Solo 25.6 miles Riverside Blvd past Garcia Bend Park & back
Just an exploratory ride today. Riverside Blvd is one of the north-south streets with a good bike lane, so I decide to take it as far south as I feel like and then turn around. I first go to the bike trail south of the Sacramento Marina. I'm playing with fire here and the gods strike me down with a front flat in return. I have learned my lesson about biking that path. Never again! This is flat #4 on the Gatorskins. On a random side note, I recognize a cyclist from the Folsom Cyclebration criteriums who asks if I need help.
The houses south of Florin Rd are big and pretty and make for some nice daydreaming. I follow a bike path on the levee south of Garcia Bend Park, but it is blocked after a couple of miles due to construction. I amuse myself by passing judgment on the houses that back the levee and choose one or two I wouldn't mind owning. Who am I kidding--I'd take any of them!
Showing posts with label Folsom Cyclebration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Folsom Cyclebration. Show all posts
September 23, 2009
September 14, 2009
Ride Report 9/13
36 miles Folsom-Auburn-Folsom partnered
Today more hills. And one really big hill.
Back to Folsom to bike Folsom-Auburn Rd from Folsom to Auburn and back. The consensus is that I can do Foxy's Fall Century, but it will be very hard, and in the meantime I need to pile on base miles and hills.
The hills start out rather gentle and rolling. Then long, gentle and never ending. My heart rate goes from 145-174, but nowhere too frightening. At the top of the neverending long hill, I stop in the shade to eat and give my back a bit of a rest. The next hill is the big one.
The pitch starts out manageable, but soon turns steep. And it keeps going and going. I'm in my tiny gears but still moving at 6-7mph. My heart rate is only 180, but I soon start fighting against hyperventilating. I keep pedaling. I can't fill my lungs, but I know I can't hyperventilate and I try to keep my breathing deep and steady. But I can't fill my lungs and I just have to stop or I'm going to panic. Once I'm not pedaling, my body gives in to gasping for air. I'm still trying not to panic. T comes back quickly and makes sure I'm not dying. I just feel like I am.
Since we're still on the steepest part of the hill, once I'm ready to move again, I circle downhill for a short distance to build up my speed and then turn around to go back uphill. My knees start yelling in protest immediately. The pitch improves, but still the hill goes on and on. The only consolation I can cling to is the long long coast on the way back down. Well, that and a very delicious meal at the cafe at the top of the hill.
So, another feather in my cap. The way back to Folsom is spoiled by a few uphills about which my legs let me know they are not pleased. We head back to the Folsom Cyclebration and watch a men's 45/55 1,2,3 Two Bridges criterium. The finish is nicely dramatic and requires a photo finish consult. We call it a day and go home. I am starving for the rest of the evening and eat an impressive amount of food to make up for the calories burned today.
Today more hills. And one really big hill.
Back to Folsom to bike Folsom-Auburn Rd from Folsom to Auburn and back. The consensus is that I can do Foxy's Fall Century, but it will be very hard, and in the meantime I need to pile on base miles and hills.
The hills start out rather gentle and rolling. Then long, gentle and never ending. My heart rate goes from 145-174, but nowhere too frightening. At the top of the neverending long hill, I stop in the shade to eat and give my back a bit of a rest. The next hill is the big one.
The pitch starts out manageable, but soon turns steep. And it keeps going and going. I'm in my tiny gears but still moving at 6-7mph. My heart rate is only 180, but I soon start fighting against hyperventilating. I keep pedaling. I can't fill my lungs, but I know I can't hyperventilate and I try to keep my breathing deep and steady. But I can't fill my lungs and I just have to stop or I'm going to panic. Once I'm not pedaling, my body gives in to gasping for air. I'm still trying not to panic. T comes back quickly and makes sure I'm not dying. I just feel like I am.
Since we're still on the steepest part of the hill, once I'm ready to move again, I circle downhill for a short distance to build up my speed and then turn around to go back uphill. My knees start yelling in protest immediately. The pitch improves, but still the hill goes on and on. The only consolation I can cling to is the long long coast on the way back down. Well, that and a very delicious meal at the cafe at the top of the hill.
So, another feather in my cap. The way back to Folsom is spoiled by a few uphills about which my legs let me know they are not pleased. We head back to the Folsom Cyclebration and watch a men's 45/55 1,2,3 Two Bridges criterium. The finish is nicely dramatic and requires a photo finish consult. We call it a day and go home. I am starving for the rest of the evening and eat an impressive amount of food to make up for the calories burned today.
Ride Report 9/12
Oh, somewhere between 12-15 miles on the UCD Cruiser around Lake Natoma/Folsom area at Folsom Cyclebration
For the one and probably only time, I took out the UCD Aggies cruiser to ride in public at the Lake Natoma Cruiser Ride, part of the three-day Folsom Cyclebration. My friend S is along with my (her?) hybrid, but first we go to the Lake Forest Business Park to watch several criterium races. I especially wanted to watch the women's races, since this may be the type of event I ride in next spring if I stick with training. So naturally the women's races start at 7:30am. It's the first time I've (voluntarily) seen 5:30am in a long time, and I think the experience will hold me for quite a while.
Apart from the insanely early start to the day, I do enjoy myself. T meets us at the race course and comments on the races, strategies, riders, etc while we watch. The women's fields are tiny (19) compared to any of the men's races (40 or more). We watch the two women's crits and the men's category 5. Then T heads off to ride the Gold Rush 100k route to see if it would kill me and S and I go to Lake Natoma for the cruiser ride.
It's a smallish event and the weather (overcast, random sprinkling) has kept attendance low. We register for the cruiser ride, get our free swag and pedal off to Lake Natoma. S can't handle hills at all, so any time we come to one, she has to get off and walk. I think I'm doing pretty well on my single speed cruiser, but I still have to go as slowly as I can not to outpace her. At the halfway point (about 5 miles) is a poor lonely Jamba Juice rep with a tray of smoothies. We drink our smoothies and debate whether to continue the loop, double back or just jump onto Folsom Blvd and cut back on surface streets. The lack of hills makes Folsom Blvd our choice of return route, and we are pleasantly surprised to discover that bike paths parallel Folsom almost the entire way to Greenback.
S has had it for the day, so I hand her the keys to my truck and go meet T at the cyclocross course. We decide to head back to the criterium course, eat lunch, and watch the last races. I have to pedal back to Lake Forest, but other than one hill I have to push the cruiser up, I manage to pump along at about 13mph. The criteriums are entertaining, and a couple offer nice exciting breakaways and pursuits, but by the time the last race starts, we are both burned out on bike racing and decide to call it a day.
For the one and probably only time, I took out the UCD Aggies cruiser to ride in public at the Lake Natoma Cruiser Ride, part of the three-day Folsom Cyclebration. My friend S is along with my (her?) hybrid, but first we go to the Lake Forest Business Park to watch several criterium races. I especially wanted to watch the women's races, since this may be the type of event I ride in next spring if I stick with training. So naturally the women's races start at 7:30am. It's the first time I've (voluntarily) seen 5:30am in a long time, and I think the experience will hold me for quite a while.
Apart from the insanely early start to the day, I do enjoy myself. T meets us at the race course and comments on the races, strategies, riders, etc while we watch. The women's fields are tiny (19) compared to any of the men's races (40 or more). We watch the two women's crits and the men's category 5. Then T heads off to ride the Gold Rush 100k route to see if it would kill me and S and I go to Lake Natoma for the cruiser ride.
It's a smallish event and the weather (overcast, random sprinkling) has kept attendance low. We register for the cruiser ride, get our free swag and pedal off to Lake Natoma. S can't handle hills at all, so any time we come to one, she has to get off and walk. I think I'm doing pretty well on my single speed cruiser, but I still have to go as slowly as I can not to outpace her. At the halfway point (about 5 miles) is a poor lonely Jamba Juice rep with a tray of smoothies. We drink our smoothies and debate whether to continue the loop, double back or just jump onto Folsom Blvd and cut back on surface streets. The lack of hills makes Folsom Blvd our choice of return route, and we are pleasantly surprised to discover that bike paths parallel Folsom almost the entire way to Greenback.
S has had it for the day, so I hand her the keys to my truck and go meet T at the cyclocross course. We decide to head back to the criterium course, eat lunch, and watch the last races. I have to pedal back to Lake Forest, but other than one hill I have to push the cruiser up, I manage to pump along at about 13mph. The criteriums are entertaining, and a couple offer nice exciting breakaways and pursuits, but by the time the last race starts, we are both burned out on bike racing and decide to call it a day.
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