Two Weekends, One Blog!!!

I'm lazy. Everyone knows that. I don't like to do things. The thing I like to do the least is typing. I want to be able to talk and have my blog just type itself. Then I want it to understand the code for mapmyride.com embedded maps and just do it automatically.

Unfortunately this doesn't work so I have to type it out myself. So this blog will cover the exceptional (and less than exceptional) training rides from the weekend of the 25th of May and the 1st of June.

Saturday the 26th, Memorial day weekend, was officially "hit a cyclist with your car" day. I was feeling pretty good about my legs and I went out and hit it hard. straight out of the gun I felt like my effort was much greater than it had ever been on this route. Unfortunately all I have to go off of right now is perceived effort as my heart rate monitor took a shit but oh well. So I make it to Griffith park, head around the studios and start heading back up Sonora. I get stopped by the light at Sonora and San Fernando. I rock a one handed sitting track stand while I'm waiting for the light and on the green I go go go!!! Then I hit a car. This fucking douchebag cubs fan who was behind me at the light thought it would be a good idea to pull into the 7-11 while executing a multi lane right hand turn, thus cutting into my lane and causing me to go head first into the back panel of his Acura TL. I've written a thank you letter to Honda for making pliable cars. Despite rolling over his trunk and landing square on my back I was able to get up dust myself off and walk over to the 7-11. I found him inside pulling money out of the ATM. I proceeded to accost him and inform him of his mistake which he promptly apologized for. I told him not to do it again, and to apologize for being a Cubs fan in Los Angeles. I walked back to my bike, checked it for damage and went about my way. I was able to finish the ride, however not without almost being hit 3 more times, exactly the same way!!! people whipping around me really quickly to turn right into a parking lot. I ride this route almost every weekend and I've never had a problem. I chalked it up to being Memorial weekend. Everybody was too preoccupied with getting where ever the y had to go, and somehow got the idea that they are too important to be concerned with other people on the road.


The following weekend I took Saturday off to help a close friend with some college stuff. She thinks I'm smart for some reason so I get to write papers, which I like to do so it's cool. Sunday I met my friend Scott on at the Mulholland exit on the 101. I was excited to ride in an area of town I don't get to often enough. Agoura Hills, West Hills, that whole area is fun because there isn't a flat road to be found. There are lots of rollers and Lots of good climbs. The route I made for this particular ride wasn't supposed to have a lot of climbing and it didn't, but it was still an awesome ride. Scott and I got started and headed over to Westlake Village via Agoura Rd. Agoura is pretty much all rollers. I hate rollers. I like to climb but I hate rollers. We got to Westlake Blvd and started going up. It's not a steep climb at all, but it never ends! By the time we got to Kanan we had both had enough. this was supposed to be a recovery ride for Scott, and I had every intention of taking it easy as my liver needed a break from the night before. Scott made the comment "this must be where my father grew up" I didn't get it at first but he explained "uphill both ways to school" ahh... hahahahaha. it was a good laugh, and well timed as Kanan started to lose elevation at a nice rate. We were able to coast back to the intersection of Agoura and Kanan, where we took a quick break. From there we headed over to Mulholland via some country road I can't remember the name of. It was awesome, like, roller coaster awesome. Rollers that were big enough to get some real momentum. A left hand turn put us on Mulholland. going towards Las Virgines yields moderate climbing, and it was just enough for me taking into account my poor fuel consumption from the night before. The view was incredible, and the descent was awesome! We tempo'd back to the jump off point, taking it easy on Las Virgines, then hammering up Maure and coasting down Calabasas. All in all it was an awesome ride. If you want a great 40 mile recovery ride that requires a bit of effort I highly recommend this route.