52 in da heat...

 

08/05/2023 Ride:

51.68 Miles

1,421 ft climbed

4h 14m duration

Riders on the Tour de Burkle par quatieme as David put it on his Strava:

Billy b, David the Beaver, and Mark

Slow and Steady wins the race they say.  Well slow and steady was definitely my pace on Saturday.  Well if your conciser 10.32 miles per hour average speed slow and steady.  The goal was 52 miles on Saturday.  We went a little bit over, and that is ok.  Interesting enough of the three riders we all went three different distances according to our Strava's. 

Saturday the 5th was supposed to be a hot one in Livermore and it lived up to that.  I think we topped out at 92 or 93.  That isn't cool.  However, the head held off for most of the ride.  Most of it, I said, not all of it. We left Kona and my house at around 9 a.m.  Of course like most mornings when I am not in a hurry, I forgot something when we took off and I had to stop and go back and get my bite guard.  You would think by now that I would know to put the stupid thing in before, I take off because I tend to grind a little bit more and a little bit harder when I am exerting a lot of effort.  Also, I hate popping back into the house and grabbing something after I have told the Girl goodbye.  It just teases her that I am back home already when in fact I haven't really left yet. 

This was a newer route filled with some old favorites.  We left the house and did the mile loop around the block (Village to Garaventa Ranch to Altamont Creek to Laughlin to Northfront).  I like to get the first mile win touring the neighborhood.  We then took Nortfront back to Garaventa Ranch and went right and started to push out towards our old friend Manning Road.  

I wanted to get the bigger climb we were doing out of the way in the morning. Especially, since I had something new planned for that day.  Normally, we go out to Manning and take it up to the top and go left when we get to Carneal.  Today though we were going right on Carneal and taking this to Highland and going left again, and this would take us down to the base of our favorite road or maybe our second favorite  road CCR (Collier Canyon Road).  

Manning isn't a bad climb when you are not dying of heat.  I think I have said that before, and I will say it again.  It is not easy.  However, it is a good up.  There is no shade on Manning so when it is hot out it becomes a real bear.  

Riding out towards Manning

Climbing up Manning almost at the top

As we got near the top of Manning.  David decided he was in London and started riding the wrong direction.  No, not so, I Lie of course.  I am not sure if you can see it or not but there is another cyclist up ahead pulled off on the side of the road and David is going to help him out.  See Manning and the surrounding roads out in the country there had just been repaved.  There was a lot of loose rock and gravel out there.  The cyclist had gotten a rock stuck between his tire and breaks.  So he was pulled over and trying to get his bike back operational.  David and Mark stopped to help. Since,  I was sure those two expert cyclist had it covered, I just went on pushing up Manning.  

At the top of Manning, I called for a Palaver.  Wanted to let the fellas know that the roads we were going to on would be the same condition as what we were riding.  If we wanted we could just go left on Carneal and get to CRR and it would not have the same road conditions.  We all agreed we would push on.  Which is what I wanted to do, because there was a new hill to climb going up CCR.  So, I am glad we continued on.  

Highland actually surprised me.  I thought there were a few ups on it that we had to push through.  However, it was mostly down hill.  It was a fast down hill too.  I was a little nervous going down it because I had never done it before.  I had no recollection of the down hill from my drive on the road last week but that happens.  Often things in a car vs a bike are different.  

Coming off the downhill on Highland you shoot up CCR really fast.  Then. you start climbing.  It isn't a bad climb.  Not at all.  It is a good climb.  A few more ups than coming up it the other direction like we did last week.  However, it was a nice addition to the Manning climb.  We stopped at the top and had a little snack and water break.  There were three other cyclist there who came up from the other direction.  The cheered me on as I went up and by them.  That is always nice to get some cheers in.  They took off and while we were resting this skinny dude road up and stopped behind us.  David and Mark made small talk with him or maybe it was just David.  However, he took off just a little ahead of us and started his descent down CCR.  

I told David and Mark, that I was going to catch the skinny fucker and I took off in pursuit.  I wish all bike rides cold be like coming down CCR.  It is fast and fun.  Plus, it is a nice long down hill, and that is always a positive in my book.  

Since I was giving chase though it was not all coasting downhill and letting gravity do its work.  I mean I am always faster going down than most people because gravity pulls me and my extra weight down faster.  I think it is some law of physics or something.  So, I worked hard giving chase.  The guy had no idea I was chasing him down.  It was just a little game I was playing with myself to see if I could reel him in.  I did it smart, because I knew we still had like 30 miles to go and I didn't want to zap all my energy.  However, even with that I was able to catch him.  I never passed him though.  I needed to wait (and this would be the only time I had to wait on Mark and David trust me) and my biking buddies.   So, I let him go as soon as I was in a position to pass him.  It made me feel good though.  I like catching people.  It doesn't happen very often.  So when it does, I get excited.  

When we came out of CCR we went and found a gas station for our first rest and refill of the day.  It was good taking on some more water as I had already drank a liter.  We rested and stretched our legs for a bit and then headed out on Portola to cross over the 580 and start heading towards Pleasanton.  

We took Portola to Murrieta and then took that to Jack London.  Jack London turns into Stoneridge either at the outlets or just after them.  Stoneridge is a long fucking road.  A lot longer than you think as you drive it.  We took Stoneridge to Hopyard.   Stoneridge has awesome bike lanes.  Lots of space to ride. 

Turning left on Hopyard was a hard.  Stoneridge is a busy road.  Hopyard is a busy road.  So David and I road across Hopyard and then used the cross walk to cross Stoneridge.  It just seemed easier and safer that way.  I know I felt more comfortable doing that.  

Now is the part of the bike ride where I got us lost, but it was one of those mistakes that probably worked out for the best.  Who knew that Hopyard ran itself into Downtown Pleasanton?  I know I didn't know that.  I am sure most people familiar with the area know it.  Me, not so much.  I was looking for a road called Bel Valle Parkway.  See, I couldn't read the map on Mapmyride correctly.  The road I was looking for was Del Valle.  So when we got to Del Valle we decided as a group to just keep riding and we missed our turn.  Lucky for us, Hopyard runs right into DT Pleasanton.  So, we were able to navigate through a pretty sweet car show and get back onto the path which I had mapped out for us.  There were a ton of cool cars in DT Pleasanton on Saturday.  Me though was not in the looking mood.  It still wasn't super hot out but we still had a ways to go and I wanted to get them done.  

We made out second stop heading out of Downtown Pleasanton at a liquor store.  We refilled out bottles.  I ate my second uncrustable.  We relaxed and cooled down a bit.  Then we pushed off for the final stretch.  The ride back to Livermore, and then up and out the Altamont Pass Road to the dump and then back home. 

We took Stanley back to Livermore.  However, I forgot about the road construction.  It just made things a little more difficult but wasn't really an obstacle.  It did mean riding a little bit more on Stanley itself since the bike path was unavailable due to construction.  It was ok.  We made it and then once the bike path opened we took it the rest of the way done.  It was actually much more pleasant than the last time David and I road on Stanley.  It was another 50 mile ride, when I had that Italian seat that killed my ass and the heat was dialed up twice as hot that day or so it seemed.  It was still not too bad out.  The heat was climbing but it was not awful at that point.  

We took Stanley till it became Railroad and then turned left on First Street and headed over the overpass.  I hit my wall here because the heat started climbing.  I was out riding with an infection on my stomach and on antibiotics.  I could have quit right then and there.  However, I wasn't going to to quit.  I wasn't going to be the person to through in the flag.  Even though part of me wanted to.  

Going over Mines road and overpass there is where the heat finally showed up and let everyone know hey, I am here and I am going to make you miserable the rest of the way.  Maybe it was the concrete?  Maybe it was being higher in air because you were going up and over?  Maybe it was both, but going up and over on Mines was so freaking hot.  I really did want to lay the bike down and curl into a ball and quit.  However, I don't quit.  I think I am too stupid to do that.  

So, we powered up Patterson Pass to Greenville.  I was teetering on the bite me zone here.  David called me out on it too.  I know I was.  I am not sure if that is why David brought up was it the smartest idea to go from 41 miles to 51 miles from week to week or was maybe a 5 mile increase better.  I think it was the fact, I had nothing left in the tank but that was not good ride conversation when we still had 10 miles or so to go, in my mind.  Oh, I am a temperamental little bugger aren't I.  I think he had a great point, but at this point in time, we were out there in the heat doing it.  So, let it be done.  That thinking would come back to bit me in the ass though. 

As we headed from Patterson to Greenville I mentioned to David we don't necessarily have to go to the dump.  I really thought riding to the first gas station we stopped at had given us a few extra miles.  David said we had mapped it so we should ride it.  See being the passive aggressive midwesterner that I am I was trying to get him to call it off, not me.   

So we turned from Greenville onto Altamont Pass road.  I was hot at this point both mentally and physically.  Hot mentally because I knew I was toast and I was to stubborn to admit it and to stubborn to stop riding.  Physically should be self explanatory because it was freaking hot out.  

When I normally ride up Altamont Pass to the dump and back it is cool out.  Doing it in the heat at the end of a long ride was not fun.  I was definitely in the bite me zone.  I wanted to turn around so bad.  I had done a great ride.  I had gone far.  Cutting it a little short wouldn't be so bad.  However, there is no quit in the kid.  I wasn't going to stop and I knew it.  So, I pushed on.  I noticed at this point my BPM was up in the 170's so I tried to lower my heart rate by breathing and gearing down into an easier set up.  I am used to being at 160 BPM but 170 seemed to high. I knew it was some combination of the heat, the infection, and the tiredness and the climb up the pass.  I just kept going like the little engine that could.  I think I can, I think I can, etc.... etc...

I got to the dump, I didn't even bother saying anything to the fella's I jus turned and headed back.  I was spent.  David asked me if I was ok and I mumbled something out like I was fine.  At this point it was a push back home and we were done.  So, we came down off Altamont Pass back onto Northfront to Laughlin to home.  Maybe I missed a few turns in there but we got back home.  

It was hot but it was a great ride.  In the end even with the last ten miles being a push, it was good riding, and I had a lot of fun.  I really enjoyed it and am already looking forward to getting out there next weekend to do it again.  

From photos from the road: