The last 2 weekends were great. Let me first say that I LOVE my bride and my little girlie (puppy too of course), but I can also see that if I fell in love with cycling before I got married, that I might not ever get married (because I wouldnt have time to find someone) because I would be out riding day after day. It is definitely a commitment and Sarah needs to be commended for all of the time that she spends with Gabs and Nikki - or stuck in a car with me driving to my next ride.
Last weekend I had the STP - Seattle to Portland (http://connect.garmin.com/activity/98340634). I did that ride with my buddies Patrick, Mike, and Ron. Patrick, Mike and I ride on a regular basis in the local area and Ron flew up from Reno. It was a great weekend aside from the 3 flat tires that all happened within the same stop, all by Mike (long story...and long break). I'm not trying to pat myself on the back, but aside from about 5-7 miles I pulled the group all the way to Portland. I wouldnt say that I'm the strongest of the group because Mike is an extremely strong rider and climber, and Patrick inspired me all year last year to take off the way I have - but he also has 2 kids now. However, I did pull the group the whole way, and they likely forced me to set a more sustainable pace, because there were times that I was pulling us at 22-24mph and would turn around to see that they fell back. The camaraderie was great - even though the gym floor of Castle Rock is NOT a comfortable bed. In hindsight it was also great to do the 2-day so I know how to pace the group better for next year when we do the 1-day. My sit bones were definitely sore with about 30 miles left, and I think the 1-day will help resolve that a bit.
This past weekend we went to Bend, OR. The trip was cut a bit short because Gabriella was really struggling to sleep, but the hospitality of Deb and Ben was incredible - even if they didn't bring in the weather that Bend normally has (then again summer in the Puget Sound has been anything but normal either). I can definitely see why people want to live in the Bend area. Especially if you are a cyclist since the climate is ideal for cycling and the terrain is incredible and diverse. Driving the Mt Hood byway was so majestic. And then once we got into Bend and saw the 3 Sisters it was great. The sweeping corners of some of the descents and all of the bike lanes - I was drooling. Oregon has done some great things - Deb and Ben's friend Patrick should be thanked for his great work!
The ride itself was incredible (http://connect.garmin.com/activity/99973048). A little rain for about 5-7 miles and some mist at the Summit of McKenzie Pass, but it was quite possibly the best ride I was ever on. It is a distance to travel, but I'd love to make it an annual ride if Sarah agrees. I did end up bonking from about mile 77-90 so that was rough, but after I fixed the puncture that I got at 91 I was ready to roll back into Bend. Most of the rides that I do around here end up stringing out after about 10-15 miles. This ride on the other hand stuck together. The 100-mile "peloton" ended up breaking into a fast group (at least I'd like to call us fast - we were the lead group) and a moderate paced group. Then there were stragglers behind that. But it was so great to ride in a tight pack for the experience of being elbow to elbow with others as well as the great conversation with the other riders which included a few guys from the Trek-Livestrong U23 team and Carson Miller from Sport Beans. 2 of the riders are local and the other 3 pulled in early for the Cascade Classic (a 7 stage race for the "semi-pros"). Overall my time was 5:21 which was decent. I really wouldnt have minded if I could have trimmed off that last 15-20 minutes, but not yet. I imagine that my other rides this year with the others will also be 5+ hrs.
The climb up McKenzie Pass was great. It's a Cat 5 climb with an average slope of about 5%. The first few miles were 2-3% with a few of the switchbacks at 7-8 and then the top averages at 5-6%. I found why Windy Pass gets its name and learned a valuable lesson - when you are warm climbing, never take your arm warmers off - just push them down because when you hit elevations with snow on the side of the road, it gets chilly.
This weekend I dont have anything organized, but I'm hoping to head out of work for Friday afternoon and climb either Montreux or Zoo Hill (or combination of Montreux through to Cougar Mtn). Then we have the Seattle Century the last weekend of July. Depending on the weather, I'm leaning more toward Ride 542 up Mount Baker the weekend after Labor Day before heading to Austin in October.
The biggest challenge is getting the time to do it. I want to get a few more centuries in through the month of August, so hopefully I'll be able to take some days off of work since it is hard to be away for half of the day.
The new wheels are riding great - just need to ride them more!!! Also, between the drive, ride, and just being here... I have no idea why anyone wouldnt want to live in the PacNW. It is SUCH a unique area and there is really no better place that I have ever seen!
LIVESTRONG!!!
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