I went for a nice long road ride instead of putting in more miles on my mountain bike on Sunday. I seldom go for epic road rides these days with all of the races and training I've been in the past couple of months. It was really nice to get out, enjoy the scenery and go at my own pace. Speaking of pace I managed to put in a solid effort on the entire Highway 1, BoFax climb, up and over 7 Sisters and back, averaging 17 mph over 43 miles and close to 6,000' of climbing. I felt good to say the least, but I pushed myself this week, clocking in 14 hours in the saddle.
Highway 1 is such an amazing place to ride your bike. It's super twisty, so not a lot of people drive the narrow roads. It's quite rolling for several miles before it begins to flatten out right after Stinson Beach. The climb back up to 7 Sisters is pretty brutal. It just keeps going and going. I passed a few groups of riders along the way, trying to best my previous time. I wanted to make sure I had enough power left in my legs to make it over the top of Tam, so I kept the pace reasonable.
I've said it before, but I'll say it again and proclaim the 7 Sisters my favorite stretch of road I've ever ridden. It's just so beautiful with all of its rolling hills and sweeping views of the valley and ocean below. It's not easy either. It was a perfect way to end a hard week of training and riding.