Strava - http://app.strava.com/rides/22683725 (Galen's since my refurbed 500 won't connect to computer now)
Before I talk about the ride, have you ever noticed that the functionality, or lack thereof, of your Garmin can absolutely have an effect on how good or bad your day is going? This last 500 they sent me is just absolutely horrible. It may be time to consider other options, but must we only be limited to Garmin as the means to track GPS data (aside from our phones)?
Anyway, it was just Galen and I today and this is possibly due to some big training sessions planned for this weekend. I know Todd's doing Baldy and I believe I heard Shannon talk about plans to do the sisters with his mountain bike buds. With Galen having missed two ride plans yesterday though, it would prove to be painful enough to go out with him alone.
Rather than starting off fast though, we actually help a respectable warm-up pace up through Anteater. When we crossed Bonita Canyon, we still didn't pick it up too much, but when Galen did, I just hung back and held on. It took cresting before I was able to get up front and start to offer pulls. I even started us off on the bike trail for a bit, but Galen finished us off where it was already starting to get painful trying to keep up.
We hit Quail hill with him up front, but I did take a pull as we were climbing up the last part of the hill. After he passed, I thought the best thing to do here is just tire him out a little or 133 will be absolutely nutty. He was down with it, and my plan worked...barely. Galen still blazed up the 133 climb, but it was a bear just to stay on his wheel the whole time. I didn't take the front until after we got past the last crest (I think) and even then, it took a while to get past the guy.
We took turns going down the hill (him probably more than me), but I did what I could when I could. I remember being on the tallest gear at one point thinking I hope I can keep this up, and fortunately today, I did. When we hit the little sprinter hill at the bottom that leads to PCH, he had been pulling us at a mad pace for a bit, so that allowed me to get a little jump where I could rest until he could latch on. When he approached, however, he just past me and took the lead instead. Gotta love that.
We kept the pace up taking turns through the rollers and staying together the whole time. He gave me kudos for the climb just before the school at El Moro where I led, but little did he know I was cooked after. HA HA.
We continued to alternate and had opted to go to Back Bay vs. NPC. My thoughts on it are that riding with Galen to BB keeps the intensity that much higher given his pulling power, whereas NPC would be more individual based dependent on how each of us wanted to go up the hill. Plus, I was already in the red just working to keep up with him on the 133 descent that I thought it was the only way we could both continue to push each other.
While we rotated heading to CDM, Galen decided going through downtown CDM would be better if we matched the pace of the cars. It seemed safer in that regard, but man oh man I was getting turned inside out just trying to keep him within reach. We slowed a little for McArthur and the following light, but he kicked it back up after and was just lighting it up on PCH. Had we not caught the light before Jamboree, I'm sure records may have been broken for that stretch.
I opted to take the front after the light and with Galen pushing and cheering me on, we were climbing and going toward Jamboree at around 29-31 mph. Would I have enough for Back Bay though? Fortunately, we got to rest at the light to cross over to BB drive, so when we took off, I was ready...mostly.
Back Bay was fast, but I think we were both feeling it from the earlier parts of the ride where the average was not record setting. When we got to the end, Galen had just taken a final pull so I was able to make it up to the top ahead of him. However, he was behind me in no time as we headed toward Jamboree and ultimately toward California Ave. Once we got past the bridge, Galen took over and he was just moving. All I could do was just hang on at that point as he pulled us all the way to the base of California. Super pull!
Going up California, I led us up since Galen did so much work earlier in the ride. It wasn't fast or anything, but it was a decent pace while Galen got to spin it out behind me. Overall, it was a great training ride. It would have been more fun with other people as well, but I'm just glad I finished it. Thanks, Galen!
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