Friday, April 30, 2010
April Showers Bring May Flowers
The end of April has brought a new beginning. May promises to open a door that has been closed far too long. In rewinding the YouTube channel of my past life experience I have finally learned the lesson it has been trying to teach. When I have someone of interest in my life I become more interesting to other women. Something that I never acted upon or from which I reaped any benefit. In the past I have always followed the path of one person at a time. There is nothing wrong with that except I would follow this pattern even at the first date stage. And when that didn't work out I would realize I missed out on opportunity with another woman. I would then think "ah now I can go ahead and ask out (insert name here)" but someone else would always have beaten me to the punch! Right now I am in what could probably at best be called a "limbonic relationship" (Yes I made up LIMBONIC, think "limbo" and you get the gist) with a woman I consider special in many ways and frustrating in others. A dear friend of mine got married last week and at the wedding I had a chance to voice some of my concerns and my desires about said relationship (or whatever the Hell it is!) and she listened and understood. We had a great evening. I had never felt more comfortable with someone in a very long time then I did that night just talking and enjoying a friends wedding. Well of course this mean that I started giving off the look at me I'm happy vibe for the next few days. And a funny thing happened. My sense of humor came back to me (yes I used too be a damn funny guy) and apparently it is to women what a light bulb on a warm Summer evening is to a moth. So I have laid before me opportunity. An opportunity to enjoy life without drama, without conditions. And I am finally doing something about it! Don't get me wrong I really want the "limbonic relationship" to become a well-defined relationship but until then I will not repeat the mistakes of my past.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Mount Laguna Bicycle Classic
Yesterday was the inaugural Mount Laguna Bicycle Classic (See link above for ride profile and description) . Advertised as 100+ miles (102 actually) and 10,000ft of climbing (9708 according to my Suunto) and for those Euros or cycling aficionados who deal in kilometers (like me) 164km and 2959m. There were 7 climbs (3 major) spread out among 3 loops. The ride started in waves of fifty riders per wave every ten minutes beginning at 6am. I was in the 2nd wave and it was chilly! 41f at the starting line and 32f in the shade. I chose fingerless gloves, knee and arm warmers and a vest. I knew it would warm up quickly once the sun cleared the ridge line so I was willing to deal with being cold for a short time. A short time ended up being the 1st hour! It was so cold my fingers were painful and ghostly white on the edges directly in the wind. Later in the ride it was in the low 70's. Nothing like a 40 degree temperature swing.
Initially my plan was to ride with a couple friends who I see on the weekly group rides. That went down the drain fairly quickly. While they are in some way much stronger riders than I am i wanted to warm up so I started the short but steep climb out of Pine Valley which begins the 1st loop (the Laguna Triangle)at a brisk pace just for the sake of not freezing to death ;) Standing on the pedals I quickly dropped the majority of my 'wave mates' and soon found myself with just myself and my mp3 player (one ear piece only, low volume) to keep me company.
I was beginning to wonder if i started to quickly for some a long distance, a distance I have ridden less then ten times in 25 years of riding. I was slowly but surely catching a variety of other riders going at a more leisurely pace (do they know something I don't?) My PowerTap said my watts were in the endurance/tempo range so I kept cruising along and up one of my favorite climbs in San Diego to the summit at Paso Picacho campground. The climb is twisty and still a little surreal since it is still barren of trees since the fires more than 5 years ago. I passed a dad and his two daughters cruising through the two switchbacks, past the fire station with the fireman outside sitting on the bumper of the fire truck watching riders go by. Bombed the descent to the store at Lake Cuyamaca and on around the lake to start the next series of climbs on Sunrise Hwy. Although this starts a 13 miles stretch of climbing it has a lot of rollers and false flats to break it up. Keeping a steady pace I was soon joined by a group of four riders and I slipped onto the back of their group. It's always better when you can ride with someone on a long climb. Once cresting the 6000ft summit there is a mandatory check-in about 1/2 mile from the top. Great support workers filled bottles and gel flaks with Hammer Nutrition products. I took advantage of the free Perpetuem and Endurolyte caps (my biggest concern was cramping later in the event).
The start of the 2nd loop was the first of three descents down one of my favorite mountain descents...Sunrise Hwy! The asphalt is smooth and the corners can be taken at 50+ mph. You can choose not to pedal at all for about 20 minutes or go for it. I usually get as aero as possible by sitting on the top tube and getting my chest onto the handlebars. There are two concerns when descending down Sunrise Hwy this way. First is a front tire blowing out and second a cow on the road as you go through the pasture area about 1/3 of the way down No blowouts, no cows! Onto the next climb up Kitchen Creek. Kitchen Creek is a local legend of a climb. Narrow rough paved road with 1/3 of it closed to cars. Steep in sections and exposed to the sun since it is on the south face of Mount Laguna. I found the climbing was relatively easy and it helped that I was riding with two other riders. You always ride a little faster when next to someone. By this time my back was starting to hurt. I have serious issues with my lower spine but rarely does it bother me to ride. In fact riding a bike is my sanctuary from nearly constant pain. I was convincing myself to not do the 3rd loop. However checking it at the sag stop I was told there were probably only twenty riders ahead. Crap! Bombed the descent again through a thick cloud of bugs. Little bugs hurt when you hit them at 40mph. You try and keep you head tilted down to keep them out of your nose. You cannot open your mouth and you hope your sunglasses keep them out of your eyes.
3rd loop. I checked in at the start/finish and noodled around for 12-15 minutes. Dropping off my vest and warmers at the car. I saw that no one else was here which meant that I was far in front of many other riders including my friends. WTF I should do the loop. I wasn't feeling good about it and with trepidation refilled bottles and reloaded on Endurolyte caps and pedaled out of town to Pine Creek rd. I hate riding a climb that I have not scouted out before. I had talked to my friends who had pre-ridden that climb and it wasn't going to be any fun. I enjoy a tough steep (above 8% grade) climb more than most. There are a few 20%+ ramps. I knew I may have to walk parts of it. After 80 miles of riding and 7000ft of climbing in the legs it was going to be brutal. I was riding a compact with an 11-23 cassette. Had I had fresh legs for Pine Creek rd it probably wouldn't have been an issue but it was this time. I climbed off the bike 4 separate times to walk the 20% ramps. In all the years I have ridden or raced my bike I have walked a climb only once before. Walking is Hell on your cleats! I do not recommend walking rough pavement without cleat covers. It grinds your cleats down very quickly. I had to change them this morning before the group ride. Funny thing about walking those sections is that the men and a few women going by still pedaling were not going by much quicker than I was walking. I must admit I got a little worried for my health at one point when I had to lean over the bars and rest to catch my breath. Altitude doesn't usually affect me and being at only 5000ft shouldn't have had any affect at all. I was having trouble breathing. I seriously thought that the irony of being incredibly fit would catch up with all those that say you are getting older ( I am 47) and I might keel over. I pushed through and kept going knowing that once I got of this Mother F***ker of a climb I could coast downhill back to the finish. I rode the last part of the climb with an older guy named Len (not Pettyjohn!). We both agreed that having Pine Creek at the end of the ride was going to be too much for a lot of people and they wouldn't know how bad it was until they were past the point of no return. The words of the first Tour de France racers went through my head "Assassin's!" is what they said to DeGrange after completing the brutal climbs he had inserted into the Tour. Finally reached Sunrise Hwy and a familiar rode! 2-3 miles of climbing then the check-in and one last time to bomb the descent and hopefully bug free! I remembered to once again thank the sag volunteers as I rode out to head down the hill. I was aware of my time and wanted to get in under 7 hours if I could so that meant pedaling hard down the descent instead of coasting for the next twenty minutes or so. A few bugs this time and a few cars later I rolled into the finish to get my race number marked and time recorded. I survived and rode a good pace.
In hindsight I am glad I chose to finish the 3rd loop. It showed me that i can ride through some incredibly difficult challenges and this should transfer over to some of my races.
The numbers:
164.2 Kilometers
2959 meters elevation gain over 7 climbs
3989 kilojoules (calories) work
Avg Power (watts) 162
Max Power 681 watts
Avg Cadence 64
Avg Speed 23.98 kilometers per hour
Max Speed 73.69 kilometers per hour
Avg Heart Rate 143 bpm
Ride time (moving) 6 hours 48 minutes and 9 seconds. Overall time probably about 7:20 (check in stops and waiting too start 3rd loop and add to actual time)
The majority of the ride was at Endurance pace and Tempo which was the goal although 52 minutes were at Race Pace and above (above LT) this was probably the steeper climbing sections.
Initially my plan was to ride with a couple friends who I see on the weekly group rides. That went down the drain fairly quickly. While they are in some way much stronger riders than I am i wanted to warm up so I started the short but steep climb out of Pine Valley which begins the 1st loop (the Laguna Triangle)at a brisk pace just for the sake of not freezing to death ;) Standing on the pedals I quickly dropped the majority of my 'wave mates' and soon found myself with just myself and my mp3 player (one ear piece only, low volume) to keep me company.
I was beginning to wonder if i started to quickly for some a long distance, a distance I have ridden less then ten times in 25 years of riding. I was slowly but surely catching a variety of other riders going at a more leisurely pace (do they know something I don't?) My PowerTap said my watts were in the endurance/tempo range so I kept cruising along and up one of my favorite climbs in San Diego to the summit at Paso Picacho campground. The climb is twisty and still a little surreal since it is still barren of trees since the fires more than 5 years ago. I passed a dad and his two daughters cruising through the two switchbacks, past the fire station with the fireman outside sitting on the bumper of the fire truck watching riders go by. Bombed the descent to the store at Lake Cuyamaca and on around the lake to start the next series of climbs on Sunrise Hwy. Although this starts a 13 miles stretch of climbing it has a lot of rollers and false flats to break it up. Keeping a steady pace I was soon joined by a group of four riders and I slipped onto the back of their group. It's always better when you can ride with someone on a long climb. Once cresting the 6000ft summit there is a mandatory check-in about 1/2 mile from the top. Great support workers filled bottles and gel flaks with Hammer Nutrition products. I took advantage of the free Perpetuem and Endurolyte caps (my biggest concern was cramping later in the event).
The start of the 2nd loop was the first of three descents down one of my favorite mountain descents...Sunrise Hwy! The asphalt is smooth and the corners can be taken at 50+ mph. You can choose not to pedal at all for about 20 minutes or go for it. I usually get as aero as possible by sitting on the top tube and getting my chest onto the handlebars. There are two concerns when descending down Sunrise Hwy this way. First is a front tire blowing out and second a cow on the road as you go through the pasture area about 1/3 of the way down No blowouts, no cows! Onto the next climb up Kitchen Creek. Kitchen Creek is a local legend of a climb. Narrow rough paved road with 1/3 of it closed to cars. Steep in sections and exposed to the sun since it is on the south face of Mount Laguna. I found the climbing was relatively easy and it helped that I was riding with two other riders. You always ride a little faster when next to someone. By this time my back was starting to hurt. I have serious issues with my lower spine but rarely does it bother me to ride. In fact riding a bike is my sanctuary from nearly constant pain. I was convincing myself to not do the 3rd loop. However checking it at the sag stop I was told there were probably only twenty riders ahead. Crap! Bombed the descent again through a thick cloud of bugs. Little bugs hurt when you hit them at 40mph. You try and keep you head tilted down to keep them out of your nose. You cannot open your mouth and you hope your sunglasses keep them out of your eyes.
3rd loop. I checked in at the start/finish and noodled around for 12-15 minutes. Dropping off my vest and warmers at the car. I saw that no one else was here which meant that I was far in front of many other riders including my friends. WTF I should do the loop. I wasn't feeling good about it and with trepidation refilled bottles and reloaded on Endurolyte caps and pedaled out of town to Pine Creek rd. I hate riding a climb that I have not scouted out before. I had talked to my friends who had pre-ridden that climb and it wasn't going to be any fun. I enjoy a tough steep (above 8% grade) climb more than most. There are a few 20%+ ramps. I knew I may have to walk parts of it. After 80 miles of riding and 7000ft of climbing in the legs it was going to be brutal. I was riding a compact with an 11-23 cassette. Had I had fresh legs for Pine Creek rd it probably wouldn't have been an issue but it was this time. I climbed off the bike 4 separate times to walk the 20% ramps. In all the years I have ridden or raced my bike I have walked a climb only once before. Walking is Hell on your cleats! I do not recommend walking rough pavement without cleat covers. It grinds your cleats down very quickly. I had to change them this morning before the group ride. Funny thing about walking those sections is that the men and a few women going by still pedaling were not going by much quicker than I was walking. I must admit I got a little worried for my health at one point when I had to lean over the bars and rest to catch my breath. Altitude doesn't usually affect me and being at only 5000ft shouldn't have had any affect at all. I was having trouble breathing. I seriously thought that the irony of being incredibly fit would catch up with all those that say you are getting older ( I am 47) and I might keel over. I pushed through and kept going knowing that once I got of this Mother F***ker of a climb I could coast downhill back to the finish. I rode the last part of the climb with an older guy named Len (not Pettyjohn!). We both agreed that having Pine Creek at the end of the ride was going to be too much for a lot of people and they wouldn't know how bad it was until they were past the point of no return. The words of the first Tour de France racers went through my head "Assassin's!" is what they said to DeGrange after completing the brutal climbs he had inserted into the Tour. Finally reached Sunrise Hwy and a familiar rode! 2-3 miles of climbing then the check-in and one last time to bomb the descent and hopefully bug free! I remembered to once again thank the sag volunteers as I rode out to head down the hill. I was aware of my time and wanted to get in under 7 hours if I could so that meant pedaling hard down the descent instead of coasting for the next twenty minutes or so. A few bugs this time and a few cars later I rolled into the finish to get my race number marked and time recorded. I survived and rode a good pace.
In hindsight I am glad I chose to finish the 3rd loop. It showed me that i can ride through some incredibly difficult challenges and this should transfer over to some of my races.
The numbers:
164.2 Kilometers
2959 meters elevation gain over 7 climbs
3989 kilojoules (calories) work
Avg Power (watts) 162
Max Power 681 watts
Avg Cadence 64
Avg Speed 23.98 kilometers per hour
Max Speed 73.69 kilometers per hour
Avg Heart Rate 143 bpm
Ride time (moving) 6 hours 48 minutes and 9 seconds. Overall time probably about 7:20 (check in stops and waiting too start 3rd loop and add to actual time)
The majority of the ride was at Endurance pace and Tempo which was the goal although 52 minutes were at Race Pace and above (above LT) this was probably the steeper climbing sections.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
Don't Panic!
Today was just another Monday for me, a day off work. For those of you who work in retail you know that our 'weekend' usually doesn't correspond with the rest of the World's Saturday/Sunday Dogma. Slept in until 7a.m. Yes that is sleeping in for me. Climbed on the Time Trial bike (Sonja) and got in a quick ride (60 minutes) to spin out the legs and refresh my body's memory before Friday's 8.4 mile Time Trial which opens the San Diego Cyclo-Vets Omnium this weekend. There was a threat of rain and I guess getting caught by a brief shower was indicative of the rest of my day.
I recently started dating again and I think it's going well although technically we have only had one date, and one coffee date with my daughter Delaney while she was visiting. The woman I am 'dating' keeps herself very busy so sometimes I feel like i need to make a reservation well in advance to see her. I do send texts but not everyday and in reality only a couple a week to let her know my schedule (my social calendar is pretty much wide open as opposed to hers). Today she texted me that she was on her way back home from her weekend camping trip and that I needed to "slow down the texting because I was kind of driving her crazy" WTF?
Maybe it's me but I am beginning to believe that I can no longer judge people at all. I have lost my ability to see through bullshit and spot the flower blooming underneath. Maybe I am just over thinking what she said? If this one fizzles then I am officially done forever.
I recently started dating again and I think it's going well although technically we have only had one date, and one coffee date with my daughter Delaney while she was visiting. The woman I am 'dating' keeps herself very busy so sometimes I feel like i need to make a reservation well in advance to see her. I do send texts but not everyday and in reality only a couple a week to let her know my schedule (my social calendar is pretty much wide open as opposed to hers). Today she texted me that she was on her way back home from her weekend camping trip and that I needed to "slow down the texting because I was kind of driving her crazy" WTF?
Maybe it's me but I am beginning to believe that I can no longer judge people at all. I have lost my ability to see through bullshit and spot the flower blooming underneath. Maybe I am just over thinking what she said? If this one fizzles then I am officially done forever.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
