28 July 2007

Santa Cruz Mountain Challenge Workers' Ride

Big Basin HQ The ride was to start in Scotts Valley from 7:45-8, so I intended on getting on the road at 7:15, but sudden sharp abdominal cramps just as I was getting set to go caused me to consider skipping the ride. Ten minutes later, I was feeling better, so I headed out into the thick fog, which became almost a drizzle as I headed up Glen Canyon.

I got to the start after 8, so most of the riders had already left. After getting signed in, I headed out on Bean Creek with two fast guys. We overtook a large group at the end of Bean Creek, and a scattering of others up Mountain Charlie, where we climbed out of the fog. On Riva Ridge, we caught up to and joined two more for Hutchinson, Summit, and Skyline. Around Black, another group caught up to us, so I wound up in a group of five. This was a supported ride, so there was a rest stop at Castle Rock, which we didn't expect. We slowed, but wound up continuing on.

We headed down Hwy 9 and Hwy 236. After the China Grade intersection, I fell behind on the descent. It was much cooler in Big Basin, but it was not fogged up. We were joined by a handful of riders, and at least one of them would head up Jamison Creek with us. Since they seemed antsy to get going, I didn't get anything but water, which I regretted when going up Jamison Creek, as I would get something full of sugar every other time on this route. My legs were already sore, but we soon headed out. I was a ways behind the main group, though within sight when approaching Little Basin. Then, on the descent after Little Basin, I was behind a car that was behind a van that rode the brakes all the way down. So I had to be on the brakes constantly. After the road flattened out near the China Grade intersection, I pulled out of the lane and a bunch more cars passed me, getting in line behind the van.

I rejoined the group that was stopped at the fire station at the bottom of Jamison. The clock just turned to 11:21 when I started up the climb. On the climb, I felt pretty weak, having not eaten much in the last four plus hours. I had been counting on getting something somewhere along the ride, if not at the Big Basin Headquarters. I was thinking that I'd bonk before getting to the top. The dead skunk on the 1.33 sign was still there. When I did get to the top, the clock turned to 11:52, so the climb took around 31 minutes, but the GPS refused to get a signal until after 11:55, so I adjusted the start time of the climb in my records to make the climb time closer to 31 minutes.

Along Empire Grade, I stopped at the prison for some water, then, a little later, on the side of the road where the group, who went ahead of me on Jamison, was stopped at a support truck with food and drink. I got a banana and filled my bottle with some iced-tea flavored energy drink. I dumped the approximate time of those two stops into a fictional stop at the top of Jamison in my records. There were two options for the ride: a 100 mile route, and a 65 mile route. By this time, I was certain that I was doing the shorter route. Three in our group were going to continue on the 100 mile route, while two others and I would roll down Empire Grade back to town.

21 July 2007

Roaming to Aromas and on to San Juan Bautista

San Juan Hwy It was already sunny when I got started at 7:30. The club ride was starting from Kirby Park at 9:15, so I headed out on Soquel. At first, the sun was right in my eyes, but by the time I was going by Cabrillo, it had moved to my left enough to not be a problem. After Soquel, I continued on San Andreas, going by farm workers and the smell of strawberries, then Thurwachter, McGowan, Trafton, Salinas, and Elkhorn to Kirby Park.

I got signed in. There was a decent turnout, though I wouldn't see most of them much after the ride started. A few others also rode to the start, including the three that I would be riding with for most of the ride. Since I didn't really know the route, I got a route sheet. The longest ride option included a climb up to Fremont Peak.

We started down Elkhorn, then up Hidden Valley, which I had never ridden before. On the climb up Hidden Valley, I wound up in a group of four in front. We continued on Strawberry, San Miguel Canyon, Tarpey, San Juan, Aromas, and Blohm to Aromas, stopping at the market. There was also a group of motorcyclists there. I got a lemonade. It was turning out to be a moderately hot day. Our ride leader arrived just before we headed out.

We passed by a couple other riders on the ride on Carpenteria before heading up Carr and Anzar, then taking San Juan Hwy into San Juan Bautista, where we stopped. It was around 11, a bit early for lunch, so I got a mini sandwich and a 32oz PowerAde, since they were on sale for 89 cents. The bottle of PowerAde was big, but, as it was a hot day, I finished it. During lunch, the sound of drums came from a little parade along The Alameda. It was too far for me to see much of it, and going out to get a better look meant getting out of the shade. Since we all had ridden to the Kirby Park and were going to ride back home afterwards, we decided not to go up to Fremont Peak.

After lunch, we started backtracking through San Juan Bautista, stopping for 10 minutes or so for water and restrooms. There was an outdoor antique market there. While we were stopped, most of the rest of the riders on the ride were arriving. Then, we headed off, backtracking back to Aromas. At San Juan Rd, however, since we were headed back to town, we turned right instead of backtracking all the way to Kirby Park as the route sheet indicated.

We took Murphy Crossing across the county line, then Hwy 129, Carleton, and Thompson. On Thompson, we discovered that a rear tire had some kind of sidewall flaw. After looking at it for a couple minutes, we decided it would probably hold up for the rest of the ride and to ride carefully. He had taken the descent of Carr pretty fast on that tire.

We continued on Carleton and Casserly, and I was tired and my right hip was tightening up at times, so I dropped back a few times, but the others slowed down and let me catch back up. At times, the metal plate felt dislocated, which a feeling I had often on my first ride since my injury, especially when standing. Normally, I wouldn't feel the plate that much these days, so it must be because I was so tired.

On Casserly, we decided to take Hazel Dell, and, on that climb, I fell way back. But, the others were waiting at the summit. On the descent to Corralitos, I fell back again, but rejoined the others at Corralitos, where we got water. We also discovered that another rear tire had a nasty cut in it, much worse looking that the first tire. In the end, we didn't do anything about that except to ride carefully on that as well. A couple of women rode up, one on an Orbea time-trial bike, and the other on a Pinarello. The Pinarello was the same model, F4:13, I think, as the one in our group, and they both had Record. The woman's had a smaller frame, and was pink rather than black, and had Speedplays rather than Looks. They headed out to Hazel Dell, and we headed up Hames, continuing onto Day Valley.

On Valencia, the guy on the cut tire was far behind, so we turned around and headed back up Day Valley. Sure enough, he had gotten a flat, so he fixed it and booted the tire with a dollar bill. Then, we started off again back to Valencia and Trout Gulch to Aptos Village, then onto Soquel back to town. I was tired and was dropping back again. Then, on the descent to Soquel, I got aero and caught up with and went by the others before stopping at the light at Porter. On the ensuing climb, I dropped back again, of course, but got caught back up at the stoplights. Somewhere after Dominican, the others turned off and I continued by myself. I was so hot and tired, I took the climb up High embarrassingly slowly.

14 July 2007

Eureka Canyon

Branciforte It was cool and foggy near the coast in the morning. I put on the windbreaker that I had just gotten and headed out to Capitola to join the club ride scheduled to start at 9. I had to stop for lots of red lights on Soquel Ave and Capitola Rd. I made it to the start of the ride and got signed in. There was a nice turnout for this ride, as usual for the Eureka Canyon ride.

Instead of the usual route through Capitola, then up to Park and McGregor, we headed up to Soquel, then by Cabrillo to Aptos Village, then took the usual Trout Gulch, Valencia, Cox, Day Valley route, then down Freedom to the next stop. It was sunny on Cox and Day Valley, so I unzipped my windbreaker, which turned into a parachute on the descents.

The faster group today was more antsy to get going, so we headed off soon after the slower riders arrived. In the past, we'd wait, then ride the lower part of Eureka Canyon at a more leisurely pace before pushing the pace somewhere between one third and halfway in. So, this time, the pace was faster at the lower part of Eureka Canyon. Then, about halfway in, a lone guy on a Specialized blew by. Then, the two fastest guys upped their pace and the group split up. I was in no shape to even try to keep up, so I was the fourth to the regroup at the top. The climb took 41:32, not too far from my previous and best time of 41:06. However, the previous time had leisurely riding at the bottom part, followed by hard riding to the top, so the faster pace today on the lower part masks the slower times that should have resulted from my loss of fitness. It was also getting quite warm, and the climb had me breathing pretty hard.

The regroup at the top was shorter than usual, and we headed off before any of the slower riders arrived. I had to fall back on the climbs on Highland and was sixth to the next stop at the Summit Market. I got a sandwich and a coke. I had just barely finished the sandwich when the faster group decided to get going. At least it would start with a long descent, and, in the pack, it would be a new personal best for me down Soquel-San Jose to Laurel Glen.

Then came the little climb up Laurel Glen, while still digesting the sandwich. At least everyone else was pretty tired too, so I was second to the top. From there, four guys would take Rodeo Gulch, while two others and I would head down Mountain View and Branciforte back to town.