MORGAN TERRITORY AND DIABLO

LAST WEEK I DIDN'T FINISH MY BLOG... SOMETIMES LIFE GETS IN THE WAY OF THE FUN STUFF..
BUT I DO WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO 2 GIRLS ON OUR TEAM THAT REALLY IMPRESSED ME LAST WEEK WHEN WE RODE IN HALF MOON BAY.. IT WAS A TUFF RIDE WITH ALOT OF CLIMBING AND THEY DID GREAT. KATHY CLIMBED SIDE BY SIDE WITH ME ALL DAY.. I HAD TO MAN UP AND BEAT HER TO THE SUMMIT OF EACH CLIMB... NOT SAYING THAT SHE COULDN'T HAVE BEAT ME.. SHE PROBABLY WASN'T TRYING... LOL AND MARY WAS RIGHT BEHIND US ALL DAY... KUDOS TO YOU GALS.

OK NOW TO THIS WEEK... THE MORGAN TERRITORY DIABLO LOOP WAS ALSO A TUFF RIDE. SHORTER THAN THE HALF MOON BAY RIDE.. BUT MORE CLIMBING... 65 MILES WITH 6800 FEET OF CLIMBING.
THE DESCENT INTO LIVERMORE FROM TOP OF MORGAN TERRITORY WAS GREAT... FAST AND SMOOTH.. I THINK I HEARD PEOPLE CALL THIS THE PLUNGE.... I HEARD SOME OF THE TEAM WANTING TO CLIMB BACK UP JUST TO DO THE DESCENT AGAIN... THAT'S A LIL CRAZY BUT IT WAS FUN. OUR TEAM STARTED OUT BIG BUT FINSIHED SMALL.. 11 TURNED INTO 6 AND 5 BECAUSE OF 2 FLATS IN A BLOCK OF EACH OTHER... THEN ANOTHER FLAT AND THEN A RIDER SWITCHING GROUPS THEN LAST DROP WAS A RIDER THAT DIDN'T GO TO THE SUMMIT. SO 11 TURNED INTO 3 GOING TO THE SUMMIT.
WE MET HEATHER'S GROUP AT THE RANGER STATION AT THE JUNCTION AND ABOUT 7 OF US, A MIXTURE OF 2 TEAMS CLIMBED TO THE SUMMIT. SO THIS WEEK I HAVE TO BRAG ON MY WIFE HEATHER.. SHE CLIMBED HER BUTT OFF. ME AND MY CLIMBING PARTNER THE SKINNY KID DROPPED HER ABOUT A MILE IN .. AND THEN ABOUT 1/4 MILE FROM THE WALL SHE REELED US IN AND PASSED US... WOW.. I WAS IMPRESSED.. BUT YES I DID BEAT HER AND THE SKINNY KID UP THE WALL...
BUT THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE RIDE FOR ME WAS WATCHING THE JOY THE OTHER RIDERS HAD WHEN MAKING IT TO THE SUMMIT FOR THE FIRST TIME... IT WAS GREAT WATCHING THEM CELEBRATE...I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO STOP THINKING ABOUT IT SINCE... OK THAT'S IT .. FOR THIS WEEK...
WE ARE READY FOR SOLVANG.. OUR FIRST CENTURY... NEXT WEEKEND..... CANT WAIT.....BUT WE DON'T WANT THIS ADVENTURE TO END....BUT WE THINK WE HAVE MADE SOME LASTING FRIENDSHIPS.. JUST LIKE COACH WAYNE SAID WE WOULD SOME 14 WEEKS AGO AT THE KICK OFF RALLY. WE ARE EVEN PLANNING MONTHLY RIDES AND A 200 MILE SEATTLE TO PORTLAND RIDE WITH A COUPLE OF THE GUYS..

OH AND THE COW BELL.. OUR SAG HAD A COW BELL AND WAS RINGING IT ALL THE WAY UP THE CLIMBS.... IT WAS GREAT .. REALLY MOTIVATING.....LOL

OUR FIRST RIDE UP MT. DIABLO

here is a link to our Diablo ride per garmin garmin
WE TOOK OUR FIRST RIDE UP MT. DIABLO TODAY. WE HAD TO ASK ALOT OF FAVORS OF PEOPLE TO GET A MID WEEK RIDE IN. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR ALL YOUR HELP... WE HAD KIDS EVERYWHERE, AND OUR WORKERS COVERED FOR HEATHER AT LOARDS. I TOOK THE BIKES TO WORK WITH ME AND MET HEATHER AT SPORTS BASEMENT IN WALNUT CREEK.THE GUYS AT WORK HAD TO MAKE FUN OF THE FACT THAT THE BIKES ARE WORTH MORE THAN THE CAR I HAULED THEM AROUND WITH... MY BOX IS SO COOL THAT CAN'T EVEN HANDLE IT...LOL. WE USED SPORTS BASEMENT'S PARKING LOT TO START OUR RIDE. WE TOOK IT EASY UP THE HILL BECAUSE WE DIDN'T REALLY KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. SOME PEOPLE SAY ITS EASY SOME PEOPLE SAY YOUR AREN'T READY SOME PEOPLE SAY WATCH OUT FOR THE WALL... ALL I CAN SAY, I FELT LIKE I GOT A GOOD WORK OUT IN... I FEEL MY LEGS RIGHT NOW AS I'M TYPING...WE MET SOME NICE PEOPLE ALONG THE WAY... AT THE RANGER STATION.. A COUPLE GUYS REALLY ENCOURAGED US.THEY SEEMED IMPRESSED WE WERE GOING TO THE SUMMIT ON OUR FIRST TIME ON THE MT. AND THEN WE GOT PASSED BY 3 GUYS AND THEN WE CAUGHT BACK UP WITH THEM AND RODE THE LAST 2 MILES OR SO WITH THEM. YOU KNOW HOW HEATHER IS .. SHE DOESN'T LIKE TO GET PASSED. HIM AND HEATHER TALKED ALL THE WAY UP.. HE HAS A COUPLE OF KIDS AND RODE UP TO THE SNOW TOWING HIS 6 YEAR OLD ON A TRAILER BIKE... GREAT PICS OF IT SNOWING ON THEM.. HARDCORE..HIS BLOG IS http://cycling-through.blogspot.com/ I JUST WENT TO HIS BLOG.. HE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT MEETING US ON HIS... VERY COOL GUY... WE HAVE MET SO MANY COOL PEOPLE IN OUR SHORT TIME IN THIS SPORT.. HE WAS TELLING US GOING UP THE HILL THAT HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HE LIKES MORE.. THE RIDE UP THE MT. OR MEETING AND TALKING WITH PEOPLE... I CAN'T WAIT TO DO THE RIDE AGAIN.. I WOULD LIKE TO DO IT FASTER NEXT TIME...MAYBE I'LL TRY TO DO THIS RIDE ONCE A MONTH...
AND I HAVE TO SAY HOW IMPRESSED WITH HEATHER I AM. SHE HAS IMPROVED SO MUCH IN SUCH A SHORT TIME... SHE RODE AWESOME TODAY... GO HEATHER... SHE KEEPS ME ON MY TOES.. CUZ MIKE SANTOS WILL NOT GET OUT CLIMBED BY HIS WIFE...LOL...