Diablo and training for the Knoxville Double

Tricia and I rode with Joyce on Saturday. Northgate to the Diablo Junction, down the South Gate and out through Reliez Station Road in Lafayette and Pleasant Hill. Here's a photo of Joyce because she hasn't shown up here lately, and the clouds were just grand.

I'd ridden the junction with LanceOldStrong the week before, and also done a series of five hill repeats up Somersville Rd to Black Diamond Mines on Thursday. I'm getting in my climbing, but I think I'm getting slower instead of stronger. Here's hoping I'm ready for Knoxville. My goal there: Finish alive. That's all, just finish.

New Years Day on Diablo 2009

Me: I'm getting up early and riding Diablo on New Years day. Wanta go?
Tricia: uuummmmmmmm. I'll think about it.

Me: Coffee's on. Coming?
Tricia: arghmmmmmmmmmm. (rolls over)

Me: Ok. I'm suited up and going. Bye!
Tricia: Wait. I coming with you.

Me: Big smile.

Tricia has done the junction a few times, but all the talk of epic rides and the wall had her a bit... concerned.
Of course, she had absolutely no problem. She didn't even bother to stand up for the wall.

We started off in too much fog, and by 1500 feet elevation I figured we'd be in a cloud all day. But somewhere around 2000 feet we popped into a beautiful day. And unlike he last time I rode Diablo, no wind.

There were cyclists everywhere. I wish I had a count (paging Dr. DiabloScott) even a guess count. It was grand.

Coming down was fun until we slammed into the fog and could hardly see. We could really feel the temp drop as we got to the wall of gray. We were braille-riding for a couple of miles.

My first New Years day on the mountain, Tricia's first summit.
A good time was had by all.

Last day of spring break

Tricia and I took my last day of spring break to do the Diablo Loop, plus a bit of wandering around the edges of Walnut Creek. I'd heard there were turkeys on Mt, Diablo (insert your own joke here) but I'd never seen any myself. Then, just a few miles past the Northgate entry there they were, doing their full on turkey thing with the feathers and all, right by the road. It was a weather-perfect day, and the mountain was beautiful. Only one driver tried to kill Tricia, and he missed. So all in all, just another grand day in California.

Tricia does Diablo

Kestrel in the Cold
Originally uploaded by ccorlew

It was way to cold Saturday morning. Or at least colder and more wet then we expected it to be. But that was OK. Tricia and I were at least going for a ride with our friends Joyce and Dan. And our ride was going to include Mt. Diablo.

Tricia had never been on Diablo. I think I made it sound to hard, so she just wouldn't go. Now, after doing Seattle to Portland (back to back centuries) and Waves to Wine she was finely up for it.

After a chilly foggy start the weather warmed up and it was a cool, but beautiful day. Tricia just rocked, of course. Easy up, fun down. Just a blast. We went up Northgate, down the South, through Danville, out Pleasant Hill Road to Releiz (a pleasant climb indeed) and back through Pleasant Hill. I wasn't at all surprised she road so strongly, and I don't think she was either.

Year end mileage, final ride of 2007

Motobecane: 3481
Commuter: 2872
'87 Cannondale: 815
Total: 7168
Finished off the year with a quick 20 around Antioch. Then Joyce called and wanted to hit the Diablo Junction, so we did... almost... (that's her in the yellow.) It was so windy we stopped before we got there and went for beer and burgers. Still, a good way to end the year.

New goal

I so want this jersey. It's me. So I made a deal with my own bad self. If I can get my weight down to under 140 (as in 139-point-anything) I'm going to buy this overpriced thing. Sure, it costs too much, but nothing is too good if you are skinny. Plus, I still need to ride to the top of Mt. Diablo to meet my Summer goal, and being a lot lighter will help.

Joy and sorrow

I haven't posted lately because I managed to loose an entire card of cool photos and videos from my new Fuji FinePix. It was all my fault, but it's still a drag. I had me riding, Trish as a video, and my buddy Dave's 70s Raleigh that we cleaned and polished.
I've started again. Here's a video of fast-riding Joyce coming down Diablo. I shot it on her quick "Hey, let's go up to the junction, down through Danville and, wait, let me add just this little bit on" ride last weekend. Give it a click.

The weekend, sans art

It's a photo free weekend, darn it. Maybe I need to get inspired and buy that new camera.
Tricia and I rode to Bay Point, took BART to Pleasant Hill and did the Franklin Canyon-Crocket-Martinez loop, went to a Thai lunch in Pleasant Hill then BARTed back to Bay Point and rode home. 61 miles. We're getting ready for Seattle to Portland!

I got up early and took the new bike to Mt. Diablo just to see how it, and I, would feel. It was a cool morning and I was glad I took my recently purchased leg and arm warmers. I rode to the junction in about 55 minutes and felt pretty good. The decent wore me out. I'm just not as free with tossing the bike into corners as I was at 22. But the good news is that I made it and feel like I'll be able to make one of my goals -- to summit this summer.

Diablo. Still uphill.

Our friend Joyce rides lots, so she thinks we should too. She talked me into doing the Diablo loop: Up the North Gate, Down the South, back through Danville and Walnut Creek. 30 miles that starts with about a 2000 foot climb. I haven't done it since the 80s. It's still steep. My goal today was to survive, and I did. Thanks Joyce! (Joyce, single: possibly available for the highly qualified; For a good climb call...)
Where's my wife you ask? Apparently having a 16-year-old daughter going to the prom involves a lot more Mom than it did when I was in school, so she did pink stuff today. I'm in hiding.
Thanks also to Diablo Scott's Bike Blog for providing a bit of inspriation as well!