After yesterday's less than stellar performance, I logged a good night's sleep. The thunderheads were looming over the east with a foreboding grandeur. I checked with my weather czar, Matt, who predicted no rain west of Baldy Road. Good call. I enjoyed the cooler temperatures and set my initial goal of decreasing my time to the first saddle by five minutes. A mild cramp in the hip flexor after the first steep climb by the ranger station made me rethink my goal. Then Motivation showed up and said "Hi". Ken's friends bailed when they saw the thunderheads. Ken spurred my legs to the first saddle and I met my goal plus more. I improved my time by 7.5 minutes. Best time in three months. 52:29. Wow. Thanks Ken.
I am jazzed at my good day and recall a wise saying from Steve: you train on the bad days to make the good days better.
This feels better.
Ken recalled his ride on that wet and wild Sunday August the 3rd when Baldy experienced 4-5 inches of rain in one and a-half hours. The day where flash floods deposited mud waist deep in Baldy Village. Ken made it to Fork plus Four on Glendora Ridge Road before the rain fell "sideways" and the decision to turn back was easy in the cold wet wind.
The photo is from Monday August 4th, the day after the rain when the road was still closed. That day I also met another gentleman. Davey who helped put on the Pomona Valley Stage Race aka. the San Dimas Stage Race.
Davey.
No comments:
Post a Comment