Riding was a little limited in December. We got a bit of rain in So Cal - actually - cold rain - cold enough to leave some snow at some lower elevations. The snow and the wet conditions ended up temporarily closing some of the more popular local trails.
I’ve been messing around with a new bike lately. I put together a Spot Longboard 29er with the Gates Carbon Drive Systems belt. The gearing is a bit tall for a 29er - at approximately 32:19.5, but it’s a fun ride, and quiet and smooth. I did make it up to Old Camp earlier today on the Longboard - my first time on a singlespeed on that trail. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d be. My legs and back are only moderately sore.
December 2008
Total Distance - 188.75 miles
Total Time - 20:39:45 hours
Total Ascent - 22,718 feet
Total Calories Burned - 13,639
2008 Totals
Total Distance - 3087.13 miles
Total Time - 327:21:06 hours
Total Ascent - 317,470 feet
Total Calories Burned - 234,546
Today was my last ride for 2008. Broke 300,000 feet of elevation gain for the year, spending 327 hours pedaling. Burned 234,546 calories as well. That’s a lot of Big Macs.
Well, that’s 2008 in a nutshell. I’ll be enjoying a fun-filled vacation in Peru during the holidays.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Tags: mountain bike, mountain bike log, old camp, spot longboard
November 2008
Total Distance - 262.93 miles
Total Time - 29:55:18 hours
Total Ascent - 30,064 feet
Total Calories Burned - 19,509
2008 YTD
Total Distance - 2898.37 miles
Total Time - 306:41:21 hours
Total Ascent - 294,752 feet
Total Calories Burned - 230,907
Here’s how my weekend went at the season finale of the 12 Hours of Temecula. There were at least 14 Beginners pre-registered, but I’m not sure how many more registered the day of. I had a goal in my head of 8 laps (each lap being ~10 miles with approximately 1300 feet of elevation gain).
I was expecting it to be warm, but the winds and the low humidity made it tougher. I don’t recall any moment where I was actually dripping sweat on the climbs like I normally do. Instead, my sweat would evaporate immediately and just leave the salt behind. My throat still hurts today from the dry air and dust.
I think I went out a little too quickly again and despite my heat fueling plan, I started feeling twinges of cramps early on around lap 3. I never got full on leg-locking cramps, but just twinges in my calves, hamstrings and inner thigh. At that point, it was more about cramp management.
I finished up with 7 laps at 10:42 (7:42PM). There just wasn’t enough gas in the tank left to crank out an 8th lap in 1:15 lap to beat the 9PM deadline, so I called it a day. Plus, I don’t think I would have been able to gain a spot in the standings (and beer and food was calling).
My 7 laps were good enough for 3rd 4th place. Official Results.
Later that night, I received affirmation that I should never race in the Beginner class again in the form of this nice trophy.
And just for kicks, here’s what I consumed during the course of the race.
420oz of water w/ Elete
(3) 22oz bottles of Vanilla-Orange Perpetuem/Fresh Apple Cytomax Mix
(3) Clif Bars
(3) Gu Gels
(3) Hammer Gels
(2) Packets of Clif Bloks
(1) Coke Zero
(1) Gatorade G2
(8) Salt Stick Tablets
(1/2) Monster Energy Drink
(1) Pickle Juice Sport
Tags: 12 hour, 12 hours of temecula, endurance race, mountain biking
Another month come and gone. I’m two weeks out until the season finale for the 12 Hours of Temecula series. I don’t feel like I’ve been serious enough about my training but I guess we’ll see how it goes.
Oh, I managed to finally upgrade to a Garmin 705. The bigger screen makes it a bit easier to see compared to the 305. The joystick definitely makes it easier to navigate through menus. But best of all - no shutoff problems.
October 2008
Total Distance - 297.49 miles
Total Time - 28:27:49 hours
Total Ascent - 25,943 feet
Total Calories Burned - 19,461
2008 YTD
Total Distance - 2635.44 miles
Total Time - 276:46:02 hours
Total Ascent - 264,688 feet
Total Calories Burned - 210,697
Tags: bike log, Garmin, mountain bike, temecula, training
September 2008 is in the books. Here are the numbers. My Garmin Edge 305
Pretty frustrating. I think there’s a design flaw in it that makes it lose battery contact on bumpy trails. Maybe it’s time to upgrade to the Garmin Edge 705
September 2008
Total Distance - 228.27 miles
Total Time - 24:38:53 hours
Total Ascent - 27,177 feet
Total Calories Burned - 17,368
2008 YTD
Total Distance - 2337.95 miles
Total Time - 248:18:13 hours
Total Ascent - 238,745 feet
Total Calories Burned - 191,236
Tags: bike log, Edge, Garmin, garmin edge 305, garmin edge 705, mountain bike
This past weekend, Bommer Canyon had one of it’s Wilderness Access days. Basically, they open to the public for a few hours each month.
I wish they would be open everyday, since it allows me to ride all the way from Irvine to the ocean on pretty much all dirt. Bommer Canyon can be accessed from Quail Hill / Shady Canyon and connects to Laguna Canyon Wilderness Park by a trail that cuts under the 73. LCWP then connects to El Moro and that can take you all the way down to PCH.
My round trip ended up being 38 miles with approximately 5100 feet of elevation gain.
Tags: bommer canyon, el moro, laguna canyon, mountain biking, quail hill, shady canyon