Camino Real Double Recap

Well, there's no easy way to say this, so I'll just come out with it. I didn't quite make it through my first double. It was cold, rainy, and windy off and on throughout the day, but after 12 hours and 145 miles, the last major downpour got the best of me. After the sun went down, my body just couldn't keep warm in it's soaking wet state and that was it for me.

I'm not too disappointed, because I know I made the right decision for myself. I have people at home who care about me and want me to be safe and I have my tennis students that needed me for lessons the next day. That helped me decide the line between cyclojunkie and cyclocrazy. Everyone has their own limits of risk, and I ran up against mine on the Camino Double. I can live with that. Especially with the knowledge that my legs were still ready for more punishment.

A massive amount of credit to all those that persevered, especially my buddy Casey, who also was attempting his first double and ended up being the youngest finisher. What an epic way to bag your first double. I'm already recovered and excited for the Solvang Double Century next month, where I expect to go the distance.

Tour de Palm Springs and Prep for the Camino Double

Tour de Palm Springs Ride Stats:
102 miles
5:32 ride time
5:45 total elapsed time
18.5 average speed


Well, the season has officially begun, now that the Tour de Palm Springs is wrapped up. It was another perfect day for riding in the desert. Below you'll find my ride report. Rode this one with Casey and he had me on the limit nearly the whole event.

The best moment was about 65 miles in, when a group of 8-10 riders formed behind us, with Casey on the front. With the exception of one female Ironman athlete coming forward to SLOW the pace a few times, Casey put the whole group on his back for 8 or 10 miles. Finally, after a brief break from the lead position, he came back up and just powered right off the front. I saw that the group was hesitating to catch his wheel and I pushed across the gap just before he got out of reach. Thirty seconds later I looked back and saw that no one else had made the jump. He'd ridden off the front without even looking up or accelerating. What a beast!

We picked up 6 bonus miles from my parents house to the start, and another 15 with Johanna after the finish, putting our total for the day at 123 miles. If that's not good preparation for a double, I don't know what is! And speaking of doubles, Casey and I are attempting our first this coming week at the Planet Ultra Camino Real Double Century. Having never ridden more than 133 miles in one day, the Camino Double would be hard enough for me all on it's own. Now I'm seeing that mother nature plans (with 90% certainty) to rain down upon us all day, too. Riding one's first double in pouring rain is crazy and probably a bit stupid...luckily, we've got just a bit of both in us.

2010 Year-End Summary

In 2010, I accomplished my major goal of completing the Planet Ultra King of the Mountains Series. Below is some of the data I compiled over the course of the year.

Total Cycling Stats:
124 rides
3,997 miles
259,200 ft. elevation gain (64.8 ft. per mile)
295:37 hours of ride time (13.5 mph average)


Cycling events completed:
Tour of Palm Springs: finished in 5:45
Mulholland Challenge: finished 10:37
Mt. Diablo Century: finished in 9:00 (including 12 mile detour)
Breathless Agony: finished in 8:15
Heartbreak Hundred: finished in 8:08
Santa Barbara Century: finished in 8:30

California Cycling Events: Part 2

A continued list of California Metrics, Century, Double Metrics, and Double Centuries from June to December 2011:

June
4th: Auburn Century (MC, C, DM) - Auburn, Northern California
4th*: Eastern Sierra Double (DC) Bishop, Central California (East)
Unknown: Ojai Valley Century (MC, C, DM) - Ojai, Southern California
Unknown: Sequoia Century (MC, C, DM) - Los Altos, Central California (West)
Unknown: LA River Ride (MC, C) - Los Angeles, Southern California
11th: Alta Alpina Challenge (MC, C, DM, DC) - Markleeville, Central California (East)
11th: Hayfork Century (MC, DM) - Hayfork, Northern California
11th: Sierra Century (MC, C) - Rocklin, Northern California
11th*: Palomar Challenge (MC) - Lake Henshaw, Southern California

11th: Bike Around the Bear (C) - Redlands, Southern California
11th*: Canyon Classic Century (MC, C) - Modesto, Central California
18th*: Col. Allensworth Century (MC, C) - Central California (East)
18th: Mile High Century (MC, C) - Lake Almanor, Northern California
18th: The Terrible Two (DC) - Sebastopol, Bay Area
18th*: Best of the Bay - Orinda, Bay Area
25th: L.A. Wheelman Grand Century (C, DM, DC) - Malibu, Southern California
25th*: Gene Cerise Country Coast Classic (C) - San Luis Obispo, Central California (West)
25th*: Breathe Easy Rides (MC, C) - Sonoma, Bay Area
25th*: Climb to Kaiser (MC, C, DM) - Fresno, Central California (East)
25th*: Giro de Peninsula (MC, C) - San Mateo, Bay Area

July
Unknown: Three Harbors Tour (MC, C) - Ventura, Southern California

16th*: Windmill Century (MC, C) - Santa Maria, Central California (West)
16th*: Fall Mills Century (MC, C, DM) - Fall River Mills, Northern California
30th*: Santa Cruz Mountains Challenge (MC, C) - Scotts Valley, Central California (West)

August

6th*: Marin County Century and Mt. Tam Double (MC, C, DM, DC) - San Rafael, Bay Area
7th: Shasta Summit Century (MC, C, DM) - Shasta, Northern California
14th*: Tour d'Organics (MC, C) - Sebastopol, Bay Area
20th*: Holstein Hundred (MC, C) - , Bay Area
20th: Cool Breeze Century (MC, C, MD) - Ventura, Southern California
21st*: Tour of Napa Valley (MC, C) - Yountville, Bay Area

September

10th*: Amtrak Century (C) - Irvine, Southern California
10th*: White Mountain Double (DC) - Bishop, Central California (East)
10th*: Siskiyou Century (MC, C) - Yreka, Northern California
10th: Best Buddies Challenge: Hearst Castle (MC, C) - San Simeon, Central California (West)
24th: Tahoe Sierra Century (MC, C) - Squaw Valley, Central California (East)
24th*: Knoxville Fall Classic Double (DC) - Knoxville, Northern California
24th: Lighthouse Century (MC, C) - Morro Bay, Central California (West)
Unknown*: Tour for Woodside - Woodside, Central California (West)

October

1st*: Levi Leipheimers King Ridge GF (MC, C) - Santa Rosa, Bay Area
2nd*: Tour of Poway (MC, C) - Poway, Southern California
8th*: People Powered Ride (MC, C) - Santa Ynez, Central California (West)
8th*: Bass Lake Powerhouse Double Century (DC) - Clovis, Central California (East)
9th*: Riverbank Cheese & Wine Century (MC, C) - Riverbank, Northern California
15th*: Solvang Autumn Double (DC) - Solvang, Central California (West)
15th*: Foxy's Fall Century (MC, C) - Davis, Northern California
15th*: Salton Sea Century (MC, C) - Borrego Springs, Southern California
22nd*: Spooktacular (MC, C) - Bakersfield, Central California
22nd*: San Luis Obispo Gran Fondo - San Luis Obispo, Central California (West)
29th*: Santa Barbara Century (MC, C) - Santa Barbara, Southern California
29th: Death Valley Fall Double (C, DM, DC) - Furnace Creek, Central California (East)

November

12th: Tour de Foothills (MC, C) - Upland, Southern California
12th: Solvang's Finest Century (MC, C) - Solvang, Central California (West)

California Cycling Events: Part 1

Over the last couple years, I've found one of the most frustrating parts of finishing tough cycling events has been finding them in the first place. No detailed list of the kind of events cyclojunkies like me are interested in has existed. To this end, I've attempted to compile a very complete list of events for the state of California.
For your schedule-building pleasure, my list of California metric centuries (MC), centuries (C), double-metric centuries (DM), and double-centuries (DC) through May 2011:


January
1st: Borrego Springs Century (MC, C) - Borrego Springs, Southern California
15th: Stagecoach Century (MC, C) - Ocotillo, Southern California

February
12th: Tour of Palm Springs (MC, C) - Palm Springs, Southern California
19th: Camino Real Double (DC) - Irvine, Southern California

March
Unknown: Death Valley Spring Double (DC) - Furnace Creek, Central California
12th: Solvang Century (MC, C) - Solvang, Central California
19th: Tour of Borrego (MC) - Borrego Springs, Southern California
19th: Tour de Sewer (MC) - Bell Gardens, Southern California
26th: Solvang Double (DC) - Solvang, Central California
27th: Tour of the Unknown Valley (MC) - Orlando, Northern California

April
9th: Mulholland Challenge (C/MD, DC) - Agoura, Southern California
9th: Julian Death March (MC) - Julian, Southern California
10th: Primavera Bicycle Tour (MC, C) - Fremont, Bay Area
16th: Mt. Laguna Bicycle Classic (MC, C) - San Diego, Southern California
16th: Sea Otter Classic Gran Fondo (C) - Monterey, Central California
16th: Bike Around the Buttes (C) - Meridian, Bay Area
16th: Hemet Double & Century (C, DC) - Hemet, Southern California
16th: Tierra Bella Century (MC, C, DM) - Gilroy, Central California
Unknown: Devil Mountain Double (DC) - Bay Area
24th: Tour of Orange County (C) - Costa Mesa, Southern California
30th: Alpine Challenge (MC) - Alpine, Southern California
Unknown: Avenue of the Oaks (MC) - Fallbrook, Southern California
Unknown: Borrego Springs Double Ordeal (DC) - Borrego Springs, Southern California

May
1st: Wildflower Century (MC, C) - Chico, Northern California
1st: Delta Century (MC, C) - Lodi, Northern California
Unknown: Grizzly Peak Century (MC, C, DM) - Moraga, Bay Area
7th: Breathless Agony (C/MD) - Redlands, Southern California
7th: Wine Country Century (MC, C, DM) - Sonoma, Bay Area
7th: Tour de Cure - San Diego, Southern California
7th: Central Coast Double Century (DC) - Paso Robles, Central California
Unknown: Anderson River Park Century (MC, C) - Anderson, Northern California
Unknown: Cruisin' the Conejo (MC, C) - Ventura, Southern California
Unknown: Tour du Green - Ventura, Southern California
21st: San Diego Century (MC, C) - San Diego, Southern California
28th: The Heartbreak Hundred (C, DC) - Frazier Park, Central California
29th: Great Western Bike Rally Century (MC, C) - Paso Robles, Central California

The Santa Barbara Century

A few months ago, I got wind of a new century event coming to Santa Barbara in the fall. What I know now is that the Santa Barbara Century is an epic event and it will be a popular one for those of us endurance cyclists looking for one last hurrah before the cycling season winds down.

Being a first year event, I waited until pretty late in the game to get signed up (it was also a struggle getting time off work). I was worried their might not be many riders, or that the route would be somehow deficient -- wrong on both counts. In fact, the healthy 800+ rider turnout is a testament to just what a great place Santa Barbara is for cycling, something I've come to cherish since moving here. But on to the event!

My roommate Casey and I started just after 6:30am, planning to ride with a group of riders we had been training with. They left a few minutes ahead of us, so we were hurriedly moving along the bike path along the wharf when Casey flatted. Ten minutes later, we were a quarter-mile farther when he flatted again. In the darkness of a foggy, misty morning we hadn't noticed the large piece of glass protruding from his tire. Just before 7am, close to defeat, we left the bike path and hooked onto a group of 50 or so local riders in the hopes of making up time -- and did we ever! By the first rest-stop, which saw the large group all the way down to Carpinteria and over Gobernador Canyon, we had caught up with our group and were feeling better despite a little rain.

The second section of the event featured several short but testing climbs (Toro Canyon @ 7.5% for 0.6mi, Ladera Lane 10.5 @ 0.9mi ), both of which we had scouted ahead of time. Ladera was a nasty addition that saw riders zig-zagging, triple spinning, and stopping along the way to the top. I felt bad for them know that Gibraltar Road lay ahead.

Gibraltar Road was a climb of 7mi @ 6.5%, which puts it firmly in the list of toughest climbs in the country, according to John Summerson's "The Complete Guide to Cimbing (By Bike)." Lance Armstrong puts his stamp of approval on it every year, when he uses Gibraltar as one of his winter training rides. For me, everything went well until I cramped about 100 yards from the top. For almost ten minutes I watched riders pass me as I tried to stretch my right quad enough to get back on the bike.

The next section of the ride featured beautiful views on either side of the mountain as we road down to the end of East Camino Cielo Rd and then back to where Camino Cielo meets Painted Cave. By then the cumulative effect was making the little climbs along the route seem daunting, but as I reached Painted Cave I knew I was home free.

The final third of the ride features a bumpy descent of Painted Cave Rd and the locally-popular Old San Marcos Rd, followed by a long and flat ride out to Goleta and back to the boardwalk. Casey and I used drafting as much as possible, picking up lone riders at a decent clip. As we reached the finish, the familiar feeling of a body delightful spent greeted me and I took a rest out on the grass by the beach.

I cannot stress enough what a cool idea it was to have a Santa Barbara Century, and even more so because at 100mi with 9,800ft of elevation gain, it is a real climbers delight. I look forward to making use of the optional Gibraltar timing chips next year, and making this event a mainstay on my cycling calendar.

KOM Stage 3: The Heartbreak Hundred

Yesterday, I completed the Planet Ultra King of the Mountains Century Challenge and today I took a 40 mile victory lap with Reuben, Sarah, and Johanna. There is a great sense of accomplishment that comes with completing something so difficult, and an equally humbling feeling that comes with finishing 103/111 in the 49 and under category (though I do have the honor of being the youngest finisher this year). But enough about the series. Here's The Heartbreak Hundred breakdown:

Almost all the way to the first rest-stop is spent climbing at what looks like a very minimal grade, but turns out to be a beast greater than the sum of its parts. First, asking me to climb right out the gate is like asking a teenager to take the reigns of a multinational company. It takes me twenty miles just to get warmed up. It didn't help that my riding partner Reuben (all 125lbs of him) climbs like a Nepalese sherpa. I mean that in a very real sense, because this event starts at over 5,000ft of elevation, peaking above 8,000 near the first rest-stop just under 25mi in. We started near the back of the pack and steadily passed riders all the way to the top. By the time we'd reached the rest-stop, I was done for the day. In moving and starting a new job all in the last week, I hadn't done my research properly and I paid the price.

From there, we had a beautiful decent into a valley, a spot that would have made for great pacelining had I left anything in the tank for such efforts. Instead, we spent the next several hours laboring along with Reuben stuck at the front in the role of wind-shield until we reached somewhat of a desert badlands. Every scattered tree we passed seemed to have a person we'd seen all day sitting under it, looking for a bit of respite. The cramping set in right as we reached what we were told would be the most painful part of the day.

It's my belief that the Heartbreak Hill is only painful because of what had come before it. Had I not totally exhuasted myself in the first two hours and begun to cramp, it would have been a pleasurably short climb. Note to self: take it easy out of the gate next time! When I reached the top, around the bend I found the familiar faces of Johanna and Sarah (our girlfriends and KOM support-group) and Reuben (who had dusted me up the hill). It was at this point we started noticing the double-century riders in our midst, and I felt very weak.

The final stretch began with utter exhaustion, but as we got within a few miles of the finish, I crossed over into the undead and began pulling at the front for Reuben again. We traded turns at the front, each turn becoming stronger, more desperate than the last. We worked ourselves into a frenzy. We yelled and grunted, pedals whirring, tires and chains making their familiar sounds. And that was all there was in the world. We left no reserve unspent, and as we crossed the finish line there was a moment of utter joy. This moment was closely followed by ten minutes of stumbling around, mostly incoherent, as my body fought its urge to collapse.

These endurance events take the human body to a place it rarely goes; to a place where mind-body roles are reversed. The mind gives the body legs to continue, even as the body's legs reach the point of betraying the mind. These event aren't about how far a person can push the body, but rather how far the body can push the mind.