SlipStream

This here is a pix of my BI-cycle, the one I can ride. Ain't she purdy? Imagine her in ruby red... oooo oooo oo!

This is a 1985 Santana Elån, my first tandem. I bought it a couple of years ago from a JPL engineer. He sold it to me for $350. Although too big for me, my daughter and I managed to ride it through Ontario (Canada) in 2007 following the Northern route of the Underground Railroad. It was a sweet, historical tour.

As mentioned, the bike is big, better meant for a 6 foot captain. Luckily, my legs are long and the bike shop was able to tighten the cockpit for me as well as optimize the length between my saddle and pedal. Once on and pedaling, I always felt secure on the Santana. It was such a straight and smoooooth ride. My daughter, who was ten at the time of our Canadian tour, never complained about her position in the back.

Nevertheless, the bike was way too big for me and, despite the comfort of the ride itself, I always felt insecure about dismounting my saddle. I dreaded sudden stops of any kind. That feeling of insecurity stuck with me after the tour and I realized that I couldn't keep it. In fact, I felt that I had to sell it--or give it away--to someone who would appreciate and ride this 24 year old tandem. So, after two years of owning this bike, I sold it to my friend Roberto. Having ridden with him for the past ten years, I KNOW that he'll ride this bike with passion and pleasure.

Huzzah!

But wait! I am not without a tandem! Last summer I bought a brand-spanking-new-ruby-red Santana Encore SE that fits me purrfectly. Oh yes!

I want this route to be part of my normal training regimen.

An Exuberant Time	***
Valid during many months: This is a very exuberant time, with high energies. You feel physically strong and fit, and you are more willing to be active and take chances than at other times. Vigorous physical activity is one of the best ways to use this energy, which strengthens your body and allows you to accomplish more than usual. Almost anything that you direct your energies to, especially an activity that requires a lot of energy, will seem to flow and happen as if you were not making any effort at all. It is important to realize, however, that you are in fact working quite hard; after this period, and even during it to some extent, you will need to stop a while and rest. One of the problems at this time is that because you don't realize how hard your body and mind are working, there is a real danger that you will overwork yourself. Certainly, if you are not in excellent physical condition you should not take up heavy physical work without preparing for it, but that is just what you might do with this influence. This is a good time to begin a new project, as long as you don't overextend yourself. You have much more initiative than usual, and you can accomplish a great deal by yourself. Working with others may be frustrating, because it is hard for you to put up with their slower pace. Often this influence is expressed through doing something that requires a magnificent sense of timing or planning. Or you will do something that works out very well for you in the long run. Even if it doesn't require great energy, it will pay great dividends in the future.
The interpretation above is for your transit selected for today: Jupiter Conjunction Mars, , exact at 04:54 activity period from 17 March 2009 until beginning of November 2009

completing double centuries.

I'm nixing the idea of cycling Furnace Creek 508 this year. It'll have to wait until 2010.

Here are the numbers for my last three events:
200km in 10 hrs (≈12.6 mph)
150 miles in 13.47 hrs (≈11 mph)
173 miles in 18 hrs (≈9.5 mph)

As you can see, my average speed decreased when the distance became greater. Every increase of 20 miles dropped my speed by 1.5 mph. Sure, each event had its own challenges. At the DV Double, I was riddled with physical problems and the 300 km had lots and lots of elevation. Nevertheless, all of the challenges can't be culled out of the picture. The challenges are the picture! Therefore, the decrease in speed over greater distances stands. Extrapolating from the above performance(s), I have to be frank: my projected average speed for the 508 will be less than 10 mph, and that's not good enough.


In the next year I plan to--
learn, learn, learn
build up my endurance and speed
drop down to 133 lbs, my normal weight
crew for the 2009 FC 508
and resume my training for my 508 (two man or solo).

I'm reasonable.

During my 150 miler in Death Valley, I developed pain in my right anterior knee. The following morning, I took the bike out for a thirty minute recovery ride outside of Furnace Creek. As soon as I started pedaling, the pain reappeared. Although not excruciating, it was definitely unpleasant. Immediate attention to this problem was necessary. Who to call? The ortho doctor again or the guys over at the bike shop?

Sunday night I spent a few hours researching "knee pain and cycling" on the internets and determined that the best line of action would be to correct any poor fit on my bike. After all, I had changed my saddle twice since November and I hadn't dialed the position properly.

On Monday I called up Oscar at Budget Pro Bikes in Eagle Rock and made an appointment for a bike fit. Very accommodating as always, Oscar scheduled me for Thursday afternoon.

I went in as scheduled and told him what had happened in Death Valley. He asked me if I had changed anything about the bike or the way that I ride and I told him about my new saddle. As soon as I said "saddle," Oscar's face broke into a smile: a possible culprit for my malaise was identified.

My bicycle was hooked up to the trainer and leveled. I hopped on and pedaled. Oscar observed me for a bit and then had me stop with my right knee positioned at a right angle. A drop line with a weight was placed on my knee. Check. He then told me to pedal again. Stop. Right angle. Drop line. Pedal again. Stop. Right angle. Drop line. After four or five cycles of pedaling, right angles, and lining with the weight, Oscar made the observation: my right (and left) knee was consistently in front of the pedal axle. Bad position! Bad position! Very, very Bad position!

He tinkered with my saddle, rolled it back on the rails, and leveled it. Within forty five minutes, my bike fit went from lousy to purrrrrrrrrfect.

I've ridden my bike since then and I haven't had a single issue with my right knee or hip. Amazing. I don't need to see the good doctor!

I love to cycle in Death Valley, but she's been a tough teacher. Out of the six events I've done out there, I've only completed half. This Saturday I attempted to ride the Death Valley Double. I was able to complete 150 miles. It was another chock mark on the DNF board for me. I failed, again. I failed in her eyes.

Success is a path riddled with the hairline fractures of failures and errors. Some cracks you can avoid, other fissures you have to just ride over them and absorb the shock. I'm focusing on the process here. I really am.

Get up!!!

What worked-

Nutrition
*Breakfast consisted of 1/2 turkey sandwich from Whole Foods. It was a simple sandwich with mustard, no mayo, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, tons of pickles, and roasted turkey. In addition to the sandwich, I drank 1 bottle of Perpetuem (2 scoops) and 1 cup of hotel coffee.

*During the ride, I tried to drink 1 bottle of Perpetuem every hour. My body tolerated and liked it.

Physical
*I was able to hang with several pace lines throughout the first half of the event. The first group went from Furnace Creek to Badwater (BW); second pl raced from BW to mile 45; and the last one lasted briefly from mile 45 to mile 48, which is where the climb to Jubilee Pass began. Speed seemed to be in the 17-19 mph range. Not bad.

*For the most part, the climbs were ok, nothing spectacular. I managed to average between 6.8 mph. My wattage was in the 130 range.

Mental
My mental attitude during the first half of the ride was neutral. In a way I felt a little disconnected from everyone, especially in the paceline. Nobody talked. I didn't talk. I was mesmerized. So I focused on the wheel directly in front me. At times I would look at the other cyclists' riding or pedaling techniques. After a while, I was riding with a flow. I was the group.

On the climbs, I felt settled and my head zoned out in a pleasant way. A few times I looked down at the PT monitor to check my numbers. Very steady.

Gear
*Clothing: wool jersey and wool trainer were comfortable. I never felt hot or cold.

*My bike performed flawlessly.

*The new pedal straps were great! I used them to hold my gear to the seat and saddle bag.

*my new selle-anatomica saddle was very comfortable.

*PT and Polar worked well.

What went wrong-

Nutrition
-Hammer gels tasted like old bbq sauce. AdventureCORPS did not ditribute individual gel packets. Instead, they had bottles of the stuff. Whenever I needed gel, one of the volunteers would fill up my flask with it. I swear the bottled stuff tasted off.

-HEED, which I dislike, was the only carb fuel available at the support stations. I used it a few times and it made me sick to my stomach. Combined with the weird tasting gels, I had the perfect combo for nausea. After Shoshone I stuck to Perpetuem.

- I didn't take enough electrolytes or salt during this event. What was I thinking?

- Subway sandwiches are disgusting.

Physical
As noted above, the food/nutrition combo of gels and HEED made me nauseaous. Solid foods didn't help. Once the nausea set in, I kept repeating food. Reflux? I threw up a couple of times. Yuck.

My period started at Badwater. The menstrual flow was pretty heavy and stayed that way for the rest of the day. The blood soaked my cycling shorts. The padding in my shorts quickly absorbed the blood and became gooey and sticky. The result of this mess was serious chafing of my girly parts. Rubbed raw, I started hurting. The first time I peed I felt like someone had just cauterized my labia. Oh it stung! Oh it burned!

I was bloated all day and had cramps. A lot of that was due to my menses. Some of it was the nausea.

My right knee acted up on the climb from Shoshone to Salsbury Pass. It was an internal kind of pain, somewhere in my anterior knee. By the time I was at mile 150 in Furnace Creek, I was hurting. Already beaten down by the other problems, I decided to not risk further complications by aggravating my knee, so I DNF'd at Furnace Creek (mile 150).

Groin muscles on my right side started to give me some problems early in the event. After taking a celebrex and IB I was okay for the rest of the event.

Although I descended in the drops and was able to mainatin a crouched position for long periods, the rough road from Salsbury down to the valley floor beat my shoulders, wrists, arms, and knees.

M left foot was uncomfortable on the descents b/c i pressed down too hard.

The return ride from Jubilee to Badwater was excruciatingly slow. At times, I could only cycle 7 mph. My average speed came out to 12 mph! I was zapped.

I had a cold at the beginning of the event. By the end of the event, my chest congested and I was coughing up thick yellow gunk.

I weighed 142 lbs.

Mental
I gave up. From the Valley floor to Badwater on the return leg of the event, I hit my bottom. Physically, I was sore and cramped and bloated. Mentally I felt like a loser. I was at the back end of the pack. The majority of the double riders were ahead of me and I was slogging. I HATE being at the low end of anything, and yet, there I was: Below Average. I need to think about this and put it into perspective, Ms Novice Ultra Cyclist!

Gear
The seams of my Pear Izumi shorts rubbed my skin causing blisters at contact points.

My SIDI shoes were strapped on too tight. Once I loosened the straps, everything returned to a comfy state.

My Cateye battery lights didn't work.

The Serfas top tube bag was very annoying. I think it contributed to my right knee problems. As I cycled, I tried to avoid hitting it with my knee. This changed my normal pedal motion. At Jubilee Pass I took it off and stowed it away under my saddle. Normal motion returned, but the damage had already been done.

I tested my leg this weekend. On Saturday I rode for 4 hours and today I rode for 3.5 hours. Yesterday was a slow ride, today I picked up the pace, but held off from climbing too intensely on the hills. All was done to test my right hip flexor. And you know what? I'm ok! Well, at least I'm ok for now. Basically, I'm good for this coming Saturday, the Death Valley Double.

Yesterday I was at the Rose Bowl to watch the final laps of the seventh stage of the Amgen Tour of California. Holy shit! Not only are the cyclists fast, they are incredibly skilled riders. My first view of these guys was on a climb with a sharp right turn onto a residential street. The peloton roared up and around the corner without slowing down. Many of the riders were elbow to elbow, wheel to wheel. A few riders took the inside corner with inches to spare from the curb. Some who did take the inside line, had to cycle through cracks in the street or, on several occassions, go airborne from an elevated lip around a manhole cover. The guys who flew could easily have lost control of their bikes and crashed into a concrete light pole or the curb itself. Instead, they maintained composure of their line, control of their bicycles, and speed. They were flawless.

I ran into my friend Thomas Siegel. It was quite a surprise. There were thousands of people down at the Bowl, and yet, we connected. Serendipity is my friend.

The pain is subsiding. I have been without pain for the last four hours.

This afternoon I performed 40 "girl push ups" and a six sets of crunches. Lots and lots of crunches will strengthen my core, which will help my climbing ability in the long run. These basic exercises will help my lower back, glutes, and thigh muscles (front and rear).

Tomorrow I'm off the bike again. In the morning I'll lift a few weights and do my piriformis stretches. On Saturday I will hop on the bike and pedal. If there's any hint of pain, I'll get off, call George, and cancel my date with the Death Valley Double. Very simple.

The dreaded pain is here. The 300km brevet sparked it and the four hour Montrose group ride on Saturday brought it out. Ladies and gents, my upper right leg-hip flexor is sore. Hello? Oh no! It's piriformis syndrome!

Ugh. This isn't good.

The only way to approach this issue is to be pro-active. I need to take a few days of complete rest, ice my hip, and pop a few ibuprofen pills to reduce the inflammation and mollify the pain. If the pain doesn't disappear in the next few days, I may have to take six to eight weeks away from the bike and my training.

As a precautionary measure, I've canceled my 2/21 field test with George. It would have been our third field test and it would have given us critical data about my current fitness. However, there's no point in doing the field test with this pain. Literally, given my condition, the intensity of the time trial and hill repeat effort would break me. No thanks. I'll wait another four weeks for the data. My body needs to be pain free.

One action I've taken is schedule an appointment with a sports orthopedic doctor at Glendale Adventist. I've seen him before for the same type of pain and he was very helpful. After several weeks of physical therapy, I healed. I see him next Tuesday.

The Death Valley Double is set for next Saturday, 2/28. I'm supposed to do it. Registration fees have been paid and I have a reservation for a room at the Furnace Creek Ranch. I WANT to participate in the DV Double. If I finish the event, it will be a milestone. The longest I've ever ridden in one shot is 176 miles. I'm ready for the double. I'm crossing my fingers.

Ah, now I can talk about my post ride experience.

This may be TMI, but I gots to write it! I MUST avoid this experience in the future!

I rolled into the Vons parking lot at 1 AM. The brevet took me 18 hours to complete. I was cold, tired, and hungry.

On Thursday I had booked a motel room in Chula Vista for two nights. A mere 10 miles from a bed, I made sure to drive my car carefully to Chula Vista. Last thing I needed was a cop delay. As I drove, I thought about hot food and a warm shower. I wanted to stop at a fast food place for a meal, but everything at 1:30 AM was closed. Ugh! Plan B again: I would have to eat whatever food I had back in the motel room.

Finally in my room, I peeled off my cycling clothes, and I took a GREAT, LEISURELY shower (it was set on low-flow, btw). I was really tempted to take a hot shower, but I decided to keep things tepid. I didn't want to shock my cold and sore body with hot temperatures. Afterward, I massaged my muscles, noticed a huge bruise on my left calf (WTF?) and avoided it, focusing instead on my right leg and thighs.

Warm and cozy, I rummaged through one of my bags and found a couple of navel oranges, a bar of dark chocolate, a VERY NICE bottle of wine, and a TJ entree of Spanish white beans. I decided to save the wine and chocolate for home and opted instead to end my day with oranges and beans. While I microwaved the beans, I ate the oranges and washed it down with half a bottle of Endurox. In bed, with my legs propped up on pillows, I downed the remainder of the Endurox and ate my warm beans while watching CNN. Ah, comfort! I was asleep by 2 AM.

I woke up at 7 AM. I was feeling terrible! Those damned beans had worked their black magic and I was not feeling well. Since I was already awake, I decided to get into my bathing suit and go for a freezing cold dip in the motel's pool. Unfortunately, the pool was heated. Disappointed, I returned to my room for a cold bath. When I opened the door to my room, I almost collapsed from the smell! What the hell was that stench? Of course, I knew. It was Spanish poison from my ass! OMG!!! I had been gassing myself with... ¡Si Señor Methane! For, yikes, 5 hours!!! I was really embarrassed. I turned on the fan. I turned up the AC. I did everything except whistle. While I aired the room, I took my cold bath and hoped, HOPED, that the smell would be gone by the time I was done soaking. Luckily for me--and the maids-- the room lost its pong.

Lesson learned: No Spanish white beans from TJ's! If I want to eat beans, I need to eat MY own home cooked frijolés negros.

Lesson learned: Cold baths are the bomb.

Cycling 300km is daunting. Prior to Saturday's brevet, I experienced anxiety about taking part in this event. I was afraid that I wouldn't complete it, that the mileage and climbs would zap me dead in my tracks. I was concerned that, compared to the other more experienced cyclists, I "wasn't good enough."

The anxiety disappeared on Saturday morning. When I pulled into the Vons parking lot and saw the guys checking out their bikes, pumping air into their tires, and shooting the shit with their "buddies for the day," I relaxed. I wasn't racing. I wasn't competing. I was riding my bike with a bunch of cool human beings! All would be fine.

Lesson learned: chill!

The brevet started promptly at 7 AM. Immediately I noticed a problem with my Polar 720i. It wasn't recording speed or cadence. I stopped, tried to fix it, and gave up. Plan B--use the PT as an odometer--kicked in. On my bike again, I headed out toward the back country at a good and steady pace. Because I had paused to fix the Polar, I missed riding with the lead group. That was a blessing. Instead of having to keep up with them, I settled into my own pace.

The climb up Harmony Springs Rd was easy. One cyclist, Kelly DeBoer, caught up to me and commented on my form. He was very complimentary. He talked to me for a bit, told me about his cycling exploits, invited me out to ride one of the Amgen stages with his group, and kindly introduced me to several other cyclist who were behind us. Two of them, Nicole and John, were 508 veterans. We talked a little bit more and then Kelly pulled ahead of us. That's when I noticed that this old guy was riding a fixed gear Schwinn. His form was elegant and beautiful!

Lesson learned: Ultracycling is an art that requires time to develop. George was right, endurance cyclists are products of years of consistent riding. The work ahead of me is significant. Maybe one day I'll ride strong like Kelly.

The ride to El Monte park was good. I felt strong and comfortable on the bike. The ascents were easy and my pace was steady. I ate and drank regularly. At El Monte Park (control #1) I stopped and lingered. I should have timed myself. I know that I was there for more than ten minutes. I shared my Perpetuem with other cyclists, chatted, and readjusted my clothing. All was well.

The climb up HWY 67 was stellar. It felt effortless. I climbed with strength and joy. Yup, I said it, JOY. I love to climb. I love to feel my leg muscles and ass doing that work.

Lesson learned: Love it!

Ramona was a mental pisser. Although the route gave specific directions, the directions didn't jive with what was posted on the street signs. Dye turned into Ramona and that turned into another street name. 12th street became another street name as well. By the time I was on Old Julian Hwy, I was a little miffed. I have issues.

Lesson that I WANT to learn: Chill!

The climb up OLH started out well, was visually stunning, and lonely. My energy levels started to drop about 1/3 of the way. My right leg, which is my problem child, began to ache. To be specific, my inner thigh and hip joint area were giving me issues. I used the stops to shed clothing, stretch a little bit, and talk to myself. Back on the bike, I continued the climb without enthusiasm until I reached the highway junction. At that point I just wanted to be at Dudley's (control 2) so that I could get off the bike again, eat soup, and change into other clothes.

At the control I ate tepid soup (an indicator that I was at the back end of the group). I had my picture taken with Alonso, one of the cyclists from Tijuana, and chatted. I chatted with the Mexicans, the old guys, and the novice randonneurs. I must have been there for twenty minutes! Alonso and I decided to ride together after control 2.

As we departed Dudley's, I felt my energy return. We rode at a good pace, saw the sun set, and descended to Ramona. On Main Street I turned my lights on. Alonso didn't. Although he had a NiteRider, he didn't turn it on. In fact, he hardly turned it on. It turned out that his NiteRider was the only light on his bike and its battery life was short: 2 hours. Two hours! What was he thinking? We had at least 5 to 6 hours of night time riding ahead of us! Whatever. I led us from Ramona to control 3 with my lights as the only illumination. Because he was slower, I had to slow my pace down to match his. In addition, because I'm not a confident descender, my pace slowed down considerably. HWY 67, a joy during the day, became a slow slog.

An additional frustration for me was Alonso's habit of answering his cell phone on the bike. He spoke to his wife every 20 to 30 minutes. The calls were incessant. I heard every crackly conversation ( he had his phone set on speaker mode). Every other call would involve the same routine of explaining when he would arrive at control 3 and who should be there with extra clothes and lights and what route they should take to cross the border.

The cycling to Alpine was not my favorite. I wasn't eating regularly and my energy levels fluctuated from good to low. Alonso was fading fast and slowing down even more. By the time we had arrived at Carl's Jr, I knew that he wouldn't be able to continue. When we pulled into the parking lot, several of Alonso's family members were there with the desired lights and clothes. We shared a meal with them and twenty minutes later, we were back on the road. But wait! There's more! Because he was fatigued and his lights weren't working as well as expected, his family decided to follow us closely up Japatul Rd! I couldn't believe it.

I continued to ride in front with Alonso and his family's SUV behind me. After fifteen minutes, Alonso started to feel nauseous. It was at that point that he decided to drop out of the brevet. I rode the rest of the brevet alone.

And I loved it!

Japatul was the highlight of this brevet. It was pitch dark, pleasantly cold, steep (at certain parts) and long. My god, I loved every painful minute. I felt wonderful!

On Lyons Road, my fortunes changed. The WORST part of the event was about to happen. Lyons Valley Rd was hateful. It was cold, I was no longer full of energy, and I had to descend. It became colder with the descent and my gloves were useless. Shivering, miserable, and pouty, I pulled out in Jamal and hung out at an RV park for about ten minutes. I sat on my hands. I shoved my hands down my cycling pants. I did everything to bring color and warmth back to my hands. Mike helped me out with an extra pair of gloves, as mentioned in the last post, and I was able to finish.

Eighteen hours strong.

I rode a 300 km brevet yesterday in San Diego. All told, it took me 18 hours to complete this challenging event. With 13,000 feet of climbing, I feel accomplished.

I believe my time could have been shortened by at least an hour or an hour and a half. But I did two things in this brevet that cost me time: 1) I hung out at the controls too long, and 2) I helped out a fellow cyclist. The former I can change, the latter is non-negotiable. In the future, I will cut my time at the controls. I'll be more efficient about getting in and out. Period. With regards to the latter, well, if ever another cyclist is having difficulties and I have it in my power to help him, I will. When there is a need, time as an agenda item becomes irrelevant. I'll explain what happened later.

Nutrition
For this event I had a decent pre-ride dinner and on Saturday morning I ate a light breakfast consisting of a turkey sandwich and 1 bottle of Accelerade. On the bike I made sure to stay hydrated and fed. I subsisted on Hammer gels, Perpetuem, and Accelerade. I did eat one Clif bar before climbing Hwy 67, but I hated eating every little bite: eating a semi-moist biscuit is the last thing I want to do on a looooong bike ride! I'm not sure if it helped or not, but I zoomed up Hwy 67 without a problem. Food at the controls consisted of the usual fare: bananas, oranges, pb n' j, grapes... Warm, solid food was given to us at control 2, and at control 3 I ate a basic cheeseburger LADEN with pickles (onions and mayo were held.) It was a damned good burger too!

I ate a gel every hour or so and made sure to drink the fuel I was carrying. It worked out really well. I never bonked, never felt thirsty or hungry, never felt compromised by gi issues. It was perfect... uuuuuuntil the arrival of the NIGHT. After 5 PM, I became sloppy and inconsistent with my hourly regimen! For some weird reason, I abandoned my nutrition intake during the night portion of the ride. I must have deluded myself with the idea that a Carl's Jr burger would fuel me for the remaining climb up Japatul Rd and down to Otay Lakes Rd. In other words, I didn't eat anything from control 3 to the finish: 50 miles! Stupid, I know.

Lesson learned: Eat and drink at night! Just because it's cooler and the sun is no longer beating the brow, the body is still working. Fuel consistently!

Mechanical Issues

My bike was in perfect condition. It had been tuned up the week before. My Serotta had a new chain and cassette (12-27) as well as a new Conti 4000 for the rear wheel.

The only thing that didn't work was my Polar 720i. For some weird reason, the sensor wasn't picking up speed or cadence. As a result, I had to use my PT as an odometer for this trip. Usually, I like to run two trip meters--just in case. My OCD tendencies thrive on Plan B's and redundancy. Having the Polar quit on me proved to me that redundancies and back up plans are good. Having it fail also gave me a less than optimistic feeling about measuring the ride accurately. Sure enough, that's how it happened. Because I spent more time than necessary at the controls, invariably I forgot to turn on my PT upon embarking on a new leg. So, instead of recording 176 miles, the PT only has 159 miles of info. :( The other drawback with using the PT was that I was reluctant to push any buttons that would break the ride down into intervals. I was afraid that compartmentalizing the event would throw off the odometer. Very frustrating.

Lesson learned: Check all equipment before the event

Clothing
Earth Wind And Rider clothing ROCKS! Wool is swell. My body temperature was well regulated throughout the ride. I DID get awfully cold during the last twenty miles of the brevet, but that had nothing to do with my clothing. Instead, my shivers came from not having the appropriate gloves on. Sure, I wore long fingered gloves, but they weren't insulated enough to keep my fingers from turning white. Although I own a pair of Smartwool cycling gloves, I didn't pack them for this ride. Big f'n mistake. By the time I was in Jamul, I was a shivering mess. I pulled into a lonely RV park, got off the bike, and cowered in the corner of the main office's outdoor lobby area. Illuminated by a sole yellow light, I must have looked pathetic. It was a Nighthawks at the Diner moment. By luck, Mike Berry pulled over in his SUV, took a good look at me, and offered a pair of loaner gloves to wear over my less than warm cycling gloves. They were huge and fluffy! Transformed into Hobbit paws, the warmth in my hands had a miraculous effect on me: I was able to cycle comfortably--and with power-- to the Bonita finish.

Lesson learned: Never underestimate the ill effect of cold weather on the human body. If you have the equipment, bring it along! Next time, carry the Smartwool gloves!

This map shows the elevation gain for this Saturday's 300km brevet. It is going to kick my ass.

My training this month has been erratic and inconsistent. Since the second week of January, my mind has been focused on other, more pressing matters. I revisited old habits: eating comfort foods, being sedentary, staying up late, surfing the web. My cycling, which is structured and focused, was abandoned for a catatonic state of ennui. How swell, no?

Not really.

This brevet will tell me who's boss. (Hint! Life is the boss!)