Strava: http://www.strava.com/activities/90054200
A ton of lights on PCH, a few climbs on the route, a flat tire on Bonita Canyon, running out of fluids 10-15 miles away from the finish, and the temperature reaching the 90s (according to our Garmin) all occurred on today's ride. These sure would be reasons enough to justify a less than ideal pace. Yet, Todd and I managed to finish all 91+ miles with a 21.2 mph average (Strava knocked it down a tick again). That's pretty fast for just two guys, right? Imagine the possibilities with four....
We started out from my house this morning, and boy was it chilly. I wasn't sure if Todd was going to ride down or not, so I kept looking out for him to arrive on his bike half-frozen. He ended up driving over, so we both got to start in the cold weather together. Todd had donned an additional long sleeve base layer (making for 3 including the one with the hydration pack), and I threw on some arm warmers just before Todd arrived. It was enough and never proved to be too uncomfortable later on in the ride when the temps maxed out.
We left on time and started heading over to the bike trail that leads down to Doheny. I was cold, so I may have started off a little faster than normal just to get some warmth in my body. When we got on the bike trail after the bridge, Todd took the lead and brought the pace up to about 29 mph. I was thinking uh oh...here we go. We did have to check up as we came closer to the ocean since they had a detour that required cutting through a rec center parking lot that would lead you to Del Obispo. From there, it took us down to PCH where we made a right to start heading north.
Todd led the climb as we made our way up to Dana Point downtown, and all I could do at that point was just hang on. We kept hitting light after light during the climb, so the stopping and starting was also no bueno. Todd continued to lead us up to the top, and even on the following descent for a while until I felt warmed up enough to take the front again. Even then, Todd would take the front more than I would and definitely kept our pace up as we headed to Laguna.
When we got to the 133, we saw a legit looking female rider wearing a back pack make a turn in front of us. By legit, I mean she looked like she was a good rider since she was in a kit, had a BMC bike, and looked built to ride. It wasn't long before we caught her at one of the lights where we all were stopped. Once the light turned green, she took off but Todd and I made our way past her shortly after. Now, I thought it was just Todd and me making the climb up that road, but at some point, Todd passes me after a short pull like he wanted to bring the pace up again. At the time, I thought to myself "I guess this will just be a long lunch ride vs. one where we manage our power with consideration to the length of the ride." It was only after looking back and realizing the female rider was in our draft that I realized why. Todd shared with me after how he didn't want her to pass us. I'm not sure that was her plan, but if it was, then Todd definitely did the right thing. LOL. Thankfully, she turned right on El Toro and we continued on to Laguna Canyon.
At the intersection to Laguna Canyon, we decided we'd make our way toward Back Bay via the 405 bike trail and Ridgeline. While we were trading off, Todd was still doing the majority of the work. On Ridgeline, Todd led the whole way up since he's so much better than me at managing a good pace on the climbs. That's not to say it was easy given I was gasping for air at the top, but we managed to hit the left turn to Turtle Rock together.
After some good team work on Shady, we got on Bonita Canyon and it was after the 73 underpass when Todd got a flat on his rear tire. On my Garmin, it showed it was exactly 30 miles from when I started it. Todd got it changed fast enough, and thankfully, never presented a problem again for the remainder of the ride.
As we made our way to Back Bay, I thought we may pick up some riders along the way, but I guess we were either going too fast or no one wanted to follow two guys on TT bikes with the same kit wearing TT helmets and hydration packs. You gotta admit...that could probably look a little intimidating. Maybe it was both.
We made our way onto PCH after cutting through the mobile home park, and we did see more riders out there but still none willing to join us. Thus, Todd and I kept up the 2-man show all the way to SART totally uncontested.
To get on SART, you have to hit the south entrance since the north entrance was still closed. There was some construction that you have to navigate through as well, and plenty of people to present obstacles also. It was hard to get any real tempo going as a result, but after crossing the metal bridge, things got a little more clear and Todd and I picked up the pace once more. We did slow a little bit to eat, but even going slow we're pulling up on people (in groups even) and passing them. We did pick up some riders who opted to ride our draft finally, but we kept the pace nice and steady since there was still plenty of riding to do. It turns out we picked up one rider who is a friend of Shannon's (Marcus) since he posted on one of Shannon's ride how he was one of the ones in our draft. Small world.
I'm not sure how long we had company, but when I looked back after coming off the front at one point, I saw that we were alone again. After we crossed the wooden bridge near the park, I was feeling pretty good and found a good tempo to be in that helped lead us over to the Honda Center. We slowed a little as we crossed the bridge that led to the restrooms on the other side, but not for long. As we headed to Taft, Todd got up front and got us going again.
Taft was much of the same thing with Todd and I taking turns all the way to Canon. I may have jumped out to the front a bit more both as payback for Todd's earlier pulls and pre-payback for having Todd lead us up through the canyon climbs. Todd did finish us off the last stretch on E. Santiago as we got on Jamboree, and I was a little worried he was feeling pretty good at the time since he was moving at a pretty good clip. Feeling pretty good for him just means more pain for me.
Todd once again led the pace going up the Jamboree side of Dump and once again set the perfect (yet painful) pace. I took over just after we started descending and led for a bit until we got to the point where I've had problems staying on his wheel in the past. It may be a mental thing, but once Todd took the front again, I wasn't about to pass until we were out of the "drop" zone. I had visions of wanting to drop off, but talked myself out of doing so. Yeah, maybe it is mental.
I took the front again and led us toward the Modjeska where Todd took the front before we got to the climb. I wasn't sure how the climb was going to go, so my plan originally was to again let Todd lead us up. I got into a certain rhythm though where I started to get up beside Todd and believed he would get on my wheel just after I passed. I was surprised when I looked back and saw that he didn't though, so his sinuses and the birthday celebrating must have gotten to him. The 106 miles he had for the week BEFORE this ride probably didn't help either. What a stud!
He had caught up with me as I started to descend towards Cooks, and he was hauling ass down the hill like the trooper that he is. I wasn't sure he still wanted to go to Live Oak, but once he checked up before the left turn, I knew we had more climbing to do.
The climb up Live Oak had us making our way past some other riders, and I once again found a good rhythm to climb up. When I got to the top though, I could feel my right hip flexor start to feel like it was going to cramp up, so I just kept going hoping to loosen it up on the descent. I was definitely drinking more on the way down just to avoid cramping. Todd had come up just behind me as I arrived at the opening of the camp ground down below, and led us over to and up the switch back. My hip flexor was still hinting of cramping, so all I could do was hold Todd's wheel as we made our way to the top.
A ton of lights on PCH, a few climbs on the route, a flat tire on Bonita Canyon, running out of fluids 10-15 miles away from the finish, and the temperature reaching the 90s (according to our Garmin) all occurred on today's ride. These sure would be reasons enough to justify a less than ideal pace. Yet, Todd and I managed to finish all 91+ miles with a 21.2 mph average (Strava knocked it down a tick again). That's pretty fast for just two guys, right? Imagine the possibilities with four....
We started out from my house this morning, and boy was it chilly. I wasn't sure if Todd was going to ride down or not, so I kept looking out for him to arrive on his bike half-frozen. He ended up driving over, so we both got to start in the cold weather together. Todd had donned an additional long sleeve base layer (making for 3 including the one with the hydration pack), and I threw on some arm warmers just before Todd arrived. It was enough and never proved to be too uncomfortable later on in the ride when the temps maxed out.
We left on time and started heading over to the bike trail that leads down to Doheny. I was cold, so I may have started off a little faster than normal just to get some warmth in my body. When we got on the bike trail after the bridge, Todd took the lead and brought the pace up to about 29 mph. I was thinking uh oh...here we go. We did have to check up as we came closer to the ocean since they had a detour that required cutting through a rec center parking lot that would lead you to Del Obispo. From there, it took us down to PCH where we made a right to start heading north.
Todd led the climb as we made our way up to Dana Point downtown, and all I could do at that point was just hang on. We kept hitting light after light during the climb, so the stopping and starting was also no bueno. Todd continued to lead us up to the top, and even on the following descent for a while until I felt warmed up enough to take the front again. Even then, Todd would take the front more than I would and definitely kept our pace up as we headed to Laguna.
When we got to the 133, we saw a legit looking female rider wearing a back pack make a turn in front of us. By legit, I mean she looked like she was a good rider since she was in a kit, had a BMC bike, and looked built to ride. It wasn't long before we caught her at one of the lights where we all were stopped. Once the light turned green, she took off but Todd and I made our way past her shortly after. Now, I thought it was just Todd and me making the climb up that road, but at some point, Todd passes me after a short pull like he wanted to bring the pace up again. At the time, I thought to myself "I guess this will just be a long lunch ride vs. one where we manage our power with consideration to the length of the ride." It was only after looking back and realizing the female rider was in our draft that I realized why. Todd shared with me after how he didn't want her to pass us. I'm not sure that was her plan, but if it was, then Todd definitely did the right thing. LOL. Thankfully, she turned right on El Toro and we continued on to Laguna Canyon.
At the intersection to Laguna Canyon, we decided we'd make our way toward Back Bay via the 405 bike trail and Ridgeline. While we were trading off, Todd was still doing the majority of the work. On Ridgeline, Todd led the whole way up since he's so much better than me at managing a good pace on the climbs. That's not to say it was easy given I was gasping for air at the top, but we managed to hit the left turn to Turtle Rock together.
After some good team work on Shady, we got on Bonita Canyon and it was after the 73 underpass when Todd got a flat on his rear tire. On my Garmin, it showed it was exactly 30 miles from when I started it. Todd got it changed fast enough, and thankfully, never presented a problem again for the remainder of the ride.
As we made our way to Back Bay, I thought we may pick up some riders along the way, but I guess we were either going too fast or no one wanted to follow two guys on TT bikes with the same kit wearing TT helmets and hydration packs. You gotta admit...that could probably look a little intimidating. Maybe it was both.
We made our way onto PCH after cutting through the mobile home park, and we did see more riders out there but still none willing to join us. Thus, Todd and I kept up the 2-man show all the way to SART totally uncontested.
To get on SART, you have to hit the south entrance since the north entrance was still closed. There was some construction that you have to navigate through as well, and plenty of people to present obstacles also. It was hard to get any real tempo going as a result, but after crossing the metal bridge, things got a little more clear and Todd and I picked up the pace once more. We did slow a little bit to eat, but even going slow we're pulling up on people (in groups even) and passing them. We did pick up some riders who opted to ride our draft finally, but we kept the pace nice and steady since there was still plenty of riding to do. It turns out we picked up one rider who is a friend of Shannon's (Marcus) since he posted on one of Shannon's ride how he was one of the ones in our draft. Small world.
I'm not sure how long we had company, but when I looked back after coming off the front at one point, I saw that we were alone again. After we crossed the wooden bridge near the park, I was feeling pretty good and found a good tempo to be in that helped lead us over to the Honda Center. We slowed a little as we crossed the bridge that led to the restrooms on the other side, but not for long. As we headed to Taft, Todd got up front and got us going again.
Taft was much of the same thing with Todd and I taking turns all the way to Canon. I may have jumped out to the front a bit more both as payback for Todd's earlier pulls and pre-payback for having Todd lead us up through the canyon climbs. Todd did finish us off the last stretch on E. Santiago as we got on Jamboree, and I was a little worried he was feeling pretty good at the time since he was moving at a pretty good clip. Feeling pretty good for him just means more pain for me.
Todd once again led the pace going up the Jamboree side of Dump and once again set the perfect (yet painful) pace. I took over just after we started descending and led for a bit until we got to the point where I've had problems staying on his wheel in the past. It may be a mental thing, but once Todd took the front again, I wasn't about to pass until we were out of the "drop" zone. I had visions of wanting to drop off, but talked myself out of doing so. Yeah, maybe it is mental.
I took the front again and led us toward the Modjeska where Todd took the front before we got to the climb. I wasn't sure how the climb was going to go, so my plan originally was to again let Todd lead us up. I got into a certain rhythm though where I started to get up beside Todd and believed he would get on my wheel just after I passed. I was surprised when I looked back and saw that he didn't though, so his sinuses and the birthday celebrating must have gotten to him. The 106 miles he had for the week BEFORE this ride probably didn't help either. What a stud!
He had caught up with me as I started to descend towards Cooks, and he was hauling ass down the hill like the trooper that he is. I wasn't sure he still wanted to go to Live Oak, but once he checked up before the left turn, I knew we had more climbing to do.
The climb up Live Oak had us making our way past some other riders, and I once again found a good rhythm to climb up. When I got to the top though, I could feel my right hip flexor start to feel like it was going to cramp up, so I just kept going hoping to loosen it up on the descent. I was definitely drinking more on the way down just to avoid cramping. Todd had come up just behind me as I arrived at the opening of the camp ground down below, and led us over to and up the switch back. My hip flexor was still hinting of cramping, so all I could do was hold Todd's wheel as we made our way to the top.
Todd had mentioned wanting to get some fluids, so I was thinking we were going to stop just before getting on Santa Margarita and checked up some. When I saw Todd turn right on Santa Margarita, I thought we were just going to head down Antonio to make our way home. However, he indicated he's been out of fluids and wanted to stop at Oso. Originally, I thought just going home even though I had just drained my hydration pack was a better idea. However, I was glad I opted to stop at Oso since my legs continued to hint of cramping as we descended toward it.
After a quick Coke break (thanks, Todd!), we were back on our way and we pretty much drained the tank on the descent and on Ortega just before my house. In fact, both my legs were hinting of cramping along with my hip flexor where I ended up finishing the ride off the seat just to change up my position and prevent any muscles from going to a full cramp. I think if we had gone a couple blocks more though, that would likely have happened since I was definitely on the brink when we rolled up to my driveway. That's about as drained as my tank could get, so...perfect.
Some coconut water followed with some beers definitely did the trick after the ride. The coconut water was just the appetizer though, so the real magic was definitely the beers. Todd and I both agreed that beers after the ride are a must. Although I'm not necessarily looking forward to the next TTT session, I am looking forward to the post ride beers already. Cheers and thanks for coming out, Todd! Great work out there.
After a quick Coke break (thanks, Todd!), we were back on our way and we pretty much drained the tank on the descent and on Ortega just before my house. In fact, both my legs were hinting of cramping along with my hip flexor where I ended up finishing the ride off the seat just to change up my position and prevent any muscles from going to a full cramp. I think if we had gone a couple blocks more though, that would likely have happened since I was definitely on the brink when we rolled up to my driveway. That's about as drained as my tank could get, so...perfect.
Some coconut water followed with some beers definitely did the trick after the ride. The coconut water was just the appetizer though, so the real magic was definitely the beers. Todd and I both agreed that beers after the ride are a must. Although I'm not necessarily looking forward to the next TTT session, I am looking forward to the post ride beers already. Cheers and thanks for coming out, Todd! Great work out there.
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