L'Etape Du California.....a day in the local Foothills!

April 28th 2012  Ontario to Mount Baldy.

It is all about the bling?

I am pretty sure there was a lot of cyclists that turned up for this ride Saturday never expecting it to be everything they were told.....hard climbs, will be hot, beautiful scenery, it is not a race! Ha ha ha 

Polka dot nails my pre race prep!

This ride was a total of 100 miles but only timed up to the ski lifts of Mount Baldy which is a total of 78 miles. My goal was to ride conservative and put more effort into the Glendora Mountain Road climb and the Baldy climb as these were King of the Mountain climbs and I hoped to improve on last year.

At the start ...Ontario Convention center CA

Took a while before I rolled to the starting mat, the organizers were wise and released the cyclists in waves to spread out the cyclists on the open roads, this year they had added an extra 1000 feet of climbing....but who is counting!!

A few casualties on one of the SAFEST roads on the ride, always sad to see this.

So this was my plan, perpetuem, endurolytes, anti fatigue caps and race cap supremes were the vital support nutritionally wise, with Expresso Hammer gel for the caffeine boost!
I had also sprayed the insoles of my cycling shoes with Kool n Fit spray which I love and keeps my feet nice n cool too!
And looked good in my neon yellow Rudy Projects!

To keep cycling and only stop at three of the possible 8 aid stations...the one before the climb at Sierra Blvd, before the GMR climb, then the one supported by California Tri so I could see friends there and the one by INCYCLE before the Baldy climb!


oh and keep smiling!

all smiles after KOM ride one

The first timed ride was 9 miles up Glendora Mountain road 53 miles in to a beautiful quad busting ride!! I had a great ride up that hill did not look much at my speed but focused on the other riders around me and managed to pass a few too. 

connect with the boys in Blue from SC VELO

After GMR the ride goes along the 12 mile ridge road which when I cycled it earlier was all down hill now it was uphill! At mile 73 there was an oasis of a water station, the sun was beating down and we only had 6 more miles until the ski lifts!! There was cyclists every where, we all looked pretty tired, and oh so easy to think lets just roll down the hill back home but oh no....onwards and upwards to the ski lifts!

79 miles a smile and the energy to lift up my bike!


That last climb to the ski lifts has about 10 to 11 switch backs and the last section flattens before rudely pitching to where you think wow I cannot cycle no longer and boom you can hear other cyclists cheering you on and the finish line is there, I roll over that timing mat so darn proud of myself!

The downhill proved extremely challenging and I did have a few major mechanical s, but the support from the organization of Pacific Sports was amazing and  I was well looked after.


Stat:
12,146 ft of climbing!!
100 miles in total.
GMR climb    54:01:95   (in 2011 56:17:55)
Baldy climb   54:33:70   (in 2011 58:10:14)
KOM  total 1:48:35:    extremely happy as in 2011 it was 1:54:28 !!
Overall I was 9th female in the King of the Mountain Challenge and 2nd in the 45-49 AG.
In 2011 I was 494th this year I was 349th! Very proud of myself. 
I finished in around the same time at the ski lifts as I did last year and there was extra mileage from Ontario. I must be doing something right!

Cycling 28.04.2012 07:08

www.polarpersonaltrainer.com

Duration: 10:05:23,HR Avg: 134,HR Max: 168,Calories: 3974kcal,Distance: 100.2mi,Speed Avg: 9.94mph,Training Load: 781 

My ride!

Thanks to all the companies that help me, Hammer Nutrition, Rudy Project USA, Polar USA, Williams Wheels, Serfas Tires, Profile Design, Incycle, Kool n Fit.