Mt Diablo Hill Climb Time Trial 2010

Photo from Diablo Scott and his magnificent blog

It's now official: I am slow.
This isn't exactly news, but it the first time it's been 100% official, complete with numbers and statistics, officially timed and UCI certified.
My start time was 9:26. I know that because I wrote it in sharpie on my leg because I just couldn't keep it in my head.
I competed in the 55+ group. My single-day race license had me as 16 years old, but that got sorted out at the the registration table. As I pined my number on I saw zillion dollar bikes on wind trainers, ridden by the amazingly thin. I just rode around a bit to warm up.

The start was an official platform, just like the one ones at the races you see on TV. That itself was intimidating. I was worried I'd slip just walking up the ramp. There was a holder, and I was worried I'd fall over, or somehow screw up. I'd read that I should be careful not to start in too big a gear, so I didn't.

And BOOM, I started.
My plan was to start relatively easy and ramp up as I went along, saving a lot for the last third. But I was too too excited. I was at 95% of my max heart rate in seconds. I passed my first rider in about 3 minutes. Unfortunately it wasn't a racer, just a rather heavy cyclist out for a ride. Oh well. I was passed by some rocket lad at about mile one. Many others passed me before I finished. I lost count.

I was trying to keep my heart rate at 92-93%. Any more and I'd have died before I finished. I did have bursts of 95-96 and dropped down to the high 80's just for a moment when I lost concentration.
I saw Diablo Scott making photos, and, when I saw a small car-flattened snake I thought I should photograph it for him for his road kill report. But I had no camera, and it was, after all, a race.

Eventually it all ended about 6 miles later, right by the ranger house. It's now hours later and my chest still hurts from breathing so hard. I know I'm slow, but I can't believe how fast some people blow past me. It's just amazing.

I'm waiting for the results to be posted on the web so I can see if anyone was slower than me. When I looked at the sheets they had taped up, I didn't see anyone who was.
On the up side, I had thought I'd hit 50 minutes. I think my official time was 42-something, so I beat my estimate. And I didn't die, or screw up any one else in their attempt.
Still, it would be swell to be just a hair less slow — to maybe break 40 or something.

I guess there's always next year...

BREAKING NEWS:
The results are up. I was not last. There were five mens finishers slower than me. Sure, three were juniors. And I was last in my group. But I'll take what I can get.

Almost New Years Day on Diablo

We missed our 1.1.10 ride to the summit of Mt. Diablo. We did manage to make it on the day after, so it still counts, right?

It was mighty foggy on the way up, but when we broke through the clouds it was like being on top of the world.

Even though there are bus loads of riders on the mountain, and many of them passing us at warp 9, I always feel like I've done something epic when I reach the summit. Maybe it's just that little kicker at the end, but merely making it to the top seems like a big deal, even though it's only about 13 miles from where we start. I guess it could be the 3770 feet of climbing...

Getting ready for Davis

I think I'm doing a good job of getting ready for the Davis Double. I did a windy century Sunday and on Tuesday I went out with OrbeaJ on a last-minute Diablo ride. Up Northgate, Down South, loop around Blackhawk, the back up Southgate and home. It was a reasonable amount of climbing an I actually felt pretty darn good at the end.
I sure like this year's Davis jersey, so I darn well better be able to ride and 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.

Diablo ride with Bikeforums

The last 200 yards (correction: DiabloScott, master of all things Diablo, insists it's 300 meters) of Mt. Diablo is an 18% straight-up grunt. It's hard enough without having climbed almost 4000 feet just to get there. So Lanceoldstrong and I sprinted. It was a blast.

The NorCal Bikeforums "Work off the turkey" ride was quite an event. It's always fun to see old friends, but toss in the weather and the wind and it becomes quite an event.

I left home in 45 degree overcast. It was mid 60s at the start. I'd worried I'd overdressed. It was warm climbing, but then the wind kicked in and I was glad to be in by knickers.

The weather station there reported:
11am Windspeed 47mph; Peak windspeed 62mph.

All in all, major fun.

Diablo, famous person sighting, ride

Saturday 5.10.08 we rode up the Diablo Northgate and down the South Gate, then back around to Walnut Creek. Joyce rode with us. I totally kicked her butt at the 1000 foot marker. She said she was thinking about stuff and not riding hard, but what else could she say? Sure, you can always claim "It's not a race unless both people know it's a race." But I'm not buying it. Not today.
We saw the famed Diablo Scott riding up the mountain. What's next? Madonna?
Tricia and I stopped in Danville so I could get new gloves. Somehow that turned into gloves, socks, a jersey for Tricia and a new blinkie light for her commuter bike.

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.

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.

Bike forum Diablo Ride

bike forum diablo 1.jpg
Originally uploaded by ccorlew

I met a few riders I know from the cyberspace land of Bikeforums.net for a ride. We went From Danville up the South gate to the junction, down the North gate, out to Clayton and around the "back side" of Diablo via Morgan Territory Road and back to Danville. We did 60-some miles and a ton of climbing. It took most of the day as everyone was very kind and we didn't drop anyone. I had a blast.
Here a slide show of photos via flickr.
Below is a live Google map of the ride


View Larger Map

50 plus jersey

On the day that everyone else road the Diablo Challenge I didn't. I had a great ride through East Contra Costa with Tricia. You can, however, see Diablo in the background. She shot this photo so I could show off the 50 plus jersey I designed for the over 50 forum on bikeforums.net.