Back on April 1, and July 1, and October 1, I posted quarterly State of the Union addresses on this blog detailing the progress I had made on my 2008 Ride List and 2008 Goal List. At the end of each quarter I always found myself looking forward to writing this post because its interesting for me to look back at the last three months to review what I've accomplished, how I've progressed, and where I want to improve.
I plan on doing an extensive year-end post hitting some of the high points from all of 2008, but in keeping with my tradition of quarterly progress reports, I wanted to do my 4th Quarter review separately.
2008 RIDE LIST:
As far as rides on my 2008 list, I entered Q4 with three rides left on my list. I finally rode the Big Laguna Loop (with extras) and La Costa, which I had been hoping to get to. BLT was an absolute blast because we added in some awesome bonus sections including Agua Dulce and Red Tail Roost. La Costa was decent, with a confidence-building trip down NASCAR coupled with a ton of climbing that wasn't entirely worth it. It was a fun enough trail, but not one I plan on doing on a regular basis like so many other riders in North County.
It looks like I will officially not be completing every ride on my 2008 List, however, because I didn't make it out to Lake Morena. I thought it was going to happen when the Rock MTB group scheduled a ride out there on December 20, but rain forced a change of venue and my last opportunity was squandered. I'm a little bummed to not have crossed every ride off the list, but I'll live. And I'll make sure to get out to Lake Morena in 2009 at least once.
2008 GOAL LIST:
As for my more general 2008 Goal List, the 4th Quarter was a good one. I entered the quarter with only four goals left unaccomplished. To remedy that fact, in early November I finally made it back out to Sycamore to clean all of Martha's Grove (up and down). A week earlier I had already knocked off Goal #2 by doing an all-day type ride courtesy of my Archipelago Ride. And then in early December I did a ride in the OC while riding the famed San Juan Trail. The only other goal left on the list was to improve my climbing skills and general fitness, which I have clearly done, though not to my complete satisfaction.
HIGHLIGHTS OF Q4:
The 4th Quarter was a great one for me, with several awesome rides and a couple of other interesting developments.
The most significant non-riding event of the quarter was the completion of my new bike, an Intense Spider XVP. I bought the frame online for a song back in August, and finally purchased all the components and had it built up in early October by the guys over at Bike Bling. The list of specs is available in this post which I wrote the day I picked it up from the shop. Over the next three months I made some minor additions including my own saddle, carbon handle bars, and finally some new pedals. The bike has been awesome, and though it ended up costing quite a bit, I was able to defray almost the entire cost using supplemental income so I didn't shatter our household budget. I have noticed a significant improvement in my climbing with the Spider over the Enduro, and the bike just seems to fit me better than any of my previous ones. I am looking forward to riding it for years to come.
As far as rides in Q4, I was glad to get Rach out on her first real MTB ride at Spring Canyon in early October. She did great, and I hope to get her out on more rides in 2009.
I also had a chance to do the annual Cuyamaca Poker Ride for the first time this year, and had one of my strongest riding days of the year in terms of fitness. The ride itself was OK, but it was the first real ride I did on the new Spider, and what a difference it made. My fitness and proper bike-fit made the experience much more enjoyable than it would have been if I was out of shape and on the Enduro, and I had a great time.
I also finally made it up to the Lagunas in Q4 to do the BLT ride and I'll remember it as one of the most purely enjoyable rides of the second half of the year. There wasn't any one thing that made it fun, but the trails were new and interesting, the company was good, and the scenery and weather were great, combining for a great day on the trails all around.
November brought my now ledgendary Archipelago Ride, which was a highlight of the entire year in terms of accomplishment. It was 42 miles of riding, and I had some physical challenges during the last third of the ride, but it felt great to finish the whole thing and I really felt like I had achieved something significant by the end. Between the three pre-rides and some google earth scouting efforts, planning the route was almost as much fun as riding it, and I learned that the "exploration" aspect of mountainbiking is one of my favorite parts of the hobby.
I also was glad to make it up to the famed San Juan Trail in December. Nate proved to be an awesome trail guide and de facto coach, and I performed better than I thought I would on a day where I wasn't even feeling my best. Making it all the way to Blue Jay was something I was really proud of, and I ended the ride once again feeling like I had achieved something significant.
My last ride of the year was another interesting one when I rode over at McGinty Mountain with a group of fast riders. The trail was fairly unknown, and while the ride itself wasn't a ton of fun, the backcountry feel and exploration aspect were extremely enjoyable, and I look forward to getting back there and exploring more early in 2009.
For the fourth quarter of 2008, I rode a total of 217.53 miles on my mountain bike, as opposed to 200.00 in Q3, 254.75 in Q2 and 140.25 miles in Q1. As a result, I rode 812.55 miles this year. I didn't have a total mileage goal at the beginning of 2008, but I feel like that number is adequate. I am thinking of setting a mileage goal for 2009, but don't want to be stressed about miles all year at the expense of fun on the trails.
As I said above, I'll be posting a year-end summary with thoughts and pictures from the entire year, but as far as Q4 goes, I feel like I finished strong and look forward to building on the miles I've logged and trails I've ridden this year as I head into 2009.
Showing posts with label 2008 Goal List Item. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2008 Goal List Item. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
RR: San Juan Trail
With Rachel out of town this weekend I knew I wanted to do a big Saturday ride, but didn't know where to go. I debated about doing Aliso, Noble, or the San Clemente singletracks, but after a call from Nate Friday afternoon, my fate was sealed: We were finally riding San Juan.
The circumstances were perfect: Billy was out with the flu or else he would have vetoed San Juan (he hates it after a bad experience in July), Nate had been there so he knew the trail, and I had the whole day free. Awesome.
Nate picked me up at a park and ride in RB at 6:30, and we made it to the trailhead by about 7:45. The morning was flawless; cool and crisp but not cold, and the temperatures were ideal for climbing. Which we would be doing a lot of on this trail.
After a short warm-up pedaling in circles in the parking lot, we started up the famed San Juan Trail. The first set of switchbacks came up right away, and I found myself breathing hard from the get-go. Despite how good I felt riding last weekend, I hadn't been on the stationary bike all week, and it appeared that I was going to pay for that.
I made a couple of the early switchbacks, especially those that turned to the left. The right turns were more of a problem for me, and I found myself dabbing fairly often.
The trail was in good condition overall, and wasn't loose, but it was rutted, and I found myself having some balance issues climbing while in the deep ruts in the middle of the trail. I handled the climb OK for the first section, and Nate was nice enough to wait up if he found himself getting too far out in front.
There were a couple of spots fairly early on where the trail had eroded, leaving a narrow space with significant exposure off to the side. I walked two of those sections but sacked up and rode a couple others.
As the climb continued there were a couple of really tough, rocky switchbacks that I also had to hike, and eventually fatigue set in and I found myself HABing sections of ridable trail because I was simply tired.
At one point I fell farther behind than usual, and Nate came back to ride with me. I rallied a little at that point, and rode fairly strongly for a bit before fatigue once again reared its ugly head. Eventually I was riding again, and made it to the top of the main portion of the climb. At that point I enjoyed a really fun flowy section of singletrack that undulated and wound through some scrub bushes. After that it was more climbing, and then suddenly we were at Cocktail Rock. We had hit Cocktail at exactly the two hour mark of the ride, which I realize isn't great, but didn't feel terrible either. On a better climbing day fitness wise, I could have shaved at least a half-hour off that time. Nate could have done it solo in an hour.
Spent a few minutes at Cocktail, and asked some guys there if they knew about the upper loop that Nate had never ridden. They suggested we ride all the way to Blue Jay, which I wasn't sure about, but we decided to go for it. They were riding towards Blue Jay, but planned to split off to go ride Los Pinos and offered to show us where to go as far as they could. We left Cocktail as part of their group, rode down a fun downhill section, through some meadows, and then started climbing again. The trail at that point reminded me a lot of Noble, with brush and trees along the trail and fun rocky singletrack as the main feature.
I began to really feel the effects of the climbing about halfway to Blue Jay, and was getting a little concerned about bonking. After one particularly long climb I caught up to Nate, who told me that the rest of the group had split off to go ride Los Pinos, and had given him directions to Blue Jay. We rested for a minute there, and Nate helped me try to fix my pedals, which had been giving me problems. After a short rest and some bike repair, we started out to complete the last leg of our trip to Blue Jay.
The next section of trail did have some climbing, but was mostly manageable and I was able to stay on the bike and ride the whole thing. After just a short while we found ourselves standing at the Blue Jay campground, tired but pleased with our achievement.
After a short rest, we started back the way we came, eager to enjoy the fruit of our labor from all the climbing we had done. The downhill from Blue Jay to the base of the hill we had descended earlier was a blast, and it was over far to quickly. We then had a fairly lengthy HAB up the steep downhill we had ridden after Cocktail, and once we reached the top we were excited and ready for some sustained downhill as we descended San Juan.
The descent was fun and fast, though I did have a problem descending a couple of the upper switchbacks. On one of them I turned too tight and started to tip, and my left shoe would not come unclipped. As a result I capsized, landing painfully on my left knee and shin, still clipped in. I actually lay there for a minute or two, stuck, until I was able to wrench my cleat free from the pedal. I really want new pedals. I had some scrapes and bruises from the fall, but no serious injuries, and re-mounted the bike and pedaled on.
After that mishap I was a little tentative descending some of the other techy switchbacks, but did manage to clean a couple. We bombed the rest of the downhill in no time, and were back at the car quicker than I expected.
It was a fun ride, and one I'd actually do again. I wish I had been more faithful on the stationary bike in the week leading up to it so my conditioning had been a little better, but as it was I wasn't terrible. I'm very happy we decided to go all the way to Blue Jay. Even though the extra climbing was rough, I finished the day feeling pretty good, and had plenty left in the tank. I hear there is a "lollipop loop" after Cocktail that I'm sorry we missed, since our entire ride was an out and back.
Nate was an excellent ride leader, and provided me with several helpful tips during the climb that helped me pedal more efficiently, take the switchbacks better, and ride in and above ruts more effectively. I appreciated his input tremendously.
We stopped for Mexican on the way home, and then I relaxed and watched college football the rest of the afternoon. Awesome day.
Rachel had the camara for her vacation, and we gave my old one to her sister, so I am without pictures for this entire ride, which is a disappointment. The views from the top of SJT were georgeous, and we could see all the way to Catalina. I won't be without a camara the next time I ride here.
This was also the final "tangible" item on my 2008 Goal List: Do a Ride in the OC. With the completion of this ride, the only item on my List that I haven't crossed off is the "Improve my Climbing and General Fitness goal, which I will evaluate at the end of the year. I was thrilled to get this ride in before the year ended, and will talk more about the goals and my accomplishments in my year-end post that will come in a few weeks.
Here are the stats:
Total Distance: 21.14 miles
Total Time: 4:46:40
Ascent: 4377 feet
Average Speed: 4.4 mph
Top Speed: 19.0 mph
Bike: Intense Spider XVP
Map:
View Larger Map
The circumstances were perfect: Billy was out with the flu or else he would have vetoed San Juan (he hates it after a bad experience in July), Nate had been there so he knew the trail, and I had the whole day free. Awesome.
Nate picked me up at a park and ride in RB at 6:30, and we made it to the trailhead by about 7:45. The morning was flawless; cool and crisp but not cold, and the temperatures were ideal for climbing. Which we would be doing a lot of on this trail.
After a short warm-up pedaling in circles in the parking lot, we started up the famed San Juan Trail. The first set of switchbacks came up right away, and I found myself breathing hard from the get-go. Despite how good I felt riding last weekend, I hadn't been on the stationary bike all week, and it appeared that I was going to pay for that.
I made a couple of the early switchbacks, especially those that turned to the left. The right turns were more of a problem for me, and I found myself dabbing fairly often.
The trail was in good condition overall, and wasn't loose, but it was rutted, and I found myself having some balance issues climbing while in the deep ruts in the middle of the trail. I handled the climb OK for the first section, and Nate was nice enough to wait up if he found himself getting too far out in front.
There were a couple of spots fairly early on where the trail had eroded, leaving a narrow space with significant exposure off to the side. I walked two of those sections but sacked up and rode a couple others.
As the climb continued there were a couple of really tough, rocky switchbacks that I also had to hike, and eventually fatigue set in and I found myself HABing sections of ridable trail because I was simply tired.
At one point I fell farther behind than usual, and Nate came back to ride with me. I rallied a little at that point, and rode fairly strongly for a bit before fatigue once again reared its ugly head. Eventually I was riding again, and made it to the top of the main portion of the climb. At that point I enjoyed a really fun flowy section of singletrack that undulated and wound through some scrub bushes. After that it was more climbing, and then suddenly we were at Cocktail Rock. We had hit Cocktail at exactly the two hour mark of the ride, which I realize isn't great, but didn't feel terrible either. On a better climbing day fitness wise, I could have shaved at least a half-hour off that time. Nate could have done it solo in an hour.
Spent a few minutes at Cocktail, and asked some guys there if they knew about the upper loop that Nate had never ridden. They suggested we ride all the way to Blue Jay, which I wasn't sure about, but we decided to go for it. They were riding towards Blue Jay, but planned to split off to go ride Los Pinos and offered to show us where to go as far as they could. We left Cocktail as part of their group, rode down a fun downhill section, through some meadows, and then started climbing again. The trail at that point reminded me a lot of Noble, with brush and trees along the trail and fun rocky singletrack as the main feature.
I began to really feel the effects of the climbing about halfway to Blue Jay, and was getting a little concerned about bonking. After one particularly long climb I caught up to Nate, who told me that the rest of the group had split off to go ride Los Pinos, and had given him directions to Blue Jay. We rested for a minute there, and Nate helped me try to fix my pedals, which had been giving me problems. After a short rest and some bike repair, we started out to complete the last leg of our trip to Blue Jay.
The next section of trail did have some climbing, but was mostly manageable and I was able to stay on the bike and ride the whole thing. After just a short while we found ourselves standing at the Blue Jay campground, tired but pleased with our achievement.
After a short rest, we started back the way we came, eager to enjoy the fruit of our labor from all the climbing we had done. The downhill from Blue Jay to the base of the hill we had descended earlier was a blast, and it was over far to quickly. We then had a fairly lengthy HAB up the steep downhill we had ridden after Cocktail, and once we reached the top we were excited and ready for some sustained downhill as we descended San Juan.
The descent was fun and fast, though I did have a problem descending a couple of the upper switchbacks. On one of them I turned too tight and started to tip, and my left shoe would not come unclipped. As a result I capsized, landing painfully on my left knee and shin, still clipped in. I actually lay there for a minute or two, stuck, until I was able to wrench my cleat free from the pedal. I really want new pedals. I had some scrapes and bruises from the fall, but no serious injuries, and re-mounted the bike and pedaled on.
After that mishap I was a little tentative descending some of the other techy switchbacks, but did manage to clean a couple. We bombed the rest of the downhill in no time, and were back at the car quicker than I expected.
It was a fun ride, and one I'd actually do again. I wish I had been more faithful on the stationary bike in the week leading up to it so my conditioning had been a little better, but as it was I wasn't terrible. I'm very happy we decided to go all the way to Blue Jay. Even though the extra climbing was rough, I finished the day feeling pretty good, and had plenty left in the tank. I hear there is a "lollipop loop" after Cocktail that I'm sorry we missed, since our entire ride was an out and back.
Nate was an excellent ride leader, and provided me with several helpful tips during the climb that helped me pedal more efficiently, take the switchbacks better, and ride in and above ruts more effectively. I appreciated his input tremendously.
We stopped for Mexican on the way home, and then I relaxed and watched college football the rest of the afternoon. Awesome day.
Rachel had the camara for her vacation, and we gave my old one to her sister, so I am without pictures for this entire ride, which is a disappointment. The views from the top of SJT were georgeous, and we could see all the way to Catalina. I won't be without a camara the next time I ride here.
This was also the final "tangible" item on my 2008 Goal List: Do a Ride in the OC. With the completion of this ride, the only item on my List that I haven't crossed off is the "Improve my Climbing and General Fitness goal, which I will evaluate at the end of the year. I was thrilled to get this ride in before the year ended, and will talk more about the goals and my accomplishments in my year-end post that will come in a few weeks.
Here are the stats:
Total Distance: 21.14 miles
Total Time: 4:46:40
Ascent: 4377 feet
Average Speed: 4.4 mph
Top Speed: 19.0 mph
Bike: Intense Spider XVP
Map:
View Larger Map
Saturday, November 8, 2008
RR: Sycamore Canyon w/Martha's and Switchbacks
After last week's Archipelago ride I was looking for an easy local trail to do today that would offer something to shoot for while not taxing me too badly. I realized that I had never gone and cleaned up the final pieces of Martha's Grove that I wanted to clear in order to cross that particular goal off my 2008 list.So I packed up the car and headed over to the Poway trailhead. I had a little trouble finding it again (why can't they just allow you to turn from Scripps-Poway Parkway on to Sycamore Canyon Rd.?) but made it in time to not feel stressed about how long the ride would take.
I planned on riding all of Syacmore, but the real reason for coming was to clean all of Martha's so I decided to run it right off the bat. I took the singletrack up from the trailhead, through the first two steep ups without stopping, and prepared for the first sketchy downhill section.
I cleaned that with little problem, then rode up the next short steep that had given me trouble last time, and then railed the final downhill section with relative ease. It felt great to clean the whole thing without stopping or dabbing, particularly since Martha's is a trail that I refused to even attempt a year and a half ago when I first started riding. I even stopped for a picture of the grove at the end of the downhill in order to reflect on my accomplishment.
From there I rode through the Grove, past the Gooden Ranch Ranger Station, through the gate, and on to the singletrack that headed south through the Canyon. Its always a fun section, with some tight turns and fun rocky sections that are easy but entertaining. 
As I rode through the singletrack toward the Santee side, I decided that I would try to look for the switchbacks that a lot of people ride at Sycamore instead of staying on the lower canyon singletrack. Right before the main powerlines I spotted what I thought was the trail leading to the switchbacks, and headed up.
I think the Archipelago ride was still a factor for me, as I was forced to HAB the final 1/3 of the initial climb. It was pretty steep, but the footing was fine and I should have been able to clean it. Meh, next time.At the top I followed the fire road along the ridgeline and to the west I could see trails that I figured led to Spring and Oak Canyons. Eventually I reached a singletrack off shoot, and took it as it seemed to head back down into Sycamore Canyon.
Before I began the switchback descent I stopped to watch some helicopters practicing takeoffs and landings in the meadow below. As they took off and flew around, they were actually below where I was on the ridgeline.
From there I headed down the switchbacks, which were a ton of fun to descend. The Spider is so nimble and compact that I could take them with a lot more speed than I expected. The descent was over far too quickly (especially considering how hard the climb up was for me today) and soon I found myself back on the canyon floor.
From there it was a relatively easy spin back through the gate, past the Ranger Station, and up the paved climb back to the trailhead. Despite trying hard not to, I was forced to stop and rest for a minute during the paved climb. I've had no problem climbing it in the past, and today's ride was far from a sufferfest, so once again I'll have to chalk up my difficulties to riding 42 miles a week ago. Either way, it felt great to clean all of Martha's for the first time, and I was glad to have at least ridden the switchbacks once to see what all the fuss was about. With Martha's crossed of the 2008 goal list, there really only two goals left: (1) Do a ride in the OC and (2) Improve my fitness. With two months left in 2008, I feel good about getting to the OC, and we'll see where my fitness is at year's end to determine how I did on that one.
Here are today's stats:
Total Distance: 12.17 miles
Total Time: 1:51:39
Ascent: 1343 feet
Average Speed: 6.4 mph
Top Speed: 24.4 mph
Bike: Intense Spider XVP
Map:
View Larger Map
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Archipelago Ride
After more than three and a half months of planning, scouting, pre-riding, and (some) conditioning, this morning was the day of my Archipelago Ride.
By way of some brief history, the name and concept of the ride are not my own, though the route I rode today certainly was. The name and idea for this ride came from San Diego MTB legend Mountainbike Bill, who had hatched the concept of connecting several North San Diego County trails together in a huge loop that he called "The Archipelago Ride." More information on his version, the route, and some exciting future plans he has can be found here.
Since I lived almost directly in the middle of most of the trails included in Bill's ride, I began thinking several months ago about doing my own version. I wanted to start from home and see how many of the nearby trail networks I could link together, Archipelago-style. I began in early July by looking at GPS routes of some of my previous rides at Santa Luz, LPQ, and Lake Hodges on Google Earth. I attempted to locate connector trails that would link those areas together, and even emailed Bill for some suggestions, which he graciously provided.
After mapping out what I thought was a realistic route, a plan began to form. Initially I wanted to connect from my home in 4S Ranch, to South Hodges, to North Hodges, to Santa Luz, to LPQ, to Black Mountain, to home. I decided to pre-ride my suggested loop in at least three sections. This would allow me to scout any problems I was likely to encounter as well and ensure that the connector trails that I thought existed really did.
My first pre-ride was in mid-July, and the ride review can be read here. I started from home and rode through a private (but open) fire road over to South Hodges, to North Hodges, down Del Dios Highway, and through the San Dieguito River Park trails toward Santa Luz. Because this was my first pre-ride, I got lost at one point right before I found the connector from SDRP Trails to Santa Luz, and ended the ride frustrated, discouraged, and exhausted.
That night after my first pre-ride, I got back on google earth with my GPS route plotted and saw where I went wrong. Four days later I rode that same route again, but this time I made the connector. Part I was complete.
Ten days later I found time to pre-ride the second part of my planned Archipelago route. I rode from the Santa Luz/SDRP connector that I had found, through part of the Santa Luz Loop, through a connector to the north side of LPQ, through the LPQ tunnels, up Camino del Sur, and up the Santa Luz singletracks to Black Mountain Community Park. It was a grueling ride, with several nasty climbs, and I was having some serious doubts about whether I would be able to actually do the full ride all together someday.
Life intervened soon after I completed my pre-ride of Part II, and it was more than two and a half months before I found time to attempt Part III of my planned Archipelago route. I had spent some time after Part II looking for a solution to the problem of connecting from Black Mountain Community Park to the top of Black Mountain. The most direct route involved riding a fire road that paralleled Black Mountain Road over to the Laurentian Trailhead, then climbing the main fire road to the summit of Black Mountain and riding down the north side to home. The problem was that the fire road that parallelled Black Mountain Road was an absolute beast, with two massive climbs that I didn't think I could handle after thirty-some miles of riding beforehand.
After mulling over my options for a while, I was struck by a thought: Maybe I could ride the whole route in reverse, starting with Black Mountain and then connecting to the Santa Luz singletracks and riding over to LPQ in that direction, instead of the way I had pre-ridden it. This seemed like an attractive option because I thought I knew of a trail down the west face of Black Mountain that would dump me right next to the entrance to Black Mountain Community Park and the trialhead for the Santa Luz singletracks. The more I thought about it, the more sense that approach made, and I set out in mid October to do Part III of my Archipelago route, the final pre-ride.
It went off without a hitch, and I found that I could ride the Gliderport Trail down the west face of Black Mountain asI had thought. With the pre-riding complete, all I had to do was pick a date for the ride and make it happen.
Normally I would have probably put it off for a least a few weeks to work on my conditioning and try to make everything perfect. But when I heard that the LPQ tunnels were in jeopardy of closing and some changes were being made over at Hodges that could make the connection between the North and South side more difficult, I decided that I needed to suck it up and ride ASAP.
I had also intended initially to ride the whole route solo so that I could go at my own pace and not worry about group ride dynamics, but when Doug mentioned he was looking to be invited on some rides more often, I jumped at the chance to have some company. November 1 worked out for both of us and the date was set.
All of this backstory leads me back to this morning and the review of today's ride itself. Rachel and I were up early, and went and dropped my Tahoe over at what I believed to be the midpoint of the ride. We parked the truck at a trailhead just off San Dieguito Road in the middle of the Santa Luz loop so that we would have provisions during the ride. Doug arrived at my place a little before 8:00 a.m., and after after a few minutes of gearing up we started out from Heritage Park, which is close to my house.
We rode from Heritage over to the 4S trail system which overlooks Lusardi Canyon, heading for Black Mountain.
*
[Some pictures I'm using in this RR are from previous Archipelago pre-rides, and are marked with an asterisk to show they were not taken on today's ride.]
The morning was beautiful and the weather was already warming up a bit, even at 8:30. It sure didn't feel like November.
We left the 4S Ranch trails pretty quickly and headed up Carmel Valley Road for a short road-ride toward the main Black Mountain trailhead.
At the trailhead for Black Mountain we noticed that there were already several people on the trails, though we didn't see any other bikes the whole time we were up there. Beneath us the community of 4S Ranch was just waking up.
We climbed up the main trail towards the Miner's Ridge Loop, and made a left to ride it clockwise. I had ridden this section of trail a couple of times in the past, but was already struggling slightly with the moderately technical climb and rising heat. There was some early HAB for me where there shouldn't have been, but I was hurting and didn't want to spin out and wreck myself this early in the ride.
As we plodded along up Miner's, I began to get concerned that I had missed the singletrack cut-over to the main Black Mountain fire road. I stopped, tried to get my bearings, and became convinced that we had missed it. Doug doubled back a little way and didn't see anything, so I volunteered to ride up a ways and see if it was still ahead. I rode up another few hundred yards and the scenery didn't look familiar, so I doubled back to where Doug was waiting and we started to backtrack. After several hundred yards of backtracking, it became clear that I am an idiot. We hadn't missed the cut-over, I had just gotten jumpy. So we trudged back up the trail for another half mile or so until we found the cut-over, and we were back on track. I sincerely hoped this would not be an omen for the rest of the day.
At the end of the cut-over trail, we did the short HAB section up to the main Black Mountain fire road, and enjoyed an easy spin up to the summit. During that section Doug and I had a really neat time of conversation, and I began to start really enjoying myself.
From the summit of Black Mountain, we rode down the Gorge Trail toward the northwest. The picture below shows the section we rode from the summit, which I have named the Gorge trail because of the massive rut that bisects the bottom. (For some reason the trail does not have an official name, and does not appear on the official Black Mountain Trail Map. So I get to call it whatever I want.)
From there we made our way over to the Gliderport via some fun singletrack. After surveying the scene, we elected to HAB a short distance down the Gliderport trail that descends off the west face of the mountain. It was crazy loose and extremely steep and I wasn't feeling up to giving it a shot this morning. As it was I still had a small fall as I tried to ride down a portion of the top against my better judgment.
At the bottom of the Gliderport trail we crossed Carmel Valley road and rode up into Black Mountain Community Park. We cut through the Park, saw some kids score a goal in their soccer game as we rode by, and then started into the entrance to the Santa Luz singletrack. The major climbing was over for the time being, and I had been looking forward to the Santa Luz singletrack descent for a while. So was Doug, even if he didn't show it.
We railed the fun, mostly downhill singletrack descent and crossed through a portion of the meadow in the middle of Santa Luz. From there we hooked back up briefly with Carmel Valley road, then had a relatively short road ride down Camino del Sur to the trailhead into LPQ. Before entering LPQ, we stopped at the Mobil station and Doug grabbed some additional fluids and filled up his bottles.
We then rode into LPQ via the Camino del Sur trailhead, and elected to take Tunnel 4 over to the main trail.
*
*
We rode through the tunnels pretty quickly, even though it was crazy crowded in there. We hooked up with the main tunnel trail and rode that back up to the mesa, where we headed northwest toward the fire road that would take us out the backside of LPQ. We paused for a minute up on the mesa for Doug to get his seat adjusted, and I had the chance to take a picture of where we were headed.
We rode down the first section of fire road that took us toward the northwest side of LPQ and then had two short, steep fire road climbs that I managed to clean without stopping. At the next mesa I stopped and took another picture, this time of Black Mountain off in the distance.
One neat aspect of this ride was that for much of it, Black Mountain was visible from wherever we were. Being able to see where we had started provided a cool perspective on our progress and also served as a beacon as the ride went on.
We had another fire road climb and descent to finish before we left LPQ and started on the trail that would connect us back over to Santa Luz. This picture is taken looking back the direction we had come from.
We left LPQ and began the ride along the connector. We passed under the 56 freeway and saw a couple of interesting sights along the way:
Eventually we climbed a short distance up to Black Mountain Road, crossed over, and hit another fun section of trail that would provide the final link to Santa Luz. In the picture below, you can see the bridge that is on Camino del Sur in the distance.
We rode the connector until it hit Camino del Sur and made a left. This is another shot back the direction we had come from.
We rode northwest on Camino del Sur for a few hundred yards, and then hooked back up with the official Santa Luz Loop going clockwise.
We rode down the fire road, past the horse park, through the DG trails that run through the neighborhood, and over toward the last difficult section of the first half of our ride: the twin *itches.
The twin *itches are two steep fireroad climbs back-to-back that compose the worst part of the Santa Luz Loop. Doug and I were able to actually ride the entire first one, but halfway up the second it was HAB time for both of us. We slogged to the top and then coasted down the last section to my waiting Tahoe, which was beckoning me like a beacon in the night.
We dove into our sandwiches and Gatorade, and enjoyed an about 15-20 minute break at the car. I warned Doug that the most difficult portion of the ride was yet to come, and I think he believed me. I refilled my 3L Camelback (which I had totally drained during the first half of the ride) and ate as much as I could before I started to feel sick from being full. We had ridden about 19 and a half miles at that point, and while we were feeling pretty good, we knew there was a lot of ride left.
After our rest, we left the Tahoe, crossed San Dieguito Road, and climbed another fire road. From there we descended into Lusardi Canyon, and began a sustained climb up Artesian Road toward the San Dieguito River Park (SDRP) Trails.
The climb up Artesian wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, though it was no picnic. It was paved, which made it easier, and the grade was significant but not brutal. I middle ringed it as long as I could and then spun along until I reached the top. Doug was right behind me, and we rode another short fire road section until we reached the beginning of the SDRP trail.
[This picture is taken facing back the direction we were coming from.]
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*
From there we descended the series of tight switchbacks that marked the beginning/end of the SDRP trail. They were extremely tight, and the fires had burned up all of the guard rails, so I found myself dabbing at almost every one.
We descended the first set of switchbacks, rode a short but steep singletrack climb, and then descended another series of more manageable switchbacks before hitting level ground.
At that point we began riding the main portion of the SDRP trail which had been badly burned in the October 2007 wildfires. Several beautiful bridges which had been constructed just before the fires hit were destroyed by the flames. For today's ride, that meant dismounting and hiking across each of the six or seven spots where the charred remains of the bridge were all that were left.
*
*
After we negotiated the last of the burned out bridge crossings, we were forced to buswhack through a 100 yard section of trail where weeds and bushes had begun to encroach significantly. From there we continued along the SDRP trail as it headed toward Del Dios Highway.
As we rode along, I noticed this new sign that had been posted, and there were new trail markers as well. That was an encouraging sight.
I experienced my first series of leg cramps along this section at the end of the SDRP trail, and they were rough. My hamstrings and quads both tightened up without warning, and I was forced to hop off the bike and stretch them out. It took a few minutes for me to get both legs to stop cramping, and I ate some Cola Clif Shot Bloks and drank as much water as I could.
I was able to continue fairly quickly, and we rode down a short fire road and over toward the bridge that crossed the gorge next to Del Dios Highway.
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*
We crossed the bridge and made our way up to the longest stretch of road-riding we would do today. We rode up onto Del Dios Highway and began to make our way toward north Hodges. About a quarter mile in, my legs began to cramp again agonizingly, and I was forced to hop over the guardrail and try to walk them off as traffic whizzed by. They were even worse now than before, and I was hurting. I drank more of my water and tried to stretch, and after several more minutes got back on the bike and began to climb again.
I kept the bike in the middle ring for the most part up Del Dios which I think helped some, but as I continued to ride I began to cramp in not only my hamstrings and quads, but my groin and calves as well. I gritted my teeth and powered through it, and was able to make it to the dam without stopping again.
*
*
Seeing the dam helped me orient myself with respect to how much longer I had to go along Del Dios, and I started feeling a little better. Doug had ridden on ahead (with my blessing) during my first fit of cramps, but I could still see him off in the distance. Eventually the roadie death march was over, and I turned right on Rancho Drive and headed for the singletrack on the north side of Hodges.
As I reached the beginning of the trail, however, I didn't see Doug. Looking around I noticed his Niner sitting outside the entrance to Hernandez Hideaway. He had apparently gone inside for a re-fill of his camelback, and I waited for a few minutes for him before he came out. I was anxious to keep going, largely because I was a wreck and didn't want to stop for too long for fear of not being able to keep going. I did try to do some stretching while I waited, and continued to drink as much as I could.
After about 10 minutes we were back underway, and headed for the trail.
We rode fairly quickly through the singletrack along the northwest side of the lake, and along the trail that paralleled the road to the dock.
The lake looked beautiful off to our right as we rode by.
As we got closer to the dock and boat rental area, I headed toward the fire road that I usually ride along the north side. Doug, however, had other ideas. He suggested that we ride the section of trail up to the ridge and take that route instead. I was not excited about riding the short steep section up to the ridge, and favored the more gradual (but admittedly longer) fire road route. Doug was insistent, and I caved.
Just as we were riding the singletrack toward the climb to the ridge, I had my worst set of leg cramps yet, and was off the bike howling for several minutes. I said some things about Doug, his lineage, and maybe his mother that I regret right now, but at the time I was delerious with pain. More stretching, more water, and a short HAB up the steepest part of the climb to the ridge trail, and I was feeling slightly better.
Here's what we had ridden up:
We rode along the ridge, spinning away and trying to conserve energy for the final section of this epic ride. We eventually re-joined the main Hodges trail, crossed the stream, and rode the trail toward the freeway.
They have been doing some significant construction along that part of Hodges, and the dirt area I had previously ridden underneath the freeway to connect North and South Hodges no longer existed. We stopped for a minute to evaluate our options, and I experienced still more leg cramps. Doug did not.
We decided that the direct route would be best at that point, and elected to ride on the freeway (in the designated bike lane) for a short stretch in order to connect over to South Hodges. Doug was on board, but not pleased.
We rode as fast as our tired legs would go along the freeway and over the bridge, then jumped off at the West Bernardo Drive exit, and rode up the road to the singletrack that runs along the north side of South Hodges. That section of trail is usually one of my favorites because its so scenic, has a few fun rocky sections, and is extremely narrow. Today I was trying to survive it, not enjoy it. I dabbed a few times from leg cramps and fatigue, and stopped once to work out a particularly nasty hamstring knot that paralyzed me. While waiting for the pain to subside, I took this picture:
Doug, who had been hydrating sufficiently and was not suffering from debilitating cramps like some people, rode ahead and waited for me around the bend. I stopped about three times in a quarter-mile to stretch and work out the constant cramping in my legs, and even walked the bike a bit as I tried to get my legs loose. I reached where Doug was waiting and we rested a bit. If nothing else, our views were pretty.
We dragged ourselves to our feet and rode on along the south side singletrack. As we crested a small hill, Doug pulled away and I coasted down the other side. Suddenly, both of my legs seized up, and my left leg actually locked in the extended position. I threw myself off the bike, desparately trying to bend my leg as the cramps seized it. I had to physically grab my foot and push on the back of my knee to get myleg to bend, and I sat there on the trail writhing in agony.
Doug was far enough ahead that he couldnt see me, and for the first time I wondered if I was going to be able to finish. I was out of water at this point, and couldn't really even pedal with any force because when I did my legs cramped. After several minutes I got up, tested my legs, and coasted down the rest of the small hill with my right foot clipped in and my left leg stretched straight out.
At the bottom of the hill Doug was waiting, and I told him as I coasted by that I was heading for the area near the dog park where I knew there was water. He followed me over, and I refilled my camelback and stretched for a few minutes. Doug also gave me his last Uncrustable, which had a healthy dose of sodium, and we got back underway.
We rode the bypass over to the other section of the south side of Hodges by riding past the dog park, down West Bernardo Road, and picking up the trail as it wound behind the houses. Eventually the trail contined past the closed bridge and we headed toward the waterfall. As we approached the climb near the waterfall, I had yet another bout with cramps, and walked the switchbacks up to the top. This portion of my ride was strangely reminicent of my Tour de Hodges ride back in May. Doug cleaned all of the switchbacks like a hero.
I took a break at the top to snap a photo:
From there we rode past the trail to the Poblado trailhead and up a short fire road to an SDG&E access road that would take us over the last section of the ride to home. Here is a picture of where we turned, taken during one of the pre-rides:
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*
From there we began the spin along the fire road toward home. I continued to battle some leg cramps, and even had to stop once to work them out along that stretch. While I was sitting there in the middle of the trail, trying to work out the cramps, I noticed a windmill standing just off the trail. It helped take my mind off the cramps and made me happy for a minute. I love windmills.
I dragged myself up and and rallied, knowing the end was in sight. Doug was waiting a little ways ahead, and we crested a small rise and headed toward the paved road that would take us home.
We hit the streets a few minutes later, pedaled through the neighborhood, cut through the 4S Commons, and made the last short pavement climb up toward Heritage Park. As we pulled into the park (and eventually my nearby home,) we had done it: my Archipelago Ride was over.
We were tired and a little punchy, and Rach brought us some Gatorade as we sat on the front porch and relived the ride. I had a strong sense of accomplishment, though the leg cramps had dimmed some of my actual enjoyment of the last several miles of the ride. That was clearly a lesson learned, and I'll definitely drink much more and eat more salt the next time I do anything close to an epic ride.
Doug was a tremendous ride companion, and I'm so glad he was there. He was encouraging but not too "rah rah," social but not chatty, extremely thoughtful, and our pace seemed compatible. I was hugely impressed at not only how strong he finished, but that he hung in all day while having no idea where we were going or what was ahead. At least I had pre-ridden the route and knew what to expect. Even though almost every turn was a surprise to him, Doug didn't complain or stress a bit. Impressive. His RR is available on his blog here.
I was thrilled with the Spider's performance, and can't imagine having done this whole thing on the Enduro. My climbing was actually well above average over the first two-thirds of the ride, but the cramping killed any climbing efforts I had near the finish.
I am also very thankful to Rachel for her role in making the ride a success. She didn't bat an eye when I told her I wanted to spend an entire precious Saturday riding. She helped me drop the Tahoe at the midpoint, and also went and dropped Doug's supplies at the truck after we started the ride. She made me a great lunch, which I would have been dead without, and a great dinner when I got home as well. I have a great wife.
So the Archipelago ride is in the books. It satisfies one of my 2008 Goal List items (Do an All Day/~50 Mile Ride), leaving me with only two goals left to accomplish before the end of the year. It felt great to finish, even with adversity, and I'm glad I did it. I don't want to give away anything from my 2009 Goal List, but I think doing this ride in reverse (counterclockwise) is going to be on it. I may be crazy, but I need something to work for, right?
Here are the final stats:
Total Distance: 42.23 miles
Total Time: 7:57:48
Ascent: 5662 feet (Doug's Edge 305 put us at 4,572 feet, which is apparently more accurate because it uses a barometric altimeter.)
Average Speed: 5.3 mph
Top Speed: 32.8mph
Bike: Intense Spider XVP
Map:
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By way of some brief history, the name and concept of the ride are not my own, though the route I rode today certainly was. The name and idea for this ride came from San Diego MTB legend Mountainbike Bill, who had hatched the concept of connecting several North San Diego County trails together in a huge loop that he called "The Archipelago Ride." More information on his version, the route, and some exciting future plans he has can be found here.
Since I lived almost directly in the middle of most of the trails included in Bill's ride, I began thinking several months ago about doing my own version. I wanted to start from home and see how many of the nearby trail networks I could link together, Archipelago-style. I began in early July by looking at GPS routes of some of my previous rides at Santa Luz, LPQ, and Lake Hodges on Google Earth. I attempted to locate connector trails that would link those areas together, and even emailed Bill for some suggestions, which he graciously provided.
After mapping out what I thought was a realistic route, a plan began to form. Initially I wanted to connect from my home in 4S Ranch, to South Hodges, to North Hodges, to Santa Luz, to LPQ, to Black Mountain, to home. I decided to pre-ride my suggested loop in at least three sections. This would allow me to scout any problems I was likely to encounter as well and ensure that the connector trails that I thought existed really did.
My first pre-ride was in mid-July, and the ride review can be read here. I started from home and rode through a private (but open) fire road over to South Hodges, to North Hodges, down Del Dios Highway, and through the San Dieguito River Park trails toward Santa Luz. Because this was my first pre-ride, I got lost at one point right before I found the connector from SDRP Trails to Santa Luz, and ended the ride frustrated, discouraged, and exhausted.
That night after my first pre-ride, I got back on google earth with my GPS route plotted and saw where I went wrong. Four days later I rode that same route again, but this time I made the connector. Part I was complete.
Ten days later I found time to pre-ride the second part of my planned Archipelago route. I rode from the Santa Luz/SDRP connector that I had found, through part of the Santa Luz Loop, through a connector to the north side of LPQ, through the LPQ tunnels, up Camino del Sur, and up the Santa Luz singletracks to Black Mountain Community Park. It was a grueling ride, with several nasty climbs, and I was having some serious doubts about whether I would be able to actually do the full ride all together someday.
Life intervened soon after I completed my pre-ride of Part II, and it was more than two and a half months before I found time to attempt Part III of my planned Archipelago route. I had spent some time after Part II looking for a solution to the problem of connecting from Black Mountain Community Park to the top of Black Mountain. The most direct route involved riding a fire road that paralleled Black Mountain Road over to the Laurentian Trailhead, then climbing the main fire road to the summit of Black Mountain and riding down the north side to home. The problem was that the fire road that parallelled Black Mountain Road was an absolute beast, with two massive climbs that I didn't think I could handle after thirty-some miles of riding beforehand.
After mulling over my options for a while, I was struck by a thought: Maybe I could ride the whole route in reverse, starting with Black Mountain and then connecting to the Santa Luz singletracks and riding over to LPQ in that direction, instead of the way I had pre-ridden it. This seemed like an attractive option because I thought I knew of a trail down the west face of Black Mountain that would dump me right next to the entrance to Black Mountain Community Park and the trialhead for the Santa Luz singletracks. The more I thought about it, the more sense that approach made, and I set out in mid October to do Part III of my Archipelago route, the final pre-ride.
It went off without a hitch, and I found that I could ride the Gliderport Trail down the west face of Black Mountain asI had thought. With the pre-riding complete, all I had to do was pick a date for the ride and make it happen.
Normally I would have probably put it off for a least a few weeks to work on my conditioning and try to make everything perfect. But when I heard that the LPQ tunnels were in jeopardy of closing and some changes were being made over at Hodges that could make the connection between the North and South side more difficult, I decided that I needed to suck it up and ride ASAP.
I had also intended initially to ride the whole route solo so that I could go at my own pace and not worry about group ride dynamics, but when Doug mentioned he was looking to be invited on some rides more often, I jumped at the chance to have some company. November 1 worked out for both of us and the date was set.
All of this backstory leads me back to this morning and the review of today's ride itself. Rachel and I were up early, and went and dropped my Tahoe over at what I believed to be the midpoint of the ride. We parked the truck at a trailhead just off San Dieguito Road in the middle of the Santa Luz loop so that we would have provisions during the ride. Doug arrived at my place a little before 8:00 a.m., and after after a few minutes of gearing up we started out from Heritage Park, which is close to my house.
We rode from Heritage over to the 4S trail system which overlooks Lusardi Canyon, heading for Black Mountain.
*[Some pictures I'm using in this RR are from previous Archipelago pre-rides, and are marked with an asterisk to show they were not taken on today's ride.]
The morning was beautiful and the weather was already warming up a bit, even at 8:30. It sure didn't feel like November.
We left the 4S Ranch trails pretty quickly and headed up Carmel Valley Road for a short road-ride toward the main Black Mountain trailhead.
At the trailhead for Black Mountain we noticed that there were already several people on the trails, though we didn't see any other bikes the whole time we were up there. Beneath us the community of 4S Ranch was just waking up.
We climbed up the main trail towards the Miner's Ridge Loop, and made a left to ride it clockwise. I had ridden this section of trail a couple of times in the past, but was already struggling slightly with the moderately technical climb and rising heat. There was some early HAB for me where there shouldn't have been, but I was hurting and didn't want to spin out and wreck myself this early in the ride.As we plodded along up Miner's, I began to get concerned that I had missed the singletrack cut-over to the main Black Mountain fire road. I stopped, tried to get my bearings, and became convinced that we had missed it. Doug doubled back a little way and didn't see anything, so I volunteered to ride up a ways and see if it was still ahead. I rode up another few hundred yards and the scenery didn't look familiar, so I doubled back to where Doug was waiting and we started to backtrack. After several hundred yards of backtracking, it became clear that I am an idiot. We hadn't missed the cut-over, I had just gotten jumpy. So we trudged back up the trail for another half mile or so until we found the cut-over, and we were back on track. I sincerely hoped this would not be an omen for the rest of the day.
At the end of the cut-over trail, we did the short HAB section up to the main Black Mountain fire road, and enjoyed an easy spin up to the summit. During that section Doug and I had a really neat time of conversation, and I began to start really enjoying myself.
From the summit of Black Mountain, we rode down the Gorge Trail toward the northwest. The picture below shows the section we rode from the summit, which I have named the Gorge trail because of the massive rut that bisects the bottom. (For some reason the trail does not have an official name, and does not appear on the official Black Mountain Trail Map. So I get to call it whatever I want.)
From there we made our way over to the Gliderport via some fun singletrack. After surveying the scene, we elected to HAB a short distance down the Gliderport trail that descends off the west face of the mountain. It was crazy loose and extremely steep and I wasn't feeling up to giving it a shot this morning. As it was I still had a small fall as I tried to ride down a portion of the top against my better judgment.
At the bottom of the Gliderport trail we crossed Carmel Valley road and rode up into Black Mountain Community Park. We cut through the Park, saw some kids score a goal in their soccer game as we rode by, and then started into the entrance to the Santa Luz singletrack. The major climbing was over for the time being, and I had been looking forward to the Santa Luz singletrack descent for a while. So was Doug, even if he didn't show it.
We railed the fun, mostly downhill singletrack descent and crossed through a portion of the meadow in the middle of Santa Luz. From there we hooked back up briefly with Carmel Valley road, then had a relatively short road ride down Camino del Sur to the trailhead into LPQ. Before entering LPQ, we stopped at the Mobil station and Doug grabbed some additional fluids and filled up his bottles.We then rode into LPQ via the Camino del Sur trailhead, and elected to take Tunnel 4 over to the main trail.
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*We rode through the tunnels pretty quickly, even though it was crazy crowded in there. We hooked up with the main tunnel trail and rode that back up to the mesa, where we headed northwest toward the fire road that would take us out the backside of LPQ. We paused for a minute up on the mesa for Doug to get his seat adjusted, and I had the chance to take a picture of where we were headed.
We rode down the first section of fire road that took us toward the northwest side of LPQ and then had two short, steep fire road climbs that I managed to clean without stopping. At the next mesa I stopped and took another picture, this time of Black Mountain off in the distance.
One neat aspect of this ride was that for much of it, Black Mountain was visible from wherever we were. Being able to see where we had started provided a cool perspective on our progress and also served as a beacon as the ride went on.We had another fire road climb and descent to finish before we left LPQ and started on the trail that would connect us back over to Santa Luz. This picture is taken looking back the direction we had come from.
We left LPQ and began the ride along the connector. We passed under the 56 freeway and saw a couple of interesting sights along the way:
Eventually we climbed a short distance up to Black Mountain Road, crossed over, and hit another fun section of trail that would provide the final link to Santa Luz. In the picture below, you can see the bridge that is on Camino del Sur in the distance.
We rode the connector until it hit Camino del Sur and made a left. This is another shot back the direction we had come from.
We rode northwest on Camino del Sur for a few hundred yards, and then hooked back up with the official Santa Luz Loop going clockwise.
We rode down the fire road, past the horse park, through the DG trails that run through the neighborhood, and over toward the last difficult section of the first half of our ride: the twin *itches.
The twin *itches are two steep fireroad climbs back-to-back that compose the worst part of the Santa Luz Loop. Doug and I were able to actually ride the entire first one, but halfway up the second it was HAB time for both of us. We slogged to the top and then coasted down the last section to my waiting Tahoe, which was beckoning me like a beacon in the night.We dove into our sandwiches and Gatorade, and enjoyed an about 15-20 minute break at the car. I warned Doug that the most difficult portion of the ride was yet to come, and I think he believed me. I refilled my 3L Camelback (which I had totally drained during the first half of the ride) and ate as much as I could before I started to feel sick from being full. We had ridden about 19 and a half miles at that point, and while we were feeling pretty good, we knew there was a lot of ride left.
After our rest, we left the Tahoe, crossed San Dieguito Road, and climbed another fire road. From there we descended into Lusardi Canyon, and began a sustained climb up Artesian Road toward the San Dieguito River Park (SDRP) Trails.The climb up Artesian wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, though it was no picnic. It was paved, which made it easier, and the grade was significant but not brutal. I middle ringed it as long as I could and then spun along until I reached the top. Doug was right behind me, and we rode another short fire road section until we reached the beginning of the SDRP trail.
[This picture is taken facing back the direction we were coming from.]
*
*From there we descended the series of tight switchbacks that marked the beginning/end of the SDRP trail. They were extremely tight, and the fires had burned up all of the guard rails, so I found myself dabbing at almost every one.
We descended the first set of switchbacks, rode a short but steep singletrack climb, and then descended another series of more manageable switchbacks before hitting level ground.
At that point we began riding the main portion of the SDRP trail which had been badly burned in the October 2007 wildfires. Several beautiful bridges which had been constructed just before the fires hit were destroyed by the flames. For today's ride, that meant dismounting and hiking across each of the six or seven spots where the charred remains of the bridge were all that were left.
*
*After we negotiated the last of the burned out bridge crossings, we were forced to buswhack through a 100 yard section of trail where weeds and bushes had begun to encroach significantly. From there we continued along the SDRP trail as it headed toward Del Dios Highway.
As we rode along, I noticed this new sign that had been posted, and there were new trail markers as well. That was an encouraging sight.
I experienced my first series of leg cramps along this section at the end of the SDRP trail, and they were rough. My hamstrings and quads both tightened up without warning, and I was forced to hop off the bike and stretch them out. It took a few minutes for me to get both legs to stop cramping, and I ate some Cola Clif Shot Bloks and drank as much water as I could.I was able to continue fairly quickly, and we rode down a short fire road and over toward the bridge that crossed the gorge next to Del Dios Highway.
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*We crossed the bridge and made our way up to the longest stretch of road-riding we would do today. We rode up onto Del Dios Highway and began to make our way toward north Hodges. About a quarter mile in, my legs began to cramp again agonizingly, and I was forced to hop over the guardrail and try to walk them off as traffic whizzed by. They were even worse now than before, and I was hurting. I drank more of my water and tried to stretch, and after several more minutes got back on the bike and began to climb again.
I kept the bike in the middle ring for the most part up Del Dios which I think helped some, but as I continued to ride I began to cramp in not only my hamstrings and quads, but my groin and calves as well. I gritted my teeth and powered through it, and was able to make it to the dam without stopping again.
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*Seeing the dam helped me orient myself with respect to how much longer I had to go along Del Dios, and I started feeling a little better. Doug had ridden on ahead (with my blessing) during my first fit of cramps, but I could still see him off in the distance. Eventually the roadie death march was over, and I turned right on Rancho Drive and headed for the singletrack on the north side of Hodges.
As I reached the beginning of the trail, however, I didn't see Doug. Looking around I noticed his Niner sitting outside the entrance to Hernandez Hideaway. He had apparently gone inside for a re-fill of his camelback, and I waited for a few minutes for him before he came out. I was anxious to keep going, largely because I was a wreck and didn't want to stop for too long for fear of not being able to keep going. I did try to do some stretching while I waited, and continued to drink as much as I could.
After about 10 minutes we were back underway, and headed for the trail.
We rode fairly quickly through the singletrack along the northwest side of the lake, and along the trail that paralleled the road to the dock.
The lake looked beautiful off to our right as we rode by.
As we got closer to the dock and boat rental area, I headed toward the fire road that I usually ride along the north side. Doug, however, had other ideas. He suggested that we ride the section of trail up to the ridge and take that route instead. I was not excited about riding the short steep section up to the ridge, and favored the more gradual (but admittedly longer) fire road route. Doug was insistent, and I caved.Just as we were riding the singletrack toward the climb to the ridge, I had my worst set of leg cramps yet, and was off the bike howling for several minutes. I said some things about Doug, his lineage, and maybe his mother that I regret right now, but at the time I was delerious with pain. More stretching, more water, and a short HAB up the steepest part of the climb to the ridge trail, and I was feeling slightly better.
Here's what we had ridden up:
We rode along the ridge, spinning away and trying to conserve energy for the final section of this epic ride. We eventually re-joined the main Hodges trail, crossed the stream, and rode the trail toward the freeway.
They have been doing some significant construction along that part of Hodges, and the dirt area I had previously ridden underneath the freeway to connect North and South Hodges no longer existed. We stopped for a minute to evaluate our options, and I experienced still more leg cramps. Doug did not.
We decided that the direct route would be best at that point, and elected to ride on the freeway (in the designated bike lane) for a short stretch in order to connect over to South Hodges. Doug was on board, but not pleased.
We rode as fast as our tired legs would go along the freeway and over the bridge, then jumped off at the West Bernardo Drive exit, and rode up the road to the singletrack that runs along the north side of South Hodges. That section of trail is usually one of my favorites because its so scenic, has a few fun rocky sections, and is extremely narrow. Today I was trying to survive it, not enjoy it. I dabbed a few times from leg cramps and fatigue, and stopped once to work out a particularly nasty hamstring knot that paralyzed me. While waiting for the pain to subside, I took this picture:
Doug, who had been hydrating sufficiently and was not suffering from debilitating cramps like some people, rode ahead and waited for me around the bend. I stopped about three times in a quarter-mile to stretch and work out the constant cramping in my legs, and even walked the bike a bit as I tried to get my legs loose. I reached where Doug was waiting and we rested a bit. If nothing else, our views were pretty.
We dragged ourselves to our feet and rode on along the south side singletrack. As we crested a small hill, Doug pulled away and I coasted down the other side. Suddenly, both of my legs seized up, and my left leg actually locked in the extended position. I threw myself off the bike, desparately trying to bend my leg as the cramps seized it. I had to physically grab my foot and push on the back of my knee to get myleg to bend, and I sat there on the trail writhing in agony.Doug was far enough ahead that he couldnt see me, and for the first time I wondered if I was going to be able to finish. I was out of water at this point, and couldn't really even pedal with any force because when I did my legs cramped. After several minutes I got up, tested my legs, and coasted down the rest of the small hill with my right foot clipped in and my left leg stretched straight out.
At the bottom of the hill Doug was waiting, and I told him as I coasted by that I was heading for the area near the dog park where I knew there was water. He followed me over, and I refilled my camelback and stretched for a few minutes. Doug also gave me his last Uncrustable, which had a healthy dose of sodium, and we got back underway.
We rode the bypass over to the other section of the south side of Hodges by riding past the dog park, down West Bernardo Road, and picking up the trail as it wound behind the houses. Eventually the trail contined past the closed bridge and we headed toward the waterfall. As we approached the climb near the waterfall, I had yet another bout with cramps, and walked the switchbacks up to the top. This portion of my ride was strangely reminicent of my Tour de Hodges ride back in May. Doug cleaned all of the switchbacks like a hero.I took a break at the top to snap a photo:
From there we rode past the trail to the Poblado trailhead and up a short fire road to an SDG&E access road that would take us over the last section of the ride to home. Here is a picture of where we turned, taken during one of the pre-rides:*
*From there we began the spin along the fire road toward home. I continued to battle some leg cramps, and even had to stop once to work them out along that stretch. While I was sitting there in the middle of the trail, trying to work out the cramps, I noticed a windmill standing just off the trail. It helped take my mind off the cramps and made me happy for a minute. I love windmills.
I dragged myself up and and rallied, knowing the end was in sight. Doug was waiting a little ways ahead, and we crested a small rise and headed toward the paved road that would take us home.
We hit the streets a few minutes later, pedaled through the neighborhood, cut through the 4S Commons, and made the last short pavement climb up toward Heritage Park. As we pulled into the park (and eventually my nearby home,) we had done it: my Archipelago Ride was over.We were tired and a little punchy, and Rach brought us some Gatorade as we sat on the front porch and relived the ride. I had a strong sense of accomplishment, though the leg cramps had dimmed some of my actual enjoyment of the last several miles of the ride. That was clearly a lesson learned, and I'll definitely drink much more and eat more salt the next time I do anything close to an epic ride.
Doug was a tremendous ride companion, and I'm so glad he was there. He was encouraging but not too "rah rah," social but not chatty, extremely thoughtful, and our pace seemed compatible. I was hugely impressed at not only how strong he finished, but that he hung in all day while having no idea where we were going or what was ahead. At least I had pre-ridden the route and knew what to expect. Even though almost every turn was a surprise to him, Doug didn't complain or stress a bit. Impressive. His RR is available on his blog here.
I was thrilled with the Spider's performance, and can't imagine having done this whole thing on the Enduro. My climbing was actually well above average over the first two-thirds of the ride, but the cramping killed any climbing efforts I had near the finish.
I am also very thankful to Rachel for her role in making the ride a success. She didn't bat an eye when I told her I wanted to spend an entire precious Saturday riding. She helped me drop the Tahoe at the midpoint, and also went and dropped Doug's supplies at the truck after we started the ride. She made me a great lunch, which I would have been dead without, and a great dinner when I got home as well. I have a great wife.
So the Archipelago ride is in the books. It satisfies one of my 2008 Goal List items (Do an All Day/~50 Mile Ride), leaving me with only two goals left to accomplish before the end of the year. It felt great to finish, even with adversity, and I'm glad I did it. I don't want to give away anything from my 2009 Goal List, but I think doing this ride in reverse (counterclockwise) is going to be on it. I may be crazy, but I need something to work for, right?
Here are the final stats:
Total Distance: 42.23 miles
Total Time: 7:57:48
Ascent: 5662 feet (Doug's Edge 305 put us at 4,572 feet, which is apparently more accurate because it uses a barometric altimeter.)
Average Speed: 5.3 mph
Top Speed: 32.8mph
Bike: Intense Spider XVP
Map:
View Larger Map
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
State of the MTB Union (Q3, 2008)
Back on April 1, and then again on July 1, I posted quarterly State of the Union addresses on this blog detailing the progress I had made on my 2008 Ride List and 2008 Goal List. As September wound down, I found myself looking forward to writing this post because its always fun for me to look back at the last three months to review what I've accomplished, how I've progressed, and where I want to improve.
2008 RIDE LIST:
As far as rides on my 2008 list, I finally rode Elfin Forest and Spring/Oak Canyon this quarter, as well as unofficial 2008 Ride List trail Ted Williams. Elfin was a rough one, with tons of climbing. The views were spectacular, but I'm not sure they were worth it. Spring and Oak, however, were a ton of fun, and that was a trail that I would gladly do again in the future. It was a lot like Sycamore, but I enjoyed seeing some new trails and learned more about the capabilities of my Garmin Edge 205 during that ride, which was cool. Ted Williams was fun as well, and turned out to be more cross-country than I expected. I'll probably go back there again at some point to explore a little.
Even though I rode nine of the items on the Ride List in Q1, five in Q2, and only two this month, I'm still happy with my progress. I only have two official rides from the list left to do this year, as well as one unofficial one. And as I will discuss below, I made some significant progress on my Goal List items, which I'm proud of.
The remaining official rides on my 2008 Ride List are Big Laguna Trail and Lake Morena. I also would like to get to La Costa Canyon as well. Skyline MTB will probably ride at BLT before the end of the year, so that is attainable. Lake Morena remains a wild card, because it is so far away and apparently quite a challenge. But I think I'll get there. STR member Chip has offered to show me around the next time he goes, which is a weekday in October so that is one option. I may also see if I can find a GPS route of the trails out there and plug them into my Edge and go by myself if I can.
2008 GOAL LIST:
As for my more general 2008 Goal List, the results are mixed, but I did make some progress in Q3. For a full description of the goals themselves, check out that entry. Below is the list, with comments on my progress thus far (or lack thereof) and prognosis for completion by the end of the year on a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being unlikely and 10 being already done):
1. Ride Noble Canyon: (10)
I did the full Noble Shuttle back at the end of April, and am satisfied that this goal has been met. As I predicted in the April State of the Union, I rode the full Noble trail from top to bottom at the Skyline MTB weekend, and generally had a lot of fun. The portion of the trail that I skipped on my first time out there was the best part of the ride, and I'll never bail out on that section again.
2. Do a ~50 mile/all day-type ride: (8)
This one I haven't done, but I've gotten closer and have a definite plan for how to accomplish it. My Archipelago Ride, which I've ridden 2/3 of already, will be about 60 miles and will satisfy this goal if I can do it. I am continuing to plan this one out, and have been considering doing it in the opposite direction than I had originally planned. If the weather cooperates, and I step up my training, I should be able to accomplish this goal and have an amazing ride summary to report here sometime in Q4.
3. Do a Multi-Day ride: (10)
This one was attained in Q3 via my Kernville/Sequoia trip at the beginning of September. Over four days I rode a little over 40 miles, and had an awesome time.
4. Do an Out of Town Ride: (10)
I initially thought I accomplished this goal when I rode at the Santa Rosa Plateau in mid-June, and then I went back and looked at the description of the actual goal and realized it referred to a ride outside of SoCal entirely, so at the beginning of Q3 I was back to square one on this goal. However, the Kernville/Sequoia trip changed that, as I spent four days riding the in Kernville and the Southern Sierras. The ride reports and pictures tell the whole story, but it was an outstanding trip for my first real out of town ride.
5. Do a Ride in the OC: (8)
I obviously haven't done this yet either, but I am interested in shuttling San Juan, riding Aliso, or maybe even doing San Clemente Single Tracks. Again, with the sheer volume of STR rides in those places, it shouldn't be a problem doing one of them. I really want to get out to San Juan, which I've heard is a lot of fun.
6. Do a Night Ride (w/Light): (10)
This is one of the three goals I met in Q2, when I did the SDMBA Cuyamaca Night ride. It was a whole new experience riding at night, and I enjoyed night riding enough that I picked up a NiteRider TriNewt from Performance when they were on mega-sale, so I'll be doing more night riding in the future.
7. Clear all of Martha's: (9)(No Change since Q1)
I'm so close on this one, and I already basically did hard part with the downhill, so I just need to clean climbs and one tiny part. Its close to home and I ride there pretty often, so I'm pretty confident about meeting this goal.
8. Clear all of "the ****": (10)
Did it. And it was kind of a cool story, since I went and rode the S**** the night before SDMBA went and did trailwork on it and changed its landscape forever. You can read the ride report here.
9. Climb Bernardo Mountain: (10)
I accomplished this one as part of perhaps my best biking experience in Q2, the Tour de Hodges. I'll talk more about that day in the Q2 State of the Union post, but I did ride Bernardo Peak, and while there was definitely some HAB, I accomplished the goal of getting to the top.
10. Improve my climbing skills/general fitness:
This one is still hit and miss. I got back on the stationary bike more regularly in Q3, but the amount of riding I did diminished significantly. In addition, my poor fitness level was really a factor in Kernville/Sequoia, where I was consistently at the back of the pack. I'm still HABing more than I'd prefer, and I'm hoping that my new Spider may help improve my climbing skills as I progress to a more XC-oriented bike.
HIGHLIGHTS OF Q3:
The quarter started out well with a fun ride over at Ted Williams with Sean and Doug. It was my first ride with Sean, whom I would eventually meet again on the Kernville/Sequoia trip a few months later. It was nice to finally ride the secret TW trails, and as close as they are, I figure I'll get out there again soon.
Another highlight of Q3 was my planning and partial execution of my Archipelago Ride. In an effort to hook up several local trails into one epic loop, I began scouting connectors and possible routes online early this quarter, and then began executing that plan over several weeks. The plan was to start from home, ride over to South Hodges, to North Hodges, through the SDRP trails, to the Santa Luz loop, to LPQ, back to the Santa Luz singletrack, to Black Mountain, to home. My first ride started well, with a successful connection from home to Hodges, but ended in frustration, as I was unable to hook up with the Santa Luz loop. After doing some research I figured out where I went wrong, and made the connection on my second attempt.
My efforts at scouting Part II of the Archipelago ride went pretty well also, though that section proved to be an absolute grind, putting my ability to complete the whole route as planned in doubt. I still haven't ridden Part III, which will include Black Mountain. At this point, I'm considering doing it in reverse, which would mean doing the Black Mountain portion first. We'll see. In any event, the Archipelago rides were a lot of fun, but hard work, and were the longest of my mountainbiking career thus far.
I also sold the FSR in Q3, which caused me some minor seller's remorse. It was a great bike, and it treated me well. At the end of the day, it wasn't light or efficient enough to be a great XC bike long-term, and I was riding the Enduro almost exclusively, so it was a good idea to sell it. I was also proud of how I handled the proceeds.
Part of what really softened the blow of selling the FSR was the purchase of my Intense Spider XVP frame in Q3 as well. The frame has sat in a box for the last two and a half months while I earn the supplemental income to pay for it, but once it is built, its going to be a dream machine.
August 3 to August 24 brought the longest riding drought I had experienced since I began riding last July. Between a crazy work schedule and other obligations, I was off the bike for three solid weeks. My fitness suffered, as did my overall attitude, and I was glad to break the slump with a local ride at the end of August.
Probably the biggest single event of Q3 was my Kernville/Sequoia trip. Four days of riding in some of the most beautiful areas I've ever seen was an amazing way to start my first vacation in three years, and I had an awesome time.
The two rides from my ride list that I did in Q3 were also memorable. Elfin Forest was a climbfest, and it will be a while before I go back, but the views were impressive. Spring/Oak Canyon on the other hand were a ton of fun, and I hope to get back there soon.
Q3 ended with two back-to-back trips to LPQ, one with Rachel and one at night with the Tuesday Night LPQ crew. It was nice to get a couple of extra rides in as the quarter wound down, and each of those rides brought some good memories and excitement.
For the third quarter of 2008, I rode a total of 171.65 miles on my mountain bike, as opposed to 254.75 in Q2 and 133.63 miles in Q1. This was a little bit of a disappointment. About 40 of my Q3 miles was from the Kernville/Sequoia trip. To date, I've ridden 560.03 miles this year. I didn't have a total mileage goal at the beginning of 2008, but I'd like to finish strong. So I am thinking of setting a goal of at riding at least 175 in miles the 4th quarter. With the holidays, weather factors, and general work busyness, we'll see how that goes.
Those are my thoughts on Q3 of 2008. I'm pleased with my progress and look forward to checking back at the end of the year and doing a review of not only Q4, but a look back at the whole year of riding in 2008.
2008 RIDE LIST:
As far as rides on my 2008 list, I finally rode Elfin Forest and Spring/Oak Canyon this quarter, as well as unofficial 2008 Ride List trail Ted Williams. Elfin was a rough one, with tons of climbing. The views were spectacular, but I'm not sure they were worth it. Spring and Oak, however, were a ton of fun, and that was a trail that I would gladly do again in the future. It was a lot like Sycamore, but I enjoyed seeing some new trails and learned more about the capabilities of my Garmin Edge 205 during that ride, which was cool. Ted Williams was fun as well, and turned out to be more cross-country than I expected. I'll probably go back there again at some point to explore a little.
Even though I rode nine of the items on the Ride List in Q1, five in Q2, and only two this month, I'm still happy with my progress. I only have two official rides from the list left to do this year, as well as one unofficial one. And as I will discuss below, I made some significant progress on my Goal List items, which I'm proud of.
The remaining official rides on my 2008 Ride List are Big Laguna Trail and Lake Morena. I also would like to get to La Costa Canyon as well. Skyline MTB will probably ride at BLT before the end of the year, so that is attainable. Lake Morena remains a wild card, because it is so far away and apparently quite a challenge. But I think I'll get there. STR member Chip has offered to show me around the next time he goes, which is a weekday in October so that is one option. I may also see if I can find a GPS route of the trails out there and plug them into my Edge and go by myself if I can.
2008 GOAL LIST:
As for my more general 2008 Goal List, the results are mixed, but I did make some progress in Q3. For a full description of the goals themselves, check out that entry. Below is the list, with comments on my progress thus far (or lack thereof) and prognosis for completion by the end of the year on a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being unlikely and 10 being already done):
1. Ride Noble Canyon: (10)
I did the full Noble Shuttle back at the end of April, and am satisfied that this goal has been met. As I predicted in the April State of the Union, I rode the full Noble trail from top to bottom at the Skyline MTB weekend, and generally had a lot of fun. The portion of the trail that I skipped on my first time out there was the best part of the ride, and I'll never bail out on that section again.
2. Do a ~50 mile/all day-type ride: (8)
This one I haven't done, but I've gotten closer and have a definite plan for how to accomplish it. My Archipelago Ride, which I've ridden 2/3 of already, will be about 60 miles and will satisfy this goal if I can do it. I am continuing to plan this one out, and have been considering doing it in the opposite direction than I had originally planned. If the weather cooperates, and I step up my training, I should be able to accomplish this goal and have an amazing ride summary to report here sometime in Q4.
3. Do a Multi-Day ride: (10)
This one was attained in Q3 via my Kernville/Sequoia trip at the beginning of September. Over four days I rode a little over 40 miles, and had an awesome time.
4. Do an Out of Town Ride: (10)
I initially thought I accomplished this goal when I rode at the Santa Rosa Plateau in mid-June, and then I went back and looked at the description of the actual goal and realized it referred to a ride outside of SoCal entirely, so at the beginning of Q3 I was back to square one on this goal. However, the Kernville/Sequoia trip changed that, as I spent four days riding the in Kernville and the Southern Sierras. The ride reports and pictures tell the whole story, but it was an outstanding trip for my first real out of town ride.
5. Do a Ride in the OC: (8)
I obviously haven't done this yet either, but I am interested in shuttling San Juan, riding Aliso, or maybe even doing San Clemente Single Tracks. Again, with the sheer volume of STR rides in those places, it shouldn't be a problem doing one of them. I really want to get out to San Juan, which I've heard is a lot of fun.
6. Do a Night Ride (w/Light): (10)
This is one of the three goals I met in Q2, when I did the SDMBA Cuyamaca Night ride. It was a whole new experience riding at night, and I enjoyed night riding enough that I picked up a NiteRider TriNewt from Performance when they were on mega-sale, so I'll be doing more night riding in the future.
7. Clear all of Martha's: (9)(No Change since Q1)
I'm so close on this one, and I already basically did hard part with the downhill, so I just need to clean climbs and one tiny part. Its close to home and I ride there pretty often, so I'm pretty confident about meeting this goal.
8. Clear all of "the ****": (10)
Did it. And it was kind of a cool story, since I went and rode the S**** the night before SDMBA went and did trailwork on it and changed its landscape forever. You can read the ride report here.
9. Climb Bernardo Mountain: (10)
I accomplished this one as part of perhaps my best biking experience in Q2, the Tour de Hodges. I'll talk more about that day in the Q2 State of the Union post, but I did ride Bernardo Peak, and while there was definitely some HAB, I accomplished the goal of getting to the top.
10. Improve my climbing skills/general fitness:
This one is still hit and miss. I got back on the stationary bike more regularly in Q3, but the amount of riding I did diminished significantly. In addition, my poor fitness level was really a factor in Kernville/Sequoia, where I was consistently at the back of the pack. I'm still HABing more than I'd prefer, and I'm hoping that my new Spider may help improve my climbing skills as I progress to a more XC-oriented bike.
HIGHLIGHTS OF Q3:
The quarter started out well with a fun ride over at Ted Williams with Sean and Doug. It was my first ride with Sean, whom I would eventually meet again on the Kernville/Sequoia trip a few months later. It was nice to finally ride the secret TW trails, and as close as they are, I figure I'll get out there again soon.
Another highlight of Q3 was my planning and partial execution of my Archipelago Ride. In an effort to hook up several local trails into one epic loop, I began scouting connectors and possible routes online early this quarter, and then began executing that plan over several weeks. The plan was to start from home, ride over to South Hodges, to North Hodges, through the SDRP trails, to the Santa Luz loop, to LPQ, back to the Santa Luz singletrack, to Black Mountain, to home. My first ride started well, with a successful connection from home to Hodges, but ended in frustration, as I was unable to hook up with the Santa Luz loop. After doing some research I figured out where I went wrong, and made the connection on my second attempt.
My efforts at scouting Part II of the Archipelago ride went pretty well also, though that section proved to be an absolute grind, putting my ability to complete the whole route as planned in doubt. I still haven't ridden Part III, which will include Black Mountain. At this point, I'm considering doing it in reverse, which would mean doing the Black Mountain portion first. We'll see. In any event, the Archipelago rides were a lot of fun, but hard work, and were the longest of my mountainbiking career thus far.
I also sold the FSR in Q3, which caused me some minor seller's remorse. It was a great bike, and it treated me well. At the end of the day, it wasn't light or efficient enough to be a great XC bike long-term, and I was riding the Enduro almost exclusively, so it was a good idea to sell it. I was also proud of how I handled the proceeds.
Part of what really softened the blow of selling the FSR was the purchase of my Intense Spider XVP frame in Q3 as well. The frame has sat in a box for the last two and a half months while I earn the supplemental income to pay for it, but once it is built, its going to be a dream machine.
August 3 to August 24 brought the longest riding drought I had experienced since I began riding last July. Between a crazy work schedule and other obligations, I was off the bike for three solid weeks. My fitness suffered, as did my overall attitude, and I was glad to break the slump with a local ride at the end of August.
Probably the biggest single event of Q3 was my Kernville/Sequoia trip. Four days of riding in some of the most beautiful areas I've ever seen was an amazing way to start my first vacation in three years, and I had an awesome time.
The two rides from my ride list that I did in Q3 were also memorable. Elfin Forest was a climbfest, and it will be a while before I go back, but the views were impressive. Spring/Oak Canyon on the other hand were a ton of fun, and I hope to get back there soon.
Q3 ended with two back-to-back trips to LPQ, one with Rachel and one at night with the Tuesday Night LPQ crew. It was nice to get a couple of extra rides in as the quarter wound down, and each of those rides brought some good memories and excitement.
For the third quarter of 2008, I rode a total of 171.65 miles on my mountain bike, as opposed to 254.75 in Q2 and 133.63 miles in Q1. This was a little bit of a disappointment. About 40 of my Q3 miles was from the Kernville/Sequoia trip. To date, I've ridden 560.03 miles this year. I didn't have a total mileage goal at the beginning of 2008, but I'd like to finish strong. So I am thinking of setting a goal of at riding at least 175 in miles the 4th quarter. With the holidays, weather factors, and general work busyness, we'll see how that goes.
Those are my thoughts on Q3 of 2008. I'm pleased with my progress and look forward to checking back at the end of the year and doing a review of not only Q4, but a look back at the whole year of riding in 2008.
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