|
|
My 2005 PMC experience was different from all of my previous PMCs. For the first time in 15 years, I would not be able to be in Massachusetts for the first weekend of August - it just didn't work out. So, for the first time, I would do a virtual ride - real enough, just not physically in Massachusetts. But the bigger difference is that for the first time, this would be a memorial ride. My Aunt Natalie, a cancer survivor, had been fighting cancer since early 2004. Sadly, two weeks before my PMC, she could fight no more. My 2005 virtual Pan Mass Challenge is dedicated to her.
When I designed my PMC, I was looking for a significant level of difficulty - a distinct challenge. The route would cover 107 miles, similar to the first day of the actual PMC. But at nearly 9500 of climbing, this ride is over three times the elevation gain of the PMC. Each of the climbs would be about 6 to 7 miles. It would be a long day. Not only in time and distance, but in difficulty. In 2000, in the two months prior to the PMC, I rode about 1600 miles. This year... half that. I would need some help along this route, so I invited a few friends to keep me company. I enlisted Beth to staff our first water stop, and also to be our photographer for the first stint. Thanks to Mary at the PMC, I was able to have the 2005 riding jersey in time for the ride, shown in some of the pictures.
Here is the map of the ride, as well as an approximate elevation profile. You can click on the map for more detail. For orientation, the top center is San Jose; bottom center is Santa Cruz.
|
|
|
|
Ride Day - September 3rdWe met at around 7:45 for an 8AM start. Three friends would accompany me on the ride. Kyle, with whom I've been riding for many years - he was on scene for the crash of '98 - is now a veteran of many triathlons, including two Hawaii Ironman events. Keep in mind that after this ride, he could run a marathon and swim about 2.5 miles! Of course, he has to shave first. Rickey is another triathelete who has been doing half ironman events, including the Vineman in California's Napa and Sonoma wine country. Jeff and I have done a lot of training together this year, from lunchtime rides at work, to weekend tours through the Santa Cruz Mountains. Jeff is somewhat new to cycling, having been a runner for some time. So he is very strong.
The Climb to SkylineOut of Los Gatos, we took highway 9 to Saratoga. Along this 4 mile stretch, there are some short climbs, but it's a pretty good warmup. The first real climb starts in Saratoga, where we continue on 9 for seven miles to Skyline. About half way up, long time sponsor Barbara was out on the road, with her son Max. They had this great sign. It's a little tough to read, but it says "PMC West - More Hills". It was great to have spectators along the route. Once at Skyline, climbing is not done. There is still about 500' to go over the next few miles before the first stop. The peak of this segment is the peak of the ride, near Castle Rock State Park, at just over 3000 feet. A two mile descent took us to our first water stop, where Beth met us with bananas, muffins, water, and Gatorade.The second stint is by far the easiest, rolling along Skyline (our backyard), until the first big descent, Bear Creek Rd., home of the David Bruce Winery. I descend this regularly, but on this day, we descended faster and better than usual. I did a lot of leading - setting the tempo - along Skyline and in the valley below, passing through Boulder Creek, Brookdale, and Ben Lomond on our way to Felton. I would pay for this in the next stint.
|
|
|
|
|
Felton to Santa CruzSanta Cruz is barely 6 miles from Felton, so you could say we went the long way around: 22 miles. There are only three ways out of the San Lorenzo valley to get up to Empire Grade. Felton-Empire Road is the shallowest of the climbs at 8% average grade for about 4 miles. This is a nice, shaded climb, but it is steep. I was paying for pulling the entire way from Boulder Creek, so I was the last up this climb. At the top, we turned onto Empire Grade and continued climbing for another 2 miles. From that point, we descended to the coast on one of the best descents in the Santa Cruz Mountains through Bonny Doon. Near 50 mph at the bottom, it flattens out just enough for a roll out to Highwy 1 - the Pacific Coast Highway. We took 1 south to Santa Cruz. Kyle and Rickey could not resist the sort of terrain familiar to them in triathlons, so they went on ahead. We stopped in for a quick lunch at Emily's bakery; we'd done about 60 miles in about 3.5 hours. It was a little chilly at the coast, but the sun was peeking through the fog. Out of Santa Cruz, we went through Soquel and Aptos. We were a little frustrated since we hit almost every traffic light, so we were happy to turn off city roads for the next climb. Actually, a series of short climbs took us from Aptos over to Corralitos. I had to pull the maps out here, as I wasn't totally familiar with the area. I needed Valencia, but at least three roads are named Valencia something. We selected Valencia Road, which was closed part way up due to a slide, but bikes could get by, so we continued. It was quite a bit warmer here. I had forgotten about the last climb before Corralitos. Hames Road is actually quite steep. But, we had a rest just over the top. We got water and Gatorade in preparation for the last climb: Eureka Canyon. |
|
|
Eureka CanyonEureka is not a steep climb, but it is relentless. It starts out with a shaded climb of 5% to 6%. Kyle and Rickey set the pace and this time, it was Jeff's turn to have legs of lead. I hung back with him for a while, then focused on the climb. After about 6 miles of shade, and a 2 mile descent on a rough road, the route follows the edge of the canyon, in the San Andreas Rift Zone, for many repetitive miles. It's totally exposed, and we were lucky it was only about 85 degrees - it can be much hotter here. With about 2 miles of climbing to go, I had some sharp pain in my right knee, but after backing off a bit, it dissipated. Eventually, the shade returns with another descent. After a total of 15 miles from Corralitos, we arrived at the Summit Store. I was about 15 minutes behind Kyle and Rickey; Jeff came in a few minutes later. I quite enjoyed this climb, even with the knee twinges. From here, it's mostly downhill back to Los Gatos. Old Santa Cruz Highway is newly paved, and 5 miles downhill. We were unchallenged by cars, which made for a very nice ride. We rode along the Lexington reservoir, within 5 miles of the finish - not unlike passing Pilgrim Lake in Provincetown at the end of the traditional PMC. We took the Los Gatos Creek bike trail, which is mostly unpaved, and has one 20% descent in it - a great way to get bike handling skills (or you can just walk like Jeff, the smart one). We exited the trail at Broadway, and did the last mile through downtown Los Gatos. |
|
Post-rideKyle and Rickey were short on time and needed to get going. Beth met me and Jeff at Andale Tacqueria, were we ate lots of great Mexican food, and told stories of the ride. It was a fine end to a hard day.In keeping with the cycling theme weekend, the following day, Beth and I went to see the pros race in the San Francisco Grand Prix. Discovery Channel (Lance Armstrong's team) brought a strong team, including George Hincapie, who won a stage in this year's Tour De France. They put on a great show, leading the race for several laps, and getting Jason McCartney into third place at the line. The race was the same distance as my PMC, but it has repeated laps with 18% climbs up Filmore and Taylor streets. The pros covered this distance in about 40% less time than we did. Here are a few pictures I took of the pros, including Hincapie plus the top 4 finishers: Fabian Wegmann, John Lieswyn, Jason McCartney, and Andrea Moletta.
|
|
|
|
Thank you for continuing to support the PMC.
