Friday, October 8, 2010

Day 5 Solvang and Day 6 Ventura

I woke up at 2:15 AM yesterday and around 11:00 PM tonight and luckily yesterday I could go back to sleep and I suspect I will be able to go back to sleep again before morning..  A cold has been waking me and my roommate the last two days.  When I wake up, I go on my computer to reread and edit my previous posts because I am writing them after an exhausting ride and I'm more prone to error.  There were a lot and every time I read them I find more.

I noticed when I turned my computer on and went to my blog to begin this post yesterday evening I even forgot to post yesterday's blog about the Pismo ride. Oops.

I didn't provide information from my odometer the first day because I didn't think about adding it and I accidentally deleted my bike odometer on Day 4, but Day 5 and 6 are:

Day 5 - Miles for the Pismo to Solvang ride:  67.67; Average speed: 13.0; Max speed:  34.7; Time on the bike for the ride:  Grrrrr.  I lost it while trying to find it on the odometer.  My fingers are clumsy.  I do know it was 5 hours and something.

Day 6 - Miles for the Salvang to Ventura ride:  71.93; Average speed 12.2; Max speed:  29.9; Time on the bike for the ride:  5 hours and 53 minutes.

NOTE:  On my odometer, any slow downs when riding in a group and the climbs that are always much slower are factored in the average speed.  There were many times that I got up to 20 mph on the flats thanks to something I learned from an interview with Pete Penseyres about interval training from a book published by Bicycling Magazine.  I'm so tired I can't remember the name of it and I'm too tired to do a search.  I didn't learn about interval training until September so I have a long way to go, but that month definitely made a difference.I blogged about his brother, Jim  Penseyres, in my pre-ride blog.

Tomorrow, we're off to the Santa Monica Pier for the last day of the ride.   I have to complete this ride.  But, I have to tell you, I feel like road kill.  Day 6 was a struggle with this cold.  John Wordin keeps telling us the terrain is pretty flat except for specific spots.  I have to remind  myself there is a difference between normal flats and California flats.  His definition of flat and mine are not the same, but he's a strong rider and I'm not.

If John is ever up in the San Francisco Bay Area with his bike he should take a ride in Alameda with Anthony, Barbara and I so we can show him what a true flat ride is in our wonderful city.

I have an urge to plug Bike Alameda (BA).  BA is Alameda's cycling advocacy organization.  I contribute having a great city to cycle in to BA.  I also contribute to them the fact I gained more confidence on my bike after taking the classes they (and the East Bay Bicycle Coalition) offer.  These classes are especially helpful and educational for the novice cyclist  -- like me.  To find organizations like that in your community get connected to the League of American Bicyclists.

I never knew you could cycle on Highway 1.  What an experience.  Kinda' scary.  It was very comforting to know that we had the coolest people, the American Legion Riders, watching our back the entire route.  American Legion Riders are combat veterans, predominately Vietnam, or they are related to a combat veteran.

The Ride 2 Recovery Golden State Challenge was on the Nightly News with Brian Williams. Go here and find the clips titled, "Veterans ride to recovery" and "For military, cycling's not for the bike."  Check out those smiles!  That's why I'm riding and one of many reasons I want to continue to support this awesome program.

The Ride 2 Recovery is a great way to help our military in their rehabilitation from physical and mental injuries while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.   John explains why cycling is so beneficial in their recovery really well in the video.

Until next time, I'm still TREKkin' with America's finest.

Always,

Debi
AKA Deborah Palmer

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