Another Beautiful Day in The Neighborhood

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55 miles. 80ish degrees. 8 hours.

One of the most beautiful days, most beautiful rides I've been on.

Last year on this ride my chain broke so I got SAG'ed out at mile 25. This time I was able to ride the rollers and climb all the hills with strength and ease. As I waited for my riding buddy I got quite a few pictures of the course & my teammates. I can finally enjoy the ups & downs (although I think my breaks need some work soon).

60 Miles - 78 Degrees - Mostly Sunny

Saturday's ride begins at Stafford Lake Park in Novato. My groups roll time is 7:30AM. This means no sleeping in this weekend - I gotta be up about 5:30 to eat, pack-up and drive to the meeting spot.

The weatherman calls for sunshine & perfect temperatures.

This will be a great day. Following our ride we'll have a pot-luck lunch with our whole team. A chance to remind us of why we ride - for our TEAM honorees

Ugh!

Some rides are harder than others.
EASY: 50-60 miles

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On Saturday we had a great ride from Kentfield to Fairfax to Pt Reyes to Inverness to Nicasio then back home. The hills seemed easier, the legs felt stronger, the mind was clearer. A fantastic 55 miles in beautiful sunshine.

HARD: 20 miles

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Last night my weekly routine up Tunnel Rd almost killed me. My legs were useless up the hills, the gear shifting never gave a break. We rode slowly and added a few miles to this weeks route. Above is the terrain version of the map so you can get a sense of the up & down.

It was good to get out & push through it but I didn't feel good doing it. Thankfully there is the reward of the sweeping views at the top.

Weekly Workout

In addition to the coached & buddy rides each weekend I've been doing this:
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Every week we climb up Tunnel Road and along Skyline. We get some amazing views. It's a good burn. I'm getting stronger & faster, but as I was telling my co-riders last night it doesn't feel any easier. However it is definitely more fun.