This weekend I was reminded why I am so passionate about riding and racing bikes. It had been a rough week at work and I had not been prioritizing riding. Coming off the rain and trainer last week, I had lost my motivation to wake up at 5:15 and ride before work. Nothing better for mood improvement than a change of scenery, so I loaded up my bike and headed to Santa Cruz.
UCSC was hosting Slugapalooza, a collegiate RR  with USAC categories, later in the afternoon and my friends and I decided we would ride over there. After a delicious sandwich, we headed over. The views when we got to campus were amazing. There was a cluster of old lime processing building, including stone kilns. Last time I was down, I got interested in lime kilns when my riding partner and I explored some on Ice Cream Grade. Super cute name for a road. No ice cream though.

Insta of some of the old buildings on campus

The rr course was a sweeping loop with a steady climb and a breathtaking descent. The descent alone was reason enough to race. After a steep final pitch, the road flattened out into a sweeping right turn and then ocean views all the way to the bottom. It was difficult not to get distracted and stare of into the distance while cruising to the bottom.
I couldn’t resist the course, so I got regd and ready. The collegiate atmosphere was so chill and cross like. Great music and a awesome crowd.  I had originally signed up for the USAC Women’s field, but didn’t see any other women warming up.  No other women. I started to worry that I would be the only person in my field, which was not what I had bargained for. As I hung around the start line, the 4/5 men started showing up. Lots of 4/5 men and still no women. I asked the promoter and learned that a Cat 4 woman had reg’d, but she was no where to be found. Oh well. Faced with no competition, I cajoled the officials into  letting me race with the men. “You want to race with the 4/5 men?” one asked, with disbelief on his face. Why not I figured.

I got into the pack and we started up the hill. I had difficulty clipping in and soon was near the back. Luckily, I was on Mason’s wheel, a friend who had come down to ride and hang out, and I started yelling at him to move up. Mostly so that he would take me with him. He complied and by the time we finished the hill, we were near the front of the pack. On the descent, I moved up even more, so Scott, Mason and I were at the front. It was such a thrill. Like Coffee Rupublic, but sanctioned. We drilled the descent and I stayed with the pack until the pace picked up too much up the hill on the second lap. With 8 laps to go, I settled down and found a good wheel to hold on to for the rest of the race. I tried to work with the guy, but I was barely hanging on.

Ocean View from the finish line

The cheering section was awesome. I still wear my cross team shorts and the Sac State Cycling guys would cheer for me and call out “Bike Biz!” every time I went by. Then the teammates of the guy pulling me around the course got in on the cheering and told him to, “Drop your girlfriend already.” So funny. If I hadn’t been focusing every ounce of energy on not getting off that wheel I would have waved and blown a kiss, but even that gesture would have had me dropped.  I stuck to his wheel and we continued to count down the laps. Toward the final few I noticed that I was dropping my companion on the final steep section of the climb. I would let him catch on for the descent and we would work together until I dropped him on the climb again the next lap. We caught up to a junior who was climbing his heart out and he joined our group. I decided I would beat them. On our second to last lap we were lapped by the two man break, but since it was 10 feet from the finish, they let us continue. Wish I wouldn’t have been lapped, as always I have many shoulda, woulda, couldas.

On the last lap, the three of us were together at the top of the climb, through the descent and into the rollers at the bottom. I attacked once, but the junior got on my wheel and I didn’t want to pull him. So I backed off and we cruised further up the hill. About 50 meters from the finish I attacked again and stayed away from them. So fun. And all the officials and promoters were so helpful and nice the entire time. We cruised back to the hotel and went to the brewery with my teammate for dinner. Yum. Great Day.

The next day we headed out early for a ride up through the hills. After riding through the strange towns of Ben Lomond and Felton, we arrived at the base of Alba. I had ridden this climb once before and it is a steep MFer. My legs didn’t have it and I let the guys charge to the top and then cruise down to get me. The descent was another story. It was long and sweeping, just like the day before. I remembered the turns being gradual and easily negotiated so I just let go. I stayed on Scott’s wheel and pedaled to keep up. It was exhilarating. At the bottom there is a left sweeper over a bridge and as I looked up out of the turn I saw my speed hit 54 MPH. That’s fast. I’d never hit that number before! It was amazing. I’d stayed smooth on the entire descent and been rewarded. 

The feeling was incomparable, I felt so brave and confident. Improving descending has been one of my goals for a long time and I finally felt rewarded.

Now if I can only get my internet to work so I can see the QOM, ’cause now I know I can go back and get it.

Another stop at a different brewery on the way home and a quick trip to the beach made for the perfect weekend. So lucky to have such amazing friends and live in such a beautiful place.

For the month of January I decided to attempt respectability and take a job. Yes. An everyday, wake up at 6:15, drive to work, get paid job. Granted, it isn’t permanent, but definitely a step in the right direction. This job has also allowed me to explore a new section of Northern California by bike. I’ve been working in San Andreas, and the riding here is unlike anywhere else. For starters, the area is mountainous, and the rollers are extreme. This also means that while sunset is officially at 5:15, the sun has dipped behind the mountains much sooner that that. Except for this interesting little road to nowhere caller Hawver. It starts out single lane and quickly becomes graded dirt. It winds through and around and down several large hills in the area. The best part of this road is after climbing to the top, I was higher than the hills to the west and the entire area was bathed in sunlight. It was breathtaking (cause of the climb and view 😉 and it was warm. This is in contrast to the other road I frequent in the area, called Pool Station. According to the map, that road will eventually connect with Highway 4, which leads to Stockton and beyond. I haven’t got that far yet, because of the light, though I did find the Copperopolis Fire Station. No, bike racer friends, the race was not in that area and the road was much better paved. I also saw what I believe to be a drug deal go down on this road. No I am not kidding. At the bottom of a descent near San Andreas, there is an abandoned mining site. Not Gold Rush era, though Calaveras was a prosperous mining town during this period, but a more recent mining operation that had been shut down. I was working on some threshold climbing and so passing by the same pull-out to the side of the road several times. The first time I passed there was a car parked and a woman sitting by herself. The second time I passed there was another car parked there, and a couple was looking at something on the original woman’s trunk. The third time I passed, all the cars were gone. What makes me so sure this was a drug deal? Mainly the isolated road. No one except crazy cyclists use that road and there is nothing nearby for miles. An innocuous meeting would take place in a public parking lot or somewhere where the attendees aren’t trying to avoid scrutiny. The bottom of a hill, on a deserted road, next to an old mining operation is shady. Hence:Drug Deal

The gold mining industry of the area is evident in the very county lines. Amador ends at the mokolumne river and calaveras begins. To the west, Amador ends at the consumers river and El Dorado county begins.
Though beautiful county, Calaveras does have a history of criminal activity. Just the other day I read a historical marker about an attempted stage robbery! A wagon carrying the payroll for  a local ranching company was shot at the two of the people riding in it were killed. Very dramatic. Deserving of a historical marker though? I don’t know.