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Mount Diablo Challenge - CycleOther


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Danville, California
United States
Sunny
Total Time = 1h 20m 38s
Overall Rank = 574/888
Age Group = W30-39
Age Group Rank = 13/33
Pre-race routine:

Drove to the East Bay, ate an Uncrustable in the car. I got there early and read Triathlete Mag in the car while I waited for Donato (enginerd) and Bryan (poweredbyfear) to arrive. Changed into my cycling stuff in the car.
Event warmup:

Nothing really write home about. It was about a 2 mile ride to the starting line from the high school where we parked. However, there were tons of serious cyclists there and they had their trainers set up in the parking lot! WTF!?!?
Bike
  • 1h 20m 38s
  • 10.8 miles
  • 8.04 mile/hr
Comments:

I started in the women's wave and chatted a bit with a few other girls that had done this reace before and who ride Mt. Dibalo on a pretty consistant basis. They all echoed what Donato had told me, the last bit toward the finish is a b-tch!

Started off feeling good. Magnum was handling well, I even passed people! This does not happen very often and it was on the up-hill....well being that the course is a race to the top of a friggin mountain the entire race is uphill. My goals for this race were, finish and don't walk the bike. I had never been on the course before and have never done a ride that is completely uphill. I would look in fron t of me and see where people were headed and think, "crap, that looks really steep where they are, how am I going to get up that?"

Felt pretty good through most the ride, legs were feeling a bit tight, but not awful. Did a lot of work in and out of the saddle. Seeing signs on the way up "1,000 feet" and "2,000 feet" was odd. I tried to enjoy some of the view, it was beautiful! I hit the sign "4.5 mile to Summit" in about 38 minutes. The word "summit" has never appeared in any of my training rides. About there is where I went into granny gear for almost the rest of the ride. In granny gear there was an odd clicking sound that never let up. (Not sure what that is, have to go bring Magnum in for a once-over at the shop.) Headwind picked up, oh joy.....lets a climb a mountain and throw in headwind for sh-ts and giggles!

Did not drink or eat anything on the course as I just did not really feel I needed it. I eventually started ot hear the music playing from the finish line, somewhere above my head. Oh good, my legs can take a break soon. I finally turn the corner for the last push to the finish and my first thought is "are you friggin kiddin me, that's a wall not a climb!" Start peddling hard, out of the saddle and did my self-talk "you are an Ironman, you can do it!" Then my left butt-cheek cramped and I thought, "fall on the new bike or unclip?". Unclipping won :( I wound up walking the last 100 yards or so.

As i'm cresting the hill Donato yells out "abbie is that you?" I say "yep, my *ss cramped!" I had to walk my bike across the timing mat, completely humbled and annoyed with myself.


What would you do differently?:

I have never climbed anything that steep on my bike, EVER! Hmm, do different....Train completely uphill?

Was really upset with myself for being forced to walk my bike. But there was some good things that came from the results. I placed 38 of 99 women overall and 13 of 33 women in my AG. My long term goals are to finish my races further frward in the pack, so I'm please with my standings.
Post race
Warm down:

Cheered other racers in. Other people walked their bikes too, not that it made me feel that much better though.

Went down to the expo area to wait until they would let us go back down the mountain.

Once we were able to go down the mountain I rode my brakes the entire way. Descending is not one of my favorite things to do. Donato stayed with me (thatnk you, again!) and we chatted the entire way down and complained about cold hands. We commented on how triathletes and cyclists are different, both of us thanked the volunteers on the way up and down yet neither one of us hear anyone else utter a word.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Not training the course.

Event comments:

I have to train this course in order to be successful next year. It was great to meet fellow BTers enginerd and poweredbyfear.

A huge thank you again Donato for sticking with me in the way down!




Last updated: 2008-09-18 12:00 AM
Biking
01:20:38 | 10.8 miles | 8.04 mile/hr
Age Group: 13/33
Overall: 574/888
Performance: Average
Wind: Headwind
Course: Up a friggin mountain, switchbacks
Road: Smooth  Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Average
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Not enough
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall:
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
Good race? Ok
Evaluation
Course challenge Too hard
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4

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2008-10-06 10:49 AM

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Pro
3730
2000100050010010025
NorCal
Subject: Mount Diablo Challenge


2008-10-06 11:01 AM
in reply to: #1720717

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Champion
8540
50002000100050025
the colony texas
Subject: RE: Mount Diablo Challenge

well except for the butt cramps,, sounds like fun,.. but I'll pass on it 

nice job though

2008-10-06 11:22 AM
in reply to: #1720717

Member
279
100100252525
DC Metro
Subject: RE: Mount Diablo Challenge

Thats insane but way to go Abbie!

 I was thinking that uphill would be hard but at least you didn't have to go downhill too!!

2008-10-06 11:28 AM
in reply to: #1720717

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Champion
10154
500050001002525
Alabama
Subject: RE: Mount Diablo Challenge

Good job.  I hate biking up hills - you have more guts than I do for tackling this.

 

~Mike

2008-10-06 12:03 PM
in reply to: #1720717

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Champion
10742
5000500050010010025
Ames, IA
Subject: RE: Mount Diablo Challenge
Great job on a crazy race!  Can't imagine what that would be like.  I think my legs started to burn just reading the RR  
2008-10-06 12:19 PM
in reply to: #1720717

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Extreme Veteran
563
5002525
Pekin, IL
Subject: RE: Mount Diablo Challenge
Congrats on tackling another challenge.


2008-10-06 1:11 PM
in reply to: #1720717

Master
1728
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portland, or
Subject: RE: Mount Diablo Challenge
Great job, Abbie! That's a tough climb, and I think you did great.


scott
2008-10-06 4:01 PM
in reply to: #1720717

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Champion
19812
50005000500020002000500100100100
MA
Subject: RE: Mount Diablo Challenge

Sweet!!

Wow sounds like a very very hard hill..you should your IMness butt check cramp and all.

You can tackle anything you have your mind set on. Do you have triple or compact on new bike. I do think you should try cyclocross...seems the right type challenge for you

Nice job..you rock!

I think you have your stats input wrong...shows you finished 13/13.

 

2008-10-06 5:29 PM
in reply to: #1720717

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Expert
973
5001001001001002525
Berkeley, Calif.
Subject: RE: Mount Diablo Challenge
Great ride! Even with the disappointing finish. I don't even like *driving* up Mt. Diablo, nevermind biking it. I think you folks are crazy. *g*
2008-10-06 6:56 PM
in reply to: #1720717

Subject: ...
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2008-10-06 7:07 PM
in reply to: #1720717

Master
1397
1000100100100252525
Granvile, Ohio
Subject: RE: Mount Diablo Challenge

You did GREAT!  Come on, you were racing up a frickin' mountain for god's sake!  It was your first time. You really didn't know what to expect.....  But you will next year.  



2008-10-06 7:10 PM
in reply to: #1720717

Master
1588
1000500252525
San Francisco
Subject: RE: Mount Diablo Challenge

Abbie, it was great to meet you.  I enjoyed talking with you on the ride down.  You did a great job at the race!  You were definitely being hard on yourself, esp. as shown by your AG and OA female placement.

Yes, definitely a difference between roadies and triathletes (e.g. etiquette) and this is a crazy race venue for us (all uphill time trial).  Tack on another 100 miles and add a run afterward and that starts to sounds like a race to me

 

2008-10-07 1:39 PM
in reply to: #1720717

Pro
4672
200020005001002525
Nutmeg State
Subject: RE: Mount Diablo Challenge

You are freaking awesome -- I would have walked the whole thing. 

 Hopefully your glute is starting to feel better.

2008-10-07 6:56 PM
in reply to: #1720717

Expert
709
500100100
Subject: RE: Mount Diablo Challenge
Great job Abbie. What a crazy race!
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