Climbing Club - June Goals

[onimity]

Hi all,

I'm trying to get better at climbing and would like to join in but I only know that I want to climb more, since I don't know exactly how much I am climbing...

I have a Garmin 305 but from what I've read here and elsewhere, it isn't exactly to be trusted on the ascent/descent readings...so if my 305 reports that I am climbing 10,000 ft a week (at +/- 160 miles) any clue as to what I am actually climbing?

Maybe the best bet is just to increase the reported feet climbed by 10%, but I don't know if there is an average amount by which the GPS-only devices are off or if (as I suspect) it varies?

Another thing I've been thinking is to try to keep my regular routes roughly as they are and add in more repetitions of the hill ride in my backyard, a known quantity at a little over 3 miles of 10+% grade.

I used to say that I hated hills but I don't say that anymore because I think it is representative of a bad attitude. Of course I'm still not saying that I love them... but I am planning to ride a century in August that has a steady 3,500 foot climb that ends in a killer pair of switchbacks. Nothing compared to what a lot of you are training for (!) but I'd like to not embarrass myself. Plus, I live close to the mountains and all of the really pretty places to ride involve, you guessed it, hills. So maybe I'll end up liking them after all...

Anne

[Starfish]

I used to say that I hated hills but I don't say that anymore because I think it is representative of a bad attitude. Of course I'm still not saying that I love them...

I like to say I laugh at them. I don't have to love them in order to laugh at them, but when I laugh, at least I'm smiling, and I'm not giving them the satisfaction of seeing me cry!

[onimity]

that's fantastic. I'll have to steal that one.
Of course knowing me I'll laugh so hard I'll cry...

[RolliePollie]

I think a monthly climbing goal is going to be a really good thing for me! I'm only at 65.7 miles so far, but approximately 4,500 ft. of climbing.

I am already wishing for a more accurate way to figure this all out. I've created maps on bikely.com of the different legs of my route and then I have to calculate the total elevation change by combining the different maps based on which way I go each day (I like to vary my route...I just can't go the same exact way each day, right?). I am running on the assumption that my bikely maps are only approximate because it's completely dependent on where I've put my "clicks" on the map. This method is tedious...I think a spreadsheet may be in order to sort it all out. I love spreadsheets so just thinking about this is getting me all excited!

Someday I'll just get GPS!

[Starfish]

Well, everyone, I've done it now. I've just registered for a ride called the Tour de Blast. It is an out and back climb up Mt. St. Helens.

It is in two weeks (6/23), and I do NOT feel ready for this 82 mile, 6200 foot ride! But, since it is only 6 weeks from that ride until the Shasta summit century, I guess I'd better make myself ready!

Is anyone else in the climbing club planning to do this ride?

Oh, and a question for you experienced ladies ( ), how early do you get up and on the road in order to drive to a ride? I think this ride is about 3.5 hours away from me...and the ride starts at 6:30. Would I be crazy to leave at 3am and drive all that way instead of spending the night down there?

[Veronica]

We're going to do it. I think.

Does it start in Longview? I'm trying to figure out driving times.

V.

[maillotpois]

That sounds cool!

Driving: I have never driven 3.5 hours to an event on the day of the event. If it is that far, I stay the night. Even for Davis double, which would take less time to drive to in the morning of the event that it does the day before (because of traffic), we stay the night. I think probably DMD was the farthest I have driven to an organized ride, and I left at 3:00 or 3:15 I think to get there by 4:15. The hard thing was driving home after 21 hours on the bike....

[Starfish]

We're going to do it. I think.
Does it start in Longview? I'm trying to figure out driving times.
V.

Oh. My. Gosh. That is so great!!

I have never done the ride...I think it starts in a little town called Toutle, but I'm not sure. I know all the info is on the Tour de Blast website (not sure of URL, but Google brings it up quickly enough). I am going to have to get on the ball and look it all up, too, because I need to find a place to stay that night.

Also, like an idiot, I got all excited about the ride and registered in a fit of determination, before I realized it is on one of the days of our 2 day estate sale. I think my brothers and sister-in-law will cover for me, but that's why I was thinking of driving down there in the morning instead of spending the night. But, that does sound crazy.