Friday, July 1st

[SadieKate]

I'm with you, Kim. I get really whiny in the heat. Just might have to find a smoothie in the middle of all this.

[Veronica]

What flavor smoothie?

V.

[SadieKate]

Peach, no banana or at least not much

[SadieKate]

I've got a bunch of waters, a few sodas and Frappucinoo Mocha Lites, apricots, strawberries, white cheddar Cheeze Its, 2 Milky Ways and 2 Hershey Almonds loaded in a cooler. Probably won't starve to death for at least 24 hours.

[Veronica]

Dibs on hersey's with almonds!

V.

[SadieKate]

Guess Thom and Kim better like Snickers then. Bubba says he's adding tofu bars with currants 'cuz he just knows you'll love em.

[Veronica]

Awww.... that Bubba is so sweet. Give him a big hug for me.

V.

[yellow]

Yellow, I love your tag line! I'm not sure I want to ask who was awarded first place. Me or V? I think we were all whining recently.

Well, you are the winner, but V is more than a weekend warrior princess (she's a full time warrior princess), so she wasn't even in the running. Second runner up just sounded better than "first runner up" or "runner up". It's kind of like those "stars" whose only claim to fame is commercials...they try to make themselves sound important when they really aren't. I was going for that sort of sarcastic slant.

Being the winner of '05 weekend warrior princess is a GOOD thing. It has nothing to do with whining (otherwise I'D win)!

Anyhow, youse guys have fun tomorrow. I'll think about you as I'm explaining what a wetland is to an engineer. (He's really a very nice, smart fellow...just doesn't get that "hydric soil" bit.)

[slinkedog]

So... how was it??

[Veronica]

It was hot! The ride up Diablo was pleasant. There's a good amount of shade on the south side in the morning. It wasn't too windy going across the open section just below the Junction. Sometimes I've gone through there and felt like I was going backwards!

The descent was rocking. No traffic! I successfully negotiated the dreaded shoulder high poles at the end of the bike path. I don't know why, but they freak me out.

It was a nice ride out to Clayton. Marsh Creek was very hot and had a lot of truck traffic. Morgan Territory was a nice climb. The three of us were SO happy that Thom was waiting at the top with ice cold beverages and excellent service.

The descent down the Plunge is always fun! I had to stop twice since I was catching a pick up pulling a horse trailer and I had to be really hard on the brakes to keep a safe distance back.

Going across Manning and Highlands we really felt the heat again. We were stopping when we could find shade. We blasted down Tassajara though! Almost stopped at a park with a fountain to cool off.

Had a take out lunch from Andronicos and then cruised the two bike shops in Danville.

I had a great time. I seriously think we would have been miserable w/o the SAG support. It was 59 miles, I estimate 4800 feet of climb. I don't know what was up with my HRM but it calculated 8,000 feet of climb and I KNOW that's wrong. It was 93 degrees when we finished.

V.

[slinkedog]

Thanks for the update! I'm glad you guys had a good ride. Any photos?

[aka_kim]

Thom was "da man" - we couldn't have done (or survived) the ride without him.

I don't remember "blasting" down Tassajara. For me, it was more like which will happen first - will I get back to the car or will I spontaneously combust?

aka - twice baked potato - kim

[Veronica]

Alas no photos. I had my camera until we got to Morgan Territory and I put it back in the car then. Thom had his camera, but he didn't follow us on the route until we were descending MT and heading back to Danville - not the most picturesque of scenery there. If I had kept my camera, I think I would have tried to coerce Sarah and Kim into playing in the fountain though.

V.

[SadieKate]

Ah, how was it? How shall I put it into words. FREAKIN' HOT! Fortunately, the scenery up Diablo and Morgan Territory, the company and the incredible support of Mr. HRH Zippy made it all worth it. Kim and V politely tolerated my slowpoke first hot ride of the season over unfamiliar hills and politely stayed way infront of me staking out shady break spots. I'd never seen the town of Clayton (very precious ) and Morgan Territory was beautiful.

I vote for something high up in them there Sierras for the next time.

SK aka the Whimpering Weekend Warrior Princess

[aka_kim]

Ah, remember the TE girls' motto: "That which doesn't kill us makes us stronger." Is that it? Or is it "... our thighs less flabby"? Either way, no actual heat stroke, and we're now stronger with noticeably tighter thighs.