Training Log Archive: biggins

LA Grand Tour: double lowland century. (route - top map)
So this was pretty sweet. It was lots of fun, I felt really strong through the whole thing, and its actually not that hard when they're feeding you cookies every 35 miles.

I got on the road just after 5, still in the dark, but the first 25 miles were out PCH, so the sun was up by the time we had to start making turns (which was good because I forgot to charge the headlight batteries so it died after half an hour). Hit the first rest stop and dumped the lights (it was also the last rest stop), and scarfed a few munchies (not too hungry yet after an excellent breakfast of scrambled eggs and french toasted pb&j's). Out towards the second rest stop and we started 'climbing', though it was only noticable because the old folks were dropping back. The highland route (where the real climbs are) forked off, so I was alone for most of this. Getting hungry at this point so I did some serious damage to the munchie table (cookies and pickles and fresh picked fruit). Hit some crappy roads and traffic on the way to the next one, plus a headwind for most of it. Not too bad though.

The lunch stop was an out and back up to Ojai at 110 miles, which went straight through a couple towns, so lots of stop signs, and the crappiest bumpiest roads I've seen in a while. Some of them had more gravel and potholes than pavement. I think it would have been worth doing the highland route just to avoid this section. Lunch was good though: bean burritos and pasta salad (which of course went inside the burritos).

The morning weather had been great - foggy and overcast, so nice and cool. It eventually burned off and the sun came out, so the last 20 miles into lunch started to get wicked hot. Also at this point I stopped having to pee, which at 110 miles I figured was a little early. So I decided I should probably drop the [non-cookie] munchies and just go for fluids for the rest of the day. Conveniently at this stop I also made an excellent discovery:
50/50 yellow gatorade + mountain dew = nector of the gods.
I'm pretty sure that it contains everything in it needed to sustain life. water. calories. salt. sugar. caffeine. bubbles. And despite tasting somewhat odd, it doesn't make me want to puke, and I really just couldn't stop drinking it.

So back down the craptastic road out of Ojai, then out on a nice bike path along the coast, then about 5 miles on 101 (speed limit 70?). Got off at the wrong exit, couldn't find the rest stop, but still looked around for a while, then decided I probably needed to drink more awesome-juice to increase my cue sheet reading skills (or more probably, less awesome-juice). Got back on 101 and went up to the next exit. Had to pee at this point, if barely, but at least I seemed to be improving. Mixed up another bottle of AJ, downed it on the spot, then made another for the road.

I think it was around 3pm at this point, and the ocean winds were nice and steady. So all that was left was 60 miles down the coast with a sweet tailwind, hopped up on AJ. Once I got into Ventura I knew the whole route home, so I could put away the cue sheet and just crank. Still felt really good, and with the tailwind I was averaging about 25 the whole way back down PCH. Got burned by some old geezer on the last hill up into the finish, but I was talking to him afterwards and apparently he's somewhat legendary in the riding club, and this was also his 50th double. So I don't feel too bad.

So all in all it was a really sweet ride. Glad it was cloudy and cool for the first 80, and even after the sun came out there was only a couple hours of brutal heat before we got out onto the coast. I felt strong the whole time, and am really happy with the time. Total time (including cookie breaks) was just over 13 hours.

C • Congratulations 8

dp: 6:21, 5:34, 5:38, 5:39

nothing today. still feel like junk from yesterday.