3/26 Training Day 5 – 35 Miles

PLEASE NOTE START TIME OF 8:00 AM. Every Wednesday I get an email with our training schedule and for this week we start from El Dorado and going to do a 35 mile ride that includes the Turnbull Canyon hill in Whittier. This canyon is a little over 2 miles up (I think). For this entry I’m going to skip through the beginning of the ride and go straight to the climb.

At the bottom of the canyon the group began with a short clinic on how to go up the hill. Eat up start up with a middle gear and try to be wise on when to use that granny gear (the smallest gear on the front). As I began my climb up I separated from the group, hills are best done alone. Then it was one look up to see how far I had to go and then I looked down to forget how far I had to go. The only thing in my mind at that point was to KEEP PEDDLING. Around one curve, I still felt okay, around another curve I had to change gears. The only thing around me was the canyon wall and the road, oh and a crow, which oddly felt like a vulture (no way am I giving up).

The climb kept getting more difficult and as motor bikes sped by and cars passed along, I sure did wish I could trade my bike. I was getting worried at this point that this hill would never end and I was running short on gears to switch to. Mostly I was worried because I didn’t see the group ahead of me come back down, which made me think I still had a ways to go. Finally around a curve I see the fast (purple) team riding down yelling GO TEAM!!!, alright a gleam of light and hope that the end was near, and I still had air to yell back, GO TEAM!!!.

With hope that I was getting close to the top of the hill I peddled on and finally reached the top of the hill (yes using that granny gear). EXHAUSTED and excited I joined the rest of my team mates and recovered before I rode back down. The best part of going up the hill was coming back down, the reward. This was the most exciting part speeding down the hill at over 30 mph. on a bike! SWEET! As I carefully and very quickly came down with the air rushing through I reached the rest of my team mates and felt greatly accomplished, even if it was a short climb. It still felt great to be over it. Now we had to finish the rest of the ride and get back to our cars. It was a great ride.

Donation Status: GREAT NEWS I can continue riding thanks to two corp. sponsorships. Now I only need to gather another $1000.00 and I will be fully sponsored for the ride.


I ride because I care

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