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Comments: Section 1: Mostly flat with a few rollers. I feel really good and strong during this part of the ride. It's overcast, not raining but definitely threatening. I'm glad to have my new rain jacket and I like it a LOT. Of course, I'm getting passed a lot, but I feel like I'm holding my own and I'm doing well. I just focus on riding my own pace. We start heading uphill but it's not too bad. We're going through some beautiful sycamore forest type country. There's a rest stop at this really cool covered bridge. I stop there for a few minutes to down some gel, etc. MPH avg at this point about 14 mph. Section 2: Right past the covered bridge we turn right. I did not realize this at the time, but for the 65 mile ride this is the ONLY major climb. 2500 feet of climbing total, at least 2200' of it right here. It just kept going up. And up. And up, up, up. I do ok for a while - no stopping/resting, but then I just start wearing out. I end up having to stop and rest more and more often. I'm eating/drinking gels, sports drink, clif shot bloks, and no stomach issues. It was just TOUGH and I'm not good at hills. I felt like EVERYONE passed me here. Some people called out encouragement, which was nice. Some people started saying after a while that top was just "up there" which was not so nice. Cause, of course, it wasn't. However, I COULD tell that I have gotten better at hills, and I feel like did really well on this section. What was cool: It's a little tiny road so NO traffic. People had written stuff on the road ala Tour de France - so that was fun too - just reading what they wrote (I had PLENTY of time to read everything!) The views. May I say again - the VIEWS! Spectacular. Especially as we got higher and higher. The ONE guy who I leapfrogged with a couple of times. I think he was about 65. Thank you for letting me pass you a couple of times. It made me feel good. He'd stop, I'd pass him at my stellar 4mph - I'd stop he'd pass me - repeat. Finally reach the top of the actual climb, and then there were a few rollers (which felt mega hard, my legs were toasted) and then a nice LONG downhill section to lunch. Hit about 45 mph at one point - man, that was FUN! After all of that, my MPH avg was about 10.2. (100 milers split off at this point to do a 30 mile loop and the other two climbs) Also, in my brain dead state, manage to LOSE the dang sunglasses that I just bought. So the rest of the ride was sunglassless. Had to laugh at myself - still have NO IDEA what happened to them. I remember having them in my hand (I'd just taken them off) and after that? Who knows? Section 3: Long section of gentle ups and downs through the pasture land. Beautiful at this point, the sun was out and the puffy clouds were dotting the sky. I felt GREAT after lunch and actually passed a few people through this section. (Of course, lots of people still passing me, mostly people coming through from the 100 mile ride.) The last couple of miles to the next rest stop I was running out of gas though, and I couldn't wait to get there and get off my bike. (MPH Avg of about 11.1) Section 4: Flat til the end of the ride. Through some walnut orchards (or something along those lines) REALLY pretty. People still hauling past me and I was not feeling good - just tired out and couldn't get going. I think I just ran out of fuel. Not enough calories. I still managed to pass one or two people though. This part was on the "childflower" route as well and there's nothing quite like watching some little kid zoom past you on his bike. Finally, we come back into town, and then... we are THERE! What would you do differently?: Eat more. Drink more. I think I was seriously low on calories, especially the last section of 25 miles. It shouldn't have been that hard to get going on that section.  Post race
Warm down: Stagger off my bike, while realizing that I have actually DONE IT and finished! I have now ridden more than 60 miles at one time! Yeah! I am SO STOKED! THEN I wash off my face due to major crusty salt deposits and make my way into dining hall and eat totally awesome post race meal of tri-tip, salads, rootbeer. Mmmmm. Then spend major time reorganizing all stuff back into car and drive back home. What limited your ability to perform faster: Weight. I'm getting stronger, but I'm never going to be fast unless I can get rid of some of this extra. Hills kill me. Even little tiny baby hills. Also, I'm just not naturally good at this. I work really, really hard and hope for an average performance. Event comments: Awesome swag for a bike tour. Wildflower water bottle Really nice tote type bag made out of nylon material The course map on a BANDANA! How cool is that? Profile Album Last updated: 2007-04-14 12:00 AM
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United States
Chico Velo Cycling Club
70F / 21C
Overcast
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Hmmm... there was some sort of test going on of my resolution to enjoy this ride.
(1) Supposed to RAIN all day Sunday. I seriously thought about wimping out and not going. I manage to kill that thought off. I PAID and I am GOING. No Matter What.
(2) Have to go and buy rain gear type stuff. (This is not the bad part.) During this, J, (BF who was supposed to do this ride w/ me but then did not actually, you know, get on his BIKE between Jan and Apr) informs me that if I do the ride in the rain I will be making "deposits in the bank of pain as Bobke says." First thought - repeat of (1) above. Second thought - Kill J with evil laugh and hide his body. "Ha, ha" I say, sarcastically.
(3)For some reason I *think* that Chico is close to Sacramento (i.e. I THINK it's about an hour away from me.) When I look up driving directions Sat morning you may say I was just a tad surprised by the fact that it is REALLY 2.5 hours away. I can get up at 3:30 am instead of 5:30 am - NO problem.
(4) I leave a little later than planned 4:50 vs. 4:30 so I am stressed about missing the start time (between 6-8 am) So, I am going fast - and you probably can guess what happens next - oh yeah, baby, I get a SPEEDING TICKET! AUUGHH!!
(5) Arrive - realize I have forgot sunglasses. (Luckily I did not forget my helmet.)
Finally get there (directions were a little screwy from Google maps but I managed NOT to get lost) and get ready to go really fast, as it is now 7:40. Then go to check in, get ride map, meal ticket, water bottle and the ride jersey. I ordered the jersey - and was planning on wearing it. This is when (6) happens.
(6) They don't have the women's cut jersey in the size I ordered. 3xl. No problem they say - just go exchange it at the booth. Ok. The booth doesn't have that size. AND they act surprised that I'm asking for it. Dang it. I ordered it off your WEBSITE! And paid $$ for it. So, they say that they will either send me the jersey OR give me a refund - so NOW I don't get to wear it PLUS I have to remember to check with them about it. Think this whole whatever took about 1/2 hour.
(7) Buy $20 pair of sunglasses (this is more than I would usually pay but I felt I really needed them.)
I let all that go though, just repeating to myself that I was there to have FUN and I wasn't going to let any petty little details get in the way of that.
Finally, start on ride - feeling like I'm going to be the last one out there. I don't think I actually got started til 8:30 or so.
Ha. Just wanted to get on the ROAD!