Date: 1/9/11
Ride: Indoor Spinning
Distance: 19 miles
Ride time: 45 min
Avg. Speed:
Elevation Gain:
Avg. Cadence:
Calories burned: 463
Good strong training.
Date: 1/11/11
Ride: Indoor Spinning
Distance: 19 miles
Ride time: 46 min
Avg. Speed:
Elevation Gain:
Avg. Cadence:
Calories burned: 466
Good strong training. Completed all challenges!!
Date: 1/15/11
Ride: Stage Coach Century
Distance: 100 miles
Ride time: 7hrs 46 min
Avg. Speed: 13.8
Elevation Gain: 4,629
Avg. Cadence: 71
Calories burned: 5,135
It was a great day for a ride!! The Stage Coach Century takes place out of the high desert town of Ocotillo, 80 miles east of San Diego. The weather was perfect, ~ 45 at the start and a average of 84 during the day. This is an out and back rout with no turns, 50 miles on S-2 stating in Ocotillo to CA 78 and back. The ride stats with an 11 mile gradual climb to Carrizo Badlands Overlook were rest stop #1 was. I did not stop and continued my ride to rest stop 2 at mile 25. After the the climb to Carrizo Badlands Overlook is a fast down hill run at Sweeney Pass that has a couple of hair pin turns. The rout continues across the desert floor with a slight up hill grade to rest stop #2. There is no shade out here and the land is rocky with a variety of plant life. You can see mountains all around in the distance. A few miles out of rest stop #2 is the first big climb of the day, Campbell grade about a mile or so long with 7 to 9% grades. I did real well and felt strong on the bike, I even pasted a couple of rides on the climb. There is a fantastic view of the desert floor and the old Stage Coach trail from the top of the grade but it was hard to stop safely so I kept on going when I reached the top.
A few miles after Campbell Grade is the climb up Box Canyon, 2 to 3 miles at grades of 6 to 8%, not as steep as Campbell Grade but a much longer climb. About 3/4 the way to the summit was rest stop #3 at mile 36. The next 14 miles to the 50 mile turn around started to get a little rough for me, I started to feel like I was getting overheated and around mile 40 my left calf and thigh stared to cramp. My energy level dropped and it was a real struggle to ride the last 5 miles to the turn around. I almost decided to stop, but after drinking electrolytes and cooling myself down by dosing my head and back with water, I started to feel much better. I filled my cameback with the electrolyte solution and I forced myself to drink it every 5 to 10 minuets, it tasted like sweat. In a short time my energy came back and I felt a lot better. Lunch was at Shelter Valley at mile 58. I had a Turkey sandwich and a coke. I don't eat big during rides, I prefer to eat light, something every hour, to keep my energy up. If I eat big, all my blood goes to my stomach and I feel like a slug for the next hour or so.
On the return trip, I turned things up a notch and started to push myself. I was riding 25 to 30 mph on the flats and slight downhill grades. Everything was going well when, BANG!!, I blew out my rear tire. I changed out the tube and it went flat again. It tuned out I blew a hole in the side wall of the tire. I just about had it fixed, I booted the hole with a one dollar bill, when the SAG wagon came by. To be on the safe side, I had them put a new tire on and bought a new tube from them. All of this took about a half hour. The rest of the ride went well. The finale climb back up Sweeney pass at mile 85, was the longest and steepest climb of the day, but I did well, I blew by the last rest stop at mile 89 and pushed on to the finish.
A few miles after Campbell Grade is the climb up Box Canyon, 2 to 3 miles at grades of 6 to 8%, not as steep as Campbell Grade but a much longer climb. About 3/4 the way to the summit was rest stop #3 at mile 36. The next 14 miles to the 50 mile turn around started to get a little rough for me, I started to feel like I was getting overheated and around mile 40 my left calf and thigh stared to cramp. My energy level dropped and it was a real struggle to ride the last 5 miles to the turn around. I almost decided to stop, but after drinking electrolytes and cooling myself down by dosing my head and back with water, I started to feel much better. I filled my cameback with the electrolyte solution and I forced myself to drink it every 5 to 10 minuets, it tasted like sweat. In a short time my energy came back and I felt a lot better. Lunch was at Shelter Valley at mile 58. I had a Turkey sandwich and a coke. I don't eat big during rides, I prefer to eat light, something every hour, to keep my energy up. If I eat big, all my blood goes to my stomach and I feel like a slug for the next hour or so.
On the return trip, I turned things up a notch and started to push myself. I was riding 25 to 30 mph on the flats and slight downhill grades. Everything was going well when, BANG!!, I blew out my rear tire. I changed out the tube and it went flat again. It tuned out I blew a hole in the side wall of the tire. I just about had it fixed, I booted the hole with a one dollar bill, when the SAG wagon came by. To be on the safe side, I had them put a new tire on and bought a new tube from them. All of this took about a half hour. The rest of the ride went well. The finale climb back up Sweeney pass at mile 85, was the longest and steepest climb of the day, but I did well, I blew by the last rest stop at mile 89 and pushed on to the finish.
