Enjoying Life in West Sonoma County

Finally got up to the mid 50s and off we went. Rode out to Freestone via Harrison Grade and returned via Occidental. There were tons of people at the Wild Flower Bakery today and they were out of everything good, bummer. Total elevation climbed was 2,349 feet.

Finally a day the sun came out and it got above 60. It did not warm up until after lunch but we got out as soon as it topped over 60. Lots of people out doing the wine tasting thing so there were lots of cars on the road, but it was great to be out and enjoying the nice day. Total elevation climbed was 1259 feet.

Cool but another beautiful day. We headed out to Harrison Grade to the Wildflower Bakery in Freestone, then down to Duncan Mills and returned on Mays Canyon and Green Valley. A great winter ride, but it had to see how we can get much more that 50 miles at this time of year due to the lack of sunshine and the colder temps. Total elevation climbed was 2,861 feet.

Today I had a very significant campaign kick off so it was all work from the early hours, but once lunch came it was off onto the bike. The weather is clearly turning to winter, it was 55 but bright blue skies when we took off. However with the sun so low in the sky when you get under the redwood trees it is so very dark. Rode out one of my standard rides which starts with the time trial for Harrison Grade. The time was fine, but not great. It felt great to get out and ride after all the hours of work this week. Total elevation climbed was 2,237.

After a couple of days on the road and long hours on client work, I finally got out for a ride today. It is clearly getting to be winter, it was gray, cloudy and cold. Just was trying to get some exercise today so no really training plan or extra effort. Total elevation climbed was 1308.

The weather was beautiful again, but my legs were sore when I started getting ready today. Thus I thought it was best to do a spin and recovery ride and not to push it too hard even though I won’t get to ride again until Wednesday. It was nice to be outside, the weather was great and there were tons of convertibles out driving today. Total elevation climbed was 1,208 feet.

Today was a ride sponsored by our local bike shop called West County Revolution and it was a fabulous day. The weather was superb (high around 85 with clear blue skies), the route was great, challenging but not over difficult and we ended up at this excellent restaurant called Riviera Ristorante, where we had an excellent meal after the long ride. We had about 20 riders in the group and everyone kept a great pace and I believe everyone enjoyed the ride. Total elevation climbed was 3360 feet so there was plenty of hills today, but I needed that given all the food we ate at lunch.

A beautiful day, temperatures at lunch time in the 80s but very strong head winds and I paid for it. Did one of my time trial runs and I was 4 minutes behind a PB and I pushed it hard. Total elevation climbed was 1190

Beautiful day it seemed like summer, took off and it was almost 80 degrees. Ran one of my standard training rides and was about 40 seconds off my PB for the Harrison Grade split. It is funny how different everything looks now that we are getting close to winter with the sun so low in the sky. It was almost dark when I got home at 5p.

Got out for a late lunch before the rains come in later today. Did a normal training ride but my hamstring was feeling very tight and I did not have the normal strength that I normally have. Times were ok but not great. Total elevation climbed was 1,289 feet.

A beautiful day in Sonoma, clear sky and a little on the crisp side, but with some fairly strong winds. We headed out on a route we have not done for a long time. We felt a little tired after yesterday’s climb up Sweetwater Springs, but pushed on just the same. The time trial splits were slow but the effort was good. Total elevation climbed was 2,893 feet.

The morning was cold and foggy with a high probability of rain this afternoon so we headed out early. However as we started we discovered that something was wrong with Jo Ann’s wheel so we first rode in to the local bike shop. They ended up having to rebuild her hub so that delayed the start of the ride. Once we got off we decided to try to ride over Sweetwater Springs before the rains came. However as we crested the peak, the rains started pouring on us so instead of completing the ride we turned around to ride down the east side of the hill as the rains were coming in from the ocean.

By the time we got home we were soaked but it was a good hill, long enough for a good workout and with a lot of steep climbs. Sweetwater has climbs that range between 15 and 19% grades for a good 2 1/2 miles so you work hard. Total elevation climbed was 3,065 feet.

Not having a lot of time at lunch today to get out, I tried to do a tough course at a fast pace, but Jo Ann was not feeling that good so it turned out to not be a very good ride. It is a rolling hill course, but the challenge is at the end of Mill Creek where you climb the ladder, but I ran out of time and could not get out that far before having to get back to work. Total elevation climbed was 1,682 feet.

We got another break in the weather today so out we went and did some hill work during the lunch hour. Yes we had already voted so it was now some time to get out and race against the hills. This includes one of my time trial runs up Harrison Grade and I did good but not great, 27 seconds off my PD. Total elevation climbed was 2,494 feet and it was a good ride.

Finally a break in the rain, so we hopped out to get a ride in. Did one of my standard training sessions, doing the interval training out to Lambert Bridge Winery. I pushed myself very hard but was still 40 seconds off on my PB. There were a lot of down trees and lots of standing water but the air was clean and it felt great to get out for a ride. Total elevation climbed was 1,258 feet.