So yesterday we went on the Fruit Stand ride... a whole 62 miles! It was a crazy long ride and I almost didn't make it!
The ride started out well, albeit we had to go up my nemesis to start it. Damn that Spruce Hill! It's not even that hard, but we start every damn ass ride going up that hill and every time I get about 5 minutes into it and my brain starts saying, 'why don't we just stop now and go back home to being lazy?' Then about 15 more minutes we are out of the hill and my legs are warmed up and its not so bad- but damn starting every ride on that hill!
On the Berkeley side it was a beautiful day for riding, but once we crossed over the hill into Orinda and Moraga man was it hot! You could actually feel it burning your skin. Good thing I wore sunscreen and a full coverage shirt or else I would have some irreparable tan lines right now! Unfortunately Laryssa didn't make out quite so well. Not only does she have tan lines to prove it, but also the burn :(
Sunday was also the day that Laryssa introduced me to Shot Blocks from Clif Bar. I had one before I started the ride and man that did it go to my system! It was like I was biking on speed. I am not used to taking anything that is supplemental and I abstain from coffee for the most part because the caffeine makes me crazy hyper, so biking on this was intense! For the first two hours it was kinda like being in a cracked out spinning class! HAHAHA. Needless to say Laryssa and Erica were a bit stunned- they had never seen me like this- and Brian was amused and maybe partially annoyed (but he's a curmudgeon so it's okay).
The first 30 miles went great and we made really good timing. We were at the in-n-out (the half way point) in exactly 2 hours from the time we started. I know that some people like to mark the middle of the ride with the Fruit Stand in San Ramon that is exactly across from the in-n-out, but let me say this:
I don't ride the distance for no damn Fruit Stand... I ride the distance for a double double with no onions and an ice tea!
This was also a big day for other reasons- it was East Coaster Laryssa's first time at in-n-out; a very very important mile stone in the life of every Californian! She did us proud by eating a double double, but next time we need to get her to have a milk shake! We took an hour break there and then were back on the road.
The rest of the way was more or less all up hill and man was that a bitch! Going up Redwood up that long, never ending, mild grade was took forever. The only way I got up it was by skipping between the shady bits. I would see a patch of shade up and head and think, 'just bike to that next bit of shade...ahhhh shade...okay now to that next bit of shade..' Eventually we all did make it up that hill and to that great view of what I suppose is Lake Chabot.
Then back down. After that things became a problem. So we went down Redwood and are doing a slow climb back up Redwood towards skyline. Laryssa and I are pretty much biking on flat ground with minor hills, but we are in the lowest of low gears... and we are maybe going 3 miles an hour! We are dieing - I am dieing- and I am thinking how the HELL am I going to climb up Pinehurst. Eventually I had to stop and when I get off my bike my legs are furiously shaking. I had no more control over my legs any more- I was the most tapped out I had been since this training started. It was bad. But what can you do? There is no other way to get back home. So back on the bike-going even slower- we start the slow climb up and luckily we didn't have to do Pinehurst- thank god!- we were able to by pass it. We only had to do one last hill to Joaquin Miller and then it was home sweet home- all down hill!
The next day I wasn't sore- more just my body was exhausted! My legs were in a totally new place they had never been before- it felt like the bottom half of my body had been pummeled repeatedly and my brain was totally fried. I was going to swim, but instead went home and went to bed at 7:30! I woke up around 10pm ate chili for dinner watched some Tru Blood and then went back to sleep. Ahhh sleep is amazing! Today I feel like a totally new person- so back to training!
More photos are to come later when I get my camera back!
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