Next Year's Centuries (or other long rides)

[jobob]

I might actually go for the Mt. Hamilton Challenge next year. I was hoping to do it this year but my training/motivation took a nosedive around then.

Now that I've ridden my permanent route twice, which has about the same distance & nearly as much climbing as the MHC (altho the climbing on my perm is more spread out), I'm much more confident I could tackle the MHC.

Apart from that, I'll need to complete a 200K+ brevet or permanent in each of the first 7 months of 2009 if I want to earn a RUSA R12, so I'll probably do some of the local 200K brevets this spring. A 300K, I don't know, we shall see.

Oh, and I have a plan brewing to get a team together for the Fleche on easter weekend.

[melissam]

Last year was a super off year for me - no doubles or super long rides.

The organized rides I did last year:

Wine Country Century 200k (in May)
Death Ride
Marin Century
High Sierra Fall Century (50 mile route on tandem with my kid)

and I think that's it! wow. We're also doing tour de Tucson in November w/tandem and kid for the 110 mile route.

Ahem, um, Ms. Maillotpois, I think you forgot Waves to Wine.

I wish I could have a super off year like that.

My 2008 rides included:

Cinderella Century
Tierra Bella Century
AIDS/Lifecycle
Crater Lake Century
Tour di Stupid
Waves to Wine
East Bay 200k Permanent
Winters 200k Brevet

andtckrtoo, you might consider the Cinderella, Tierra Bella, and Primavera centuries for next spring.

- Melissa

[maillotpois]

Ahem, um, Ms. Maillotpois, I think you forgot Waves to Wine.

Oh duh! I guess I just didn't really think of that as an "organized ride". It was more just a good ramble with friends.

And I notice we're all talking about "last year" - as if it's done. I'm assuming we're talking about "last year" as 2008 (i.e., "this year") as opposed to 2007?

[jobob]

"All"? I know what year we're in, thenkew.

( Except I realized today that when I signed up for Plus 3, I indicated my age was in the 49-54 bracket, and I won't be turning 49 for another couple of weeks. Maybe it's a way to show my support for my dear old friend SK. Yeah, that's it. )

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

[dachshund]

"All"? I know what year we're in, thenkew.

( Except I realized today that when I signed up for Plus 3, I indicated my age was in the 49-54 bracket, and I won't be turning 49 for another couple of weeks. Maybe it's a way to show my support for my dear old friend SK. Yeah, that's it. )

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

Brief hijack:
Hey, I'm in that bracket! You can be in our bracket, Jobob. What's a couple of weeks?

I was reading about the DMD recently. I had to stop because it was making me tired. But, tough choice!

[maillotpois]

Tired? I was practically asleep for the last 30 miles of DMD...

[aka_kim]

Although I didn't do it this year, the Tour of Napa Valley in August is one of my favorite rides. I prefer the 100k to the 100 mile though, because the food is better on the metric (and it is all about the food). The Holstein 100 is always the day after Napa, and the metric there is fun too.

I did the 100k rides at the Sequoia and Monticello Solano centuries this year for the first time. Both were very pretty courses (with good food!), but Sequoia was really tough, and MSC had pretty heavy boat traffic.

I always like Grizzly Peak and Primavera too (the metrics of course ).