Riding my 600k solo

No riding this weekend. I spent Saturday checking out some potential issues with the route of next weekend's 600k and hiked 10 miles on Sunday. Fortunately neither of the potential issues is going to be a problem.

I rode my 600k solo last weekend because Amber was in Hawaii. The first loop went very well except I tried to ride the Long Beach bike path and they had it closed off right at Belmont pier so I had to backtrack. Nevertheless, I actually got back to the motel at 11:30 - about 30 minutes ahead of schedule. I had brought along three sets of shorts and jerseys so I took the time to shower and change. It felt decadent. I had a cheese pizza in the room which I had ordered the night before so I scarfed down a slice, renewed my sun block and butt cream and was out the door in 20 minutes. Even though I had just finished a century I felt almost completely refreshed.

Maybe cold cheese pizza wasn't such a great idea. By the time I got to the next control 22 miles later I had some slight nausea so I tried an old trick. I went to the Lucky Greek and ordered toast. I got two thick slices of sourdough, put a little jelly on, and down it went. The toast seems to soak up excess acid and I felt good again pretty quickly. The nausea may also have been caused by too much soda or Gatorade.

I made good time on the upper SART, aided by a powerful tailwind that had been with me all the way from the coast. It stayed with me on the climbing through Redlands and Yuciapa, diminishing slightly. I rode to the usual control on Beaumont Ave and, for once, left before sunset.

Oak Valley Parkway is closed and there's no safe way through for cyclists so I had to climb back up Beaumont Ave (no bike lane and lot's of debris on that side) and then make an awkward left turn on Brookside. There's no way I wanted my riders to have to do that so they'll be taking a shortcut on Oak View and making the miles up in the first loop.

From Beaumont to the next control in Riverside is almost all downhill. I made excellent time although it was a bit scary riding into the setting sun. I put both my bright tail lights into flash mode, hopefully that helped. I had a slight headwind for the first 10 miles, then as the sun set it died down. Ruth and Kevin signed my brevet card for me at their home in Riverside but I made a noob mistake there by not eating. I thought I could just have an energy bar because I wasn't very hungry.

The energy bar did nothing for me except make me feel bloated. It took me three hours to cover the next 35 miles. I was bonking but totally incapable of eating anything. I have a trick for that too - milk. At the Corona control I ate at the In-n-Out burger and ordered two milks and animal fries even though I wasn't at all hungry. Once I was half way through the first milk my appetite came back and I pigged the fries and milk down.

Ten minutes later I felt like a bull-moose and flew along the lower SART at 18mph - almost crashing into the fence across the bike path that forces us to use the detour. Thank goodness for good lights. Even with the poor time from Riverside to Corona I got to the end of the second loop at 12:30 - still 30 minutes ahead of schedule. I showered and changed and ate a smaller slice of pizza and went to sleep.

I set the alarm for 8am but woke up just before 7am so I jumped on the bike and headed towards Dana Point. I didn't make great time but still got there an hour ahead of schedule and ate at the Jack in the Box. There was a local loony there trying to sell pebbles and small bits of driftwood. I would have taken a look at her "treasures" but I had a lot more riding to do.

Nothing much happened between Dana Point and Oceanside. I had a slight headwind but it was no big deal. I ate at Angelo's because I love it so much when I'm hungry. I don't remember what I ate, but it had lot's of calories. I filled my water bottles with a 50/50 mix of coke and water.

Headed back north through Camp Pendleton I remember thinking the tailwind was stronger than I expected given the mild headwind on the way south. By the time I got to the San Onofre campground the tailwind was very strong and I made great time to the control at San Clemente. Flying downhill on PCH through San Clemente I almost t-boned an idiot making a left turn in front of me. That would have sucked at 30mph.

After I headed inland at Dana Point I lost some of my tailwind and slowed down a bit on the way to Lake Forest. I ordered coffee and a sandwich at a coffee shop there and the next thing I remember is turning into the parking lot at the end of the ride. I have absolutely no recollection of the last 30 miles. Scary.

As I drove home from the ride, a work colleague drove next to me on the 91 freeway and I never saw him. I must have been more tired than I realized. Very scary.

I finished with three hours to spare which was two hours ahead of schedule. I got 45 minutes less sleep than the last time I completed this ride and didn't get lost in Camp Pendleton which also helped. The weather was perfect (70-75 most of the time with a high of 80). I had so much tailwind it was almost embarrassing.