Day 128: I’m Still Sick on a Beautiful Day!

I suspected that I’d still be fighting my cold when I woke up this morning, and I was right. The good news for me is that it doesn’t seem to be moving around at all. It’s staying upstairs, so to speak, and staying away from my lungs. Phew. I was worried that it would hit my lungs and that truly would put the kibosh on my rides. I puttered around all morning doing little chores and such, but what I was really doing was taking it easy. I even cleaned my mountain bike, which is ludicrous given the season, and that I was about to ride it again. Most of my bikes just get a cleaned and lubed chain, and that’s it. I don’t have time for deep cleaning. ;-) However today was different. The sun was shining on my porch, and I was resting, so what better time to get fastidious about cleaning my SuperHeavy. It remained clean until about 3:00 pm when the bike hit the trail with me again. In looking at my elevation gains since getting sick, it almost made me sicker. So today I was headed to the top of Mount Tamalpais no matter how I felt. It was a gorgeous day in the mid 70’s and there were no winds. There were beautiful skies, and lots of people out on the trails enjoying the great fall weather.

I took one of my usual routes up to the West Point Inn where I stopped to catch my breath on the log bench. As I sat there I wondered what little creature had previously lived inside the tree that I was sitting on. It must have burrowed in and obviously created a tunnel system. For the tree it must have been akin to fleas on a dog. Does anyone know more about this? I made it to East Peak in 1:09 today and that’s about 30-40 minutes faster than when I started Riding to Recovery. As I get fitter, my rides are getting shorter, so I need to think about the ramifications of that. It’s funny to me that my cold hasn’t really slowed down my pace, even though I’m trying to be measured with my efforts. I guess that I’ll need to plan longer rides on the mountain, but that will basically mean that I'll need to ride on the back side regularly, and that’s an commitment to much longer rides. Hmmm.

Distance: 21.42 miles Calories burned: 2,158 Time: 1:59:47 hours Elevation gain: 3,445 Garmin Connect ride details: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/17015726

Day 127: Taking it Easy While Healing

Beyond trying to get some work done, I was basically a couch potato today. My energy level was low due to the cold that I’m fighting off. I’m hoping that it stays in my upper respiratory system and that it doesn’t dive into my lungs. I’m also hoping that this is the only illness that I have during my year of Riding to Recovery.

Wow, “M” just stopped by to loan me his brand new Lights & Motion lighting system! The amount of compassion that I’ve been shown by people since the start of my journey is absolutely amazing. I’m not used to or comfortable with people helping me, but I’m so incredibly happy that they are. I’ve needed to learn to ask for help, and not keep thinking that I can do everything on my own. “M,” you have a big heart and are made of the right stuff. Thanks!

I started off on my road bike today with the intention of doing a mellow ride around Paradise Drive. It was another beautiful day here, and I couldn’t have asked for anything to be better than it was. The temperatures were in the mid 70’s, no winds to speak of, and with crystal clear skies.

Just as I was reaching the beginning of the road that takes you to Harbor Point, and right next to Highway 101, I heard pi-shiiish, shish, shish… I had punctured my tire and it was making the familiar noise of air being blown out of a rotating tire. I braked hard in order to stop before the tire had completely deflated. I looked around and saw a nice picnic bench that’s right by the wetlands, so I walked over there where I could relax, take it easy, and fix my flat. It figures that I’d flat while I’m also sick.

Minutes later I was back on my bike and headed home instead of around the Paradise Loop. I only had one patch kit with me, and no phone today, so I played it safe and rode home. Once there, I swapped shoes, and jumped onto my SuperHeavy mountain bike. I had also praised Tugboat for another successful time of being at home alone and NOT getting into the garbage or recycling. Riding my mountain bike was easier than going through all of the hoopla to get a couple of new road tubes out, and a new patch kit, etc. So I headed up the mountain.

I took the easiest of the available routes up there today, and I was glad that I did. While up there I met a mother that was hiking with her newborn on her back. She told me that she’s looking forward to the day when she can be back on her bike.

I stopped at Mountain Home Inn to take in the views, and to get some more water. It’s hard to believe that I was married there in 2000. I feel absolutely no attachment to the place now, but it's a great place to sit and to take in the views of the San Francisco Bay.

As I rode over to Double Bow Knot via Gravity Car, I thought about how lucky I am to be outside (even while being sick), and during the prelude to winter. I passed about ten riders that were coming up the trail, and they were all smiling, and I bet that was due to it being Friday, and because they were on their bikes.

Distance: 16.84 miles

Calories burned: 1,248

Time: 1:31:46 hours

Elevation gain: 1,576

Garmin Connect ride details: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/16894348

Day 126: I'm Sick

You guessed it, I’m sick, Damn it! I woke up this morning and what I had feared yesterday had come to fruition. I could barely talk in the morning, and I had business calls that I needed to make. I guess that it could be worse. I think that I’m going to be able to ride through this cold since the weather looks like it’s going to be pretty darn spectacular during the next week. Wish me luck. I really don’t want to use any of my 24 credit rides… I waited until the afternoon to head out for my ride. I wanted the sun to warm things up as much as possible before I rode. I used a vest as an extra layer today to protect my chest. It wasn’t cold out, but I wanted to play it safe. It’s always better to be warmer, than colder, especially when you have a cold. Today I decided to do a really mellow ride on my road bike. When I say “mellow,” that means that I did one of my easier rides, and at a reasonable pace, which today was actually pretty fast. ;-) After a few minutes in the saddle I realized that I’d need to consciously hold back a bit since my legs actually felt strong. As I pedaled along I’d lose my thoughts to daydreaming about my life, and then suddenly I’d look down at my Garmin GPS unit to see that I was doing over 20 mph, and then I’d let up. I guess that's not too bad for a sick 44 year old. The day was absolutely spectacular! There were no winds to speak of, and the temperature was 72 degrees. I’m so lucky to live here. I can't even imagine what it's like for my in-laws in MI, where it was 47 degrees and raining as of a minute ago. That's not bad for them at this time of year. ;-) I’m really enjoying all of the migrating birds that are hanging out in the wetland areas. There are dozens of species represented during any given ride-by, and it makes me wish that my soon to be ex-in-laws were here to tell me their proper names. Maybe someday I’ll have the time to learn more about the birds that migrate through California. That reminds me that I need to take a photo of the fake coyotes on the Tamalpais High School fields. They're supposed to keep the Canadian Geese from eating the grass. Good luck with that.

I came home to another success with Tugboat. He’s so smart. He’s learned that he will get a cookie when I leave to ride, and IF HE DOESN’T DESTROY THE RECYCLING AND GARBAGE while I’m gone, then he gets another cookie when I come home. I’ve never met a smarter dog. I absolutely adore him! To think that someone dumped him at a shelter in Merced is unthinkable to me.

Distance: 24.74 miles Calories burned: 1,598 Time: 1:38:38 hours Elevation gain: 1,039 Garmin Connect ride details: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/16851032

Day 125: Breaking Fifty Minutes and Bumping into Friends

I woke up this morning with the feeling that a cold might be in my future. Uugh. I just can’t get sick right now. I need to stay healthy so that I can continue to ride every day. So I dosed up on vitamins and hoped for the best. As the day progressed I had a few more reminders that a cold might be on the way, but they seemed to go away by the early afternoon. After having a wonderful conversation with one of my friends, and work colleagues, I mounted mike SuperHeavy and headed towards the mountain. Since the morning made me feel a bit suspect physically, I was fully prepared for an off day in the saddle. I started feeling a bit "off", but with each stroke of the pedal I seemed to settle in. I cleared some lingering gremlins from my throat and lungs during the first mile or so, and that felt good. Then, just as I was cresting the last hill that’s on the road to the trail, a guy passed me at speed and didn’t even respond to my “hello.” I just hate that. I could tell that this guy was fit, but not seasoned, and that can make a huge difference when riding. I’m over-seasoned at this point, so I knew that if I kept up my own pace that I’d chase this guy down sooner than later. Sure enough, and only within minutes, I was on the back of his rear wheel and preparing to do a pass. I passed him in my middle chainring, and sixth gear, which I decided to hold onto for the remainder of the ride to West Point Inn. That wasn't even imaginable for me at 7:00 am.

I came upon another rider about halfway up to the inn and I passed him with the same vigor as the others, and of course I said a friendly hello, but I didn’t scrutinize the rider’s face. My bad. I should look at fellow riders in the eye out of respect, right? I continued on at the same pace, but I was feeling it in my legs and knees during the final mile. I reached the Inn in a record time at approximately 49 minutes. My previous best time was just over 51 minutes. Yahoo! About five minutes later, up rolled the people that I had passed on the way up. I glanced over at them as I was beginning to take some photos, including one of me. Well, it’s really of my shadow (shown left), but it’s the first one to make it onto Riding to Recovery. Anyway, one of the riders rolled right up to me, which was a bit surprising. He looked at me and said, “You're John, right?” I looked again and realized that he was an old friend that used to work at WTB. I hadn't seen him in years. He was clearly one of the best riders at the company, and the county for that matter, at that time (1996-1980, I think), and someone that I respected for his amazing technical riding capabilities. Could I have blown the doors off of him on the way up the hill?!? I guess that I had. He's now a firefighter in Marin, and isn't in his former shape or glory, but it was fun to have him coming up from behind. We talked for a while and I told him about R2R. He was blown away and was also very encouraging about what I’m doing. “C” is an amazing rider, and in fact, one of the first pro-level riders with whom I’d ever ridden. That was back in 1998. I reminded him of that, and he pointed to the trail that we had taken that day. I think that we remember most of the rides that we take. Therein is the passion that we all carry for cycling. Thanks "C." On the way back home I bumped into my favorite young friend “L.” He was flying up the hill. You can tell these things if you’re riding a lot. I was flying down the hill, but I yelled to him and we stopped to talk for a bit. The sunlight was limited, and he was just headed up the hill, so I told him to get going. I’m seeing he and his family on Friday night, so we’ll catch up then.

Today was an unexpectedly good day on the bike. It brought back memories from ten years ago, and also showed me that I’m getting fitter and fitter. I say that as I cough a bit. I hope that I can evade a cold. Right now I feel it coming back with a vengeance.

Distance: 16.30 miles Calories burned: 1,526 Time: 1:26:30 hours Elevation gain: 2,185 Garmin Connect ride details: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/16807597

Day 124: Back to Beautiful Weather

Today’s weather was back to being beautiful. It was a warm and sunny October day with a bit of a balmy feeling to it. I couldn’t wait to get outside to ride, but I had some work issues to tend to first. Even with the work issues in front of me, I felt like I had enough time to complete the Alpine Dam loop.

I was making good progress on my work when I heard that there was another “ASAP” issue that needed my attention at one of my favorite client's. I did some math around my schedule and decided that I could make it to their offices, do the work that needed to be done, and then still get out to do the Paradise Loop before meeting with Yoda in San Rafael. I set off to complete my revised itinerary, and I managed to get my client taken care of, including several items that weren’t on the original list. That's normal. I went home and did a quick change into my riding gear before grabbing my road bike from the rack. I was feeling a bit of soreness in my legs today. I think that the combination of Sunday’s ride around Mount Diablo via Morgan Territory, combined with riding up Mount Tamalpais in the rain yesterday, had left my legs a bit sore. I haven’t been sore in my legs in a while. I think that riding in the rain adds a lot of weight to the bike and my clothing, so I end up pushing more weight up the hill, and apparently enough to make me sore. Ouch. As I pedaled around the loop I enjoyed the wetlands that are teeming with migrating birds right now. I wish that I knew more about the various species. They're fun to watch as I ride by. It's an ever changing habitat that's yards away from Highway 101. This wetland area must have been an amazing place before we arrived, built freeways, and shopping malls. It's amazing that the water fowl have adapted as well as they have to living in our midst. I enjoyed seeing my friend "S" tonight for dinner and Mark Pitta's Comedy Night. Laughter and great company is good for me, and now it's a regular part of my recovery. During tonight's show Mark announced that the Throckmorten Theatre is having some financial difficulties and that they need our help to raise money. Mark's show alone is worth saving, but the Throckmorten Theatre stands as the last place in Mill Valley where one can go to find entertainment. Without this theatre we will have nothing here but restaurants, boutiques, and bars. Do the math on that. Anyway, I'll keep in touch with their efforts and keep all of you in touch too.

Distance: 24.51 miles Calories burned: 1,598 Time: 1:36:00 hours Elevation gain: 874 Garmin Connect ride details: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/16754623

Day 123: Getting Wet Again

The weatherman got it wrong today. That’s a big surprise right? During this morning’s newscast he had predicted that the rains wouldn’t start until the afternoon at approximately 3:00 pm. Before the newscast had concluded the rains had already begun here in Mill Valley. How can they be that far off when they have radar? I had a little better luck today by waiting until later to ride. The rains died down a bit in the afternoon, so I bundled myself up in the same rain gear as last week. I think that as long as the temperatures are in the upper 50’s I’ll be able to continue using a waterproof shell over a regular jersey and shorts. I’ll need to bring out the heavy artillery if the temperatures dip below todays.

After last week’s rains it was much easier and less stressful for me to just walk my bike out the door and into the rains. So today I just stepped out of the house and hopped onto my bike and started pedaling.

As I rode up Railroad Grade I could tell that we had some significant amounts of rain on the mountain. There were deep grooves in the road from the runoff, as well as mini landslides that had spewed rocks onto the fire road. There was also a large section of Panoramic Highway that looks like it's begun to slide. I don’t remember it being that way last week. I think that in many cases, I’ll the first one to see storm damage since I’m riding during, or right after the rains.

I stopped at the West Point Inn after seeing the sun beginning to poke out from behind the clouds. It felt good to get a little bit of warmth from the sun. From there I pedaled down Old Stage Coach to Pantoll Station. For the record, when it’s raining, and immediately afterwards, I’m going to solely ride on fire roads where the drainage is good, and I can’t cause any damage to the trails.

By the time that I had reached Pantoll Station I was soaked and a little bit cold. I knew that I would be fine given that I was only 30 minutes from home, and I also had one more climb that would warm me up a bit.

By the time that I had reached my house my toes and fingers were numb. It took about half an hour to thaw out by the heater. All in all it was a good "wet day" in the saddle, and not as difficult as last week’s big storm.

Distance: 17.29 miles

Calories burned: 1,565 Time: 1:46:28 hours

Elevation gain: 2,422 Garmin Connect ride details: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/16705718

Day 122: 33 1/3 and Riding with Melvis in the Morgan Territory

Today’s ride marks one-third of the way for me in Riding to Recovery. I’m probably making a bigger deal out of these milestones than is necessary, but it’s kind of nice for me to recognize these little accomplishments. It gives me incentive to do a bigger ride than normal, and to celebrate a bit along the way to my recovery.

I had the pleasure of doing the ride with my buddy Melvis Barends (a fictitious name). He had planned the ride, and also sent out invites to lots of our riding friends, but in the end he and I rode alone. I was perfectly happy with that since he and I ride well together, and sometimes packs of riders can cause more harm than good.

The plan was to ride around the circumference of Mount Diablo via the Morgan Territory. I had not been out there since I was a child. I think that the last time was when I drove out there with my brother in his MG during the 1970’s. It’s been a long time, and that’s the bottom line. Getting to the back side of Mount Diablo requires a blend of riding on bike paths, through old pedestrian tunnels, and even riding on the freeway-like Ignacio Valley Blvd.

Once that we reached Clayton, and were greeted by some rednecks that yelled at us from there ex-police car, we were beginning to see less traffic and fewer people. We turned right onto Marsh Creek Rd. and began our ride into the country. We took another right turn onto Morgan Territory Rd. Within a few miles it turns into a single lane road that at first simply roller coasters you along the back side of Mount Diablo, and then it turns up.

It’s a really beautiful area that's studded with Valley Oaks, and at this time of year, the rich smell that fall provides is absolutely amazing. I bet that it’s hotter than hell out there during the summer months. Anyway, it’s a beautiful ride to take during the fall.

As we rode on I heard Mel yell, “Look at that.” I think that I looked up rather than down. I finally took notice of the large Tarantula that was walking up the middle of the road. Wow! They sure are cool looking, and menacing at the same time. I told him that we needed to stop for a photo. My camera had died earlier on the ride, so these two photos are courtesy of Melvis’ iPhone. As he approached the Tarantula it reared its butt in anger. Well, you can see that in the photo. Afterwards we heard a car coming, one of the few that we would see during the entire ride on Morgan Territory Rd. We knew that we had to divert the Mercedes Benzs SUV in order to save the spider’s life. Melvis started waving his arms, which he’s good at doing, and I turned and saluted the SUV’s driver for slowing down and missing the Tarantula.

Before the next car came by Melvis took a stick and ushered the spider to the side of the road. It was peeved that he was being escorted, but that’s only because it didn’t know that we were helping it to survive and unpleasant squashing by a car.

We pedaled on from there, and the brief respite had helped me recover from an upset stomach that I’d had since the beginning of the ride. It couldn’t have come at a better time for me as we were about to face a long and arduous climb. A climb that I hadn’t expected, nor been prepared for.

The twisty and windy climb gives you no perspective on how high up you’ve already climbed, or how far it is to the top. It’s almost like riding through a tunnel of Oak trees in terms of perspective. The climb kept going and going. It would pitch upwards of 12% and then flatten out briefly before turning upwards again. It must have been at least a half hour of steady climbing. Near the top I heard some riders coming up from below. I had lost Melvis off the back near the beginning of the climb, so I actually thought that he might be in the group. It turned out to be the Taleos Bicycle Racing team with a dozen or so riders in tow. I hooked onto the back of the first group of them, and the pace went up quickly from there. I dropped off a few minutes later after asking myself why I was pushing hard to keep up with racers that are twenty some years old? I'll be 45 next month, and I have no business trying to keep up with these younger guys...sheesh.

I made it to the top where I waited for Melvis. It was a much tougher climb than I had anticipated. As we rode over the crest of the climb we were greeted by the immense views that told the story of just how far up we had ridden. The ride down was a blast, and scary at the same time. We were moving at well over 35 mph at times, and the winds were blowing from the side which was washing out our front wheels. Scary stuff while riding 16 lbs bicycles and while wearing Lycra.

We made it to Danville where we stopped in at Pegasus Bicycle Works to have a Peets coffee and to visit with our friends. We refueled on homemade cookies and visited with one of the owner’s family. Nice stuff.

From there we rode for another hour back to Melvis’ home where we had a fantastic late lunch, and where their daughter “V” drew two pictures for me. She even told me that she “loves me.” I’m her “Tio Jaun,” so I like hearing that she loves me, and Tugboat too. ;-) What a great child, and one that’s being raised in the right way. Kudos to her parents.

So that was my 33 1/3 day in the saddle. The good news is that when I came home to Tugboat he hadn’t trashed the recycling, or gotten into the garbage, so I think that the training that I’ve been doing with him is working. I think that I’m a good “dog dad,” and I don’t mind saying so myself. ;-) Thanks for the great day Melvis, “J” and “V!”

Distance: 61.61 miles Calories burned: 4,140

Time: 3:59:07 hours Elevation gain: 2,983

Garmin Connect ride details: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/16654880