My riding buddy Brian and I rode our usual Headlands route, not expecting it to be one of the most beautiful mornings I've seen in San Francisco in a long time. Luckily I had my GoPro with me and got some amazing footage to go along with the above photo. The sun is rising a lot later as the days are growing lighter, making for perfect photo opportunities.
Mt. Sutro GoPro Video
Check out my latest GoPro edit on Vimeo. I'm having fun learning how to use my new camera as well as finding interesting shots and editing them. The trails of Mt. Sutro are just blocks away from where we live. It's been my recent go-to for when I need to fit in a quick ride. So much fun and challenging at the same time. Lots of vertical feet packed into such a small area. That's SF for you.
Cold & Hot
This morning I explored more of the northern coastline along Highway 1 before making the arduous climb back up to Mt. Tam. 60 miles and 5,500' of elevation gain later I was ready to head into the office for a sold half-day of work. I brought my GoPro with me, but found my power to be stuck on off. It was a shame, too because the views were spectacular. I loved all the rolling fog and mist burning off the ridge-line.
This would be my second time touring the southern end of Highway 1, which twists and turns, following the contour of the cliffs and ocean below. I didn't see many other riders in either direction, probably because the weather was so chilly and damp.
The weather usually doesn't deter me from riding, but as of late I've been finding it harder to muster the motivation to get out the door, but once I'm out I'm completely happy. I also love that once you get rolling your body gets to a perfect state of being warm and cool at the same time.
This was also the first major road ride I've done since building up my Open mountain bike. It was a nice change of pace. The 60 miles hardly phased me at all, granted I didn't push myself over the edge (too much).
Easy Up
This morning I rode up Mt. Tam with the Dawn Patrol crew. We all felt like taking it easy up the mountain. I pushed it in a few sections just to keep my heart rate up as well as warm. It was pretty chilly out there. We made it as far as West Point Inn before dropping back down the way we came. We covered 40 some miles and over 4,000' of climbing. I was prepared for much more, but it felt nice to come home and not feel like a zombie.
On the way back the guys showed me the infamous Tenderfoot descent. Littered with roots and drops it was really overwhelming having not done it before. Plus riding the relatively smooth fire roads of the Headlands hasn't kept my technical riding skills up to snuff. It reminded me a lot of the Sandy Ridge trails outside of Portland, OR. I'll definitely be coming back for that trail if I can find it.
This is How I Roll
This is as close as I got to a bike on Friday. Still shaken up about Burry Stander's death. It's been on all over cycling news sites. Despite only being back at the office for a few days it felt like two weeks worth of work all crammed together. I'm so ready for the weekend. In the meantime I've been working on another GoPro edit. I hope to share it with everyone soon.
RIP Burry
One of my favorite mountain bike racers died during a training ride today. He was struck by a taxi. Burry rode for team Specialized, a former world-champion, world cup racer and 5th place finisher at the London Olympics. You will be missed. You will be remembered.
Cold Patrol
It was pretty hard getting out of bed for a ride this morning. It was 39º when I left, and it didn't warm up much for the remainder of the ride. However, it was a beautiful sunrise. The trails were dry, and I was able to take my GoPro along and shot some great morning footage. I'm amassing a nice collection of clips, looking for ideas on new angles and ways to rig the camera.
This is a New Year
Well here it is, folks. My first GoPro video! Music is by Supercar, edited in Final Cut Pro. I had a lot of fun making it. Got me thinking about different angles and techniques. I'm not a video guy at all, but I'm pretty happy with what I made in a few days.
Last Ride of 2012
My last ride of 2012 was fun. I did an easy spin around Mt. Sutro with my GoPro mounted in a few different ways. Looking back on my year of riding I logged in over 579 hours and 8,254 miles. It's quite the accomplishment. Looking forward to starting the new year with new goals and a greater appreciation for life in general.
GoPro Stills
Still figuring out how to us my new GoPro Hero 3 I got for Christmas. I took a few stills from the camera in the meantime. So far I'm really impressed with the image quality. Right now, all I need is a faster SD card and video application that can handle 60 frames per second. I rode around the Marin Headlands late this morning to put it to the test.
A shot by accident while setting up a different camera angle.
I really wanted to capture a time-lapse of the epic fog rolling in over the Headlands. Unfortunately I couldn't get the setting right. Still a great shot.
Back to Tam
On my first ride back from my winter break in Detroit I climbed to the summit of Mt. Tam and back, putting in a real solid effort despite my cramping legs begging me to slow down some. I ignored their cries and kept pushing all the way to the top. 55 miles later and close to 8,000' climbed I was definitely cooked by the end of my ride.
It started out as a chilly day, but quickly warmed up once I got to the Headlands. However, it was chilly again once I was nearing the top of Mt. Tam. There was plenty of mud, too, but it only slowed my down a little bit. I was hungry for some speed.
On my way down I passed a rigid, single-speed rider who schooled me on the way down Coastal View. I was impressed with his handling skills and smooth lines down the single track.
It turned out to be a gorgeous day. I wish I had my new GoPro camera all set up, but I was happy to be outside and moving my legs.
Homeward Bound
Flying home this afternoon. Looking forward to getting back on the bike.
Shinola Bicycles
Today we got a private tour of the newly minted Shinola brand. We checked out their amazing made in the USA frames and complete bikes from their Detroit offices, situated in the College for Creative Studies. Adjacent to bike production is their watch facility, all made right there by the good people of Detroit.
Winter Wonderland
My legs are still sore from my run the other day. I'm itching to get back on my bike, but in the meantime I'm happy just relaxing and recovering. It started snowing here in Michigan, which is a nice excuse for staying indoors.
Merry Christmas
Amongst all the wonderful gifts I received this year was a new GoPro Hero 3 Black Edition camera. My lovely wife knew exactly what I wanted, and I was happily surprised she got it for me. I have to get a micro SD card first before I can shoot anything. I can't wait to shoot my first clip. Merry Christmas to me indeed.
Run, Forest, Run
Did a short four mile run along Lake Michigan. It was near freezing, and I haven't ran in six months. While it felt good to get some exercise I immediately knew I was going to pay for my effort tomorrow. Luckily it's Christmas, and I'll be relaxing by the fireside, opening and giving presents.
My run opened my eyes to some potential cross-training. My quads were sore afterwards, so there's definitely room for improvement. Not sure how much can be gained from running, but I suspect my sprinting could benefit.
Off Season
Happy holidays are here. I'm on a plane to Detroit to spend Christmas with the family. I'm looking forward to resting and relaxing, refueling on ham and wine. I brought my running shoes instead of a bike helmet. I haven't ran in over 6 months, so I hope not to overdo it. It's important for me to hold together some sort of exercise routine.
Somewhere over Leadville, CO.
Muddy Morning Laps
Tomorrow we head out to Michigan for Christmas, so this morning I got in one last good ride around my new favorite spot atop Mt. Sutro. I wasn't the only one out on the muddy trails. I ran into a group of four riders, halfway through my third lap. I was psyched to see other riders early in the morning, getting muddy and having a blast.
It had rained the night before making the trails really soupy and slippery. I didn't mind it actually. I love having the whole trail to myself knowing I wouldn't run into runners or hikers. Each lap of my XC loop is almost 3 miles long with about 600' of climbing. Getting to know the trail network more I'm hoping to make the loop longer and harder, and eventually creating a segment combining the laps into one big ol' challenge.
I won't be on a bike for the next five days, but I'm hoping to get my running legs back to stay active in the meantime.
Morning Owl
Because I had so much fun riding last night around Mt. Sutro I decided to make a course of sorts for my early morning training ride. It starts at the base, climbs up into the neighborhood streets before you hit the switchback climb and trail that goes around the top of the mountain before dropping back down the other side. Each lap there's about 600' of elevation gain in almost 3 miles. Do a few of those and you equal the amount of climbing going around the Marin Headlands.
The best part of this type of course and training is that I'm really going to hone in on my technical trail skills; corning, navigating around switchbacks quickly, hopping up and over small obstacles, weaving in-and-out of trees. While it feels like I'm going slower I'm actually working just as hard to keep a rhythm, as I'm definitely using more upper body strength to keep moving. It simulates more traditional cross-country race courses in general, rather than the sustained fire road climbing, which has its own training benefits. Now all I need is some East Coast gnar, and I'll be set.
Night Hawk
I explored more of my backyard trail system on Mt. Sutro after work. I had a hard and stressful day, and really needed to jump on my bike to shake out my nerves. Being able to zone out and concentrate on something other than my job is such a valuable thing to me these days. Despite riding in the dark woods, knowing anything could be out there, nothing could stop me from braving the cold. I had my trusty new light system, which lit the way, as I did a few laps around the mountain.