Add today's post and clean up a bunch of trash in yesterday's
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layout: post
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title: "Pulling trains along the central coast: AIDS/LifeCYcle Day Four"
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title: "Pulling trains along the central coast: AIDS/LifeCycle Day Four"
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tags:
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- alc
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- alc2022
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@ -22,45 +22,51 @@ for today with more pictures
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---
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The alarm peeped at 4:15 and I immediately started marching over to the
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breakfast tent shivering like a little dog. By the time everything had been
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taken down and made it to bike parking at 6:15ish I wasn't shivering, which is
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a good sign, but also an indication that the day will be quite warm.
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breakfast tent shivering like a little dog. Hustling to take the tent down and
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drop off gear before scurrying off to bike parking I had stopped shivering
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which is a good sign, but also an indication that the day will be quite warm.
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The route meandering through Paso Robles had me riding next to some fixed gear
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cyclists, known for their siren call of "Fuck yeah rider!" Pulling up alongside
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at a stop light I ask them if they were riding freewheeling hubs or true fixed
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gears. Freewheeling hubs are effectively single speed which allow you to coast,
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while truly fixed hubs means that the cyclists legs are pumping as long as the
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wheels are spinning. The curly mustachioed man said "Freewheel? Never heard of
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her!" Watching them descend a small roller was mesmerizing as their legs pumped
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almost in unison like cylinders of an engine. As we approached the evil twins,
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I gave them a "fuck yeah riders" for good measure, and commenced climbing.
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The route today was meandering through Paso Robles and had me riding next to
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some fixed gear cyclists. They're known for their siren call of "Fuck yeah
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rider!" Pulling up alongside them at a stop light I ask if they were riding
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freewheeling hubs or true fixed gears. Freewheeling hubs are effectively single
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speed which allow you to coast if you stop pedaling, while truly fixed hubs
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means that the cyclists legs have to keep moving as long as the wheels are
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spinning. The curly mustachioed man smiled and said "Freewheel? Never heard of
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her!" and then laughed exactly the laugh you'd expect from a man sporting curly
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Qs and covered in tattoos. I watched them descend a small hill and it was
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mesmerizing as their legs pumped almost in unison, quite like cylinders of an
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engine. As we approached the evil twins, I gave them a "fuck yeah riders" for
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good measure and commenced climbing.
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It's not a race, it's a ride.
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But I'll be damned if I don't get competitive on the climbs. En route to Rest
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Stop One I started passing people on some of the rollers preceding the twins,
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Stop One I started passing people on some of the rollers,
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jumping out to the side "on your left!", standing out of the saddle, and really
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pushing as much power into the pedals as I could. In Rest Stop One a fellow
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cyclists told me that it was a lot of fun to try to keep up with me on those
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climbs. I felt so flattered and we chatted for a bit, both being former members
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of Team ALCaholics. We parted ways and I fell in with a woman I had ridden a
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bit with the past couple days,
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cyclist told me that it was a lot of fun to try to keep up with me on those
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climbs. I felt quite flattered! We chatted for a bit, turns out we were both former members
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of Team ALCaholics. We parted ways and I fell in with a woman I had met and
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rode with over the past couple days,
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Despite her insistence of not being a strong cyclist, she very truly is, and
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for whatever reason is not riding with clips. You'll see that more than you'd
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think at ALC. Cyclists of all skill levels and all kinds of equipment load outs
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are riding the route, raising money for a great cause. What you don't typically
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see are such strong cyclists riding without clips, and this year I've ridden
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for whatever reason doesn't ride with clips. You see that more than you'd
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think at ALC. Cyclists of all skill levels and with all kinds of equipment load outs
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riding the route, raising money for a great cause. What you don't typically
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see are such strong cyclists riding without clips and this year I have ridden
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with two _very_ strong riders, mashing pedals with their street shoes.
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We chatted for a bit as we climbed and then I pushed onward from twin one to
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twin two, where I ran into the Triathelete I had chased a couple of days prior.
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The two of us chatted as we climbed before I pushed onward from evil twin one
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to evil
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twin two, where I ran into the Triathelete. I had chased him a couple of days
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prior, but this was the first time I caught him. He was obviously taking it
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easy.
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He's probably 6 inches shorter than I am and can absolutely smoke me on the
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route. We climbed together and chatted, passing people as we went up evil twin
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two. As we went by the Googler I had met on Day Two, he called out "well don't
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just have a full on conversation while I'm struggling here." The push continued
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to the halfway point.
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just have a full on conversation while I'm struggling here." Sharing a laugh we
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continued to push to the halfway point.
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There's a pull-off on the side of the highway at roughly half the mileage
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between San Francisco and Los Angeles. I was pushing hard so I could get heir
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@ -72,43 +78,45 @@ In 2019 this descent _terrified_ me. I had never lost so much elevation or
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ridden at these speeds before. Most of my training had been indoors and I just
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didn't have the exposure to massive climbs like I do now. I also had rim brakes
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which I knew could heat up and would require lots of feathering. This time
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around I am a *must* more confident rider and actually pedalled downhill most
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around I am a *much* more confident rider and actually pedalled downhill most
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of the way. At one point I approached a fellow who helped me out on day
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one. "On your left!" I shouted at full volume, as we rounded a curve I saw his
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head shake. I assumed he didn't want to move over because he felt unsafe or
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saw some hazards up ahead. I gently braked, waited to until after the turn and
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then came into the lane and sped past him, returning to the shoulder after I
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was clear. We caught up later and I apologized if I came up onto him too fast
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or made him feel unsafe.
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was clear.
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He didn't even remember it and had no problem with my passing. "I must have hit
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a fly or something." I shared with him how much that descent terrified me and
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how important it was to be respectful of other cyclists boundaries, he smiled,
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wished me a good ride and I departed Rest Stop Two with the Googler and
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somebody from Twitter.
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We caught up later and I apologized if I came up onto him too fast or made him
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feel unsafe. He didn't even remember it and had no problem with my passing. "I
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must have hit a fly or something." I shared with him how much that descent
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terrified me and how important it was to be respectful of other cyclists
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boundaries, he smiled, wished me a good ride and I departed Rest Stop Two with
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the Googler and somebody from Twitter.
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The Googler offered to "pull" for a while, which basically means push at the
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front through the headwinds for the benefit of the others. After a couple miles
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it was my turn, and so I pulled in front, set the pace at about 20-21mph and we
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all rocketed along towards lunch. I was happy to pull and they were happy to
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let me! I stayed up front pulling them through the rollers along the highway as
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we cruised along the coast towards San Luis Obispo. The sights were stunning,
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let me! I stayed up front pulling them through the mild rollers along the
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highway along the coast towards San Luis Obispo. The sights were stunning;
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the central coast of California is _definitely_ worth a visit.
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Parking at lunch, the Googler says "when you asked if I wanted to ride
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together, I didn't think you meant that you would drag my ass all the way to
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lunch!" No complaints were tendered however, I was happy to challenge myself,
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and worked up an incredible appetite in the process.
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and worked up an incredible appetite in the process!
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I sat around in the shade at lunch so long that most everybody I knew had left,
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my bike computer timed out the ride, and I had to ride out solo. The cycling
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was still great and as I closed into city limits I caught a couple of folks at
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a stoplight. A new group of bike friends, hooray!
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was nonetheless great and as I closed in on city limits I caught a couple of
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folks at a stoplight.
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After pulling all the way to lunch, I figured the karma of cycling was due for
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me, and I happily accepted a free ride towards Rest Stop Three. My post-lunch
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efforts are where I have been doing my low effort segments, which seems to work
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out well so I may continue that in the future.
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A new group of bike friends, hooray!
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After pulling all the way to lunch, I figured the karma of cycling owed me
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and I happily accepted a free ride towards Rest Stop Three. My post-lunch
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efforts I have been doing low effort segments, which seems to work
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out well, so I may continue that in the future.
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Closing in on Rest Stop Three the bike in front of me popped and psssssssssssh
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went flat. They both stopped off and needed no help so I continued onward to
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@ -117,42 +125,45 @@ wrapping up with my business I saw him walk up with his bike over his shoulder,
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the sidewall of his tubeless tire had a tear in it, but the bike techs believed
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that he'd still be able to ride with a tube in the tire.
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I rolled out again solo. The segment from Three to Four includes a water stop,
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which I skipped, and an unofficial cinnamon bun stop. Unfortunately I spent all
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my fun money for the day supporting the fundraiser at lunch so I pressed on
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towards Rest Stop Four.
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I rolled out again solo.
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My right knee started to nag. I could not figure out what sequence of events
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The segment from Three to Four includes a water stop, which I skipped, and an
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unofficial cinnamon bun stop, which I also skipped. Unfortunately I spent all
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my day's fun money supporting the lunch fundraiser, so I pressed onto Rest Stop
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Four.
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My right knee started to nag. I could not figure out what sequence of behaviors
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would lead it to hurt, but it was intermittent so my pace took a hit as a
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precaution.
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Still, I cannot pass up a good riding group. When I came across a guy I met on
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day two, who I knew was a strong wheel, I decided to hop on and not let him go.
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I wanted to get to Rest Stop Four with as little energy as possible. We picked
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up a first timer along the way who was also quite happy to have a group to raise
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his spirits and pace.
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Still, I cannot pass up a good riding group. When I came across a strong wheel
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I met on day two, I decided to hop on and not let him go. I wanted to get to
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Rest Stop Four with as little energy as possible. We picked up a first timer
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along the way, who was also quite happy to have a group to raise his spirits
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and pace.
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Closing in on Rest Stop Four, pop! Psssssshhhhhhhh. Our strong wheel had a
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flat. The two stayed back as I pushed on to Rest Stop Four which was perhaps a
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mile ahead. When I arrived I just kind of sat in the shade stretching my knee
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out, the stop was still being set up, and my knee was the first priority.
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flat! The two stayed back as I continued to Rest Stop Four which was roughly a
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mile ahead. When I arrived I just sat in the shade, stretching my knee.
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The stop was still being set up and my knee was the first priority.
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Somebody from Medical came over unprompted "you look like you could use a bag
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of ice." "Yes, thank you!"
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The first tire rolled into camp looking for a car to pick up the strong wheel,
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The first timer rolled into camp looking for a car to pick up the strong wheel;
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his sidewall was shredded and he had two flat tires.
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I am not good luck today.
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With some much needed ice and rest, I departed Rest Stop Four with two older guys who kept making jokes about being
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slow. I left them behind at some point and found myself alone. I think I made a
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wrong turn again.
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slow. I left them behind at some point and found myself alone.
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Damnit, I cannot believe I made a wrong turn again. I must get real stupid
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after Rest Stop Four.
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"Damnit, I cannot believe I made a wrong turn again!"
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I must get real stupid after Rest Stop Four, two missed turns after Rest Stop
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Four on this ride.
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I backtracked and only lost a couple blocks. Eventually I caught up to the
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older timers, shared a laugh at my missing a turn. They hollered at me but I
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older timers, shared a laugh at my missing a turn. They had hollered at me but I
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clearly didn't hear them. Oops.
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Rolling into camp, the very nice Roadie who has been there every day at the
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@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
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---
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layout: post
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title: "A fabulous forty: AIDS/LifeCYcle Day Five"
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tags:
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- alc
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- alc2022
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- cycling
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---
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Roughly 275 miles ridden in the past four days and it's time for a rest day of
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only 43 miles. _Only_. The things cyclists say sometimes never cease to astound
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me. Day Five on AIDS/LifeCycle also has the honor of beinj Red Dress Day, a day
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which brings out make up, costumes, and of course dresses.
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---
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I also posted a [thread to
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Twitter](https://mobile.twitter.com/agentdero/status/1534876321456611328)
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for today with more pictures
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---
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If you are in the market for a good cycling dress, I advise the following
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criteria:
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* Breathable and airy, to enhance evaporation
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* Close to the body, to reduce drag
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* Short, to avoid messing with your pedal stroke or wheels
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Following these criteria I ended up with a trashy little backless number with
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criss-crossing straps which I am confident have left "X" tan lines down my
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back.
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Dresses are of course not compulsory, which adds to the fun of the day. In
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addition to the cheerleaders, pirate wenches, and bombshells there are Waldos,
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Lobsters, Marios, Ketchups, Santas, and so much more. For those who have lived
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in San Francisco, it has a very Bay to Breakers vibe.
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I departed camp late for two reasons: first the final destination didn't open
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until 1pm, so there was no sense in leaving early. Secondly, wearing a tiny
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dress is **cold**.
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The last time I did a century I rode around 40 miles before my first rest stop.
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While that was foolish, a comfortable pae and a hearty breakfast can take me
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quite a long way. Today I needed to hit up two rest stops, a water stop, and
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lunch. I _needed_ to stop because I knew I was going to have some time to kill.
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Getting to Rest Stop One was through the streets of Santa Maria. Leaving later
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meant a lot more cyclists on the roads ahead of me, and today is _not_ a fun
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day to compete with traffic since we're all squeezed onto bike lanes during
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rush hour traffic.
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Despite it being a recovery day, I still popped out into the lane to crank it
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past some slower cyclists. Everybody is entitled to their own pace and
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rightfully so, but I get particularly anxious in traffic like that since the
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risk of accidents goes up quite a bit. Generally speaking the safest place to
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be is often in front of other cyslists, regardless of speed. Another cyclist
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followed my initiative and ended up riding with me for a while, before I lost
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him in the pack again.
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"Ho, ho, ho!" proclaimed the Santa as we rolled into Rest Stop One. I parked
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and went about my routine, albeit in slow motion so that I would eat up more
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time.
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The segment to Rest Stop Two takes us out into the country on nearly
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shoulder-less country roads. I cannot imagine the thoughts of the folks driving
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by seeing hundreds of fabulously dressed cyclists. As I passed two men working
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on some utility cabinet, I noticed that one was holding his phone up. I should
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have yelled or catcalled at him, but I'm really not good at thinking of those
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things in the moment. Oh well.
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Rest Stop Two is on the other side of a couple little rural climbs and tucked
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in the field behind a small country school. There I ran into Sister Tutti, one
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of the [Sisters of Perpetual
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Indulgence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sisters_of_Perpetual_Indulgence) that
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does the ride. I had helped her with a computer problem on Day One and we've
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greeted each other every day since. She is an elementary school teacher and has
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incredible energy. For Red Dress Day she was also in her garb, so I _had_ to
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have a picture together. I also ran into the woman who I had cycled with
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previously, and she shared more of her face glitter with me. It looks very
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pretty highlighting my cheekbones, but after the next time I apply sunscreen it
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turns into just my whole face glitter.
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We climbed out together towards Lompoc and lunch. My right knee keeps
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stiffening up. The quad muscle that comes over the inside has been tender since
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yesterday, and while I'm sure the foam rolling I did helped, it's still slowing
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me down.
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Like a big stupid dog chasing a rabbit around a track, I cannot seem to just
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_chill_ and sit in. As I see more cyclists ahead that I can pass, I crank
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onward.
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This segment is the one in 2019 where my frame broke. The memories are still so
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vivid to me, the climb where I hear the snap, the straight away where I could
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hear a clanging when I put power down, and the shoulder where I stopped with a
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team mate to figure out what was making that noise before tackling the big
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climb that lay ahead. Almost exactly at mile 25 of Day Five, I thought my ride
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was going to be over.
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I considered stopping for a picture, but the new miles of that climb was in
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front of me, and I wanted to get to it!
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We don't have a name for this climb, but we probably should. It's a long and
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gradual slog up the hill towards what I would come to learn is _now_ called
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[Vandenberg _Space_ Force Base](https://www.vandenberg.spaceforce.mil/).
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Space. Force. Base.
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I caught a red light right at the entrace and took a number of pictures. It is
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just as funny in real life as it is in that documentary with Steve Carell. I
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still cannot believe it's a real thing.
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Anyways, I grab a wheel to follow to the water stop, and kill some more time.
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Before leaving I was complimented again on the strappy dress, which I'm sure
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made me blush under the glitter that was by now smeared across my face.
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The dress also turned some heads as I passed by the federal prison on the
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outskirts of Lompoc. _That_ I was not as thrilled by, but I could only chuckle
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to myself as I entered the cross winds after the facilities. Bright yellow
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helmet, smeared face glitter, backless red dress, and celeste colored bicycle,
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I would turn my head and stare too.
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The ride into lunch was quick thanks to a nice little tailwind to scoot us into
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town where we took over some city park. Still quite early, I decided to have
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two lunches while I nursed my knee in the grass. Basking in the sun, there just
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wasn't much to do other than eat, tan, and socialize. Camp sits only a few
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miles beyond lunch, and those would be very easy miles.
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I don't know what number into camp I was today, but it also doesn't matter. We
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were all getting into camp early. Over 2,000 cyclists have each put down over
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275 miles this week, their legs acclimating to the demands on them, their minds
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knowing what they're now capable of.
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43 miles is a short day.
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