All posts by Mike

2nd fastest modern (since Strava) time on West Alpine by just 1 second & 22:04 on OLH.

Ride reports (not Tu/Th)

I’m beginning to think a 21-something time up OLH is possible! I was surprised to see a time of 22:04 for that segment, just 5 seconds off. Best time since April 2016, well before my bone marrow issue was discovered so I wasn’t taking my anti-EPO meds then. Some of the improvement comes from the new lighter version of me that emerged after my pelvis fracture last February, but the average power number for the climb, 272 watts, is pretty good. Turn the clock back almost ten years and I’d be getting not much better than 280.

And that 10 years thing? After OLH I headed down to LaHonda and back via West Alpine. 41:40 for that climb, just one second slower than my fastest Strava-era time, back in 2010.

Some of the speed may have come from riding solo; when riding with Kevin, there will be that occasional spot where I have to wait for him (after which he finds his second wind and is quickly out of sight). If it’s just me, I can optimize my effort a bit better.

It will be interesting to see my blood values at my next test. Don’t think I could be riding this strongly if my red flood cells were slammed.

Blocked from a decent time up OLH by cars!

Tues/Thurs 7:45am ride

Just myself and Kevin today; the other Kevin (pilot) is claiming to have a back issue. We’ll be doing the new loop up through the Huddart Park Entrance for some time; the guy we saw today confirmed we’re likely looking at a road closure all the way through winter. How ironic that we don’t get the road back until it starts raining and people don’t want to ride! Except that, for some time, people don’t seem to have been interested in this ride anyway. Think the word got out that I’ve gotten old & slow. But truth is, I’ve actually gotten quite a bit faster this year. Just not getting any credit for it.

Fortunately Kevin’s knee was feeling better this morning; it may also have helped that I made sure he used leg warmers, since it’s becoming a bit cooler in the mornings. Not cold, just cool. Very, very few other cyclists out on the roads. Even the Strava flyby showed only a few cyclists; we’ve seen far more on really miserable days!

But OLH. Wasn’t sure how I was going to be feeling, but lately I’ve been feeling pretty good on morning runs up OLH. Heart rate climbing to where it ought to be, legs seeming to work, lungs, well, best I can say is that they’re there. Was not happy to have lost 28 seconds having to stop just 150 meters (maybe less) from the top! In fact, my Upenough-to-top time was just 17 seconds off my best in many years, despite those 28 lost seconds. But, as you can see in the photo, there was no way to get around.