Thursday Speeding

Miles: 24.6
August Total: 969.80

My work has sent me to training this week in Beaverton. The classes run till 5:00 pm so I have not been able to do my regular training routine. I had to 'weasel' on Martin both Tuesday and tonight as I can not get back to Salem in time to work out with him at the gym. Nor could I joining my wife on the Salem Bicycle Club Wednesday Night Ride. Tonight, I was hoping to ride with the Scott's group, but heavy traffic prevented that. I found myself arriving at home at 6:30 pm.

As I drove up to my house, one of the young boys came up to me and asked if he could ride with me - down to the end of the street and back. Taken aback somewhat, I hesitated and then agreed. I went in the house and told Joanne that I had to go out and "play".

We were joined by one of the young girls and we rode back and forth three times, talking all of the way. I must admit, it was fun.

But then, due to the sun approaching the horizon, I begged off and started my training ride. Coach Sandy asked me to shorten my rides but keep the intensity up in preparation of the Ring of Fire 24 hour Time Trial. Since I was riding alone, I could choose my route. I decided to ride the Windsor Inland Loop and headed north out of the neighborhood. I immediately found that there was a strong wind coming from the north.

I picked up the intensity and brought my heart rate up to above 145. I kept my eye on it as I rode north into the wind. I was feeling good and I was surprised at the speed I could maintain into the wind. At the top of Revina hill, I decided to continue north pass the Wheatland Ferry and then I would return with the wind on River Rd.

I took the three short hills on the route as hard as I could and never left the big chain ring. I concentrated on powering up the hill, but retaining some strength in my legs so I could quickly come back up to speed at the top. It seems that this entire ride was about speed.

Now, on River Rd, I had the wind at my back and I was afraid that my heart rate would drop. So, I concentrated on speed, and pedal stroke and I did manage to maintain my heart rate.

My HAC4 analysis reports that I finished with a average speed over 20 mph and an average heart rate of 135.

On a different note, I did not make 1000 miles this month. I was hoping too, but fell just a few miles short.

Posted 10:03 PM by John Henry

It's Turning Cold (in August?)

Miles: 35.49
August Total: 935.20

It rained today, but by the time the ride started at 6:00 pm, the roads were dry. However, the sky was not clear; it was still clouded over and it was cold, below 70° F.

Since I had rested yesterday, I should have felt strong, but I did not. My legs felted leaded and I did not climb well. As such, I got dropped as we climbed the hills on the way to the Canby Ferry. Descending to the ferry, I tried to reclaim some of the lost time, but I just missed the ferry and watched as my group of riders slowly crossed over to the other side of the Willamette River. I had to wait for the ferry to come back for me and during this wait, I was joined by the fast group. It takes the ferry a full ten minutes to make a crossing, way too much time for me to make up to catch my group. As such, I had to ride with the fast group and hang on for as long as I can.

I rode with the fast group for as long as I could, but they dropped me at the first hill - South End Road. Once at the top, I worked hard to bridge, but it was not going to happen. I could only reel in some others that also had been dropped.

We rode to Oregon City and then crossed the old bridge to West Linn where we climbed up to the Sunset district. Another hill, yea. After being dropped again, I rode Rosemont Rd toward Lake Oswego. Rosemont is a very busy road that is not improved from when it was a quiet back road. Most of the drivers were courteous, but this is not my favorite road. I made it back to the start in twilight. For visibility, I turned on my flashie and put on my yellow/green neon wind jacket.

My average for the night was 16.9 with just under 2000 feet of gain according to my HAC4.

DART

I am trying to put together a DART team for Saturday, September 23. I have a couple of maybes, but no confirmed riders yet.

Ring of Fire Time Trial

My next event is something that I have never done before - a 24 hour time trial. I am choosing to do this because it would be good training for the Furnance Creek 508. It is scheduled for the weekend after this weekend, so I am in rest mode this weekend.

Posted 10:36 PM by John Henry

Crater Lake Report

Saturday

Miles: 78.31
August Total: 900.71

Another great Crater Lake ride!

If my memory was better, I would be able to write how many times we have ridden around Crater Lake, but I can not. It must be something around eight times. And with each ride, I am in awe when I first look down into the caldera and see the lake. Awesome!

We left the Broken Arrow campground at Diamond Lake and it was cold! The morning temperature was just 34° F; we waited for the sun to begin to warm the air before we headed out.

The climb up to the rim was long as always and we stopped to take off clothing as we entered the park. The sky was clear and the sun warmed us.

This year, the hills did not seem as tough as before. Yes, we took it slow on our tandem, at least while climbing. Their is not much air at 7,000 feet and we were effected by the altitude. In short, we spun up each of the climbs (although, we never dropped into the inner chain ring).

However, the descents were fast and fun. The speed limit in the park is 35 mph and I must admit that we broke it several times. The HAC4 recorded 47.0 as our max speed, but I saw 49 during one descent and Mark who was on our wheel had a max speed of 52 mph.

We left the official route before the climb back to the rim and the Crater Lake Lodge and headed down to Highway 62 where we turned to the west and descended down to Highway 230. There, we turned north and rode the 25 miles and 2,000 feet of elevation gain back to Diamond Lake. HAC4 Analysis here.

Sunday

Miles: 10.41
August Total: 911.12

Folks from the Salem Bicycle Club ride the path around Diamond Lake on Sunday morning. A very nice recovery ride.

The 508

My coach posted the following in the 508 discussion forum...

"Hi -
Experienced crew chief is looking for another crew member for John Henry (Hoary Marmot) Maurice - a very mellow 50+ guy who IS going to make it to 29 Palms. I have crewed for 4 different rookies and have gotten them ALL to the finish line. John is by far the most prepared.
We are looking for one more crew person. This would be a GREAT opportunity to gain experience if you've never crewed before.
Necessary crew attributes: smart, empowered, willing and able to have fun through hard work, tolerant of coffee drinkers (me!), calm, empathetic. Slightly twisted sense of humor helps.
Sandy (Echidna) Earl"

Posted 9:57 PM by John Henry

Weekend Plans

Joanne and I are traveling to Crater Lake today to join the Midvalley Bicycle Club on their annual Crater Lake ride. We will be staying at Diamond Lake tonight and riding to Crater Lake on Saturday. Their route circles Crater Lake and is 62 miles long. But Joanne and I will add some additional miles by descending down to Hwy 230 and using it to return to Diamond Lake (Map). On Sunday, we will do the short 12 miles ride around Diamond Lake before returning home.

Posted 9:43 AM by John Henry

Wednesday Recover Ride

Miles: 40.38
August Total: 822.40

Joanne was substituting as a Yoga instructor so I lead the Salem Bicycle Club Wednesday Night Ride by myself. As such, I had to opportunity to ride to the start of the ride from home.

I took it easy in the cool evening air (this is August?). Going to the start of the ride I had a tail wind so I could move along very quickly without too much work. The ride itself was very easy as I stayed with a new and slow rider on the 22 mile course. It is not nice to drop new folks.

The return was into the wind and I worked harder because of that and because darkness was falling.

All in all, it was a nice recovery ride, but my legs did hurt on the only hill of the night. For the ride, my average heart rate was 86 bpm and my average speed was 14.4. HAC4 Analysis.

After the ride, I now have a nagging pain in my right knee. It is sore when I first start walking, but then the pain goes away as I walk.

Posted 9:35 PM by John Henry

Torture Tuesday in Taulatin

Miles: 31.39
August Total: 782.02

Del pick out a really nice route tonight. We had three major climbs. The first is known as LeBeau and is a good, steady climb that is steep, but not so much that it hurts. I paced myself as I knew there were more climbs coming. Young Jeff took off and lead us up the hill. I could have worked to bridge up to him, but I choose not to.

The second climb is something out of a horror movie. It must have scared the LeMond because it sucked up the chain when I shifted into my 26 tooth granny chainring. As such, I was almost last up the hill.

This hill is so steep (how steep is it? Well, the HAC4 said 23%), that I was lifting my front wheel off of the pavement. I un-sucked my chain and started up the hill after Gary. I slowly caught him, and then rode beside him sharing the torture of the hill. But, as we came to the top, he stood and started sprinting. I stayed seated and spun up beside him. I must have been spinning at 120 rpm!

The last hill is short and I would not consider it a major climb except that it came after two difficult climbs. I climbed it well and did not fall off of the back. In fact, I was third at the top.

After the last descent of the day, we worked hard going back. The fast group passed us and we chased them all of the way back. I maintained a high heart rate for the last seven miles of the ride. No, I did not bridge, but it was fun trying.

HAC4 analysis here.

Posted 9:58 PM by John Henry

Monday at the gym

What is there to say?

I went, I lifted, I sweated and it was fun.

Posted 10:51 PM by John Henry

Yaquina Head Century

Miles: 100.80
August Total: 750.63

After the ABC Ride on Saturday, Joanne and I packed up the Meridian tandem and drove over to Newport and checked into our (cheap) motel - the Money Saver. This is a basic and cheap motel on Highway 101 in Newport. It was basic and clean; what more could you ask? Well, a bathroom sink that drained and a bathroom sink faucet where "H" is hot and "C" is cold water.

We set the alarm for 6:00 am and woke up to a cool morning. We ate breakfast at The Apple Peddler (where else would bicyclists eat?).

After a nice breakfast, we drove up to the Yaquina Head Lighthouse, parked the van and put on every piece of cycling clothing that we brought with us - including arm warmers, tights, long fingered gloves and vests. Yes, it was a bit cold.

The route heads south along 101 until you reach Newport. Then, it follows the coast and then Yaquina Bay to the first rest stop at 11.67 miles down the road. Here, the very short rides return to the lighthouse while the medium and long routes continue to beautiful, downtown Elk City. Here, the pavement ends and the route returns to the mill town of Toledo. In Toledo, the medium route returns to the lighthouse and the long route continues north through the town of Siletz and then continuing north back to Highway 101 just short of Lincoln City. The long route returns to the lighthouse by heading south on Highway 101, a very busy road but with adequate shoulders.

Joanne and I averaged 17.0 mph for 100.80 miles and 4,034 feet of elevation gain. HAV4 analysis is here.

Posted 10:06 PM by John Henry

ABC Ride

Miles: 63.57
August Total: 649.83

Joanne and I did a sweet little ride today, the ABC Ride. We did 62 miles on our singles in beautiful weather and some nice hills (Victor Point and Brush Creek). The good was great and the volunteers friendly.

During the ride, I met an older gentleman named Keith. It turns out that it was his wife who died on CycleOregon in 2004. Keith is a strong rider and is made of strong stuff because he is still riding, although he does not plan on doing another CycleOregon.

Posted 4:05 PM by John Henry

Friday - Rest Day

I made it to work today, but I had to take some Benadryl to releive the itchies left over from my reaction to the Cortisone shot.

I left work early to attend Charlie Perry's Memorial Service. Many long time Salem Bicycle Club menbers were in attendance. The following poem was printed on the handout:

BICYCLING
Charles B. Perry Sr.

Oh the joy of a bicycle ride in the spring!
You appreciate silence. You hear the birds sing,
And in summertime, likewise continues the spell,
As in autumn and winter (if snowless) as well.

While the rhythm of ped'ling ballet-like may seem
As it stimulates heartbeat, you phantasize, dream,
Your're too busy to worry, yet able to think
And perhaps compose poems or music is sync.

You can pause if your pleasure's to look at a flower
Or to search for the source of a song in its bower;
You can relish a view or watch farmers in fields,
Or admire a good crop and anticipate yields.

Unpolluted by gas fumes or newscasts and woe,
You have time to see Nature and God's things that grow.
While the exercise puts you in shape for the next day,
Gives you strength to face problems, the world and fray.

Posted 8:47 PM by John Henry

Cortisone - Friend or Foe?

I have been suffering from "hot spots" on my feet since I started riding double centuries. I remember one Death Valley Double where I took off my shoes at the Ashford Mills rest stop because both of my feet were on fire. I have moved my cleats all of the way back, I have tried different shoes, different socks, and different insoles but nothing has worked. Currently, and long distance ride will cause my left foot to burn.

Now I have two long rides coming up, the Ring of Fire 24 Hour Time Trial and the Furnace Creek 508. In order to insure success at these rides, I decided to visit my doctor and see what he suggests. After a discussion, it was decided to inject cortisone into my left foot. I had the shot this morning.

Immediately, I felt an allergic reaction, I began to itch. It started slowly, and I did mention it to my doctor before I left his office and he suggested Benadryl. By the time I left the parking lot, I had decided that I needed some Benadryl, and badly.

I drove to the nearest Fred Meyer and parked. Walking toward the store I felt light headed, I saw spot in my vision and my chest felt tight effecting my breathing. I began to get scared.

I made it inside the store, but instead of looking for some Benadryl, I headed toward a bench as I needed to lay down. It was either lay down or fall down. As I was on the bench, I was fighting the urge to itch myself.

I rested for several minutes and the vision problems went away and my breathing became easier. So, I got up and headed toward the pharmacy aisle. This was a mistake. The vision problems returned and I almost fainted in the aisle. I managed to return to the bench where I used my cell phone to call my wife. "I need you." is what I said when she answered the phone.

After a few minutes, she arrived and drove me home. During this time, the itching increased to the point where I could not resist and I started to take off my cloths in the car. I did manage to restrict myself to my only removing my right shoe and sock, but when we arrived home, everything came off.

Joanne researched my predicament and suggested that I get into our hot tub; hot water should relieve the itching. It did. I then fell asleep (from the Benadryl) and slept till 1:00 pm. I cooked a light lunch and returned to bed. By evening, the reaction was gone.

It would appear that I am allergic to cortisone.

Posted 9:19 PM by John Henry

Wednesday Recovery Ride

Miles: 22.47
August Total: 586.26

This August night was cool and cloudy, but that did not dampen our fun as we rode through the farmland east of Salem.

We did one hill - Howell Prairie Rd. southbound towards Shaw. The road has recently been chip sealed and is quite rough. Since we were climbing, the rough surface was not that much of a factor.

Even with the hill, my average heart rate was a low 80 bpm but we averaged 15.3 mph. Perhaps Joanne was doing all of the work?

Posted 10:18 PM by John Henry

Another Friend is Gone

Chalie Perry, a long time menber of the Salem Bicycle Club has passed away.

Posted 11:08 AM by John Henry

Tualatin Tuesday

Miles: 29.18
Augest Total: 563.79

Another hard ride with the group in Taulatin. My legs were still a bit tired from the weekend; they did not have the snap I feel when I am well rested. None the less, I rode hard and this time did not get dropped.

We did a new hill for me tonight - Seiffert Rd. The map says it is a 2 mile climb with 700 feet of gain. It felt much more that.

But, to get to the hill, we had to chase a two man break on Scholls-Sherwood Rd. I was in a two man chase group and we worked hard taking 30 second pulls but we could only maintain the gap, we could not close. The chase ended at a stop sign which is a short distance from the base of the hill of the night.

On the climb, I worked really hard and managed to be the second rider (of the almost fast group) to the top. There we regrouped before descending on a twisty and shaded road.

After the climb, I just maintained my position and did not join the fast group as it passed us by.

Also, I send my Garmin Forerunner 201 back to Garmin for repairs today. I managed to bring down the cost to $30.00 as their bicycle mount failed to hold it securely.

Posted 9:56 PM by John Henry

Rest Day

Miles: 0
August Total: 534.61

Martin, my Monday Gym workout partner is down at Bonneville for Speed Week. So, without anyone to call me a weasel, I took a day off and rested.

I spent some time on a budget for the Furnace Creek 508. This is not going to be a cheap ride!

Posted 7:59 AM by John Henry

Weekend Update

Torture 10,000 and More

Miles: 162.63
August Total: 534.61

This is my fourth of fifth T10K (My first one was on our brand new Meridian Tandem), but this was the best ever.


I left the start at 6:45 and it was cold. The first descent down to the Sandy River was very cold on my fingers and chest. I was wearing my California Triple Crown jersey and arm warmers only - no wind vest or jacker. But not to worry, the climbing soon began. They added a short loop off of the Columbia Gorge Scenic Highway, that included a short steep hill. Yeah, extra climbing. The actual climb up Larch Mountain was easier than last year. As I started earlier than last year, I was climbing mostly by myself and ocassionaly rode with other cyclists. I spent just 7 minutes at the rest stop at the top and then headed down the hill. I am not a great descender, so I was pass by a group of three and pass only one other. I saw lots of people climbing though.

Next came the route to City of Sandy and I was passed by a few along the way. It was durning this section that I almost hit a deer last year and I can tell you that was on my mind. At Sandy, I spent 12 minutes at the rest stop.

As it is only fifteen miles to the Eagle Fern rest stop, I decided to pass it by and do the George Loop. I saw several people coming down the hill, but when the road split, I did not see anyone until I had completed the loop and start back down the hill to the Eagle Fern rest stop. I spent 14 minutes there.

Now I was headed back to Sandy. But again, since it was only fifteen miles, I skipped the Sandy rest stop and headed toward the finish. But, I missed the Bluff Rd turnoff. I took Orient Dr and backtracked. I was lost, but a nice woman who was walking down the road set me off in the correct direction. On Bluff Dr again, I started passing other riders.

I finished with at 3:00 pm with 107 miles and 10,300 feet of gain.

At the finished, I took a long 30 minute break, before climbing back on the LeMond and headed toward home.

I took the Springwater Trail to the 205 Bike Route to old 82nd. I then took old 82 to Oregon City, climbed the hill on the new highway and stopped for a break. Then I took Central Point to Canby. From Canby, I took
Hwy 99 all of the way home. I was crusin with a tailwind! I averaged over 20 mph from Canby to home. I arrived home at 7:30 pm.

Sunday Recovery Ride

Miles: 74.91
August Total: 609.52

Joanne and I joined the Salem Bicycle Club headed north to the Town of Aurora. The pace was somewhat faster than a true recovery ride pace, but we did not work too hard. However, the distance was too long. Joanne and I are both very tired tonight. I expect to be in bed very soon.

Posted 8:04 PM by John Henry

No Fire Sale at Scott's

Miles: 34.96
August Total: 371.98

Thanks to a very effective brick fire wall, Scott's Bicycle Shop (and my LeMond) suffered no significant damage from the fire that destroyed McMahan's Furniture Store.

I rode my Redline (my rain bike) down to Scott's to check out the fire damage, when I saw the group leaving downtown Salem! Apparently, the Fire Department had just let them into their store an hour earlier and the Scott's Thursday Night Ride was on! We did the Windsor Inland Loop, a relaxed ride, so I had the chance to talk to Steve Lewis, one of the owners. He said that they suffered only minor smoke damage and nothing more. They were very lucky!

Posted 6:44 AM by John Henry

May not be a Scott's Ride Tonight

My LeMond Victoire bicycle is in Scott's Bicycle Shop which is two doors down from what is left of McMahan's Furniture Store. I do not know if I own a $5,000 bicycle or $5,000 of melted titanium.

Posted 3:12 PM by John Henry

Recovery Wednesday

Miles: 23.15
August Total: 337.02

After yesterdays hectic ride, Joanne and I had a very nice and fun ride east of Salem. We took it very slow and even with the 961 feet of elevation gain in the 23 miles, my average heart rate was just 70 bpm and my maximum heart rate was just 104 bpm.

The weather was just right tonight, warm without being hot. The sky was nearly empty of clouds and a chrisp, clear blue. We rode by server fields that had been burned recently, and the black ash and the smoke smell were a contrast to the sky.

Posted 9:38 PM by John Henry

Just Another Monday Morning Ride

© Scott McCanna

Posted 5:01 PM by John Henry

Terrible Tuesday

Miles: 32.28
August Total: 313.87

We turned right onto Hwy 99 and needed to merge over to the left turn lane. There were 13 of us, mostly in a single file along the busy highway. Riders in the back were calling out "Truck!" to warn the riders in the front that there was a fast moving gasoline tanker truck coming up in the right lane. But did the lead riders heed the warning? No! The brakes on that truck were very good and no one got hit.

We had just turned onto Beef Bend Rd. and the speed was back up to cruising pace, about 20 mph. All of a sudden, without warning, the pace line slowed. The rider in front of me called out "Slowing!" and I barely had enough time to veer to the left to avoid hitting him. Not so for Stan, who ran into the rider in front of him and went down. Result, one hurt cyclist and two broken bikes (broken spokes).

I had dropped off of the back due to my tired legs. I found myself alone on Wilsonville Rd., a much too busy rural road. I felt the slap on my butt before I saw the car with a teenager hanging out go by me. I was surprised most of all, but I flipped them off, something that I had committed never to do again.

Note to teenagers: this was an assault, not a prank. I could have fallen and been seriously injured. Would you have stopped and offered assistance, or just driven away?

HAC4 Analysis

Posted 10:13 PM by John Henry

Is Cycling Fun?

Peter LaPorte writes about fun and cycling in his blog today. Interesting reading.

Rubber Side Down.


Which leads me to quote Kirk Haas who said "That was the hardest thing I have ever done!" after finishing the 2004 Mount Shasta Super Century. I tend to agree with him, at least I can not think of a harder ride I have done in the last few years.

Posted 9:29 AM by John Henry

Mount Shasta Super Century and More!

I had an enjoyable weekend at the Mount Shasta Summit Century. On Sunday, I did all four of the summits on the "Super" Century route.

Miles: 134.03
Monthly Total: 250.98

The ride consists of four major climbs, Parks Creek, Mumbo, Castle Lake and finally, Mount Shasta. All are long and three are steep and all are hard.

My alarm woke me up at 4:15 am and I readied myself. I was at the start at 4:45 where I collected a second water bottle (as I had forgotten mine). I left as soon as there was enough light to see - 5:20 am. The route to the "coffee" stop was new. I headed north on Mt. Shasta Blvd, not south into town. This was an improvement as there were fewer turns to negociate in the darkness of early morning.

I did have an incident on this stretch of the route. I was descending a small hill, doing about 35 mph or so in the early morning light. I had a split second of warning before the bat hit my face. I saw a large, black flying bat just before it struck my right cheek, but I did not have time to flinch. It struck with enough force to make me think it could have drawn blood, but that was a fear only. The "coffee" rest stop workers confirmed a large red mark, but no broken skin.

The first climb was Parks Creek but it was not the first time I have climbed it. Knowing the climb, I took it easy and worked my way up to the top. My legs felt good and I did push myself somewhat, that is whenever anyone would pass me. I would pick up my speed and try to stay with them. Most of the times I failed to hang on and let the rider go, until the next cyclist came along.

After a short stop, I headed down and found myself descending alone. The road is rough and at 40 miles per hour, my Garmin 201 GPS committed suicide by jumping off of it's bike mount. I stopped and picked it up but I do not think it survived.

The next few miles took me through Weed and back into the town of Mount Shasta. I stopped breifly at the rest stop in Weed, but blew by the next rest stop and started the climb up Mumbo. The first part is not that steep and in ten miles I came to the rest stop at Fawn Creek. Here, I took a short break before starting the serious climb up to Mumbo. This is a very steep climb, at times at 14% or greater. But again, I knew the climb and took it easy.

At Mumbo summit, I took another short stop and started back down the hill. The road is very rough and I found myself bouncing around as I hit speeds up to 40 mph.

At Fawn Creek, I stopped and refilled my water bottles as the day was getting warm and the climb up to Castle Lake was next.

The road to Castle Lake is steep and hot! I was beginning to feel the miles, but was in much better shape than last year. Even so, the climb seemed to be much longer than the advertised seven miles. Once I reached the rest stop, I poured cold water over my head to cool off, and then drank several cups to quench my thirst. None the less, I took a short stop as the lunch stop was just at the bottom of the hill.

At lunch, I took a longer break and made myself a small turkey sandwich. I joined some folks at a table and enjoyed good conversation while we ate. Finishing my sandwich, I knew that the final climb of the day was waiting for me, so I said my goodbyes and headed toward Mount Shasta.

The climb up Mount Shasta is 14 miles long, but is never as steep at the other climbs. This year was the first time I did all four climbs and my legs were feeling every mile that I had already done. I was hot and slow, but I was moving up the hill. After a few miles, I came upon the optional shower, two women with hoses were spraying riders as they climbed up the hill. I called out that I thought it was a wet t-shirt contest and they laughed and really watered me down! It feel very good.

Next was the water stop half way up the climb. I took a short break and head off of the last seven miles of climbing. These were the hardest miles of the route, and the hardest miles so far this year. I stopped twice to recover before clawing my way up the last two miles to the end of the pavement. I was go glad to see the rest stop and took a longer break to recover from the climb. I sat cheering other riders at they obtained the final summit of the day.

The descent was long and fun! The road surface is smooth and the curves not so tight. I obtained my maximum speed for the day, 44.7 mph on this descent. As I flew by the optional shower girls, I though that their shirts were wet, but I was going to fast to be sure.

I finished the ride with 134.03 miles and an average speed of just 12.0 miles per hour. But, when you consider the 18,789 feet of elevation (according to my HAC4 – 14,500 is the published figure), 12 mph does not seem that bad.

I returned to my lodgings and fell asleep by 8:30, I just could not stay awake any longer.

Monday's Recovery Ride

Miles: 30.61
Monthly Total: 281.59

Scott and I met at the Black Bear Diner for breakfast at 6:30 am. We ate quickly, as we had decided to ride the Mount Shasta climb once more before returning to Salem. It was much cooler than yesterday afternoon, and my legs felt much better. I took it easy climbing up to the summit, stopping just once to take in the view. My HAC4 reported 4196 feet of elevation gain and an average of 11.5 mph, slower than yesterday.

Again, the descent was fast and fun. Near the top, Scott was just behind me as we came around a corner. There, crossing the road in front of us was a bobcat! It must have known that two cyclists were coming at it at 40 mph, but it was unconcerned as it disappeared into the brush. This was the first bobcat I have seen in the wild and was a very special moment.

You would think that these two rides were enough for me. But no. I arrived back in Salem in time to work out at the gym with Martin. Yes, my legs were tired, but I put them through my regular workout none the less. Although, it did hurt more.

Posted 9:30 PM by John Henry

The Night Before the Ride

I remembered my shoes, and I remembered my helmet, but I forgot my water bottles – for the second year in a row!

The drive down was ok, no accidents and no near misses. It took me five hours with two stops; one rest stop and one gas stop. I arrived in Mount Shasta City at 6:00 pm and checked in at the ride headquarters. Then I checked into my “Kamping Kabin” at the local KOA. This is a basic cabin with no bathroom or kitchen; just some beds under a roof. Next, I when is search of a bath towel which I also had forgotten. It was while I was standing in Rite-Aide, that it came to me that I had not brought any water bottles! I felt instant panic.

I drove back to the ride headquarters and they offered me one bottle that had been in lost and found for a year. I took it, but then realized that it had not been cleaned. I spent fifteen minutes in the kitchen cleaning it with brushes and hot water. Tonight, I will use mouthwash to disinfect it.

Dinner is at an Italian Cafe where I ran into Scott and Angela who are also down from Salem for the ride.

I will start early tomorrow - 5:00 am.

Posted 9:34 PM by John Henry

Lazy Saturday

I intended to do some night riding early this morning, but I got in from the ball game late and I wimped out. The thought of driving down to Mount Shasta City on little sleep did not encourage me, nor did the thought of doing the Mount Shasta Summit Century on tire legs. Last year I did three of the four climbs, leaving out the final climb up to Mt. Shasta due to heat and bonking. This year, I hope to finish all four climbs. However, the weather could impact this.

Weather forecast for Mount Shasta City for Sunday:

"Sunday Partly cloudy. Slight chance of thunderstorms in the morning...then chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the lower to mid 80s. Light winds becoming southwest around 10 mph in the afternoon. Chance of thunderstorms 30 percent."



On a different note, a few weeks ago, I did a long ride called a DART, a RUSA Dart. Here are some photos taken by teammate Nate. We did 260km (162 miles) circling Mt. Hood.

Posted 11:27 AM by John Henry

Scott's Cycling Thursday Night

Miles: 55.7
Monthly Total: 116.95

I rode with the group from Scott's Cycling tonight, and I choose the fast bunch. I managed to stay with them for the most part, I but somewhat off of the back until they dropped me on Cloverdale Rd.

One funny incident happen during the ride. We were stopped for someone's mechanical, when another rider, coasting along with his head down, ran into me. No harm, so no foul.

HAC4 Analysis
Map

Tomorrow will be a rest day. I will take Neal out to the ball game.

Posted 8:57 PM by John Henry

Recovery Wednesday

Miles: 23.32
Monthly Total: 61.25

An easy but somewhat hilly ride to the east of Salem. Four others joined Joanne and I on a really nice August evening. Joanne and I rode the tandem and only worked hard climbing one hill. My legs were very tired after yesterday's hard ride and I am looking forward to a nice soak in the spa tonight.

HAC4 Analysis

Posted 9:39 PM by John Henry

Tualatin Tuesday

Miles: 37.93
Monthly Total: 37.93

Road with the Tuesday night fast group when I should have started with the "senior" group. My legs were tired after the miles I put in over the weekend, but I thought I could hang on. I was wrong.

Just after Boone Bridge, a new couple from Seattle flatted but the group rode on. I tried to stay with them, but I could not so I returned to where the couple had flatted, and rode with them to show them the route.

I worked hard.


Above 150 bpm: 18:28 13%
Within 136-149 bpm: 54:28 40%
Below 135 bpm: 1:02:11 46%
Total Time: 2:15:39
Aveage Heart Rate: 131 bpm.

Route Elevation Profile

Posted 7:31 AM by John Henry