Northern California - 2010 Goals and plans

Wow, December half gone almost! Time for some goals and plans. After not finishing the Death Valley Fall Double (my first attempt at a double) I think I'm going to be focusing on those this year. Since I have joint custody of the kids, many weekends are out of the question so I'm going to focus on the ones that work on my schedule. So far, I'm definitely doing:

- Solvang Spring Century, 3/13
- Solvang Spring Double, 3/27

Other events that look like they might work with my schedule (mostly based on what weekend they fell on this year, only a few have updated their websites for 2010) - I'll probably pick 3 or 4 of these, with an eye towards completing the triple crown:

Devil Mountain Double :eek: but only if it returns to the 4th weekend in April (it was the 3rd WE in 2009 but is usually on the 4th WE)
ChicoVelo Wildflower century (4/25 and probably more realistic than DMD right now!)
Central Coast Double
Tour of the Unknown Coast (a good, tough century)
Alta Alpina :eek:
Climb to Kaiser
Death Ride
Knoxville
Grizzly Century or Hemet Double
Solvang Fall Double

As I get futher into my training, i'll figure out which of these I want to do. If Solvang goes well, I might be pursuing a triple crown:thumb: I've done Death Ride 3 years running, but not always successfully, so I'd like to do another. I'd also like to finally drop the 25 extra pounds I'm carrying around, which might just make those climbing rides a bit easier and faster!

JB

Johnathan

If you come over for the Alta Alpina Challenge or Wild Sierra Century, I'll be at a rest stop to cheer you on!

JB: Lofty goals indeed! Good luck.

My more modest goals:
• Triple Crown (Blame Spingineer's jersey I lust for) with Solvang, Davis and the third to be named later
• Eight day vacation bike trip in Montana
• Diablo Century (assuming they run it again)
• One overnight (or longer) trip where I haul my tent, bag, pad and stuff. I've never done this.

JB: Lofty goals indeed! Good luck.

My more modest goals:
• Triple Crown (Blame Spingineer's jersey I lust for) with Solvang, Davis and the third to be named later
• Eight day vacation bike trip in Montana
• Diablo Century (assuming they run it again)
• One overnight (or longer) trip where I haul my tent, bag, pad and stuff. I've never done this.

Not so lofty - that was just a quick working list of rides that fit in my schedule - I'll probably try and do a half dozen organized rides, including the triple crown if Solvang goes well. BTW, speaking of jersey lust, did you see the 1,000 mile club jersey.......you know, given for completing 5 doubles in a year!

JB

BTW, speaking of jersey lust, did you see the 1,000 mile club jersey.......you know, given for completing 5 doubles in a year!

JB

That's a lot of doubles. I've done Davis the past two years. Trying for three is a pretty big goal already. Fortunately for me the 1000 mile jersey doesn't look enough better than the Triple Crown to make me think I must have it.

Looks like the record is 12 doubles in a year. Imagine that!

Stay in 135-140 range, place in top 10. The really ambitious one is to move to CAT3. Maybe Everest Challenge if any BFers want to split the cost of getting and staying there.

Short answer: My goal for 2010 is to stay out the hospital, and the rest will be gravy. :D

Longer answer: Ack, I'm playing it by ear for next year.

{I'll be riding the Solvang (single) Century with TNT, but the rest of the year is a lot of maybes.

Lee and I are planning a self-supported bike tour of Vancouver Island & the San Juans in mid-to-late May.

I made all sorts of noises about trying for the Death Ride next year -- unfinished business, that -- but that's beginning to slide into the Who Am I Kidding category. :rolleyes:**

Edit: I found out that I'll likely be away for work during the Solvang Century, so I've moved from the Solvang team to the DR team, and we've put the tour on hold. The lure of Unfinished Business has won out. :D

I've been wanting to ride the Shasta Summit Century at the beginning of August, this might be the year to go for that.

And then there's the Crater Lake Century in mid-August which has become an annual event for us.

A double century would be great -- it's my 50th year after all, may as well do it up! -- but we shall see. It depends on my prep for Solvang Single and how motivated I feel after that.

More racing (but that's what I said last year...).
An upgrade point.
A top 10 finish at Everest Challenge.
Have fun.

Ride lots.

I'd like to be competitive at Prairie City, and actually do all of the races this season. Now that I've completed my degree, I don't have to worry about classes and group work anymore :D

Maybe do the Napa Century again, though I doubt that will work out for me. Maybe the Wildflower if I can. I just want to be on my bike, basically.

So far...

1. Ride San Bruno Hill Climb, and avoid DFL

2. Death Ride

3. Sub 70min time Diablo Challenge



4. Still chewing over what event to ride to raise money for a cause that matters to me.

With apologies to Beaker...

1. Ride San Bruno Hill Climb, and avoid DFL

2. Get in really good shape for next cyclocross season

3. Do some "Bikepacking" trips (http://www.bikepacking.net/about/)

With apologies to Beaker...


no need for apologies - unless of course you pip me into DFL

As a solo rider I want to race more and get faster...or at least more confident in the races I ride; i.e., stop being afraid in corners, downhills and field sprints.

As 1/2 of a tandem team I want to do the Solvang Double in March, the Davis Double, and either the Eastern Sierra Double or Knoxville Double. If we hate the 1st double we'll obviously skip the others. I hope cgallagh stops thinking I'm trying to kill him for the insurance money. >wink< I'm happy he's willing to try one, let alone more.

Cgallagh is researching routes from Seattle to Vancouver, BC, then south to San Francisco. We are still so stoked about our ride from SF-SB that we can't wait to do another epic ride like that. I'm not given to hyperbole but man! Epic is the best adjective I can conjure for such a ride.

Any ride that has "death" in the title is not something we'll pursue. Just sayin'.

I'm more focused on racing coming into the new year. I joined a race team for 2010... something I never thought I would do. I'll be racing in the E4's after an Early Bird out of the 5's. I hope to race a lot, learn a lot, help teamates upgrade, and get myself a point or so by the end of the season. I'll be out there at Prarie City too. Hopefully on a hardtail 29er... geared. And I think someone convinced me I need a cross bike by next Fall. :innocent:

Looks like the record is 12 doubles in a year. Imagine that!

12? My friend Josh did 19 official Triple Crown events this year... And added in a handful of brevets and a 1200k as well!

http://www.caltriplecrown.org/2009/2009FinishersbyName.asp?Action=Number&Action2=All

Oh, and my own modest goals for 2010...

6 Doubles. First up is Death Valley spring. Mostly local-ish ones after that.
LA Grand Tour Triple on a fixie (maybe...).
Fireweed 400 (Anchorage, AK to Valdez and back).
Ironman Canada
Furnace Creek 508 (perhaps...)

Get my knee healthy again.

May 23, Auburn Tri - 70.3 distance
July 31, Barb's Race - 70. 3 distance

I may do some local tris in between.

Veronica

Ride more, climb more, practice descending more, do at least one century, stop letting the weather discourage me so much. Go on more group rides, and ride more places I've never ridden.

1) keep riding, keep my knee functional
2) get my weight/eating back under control. Weigh 175lbs again.
3) finish Everest Challenge
4) enjoy everything else.

-Ride 80% of my commute days
-Lose 15 pounds
-Ride at least 2-3 centuries
-MAYBE, 1 double century

About the same miles, lose 15 more lbs, prep for and complete the double cent, improve TTs and top speed.

Before all that, have fun, stay safe.