This was the last tough ride of the season, combining long miles and longer climbs! It was also messing with me mentally since all week I would look up at Mt. Diablo and wonder if I would be able to make that climb? I was in awe of the cyclists that seemed to scale the mountain like it was riding any other road.
All season I knew Diablo would eventually be part of one of our training rides and the day finally came...however, it also brought rain, wind and higher elevation fog! This ride and day was doing everything possible to scare me. I decided I would ride as far as I could and feel accomplished with whatever the outcome of the day would be...my first victory was just getting myself loaded up and to the ride in spite of the weather during the pre-dawn hours.
Thankfully, as we rolled out towards Clayton the rain began to let up. I was feeling good and encouraged to see patches of blue sky as we began the portion of the route that was completely unknown to me...Morgan Territory. I went into this ride using the "ignorance is bliss" theory...the less I knew the less I would worry;)
I had heard horror stories about the difficulty level of riding Morgan Territory road but as I rode out away from my group I found it to be milder climbs than I had anticipated. Most of it was rolling and traffic was non-existent this early on a Saturday morning.
I was feeling good and the bike was shifting beautifully, so I was completely lost in the scenery and freedom of riding. As I was riding deeper into Morgan Territory and the dense tree covered roads...it became very silent...not even birds singing. It occurred to me that I had not seen or heard my team in awhile. I had a Little Red Riding Hood meets Deliverance moment in my head and thought a girl alone in the woods of redneck country is probably not a great idea...haha! I found a place to stop and re-group with my team, they were at this point spread out into 3 segments.
Of course the last couple of climbs out of Morgan Territory were the worst but they led us our first SAG stop...yeah! Matt was also thrilled that his wish to have "More Cow Bell" was granted and we were greeted with its robust sound at the SAG. The cow bell is what Team in Training uses to encourage us along the ride.
Our first big decent down Higgins was steep and curvy...I was conservative and still hit 36 MPH! It was a favorite of a lot of the thrill seekers on the team. It was also nice to be out from under the tree and knowing one of the big tests of the day was behind us.
I got my first taste of wind as we rode through the open ranch areas of Highland Rd. and Camino Tassajara. My ride group had our own personal support crew...Coach Steve,is out for the season but continues to coach and support us from his vehicle. Today my mentor and ride support was also in the car due to a very bad cold...each week our ride group continues to shrink. We did get to ride with Coach Jim's group on and off throughout this ride..." The Harem" (his group's name) is always a lot of fun!
Out of the second SAG stop was the trip up the mountain! This is where some people opted to go around instead of up Mt. Diablo...I was not one of them. I needed to test myself and try to see how far I could go...this was my chance and I was not going to let it pass me by. The residential road going up south gate is horrible...some of the potholes are bigger than my bike! Therefore, it gave us no chance to gain any momentum before climbing...just slow and steady all the way up.
I chugged up the mountain...peering around each corner to see what degree of climb was next. Physically my body was doing well but I needed to not mentally get defeated. I took each section as it came and self-talked my way through. I was never so happy to see a flag sticking up through the trees...the Junction Ranger Station! This was our stopping point to re-group...it felt great to know that I had made it up the hill! Coach Jim's group was there to cheer me in! The fog, wind and cold really started to hit us at this point. In spite of already riding over 45 miles and tackling a tough climb...I was feeling good. The worst was over! On the decent, it was extremely chilly and at one point a wind gust hit me so hard, that it moved me and my bike over a couple of feet...scary!
Once we were all down the hill safely and heading toward the finish, I got my second wind. This was our cooling down phase but my body wanted to continue. Since I knew the route and was feeling energized, the group elected me to lead us back to the finish. It was great to discover that my body still felt so strong this late in the ride...after all, just hours earlier I questioned I had what it took to complete this ride.
Today, I felt that TNT's promise of turning me into an endurance athlete was accomplished...as well as relearning some life lessons. This experience has helped me move through my fears and regain my inner-strength and self-belief. It feels great to have the confidence and know that I am ready for my first Century ride in Solvang!
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