Vacation... Tahoe Style

I just returned from 8 days in Tahoe with the family. Every year, for the last 6 years, we have rented a little cabin at Camp Richardson and it's become a tradition that we can't seem to shake. We load up the bikes, hiking stuff, beach stuff and everything that you'd need to relax in Tahoe (including a good selection of beverages) and head to the hills. It's good "reset" time, but we also manage to get some runs and rides in throughout the week.

This year I decided to take advantage of "the passes" and invite some friends up to ride part of the Death Ride. We rode Monitor and Ebbets on Thursday and it worked us pretty good. I've still got a couple good rides coming up, so I don't feel intimidated, but DR is going to mame the body for a few days. Surprisingly, my muscles liked the climbing and I wasn't even stiff the next day, HOWEVER, my hands, feet, butt and neck were screaming big time during the ride. I just need to have more saddle time. My body is accustomed to MTB where you rarely do the same movement for more than 5 minutes (for the most part). Long road rides are a relatively new thing for me, but I like it and will continue to do so... but I'm a mountain biker at heart.

Glad to be home.

Papa Gato.

Birthday Mileage and Breakfast Club

Yesterday was Breakfast club... A few friends and I decided that once a month we will commit to a 5:00am breakfast and a 6am ride. It just so happens that yesterday was also my Birthday, so it was decided that I needed mileage to meet my age, which is becoming a tradition for our team. With my ripe old of 39, we set out to try and get about 40 miles in the Auburn area. The only way to effectively get that mileage without riding the same trail over and over again, is to ride all trails in the area.. Stagecoach-Manzanita-Flood-Clementine-Connector-Foresthill Divide and the quarry trail on the south side. We ended up with 44.9 in total, ending on the long climb back up Stagecoach in the sun with empty bottles, legs and souls. It was tough, but it felt good in the mind.

I ended the day with the Drive-in movies to see Ironman with the Team and a muscle relaxer that put me in a 10hour coma. Nice Birthday I'd say.