Solvang, Another Brutal Double

Solvang is the second double century on my schedule, and I was really looking forward to this.  After Camino Real, I felt I wasn’t really prepared for that, so I really trained, doing two centuries (hilly ones), and I even did a couple of rain training rides (I just hoped I wouldn’t have to use any of that training).

For once, I didn’t book at a Motel 6.  Instead, they were offering an event discount at the Days Inn.  I shouldn’t rely on map programs solely, as the directions guided me to enter 101, and the motel would be on the right 395 feet later.  Umm … there was only one way out …. and that is to exit on Santa Rosa, which wasn’t too far down, but still … I should have just done it the old fashioned way … using my eyes!

Usually, I revert to a quick bagel before the ride, and use that as my breakfast.  Not really healthy, eh?  Well, when you are strapped for time, you are limited in choices.  But with a refrigerator and microwave oven … I had more options.  Nice quick egg and ham breakfast with instant Starbucks … mmmm … now I’m ready for the ride!

I started out with my friends Lynn, Ron H, and Rick at the bright and early hour of 5 am. In fact, most of the riders started at 5 am.  We rolled out, but about 2-3 miles out, I found myself in front of my group, but didn’t find them behind me.  Later, I found out there was one of many flats on the day.  I decided just to move on.

I was supposed to head straight on Hwy 246, cross Hwy 154, then continue onto Amour Ranch Road … but I think I am quickly building up a reputation for getting lost.  Well, I thought I was crossing 154, but I somehow ended up on Hwy 154.  I couldn’t see anyone ahead of me, and no one was coming up from behind me.  Time to bring out my trusty Droid, and verified … yup, I’m on the wrong road.  U-turn time!

Back on the route, and then I nearly missed the next turn.  Some yelled out I’m missing the turn … this is not starting out too great.  First, I get separated, then I get lost once, and almost twice.  Time to play catch up … who knows how much time I wasted.  But luckily I didn’t lose too much time.

Summit of Foxen Canyon

I eventually caught everyone on the Foxen Canyon climb, and the fun descent ensues.  Even after it flattens out, we were still picking up speed.  I caught up with a group of 5 or 6 fixies … yes, they are doing the double on fixed gear.  They were spinning like crazy, just to maintain speed.  It was getting me tired just seeing their cadence so high.  Imagine how tired they must have felt?

Got to the first checkpoint, but no sign of Lynn, Ron H, or Rick.  So just as I was ready to leave, I see them show up.  I let them know I’m moving on, just so I don’t get my legs cold.  But at least it’s dry, not raining.

Oops … did I say the dirty “R” word?  Around the 70 mile mark, I start feeling the first hints of dampness, which then sustains to actual rain.  It would then continue to rain throughout the day, and into night, without any breaks at all.  At the second CP, I could see everyone scurrying to put on rain pants, rain jacket, scuba gear, anything to keep them dry.  I also went ahead and ditched my rain slick (which was just making me damp, even without it raining), for my Goretex jacket.  Plus, it may keep me just a tad warmer.  And I also stuck around long enough to say hi, and bye to Lynn.  Ok, off I go …

I hooked up with Tawny, but Camino Real buddy, who I rode with to finish that other rain soaked double.  It was good to catch up with her, but had to go on my own, as she had to tend to her riding partner, who was lagging a little behind.  Onto SLO.  In years past, they would take the group out to Morro Bay, then loop around back to SLO.  The problem there was traffic.  This time, the route takes it one exit earlier, and skips the traffic around Morro Bay.  However, some riders ahead of me were used to the Morro Bay route, and they missed the Los Osos exit.  I realized that, and had to backtrack just to stay on the route.  Ok, that’s misdirection #3 on the day (in case you are counting).

Lunch stop is at mile 115, and much needed subway sandwich, and a little attempt to stay dry (head under the awning by the food).

The rain is a constant stream, contrast to Camino Real, where the rain drops were somewhat heavy at times.  The intensity of the rain didn’t change, and it was like you were taking a shower all day.  In other words, it was really annoying.

The next 40 miles or so were kind of monotonous … just stay on Hwy 1 for almost eternity.  It got so monotonous, that I ended up missing the next CP at Guadalupe.  I looked at the mileage marker, and just had to stop, since I knew I missed it.  Time to dig into my reserves, and grab some snacks.  Eventually, I hook up with my facebook friend Teresa.  Well, actually, we did chat a little bit last year at the CTC Breakfast Awards Banquet, but this would be the first time we rode together.  We proceeded to ride together all the way to the finish.

At least I got someone to ride with en route to Los Alamos (I remember it being monotonous, especially riding along Hwy 135).  It sure helped pass the time away.  If I had continued solo, I probably wouldn’t have anything left for the home stretch.  All we can think of was Cup O’ Noodles, just to get some warmth into our blood stream (although a little bit of hot sauce would have spiced things up going up the hill, eh?).

In years past, the last climb would go up Drum Canyon, but the descent was very choppy, and in the dark, that could be very treacherous.  So instead, we take Alisos Canyon, to Foxen Canyon.  The climb itself was not as bad as I thought it would be, and Alisos Canyon is nice and smooth.  I guess the Cup O Noodles did help, or did I just get my second wind?  We make a right turn on Foxen Canyon, and I am expected a hard climb up, but it was anti-climactic.  I guess I was climbing a bit better.  Now Teresa and I thought the climb would go to the wall, which is where we normally would go IF we were doing the Solvang Century.  So that’s what we did … hang a left to continue on Foxen Canyon.  However, something in me was second guessing it … no one behind us, no one in front of us.  I high tail it up the hill and yell out “stop, hold on”.

Ok, this is my misdirection #4 (but I guess you can say we didn’t have enough climbing, so just add another few hundred feet, right???) …. yeah right.  We head down the hill, and get back on the route by making a left on Zaca Canyon.  Wow, whaddayaknow … a constant stream of riders flowing through here.  Ah, yes … it was so good to see rider traffic.

In retrospect, if we continued on Foxen Canyon, we could have eventually met up with Ballard Canyon, which is where the route eventually wound up.  Oh well.  One last climb up, then the descent down Ballard.  Since it was wet, and this is a descent, it’s time to use that big investment in HID lights.  I turned everything full blast, so that I could see every nick on the road.  Luckily, no issues, and we ended up back at the start.  Made it with 30 minutes left to spare.  Woohoo!

Now with all the rain, wet roads, usually you see a lot of people with flats.  And I saw just that.  I saw so many people, stopped off to the side of the road, changing a flat.  Surprisingly, I was lucky to avoid that (even with all the gravel, mud, and all the crud left on the road).  Now just watch, I’ll go for a ride around the block, and flat out.  May days are numbered.

There were a number of DNF’s, so I consider myself pretty fortunate, or just maybe my training is on a different scheduler than everyone else’s.  Needless to say, I am very humbled that I have complete 2 doubles before most people have even started their triple crown schedule.

Planet Ultra reported that 484 riders registered for this ride, 379 started, and 288 finished.  Wow, that’s some telling stat.  They even extended the normal 17 hour time limit by one hour (due to cold, wet weather conditions).  Official results … http://racedaytiming.com/results.php?event=51

My totals, with all the misdirections … 200 miles, 7600 feet climbing.  An actual double!  Two down, three to go.

So This is What Riding in Washington State is Like

So I didn’t have enough rain riding from Butterflood or officially the Camino Real Double that I decided to deliberately ride in the rain. Actually, Solvang Double is next weekend, so I wanted to get some riding in. Unfortunately, it’s forecast to rain all weekend. I looked for the lightest window and went for it.

I went with Bassem, and together, we endured about 25 miles of wet, sloshy, dampness, ignoring the fact that we are just simply nuts. Actually, it wasn’t too bad for me. After riding Camino Real, this was just an extension of that. Besides, we didn’t have to ride on the freeway, and it wasn’t dark. All was good as long as we just kept pedaling.

We stuck plastic bags in our shoes, but that will only last so long. You are going to get wet, and your feet are going to be wet. I just hope we don’t run into this type of weather in Solvang, but I have a sneaking suspicion it will be a wet one. The long range forecast seems to indicate rain. Oh well, as long as I have my rain gear.

The one thing I hate is getting out of wet clothes. I literally had to peel my arm warmers, leg warmers, jersey, shorts … But those dry out pretty easily… It’s the gloves, that get so drenched, it’s hard to get those dried out. I don’t plan to ride on Sunday, so at least I won’t have to worry about that.

Can’t Really Justify an IPad at this point

When the iPad came out, you couldn’t help but notice the big ad campaign. Apple’s tablet entry was sure a big splash. However, I had just purchased my Asus EeePC net book. The net book is a little thicker and a little wider, but I liked the form factor of it. So when the iPad came out, I kept wondering if I really needed this.

Well, at work, I made some major contributions and they rewarded me with my own iPad. Great, now I don’t have to kick myself for wondering if I should have bought an iPad. What better way than to get it free.

Now I was envisioning powering up the unit, having a list of wifi access points, and connecting. Makes sense, right? Well, not to Apple. No, you have to hook up to iTunes first, before you can do anything on the iPad. this means hooking up to another external computer, that has iTunes updated, then sync to the iPad. What????????

Apple iPad relying on Windows 7 Net Book just to get started!

So I had to hook up a USB cable to my Windows 7 powered net book. How ironic is that? I took the picture above using a droid powered phone, with anApple ipad, connected to an EeePC on Windows 7!

Apple’s prized tablet, relying on Microsoft Windows 7 to get it going? So if you send an iPad to your parents, who doesn’t have a computer, won’t be able to use it. It will be a brick. Major fail!

Multitasking is clunky. I couldn’t figure out how to quit an application or switch between applications until I talked to someone who owned an iPhone. Not very intuitive.

My decision to buy an iPad would be to replace my net book. Well, based on my initial experience, I think I prefer my net book. I can’t really consider the iPad as a tool, but more as a toy. I continually try to find a productive use for this, but the only conclusion I came up with is, it is a toy!

Hmm … Should I do DMD … NO!

There was another DMD trainer ride, and this would be a good opportunity to get in a good 100+ miler 2 weeks before my Solvang Double.  The route would be in excess of 100 miles, but damn … what a difficult way to get in those 100 miles.

Dan, our fearless leader, showing his stretching prowess

My friend Dan, aka lanceoldstrong, was the mastermind of this route.  He was originally going to do this with his buddy, and it was going to be just a two man ride.  Well, he had to bail, and so the ride plan goes on twitter … well, a two man ride turned into a 9 man ride.  Woohoo … the power of twitter.  Most of the usual suspects showed up .. myself, Bassem, Chris, Marco, Donald, Ben, and a couple new faces I haven’t seen before … Keith and Yu Hua.

We were originally going to start at Mines Rd, to pick up along the DMD route, but a bunch of us derailed that idea.  Longer drive than we wanted to, so we started from Bart in Fremont instead.  This was a nicer option, as it does give us a nice 25 mile warmup before hitting Mines Rd, and second, if we started from Mines Rd, we’d hit climbing immediately.

The pace out of Fremont Bart was brisque.  Of course, anytime you head out on Niles Canyon, and get into a paceline, you can’t help but have a fast pace.  At least this gives our legs a nice warmup.

First flat of the day

After a quick jaunt on I-680, then onto Vallecitos (Hwy 84), we suffered our first flat.  Keith was the unfortunate victim.

We forge on ahead to Livermore

Chris signaled us to move on.  Chris and Ben stuck along side with Keith.  They are guaranteed to catch us (and they eventually did on Mines Road).  So we forged on ahead.  I assumed my normal position .. in the back of the pack.

We made one last pit stop before heading out to Mines Road.  However, Donald got a flat there … two, and counting.  Bassem took some time to take a few pics.  For once, I’m in the picture.  This is a rarity.

Starting the steep climb on Mines Road

Onwards to Mines Road.  A left turn to continue on Mines Road, and suddenly, I lost visible contact with the rest of the group.  Oh well, I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep up with everyone, but this is ridiculous.  Anyhow, time to get into a groove, and just try to limit the pain.  I did eventually catch up with Dan, but only because he was disrobing …. uh, taking off base layer that is.  But a funny thing happened from this … when he redressed himself, one strap from the bib was just hanging out.  I should have taken a pic, but I refrained from that.  Had to give our leader some respect.  :p

Eventually Dan did pass me up, partially because the tourist in me is stopping to take in the views, as well as more pictures.

Re-group due to Marco's flat

I could feel the steep portion was over, as I’m able to pick up some speed and actually descend!  Then, I see a group off to the side … uh oh, not a good sign.  Whaddayaknow … another flat.  Flat #3.  This time, it’s Marco.

Onwards for more rollies, then, Yu Hua gets a flat.  That’s #4.  Everyone was getting a little antsy, so I stuck in with Yu Hua, and decided to meet everyone at The Junction.  We didn’t catch anybody, as we were struggling with the rest of the rollies on Mines Road.  These rollies kept going on and on … I kept looking at the mile markers on the road, and couldn’t remember exactly what mile the Junction was at … it’s mile 19.  The last few climbs before the Junction were kickers, and we just wanted it to end.

Lunch at The Junction

We finally get to the Junction, and Dan had already left at that point.  We did get to chat with a few of the group, but they went on ahead.  Sandwiches at the Junction take a while, and that meant we’ll most likely not see anyone the rest of the day.  I saw Britpower, who was leading the Cinderella training ride today.  No wonder we saw so many riders on Mines Road today.  I wasn’t sure if this was the norm, but it was good to see so many riders out today.

Britpower was waving a number of times at me today, but I was so out of it and tired, I didn’t recognize her, until she came up to me face to face.  Duh.  All I knew was I needed food in my stomach.  I could feel I was hungry about 3 miles before the Junction.

Beginning of the grind on the backside of Hamilton

Finally got our lunch, and we headed out towards Hamilton around 1 pm.  I knew at this point I would not be able to catch up with anyone else.  Yu Hua and I traded leads for the first several miles or so, until Yu Hua’s legs got into gear, and then it was a slow grind up the backside.

All along I knew this was just the beginning.  Yes, I do see the mileage markers on the road, but what I was really looking for was the bridge, because that’s when I know the real climbing starts.  Cross through about 3 or 4 cattle grates, and then finally, the bridge.

12% Climb

From this point on, it’s 12-14% climbs up until about 1.5 miles from the summit.  This is really where you have to dig down deep into the pit of your soul, and muster more energy to just turn the crank.

2 Miles to the Summit. What a welcome sight to see.

And of course, I was so happy to see the 2 mile marking on the road.  Although there is still a bit of climbing left to do, I knew the end was near.

Summit is right around the corner

A little further up the climb, then I see the big 120-inch telescope Observatory … ah the worst is over.

Once at the summit, I get a text message from Ramon.  Chris is not feeling well, and a bunch of folks decide to skip Sierra.  It’s 3:09 pm, and I need to get going if I want to finish the ride in daylight.  So I made the decision to skip Sierra too.  By the time I get to the base of Sierra, it’s already 4:31 pm … uh no, definitely not doing Sierra.  Plus, my legs just don’t have the energy to even make it up the first bump.

I finally made it back to Fremont Bart at 5:54 pm, and without needing lights.  I later saw a tweet from Dan at 6:18 pm, indicating he just finished.  This was one tough ride, and simulated actually doing DMD.  So should I even consider doing DMD?  Well, after this ride experience, I would say an emphatic NO!!!!  I think I’ll just stick to volunteering this ride.  I’m glad I did it, and even more glad that I made it all the way through.  I think this training ride is overkill for preparation for Solvang, but it should all be good.

For more pics, go to https://picasaweb.google.com/ronster/MinesRdHamilton#

Here is the strava stats:

First Century of the Year – Sierra, Calaveras, Palomares and Dumbarton

With all the emphasis on completing 5 doubles this year, it’s odd to realize that I haven’t actually completed a full century this year (I would consider anything 90-100 miles a century).  I think not riding this distance may have actually had some impact on how I did on Camino Real Double Century.

This weekend was not good timing with others, but I was able to coordinate a ride with Donald, doing Sierra Road, then Calaveras, Palomares.  I would also do an extended ride over the Dumbarton Bridge, then back home.  That would make a good loop around the bay.

Funny thing about Sierra Road … it starts out at 14% … that’s a rude awakening.  The picture doesn’t really give you a clue as to how steep it really is … trust me, when you see it in person, it is freakin’ steep.  It’s hard to determine how to really prepare for this.  I even rode from home, so I already had logged in 15 miles before hitting this climb, but I still was not prepared.  I realized you just have to suffer while climbing, then you get into the climbing rhythm.

I can’t imagine doing this on DMD after about 150 miles.  It’s hard enough just doing this after 15 miles.

This is a brutal climb.  It hits you with a steep pitch at first.  You do get short breaks of 5-8% but then continues at 10-14 %.  About 200 feet from the top, it does level off a little bit, before it kicks up to 14% again, then finally summits at about 12%.

Can you imagine ATOC riders, racing up this … and this year it will be a hill top finish.  This is going to be epic.

Donald ran a little late, so we decided to meet at the summit.  I was actually surprised he didn’t pass me up on the hill, but I did see a number of people pass me up … no surprise there.

Swooping down Felter, on the other side of Sierra is exhilarating.  The views are breathtaking … sorry, it was too good to just descend down this, and I just couldn’t stop and take pictures … you’ll just have to take my word for it.  There are a few straight stretches where you could pick up some serious speed, but I kept it conservative, maxing out at 43.5 mph.

Calaveras, other than the one short steep wall, is a nice gradual climb.  There is nothing too significant as far as grades.  There was a lot of riders coming the opposite direction on Calaveras.  There was the cinderella training ride, and a bunch of Team in Training riders going the same direction.  Not sure if both groups were the same training group, but I thought it was an actual event ride, but found out it wasn’t.  There were definitely a lot of cyclists out there today.

We made our usual stop in Sunol for lunch, then onto Palomares.  Normally, going through Dublin Canyon (to get to Palomares) has some stiff headwinds, but it wasn’t really that bad today.  However, I still had some issues just turning the crank.  Who knows … maybe e-pills would have helped here, but I forgot to bring them.

I made it up Palomares with no problems, but that’s not to say I was really fast either.  Let’s just say that I was just able to get into a climbing rhythm.  I guess that’s the trick with climbing … just getting into the right rhythm.

Back to Fremont, and no onto my detour to Dumbarton bridge.  Donald helped me out there by leading me on Alameda Creek Bike Trail.  It’s a nice detour, that avoids city streets and traffic.  That led me onto Paseo Padre, then onto Thornton and onto Marshland, where I got onto Dumbarton.  I had forgotten how bad the road is on Marshland.  It’s not too much of an exaggeration to say that the road on Marshland Rd is like riding on cobbles.  I had to ride about 2-3 miles on this, and was glad when I got onto the bike trail, and onto the bridge.

The rest of the ride was almost like a commute home from work.  Just a long cruise on Middlefield, then back home.  This was a tiring ride, even though it was only about 5000 feet of climbing, and 99 miles … but you gotta start somewhere, right?