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!