OCGF Pre-Ride...Strava Style

Strava: http://app.strava.com/rides/1754493

GC:   http://connect.garmin.com/activity/117104094

When Shannon set up this weekend's ride to prepare us for the OC Gran Fondo, who would have expected a 21 mph average pace for a 76 miler with 2700 feet of elevation?  It didn't help that Strava segments were specified as part of the agenda, but even that didn't summarize the ridiculousness of the ride.  To boot, Shannon came out with the aero bars installed! 

In the beginning of the ride, Vince suggested that we learn from the Como Street ride and actually warm up for the first 5-6 miles or so.  While I agreed wholeheartedly, that about got us only from the BJ's parking lot to the opening of the bike trail that heads toward Harvard.  Further, the plan was to save some energy for the actual Strava segments Shannon called out on SART.  That was the plan anyway.   So how come we kept hitting max speeds of 27+ after the first mile?   We're going to have to find a way to contain all this BAM energy for the OCGF or we're screwed.

Here's the video on Back Bay:

I brought along the GoPro for this ride and had it mounted on my handlebars this time.  The assembly to attach to the handlebars could be hand-tightened, so this was what I opted to do.  However, once the guys started going, the camera would either shift to one side  or tilt downward.  Working to get it straightened out is painfully difficult when the other guys are hauling ass.  Even after adjusting it with a screwdriver after Back Bay, it still moved but at least not as much.  I think I managed to get some good footage with it, but unfortunately, it stopped recording somewhere in the canyons due to lack of space.  I forgot to delete the video from Thursday.  Doh!

Speaking of the GoPro, I think both Vince and Shannon want me not to take it anymore given that they felt I didn't get to contribute to the timed Strava segments.  Some people just don't appreciate my "sacrifices" like not getting any KOMs.  HA.  I did contribute elsewhere and tried to take the pulls in between the segments to give them time to rest.  This includes the TEN mile section at 20-22 average (I thought it was only 6 or so until I looked at the GPS stats) between the first Strava segment on SART and the last one from the bridge to Weir.  The funny thing was after pulling them for that long, they didn't even let me recover and immediately jumped on the bridge and started hammering after.  Gotta love 'em.

We ended up taking a break before going up Serrano, which is a pretty respectable hill.  I tried to find a good rhythm off the seat, but Vince caught me eventually and passed.  I tried to hang on his wheel, but that is not a good thing to try on a hill that I'm less than familiar with than he is.  I ain't dumb.

Shannon's 3 weeks off must have caught up to him at this point.  I kept thinking he was just sandbagging, but understandably, he should have been tired not only from the hiatus but also from the pounding earlier on.  He was on chill mode for the rest of the ride, but I would NOT expect things to stay this way for too long.

The rest of us broke off and were hammering down the other side of Serrano where I have some good footage of it.  Fast and furious for sure.  I'll insert the video once I have them all uploaded to Youtube.

After a quick regroup on E. Santiago, I decided to go ahead and find a rhythm to pull the guys to the canyons to record that run.  I guess I was going faster than I thought where Verm finally asked "Rich, are you going for a Strava segment here?"  HA HA.   Vince eventually jumped up to the front, and Verm took the last pull to reel in and pass a Sho-Air guy who passed us while we regrouped earlier.    We didn't realize he'd want to play.

Rather than wait for the others, Vince and I decided to play Doc Holliday from Tombstone (quoted on the e-mail threads) to Mr. Sho-Air and became his huckleberries...whatever that means.  Vince decided not to stay on as we ascended up Dump, but I ended up pulling Mr. Sho-Air (SA for short) all the way to the top.  As common with this team, he decided to take off at that point and I slowed contemplating on waiting for the others.  BAM got the best of me, however, and I just did not want SA to even think I dropped off.  Thus, I chased him down and mixed it up with him through  the canyons.  Vince impressively caught us at one point (mostly because SA wouldn't take a long pull and always slowed up a LOT so I'd pass him), and it was nice to see him.  I didn't realize, however, that when I did see him, he was still recovering from chasing us down.  I asked him to pass so I can capture him on video, but he was just not ready yet.   Once he did, he jumped ahead while SA just held his rear wheel.  When I finally relieved Vince, Vince got a double hammy lock and had to roll off.

I was left to defend the BRCM jersey solo at that point, so I did what I could.  Another guy started to work in with us, but I led out the first rise heading towards Cooks.  Of course, both SOBs decided to launch an attack there, but I knew there was a slight down with a final ascent where I'd go ahead and give chase.  I wasn't able to reel both of them in by the crest, but I was definitely on chase mode heading down.  I passed the guy we picked up about a quarter of the way down, and I was coming up to SA quick.  However, as I was getting closer, he decided to turn off at Cooks.  Damn!  I'd have kept chasing him if I had to all the way back to BJ's.  HA HA

We all regrouped after Cooks and decided to hit up Glenn Ranch Portola and Back to get back to Irvine Blvd.  I figured I'd go for the Strava segment on Glenn Ranch, so I took off.  When I waited at the light, Gary, Verm and Adrian mad passed me on the green light so I knew they were still hungry for speed and chased them down.

Vince mentioned he wasn't feeling the race pace on Irvine Blvd, so Verm, Gary, Adrian and me decided to light it up on our own.  While it wasn't a record breaking pace given some wind, we were still moving.  We did pick up a straggler who said as he rolled up behind us on one of the lights, "You guys are nuts."  All I could say was..."Pretty much."

Gary was uncommonly strong at the end of this ride (wha?) and kept charging after every light.  I went to even take a pull and the guy stands up and starts full on sprinting.  Verm kept egging us on in the process, and I just kept telling Gary "don't do it."  He didn't listen.  This would have made for good video.

We were all pretty worked at the end, with Vince and Shannon rolling in shortly behind us.  I guess they must have been working too.  Great training ride today resulting in a lot of movement on Strava including some KOMs.  Awesome!   Tour de Poway next week!

Here's the footage of the first Strava segment on SART:

2nd Strava segment on SART:

Bombing down Serrano: