean, we're talking 6-15 hours together.  Flushed with success we rode the People Powered Ride the following weekend, two centuries in a week, and that "worked".  Then we rode a 200K together in January (125mi) - which at the time was the longest ride I had ever done - and then a 300K together in February (185mi) - again a personal longest.  And then we completed the Butterfield Double in mid-February, the first leg of the triangle.  It was tough, but we did it.

Which was all nothing compared to recent events.

Last weekend we rode the Solvang Double together in fine style, with no problems.  The second leg was done.  Victory was at hand.  All that was left was one more double century, yesterday - the Hemet Double - billed as the easiest of the three.  (Although it must be said, two doubles on consecutive weekends is not for the faint of heart or the out of shape :)

The Hemet Double is organized as two loops, each 100mi; many people ride just the first loop as a Century, and others ride both as a Double.  The first loop is easier, but we were warned at registration that the second loop had been changed from previous years and was now "a bit tougher".  Riight.

We begin the first loop at 6:30, cruising through Hemet and Morongo Valley with no problems.  Until, at about thirty miles (!), Mark has a bad fall and comes down heavily on his [new] hip.  His hand and arm are bleeding, and he is sore everywhere.  Oh no!  What will this mean?  Can he ride another 170 miles?  Being an avid cyclist and tough guy, Mark gets back on his bike.  A little first aid, some ducktape, and we're off. 

We finish the first loop in a bit of a funk.  The weather is crummy; cold and overcast, with a stiff wind.  The loop isn't that hard but with the wind it isn't that easy, and anyway 100 miles is 100 miles.  Our riding time is 5:30 for the first loop, 6:30 elapsed, not bad but not our best.  We eat lunch, our spirits revive, and we take off on the second loop.  Mark's hand is sore and his arm is thrashed, but fortunately his hip seems okay.  It looks like he/we might make it...

The second loop is a killer.  The first 25 miles features serious climbing up Sage Canyon, and we reach the first checkpoint at Vail Lake exhausted, with 75 miles left.  Next comes a thrilling eight-mile decent down Pala-Temecula Road into the Pala Indian reservation; the whole way down I'm thinking "crap, we're going to have to get all this vertical back".  And so we do; after a terrifying encounter with fast traffic on 76 (no bike lane and no shoulder) we have to come back up Rice Canyon, mile after mile of climbing.  By the time we reach the second checkpoint at Rainbow, with 50 miles left, we are toast.  Normally in a double when you have "only" 50 miles left, you feel like you're basically done, but this is different.  The concern has shifted from whether Mark will make it due to his injuries to whether we will make it, period. 

The next section takes us mile after mile through the Lake Skinner recreation area - in the dark - up and down through rollers which are progressively steeper.  Well probably they aren't, but they feel that way.  We are on autopilot, legs moving, brains numb.  Failure is not an option.  Finally we make it to the last checkpoint - yay! - with only 25 miles to go.  And this time it really does feel like the home stretch; we could have carried our bikes 25 miles if we had to, the finish felt that close.  And can I just thank the organizers for providing hot chili at the last checkpoint; that was a key feature.

Finally we have just ninety minutes left: a little blundering about near Menifee Lakes, another brush with fast traffic and no bike lane - this time in the dark - and all right whew yes YES! we have made it.

{For posterity I will note our riding time for the second loop was 6:30, elapsed time 7:15, for a total of 13:45 elapsed overall.  Incredible considering the vertical, over 10,000', with the bulk of that climbing concentrated in the last 100.}

So you marked the date, right?  Yes, as I mentioned, tomorrow will be the anniversary's of Mark's hip replacement.  So he was able to achieve the triple crown within a year.  A pretty remarkable achievement; there are plenty of people with artificial hips walking around, but not so many who have ridden three double centuries within a year of getting them.  Amazing.

As for me, now I have to ask what's next?  The Furnace Creek 508?  Just kidding!  Or am I...

another double

Sunday, 03/30/08 10:01 AM

More cycle-blogging: Yesterday I completed the Solvang Double Century - 200 more miles.  (Yay!)  This was a great ride all the way up the central coast to Morro Bay, and then back down again, with a little climb through Drum Canyon to wrap it up.  Took me 10:58 of riding time, which is pretty darn respectable, and 12:45 overall.  This is over two hours better than I did in the Butterfield Double, and although that one was harder (more climbing), I've made pretty good progress.

Here's me and Mark Burson, my riding partner:

Next up for us is the Hemet Double Century next Saturday (yep; that will be two doubles in eight days).  If we survive that we'll have achieved the California Triple Crown!  After that, who knows...  maybe we'll have to do the RAAM :)

6,608 miles... and counting

Wednesday, 03/19/08 09:08 PM

One year ago today I decided to start a log of my bike rides.  I can't remember why, but after years of "just riding" I sat down and created a little spreadsheet, and have since made one row entries for each ride; the route, the miles, and the time (if known).  This is pretty cool, because now I know that in the past year I did 210 rides, for a total of 6,608 miles, an average of 31 miles per ride, or 127 miles per week.  Wow, that is so cool!

Without having previous years' metrics to compare I can't be sure, but I have to believe I have ridden more often, and further, as a result of keeping this log.  There were days when I really didn't feel like riding - maybe it was cold, or I was busy, or there was a ready procrastination handy - but I did it anyway to keep up the pace.  Watching that little plot creeping upward was an ever-present inspiration.

I believe this is an excellent example of the metric magic.  For me, measuring works.  Your mileage may vary :)

I did it again

Saturday, 03/08/08 07:31 PM

At this point riding centuries is a bit old hat for me, so perhaps I should stop posting about it.  After all I've sort of moved on to longer rides now; a "mere" century cannot be that interesting, right?  But today I successfully completed the Solvang Century (da da dum), with about 4,000 participants, and anyway it was a great ride so heck I'm going to post about it.  So yeah I did it, riding time 5:32, which considering the wind was pretty darn good.

Here's a picture of me at the top of Ballard Canyon, with about 10 miles to go;
it is notable for the house in the distance, which is my absolute dream,
a gorgeous mansion surrounded by Pinot Noir vineyards.
Hey, everyone needs a stretch goal, right?

Next up for me is a double-double at the end of March; the Solvang Double, followed the following weekend by the Hemet Double.  400 miles in 8 days.  That should keep me out of trouble :)

I did it! - 200 miles!!

Sunday, 02/17/08 09:32 AM

Yesterday I completed my first double century - the Butterfield!  I am rather proud of myself.  This makes the third long ride I've done this year; I started with a 200K (125mi), then did a 300K (185mi), and now, a full double.  Took me about 13:15 in riding time, 15:20 overall, with about 9,200' of climbing.  Unfortunately most of that vertical was in the last 50 miles, in the dark, after my legs were nicely toasted.  But I made it.

Here's a picture of me at about 120 miles, when I was still able to smile:

Actually I was able to smile at the end, too.  And better yet, I'm able to smile today.  I am a bit sore, but not amazingly so.

Onward!  I have to complete at least two more doubles this year to become a triple crown winner...  stay tuned!

riding up rockstore

Saturday, 02/09/08 08:02 PM

I ended up riding up the [infamous] Rockstore climb.  From my house this is a 30mi loop, about 15 miles to reach the climb, 3 miles up, and then 12 miles back.  This ride also features a couple of smaller climbs and a spiffy descent down Decker Canyon, as well as some nice flat powering, so it has a little of everything.  And it is beautiful!  This is some of the best riding anywhere...

BTW I'm not the only one who thinks so; check out this article from Competitive Cyclist, reporting on Team CSC's training in these very hills: "The general area around Agoura Hills - our understanding is that it basically straddles the Ventura/Los Angeles County line - might possibly hold the best riding in America.  In previous years we've logged big miles around Encinitas, Santa Barbara, and San Francisco, and we're fond of all those places.  But none of them matches the mix of savage climbing, spectacular scenery, and lack of traffic we found around Agoura Hills."

I thought you might enjoy some snaps of the ride, so I whipped out my trusty Treo; here ya go...

Yay 300K!

Saturday, 02/02/08 10:50 PM

Yay, made it.  It being the PCH Rando 300K.  Yes, that is 185 miles, and yes, that is a long way.  It took 14:39, at an average speed of 15mph.  (You start in the dark, at 6:00AM, and finish in the dark, at 9:00PM, and spend the time in between eating and drinking and riding.  And fixing flats.)  In addition to being 50% longer than the 200K I rode a few weeks ago, there was more climbing (over 8,000') and headwinds out and back.  It was a great ride; we had nice weather (except for the wind) and once again the ride organization was excellent.  Thanks to Mark my riding partner, who continues to impress me as he does these rides on an artificial hip.  Wow.

Me on PCH near Malibu, en route to Lake Casitas, Goleta, Carpinteria, and back...

300K = 189 miles + 8,000' = one tired rider

You might ask, why do I do these rides?  I have no idea.  It must be fun?

Yay 200K!

Saturday, 01/12/08 06:39 PM

I did it!  Completed the PCH Rando 200K, took me 7h 20m, for an average speed of 17.5mph.  Yay,me!  Good weather, great support - thank you Bobbi Fischer and your whole team - and great company - thank you Mark and Peter.  (Peter did his part by acting as a lightning rod, he had four flats!)  Awesome.  Oh and I lost 3lbs, despite eating eight peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, two bananas, and two Clif bars, and drinking 120 ounces of water and 20 ounces of Gatorade.

Me at the 35 mile mark.  Smile, dude!

Done!  200K = 127 miles.  Whew.

long day's journey into Lagos

Sunday, 09/09/07 01:51 AM

SO I was in Spain on business, so I decided to visit the Vuelta.  Stage 4, one of the nastiest climbs the Pro Tour ever rides, from Cangas des Onis to the Lagos de Covadonga.  And yes, I rode it myself.  Here’s my report...

A perfectly incredible day: La Vuelta eTapa 17e

Wednesday, 09/13/06 04:44 PM

So, I’m in Granada, Spain, and I’m going to watch stage 17 of the Vuelta a Espana, which finishes one street over from my hotel.  I want to see the last climb of the stage, a Cat 1 climb up Alto de Monachil, a legendary black hole for cyclists, and I ended up riding it myself.  Here's a play-by-play...

second gear

Monday, 11/21/05 07:55 PM

Back in the dawn of time, when I was 30, my life was somewhat in limbo.  I was in between marriages, and decided to take a creative writing class at a local college.  I wrote an essay called "Second Gear" in one go, and I am absurdly proud of it; the feelings ring as true for me today, fifteen years later, as they did then.  Makes me want to go ride the ol' Santa Susana pass again (although now I'd have my 15lb Kestrel with 18 gears). 

Anyway here it is, for your reading amusement, Second Gear...