Before the Crash

On the telephone, the night before:

Me: I'm having hot flashes and night sweats.
BF: I bought another bike!
Me: To cool off, I stand naked on my balcony, in broad daylight.
BF: You know, the folding kind. No additional cost when I travel.
Me: At night, I walk the neighborhood in a see through negligee.
BF: I'll be able to bike when I go abroad on business trips!
Me: I hear there are extra police cars now, patroling the neighborhood -- I wonder why.
BF: I should get the bike in 10 days. I can't wait.
Me: Have you heard anything I've said? I'm hot.
BF: Hot? I know you're hot hot hot! You hot babe, you.
Me: Sigh.

Today, I joined a bunch of ACTC cyclists for a jaunt to Mt. Hamilton and part of the backside (though I only planned to do Mt. Ham). We began in fog and cold temperature. At mile 6, I was just about set to turn around, depressed by the weather, when upon a bend, the sky turned blue and it became increasingly warm! Green jackets, arm warmers and leggings removed.




Once past the fog, I have never felt so strong and energized going up the mountain. We had to skirt catapillars crawling in the road! Ah, Lick, a pretty sight. Donny and Joan, bless them, lugged up a trailer attached to their bikes (a bungee cord kept the two together) with our lunch. Incroyable. I met some wonderful people on this ride. Naturally I met some men, too.





Me at the top in my spanking 2010 Tierra Bella jersey. Going back down, just three miles shy of Mt Ham and Alum Rock Avenue, I crashed. I misjudged a corner and was surprised by a sudden burst of wind. I applied the brakes incorrectly. Total human error. It was either go over the hillside/cliff or crash into the shoulder. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out which option I chose. I skidded on the road and smashed into the shoulder. At first, I thought I broke my leg. But here's how you know you're okay. You get up and scream obscenities. I had road rash on my hands and hematomas on my knee and ankle. Here's the positive aspect of psoriasis -- a bath removed all the skin and bloody stuff in one well swoop. Here's the positive aspect of being a dancer and gymnast when I was younger -- you know how to crash. Here's the positive thing about being a platelet donor (because you produce excessive platelets) -- you don't bleed. You simply clot.

Ah The Boyfriend. Bless his heart. Before his journey to Watsonville for the Strawberry Fields Forever tour tomorrow, he stopped by to assess me and any damage. I was hoping he would do a full body search. I guess I smelled. :)

Just the stats:

2 hrs 50 min to get up to the top from Kirk Avenue
1 hour and then some to get down (I crawled the last few miles)
26 mph max
8.7 mph avg.

Birthday Babes in Monterey

I was working on the computer
just the other day
When before my eyes, an email lay
2 birthday babes with an invitation
to bike in Monterey Bay
We (19 of us) did the bash
We did the Birthday Bash
It was a fun filled smash!




We biked here.
We biked there.
We biked everywhere.

Cannery Row. The bike trail in Monterey. Several incredible canyons. 17 mile drive. At the start of the ride, we were bombarded by a parade of dogs. It was walk your dog day or something. Hundreds and hundreds of them. I’m telling you they were sedated. No barking. No peeing. No humping legs. Amazing.

The view from my car. We had a lot of wind in some parts. If I wanted wind, I would have stayed home and turned on the frigging fan! The gang, too fast for me, but still a super lot. At one point, we sort of got lost but out whipped the GPS and we were on track again, taking a super secret short cut that had us parallel to Hwy 1. Fabulous. I suggested calling for a helicopter or a limo but alas not with this wonderfully strong cycling bunch. Earlier I asked one of the birthday babes if she had gone out the day before and painted yellow arrows for us… hee hee.

Super time with super people.

Just the Stats:

45 miles (the gang did 55; I took a short cut)
31 mph descent
10.7 mph avg
4 hrs 9 min

Singing in the Sun

"Baby the rain must fall ...." And finally after several weeks of stormy weather, a glorious day arrived that left me singing in the sun on today's ACTC ride led by S and P. Above, descending Bernal. Our climbs included Bernal, Bailey, Buffalo and Country View.




A scene from Country View. S said to watch out for animals to which I replied, "Oh, like you." All I saw though were dead mushy mashed up slimy things on the road; lizards I think.

Another scene from Country View with Chesbro Reservoir in the distance. I didn't do all of Country View but I was pleased enough. We were all left feeling invigorated from today's outing.

Stats:

30 miles

11.1 mph avg.

30 mph on a descent

2 hr 41 minutes

Social Sunday

I took up P's suggestion to go on a gentle 20 mile ACTC ride. Besides, Mighty Me decided to save herself for the upcoming Ball (Cinderella Tour next Saturday). The day was not as warm as yesterday and we had a bit of chilly breeze but everywhere, there were signs of spring, including the flowering tree above next to my home.

There were 5 of us on this ride and I quite enjoyed the leisurely pace (Gosh what a surprise you say). Our route began at the Sunnyvale Community Center, over to Los Altos and up Moody Road, pictured above. The last bit of Moody before intersecting Page Mill Road was certainly a challenge, reminding me that my lower back wouldn't ache if I would do sit ups. It dawned on me that I might be persuaded to do more climbing if I knew that a male masseuse would be waiting at the top to take care of me. Is that too much too ask?

It is my understanding that there will be Prince Charmings to wait on us at the rest stops on the Cinderella tour. Oh goody.

Off Again

Met up with 9 other ACTC members including P and C. Today's route: Riding the East Side (Piedmont, Old Calaveras, Calaveras to the Summit at Sierra Road at which point P, C and I planned to leave the group to descend Sierra and then climb it (though C and I only went up the first part while P did the entire stretch!).




How badly did I do today? Let me count the ways ... oh, let's not.

Still, I had a fun time with the group, that is, when I was able to catch up to them. They were a swell bunch who kindly and patiently waited for me. Tomorrow is another day....

Smiling on Shannon

Met up with P at the Almaden Roasting Co. to do an ACTC ride that included Hicks (the flat part, whew), Shannon, Los Gatos Blvd., Hwy 9 and much more. I stopped on Shannon to take this photo of a side street. Shannon is very pretty and biking on this stretch made me smile even though sections are somewhat challenging. A lot of cyclists in club jerseys were out. These early morning starts though are too much for me. I lagged behind and eventually was on my own. After climbing Hwy. 9, I turned around (the descent was cold; I was shocked to see cyclists out in sleeveless jerseys but they're not weenie like me) and returned to the start, doing 34 miles altogether. P & S planned to go much further. Sigh, no funny moments to share on this ride!

Somewhere in San Jose

It was a dark and stormy ... no way Jose which is why I joined an ACTC ride today after lots of encouragement from my friend P to haul my tushy out of bed and into the saddle.

We started at the Berryessa Community Center with a route that had us meandering through San Jose neighborhoods at a speedy pace (and difficult for me to maintain), making our way over to climb Metcalf. The route included Yerba Buena Road, pictured above and below.




Yay yay yay, a stop. Boo boo boo, time to move on. Nice gang!






Shared details about Graham Baxter and Agile Compass tours with the man who took my photo.





Sigh, the gang exhausted me and I found myself having to walk up a good part of Metcalf. A guy in a pick up truck stopped to check on me. Such chivalry. Then again, it made me wonder how pathetic I must look for strangers to want to stop. Next, a guy on his motorcycle simply stopped and stared at me for a minute or two. Hmm, maybe I looked cute not pathetic?

One of the male cyclists came to fetch me and got me motivated to get back on the bike and finish the climb. He shared his tales about doing the Livestrong tour. What a nice guy.

In the end, we did 40 miles. Max speed 34 mph on one descent. My avg. speed of course plummeted from walking up Metcalf so we'll just skip that one. I enjoyed the ride and it was fun to bike with a group though I was mostly in the back and the last to finish. Shades of LKHC, eh.

Thanksgiving Rides

Thanksgiving Day. Mt. Hamilton (photo shot by Stephen Fong), the last ride in the Low-Key Hillclimb series. Oh, I got up the mountain alright -- in a car. A lingering cold prevented me from participating as a rider but not as a volunteer. Next up is the LKHC series party. As I told the event organizer, "Yeah, so, you can climb, but eh, can you party!" For sure, I will take first place. What is always funny each year is whether we are able to recognize one another without our helmets and biking clothes.






Come Friday I was better so I joined friends for an ACTC ride in the Los Gatos hills. It was rather cold with a heavy fog layer. We rode 17 miles including: University --> Shannon -->Hicks West --> Reynolds --> Shannon --> Kennedy --> parking lot.

Above: A short stop on Shannon in Los Gatos vicinity.

Documenting the pain of riding up Reynolds (off Hicks West), a short but steep climb. A good ride to ease me back into cycling after 2 weeks of fighting a cold.

Into the Woods

It was 57 degrees and overcast when I awoke this morning. The cat whined nonstop until I dragged myself out of bed and got ready for today's ride. She ranks up there with The Boyfriend in being a thorn in my beauty sleep regimen.





15 ACTC cyclists met at Lexington School for a 34 mile ride that included Old Santa Cruz Hwy, Wrights Station, Summit and Morrill.





We encountered fog, some wind, a few rain drops from the mist, and eventually a warm sun.




And we had spectacular views.





Most everyone was faster than me. Geez, what a surprise, eh.... I sometimes wonder what people think about while they're biking. Me, I was thinking about how I told my manager the other day that I wanted a raise because I am a shoeaholic and I need to finance my habit. I'm afraid to count how many I own.






We came to a washed out road. I shrieked looking over the edge. After a lunch break at a nice market, we made our way back to the school. KC (and the Sunshine Band) told me he was my Boogie Man. Oh yeah! Brings back memories of roller skating rinks and strobe lights in the late 1970s. The ride ended with Beethoven's Piano Sonata #8 in C minor. A pleasant time with strangers and my friend P.