21 miles S Land Park to Florin to Riverside & back north on Freeport
Today I intended to do the Freeport Bridge loop by adding on a few miles on S Land Park (as well as the only hills within miles of my house other than overpasses). I get turned around and end up going away from Freeport on Florin and then on Riverside Blvd. Still, it's a pretty ride and there are bike lanes on all the streets except the nasty stretch on Florin. So, when I finally stumble on Freeport and then realize I'm heading north instead of south, I decide to call it a day and head home. I need to consult mapquest.com before I attempt this route again.
September 8, 2009
Ride Report 9/6
18.5 mile partnered ride Nimbus Hatchery to Beals Point & back
Today's program calls for hills. YAY!!
Or not. After my ass kicking the day before, my shoulders are a giant ache and I can't move my head much to the side at all. In addition, my lower left back which has been almost silent since early in riding the Bianchi is now protesting loudly about being on a bike today.
The parking at Nimbus Hatchery is ridiculous due to construction. After an emergency trip to the bathroom for me, we are off to ride the only hilly portion of the ARBT trail. My back starts its protest from the first ride up Hazel Ave to the path access. The hills kick my ass for the second day in a row and I spend a good portion of the ride in my little chainring spinning along at 7-8mph.
The ride to Beals Point is supposed to be a warmup for the ride to Auburn, but my lower back is one huge knot at the top of the climb and I have to lay down on my back with my knees in my chest to get the knot to relax. After realizing that I'm not just complaining, T calls the day's ride short.
I'm so wiped out from yesterday's high-speed ride and today's climbing that T actually allows me to just lie down and whine for probably twenty minutes until I'm ready to take the ride back. It's almost entirely downhill and, although not steep, I still ride my brakes quite a bit due to the many blind corners and relatively steady traffic of oncoming cyclists. Still, it's fun to take the ride at 23, 24, 26mph without pedaling.
As we come up to the dam, my stomach starts to churn and my heartrate picks up as I contemplate that last climb from the trail to Hazel. I get my speed up as much as I can, switch my gears and shift into the baby gears when the hill comes around the corner. Toward the top, I want to stop and get off, but with T and the riders at the top of the hill cheering me on, I stutter to the top. If it weren't for the clipless pedals, I never could have made the climb without being able to pull up on the pedals to keep myself moving forward. My legs feel like rubber and I want to get off the bike, but I have to upshift for the coast down the hill to the Hatchery.
Today's program calls for hills. YAY!!
Or not. After my ass kicking the day before, my shoulders are a giant ache and I can't move my head much to the side at all. In addition, my lower left back which has been almost silent since early in riding the Bianchi is now protesting loudly about being on a bike today.
The parking at Nimbus Hatchery is ridiculous due to construction. After an emergency trip to the bathroom for me, we are off to ride the only hilly portion of the ARBT trail. My back starts its protest from the first ride up Hazel Ave to the path access. The hills kick my ass for the second day in a row and I spend a good portion of the ride in my little chainring spinning along at 7-8mph.
The ride to Beals Point is supposed to be a warmup for the ride to Auburn, but my lower back is one huge knot at the top of the climb and I have to lay down on my back with my knees in my chest to get the knot to relax. After realizing that I'm not just complaining, T calls the day's ride short.
I'm so wiped out from yesterday's high-speed ride and today's climbing that T actually allows me to just lie down and whine for probably twenty minutes until I'm ready to take the ride back. It's almost entirely downhill and, although not steep, I still ride my brakes quite a bit due to the many blind corners and relatively steady traffic of oncoming cyclists. Still, it's fun to take the ride at 23, 24, 26mph without pedaling.
As we come up to the dam, my stomach starts to churn and my heartrate picks up as I contemplate that last climb from the trail to Hazel. I get my speed up as much as I can, switch my gears and shift into the baby gears when the hill comes around the corner. Toward the top, I want to stop and get off, but with T and the riders at the top of the hill cheering me on, I stutter to the top. If it weren't for the clipless pedals, I never could have made the climb without being able to pull up on the pedals to keep myself moving forward. My legs feel like rubber and I want to get off the bike, but I have to upshift for the coast down the hill to the Hatchery.
September 5, 2009
Ride Report 9/2
43 miles total, about 35 mile group ride with Sacramento Wheelmen ARBT to Amore & back
Ah, what a nice change! Joe, the Wednesday morning ride leader, is back from vacation and he truly does ride at 15-16mph. There are only four of us at the ride start, but we pick up two more along the way. For a miracle, I'm not the slowest rider in the group, either. The six of us take the ARBT east to Gold River and a small coffee shop called Amore. The owner is a hoot and tells us "This is no Starbucks; this is a classy place!" when we try to bus our tables after eating. Joe offers to buy "the new rider" a drink, so I don't refuse a Mocha Glacier. I learned my lesson about eating food on a warm day, so I stick to my Odwalla bar and the Glacier drink gives me a massive brain freeze when I start to gulp it down.
On the way back, one of the riders starts to bonk from not eating and drinking two cups of coffee and has to stop to eat something. Joe drops back to check on her and they meet up with us where we are waiting at the Howe Ave underpass. On the way out, one of the other riders and I speculated on why some bridges smell like urine and others don't and why you would choose to pee under a bridge rather than in the grass or behind a tree.
I leave the group at the Guy West bridge to shorten my trip home, and as usual get lost in Sac State trying to find my way to J St. I actually end up right behind Joe and another rider who have a similar ride home and we chat the whole way up M St to when I actually split from the group and go south on 34th St to home.
Ah, what a nice change! Joe, the Wednesday morning ride leader, is back from vacation and he truly does ride at 15-16mph. There are only four of us at the ride start, but we pick up two more along the way. For a miracle, I'm not the slowest rider in the group, either. The six of us take the ARBT east to Gold River and a small coffee shop called Amore. The owner is a hoot and tells us "This is no Starbucks; this is a classy place!" when we try to bus our tables after eating. Joe offers to buy "the new rider" a drink, so I don't refuse a Mocha Glacier. I learned my lesson about eating food on a warm day, so I stick to my Odwalla bar and the Glacier drink gives me a massive brain freeze when I start to gulp it down.
On the way back, one of the riders starts to bonk from not eating and drinking two cups of coffee and has to stop to eat something. Joe drops back to check on her and they meet up with us where we are waiting at the Howe Ave underpass. On the way out, one of the other riders and I speculated on why some bridges smell like urine and others don't and why you would choose to pee under a bridge rather than in the grass or behind a tree.
I leave the group at the Guy West bridge to shorten my trip home, and as usual get lost in Sac State trying to find my way to J St. I actually end up right behind Joe and another rider who have a similar ride home and we chat the whole way up M St to when I actually split from the group and go south on 34th St to home.
Ride Report 9/5
43.1 mile group ride with Sacramento Wheelmen, Garden Hwy to Power Line, Elverta Rd and back
Today I continue my growing self-masochistic tendencies and join the "lively" Sacramento Wheelman Saturday morning ride. I know I'm going to get my ass handed to me; it's just a matter of how badly.
Since I show up with T, everyone assumes I know what I'm doing or that T has filled me in as we set off from downtown. As we head north, the speed is not too extreme, but as soon as we hit Garden Hwy, we are close to 20mph and I'm in trouble. I try to hang on to the group, but as the pace picks up to 22-23mph, I get dropped off the back a couple times and T has to actually push me along to catch up to the group. My heartrate is in the 180s and I'm starting to panic. I'm pushing the big gears, but it's too draining. At the halfway point, several riders congratulate me and tell me "Good job." When I complain that I can't keep up, one of them tells me that if I'm close enough that the group waits for me, it still counts.
When we regroup, I desperately suck down some water, but my body is in too much stress to be hungry even after 15 miles or so. The pace picks up immediately, and I get dropped off the back within a couple miles. I'm frustrated and refuse T's offer to push me back up to the group. Thankfully, he lets me get dropped and we tootle along the last half of the ride at about 15mph.
Today I continue my growing self-masochistic tendencies and join the "lively" Sacramento Wheelman Saturday morning ride. I know I'm going to get my ass handed to me; it's just a matter of how badly.
Since I show up with T, everyone assumes I know what I'm doing or that T has filled me in as we set off from downtown. As we head north, the speed is not too extreme, but as soon as we hit Garden Hwy, we are close to 20mph and I'm in trouble. I try to hang on to the group, but as the pace picks up to 22-23mph, I get dropped off the back a couple times and T has to actually push me along to catch up to the group. My heartrate is in the 180s and I'm starting to panic. I'm pushing the big gears, but it's too draining. At the halfway point, several riders congratulate me and tell me "Good job." When I complain that I can't keep up, one of them tells me that if I'm close enough that the group waits for me, it still counts.
When we regroup, I desperately suck down some water, but my body is in too much stress to be hungry even after 15 miles or so. The pace picks up immediately, and I get dropped off the back within a couple miles. I'm frustrated and refuse T's offer to push me back up to the group. Thankfully, he lets me get dropped and we tootle along the last half of the ride at about 15mph.
Ride Report 9/4
32 miles ARBT north access to Elverta Rd, E Levee Rd, Ueda Bike Path to Discovery Park thru Old Sac & home
Today I take the route I meant to take on the first. The computer has been calibrated to the narrower tire size and all is right with the world. I'm getting kind of tired of all the surface streets that cross the north path, but it's not the ARBT, which I have been dreading for the last several weeks because I've ridden it so damn many times. Unfortunately, I took my ride late in the day today (I left around noon), and I start to run into packs of high school age kids spread across the path and completely ignoring the world. The group that does know I'm coming gives me about a foot of path to pass them on. The groups that don't respond to "Bike, Bike, BIKE!" as I'm coming up behind them get cursed at as I have to ride on the dirt beside the path to pass them.
At the end of the trail, I can't stand the thought of passing even more teenagers blocking the path, so I cut across Elverta Road to E Levee and go south to Discovery Park. On the ARBT, I experiment to find my max heartrate and start pedaling as fast and hard as I can. At 23mph I hit 187bpm and feel like I'm going to puke. My legs feel like rubber, so I let off after maybe 30 seconds. The mystified cyclist that I blasted past half a mile back breezes past me as I whimper into Discovery Park at about 14mph. My heartrate yesterday was 186 in 17th gear at 89rpm.
I stop long enough to stop the nauseated feeling and start to limp home through Old Sacramento. Naturally, I get a flat (my 2nd on the Gatorskins) to repair on my back tire. Not impressed with the Gatorskins so far.
Note to self: When experimenting with max heartrate, do it when I'm almost home, not with six miles to go.
Today I take the route I meant to take on the first. The computer has been calibrated to the narrower tire size and all is right with the world. I'm getting kind of tired of all the surface streets that cross the north path, but it's not the ARBT, which I have been dreading for the last several weeks because I've ridden it so damn many times. Unfortunately, I took my ride late in the day today (I left around noon), and I start to run into packs of high school age kids spread across the path and completely ignoring the world. The group that does know I'm coming gives me about a foot of path to pass them on. The groups that don't respond to "Bike, Bike, BIKE!" as I'm coming up behind them get cursed at as I have to ride on the dirt beside the path to pass them.
At the end of the trail, I can't stand the thought of passing even more teenagers blocking the path, so I cut across Elverta Road to E Levee and go south to Discovery Park. On the ARBT, I experiment to find my max heartrate and start pedaling as fast and hard as I can. At 23mph I hit 187bpm and feel like I'm going to puke. My legs feel like rubber, so I let off after maybe 30 seconds. The mystified cyclist that I blasted past half a mile back breezes past me as I whimper into Discovery Park at about 14mph. My heartrate yesterday was 186 in 17th gear at 89rpm.
I stop long enough to stop the nauseated feeling and start to limp home through Old Sacramento. Naturally, I get a flat (my 2nd on the Gatorskins) to repair on my back tire. Not impressed with the Gatorskins so far.
Note to self: When experimenting with max heartrate, do it when I'm almost home, not with six miles to go.
September 1, 2009
Ride Report 9/1
28.2 miles* in 2hrs north bike path to Elverta & back
More fussing with the seat position. I pay more attention to my form today, making sure I keep a bend in my elbow, straighten my back and stay on the rear of the saddle. It seems to work, since I have minimal hand irritation and I can't rule out lingering injuries from my fall on Friday since it's my right hand that gets numb and my right elbow that is far stiffer than my left.
My goal is to maintain 17mph+ the entire way, but this path crosses so many surface streets, I don't average anywhere near that, though I do keep my speed up on the long stretches between roads.
No records set today, although I have to hussle back home and shorten the planned ride (I intended to tack on a few miles by looping out to Discovery Park) to meet a man about selling a dog crate.
*I finally realized today that I have not recalibrated my cycling computer to the new tire width, so I have no idea if that affects my mileage calculations since I installed the Gatorskins.
More fussing with the seat position. I pay more attention to my form today, making sure I keep a bend in my elbow, straighten my back and stay on the rear of the saddle. It seems to work, since I have minimal hand irritation and I can't rule out lingering injuries from my fall on Friday since it's my right hand that gets numb and my right elbow that is far stiffer than my left.
My goal is to maintain 17mph+ the entire way, but this path crosses so many surface streets, I don't average anywhere near that, though I do keep my speed up on the long stretches between roads.
No records set today, although I have to hussle back home and shorten the planned ride (I intended to tack on a few miles by looping out to Discovery Park) to meet a man about selling a dog crate.
*I finally realized today that I have not recalibrated my cycling computer to the new tire width, so I have no idea if that affects my mileage calculations since I installed the Gatorskins.
Ride Report 8/30
30.1 mile partnered ride ARBT Guy West Bridge to Sunrise & back
I still feel a little wiped out from the heat yesterday and from having to get up early (8:00am--hey, I do work swing shift!) two days in a row. I'm still fussing with seat positioning/hand numbness to see if I can resolve the issue. My right hand and elbow are definitely feeling effects of my flip over the handlebars. So, I am not at my best, but I practice drafting and manage to keep up when T pushes it to 20mph for a short period.
As with yesterday, I feel worst when my heartrate creeps up around 170, as if I just don't have any reserves to pull from. I am happy with the way the Gatorskins corner, though, especially since they look as if they have no tread whatsoever. Three days without a flat. A new record for me.
On the way back, the wind comes at us from an angle, so I practice finding the dead spot and drafting to the side. I probably look like a squirrely newbie to the other cyclists on the path as I drift back and fort seeking the magical windless spot. Like I'm not used to looking like an idiot on the trail by now...
One of the cyclists we pass both ways on the path is a teenager on a nice Specialized road bike and who is wearing nice gear. His form is spazzy, but it is nice to see someone so young getting into the sport nonetheless.
I still feel a little wiped out from the heat yesterday and from having to get up early (8:00am--hey, I do work swing shift!) two days in a row. I'm still fussing with seat positioning/hand numbness to see if I can resolve the issue. My right hand and elbow are definitely feeling effects of my flip over the handlebars. So, I am not at my best, but I practice drafting and manage to keep up when T pushes it to 20mph for a short period.
As with yesterday, I feel worst when my heartrate creeps up around 170, as if I just don't have any reserves to pull from. I am happy with the way the Gatorskins corner, though, especially since they look as if they have no tread whatsoever. Three days without a flat. A new record for me.
On the way back, the wind comes at us from an angle, so I practice finding the dead spot and drafting to the side. I probably look like a squirrely newbie to the other cyclists on the path as I drift back and fort seeking the magical windless spot. Like I'm not used to looking like an idiot on the trail by now...
One of the cyclists we pass both ways on the path is a teenager on a nice Specialized road bike and who is wearing nice gear. His form is spazzy, but it is nice to see someone so young getting into the sport nonetheless.
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