aka_kim on the Ch. 5 Bay Area news !

aka_kim's fame continues !

While on the last climb of the Marin Century (we did the metric), Lee & I passed by a Channel 5 news van which was taping a segment.

aka_kim was a bit ahead of us, and when we saw her and her friend Jesse at the after-ride lunch, she mentioned they were taping when she passed too.

We just checked the Channel 5 local newscast at 5:30, and as part of the lead story about Floyd, they had some bits from the Marin Century. Sure enough, they showed some people riding by on that climb, and there was aka_kim !

I think the local news repeats at 6:30 and again at 11, so keep your eyes peeled for Kim, she was wearing her purple Little Red Riding Hood jersey and she followed a woman in a LunaChix jersey.

woo-woo! :)

Oh my god! :eek: :eek: I login to check the forums and the first thing I see is this. Was I scowling as usual? Why did they show me? It must have been the jersey. I think from now on I need to continue my nondescript ways, I can't handle the attention.

Can I have an autograph?;)

That is WAY cool!!!! I wonder if there's any way to see that from down in SoCal.... weblink???

Trac'

A celebrity in our midst!

BTW, got a report from maillotpois that she greeted HotRod with the appropriate AV greeting.:D

I did too! :) He passed us while we were at a turnout chatting with Thom. Rodd needed some water and we had just refilled our bottles at the Cheese Factory so Lee gave him most of one of his.

Bummer we missed seeing V, the 200 milers passed by us going the other way on Pt. Reyes-Petaluma Road, we kept our eyes peeled but then we stopped to use the rest room at the Cheese Factory I'm such a princess and she could well have passed by then.

We headed on and soon thereafter a motorcycle honked at us as he passed by - yep it was Thom ! He went on a few miles ahead and he was standing on the other side of the road with his camera out when we approached. Not sure if he got any good photos since just then a bunch of cars passed in the other direction, oh well. We chatted with him a bit and he said he had spoken to V a bit earlier on the phone. Best we could figure she was right near where we were at the time, so likely she passed us while we were at the Cheese Facory.

Saw MP drive by a couple of times, once passing in our direction and another time going the opposite way.

Great ride ! We'd never ridden up in Marin before so it was a real treat. It was a really well organized ride and the support was great. They had tons of food at the end, and Haagen-Daaz bars, yuuuum.

The weather was pretty much perfect. Still, I'm glad I only did the metric, that was more climbing than I've done in some time now.

Man - I never saw you guys!! Did you see me going out and back Lucas Valley? I couldn't get more than 5 miles from the start for a while, even though I was supposed to be in Valley Ford!! People kept wiping out on Big Rock and needing to be sagged in.

Wow - it's hard work driving a car all day. Wish I'd been riding. Have we gotten the report from V yet? Maybe she is still sleeping.

No worries MP! First time I saw you, I think it was on Pt. Reyes-Petaluma Rd heading back towards San Rafael. I barely caught a glimpse of your license plate and you were already way ahead of us before it occurred to me it was you. There were a bunch of cars behind you so you couldn't have seen us in your rearview. Second time you were heading away from S.R. on Lucas Valley, I didn't notice you but Lee did. I figured you were pretty busy :D or you hate us

Drat! You figured it out! I hate you guys!!! :p

One thing that was amazing to me was the proportion of people who just plain looked like they weren't having fun - and these were not people on the double course. People doing the metric or century or whatever - with huge grimaces on their faces. Man, if it's not fun don't do it!

In contrast, most of the double folks would wave or nod at me in return to the wave I'd give them as I passed. Funny. The double folks were, as usual, an older crustier group of folks (aside from V and a few other youger people.) I always find that interesting.

I was specifically told that I was not to shuttle people home. I am glad they told me that because I never would have made it to Valley Ford otherwise. It was amazing how many people would wave me down and I'd stop thinking there was a mechanical or some issue I could help with. No, they just wanted a ride home. People who looked and acted pretty darn good. I'd have to say - sorry, I am supposed to be working at the far end of the course and I can't give you a ride back to the start. I did give dislocated shoulder guy a ride, though. I'm not a completely heartless person.

And don't even get me started on the guy with the Look Keos who didn't know that the little hex nut in back was to loosen the pedal and the different color cleats were for float. OMG!!

I was surprised at how many people talked to me on the double course. Guys would ride up along and ask me a question. Then they'd ride for a few minutes and talk. It was a good distraction.

One guy told me my jersey was sexy. :p

V.

FWIW I encountered a lot of nice people on the metric route, too.

On the earliest climb (Lucas Valley?) Lee and I passed by a lot of people having a hard time. They looked in general like fairly new riders, a bit out of shape, and many had woefully under-geared bikes for their abilities [insert my usual rant about bike shops selling racer-guy bikes to most decidedly not racer-guy people]. Many of them had TNT jerseys on - that's not meant to imply anything about TNT, just an observation. To give them credit, most of the people I passed had really great attitudes. This was very early in the ride, and Lee and I were wondering if many of them would be able to finish.

On the only particularly steep climb of the metric ride, Wilson Hill Rd immediately after the metric and 100 mile routes diverged, one guy had to get off and walk a good chunk of it. I was going so slow that I stayed along side him for a ways and we had a nice chat. Always a hoot when you're going so slow up a hill that someone can walk along side you :o A few others coming by oh-so-slowly joined in on the conversation, it was fun.

Many people had compliments on the AV jersey. If they weren't passing too fast I'd tell them how friends of mine designed it.

I encountered the occasional jerk (or doofus) on the ride, but either there were fewer than usual, or they don't bug me as much as they used to. Maybe a little of both.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jobob

FWIW

---

Whaaaaa? :confused:

I'm so not "in the know."

for what it's worth

Thank you. I'll see if my pea brain can retain that.

I think it is so cool the way everyone found each other via the AV jersey. Unfortunately, I couldn't see our celeb on TV in her LRRH fashion ensemble.

Kim's going to need a new "a.k.a." now that she's so famous!:D

Just think, we knew her when....:cool:

Wilson Hill is nasty! I'm GLAD that wasn't on my ride.

V.

I think my 15 minutes of fame was reduced to about 1/10 of a second. I watched the 6:30 news and saw the Floyd/Marin segment but no me. Cancel the autograph session!

I got a very late start yesterday (or I started at a very civilized hour), and was also surprised by the number of people on high zoot bikes having problems on the first climb of the day. How is it possible to be a Bay Area rider and not ride hills?? Between sinus and chest congestion I sounded like a 3-pack a day smoker while climbing (and felt as slow as one too), yet was still passing people.

A very enjoyable ride, though. I think it would be fun if they made the Tam climb part of the century - that would be a fun loop.

We could do our own Tam ride, about 72 miles. There are plenty of places to get food. The water at the top of Tam isn't the best tasting, but otherwise it's very doable self supported.

Any takers?

V.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Veronica

Wilson Hill is nasty! I'm GLAD that wasn't on my ride.

V.

---

Yeah, as I made the turn I looked up and thought "gee, maybe I could turn around and do the 100 mile instead."

As we were creeping up, a bunch of us were joking how it was our punishment for not doing the 100 miles. :p

Ed. to add: Come to think of it, it was probably on the 100 mile (& 200K) route too. Now that would have been special.

Did you have to turn like mid way down Wilson?

I really hate hills that don't have a suitable down to repay you for all the trouble of climbing them.

V.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Veronica

We could do our own Tam ride, about 72 miles. There are plenty of places to get food. The water at the top of Tam isn't the best tasting, but otherwise it's very doable self supported.

Any takers?

V.

---

I'll do it with you next January.... ;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by maillotpois

I'll do it with you next January.... ;)

---

We can do it then. But I was hoping for something a little sooner. And that I could talk you into being at the top of Tam with good water. :)

V.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by aka_kim

How is it possible to be a Bay Area rider and not ride hills?? Between sinus and chest congestion I sounded like a 3-pack a day smoker while climbing (and felt as slow as one too), yet was still passing people.

---

LOL - maybe they do but like me they just suck at it.

Glad I didnt do this one and embarrass myself infront of all you hill gurus.:D

Trekhawk I suck at climbing. I can't push a very big gear becuase of my knees. Well I can... but I pay for it after the ride, with some intense knee joint pain. I've been trying to get my cadence up to compensate.

There were times yesterday when I saw doing a whopping 2.6 miles an hour! On Middle Road for those of you who know the area. :p

Come do Mt. Tam with us. It's absolutely beautiful.

V.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Veronica

Trekhawk I suck at climbing. I can't push a very big gear becuase of my knees. Well I can... but I pay for it after the ride, with some intense knee joint pain. I've been trying to get my cadence up to compensate.

There were times yesterday when I saw doing a whopping 2.6 miles an hour! On Middle Road for those of you who know the area. :p

Come do Mt. Tam with us. It's absolutely beautiful.

V.

---

Oh V you are too sweet but if you suck at climbing Im not sure what that makes me.:eek:

I will definitely have to come to a ride with all you girls sometime but I better get in a few more hills around here first so I dont require on route resuscitation.:D
My hill work wasnt going too badly until I had knee dramas and laid off them for awhile whilst I had some PT. Now my knee seems better getting back into the hill work after a break is killing me. Anyway enough of my yabbing Im going to take your amazing ride and use it as inspiration next time Im whining on a hill.:)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Trekhawk

Oh V you are too sweet but if you suck at climbing Im not sure what that makes me.:eek:

---

Probably stubborn just like me. :p Although I think I prefer the word tenacious.

I do hope you can join us on several more rides before you go back. :(

V.

I hope so too. I have really enjoyed the few rides I have been on with girls from TE.:)

Perhaps I should warn you jobob - Wilson Hill is connected to the Holstein Route.....:eek: If I'm reading the route descriptions right, you'll go down Chileno Valley Rd (pretty!), then turn left up Marshall-Petaluma and take that out to Hwy 1. Wilson Hill connects Marshall-Petaluma with Pt.Reyes Petaluma.

Eh, I'll survive. I just might tip over creeping up it so slow :rolleyes:

One thing I forgot to mention about the Marin Century & Mt. Tam Double was the maps. They gave out very good quality multi-colored maps for each route, printed on heavyweight coated paper. Very nicely done.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Veronica

We could do our own Tam ride, about 72 miles. There are plenty of places to get food. The water at the top of Tam isn't the best tasting, but otherwise it's very doable self supported.

Any takers?

V.

---

Me, me!

I did a 40 mile Mt. Tam ride a few years ago that was quite fun - I think even Team Sandbagger (you know who you are) would enjoy it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jobob

Eh, I'll survive. I just might tip over creeping up it so slow :rolleyes:

---

Oh, I have no doubt you'll make it.:cool:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by aka_kim

Me, me!

I did a 40 mile Mt. Tam ride a few years ago that was quite fun - I think even Team Sandbagger (you know who you are) would enjoy it.

---

LOL - Im not sure enjoy would be the word. My hill riding might provide some entertainment for you all though.:D :D

It sounds like you had fun. I'm jealous! Glad to hear you all taught Rod the secret AV hand signal. So when he comes here to ride later this month, I'm sure he'll flash it as he passes me. I'm impressed that he wears his AV jersey on the organized rides. I've not known him to do such in the past (usually he used to just wear a plain jersey).