I had intended to do the early bird crits so I could cat up. However Ive been sick through most of Dec and Im out of shape.:( Just got back to doing base again. Hopefully Im fully recovered in another week. rIGHT NOW iVE GOT NO LUNGS. Just trying to get saddle time at the moment. Im hoping to do something at Sea Otter.

Is The Mt Challenge any harder then the Sequoia?

Spring: Mt. Hamilton Challenge
Summer: Sequoia Century, Giro Di Peninsula, Marin Century (Mt. Tam)
Fall: Diablo Challenge

I don't know if I'll make the Marin Century because I am trying to go to Europe this summer around that time. I want to incorporate the tour. My plan is to watch the finish of stage 17 on the summit of L'Alpe-d'Huez.

It will be a crazy stage. 210km and three mountains (Galibier, Croix-de-Fer and L'Alpe-d'Huez) all in one stage!

My plan would be to get some rented road bikes and ride up L'Alpe-d'Huez the day before, stay the night and go to sleep EARLY, and get out super early in the AM to actually get a spot.

http://www.letour.fr/PHOTOS/TDF/2008/1700/PROFIL.gif

I would do the early birds anyway if I were you. All you have to do is show up and you get your experience points (I assume you mean 5 -> 4). I mean, it's nice if you can actually do well at them, but no loss if you don't. I go to learn and get pack time. *everyone* is out of shape this time of year :)

Note that the 2008 Santa Cruz Mountains Challenge is uncertain. Unless someone steps up to be the SCMC director, it will be canceled.

Bummer. I hope someone fills the slot, it's a great ride.

If you are not prepared, the climb up Jamison will make you see God.

But if you're ok with steep climbs, or brought the gearing, then they are about the same. The Sequoia 200k has a couple thousand feet more climbing but it's more spread out.

Yes 5 to 4. Many club member recommend this is a better route. Im not sure how out of shape I am. I just did a 71 mile ride in less then 4 hours, and that was including 5400ft of climbing. Problem is I got no lungs. Once my HR goes over 160 I pop. Thats a good 20bpm under normal. Still, I was shocked at my speed since I was trying to keep in in zone 3 and under. Legs started hurting really bad. It was freezing up on Skyline. If I can get this stuff out of my lungs I may be just fine.

Took 2007 off for the most part, now planning on ramping up. Tentative events...

1. Chico Wildflower full century-I've done the metric 3 times, time to do the full century
2. Napa Tour de Cure with the family
3. Seattle To Portland in a day-rode it a couple of years ago with some slower friends, now want to do it at my own pace.

I plan to do the Waves To Wine again this year. Hopefully we can get a team together again. And hopefully I can get Matt McNamara at Sterling Sports to donate another free cycling class and Vo2 Max session like he did last year. We raffled them off within the team.

I also would like to take the Climbing and Descending class with Matt again this year since last year I cramped right before going up Montebello and couldn't finish the lesson. :( Kicked my butt, but I learned a lot!

As for other rides, maybe Giro d' Italia again and a few others. But I'll probably end up doing mostly BF rides.

Although i'd like to do a really flat ride so I can pull my daughter in the trailer and so Siu can come out without having to worry about her asthma. Maybe Siu can hitch a ride in my trailer with my daughter! hehe! ;)

Here's what I plan to do:

April 5th - Party Pardee
June 28? - Giro di Peninsula
August 3rd - SF Marathon

We should do more BF rides and mix it up with some MTB rides too.
It's nice having rest stops but we can have just as much fun without paying for it.

I propose the next end-of-month BF ride be Saturday February 23rd, or gasp! LEAP day, Friday February 29th. Critical Mass would be that day too. Can anyone suggest a "Meet Siu" route?

I'll do all the local crits (Land Park, Folsom, Davis, Vacaville, maybe Cherry Pie and Suisun) plus I'd really like to do the Copperopolis and Bariani road races. And the Mt. Diablo Challenge. (I'm going to get one of those t-shirts or go out like Tommy Simpson).

While you are there maybe you should consider doing La Marmotte. It's a 174k ride with 17000 feet of climbing. It goes over col de la Croix de Fer, col du Telegraphe, col du Galibier and finishes at the top of Alpe d'Huez. You'll really get to know what its like to ride a stage in the TDF. Here is one person's account:

http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=4565

Be sure to check out the pictures at the end. :)

I've been trying to figure out what rides to do. I'd like to do spring, summer, and fall century rides, and I've pretty much chosen the Giro de Peninsula as the summer one - since I can ride to the start half a mile form my house! But I'm having difficulty finding a schedule of rides.

Anyone have any suggestions?

The SCMC is on for 2008. It will be the last Saturday of July, the 26th, this year, a week earlier than in past years.

Cool, glad to hear it. Thanks for the update qpliu.

March - L.A. Marathon
June - Sequoia Century
August - Full Vineman Triathlon
September - Big Kahuna Half Triathlon
October - SJ Rock'nRoll Half Marathon

Whew...

http://deephousepage.com/smilies/praise2.gif http://deephousepage.com/smilies/praise2.gif http://deephousepage.com/smilies/praise2.gif

I'm sooo not worthy....

Oh, so not true.

It's all about pain management. :D

Veronica

It makes my puny goals seem so insignificant compared to yours. :p

No one has puny goals. Your goals are about you. Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.

I've just found this niche of doing hard rides, kinda slowly. :p

I read the racer guys goals and think, "That's cool! I wish I could go that fast!" But I'm old and I don't like riding so closely to other people and I don't want to work that hard and I'd get upset if I didn't win and I'd have to have another bike and I'd have to lose a bizillion pounds and I couldn't eat ice cream and that's enough run ons.

In short, their goals wouldn't work for me.

Thank you though! I just hope I can accomplish them this year. :)

Veronica

I thought I posted already but I guess I didn't...
The big ride planned is the STP in 1-day (July). I'm doing it with my brother (and hopefully my best friend).
The Sierra Century in June.
Foxy's Fall Century
The Diablo Challenge (although I want to at least ride it a few times before commiting to that one). Gotta have goals.
And then a bunch of rides in-between.