Next Year's Centuries (or other long rides)

[melissam]

Hey Mel, I think the Mt Hamilton Challenge* is roughly the same route as your Tour di Stupid. If you're gonna be stupid, may as well have company.

Oooh Crater Lake, I'd love to do that again. Cooler temperatures would be nice though.

Ed to add: *Although at the rate Mel is progressing, she'll probably want to do the Devil Mountain Double instead, which as far as I know is always(?) held on the same day. Brat

Um, yeah...DMD. Uh huh. We'll see.

I have done a 200K every month since March. Three of those were with clubs. The other five were with Jo or on my own. I tried to do one with Mel....I need to do 4 more for the R-12.

Hey V, I'd be happy to join you on another 200k.

Mel - what's "Tour di Stupid"? Sounds like something I'd do....

Oh boy, Tour di Stupid. Basically, it's the Mt. Hamilton Challenge route done on one of the hottest days of the year.

OK, here's the recipe/ride report:

1 - overconfident cyclist
1 - bicycle
1 - water bottle
1 - Camelbak (optional)
1 - cell phone
miscellaneous bars, gels

Sleep in. Answer phone call from mother who can talk a LOT. (You know how an hour's ride is a short ride for a lot of us? Well, an hour's phone call is a warm up for my mom.)

Begin riding at 10:30am with temp set at mid-80's. Allow temp to rise at roughly 5 degrees F per hour, until it reaches its peak at 105 deg. F.

Climb Mt. Hamilton without refilling water bottles at Grant Ranch Park. Run out of fluids about 1 mile from summit. Struggle to summit.

Refill bottles at Lick Observatory and cool off. Forget water bottle in Lick Observatory restroom. Proceed down San Antonio Road.

Look down, see that you've forgotten your water bottle. Proceed back up San Antonio Valley Road and driveway to Lick Observatory. Call self a blonde bonehead.

Proceed down San Antonio Valley Road. Do not speed on the 12% descents, since you don't know the road that well. Allow hands to become sore from braking.

Attempt to cool self in minimal shade on San Antonio Valley Road after the descent. Send text to roommate. Oops, no cell phone reception! Ponder the fact that San Antonio Valley Road looks as desolate as something you'd see in a desert crossing scene in a western. Be on the lookout for circling vultures and cattle skulls.

Struggle to Junction Cafe, order food, refill bottles, drink water, Red Bull, Gatorade. Assure the cafe's owner that you're just fine. Really.

Proceed down San Antonio Valley Road. Heat up. Think about how hot it is. Think about how thinking about how hot it is doesn't help. Try not to think about how hot it is. Unsuccessfully.

Begin a moderate climb - convince (beg, plead, cajole) legs to keep pedaling. Flip off a few vultures. Descend a bit. Curse the descent because you know you have to make up the elevation you're losing. Start climbing again. Get off bike and walk because you're sick and tired of pedaling up hill. Check cell phone reception -- still a no-go. Try not to think about how hot it is. Unsuccessfully.

See one of the few passing motorists, who happens to have a bike in his car. Ask how far to the summit. Try not to cry or throw things when he estimates that it will take about an hour.

Get back on bike, and get to the summit waaaaay before you think you're going to. Uh oh, does this mean there's another climb?!

Alternate thru the lovely thought carousel of:
* it's really hot
* I really don't want to do another climb
* am I going to get out of here before it gets dark?

Decide that singing might be a good distraction. Unfortunately, the only songs that come to mind are angry Alanis Morissette songs or a few blues numbers. Go back to the lovely thought carousel.

See the Alameda County sign and realize that there's no more climbing!! Practically weep from the sheer joy of it all.

Get to the bottom of Mines Road. Discover that there's cell phone reception and call for a ride home.

All in all, 67 of the hardest fought miles I've ridden. It looked so EASY on the Krebs map.

Oh well, I'm definitely up for trying this again when the temps are much lower.