| (Long Distance) Ramblings |
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I like to ride my bicycle - for long distances. I have earned the California Triple Crown and finished the Furnace Creek 508. My goals include qualifying for RAAM and ...(read the blog to find out). "The bicycle has a soul. If you are able to love it as it deserves, it will give you emotions you will never forget." "Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride."
"The important decisions in my life I make while out riding my bike."
"Pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever.” Lance Armstrong
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Wednesday, May 22, 2002
Well, I finished! The weather was perfect - highs in the mid-seventies with some wind. I left Davis High School at 4:30 am and returned 199.14 miles later at 8:30 pm. My average was 15.9 miles per hour. I never really suffered, but climbing the last two major hills (Top of the Davis Double and Resurrection) was a challenge. I did not cramp, nor did my feet or knees give me any serious pain. All in all, this may have been the best double I have ever done! And I own it all to training! I'll post more, including a link to a more complete write-up later. Wednesday, May 15, 2002
Mary's Peak has been conquered! I left my home at 5:45 a.m. and joined Mark Janeba in West Salem. It was very cold out and Mark was supprised to find me without leg warmers or long-fingered gloves. But hey, the forecast was for the mid-seventies and I was dressed for that. We choose a flat route to the base of the mountain. There, we began the 3300 foot climb to the peak. We found inclines that averaged 9% and reached 10% for some streches. After less than 15 miles, we had acheived the peak and found snow! We rested for a few minutes and then began the desent which was quick and cold. We stopped for lunch in Philomouth and then searched out the flattest way home. I arrived at 4:30 pm after doing a total of 135 miles. This should have been a taper ride, but I'm too stupid to taper. Sunday was an easy 48 mile with Joanne on the tandem. We had some hills, but most of the ride was flat. While we were returning on 12th St., the sidewall of our new (less than 150 miles) Vredestein Fortezza suffered a blowout. :-( Current forcast for Davis is 78 degrees F. Friday, May 10, 2002
I rode two nights this week. On Tuesday, I rode 27 miles with the Salem Bicycle Club. These were somewhat hilly miles, but nothing extreme. Wednesday night was the Salem Bicyle Club broard meeting night. Thursday, I rode with Scott's Cycling and we did 25 flat miles north of Salem. With Sunday and Monday, I felt strong on Tuesday and rode just about as hard as I could. Thursday, I felt good, but I did not have the spring in my pedal stroke that I did on Tuesday. Now, I plan a hard ride on Saturday - 120 hilly miles to and then up Mary's Peak, the highest point in the Coast Range of Oregon. I should be in taper mode, but I can't resist one more hard ride before Dave on May 18. The current forecast for Davis is 74 degrees F, not the 100 degrees I have seen the last two years... Tuesday, May 07, 2002
Another productive week - 190 miles. I rode three weeknights for a total of 90 miles. On Monday and Wednesday, I rode with the Salem Bicycle Club while on Thursday, I rode with the group from Scott's Cycling. During that ride, I attempted to suck the wheel of a strong tandem team, but they dropped me at 25 miles per hour. On Saturday, Joanne and I took our Meridain tandem to the Ride Around Clark County presented by the Vancouver Bicycle Club. While there were no substained climbs, we did gain over 5600' of elevation in 100 miles. This ride was not flat! Clark County is not flat! Near the end, we just got into granny and spun up the hills, not caring who passed us. On Sunday, I worked the lunch rest stop of the Monster Cookie Ride put on by the Salem Bicycle Club. It was a good day not to ride as it was very wet and very cold. I must admire all to rode that day, a real hardy bunch!
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