Ride Report 6/28/09 – Climb to Kaiser (Clovis, CA)

Well, so much for high expectations. Although my training for the year had gone well with measurable improvements in my times where it mattered, i.e. Breathless and Heartbreak, the first signs of a cold coming on a week before zero hour did not bode well.

I had taken it pretty easy since Bear with short rides and limited climbing. I just wanted to maintain at this point. But a sore throat materialized on Tuesday and slowly developed into a full blown cold. I foolishly rode on Wednesday, more just to make sure the bike was set mechanically, and it was evident my strength was way down.

I spent the rest of the week trying to take it easy, slamming vitamin C and focusing on getting organized and packed. At least there would not be any fires this year, BUT the temperatures in the valley were soaring. 106 to 109 depending on the source.

I was on the road early Friday morning and made the drive in good time, arriving around eleven. The folks at the Comfort Inn were kind enough to grant me an early check in so I got settled by noon. Any kind of acclimation ride was out of the question so I decide to head out and stock up on water, vitamin C, and Tylenol Extra Strength Sinus. It was then back to hole up in my room in bed resting. I texted Jeff letting him know my condition. I knew he was going to go for a PR this year and hooking up, in my condition, was out of the question.

I dozed intermittently and at around five I headed over to the school to check in . The start was on the North side of town this year so that added about 3 miles to the front end and subtracted the commensurate amount on the run in. Hey, three less miles in the broiling afternoon heat was OK by me! After signing in, I headed back to my room for more rest.

Just before officially going to bed I decided to give the rig a once over. I discovered that the cable for my front derailleur was completely slack. Even though I'd made multiple rides since installing the compact; AND it was shifting, I hadn't detected it. I quickly tightened things up then washed up and hit the sack.

I awoke at 4 AM and kitted up. Since I had brought up bagels and cereal I actually ate something you could call a breakfast. After filling up my water bottles, I grabbed my gear bag and bike and headed down to load up the car.

I was at the school by five and parked over on the East side. As I was getting ready I started up a conversation with a fellow rider who had parked next to me. He was a local doing the ride for the second time too. We exchanged experiences and wished each other luck. A quick turn around the parking lot and I rolled over to the start.

There was already a huge crowd and I worked my way closer to the front as the organizer gave us a quick safety lecture over a megaphone. At 5:30 sharp we were off and the peloton immediately stretched out as those on the front end hurdled themselves forward. I quickly found myself falling off the back, and though I never intended to stay with the front group, I at least wanted to take advantage of hitching on to some kind of paceline on the run in to Wildcat. But the riders I was following were peeling off the back and the gap kept widening. Eventually I ended behind another rider with tri-bars and took advantage of his draft for a mile or too. Intermittently I could see the main group ripping around bends far ahead. As I eased back on the throttle I wondered how many in the group actually belonged there. Time would tell.

Needless to say my opportunity to get sucked along the first twenty or so miles had come and gone. I was glad that commonsense, at least at this point, had prevailed and prevented me from trying to hammer on and catch the group. Don't get me wrong, I was tempted there for a second or two.

At one point the fellow I was drafting behind started easing up so I dutifully took the front only to watch him fade back. I was now riding solo somewhere between the hammer heads and everybody else. It was weird, sort of a cycling version of the Twilight Zone. The ride had suddenly evaporated around me. Then, as I was moving along xxx, a rider came up from behind. His name was Adam, a local who was doing the ride for the first time. We stayed together for miles, basically chatting. A SAG motorcycle came by at one point and asked if we were the front. Hah! “Yeah, sure”! we shouted back. Then pointed up the road. Off he went.

We made the right onto xxx and were caught by a three man. Again, we had resigned ourselves to a more leisurely pace so didn't latch on.

Finally the right onto Ashland arrived which to me basically signals the official start since you're truly out of town and heading into the mountains. About a mile up the road a huge paceline overtook us and this time we did latch on. No way was I going to miss this opportunity. I ended up behind this Clydesdale of a guy and pretty much coasted up until the first rollers started appearing. The group quickly fragmented as the road turned upward.

More to come . . .