Saturday

I rode 34 miles on Saturday. It was freezing. It was overcast and misty/fog in Pasadena when I left Saturday morning to ride. It wasn't too cold, just a little brisk and damp. I rode up the Angeles Crest Highway towards Mt. Wilson. There's a parking kiosk about 10 miles before the top of Mt. Wilson, and which is where I wanted to ride. It's about 3300 feet up or so. The way up was okay for the first half. Just fog and mist until about 2000ft. Then it turned into really thick fog and a drizzle. I actually stopped at the "chains required" turnout because the fog was so thick I could only see about 30 feet. Cars were going significantly slower than usual. I was thankful to be wearing my lime green kit. After stopping for a few minutes I decided to ride to the kiosk, which was only another 1.5 miles or so. I got there, watered up, and decided to turn around. At this point I was completely drenched and cold. It was windy and wet with shitty visibility. I kept telling myself the way down would suck for the first half and then be fine once I got below 2000ft. Boy was I wrong! The weather got progressively worse at the lower elevations as I went up. Of course I didn't know this until the way down. I started the descent. I left about 5 seconds after two other riders and and they already disappeared into the fog. It could see the faint blinking of his seat light just ahead of me. Though less concerned about catching them,which did happen, I was more concerned about keeping my hands from freezing. At the start of the descent the weather had because a consistent rain and dense fog. The roads were soaked. I was soaked, and cold.

My short fingered gloves were a fail on my part. I actually have long fingered gloves in my ultimate bag, but didn't even think to wear them. The tips of my fingers were frozen within the half mile down. My Garmin said it was 50 degrees. Factor in that I was going 25-30mph and the rain had turned to sleet near the top, it had to be a wind chill in the low 40's! I could feel the rain/sleet hitting my face. All I wanted to do was get to a lower elevation and warm up my fingers. I blew warm air on my thumbs. I couldn't even tuck them behind my break levers to protect them from the wind. It was brutal. I also squirted the cold water from my bottles on my hands, hoping the water was warmer than the chill in my hands. It wasn't. Around 2500ft I gave up on my hands and just wanted to get back home. It stopped raining somewhere in the last mile of the descent. It's about an 8-10 mile climb. I got to the bottom and took the shortest route home. My hands warmed up at the lower elevation. The fog was gone and it was just overcast. I got home and took my jersey off. All of my skin under the jersey and shorts was pink from being so cold. It was crazy.

Reasons

I ride for many reasons. Sometimes to think, to clear my mind, to talk with friends, to enjoy the view, to eat! And then I ride to push myself. In the two years I've been cycling I have pushed myself mentally and physically to the limits. I've ridden 4 century rides, countless club rides, and tons of challenging routes with friends. All while enjoying the social company and spectacular views, I still find myself pushing myself to get up the hill, go a little bit further, or keep up to the guys ahead of me.

The Mount Evan's Hill Climb- I want to do this. Why?? For the spectacular views. For the challenge. For the time and dedication it will take to prepare for such a ride. And most importantly, for fun!

Early Training

I spent this weekend in Bakersfield. Aside from seeing friends and a dental appointment, my goal was to get some saddle time and miles logged in preparation for my century in August. Friday my mom and I rode 70 miles. Two years ago on this particular route I had a mental and physical breakdown midway up the steepest climb and wanted to throw my bike off the side of the road. Needless to say it felt great to power up that particular hill and finish the ride with a solid time. It was still a beastly ride. The hot and dry weather didn't help either. We rode the past 2 days as well, but neither ride was as lengthy or difficult compared to Friday's. I accomplished what I wanted to: 3 days, 3 rides, 124 total miles, and just under 9 hours in the saddle.

Swingin' Away

Turn that frown upside down! I was driving on Friday and started to think about everything I was leaving in San Diego. Friends, family, temp work, food, awesome cycling... San Diego. I have been looking forward to moving up to LA and living with my brother, but having lived in SD for the past 3.5 years, I have accumulated some good times and memories. How did I cheer myself up? I turned up the volume, rolled down the windows and head-bobbed to Sing, Sing, Sing a couple times. Next was Take 5 followed by Hello Dolly. To close out my I-5 jazz session was It Don't Mean a Thing (if it Ain't got that Swing). I was enjoying myself and eating crêpes in San Clemente in no time.

Busy Busy

Lately I've been working at my Aunt's TMJ (temporomandibular joint) office, doing mostly busywork and learning how to use dental software. Fun... Actually, the people at the office are what make it fun. My temporary co-workers constantly interrupt me to ask questions and just talk. And then there are the patients, who by now are used to seeing me in my little work space. My aunt did a great job of introducing me to them or telling them all about me while in the treatment chair.

Two weeks ago I went to the Kings game of the regular season. A friend of mine had extra tickets. Katie, her friend, and myself went to the game. VIP seats are amazing! Not to mention the halls are less crowded, and there's people service should you decide you want a $10 beer. I just wanted to watch hockey. Unfortunately they lost in a shootout. But I still had an awesome time.

I also saw Robert's movie "How to Train Your Dragon." I've seen it twice now. My advice is 1) See it and 2) Go to a nice theater, possibly IMAX, to fully enjoy the sounds and 3D animation.

That's all the time I have for now. It's time for the SDBC club ride!

A Look Back

Before moving to San Diego and during my high school years "activity" was playing tennis for me. I'd run the occasional mile but that's about all. During ski trips I'd board and be sore/tired mid-day and ready to eat. I didn't live or support an active/healthy lifestyle by any means, nor did I desire one.

How things have changed... 4 years later I'm a new person. It's not about losing weight or trying to look thinner. For me, I like being active. I like my muscles telling me "today is your off day." It started out when I played ice hockey at UCSD my senior year. I discovered the importance of regular exercise. Hockey season ended and I signed up for a cycling century, 100 miles, for fun. Cycling took off from there. It's my latest addiction. You name a route (or hill) and I'll do it. (Fact: the furthest I've ridden on a single ride is 115 miles. It was relatively "easy.") I'm getting back to my morning run session. It's snow season! Which means trips to the mountain when there's time. And let me tell you, all the cycling and running sure does pay off on the mountain. Right now, those are my 3 main activities keeping me happy. Robert has taught me the joy of ultimate. I can throw a frisbee! And then there's tennis, golf, attempted surfing, swimming in the ocean when the water temp increases... possibly a triathlon later in the year...

Tomorrow is a rest day.

Numbers

The storms last week dropped 8-9 inches of rain in San Diego and approximately 8 feet of snow in Mammoth. Anyone care to guess where I'm going for this weekend?