Bear and a Half

Today, against my better judgment I headed back to Orinda to ride 3 Bears with Sally. Since she wasn't able to make the team ride, she wanted to get some good hill work in this week...so we chose The Bears!

We didn't want to do Bear Creek Road twice (out & back), so our plan was to park one car in Orinda and the other in Martinez. We thought this was a great plan since time was limited for us to do a big loop. It was a gorgeous day and we didn't want to miss getting in even a short ride...so this seemed perfect!

As we finally headed onto Bear Creek and started up Papa bear...I realized I was over dressed for hill climbs! When I left the house it was still foggy, so I put on the winter gear. We have been under clouds for so long, I didn't anticipate to actually see the sun today! In my attempt to open my vest for better ventilation, I had an epiphany...I left my keys in Sally's car...oh crap!

We were midway through the bears by the time I had this realization. I checked every pocket in hopes I was wrong...no such luck. Sally was not pleased to hear the news either, however stopping to decide our plan of action was a welcome relief. We didn't have the time or desire to go all the way out and back, so we headed back up and over to Orinda.

It would have been a great plan if I wouldn't have forgotten an important element...the damn keys! We were glad we discovered it when we did, otherwise this could have been a very long and exhausting day. In spite of the abridged version of our ride, we were pleased with being able to ride a Bear and a half.

Orinda

Day 7...still raining!

The picture above shows how my morning started...dark, very cold and to my surprise, it was continuing to rain! I just stood staring at the back of my truck, watching the rain and knowing this was going to be a very challenging day for me. I needed to push through my apprehension and get to the ride. On the drive there I was questioning my sanity, since I had a week of no riding (due to the weather) and I was on my way to tackle a 50 mile ride with 4000 ft. of climbing...in rainy conditions! This was one of those times where you need to discover your mental tenacity.

As I approached the Orinda off ramp...the rain suddenly stopped...I was thrilled! It didn't take away from the other factors concerning me, but it was a promising start. My rear fender and rain pants were finally going to be put to use today.


We headed towards Moraga to begin our first loop and encounter our first big climb of the day...Pinehurst Rd. The name sounds pleasant and road was not. This would be about 3 miles on climbing on a very curvy 2-lane road up to Skyline Rd...we were all dreading this one! It was a relentless climb that felt like it was never going to end...of course, the last portion was the steepest.


Once our group reached the top, we all had to re-group and re-fuel ourselves. I was needing to get more electrolytes and water in me since I was feeling my right calf starting to stiffen up on me. I also acquired a handful of caffeinated gels from the roving SAG...I needed all the help I could get since we still had 40 more miles to go! My hope was the adrenaline and sugar would push me through any pain or fatigue that may occur throughout the ride.

We were finally out from under the dense trees and dark clouds as we rode across skyline. We were in awe of the views from across the bay as the clouds were drifting away. After riding through some gorgeous areas around Redwood Rd. and Chabot, it was time to head back down through the dark canopy of trees into Moraga.

The was a very un-nerving section for me with the combination of wet road conditions and a very steep and curvy 2 lane decent while a car was following me closely the entire way. Did I mention there was no shoulder or bike lane! I was SO happy to make it safely to the bottom of the hill and discover it was also a SAG stop. It was a great opportunity to catch my breath...I think I was holding it most of the way down the hill...haha!


Heading back into Orinda was bittersweet...Pinehurst was behind us but we were only halfway through and 3 Bears was still ahead for our next big series of climbs. We stopped at a gas station to re-fuel again and shed our jackets, since a majority of the rest of the ride would be some brutal climbing.

The last 10 miles of the ride was riding up the stupid damn Bears...starting with Baby Bear. From this direction, that first big climb did not feel like a baby...it was tougher than before! Mama Bear seemed a little more forgiving but Papa was still king of the Bears from whatever side you approach him from! It was very long and agonizing...I questioned myself many times, whether I could make it all the way up to the top without stopping. Somehow I willed myself to the top.

As the group ascended the peak, we were greeted by Big Papa himself...Coach Wayne! It was a nice surprise to have his support, after those climbs late in a ride, you don't feel like you have a lot left in you. The climbing wasn't over but the worst of it was behind us.

Going down Papa Bear was an interesting experience, as my gears locked up on me...again! I mentally had to keep myself calm as I was locked up in a strange leg position on a curve, at a high rate of speed...I tried everything I knew to release it and get my bike in a gear. Near the bottom of the hill the derailleur finally pushed the chain into a gear...whew! But now I was stuck in my second ring again!

We had a brief stop at the end of the Bear Creek Rd, where I manually got my bike into the small ring. However, at that point it wasn't as necessary for the the few miles back into Orinda. It was a welcome relief to roll back into the Orinda Bart station and know I had survived the toughest challenge so far in my cycling training.

As I met up with teammates after the ride, there was no lack of crazy stories that occurred to some of the other riders. My experiences were very sedate in comparison. All the days activities kept our SAG personal very busy with various incidents. It ranged from a variety of equipment failure, body failure and some illness...fortunately nothing too serious (however, x-rays may tell more later). Every ride is a unique experience and this one was no exception.




This shot doesn't quite show the entire picture of how grimy the bike and I were after this ride...but yuck, we were a mess!

The "House of Pain" Buddy Ride

This week our meeting point was in the East Bay Town of Danville. We were all pleased it wasn't raining yet but the cold and dense fog was not a lot of fun. When we got our ride maps, we found out the route's name..."The House of Pain". It's named after a cycling group in the area that does this 47.5 mile loop regularly, at an incredibly high rate of speed. They are a large group of, wanna be pro-cycling type of "dude" roadies (slang for road bikers).


The first part of the ride began on the training route that The Dynamic Duo (me & Sally) rides every week. Since it was familiar roads, Sally and I headed out quickly. The first 6 miles was just me and Sally riding and talking together. A couple others caught up to us and informed us that we needed to pace ourselves better since we had a long way to go.


Slowing down was especially good advice for me since I woke up with tight right calf muscle. I was hoping that it would work itself out but at mile 10 it let me know it wasn't happy...my first riding cramp...ouch! The cramp hit while I was riding up a slight grade, drinking from my water bottle. My bottle quickly ejected from my hand and I almost took another rider out, when the bottle hit the ground behind me...sorry, James! After electrolyte pills and a lot more water...the cramp seem to work itself out within the next few miles.


The next challenge was just seeing the road...the fog was thick and my glasses were completely steamed up. It was time to ditch the glasses and deal with the wind drying out my eyes...at least I could see better. As the day went on, the weather improved and the fog finally lifted. It is time to invest in some vented glasses, to keep this from happening when it is cold riding conditions.

Riding on the back roads and enjoying the scenery, I got startled by the sound of I could only describe as...a freight train loaded with bees. My coach quickly called out to get out of the way...as a large peloton of riders closed on us quickly. You could feel a slight breeze as they raced by us without saying a word. They were an intense group of focused cyclist riding dangerously and confidently close to one another. They were gone as quickly as they appeared. I later found out they were the infamous, "House of Pain" cycling group.



Finishing the ride, I heard Sally cheering me in...she kept up her rigorous pace throughout the ride and was back early. As usual, everyone was huddled into various groups analyzing the ride and their experiences. Of course, there was also a lot of light-hearted trash talking, laughter and post ride stretching.
















Since this was a buddy ride, the groups were scattered more so than with a team ride. Most of us waited to greet the later ride groups and make sure everyone made it back safely. The coaches were already meeting and planning out next week's team ride...which sounds like it will be another tough one! It will be a combination of old and new roads and challenges for us to tackle.

More mileage, more climbs and more pain!

B's Tough Training Week

So far this week me and "B" (aka the bike) have been out for recovery and training rides three times since the tough team ride. Sunday we headed out to loosen up my legs and try out the responsiveness (or lack there of) with the gears and derailleur...since they caused some problems on Saturday. Of course, everything performed okay under normal conditions on our 17 mile recovery ride...shifted smoothly.

On Monday's ride, we decided to do some hill work, in the Walnut Creek area. The bike was feeling better than I was...it was freezing cold and that didn't help getting my muscles motivated for the hills! Heading up a slight grade, while shifting down to my small ring...I dropped my chain...crap! Fortunately, there was a nice wide shoulder to work on the bike. However, it was me and Sally fumbling through trying to get the chain on...neither of us are mechanically inclined...haha! Luckily, a cyclist from Illinois (in town visiting friends) caught the site of us, looking very confused, covered in grease on the side of the road and thankfully took pity in us and helped us out.

We finished our route after getting B back together but I was apprehensive about down shifting the rest of the ride. This is the second time I have dropped a chain and I am losing my confidence in B's reliability. I am nervous that one of these times I am going to go down (possibly into a car)...if this keeps happening. I have gotten a lot opinions about the shifting issues but no solutions so far. Trying to get in training is tough enough...but adding in the amount of bike maintenance B has needed lately, is becoming a time consuming component that I did not plan on.

On today's ride our biggest concern was the weather...as we stood in the parking lot with rain drops falling on us. Since it was light rain, we ventured out onto the wet roads...I got my first experience of the feel of water spraying up my back...not pleasant!

We were happy the rain didn't last long and when we got into Alamo, the sun was actually appearing between the clouds...yeah! We were having a nice ride and exploring new roads to add into our training. B was doing very well until Camino Tassajara and then his gears started missing as I was trying to downshift. I was finally able to get him into a gear and continue but my mind was racing with worse case scenarios in regards to shifting. Suddenly, that all changed as I looked down to notice my flat rear tire...are you frickin' kidding me! So it was just me, Sally and a flat tire...this should be interesting considering how well we did with the chain on Monday! As I set B up for his tire change...Sally felt the best decision was for her to ride to the car (only a couple miles away at the time) and come back and bring me & B to the bike shop to fix the tire.

So as I am standing safely on the side of the road (sidewalk) with B...talking on my cellphone (got a business call)...a guy stopped to help. I mentioned I was waiting for a friend to come back to help me get my flat repaired, but he was willing to stay and help me change it anyway. He was a cyclist who rode for Team Taleo (read his jersey), named Matt (BTW...he was very cute and funny...and not a boy). Anyway, focus...back to the tire changing...he talked me through the process and gave me some really good advice and tips. I was actually changing my own tire! Sally called during the process and I let her know I had someone helping me. She was thrilled that the tire was getting changed and pissed that she rode all the way back to the car (loaded up her bike) and now had to come back and continue riding!

The rest of our ride was problem free and the weather became beautiful! It was 62 degrees and mainly sunny...have not seen that in awhile. Training in the winter is always unpredictable...we have gotten lucky to be able to find time to ride between the storms. This week is only halfway through and it has been an adventure with my mechanical issues. So it will be back to the bike shop, for supplies and more servicing before this Saturday's ride...cha-ching!

Pleasant Hill - Revisited

Team in Training (TNT) lulled us into the moderate part of training...got our re-commitment paperwork and now Coach Wayne pulls out his "Survive This" list of rides...let the pain begin! This was our second ride out of Pleasant Hill, and other than the first couple of miles riding...the route was completely different. Some of us were calling this the National Geographic ride...with sections of the ride named 3 Bears and The Pig Farm. It was a tough 40 mile ride, with a 3500 ft elevation climb, broke into 4 segments. This is the most difficulty and distance combined, that we have encountered on a team ride so far. For many riders, that were away for the holidays it was a brutal shock to their bodies.

Groups were briefed before the ride and Coach Wayne did an assessment on "B" (my bike), since I had some shifting (derailleur) issues over the past week. He felt B was in good working order in spite of a very slight bent derailleur (possibly an incident that occurred before I got the bike). In the process of giving me shifting and bike handling tips, he had some very interesting analogies...I would best describe it as, a sex talk. You could image my expression, as I was trying to interpret and apply what he was explaining to cycling.

This week, my ride group was joined by a new face, "Katie"...she rode on the summer cycle team. She was a nice addition to the group. Based on the pace of the ride groups, this was the first week that the teams had staggered start times. It was a cold & foggy morning, so as soon as our ride group was cleared to go, we were happy to get moving and warm ourselves up. Our first climb came up quickly...within the first 4 miles, but most of the first part of the ride was moderate. It was the second half...that I was dreading.

Most of the ride was beautiful, scenic and remote. It was very enjoyable except for the ratio of road kill that we experienced...the skunks, were especially unpleasant! It is part of the ambiance of cycling. Once we arrived at the SAG stop, we knew the tough riding and big hills were next. This was my cue to fuel up...roasted potatoes, PB & J, fruit, electrolytes, etc., I wanted to as prepared as possible.

After a rider had a minor incident (I finally used my first aid supplies), we headed out to ride The Bears! As I was building up speed to Papa Bear (1st big climb) and gearing down for the climb, my front derailleur had other ideas and locked...bringing me to a sudden halt! Frustrated did not begin to describe how I felt to lose all my momentum and focus for my first big challenge of the day! Coach Steve stopped and helped me get things fixed, as the other zoomed up the hill. Let me tell you, starting on an uphill is no fun, but one that is going to continue for a mile and a half...just sucks!

My derailleur continued to be temperamental through the ride...which caused me to ride up Mama Bear in my middle ring. My legs and determination got me up there...but I wouldn't choose to do that again! It was frustrating, since it shifted up beautifully but going down into the lower gears was a gamble all day. However, I did get through all the bears and didn't have to stop again.


Our ride group got spread out going through the long and rigorous climbs, so we all met up for the next big challenge...The Pig Farm! This was considered the toughest part of the ride...and it lived up to the hype. The last part of The Pig !@#$%? (new team name) hill, proved how slow I could ride (2.5), without falling down...didn't know it was possible until today.

I was so happy to have made it through this ride! In spite of the big climbs, our group had a really good pace today...for the first time, we were done early. It was great to greet the other teams as they came into the finish. I heard great stories and saw a lot of exhausted, relieved and excited teammates that made it through this memorable ride.

North Gate

The Dynamic Duo (Sally tagged us with that title early on in our training) hit the roads today with a new goal in mind...to work on shorter mileage and long steady climbs. What better area to get that type of workout than the East Bay's focal point...Mt. Diablo.

We started out riding loops in the neighborhoods before the park...we thought that would be an appropriate warm up. However, since we were not too familiar with the area our first loop was a BIG surprise...a massive long climb in the Rancho Paradiso area...not the subtle start we were expecting! The total loop was about a 2.5 mile ascent and decent (no flat areas on this one) that came very soon in the ride but we worked our way through it...not fun! The up side is, it did make the first part of the ride up North Gate a little easier.

We had good weather conditions (cloudy & cold) to be working on our hill climbing...it is amazing how quickly our body temperature climbs as we worked our way into the park. The only traffic we had to deal with was the very active, ground squirrel population...we think they work for Geico...haha!




"Go, Sally, go"!




We focused on a slow steady pace with our climbs (without stopping), as well as, our cardio and breathing techniques. We heard a rumor that this week's team ride was going to involve a lot more hill work, so we wanted to be as prepared as possible for this Saturday. Through all our huffing and puffing, we remained positive and had enough energy to still give each other crap periodically...its what we do...and it keeps things fun:)



We take our training seriously but as you can tell by the photo...we laugh at ourselves through the process.


After riding up into the park (not even close to the summit) several miles...we decided on the way back to ride the steep neighborhood loop a second time. It was still tough, but we were pleasantly surprised that we felt a bit stronger on the 2nd ascent. I personally felt my pace improve and I didn't have to shift down to my granny gear as quickly. It felt great to add in more diversity and long climbs into our training routine. Having a change in scenery, out on the quiet country roads was also an added benefit to the day.

Rainy Morning in Sausalito

This was our first team ride, where we got to experience some wet conditions. They predicted cloudy weather but we got some unexpected sprinkles and mist (not bad) during the first part of the ride. I wasn't sure how I would feel about riding on the wet roads but I got over my apprehension quickly. Our route for the day was riding through southern Marin County...the view throughout the day were amazing but the experience of riding under and around the Golden Gate Bridge was truly memorable. I wasn't thrilled with the hill climb out of there but it was a challenge I would do again to ride in such a beautiful area.



The team was excited to have Sally back riding with us...she led the group pre-ride cheer.


Every ride is a unique experience and this one was no exception. As abilities change among the riders, our ride groups get shifted around. With the changes and absences I became the lone girl in my ride group...I was the great equalizer in a sea of testosterone.

Most of the ride we kept a great pace, until mechanical failures began midway through the ride...when Dave #2 got a flat tire (this season there are so many Dave's, it is hard to keep them straight...I have 2 just in my ride group). Of course, not long after 2 more flat tires happened...both of them mine! Yes, it finally happened...the dreaded flat tire! The first one happen as I was riding through Larkspur...however, I didn't notice it until after I was riding on it for about a mile. I was actually relieved it was flat...since, I started falling further behind my group and was confused why I was struggling so much. My first thought was, "I suck today"...haha! I thought this is how it must feels to lose energy and strength (bonking out). In the process of looking down and shifting through my gears, I finally noticed my very flat rear tire...whew, that was a relief...I thought I was going to get demoted to the tri-cycle league...haha!



It was frustrating for me and my team to watch some of the other groups pass us as we rushed through my tire change. My tools and bike pump worked great on there maiden voyage! I was also quickly informed by my ride group that I was no longer the virgin of the group (they thoroughly enjoyed tagging me with that)...since up until now I was the only one that hadn't had a flat tire.



Oh, what a difference an inflated tire makes...as I was enjoying the ease at which my bike was moving, I zoomed to the front of the pack! Of course, my elation was short lived...as we were heading up Camino Alto (curvy grade), I heard a strange noise coming from my back tire...another flat...oh, crap! The guys were equally excited by my news...but what could we do, but laugh. The second flat was much more impressive...we pulled a metal staple out of my tube. Thankfully "flat tire" Dave #1 is a mobile bike shop and I was able to get another tube from him (thank you again, Dave)...since I already used my back-up tube for the day.



The remainder of the ride went by without incident. In spite, of all of our delays (damn girl...haha) we weren't the last group back. We did return to a very high tide, that we were warned about the night before (we were glad we brought the truck for this ride). After the ride, the team got together for lunch...which allowed the water to recede and enabled us to get our vehicles out easier.


Okay, so the day in review of new my experiences...Sally is back, riding in wet conditions, Golden Gate Bridge, not one but two flat tires and learning about the Ass-o-meter (yes, that is what they called it). Everyday ride is always a learning experience!