Vinny?

Friday I had a great CX ride with Scott. Great weather, trails were in great shape, a close encounter with instant-karma...can't ask for more. It was nice doing an entire ride with someone else. I usually only ride with Vinny....


Who's Vinny?


Well, lets just say on 250 mile weeks 90% of those miles are ridden with my ipod. Yes I named my ipod....sort of makes me feel like I have friends that can ride with me all the time.


Saturday, Marja had to study. Scott is racing today so no ride woith Scott Saturday, and no one else is dumb, I mean, WANTS to ride the loop with Chucky...

After leaving Marja depressed, she's at her breaking point with Grad school right now, I headed out to Auburn. I was worried it would be a zoo considering low 60s forecast and not a cloud in the sky. I arrive at the top of Russel Road to find rock star parking in one of the actual parking spots. Nice!

I head out down the Manzanita Trail at about 11:15. I was going to try and ride hard all day, just to see how my legs would react to the past two days (Thurs 60 miles on the road, yesterday 34 or so on the CX with Scott). After Manzanita and the rest of the maze on the Stage Coach trails I hit the confluence to start the climb up Clementine. Where are all the people?

My heart rate jumped to the low 160s from the get go and couldn't get out of the 160s until 1/4 of the way up Clementine. Finally I noticed everything settle in and my heart rate finally jumped to where it should pushing my 34x18 up to the connector....

My legs were tired, but in the back of my mind I wanted to catch Dawn and Brenda. They had started around 10 from the confluence, it was a carrot to keep me pushing. After making my way past a lot of hikers, the connector was empty. Two people was all I saw, grumpy too, they must usually ride on the road. :)

Now I was hurting a bit, but noticed my time to certain spots along the ride were fast. Still, in the front of my mind was the grind with my old friend Chucky, but I was looking forward to it in that sick sort of way only a few people can appreciate.

Drivers Flat, a few tag alongs decline my invitation to drop down with me and I eat a gu and a rice krispie treat as I fly down the 2 mile 1000' drop. I see Andrew running up and he tells me Dawn is just in front of me. Across the wash, to the Staging Area for McKeon/Ponderosa and up I go toward Foressthill. About 1/2 way to the picnic table I see Dawn. And I end up eating my PB sandwich talking on McKeon/Pondo...

Dawn is a stud to put it mildly, multiple Western States 100 finisher, and now strong on her SS too! We get down to the river and start up Chucky, she's been off the bike for 3 weeks with a sprained shoulder but she is climbing pretty damn well considering. about 1.5 miles into the climb Andrew is dropping down and he joins in on his 1988 vintage mtb....he's grinding up after an 18 mile run.... these ultra runner people are insane.... we hit the overlook (1.75 miles with the bulk of the climbing done, Garmin says 844 from river) and time to eat as we climb the last bit to the gate and finally Driver's Flat. Andrew is a talker, so we chat at his truck and finally hit the trail.

We get about 2.5 miles in from Drivers Flat and Andrew has to bail to the road, he's cramping....shock after 18 miles of running on 2 gus and 2 water bottles. He better be cramping!! Hats off to him though!

Dawn and I head on, I am feeling really good and we make our way back to the top of Clementine, I opt for the "quicker" way to the confluence and Dawn calls me out and says she is going up and over to descend the culvert trail. After taking the "quicker" way with Scott last week due to time, I couldn't do it again after the rash of s%#$ he gave me....so up we went, then down the other side to the confluence trail. Once at the confluence Dawn is at her car and I hit it to make it down to Sac on time....the first pitch up stage coach is tough, fresh legs or not, then it mellows to the parking lot.

Both triceps and forearms cramping, as expected seeing I have not been on this bike as much as I would have liked due to the weather, I make it to the 180 degree turn and the more mellow pitch up the 3 miles of stage coach. I crank most of it in the saddle, getting that "onset O'bonk" as I crest into the parking area. I spin up the road for a little bit and head on back to Sac.

Great day: weather, trails, bike, legs, everything! Wish Marja could have joined, she needs the stress relief these days!!!

I can now say I am happy with the legs!

Ended the night with Moroccan food with Bob, Nick and Marja...full belly! Marja wouldn't Belly Dance though, and she told me I couldn't either!