Northern California - Some Say I Am Quite Mad You Know

I have a much needed vacation that starts tomorrow.
10 days away from the office on a stay at home holiday.
The first 4 days my wife and kids are out of town.
What to do, what to do? The Knoxville Double is 9/25 so it occurred to me these 10 days are the perfect window to polish off my training.
After this explosion of miles I will taper down to the day of the double century.
By posting it here it will motivate me to stick to the plan and get the miles in.

The Plan: 523 miles in Ten Days

Friday 9/3 Napa Valley: 100 miles (Done)

Saturday 9/4 Patterson Pass Loop: 70 miles (Done)

Sunday 9/5 Lake Berryessa/Knoxville Loop: 90 miles (Done)

Monday 9/6 Climb Mt Diablo - Up SG to Summit - down NG then Danville loop: 44 miles (Done)

Tuesday 9/7 Rest Day

Wednesday 9/8 Peets Coffee Danville Ride -easy pace: 70 Miles (Done)

Thursday 9/9 Bohlman/Skyline Loop: 63 Miles (Done)

Friday 9/10 Benicia/Vallejo/Crockett Loop: 36 Miles (Done)

Saturday 9/11 Recovery spin with wife and kids: 23 miles (Done)

Sunday 9/12 Ride with my kids to practice ride to school route: 5 miles (Done)

Sunday 9/12 Avila Road - 7 hill repeats (22 miles x 3000 feet of climbing) (Done)

Wish me luck.

Sounds like a good plan. Enjoy your time with the kids. They grow up and are gone in the blink of an eye.

Good luck. My biggest week this year was the jumping off point for a lot of improvement. 1 week: 406 miles, 23 hours.

http://imgur.com/VRA8m.jpg

I'm doing Cycle Oregon this month - 450 miles, 7 days. On a folding bike... Should be fun.

Give me a heads-up on the Danville Peet's coffee ride. Maybe I can meet you.

Sounds like a fun time! What time are you thinking of doing the Bohlman loop?

Cool. I have similar mileage but with more rest time (from riding at least), and just long days.

That is pretty impressive distance considering no days are over 100 miles!

Saturday: 130 miles - San Mateo to Pinnacles Natl Monument + Camping
Sunday: Hiking +Camping
Monday: 130 miles - Pinnacles to San Mateo
Tuesday: No riding (work + grad school)
Wednesday: No riding (work + grad school)
Thursday: Commute to/ from work - 16.5 miles each way = 33 miles
Friday: No riding. Half day at work, then drive to Bishop for WMD
Saturday: WMD - 200 miles
Sunday: No riding - Drive back home after lunch
Monday: Back to work... 33 miles of commuting

My 10 days = 526 miles.
That's almost as much as half of my current year 2010 miles.

Sounds like a fun time! What time are you thinking of doing the Bohlman loop?

This is the loop I want to do: http://www.chainreaction.com/bohlmanblackchina.htm

I am flexible on time. I would love company, especially with local knowledge. (hint)
I am a Bohlman virgin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eUsSXXc8wU

And there you are.

This is the loop I want to do: http://www.chainreaction.com/bohlmanblackchina.htm

I am flexible on time. I would love company, especially with local knowledge. (hint)
I am a Bohlman virgin.

The traditional route is Bohlman-On Orbit-Bohlman

This is the loop I want to do: http://www.chainreaction.com/bohlmanblackchina.htm

I am flexible on time. I would love company, especially with local knowledge. (hint)
I am a Bohlman virgin.


The traditional route is Bohlman-On Orbit-Bohlman

So is the chainreaction.com route totally whack?

Got a link to a route for Bohlman-On Orbit-Bohlman?

So is the chainreaction.com route totally whack?

Got a link to a route for Bohlman-On Orbit-Bohlman?

Actually have never gone on the dirt path that they mention in the web site. When I normally do that route, I go up Bohlman, hang a left at the T to go onto On Orbit, summit at the top, then continue on down, hang a right at Bohlman, then head back down the hill. You can always continue on down and climb Hicks ... but not sure what your plans are. Love to join you, but can't get off of work that day.

Anyways, here's an old Garmin plot ... http://connect.garmin.com/activity/10771076

So is the chainreaction.com route totally whack?

Got a link to a route for Bohlman-On Orbit-Bohlman?

Their route is fine. I think they do the same thing. Just to get the "full effect" be sure to include on orbit.

see here: http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=174904

It is getting interesting now. 100 miles yesterday and 70 today. Today's ride was advertised to me as 57 but ended up a fair bit more.
So now I am taking a break from the prep for Ride #3, the 88 mile Lake Berryessa/Knoxville Loop, so I can peck out this post.

Ride, Recover, Prep for Ride is really becoming the theme and I like it. The wetware is taking a break, no higher cortex function involved here.
The primitive reptile part of my brain knows how to prep a bike and body for a ride and what to eat.
This has been a great way to vacation so far. Too much effort physically and to much Zen for work to penetrate the cycling bliss.

Monday will mark the 4th day in a row my alarm will go off at 5AM for big ride, and I am loving it.
How crazy is that?

Well, gotta go clean my chain.

I like the premise of this adventure - good luck with the plan.

You should all know - Dan could not catch me in a sprint today. He made a valiant effort, but he was no match for my massive guads. :)

You should all know - Dan could not catch me in a sprint today. He made a valiant effort, but he was no match for my massive guads. :)

The bigbossman really is a powerful sprinter. In another life he could have been explosive like a Cavendish.
He suffers like a beast on the climbs, but power like his comes at a price.

Yesterday on the Knoxville training loop I had the good legs. I felt fierce and strong all day. I could not believe how fast I was riding and climbing. I had expected to be tired.

Now After 260 miles in 3 days I am cracking up. I am beginning to lose it.
I had nightmares all night about ways I was going to end up missing today's Diablo climb. They were vivid, anxiety filled dreams of failure and futility as I desperately tried to get to Danville and just kept getting tripped up somehow.

Does lactic acid affect the brain?. Perhaps.
In a HOT bath for my legs at 6:15 AM this morning, this came to me.

(with apologies to John Prine, Bonnie Raitt, John Mayer and anyone who loves the song "Angel From Montgomery"

Angel From Diablo

I am an old cyclist
named after a prophet
and my friend is another
child who's grown old

If dreams were thunder
lightning was desire
these old quads they
would've won Le Tour
a long time ago

Make me an angel
that flies o'er Diablo
Make me a poster
of an old time Giro
Just give me one thing
that I can hold on to
to believe in this cyclin'
is just a hard way to go

304 miles with 20,000 + feet of climbing for Fri, Sat, Sun and Mon.
A rest day tomorrow is sounding good right now.
The last couple of miles coming up the 1 -2 % grade on Sycamore today it felt like I was under water and the 300 miles was pressing down on every inch of me like deep sea pressure. I could feel the weight of everyone of those miles pulling me backwards and that 1 -2 % felt like 12%

But now I am home in the A/C and after some rest tomorrow I know I will resume the quest.

Nice to see you today. I was amazed to see you again so soon on Danville Blvd. after your escapade via Diablo North side and WC. I flatted right after we separated below the Junction. I actually almost went down. I was just entering the nice curve with the big parking/turnout area when the rear wheel skidded. I had the time to stop the skid and enough space to slowly come to a stop while going straight into the side of the road.
I ended up with a total of 58 miles and 4,800'. Not bad considering the almost two months I had off the bike. Sure a peanut compared to your nutty weekend output. :D

gpelpel - I am so glad you stayed upright. Excellent bike handling there in a tight spot.
You have such great form, I love watching you ride. I guess the years of experience that produced the good form also produced the bike handling skills. Good thing.

Today's ride was originally planned for just 30 miles, but, you know how these things go...

It ended up being 70 miles since Bigbossman joined me at mile 35 and he showed me a cool climb up Las Trampas and one thing led to another.
I got rained on and stung by a bee right on the lip. Other than the bee sting it was a real nice ride.

I have upped the goal for my ten day "miles-paloosa" to 500 miles.
Looks like I will ride a little bit on Saturday just to make sure I get the 500

Today's ride was originally planned for just 30 miles, but, you know how these things go...

It ended up being 70 miles since Bigbossman joined me at mile 35 and he showed me a cool climb up Las Trampas and one thing led to another.
I got rained on and stung by a bee right on the lip. Other than the bee sting it was a real nice ride.

I have upped the goal for my ten day "miles-paloosa" to 500 miles.
Looks like I will ride a little bit on Saturday just to make sure I get the 500

half way to a 1000m month, might as well go for it!

I'm pleased with these reports. It may mean that Mr. OldStrong will be worn out enough by Friday that I'll be able to keep up with him on our 30something miler.

I'm pleased with these reports. It may mean that Mr. OldStrong will be worn out enough by Friday that I'll be able to keep up with him on our 30something miler.

The way it is going be prepared to see the 30 miler turn into a 50+ miler.

I'm not seeing any photos here....

Bohlman Loop Done! 63 miles with 7674 feet of climbing, for 437 miles in 7 days.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/48335536

The dirt road that connects Bohlman to Montevina was cool, it made this a nice loop.
Here is a cell phone photo for cccorlew of Lexington Reservoir and Hwy 17 (center) from high up on Montevina (visible to the left as it winds down the hill) when I stopped to let my rims cool.
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q250/LanceOldstrong/aboveLexington.jpg?t=1284092445

I don't think I ever climbed so many miles on double digit % grades before.
All freaking day. Except for the last long, never ending grind up Hwy 9 to Skyline at 5-7%.

Wow, now I see what all the hype is about. Bohlman/On Orbit is right up there with Mix, Sierra, Welch or the back side of Hamilton.
That was one tough nut.
Black Road is brutal too, China Grade was super hard, but so pretty I didn't care.

This is a really tough loop. One of the toughest rides I ever undertook. I can't wait to do it again.

AWESOME!!!

That must have been a tough one. You are a beast. :cheers:

23 miles today with Mrs. Oldstrong and the 2 Youngstrongs. We parked in the Martinez Marina and did an out and back to Benicia State Park.
Ice cream cones on the Out and Slurpees on the Back with a sea lion sighting from the Benicia Bridge as a ride highlight.

My son misunderstood a route instruction and turned left right across my front wheel and we both went down. Neither one of us hurt a bit, and both bikes mostly fine. The only damage is his front wheel is a little out of true. It is rubbing his fork a bit so it is good it happened a block from the car on the return leg.

In a battle between a 180 pound rider on Open Pros and a 90 pound rider on Alex DC 19's the Open Pros win by a knockout.:)

Bohlman Loop Done! 63 miles with 7674 feet of climbing, for 437 miles in 7 days.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/48335536

The dirt road that connects Bohlman to Montevina was cool, it made this a nice loop.
Here is a cell phone photo for cccorlew of Lexington Reservoir and Hwy 17 (center) from high up on Montevina (visible to the left as it winds down the hill) when I stopped to let my rims cool.
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q250/LanceOldstrong/aboveLexington.jpg?t=1284092445

I don't think I ever climbed so many miles on double digit % grades before.
All freaking day. Except for the last long, never ending grind up Hwy 9 to Skyline at 5-7%.

Wow, now I see what all the hype is about. Bohlman/On Orbit is right up there with Mix, Sierra, Welch or the back side of Hamilton.
That was one tough nut.
Black Road is brutal too, China Grade was super hard, but so pretty I didn't care.

This is a really tough loop. One of the toughest rides I ever undertook. I can't wait to do it again.

I'm officially askeered to ride with you now. I have not done B/OO but have done Sierra, and Mix, and they spanked my wussie derriere. I can no longer hang with the likes of you.

Good job and congrats on your accomplishments! You should rightfully be basking in the glow and resting on your laurels.

Well it is done and it was the best vacation I ever had.

10 days off. I rode 9 of the 10 days. Finished with 523 miles in 10 days.
Today I was feeling good and put an exclamation point on the whole thing by doing 7 hill repeats up Avila Rd here in Concord for 3000 feet of climbing in 22 miles.
The best part was I took my 24(?) pound Univega and no water for that little suffer fest. No water was a brain fart, but hey, HTFU right?
I never would have guessed that 100 miles of the 523 would be on the Univega, but it just rides nice. Bigbossman really turned it into a nice bike with modern wheels, brakes and a Tiagra triple grupo.

Final Tallies
523 Miles
0 Flats
1 Bee Sting on the lower lip
2 minor crashes, dropped my chain up a 13% grade on Cobb Mtn and collided with my son at low speed another time.
Over the course of the 10 days I rode with cccorlew, mylilpony, beaker, brentley, spingineer, bikingshearer, britpower, rumbutter, alain, obiwan kenobi, gpelpel and my wife and kids. I am a lucky man to have so many friends and such a great family.

What a way to finish my training!
Now to taper down and arrive at 9/25 rested and ready for The Knoxville Double.

... why the rest day? ;)

You should change the title of this thread to "I am Quite Mad You Know". It HAS been confirmed.

Over the course of the 10 days I rode with cccorlew, mylilpony, beaker, brentley, spingineer, bikingshearer, britpower, rumbutter, alain, obiwan kenobi, gpelpel and my wife and kids.

:notamused:

:notamused:

I was so busy thinking about how much I like the Univega you helped me build up that I totally forgot to mention you on the friends I rode with list. Sheesh, and we rode almost 100 miles between two occasions.

My bad!

I was so busy thinking about how much I like the Univega you helped me build up that I totally forgot to mention you on the friends I rode with list. Sheesh, and we rode almost 100 miles between two occasions.

My bad!

Nah, you got it right the first time. :rolleyes: