Solo hills stats: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/87403087
After last week's Como street ride in inclement weather, I was curious to know how it would be in better weather. We also missed the additional hill training last week (hypothermia got in the way), so I thought I'd give both a try again this week. With no one seemingly available this weekend, I opted to do it solo...watching stage 7 on the DVR had me pumped! Fortunately, I saw Mitchell rolling up just as I was about to get my bike off the rack, so it was nice to run into a familiar face...scratch that...a teammate. Neither of us expected one another to be there, although I had contemplated on sending him a text last night but never did. As a result, we did not fly BRCM colors; just BRCM attitude.
Mitchell and I talked a little strategy, but it wasn't much longer after we met that we were rolling out. The plan was to stay in the peloton until we got to El Toro and then work our way up. Our initial assessment of the size of the group (around 20-25) seemed like this would be a good plan. However, as people were joining through different parts of the ride, I'd say there was a minimum of at least 70-80 (my original estimate was 60, but decided differently after considering how long and how wide the group was)people out there...maybe more. It seemed huge!
On Irvine Blvd, people kept shifting around, forming gaps on occasion, and Mitchell stuck to the plan and got to a good spot somewhere in the middle. When I started realizing there were a lot of people ahead of me, I looked back and noticed there were only a few people behind me. Oops. At this point, I decided it would be good to move up in the group. Guys, and ladies, were about 3-4 abreast, so moving up meant taking some risks and being able to jockey into a spot, which is what I did. I also had a bridge one gap at one point, but got to recover once back in the draft.
At the start of El Toro, I was probably 3/4 of the way back again in the peloton since everyone bunched up at the left hand turn. One annoying thing I found was that some people would push up toward the front at the light where they would just present obstacles after. Que sera sera, I guess. Taking more risks and more jockeying got me closer to the front as we made our way toward Cooks. There was an event going on through Santiago that seemed like it was going to get in the way, but the peloton hardly slowed and plowed right through.
I decided to try something different this week to not fall off the front at the top of the hill past Cooks, but I didn't anticipate how much the group dynamics would differ given how many more people showed up. When 2 guys decided to break away, I decided I was going to give chase and better my position eventually also breaking the peloton off behind me. Plus, given I had my Cervelo today, I didn't want to chance falling off on the downhill with my compact crank.
While I thought I had a good pace going up, I was not able to hold it for the whole hill. Bummer. Near the top of the first crest, guys started to pass me, who eventually also swallowed up the 2 guys ahead of me. I was trying to stay on the tail of this front group, but just missed hitching on. Then, a few other guys passed me at a good clip once we started to descent, and I latched on while they reeled in the front group just ahead of us. Unlike last week when there were only five up front, there was at least 15 of us in the front group today on the downhill.
The pace was pretty relentless throughout the canyons, and there were a couple guys who eventually got blown out the back. One guy wearing a hat (vs. a helmet) I thought popped off behind me, but the next thing you know, he was back behind me again. There's definitely some talent out there.
As we were nearing dump hill, I wasn't sure where I wanted to be in the pack going up, so the plan here was just to find a good rhythm and see where I end up. Who'd have thought I'd make my way up to the front. When I passed the front guy, I remember him looking over at me, but I just kept pedaling. Others then jumped on and I held the front almost to the top. I had forgotten about the slight bend to the right where it keeps going up a little, so once again, I couldn't hold it and others started making their way past me. Just as I thought I might get dropped here, the same guy up front that I passed, who was now in the back, called out and said to jump on his wheel...so I did...barely.
On the downhill over the 261 and toward Jamboree, everyone was still moving. After the 261, one guy decides to break off for a sprint, so what's a BRCM guy to do but give chase, right? Since there was no risk of spinning out at this point, I chased him down and eventually passed him ultimately getting to the left turn light on Jamboree first. Wha?
On Jamboree, these guys still kept pushing the pace and it was fun to keep mixing it up all the way back to Tustin Market. I was at the front by the time we got to Irvine Blvd and was still wanting to sprint, but I guess people were cooling down at that point, so I started to as well. I still had more solo miles ahead, so this worked out also.
Mitchell ended up coming in a little after I got back while I was loading up for my hill trainer. He stayed in the group behind ours and also had a good ride today. I offered to see if he wanted to come with me for some Bear training, but he had to get back. After he finished telling me how the cranks on my bike were too small and is normally for women (gotta love the guy), I was off solo.
For my hill trainer, I headed toward the 133 so I can hit Aliso Creek, Highlands, and Pacific Islands. Then from PCH, I went up NPC to complete another 2900 vert. Overall, the route was an additional 52+ miles over Como's 32. When I got on the bike trail on East Bluff to head back, I thought I'd keep a 20-21 mph pace all the way back. I was doing well up until the stretch right before the bridge when BAP...a bee hits my mouth and stings the hell out of my lip. It actually took a while to get the stinger out since I didn't want to stop riding, so by the time i got the stinger out, my lip felt like it got smacked by a baseball bat. On the way back, my jaw and my cheeks even started to feel numb. Nice adrenalin rush as a result though.
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| Post ride fattie |
Overall, it was a good day of riding despite the bee sting. I didn't end up stopping for any breaks and got by with the 2 bottles I had saved in my car for the hills. 1 waffle and 3 gels along with 1 Shot Bloks package got me through, but I was starved right after. Too bad there was no one to eat and have beers with after. Next time.
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