Moi

Just when you think you aren't going to meet anyone new, a female rider stopped and offered to take my picture. Her name was Elena from Newport Beach via the Czech Republic. She and three others were training for an Ironman in Nevada. Katie was from Hermosa Beach munching on perogi filled with potatoes. John was held up fixing a flat tire. My advice: Kevlar tires. Amardillos. They were on their way to Baldy Village and the sky slopes.

I was amazed at the forty motorcycles lined up at the bottom of the mountain at the end of my ride. I thought I had escaped motorcycle crazies. However on the way home from the movie theater in the afternoon, emergency vehicles, two police cars, fire engine, paramedic truck and ambulance were responding to a motorcycle wipe out at Glendora High School. Two days. two motorcycle accidents.

Drive safe. Cars. Motorcycles. Bicycles.

Scoop of the Day

The mountain is unforgiving for the unwary. The curves come fast and furious especially if riding a motorcycle or speeding along in a car. The adrenaline rush of the swaying turns thrill the uninitiated. One miscalculation and a split second decision can result in a disastrous outcome. Two basic options are slamming into a mountain side or careening down steep terrain.

Today a woman motorcycle rider ended up over the edge and down a bluff of several hundred feet between mile marker 10 and mile marker 9. This is just before the first saddle past the "new section of road" that has metal grid bumpers to keep folks on the road. Same spot as a car that went over the edge late December 2007 or early January 2008. The USDA officer reported she was conscious and breathing. I watched as the Sheriff's helicopter air lifted her out. She was lucky to be riding with her husband who called for help. The officer mused that there was someone out there right now over the edge needing help that they did not know about.

The helicopter swept around the hill top and then lowered a cable.



You can see the dark of the people hanging from the cable just above the added in blue squiggle line.



It had been an excellent day for a ride. Nice temperature. Bright sun dancing between dwindling clouds. For someone it was a very expensive ride.

I wish that every single motorcycle rider on the mountain would get off their CO2 generating motors and pedal a bicycle over the same course. It only takes one bad rider slaloming through the turns that put others at risk. Of course I do like having the gate closed and no motor traffic at all. But that is pure selfishness.

Quite an eventful ride.

Saturday Ride 2008-10-11

On Mountain. It was good to be on mountain after the vacation and jet lag recovery. Good to see friends. Alan and Matt, Albert and Carlos.

The weather was clear and cold in the 40-50F range. There is a new pile of sand by the first gate. The pace felt good, but the knees started complaining. Lack of use? Different geometry from the indoor trainer? Fortunately Alan came along. Caught up with projects, financial analysis vacations including his trek up Split mountain 14,000 feet in elevation. Took my focus off my knees. We made it to the maintenance shed, then Matt stopped by. Met Albert and Carlos on the way down. They were worried since I haven't been around for three weeks. I have been in Stratford-upon-Avon. They wondered if it was a second honeymoon. I laughed.

I saw the small fire on the hillside. Glendora got lucky it was small section. Met Chris who inspired Matt to get off the couch and on the bike.

TBV Triathalon Lab Results

The results of the pre-TBV Triathalon blood test are back from the local hospital. It looks like I am in good shape to ride however I will be mysteriously out of the country for two weeks prior to the event and will be unavailable for targeted testing. Hopefully I can calendar Diablo in 2009.

The glucose level is well within normal. Big sigh of relief there. My cholesterol ratio is a nice 2.0 -- lower than 1/2 the risk. There also seems to be no EPO or blood doping going on with a hematocrit level of 37.5.

"Where fore art thou?" you ask. I will be enjoying Hamlet and Love's Labor Lost in Stratford-Upon-Avon. Hamlet will be played by David Tennant better known as the 10th Dr. Who with Patrick Stewart as Claudius. A Sci-fi Shakespeare adventure is a foot.

Comprehensive Metabolic Panel:
What  Value Normal Range
Sodium  142 137-145 mmol/L
Potassium 4.2 3.6-5.0 mmol/L
Chloride 102 98-107 mmol/L
CO2  28 22-30 mmol/L
Glucose         80 65-105 mg/dL
BUN  11 7-18 mg/dL
Creatinine 0.8 0.7-1.2 mg/dL
Total Protein 7.3 6.3-8.2 g/dL
Albumin  4.2 2.5-5.0 g/dL
Calcium  8.9 8.4-10.2 mg/dL
Bilirubin,   0.3 0.2-1.3 mg/dL
AST/SGOT 29 5-40 U/L
ALT/SGPT 22 7-56 U/L
ALK PHOS 58 38-126 U/L

Lipid Panel:
Triglyceride  56 35-160  mg/dL
Cholesterol 153 50-200 mg/dL
HDL Cholesterol 78 35-86 mg/dL
LDL Cholesterol (calc) 64  62-185 mg/dL
Cholesterol/HDL Ratio 2.0 (lower than 1/2 risk factor of 3.3)


More interesting is the CBC
WBC 5.1
Red Blood Cells 4.03
Hemoglobin 12.7
Hematocrit 37.5
MCV 93.0
MCH 31.6
MCHC 34.0
RDW-CV 14.0
Platelet Cont 152.0
Mean Platelet Vol. 8.7
Netrophil 60.5
Lymph 32.3
Mono 5.7
Eos 1.0
Baso 0.50

Made it

.... You can find yourself in the mountains

-- Paul Sherwen, Tour de France 2008

After being laid up with heel pain in January and February. It has been a long slow road to regaining strength and confidence. From 16 minutes on an elliptical trainer with zero resistance burning a total of 46 kcal late February to two weeks later on the indoor Cycleops ProTrainer in March for a whopping 23 minutes and 6 miles burning 113 kcal/80kj of work/effort. To today's effort of 6 hours on the road for a distance of 46.4 miles ascending 3,700 feet in elevation and burning 2,082 kcals. There has been alot of slow steady progress over the months.

Cycling up Glendora Mountain Road the maintenance shed marks the half way point to Baldy Village. Just beyond the shed where Monroe Truck Trail meets GMR, there is a sharp descent and the road splits. To the left is East Fork, Highway 39, Azusa Canyon. To the right is Glendora Ridge Road to Mount Baldy. This is the fork. The mile markers start counting from 0 to 12 miles. My route has been fork plus two miles, fork plus four miles. Between mile 4 and 5 is a downhill. Remember, for every downhill there is an uphill return. From mile marker 5 to 8 is a fairly steady climb, it is a wall of mountain, never ending in this newbie's brain. Mile 7.2 was the farthest I had managed until today. Now it is fork plus 12 miles.

I made it. There and back again. I can tell it hasn't sunk in yet.

I made it. On my own two feet and wheels. With a road buddie, Matt of Glendora.

The exhaustion hasn't quite caught up with me. Four hours to get there. If you are doing the math, I am averaging 6 miles per hour. There are plenty of folks who pass me by. Plenty of breaks for Gatorade, water and snacks and standing in the shade to look around and enjoy the view. A million plus people on the other side of the ridge. On this side twenty. The heat and the climb got to more than one cyclist. I did pass a couple of folks standing taking a break.

The cow saddle marks the highest elevation at 4532 feet. A place to take a picture and feel good. Chat with John and Sherrie who were training for Everest Challenge. A point where visitors meet locals. One local resident had a story of how a man stole her eight year old dog from their back yard! Then it was a downhill to the town center.

The Village was shaded with pine trees and angular framed homes. It reminded me of Idyllwild. The water fountain and shade at the Post Office was a welcome relief. A dozen or more cyclists were camped out at the Lodge restaurant. I understand the french fries are excellent. No rest for the wicked. After a pit stop and telephone call to home. It was back on the road, up a one mile hill of 8% grade.

It was hot, and I didn't want to drink, but Matt had the story how even the best of us succumbs to dehydration. Another cyclist Greg, had to be airlifted out one very hot 112F day. OK, water, power drink, pour water on my head.

It was much easier between mile 8 and 5 since it was all downhill. Then the four rolling hills. The fourth hill (first on the way back) is the hardest. One hardy individual was on his recumbent bicycle. I could pass him going uphill, and he would pass be going down hill. The oddest entourage was a father and two young sons on their single speed bikes so far up the mountain. I saw drinks on their bikes. Amazing they were still happy and chatting away.

Shade was mostly gone. The four hills done. The hill by the fork is the penultimate hill for climbing. Then the sweet relief of maintenance shed and sitting on something that doesn't move. One short hill and then all down hill to home.

The shower has melted away the grease and dirt. I am ready to be one with the couch!

Recovery

It's taken two days to feel back up to snuf after back-to-back 22 mile rides on Saturday in Sunday in the intense heat and dry conditions here in Southern California.

My car needed servicing, my carpool partner was unavailable so I just "had" to work from home. I took the opportunity for the 14 miler. I felt stronger. My power wattage average over the 3.8 mile course of GMR was good.

The air was moister and the temperature cooler. The road is still closed. I realized without the cycling traffic of the weekends I was out there nearly by myself.

Gotta get the pictures from today. The view isn't as pretty as the clouds have cooled us down.

Nirvana

The sign stated road closed. The gate locked.



Mountain Road. No motorized vehicles. Nirvana.

The lure of road with out cars, without motorcycles pushed the guilty pleasure into the to-do column.


The temperature was closer to hades than heaven, at 105-108F. The heat and the winds have pushed the smog layer out to Pomona or beyond.



Starting early was a must. With the relative humidity at 20%, the moment your body sweated, it evaporated into air. I ended up a "quart and half" low after each ride in spite of consuming a full water bottle. For the first time I brought Gatorade mix on Sunday. This is the view from mile marker 5.



I optimized every moment and went the "full" distance to the top of Monroe Truck Trail or mile marker 5.00 for a round trip of 21.8 miles. A goal I haven't reached since January. Two back to back days of 22 miles of riding. Exhilaration and exhaustion. I feel back from the plantar fasciitis of February, but still mindful of heels and stretching.




Enjoy the beauty of nature while its still a bit green. This is Morris Dam in Azusa Canyon with Highway 39.



I did see a rider in a Phonak jersey Saturday. The CAS decision on another Phonak rider is still pending, but due out soon.