Fifty Plus (50+) - Climbing ride after the flu.

I had the flu, or some stomach virus starting Tuesday and fely pretty bad Saturday morning, but I had been looking forward to this ride for a long time, so I went.
This was a Los Angeles Wheelmen ride with 86 miles and over 7000 feet of climbing, but it's really much harder than that. They had a 100 mile option, too.
I felt slow early on but really suffered after lunch when the second set of climbs began. One of the volunteers, a very sweet 70ish lady, took very good care of me and others who were struggling along with me. She checked on me every few miles, giving me ice water and fruit, and basically talking me through a rough time. For the first time in over 20 years, I was ready to quit and wait for SAG, and would have taken a ride if I had been offered one, but the sweep cars weren't coming until later, so I finished.
One of the best supported and friendliest rides ever!

Lunch before going back up
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u308/bigjohn53/4counties3.jpg
Long time between cars on these roads
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u308/bigjohn53/4counties2.jpg
The profile; it really is harder than it looks
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u308/bigjohn53/LAWM-4counties.png

Here are some of the faster climbers
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u308/bigjohn53/4counties4.jpg
And some of the spectators
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u308/bigjohn53/4counties5.jpg

With all that food, I couldn't walk. Nice ride John, but I don't see you in the picture. I don't think I do anyhow.

With all that food, I couldn't walk. Nice ride John, but I don't see you in the picture. I don't think I do anyhow.

No, I'm not in any of the pics that were posted by Shprung on his blog, which is where I got them. He was with the faster guys on the road, but I think he snapped some with me at the start and the stops, I just haven't seen them yet.
Here's one of vertical Bob with Laura saying something that amused Pete.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u308/bigjohn53/4countiesbob.jpg

Nice pics and beautiful day. Where was the ride?

Nice pics and beautiful day. Where was the ride?

The start is near Frazier Park, (off the I5 @Tejon Pass), the first peak on the profile is the top of Cuddy Valley, then through Pine Mountain Club, the second peak is Apache Saddle, then the 20+ mile downhill to Hwy 166 to Hwy 33 to Lockwood Valley road.
That climb from mile 60 to 70 is called Heartbreak Hill, named years ago by people doing the 'Tour of Two Forests' double century.

Good job sticking with it John, esp. with Nina as your directer sportiff! Is this pretty much the same course as the Heartbreak Century that Planet Ultra put on?

I rode that one, and it did seem more diffucult than it should have for that little bit (relatively speaking) of climbing. Maybe it's the wind.

Rick / OCRR

Good job sticking with it John, esp. with Nina as your directer sportiff! Is this pretty much the same course as the Heartbreak Century that Planet Ultra put on?

I rode that one, and it did seem more diffucult than it should have for that little bit (relatively speaking) of climbing. Maybe it's the wind.

Rick / OCRR

Yes, Rick, the same route, just starts a little further up the road. LA Wheelmen have done it for decades. It was run by Kermit, and they stopped doing it when he got sick. He had MRSA and almost didn't make it. He seems O.K. now except the infection damaged the bones in his hip, and now he needs a hip replacement. He was at the lunch stop talking to everyone and seemed upbeat.
He's on a walker.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u308/bigjohn53/kermit.jpg
Here's Stan in Pine Mountain
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u308/bigjohn53/stan.jpg
Rest at the top of Heartbreak Hill.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u308/bigjohn53/robb.jpg