Solo Dawn Patrol

solo-dawn-patrol-3 This morning I went solo around the Headlands. It was freezing cold! On my way up Hawk Hill I spotted a production crew getting ready to shoot a commercial of sorts. It was still pitch black. I wasn't the only one out on the trail as I saw a couple of tiny lights out in the distance, getting closer and closer. We didn't cross paths as I was making my way up the trail as they were coming down.

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The skies were crystal clear. I managed to beat the sun rising over the East Bay. I'm going to miss the perfect lighting once it starts to get lighter and the days longer.

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My black beauty before setting out for the ride. A few of the regulars had to bail, and I waited around to see if there were any takers, but I ended going solo.

Trails in My Backyard

sutro-trails I have lived in the Inner Sunset for eight months now, and I'm just discovering the small, yet fun, trail network just blocks away. While it probably consists of a few miles total, the Mt. Sutro trail network is all single-track, tight and twisty with a bit of climbing, some rocky sections, but overall really fun for being so close. I could probably spend a couple of hours doing a series of small loops to keep my satisfied.

I found the trails through Strava, but spent my Sunday afternoon recovering from a big ride on Saturday. They were hard to find at first, having tromped through the woods, and possibly poison oak, before connecting to the main trail(s). It's great because it is somewhat hidden and just far enough from being accessible so they feel like my own private trails, despite running into a few hikers and trail runners.

Cold Mountain Ascent

cold-tam-epic-5 Five strong souls started from the Golden Gate Bridge. 50 plus miles later, through cold and damp conditions, thousands of feet climbed and chilled to bone, we made it back. Just another Saturday. We rode Peter's Headland Heifer gentleman's race course, coming soon this winter. We had a solid crew all the way through.

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Jeremy reaches the top of Miwok with strong form. He's looking to make the big leap from racing Cat 2 to Cat 1 this upcoming season. After dominating last season I think he's definitely ready to take on the big boys.

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The top of Tam was so cold and covered in cloud. It dipped at around 41º by the time we reached the summit. I put in an all-out effort from the bottom of Deer Park to the top of mountain. I started to overheat halfway up.

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I'm actually shivering in this shot, buy you can't really tell. We didn't hang out for too long as we were all freezing and ready to get our blood flowing.

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After descending Tam and going up Middle Green Gulch, I looked back at where we just came from. The top still covered in thick clouds.

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Austin giving the horns in approval.

I wasn't as wiped out on this ride as I was last weekend. I made sure I ate enough for breakfast and packed a lot of food, regardless of nutritional value, with me so I never got to that point of failure.

Keeps Me Going

I found that high energy music like the mix below really keeps me motivated through those hard efforts on the indoor trainer. I know some people that pop in a movie or TV series and zone out while they spin, but I just can't seem to concentrate or find it very entertaining. Digging deep and finding that zone through music is the only way for me to roll. DJ mixes are great, especially if I haven't heard it all the way through. The anticipation and surprise of a good beat or song transition is enjoy the most. Dcup, an Australian DJ, does a lot of fun Nu Disco edits.

Headlands Safari Friday

friday-sunrise-4 It was a chilly Friday morning. Luckily I made it out onto the trail just as my light was about to die, the sun slowly rising to reveal some really interesting wildlife.

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This coyote sat at the base of a poached trail, and didn't mind that I stopped to take a few pictures. He/she must see people all the time. So calm and patient.

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Just five hundred yards up the trail a family of deer ate their breakfast.

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I think the days are getting shorter. Usually by the time I reach the bottom of the first descent the sun is already rising. However, this morning it stayed extra dark for longer than usual. I chased the sunrise, climbing to the top of Miwok before it hit the mountain tops. Gorgeous light.

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My trusty steed got me to the top safely and quickly. I'm looking forward to this weekend. My friends have another epic group ride to the top of Mt. Tam and back all lined up. We've got a big crew ready to throw it down. Hopefully the weather holds up.

 

 

Busy

No time for a decent ride outdoors. Gotta crank through a set of intervals for the night. I did figure out an annoying creak in my drivetrain. Turned out to be a loose pedal! Luckily I caught it before it caused any damage.

Looking Back on Training

cycleops-2 Some of my riding buddies have recently asked me about training; if they should work with a coach, how to train correctly, any advice for getting on the right path. I only started seriously training a year ago, and have learned so much in that time. I'm continuing to understand the complexities of training, and have a lot to learn.

I work with a coach, and he helps me schedule the all important annual training plan (ATP), and holds me accountable for every workout. I've read most of Joe Friel's Training Bible, but it took me a while to be able to understand and absorb all the information.

You don't really need much in the way of gear, but two things I couldn't go without are my heart rate monitor and indoor trainer. I've got a power meter, too, but if I were on a budget I'd stick with just the heart rate monitor. The indoor trainer just makes for a very controlled and even environment for doing intervals properly.

What I've learned is that training requires a lot of consistency and commitment in order to see the results you want. It was really hard at first, especially sitting on an indoor trainer, but eventually I got into a rhythm and enjoy doing interval. I saw results quickly, but learned you need variation in your training blocks to see true fitness gains.

Training also means really listening to your body, and knowing when you need more recovery. Resting and nutrition is just as important as the workouts themselves.

Right now I'm settling into my first real tough training block, having spent most of the latter half of fall doing more endurance rides. I'm doing more long distance races this coming race year, so my annual training plan will be very similar to last year's, with the exception of increased volume and intensity.

I try to keep it fun, too. Not every day is a hard workout day. It's important to me to have fun on the bike, and not take it too seriously. As long as I'm putting time in the saddle and decide early on what kind of workout I'm doing, if any, then I'm better off than not riding at all, unless I absolutely need to recover.

I'm not a pro, and probably will never be, and that's cool. I love training because its goal oriented and requires a lot of discipline. It was hard to fit training into my busy life, but eventually it everything just fell into place. I made time for it without impacting the rest of my day and responsibilities. It was important to me put in the work, knowing the kinds of results and goals I could achieve with that kind of commitment. It's worth it to me.

So get out there. Understand the fundamentals of training and know it'll take time and commitment.

David's Last Dawn Patrol

My friend David is moving down south of Bay, making this morning's Dawn Patrol his last. I'm grateful to have met David, as he's been an excellent ambassador, guide and riding buddy ever since we moved to the Bay area. He will be missed in our morning crew.

We had a huge turnout this morning, eight riders total. The most I've seen for Dawn Patrol.

We weren't the only ones out that morning. We ran into two riders going up Miwok before dropping down to the horse stables. We were all accounted for except for Peter. David and I turned around and climbed back to the top, while the rest continued on the Marincello climb. Peter got a flat, and we cut across the top of the Heifer to meet back up with the group.

It's crazy to think about all the fun to be had before the day even starts. It's my way of clearing my head and keeping balance in life.

One Year of Blogging

This week I celebrate the anniversary of my blog, which I and posted every day for the past year. I didn't think it was possible, having never had a blog like this before. I disciplined myself in finding the time to collect my thoughts and write about my journey back into cycling. It became a daily journal of rides I've done, bikes I've bought, parts I've tried, races raced, learning to train right, and people I've met along the road.

Yesterday I did an epic ride with some friends to the top of Mt. Tam and back. 56 miles, and close to 8,000' of climbing. My friend Peter is hosting a gentleman's race of sorts this winter, so we used this ride to plot out the course and segments. We had a good crew at the start, some peeled off and on, some joined midway through, but we had a solid core group finish the entire ride.

We made our way through the Marin Headlands. The trails were pretty rutted out from the storms we've had the past couple of weeks. However, today was the perfect day for a ride, with the sun shining, crisp air with a slight headwind from the north.

David and Josh ascending. We climbed further up into the Headlands before dropping down Dias Ridge. We passed a few trail runners, a horse rider as well as a 90-year-old woman who's hiked up and back down Dias Ridge every day for who knows how long. From there we made our way to Muir Woods and climbed all the way to the top of Tam, a whopping 50 minutes of non-stop ascending. I didn't push myself to hard to keep up with lead, knowing we had a long day ahead of us.

My new trusty steed to carry me up to the top of Tam. I switched my rear tire back to a Racing Ralph for added air volume and traction. I'm sure the Furious Fred I was trying out last week would have been perfect, but it was meant to be a race day only tire. Again, this bike has proven to be the ultimate cross-country machine. Fast up as well as down it has the perfect balance of crisp and tight steering along with a stiff and light pedaling platform to climb any hill. It's finally perfectly dialed-in.

That's about $30k of 29er goodness all lined up in a row. At least. It's cool to see how many 29ers are out on the trail these days. Seeing a 26" wheeled bike just seems so weird now. Halfway down Tam we passed a massive group of riders all itching to chase us down the trail. Made up of a good mix of men and women, old and young, the group caught up to us at the bottom. It's the most riders I've seen on Coastal View, ever.

My friend Peter got a stunning new BMC 29er hard tail. Today was the first time it saw dirt, as well as a flat. The Coastal View trail descent was really fast and fun. Perfect dirt. Someone had done same amazing trail work that week, putting in some much-needed drainage to keep things relatively dry. With no one ahead of me I was able to rip down the trail at full speed. I nearly missed a few corners, sliding into some muddy turns.

I was shown a new section of trail I've never ridden before. It's uphill only. Middle Green Gulch starts at the bottom of Dias Ridge and climbs back into familiar territory. By this point I was ready to get on "the struggle bus".

Also ready to join me on the struggle bus was Peter and Brian. It's been a long day of riding, and we've got a few more climbs to tackle.

My bike hasn't seen that much mud in a long time. Caked from two weeks of riding through storms, never cleaned, topped off with one last epic ride before it gets thoroughly washed.

It's great to look back and reflect on the past year; where I started, where I've been, the goals I've made and accomplished. This blog has been really fun to do. Photography has always been a life long passion, but I've never found the right subject to shoot, other than my dog. I've learned to become a better photographer as a result, whether I'm shooting with my 7D, or various point and shoots, but I've got to say my favorite shots have come from my iPhone, which I carry with me all the time. It's about capturing that right moment, and having something to take the picture.

I've also become comfortable in my writing skills. A steady stream of  thoughts, interesting or otherwise mundane. I hope you've enjoyed reading, and continue to do so. I'll keep posting every day until I find something else to focus my energy on.

TGIF

I got in a great ride this morning through the Headlands. I made it to the top just in time for the sun to start rising. Good time of day to take pictures. The trails were still wet in some spots, and the series of storms from last week have made otherwise smooth fire roads into rutted out messes, but it's nice to have something a bit more technical to ride through.

Driving SUCKS!

This morning I had to drive my wife to work, then drove myself to work. What should have been a 30 minute commute ended up being nearly an hour of detours, traffic and more traffic. The sun was shining, and all I could think about was how amazing it would be to ride in this weather. Traffic in San Francisco can be really daunting depending on where you are. I'll always choose to ride over drive if I have the car available. Today was also the first day in a long time that I haven't been on a bike.

Soggy Commute

It only takes me 2o minutes or so to get ready for work. That's with a shower, make the bed, feed the dog, iron my clothes, style my hair, get my riding gear on, pack the dog in a bag, and off I go. However, on rainy days it takes almost as long to change my clothes, dry off, walk the dog a second time once I get to work. I have my routine down. I also have the right gear and options for rainy days like this. Given the choice of driving, taking the bus or riding to work I'll most definitely choose to ride no matter what the conditions are. All this is done after riding 30 or so miles. Call me crazy. Call me passionate.

Furious Fred

I am testing out the super light and super fast rolling Schwalbe Furious Fred tire. I had some trouble setting it up tubeless, but with a few tricks up my sleeve I managed to get up and running. I'm only running this on the rear because I love the Racing Ralph up front. It says it's a 2.0" in width, but upon mounting it the profile actually seems like a 1.9" and even a 1.8". So narrow and so slick. I started to worry it was a weak tire. However…

With the Furious Fred on the rear I eventually forgot I was running a narrower, less grippy tire altogether, granted I'm riding in ideal conditions and terrain for such a low profile design. I didn't notice it drift in the corners, nor did I think it suffered in the climbing department. In fact, I think it did better on fire road climbs than the Racing Ralph, which felt like it was constantly trying to bite into the ground. Again, I'm riding the Marin Headlands, which doesn't have too much in the way of super loose technical trails, mostly fire road. Very close to Leadville conditions.

I did notice the faster rolling aspect of the design, but also the fact that I dropped nearly a 1/4 pound of rotational weight. My bike now weighs in at just under 19 pounds! I'll keep riding this tire to see how it holds up in the long run, on longer rides, and hopefully more demanding terrain. So far so good.

On the 8th Day…

I rested. Sort of. Still had to ride my bike to work, but took it way easy. This past few weeks I've been doing power intervals in between my normal rides. They're painful, but I see the fitness gains after I give myself enough recovery.

A River Runs Through It

I waited as long as I could for the storm to pass this morning. I'm pressed for time, having to do some weekend work then a dinner party later in the afternoon/evening. My ride started out fair, then the rain came and just dumped on me. Most of the trails I went down had a steady stream of water flowing through it.

It did clear up later on. The sky really opened up and the sun was shining. That's what I love about the Bay area. Typically it doesn't storm for days straight, unlike the Pacific Northwest where it's a constant overcast and succession of storm fronts during the winter. As far as I'm concerned the crappiest of SF days would be considered summertime by NW standards. Ha!

I'm still getting used to how quickly my bike handles, especially on the descents. There's not much mud so to speak on the trails, but in spots where it's thick and gooey my bike really bites into the earth without feeling like I'm losing control. I owe it to the grippy Racing Ralph tires, but they do tend to pack-up with mud easily, especially on muddy inclines. The type of mud here is almost clay-like. It didn't make coming home to clean myself off easy.

As I'm finishing this post the sun is still shining, blue skies stretching on as far as I can see. Timing is everything, but today I had no choice. Still felt great to go out for a ride.

Power Alternative

I woke up this morning not wanting to get soaking wet on the road/trails. The rain really hasn't let up all week. I had a power interval workout schedule on my calendar, and decided that would be enough for the day. I love the convenience and option of riding indoors, but I also hate riding indoors. I overheat quickly and easily, not matter how many fans you have pointed at me. I do love coming out of the workout feeling like I accomplished something so focused and demanding physically and mentally. I finally got my power meter working again, so it was nice to see my power numbers up higher than they were before.

Wishing for sunnier skies in the near future.