Need to get out tomorrow and do the Ring of Fire in the sub 40 degree temps. This is a good time to keep up the intensity and suffer up the steep stuff as well. Hopefully I can get away next week and do something else a bit steep and tough...(Bohlman on Orbit?). Devil Mountain Double does not have a ton of real hard climbs like the Terrible Two, but you climb pretty much the whole day. The Terrible Two is pretty easy until you hit the Geysers giving you practically 75 miles of riding before the toughness. DMD hits you right off the bat with Mt.Diablo, but I never found that climb too tough. If your in good shape, you should be able to climb it pretty easily in the cool morning temps and save energy for later on. I am really looking forward to this DMD journey as the last time I did it I barely survived. I remember wondering if I would make the lunch cut-off last time in 06. Am hoping for a much stronger showing. If I can keep my word and get up tomorrow in the 30's and do the ring of fire, maybe... just maybe I can do better. If DMD turns out to be on the Triple Crown Stage Race, I just might try and do the Stage Race this year to try and improve from my Lanterne Rouge performance of 06. This series would be the perfect training for Race Across Oregon in July. If I do this, I will only run the Miwok 100K and can the American River 50 for this year. Nothing beats setting goals for a new year. Should be a fun year.
The Ring of Fire went really well today. I tried to do Moody out of the saddle the whole time and could not quite make it. Golden Oak is one steep long ramp, but you can do about half of it out of the saddle and crest out pretty easily. The Ramona section is really tough in a Bohlman On Orbit kind of way and the last section on Vista Verde is nice after dinner drink to this pretty brutal trek. Its a shame you can't connect the top ofVista Verde over to Page Mill. You end up really close to the top of Page Mill and near Skyline on this section of the Ring of Fire.
Today was a great day on the bike. I was listening to Rage Against the Machine "Killing in the Name of" on the way back home and started riding so hard I was like a crazed maniac. Riding bikes can be a lot of fun.
The Ring of Fire went really well today. I tried to do Moody out of the saddle the whole time and could not quite make it. Golden Oak is one steep long ramp, but you can do about half of it out of the saddle and crest out pretty easily. The Ramona section is really tough in a Bohlman On Orbit kind of way and the last section on Vista Verde is nice after dinner drink to this pretty brutal trek. Its a shame you can't connect the top of
Today was a great day on the bike. I was listening to Rage Against the Machine "Killing in the Name of" on the way back home and started riding so hard I was like a crazed maniac. Riding bikes can be a lot of fun.
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I miss the cycling in the bay area. We had 3" of snow today here and we live at sea level. More tomorrow. You've got it good there.
Tough to figure out what will be inspiring musically. I used to lift weights to Rage back in the mid 90s, good energy. I still like Rage and Prodigy (their latest album "Their Law: Singles 1990 - 2005" is pretty good and high energy) I like the New Order song "Shell Shock", it worked really well for me going up Townes Pass on the 508 and when I used to TT to work at SanDisk.
The Run Lola Run soundtrack is pretty good / high energy as well.