Thursday, April 24, 2008

April Countdown

COUNTDOWN


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Terrible 2 and Geyers: April 19th weekend



Another first for me as far as cycling in Sonoma, Cloverdale, and Santa Rosa. For our Deathride training, we did a section of the Terrible Two Double (mile 90-198) portion. How exciting to start climbing less than a 1/2 mile from our starting point. There were times that we were climbing at a rate of 200-300 feet per mile. However, with the great ride company, sunrise, and the beautiful views, it did not seem horrible. The hardest climb was the third: mile 51-53.4: 18-22% grade. Ugh.... so glad we did this route. Highlights for me, redwoods, ocean views, tackling the climbs, and riding with the Fab 5's. I had the privilege to ride with Grace, a year post chemo. She never gave up. We did a total of 11354 feet of climbing in 108 miles.

Sun., we were to do the Geysers: 43 miles and 4000 feet. My legs did not have the energy. So, KSue, Rick and myself improvised and met our group on the other side of Geysers. 41 miles and 2300 feet of climbing. No complaints from me. By far, this has been my fav. training route.

This coming weekend, we will be joining Cheryl and Rick for our Booneydoon: 130 miles and 12,000 feet of climbing.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Marin YOYO ride, April 5



I have included photos from my cycling commrades Kimberly Wolf ( who I coached for in the past with TNT) and Rich Solis, aka, Rice Man(from Deathride Training days and TNT days). This particular weekend, we were charged with riding on our own.The goal was 70's miles and 7500 feet of climbing. My Dream Team, the team that I am assigned too, wanted to do a Marin Ride. So, I offered to create the route. My first route did not have enough miles nor elevation per Head Coach, Jacqui. Bumpster came up with a more creative one with the input of my friend Gil. The route was approved and we made the debut. Some of the roads were new to me. Sat. came and 25 inspired cyclists were ready to accomplish the Marin Hills. It was sunny and cool. We did not hit headwinds until Hwy 1. We rolled from the Center of Fairfax; we started immediately climbing Fairfax-Bolinas Rd. This brought us to the top before the glorious descent to the dam. Then, we climbed up to Ridgecrest. Next, we had to conquer the 7 sisters (or bitches in cycling community). Then, onward to the Eastern Ridgecrest of Mt. Tam: glorious views of San Francisco and Golden Gate Bridge. Next descent to Pan Toll and down Panaramic Hwy. Spectaculer ocean views of Stinson Beach. The first 21 miles, we already tackled 4200 feet of climbing. Next challenge were the rollers on Hwy 1 to Pt. Reyes. Upon arrival, glorious site: surprise sag by our own Dream team members: KSue and Sue. We were treated to wonderful healthy treats. I made the announcement that I made a mistake and we were going to have more miles and more climbing. However, our coaches would be proud. We continued north for 10 miles before the infamous Marshall Wall. We had two short climbs of 21%. The reward: great descent among the cows and farmlands. Next, we headed to the Cheesefactory and the town of Nicasio. From there, we continued southbound and did 2 additional climbs. The finish was a descent into the town of Fairfax. This was a great beautiful and challenging ride: 82.4 miles and 9300 feet of climbing. Watch out Markleeville. I have now officially earned the name of Sadistic Sue.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

18 Hills of the East Bay, 03/30/08



I was able to leap frog with my team this past Sat. The Dream Team is one of 5 teams of the TNT Deathride. Each weekend, our rides are longer in miles and more difficult in terrain. We cycled 72 miles and conquered 7000 feet of elevation. Besides the miles and terrain, we tackled mother nature: cloudy cool weather, misty/rain, dense fog, and sunshine. We had awesome sag supports. My favorite was Chris Robinson bicycle shop who served us expresso. His father is fighting cancer and we had the privilege to meet him at the store. It was grand to see his smiling face and cheering us on. I felt good on this ride and enjoyed the conversations of my teammates. Kim was our coach for the day: watch our pace, power on the hills by using harder gears, focus on heartrate, focus on fueling, focus on team vs. solo, and have fun.