Week 31 & 32 08/09 - 08/22 Goal 17 done

Le Monde taking a break

Week 31 - work commutes, Saturday ride, no goal
Week 32 - work commutes, Tour of Napa, Goal 17

I forgot to do a post for week 31,  probably because nothing really happened that week except for a Saturday ride that turned out to be a bad, bad date.  I got in about 80 miles that week, I probably should have gone out on Sunday and finished the week, but I didn't.

This last week, Week 32, however was a good week.  Commuted to work a couple of times, got in 48 miles and then hit the Tour of Napa on Sunday for 70 miles through the hills surrounding Yountville.  I drove up Saturday, took my good friends Mary and Rob to the Impressionist exhibit at the de Young and an excellent lunch at Sutro Bistro in the Cliffhouse.  They took me to a barbeque at friends in Petaluma that evening, a fun evening, some very interesting people.  Back to their house, a very charming craftsman in the old part of town, by 10 pm.  I had to get up early for the ride, and Mary was getting up at 4 am to fly out to Hawaii.  Poor Rob they only one that was not going out to play on Sunday.

Sunday morning arrived foggy and cold, a thick marine layer has been hanging over the wine country till about noon for weeks.  A good thing, I do better riding, particularly climbing, in cooler weather.  Met up with Jenny and Sue at the start and hit the road by 7:30 am.  The first 15 miles were relatively flat, we all moved out at a good pace, exactly what I can't tell you as I am on my third broken bike computer this year.  I am trusting that Eagle Bicycling Club has their mileage down pat, I had no way to verify it.  We got caught in the midst of the Benicia Cycle Club, their pace line moving between 12 and 15 mph, so we  moved out and passed them, all 12 - 15 of them.  Got ahead of them, held a gap for a while and then they caught us.  A few started passing us, and we were trapped in the middle again.  I hate it when someone speeds up to pass me then they slows down when they get in front of me.  Jenny (she is a racer at heart) scooted ahead of them.  I took an opportunity to do the same, picked up Sue along the way and again we were out in front and gapping them, and I'll be damned if they didn't pick up the pace again.  Evidently they needed the goad of three riders passing them to get them to move.

lunch stop

We arrive at the first rest stop, and decide that we are losing the Benicia group.  Fortunately by the time we are ready to go, they have moved on head.  We start to climb out of here and Jenny and Sue drop me pretty quickly.  Sue told  me later that day that Jenny took that climb at 18 mph, she really should consider racing, I think she would do well.  From here to the lunch break is a steady terrain of rise and fall, rollers progressively climbing up the hillside.   Pope Valley Rd was a steady climb for about 10 miles and then a nice downhill to lunch.  I stopped about a mile out of the lunch stop, a rider flagged me down, she has a flat, no tools and no one would stop to help her.  What is wrong with people?  10 minutes out of my day, and she was able to get back on the road.   Met up with J & S as they were leaving, and I followed them about 10 minutes later.   I start up the infamous Ink Grade two miles out form lunch.  I had been really apprehensive about this hill, but you know, there were two pitches that were too steep for me (I walked the second one), and the rest, the rest was okay.  My back was knotted by the time I reached the top, but, it wasn't as bad as I had feared.

the view half way up Ink Grade

From there it is a  really just a nice, sweet, sweeping downhill and some rollers to the end.  70 miles and what my educated guess tells me is around 4200' of climbing (ECC does not give a elevation change).  The barbeque at the end was okay, they had a veggie burger, chicken breast, sausage, or carnitas.  Black bean or green bean salad and fruit.  Tasted pretty good and I did not even think to get a picture of any of it.  They did have Ben and Jerry's ice cream, always a good end to a day.

I would do this ride again, maybe try the century next year... god, can I get strong enough for Mt Veeter?