The last days of my ride

This video is a collection of shots from San Francisco to the Mexican Border.  I will post, at least, one more time with some of my final thoughts about the ride, but for now...ENJOY!

For some reason the blog post doesn't like this video so CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO!!!

Join me on the last leg!

Hello!  

For anyone who would like to meet and ride with me on the very last leg of my ride here is the plan:

We will meet at 8:45 am on Saturday, July 14th: 

Aqua Adventures Kayak Shop

1548 Quivara Way

San Diego

92109  

www.aqua-adventures.com

There is plenty of parking near by.  The location is a little confusing to find so make sure you look carefully at a map or use maps.google.com

We will leave at 9am.  I have plotted the route here:

http://www.mapmyfitness.com/routes/view/111867927

I plan to stick to this route as much as possible, though there may be some deviation.  

We will ride to the border, eat a taco, drink a Tecate (or something) and hang out for a minute.  The end location is Larson Field, a park that has a parkinglot near by.  If anyone wants to meet us at the finish line they are more than welcome to meet us at the park.  If you only want to ride one way then plan on getting picked up a Larson Field (22 miles Mission Bay to Larson Field).  Otherwise, we are headed back to Mission Bay (44 miles).  There is a small "cash only" bar at the kayak shop and live music on the weekends so we can take that place over for a little while.  Then we will go where ever we want!!!

We will not be racing to the border there will be stops and we will NOT be going fast.  Anyone is welcome to come. 

Please be responsible and bring your own food, water and HELMET. 

See you Saturday!

Berto 

PS: If anyone is looking for just a little more punishment I will be leaving from Mira Mesa and riding to Mission Bay.  If so, contact me.  rsgutier@gmail.com or  206-919-5466.

Day 25 part two.

Good company, no great company.  Shay's infallible energy was motivating and uplifting!  As I mentioned we met up in Oxnard, not my favorite town, but we were soon rolling through strawberry fields and turning the corner on Malibu. 

Let me pause for a minute to give you some a quick recap of Shay's cycling experience:

Prior to meeting me in Oxnard he had, ridden a distance of 15 or twenty miles.  He had ridden the bike he was about to use 2 times for about 40 minutes (earlier that day).  Thats all.  

Shay was very strong and in a fantastic mood.  We cruised by beach after beach and passed through Malibu with ease.  I was nervous about the Malibu section of the ride since we hit it at 5pm on a saturday.  Soon we were sitting in a bar in Santa Monica, where Shay and I both met up with old friends.  After a beer we were back on the road.  Traffic was high, but we found a flow and were soon cruising along the beach paths, dodging the occasional kid and enjoying the incredible scenery.  It was mind-blowing to be riding through the beaches of LA after having ridden through the trees and hills and rain.  It all seemed so surreal to me.  My heart dropped a little, I was getting close.  We met even more friends that night and hung out in Redondo Beach.  It was nice to have a roof over my head again.  

Shay rode 70+ miles averaging 16mph on his first long ride ever!  Making me look bad :)

Day 26

We woke early and were on the road by about 7 am.  Shay was a machine!  We quickly swept through city after city.  We were able to make it through the craziness of Long Beach and the other bad traffic cities before 10am.  We had aspirations of pushing hard, so we kept our motivation high and tried to strategically stop and eat at planned distances.  The traffic was a little more aggressive and complacent so we shouted "Cuidado!" as our way of communicating dangers.  The rolling hills and the coast were beautiful, the ocean was more blue-green than I have ever seen it in Southern California.  Shay commented it was like being in the Caribbean or Hawaii.  We had a fantastic thai lunch in San 

Clemente, which marked the approximate halfway point of our day.  With our full bellies we lumbered back onto the road.  Shay pulled us through Dana Point, where the water kept getting more and more beautiful.  Riding through Camp Pendelton was admittedly one of the coolest things for me.  The bike path leading prior to the base was fast and smooth, we were able to hold very fast speeds and cover some ground.  The terrain and road through the Pendelton itself was less enjoyable.  I was just blown away by another stunning juxtaposition, beautiful beach to an arid military base.  In Oceanside we stopped to relax a bit, and made a few adjustments to Shay's bike.  At this point we were getting to the just details portion of the ride.  Cardiff, Lucadia, Solana Beach, Del Mar…home was close.  After a few pitstops we were sitting at the base of Calle Cristobal, the last challenge of the day.  A 300 foot hill between us and our house.  As we summited, Shay reminded me that we would be turning right on Camino Ruiz and then left on Aquarius.  I thanked him as it had been over a month since I had been home.  We rolled into the garage where Josh and Laurel met us.  Soon we were drinking beers and sharing stories…it was good to be home.  

Shay's second day on this bike he did, 115 miles, averaging 15mph!!!!!!!  That is simply un-freaking-believable!  Great job Shay and thanks for the company!  It made the last few miles much easier!!! 

So now I have to make it to the border…I plan on meeting up with whomever wants to ride with me in Mission Bay on Saturday the 14th of July.  

Day 24 and 25.5

Day 24 

I woke up in Santa Maria/Orcutt, CA.  Well rested and ready to go.  Today I face the last two large hills of the ride…two 1000ft hills over the course of 20miles.  They went perfectly.  Smooth, easy, fun.  I was in a great mood and I was singing to myself.  Sometimes I think its good i am traveling alone :)

Here is my mental playlist:

Some Nights ~ Fun

Lodi Dodi ~ Snoop Dogg

Halleluja ~ Jeff Buckley 

and my personal favorite…Twinkle Twinkle Little Star!

You have to keep in mind these songs will pop in and out of my head from one moment to the next and usually for a verse, two at most.  

Outside of Lompoc, I happened upon a couple riding together, on their way back to San Diego.  I passed them just as we summited the LAST hill.  I could not help but stand up, sprint and yell, "WOOOOOOOO!"  Holy crap I made it to SoCal!  This was my last major land mark before San Diego and I couldn't have been happier during my 1000 foot descent towards the ocean.  I had planned on eating shortly after the hill, but what I understood to be a town was a vending machine at a rest area.  Soooooo I kept motoring down the coast.  I finally ate in Goleta, 65 miles from my starting point!  I was hungry!  I swung into the first bike shop I could find and got a tune up and a new chain.  I stomped on my pedals and rolled into Carpinteria at about 4:30pm.  I had heard bad things about the Carpinteria Hiker-Biker site so I was not excited to spent the rest of the day there.  The next logical thing to do…find a brewery.  I quickly made friends with a nice couple from Orange County.  We traded a couple rounds of beer and they invited me to stay with them.  This was a huge relief and I Gladly accepted.  The only problem was the rounds of beer got me quite drunk.  Good conversation and good beer made me forget that I had biked 88 miles and only eaten a chicken wrap.  Call it good planning or good luck, but the campsite was a 3 minute walk from the brewery and so I walked back with my new friends, hopped through a shower and found a burrito in town.  

Day 25

A restless night awaited me.  Camp noise, raccoons and stomach pain kept me awake most the night.  I put my kit together at about 5:30am and was on the road by 6:15.  The plan was to meet Shay in Oxnard at 10:40 and he would accompany me home.  I admit I was really excited to get on the road this morning.  I stopped at a Starbucks to calm my stomach a bit and catch up with Shay via phone.  The train situation in SD was a pain and he wouldn't be arriving in Oxnard till 2pm.  All good and well, but now I had 28miles to go and 6 hours to do it.  I have done 80miles in that much time, so I decided to put my feet up and relax in Starbucks.  As I was about to leave I bumped into Debrah, Chris and Brian.  They were my cycling friends from two days earlier.  We rode the first 25 miles together.  It was nice to have the company and I definitely took advantage of the draft.  I have a nother 75 miles to go today so I didn't feel too bad.  

Now I am in a coffee shop in Oxnard waiting for Shay.  So consider this a mid-day update.  

Sorry no pictures….just cycling.  

Day 21 and 22 and 23

Day 21

Quite a change from yesterdays super hero like day.   According to my book it is 40 miles from Santa Cruz to Monterey.  What i failed to notice was that it is 40 miles from the campsite 16 miles PAST Santa Cruz.  So imagine my surprise when i hit the 40mile mark and was no where near Monterey.  I got a bit lost in the morning since I wasn't really on the suggested route at that point and I ended up bouncing between the FREEWAY and monster hills in suburbia.  There is a level of fatigue i try to avoid ever reaching when cycling, the repercussions of trying to recover after getting that tired are not good when you face 80miles/day.  I hit that redline burning feeling in my legs at least three times before 11am.   I was not off to a great start.  When i finally rolled into my lunch destination of Carmel I had clocked 65miles!  Laurel surprised me by taking Highway 1 home from San Fran, so we were able to get lunch together, it was really nice.  From Carmel it was another 25 miles to my destination in Big Sur.  Rounding the peninsula out of Monterey meant i got a monster tailwind!  Cruising at astronomical speeds climbing hills like i was made to do so, I was at my campsite in no time.  There was a bit of hiking and sightseeing followed by food and sleep.  

The morning was one of the most confusing and frustrating mornings I have had!  But once I found my zen-like state and put mile after mile behind me it turned out to be one of the most incredible days of riding I have had.  Monterey in the sunlight reminded me of Italy, along the Cinque Terre,   The coast from Monterey to Big Sur is my favorite 25 miles to date.  

Day 22

The next morning was about hills.  It was a relatively uneventful 4th of July.  Just hopped on my bike, in the fog and rode 4, 1000 foot hills, then cruised some flats past the elephant seals and Hurst Mansion.  In camp I met up with 7 other cyclists, the most I have seen in one place yet.  We talked, shared stories then watched the Cambria Fireworks show from our humble beach.  It was nice.  

Day 23

Yet another good day of riding.  It was misty and COLD in the morning.  I was wearing my rain gear to start the day.  In Morro Bay I crossed paths with three cyclist who were touring via credit card, this means, they carry about 8lbs of gear and ride really nice bikes.  I was able to keep pace with them and in no time at all we had crushed out 50miles.  With 30 miles to go they stopped in Pismo to enjoy the sand dunes and I kept rolling.  With the help of my three friends I was able to do 80miles today and average 16mph.  I arrived in Santa Maria where I stayed with a friends mom.  She has been an AMAZING host!  I am well fed and well rested for my big ride tomorrow.  I have an 90 mile day planned…but as always we will see how it goes.  

Days 19 and 20

Day19 and 20.

Two short days.  30 and 50 miles.  I am stopping to visit friends and I am getting my legs ready for tomorrows ride.  I have planned a 100miles through Big Sur, CA.  Thus, I will ride far and up many hills.  Leaving SF was interesting to say the least.  I felt like I was riding in circles and climbing hill after hill!  Once I got to the coast the road was terrible and crowded.  I am very glad i did this section in bad weather on a sunday evening, traffic was minimal and i appreciated that.  Leaving SF is something I will never forget.  I rode through some interesting parts f town, past a parade and up some monster hills.  

Day 20.

I woke up in my warm bed after a great night's sleep and a good meal.  I felt soft and weak like kitten after my break, but then after 3 cups of coffee and half a belgian waffle I ripped off my fuzzy pants, put on my offensively tight shorts and yelled, "BY THE POWER OF GREYSKULL!!!!

My whimpering bike turned into my faithful steed Battle Cat.  I mounted the beast and rode hard!  I averaged 18 miles per hour and made it to Santa Cruz, 50mies away, in 2 hours and 40 minutes.  I was HE-MAN!  More clothes, less muscles, but I felt strong!!!!

OK, now for the truth.  I did average 18mph, but I also had a 15mph tailwind.  :)  The tailwind made me feel like a super hero on my bike.  For some reason He-Man popped into my head.  I suppose I will never grow up.  I knew it was the wind and the relatively flat terrain allowing me to go fast, but that did not stop me from getting this video and song stuck in my head.  I may or may not have been singing aloud...

I met up with an old friend here and I am going to explore Santa Cruz for a bit.  The winds are shifting with the setting setting sun and changing landscape of Santa Cruz and Monterey.  To avoid over working myself I must get up early tomorrow and hit the road hard.  

Just details

Day 18

I was sick and tired of being blasted by the wind so I woke up early and hit the road a little before 7am.  My plan was to stop in the first town I passed and buy some food, coffee and snacks for the road.  Weeeeelllll, the first three towns were essentially closed, no food, no water and nobody there.  I rode for three hours before I came to a town with any provisions!  I pulled up to Jenner, CA and ate two AMAZING eggs, drank coffee and inhaled water.  Then I headed out.  I was psyched and in a great mood.  I had big plans.  I figured if I was feeling good I would all the way to San Francisco in a day.  The night before leaving I was talking to a fellow road warrior on his way to Maryland (WOW) and he told me, "once you get to Point Reyes, you are close, then once you can see The Bridge…it's just details."   Just details.  I like that.  So with motivation excitement and the challenge of my longest day ever I rolled through town after town.  I stopped to eat two Lunchables® and kept pushing.  Riding along Tomales bay I found new strength with the wind at my back!  I was holding a 20mph pace up and down hills.  I arrived in Point Reyes at about 2pm!  I was psyched!  "You are close," I told myself.  I was, but I wasn't.  Point Reyes is still a 40 mile ride from my destination.  On Sir Francis Drake Rd. I realized why most people don't ride true road bikes when they tour.  I thought my poor bike was going to get ripped in half by potholes.  The road wound through towns for ages and I began to get tired, really tired.  I stopped a few times to finish my granola bars and the Snickers bar I was saving for when I really ran out of energy.  

Finally, I made it to Suasalito and got my first glimpse of the bay!  It was a beautiful sight…seriously I was awestruck.  I had only seen one Target in 20 days time, San Francisco was HUGE.  With the direction and help of a few commuters I found my way on to THE Golden Gate Bridge.  I could not stop smiling.  The wind was howling, I mean ripping across the bridge.  I would guess 30+ mph winds.  I biked slow and stopped a couple times to take in some views.  Once across the bridge I stopped by Planet Granite, the local gym to see if i could hop though the shower, but got no love.  I am not going to pay $16 to take a shower!  No big deal, I rolled my chipper self to Ghirardelli Square, dodging tourists and enjoying every second.  I met up with Ben Williams at Wattle Creek's incredible tasting room where I sampled wine to my hearts content.  By good fortune Laurel was headed to San Francisco that night for a Job interview, so I met up with her and her cousin.  We had a few drinks and then crashed at a friends house!  

It was the perfect ending to the perfect day.  I didn't take many pictures this day.  All I did was ride and ride hard.  When it was all said and done I had covered 120 miles and averaged 14.0 mph.  I had never even ridden 100miles in a day, so my first century was 120miles, on my 9th day riding culminating with a trip over the Golden Gate Bridge and an incredible night that followed.  

Here are a few stats I am quite proud of:

Day10: 77miles

Day11: 84miles

Day12: 78miles

Day13: 82miles

day14: 80miles 

day15: 65miles

Day16: 87miles and I climbed 8,641 feet on this day!!!

Day17: 65miles

Day18: 120miles!!!!  Including 5000+ feet of climbing.

Total ~735miles.  Miles/day~82.  Average speed ~14mph.

I have put together some of my favorite pictures from this past 9 days and posted them here:

PHOTOS

Also here is a movie I threw together.  I met a guy named Mike on the road.  We shared a campsite outside of Fort Bragg.  He is a nice kid and a great musician so I was treated to some good music that night.  I was able to snag a small sound bite of him singing and playing his guitar (which rode on the back of his bike).  In the movie the song that starts out is Dolly Parton, Jolene…then Mike takes over singing his version of the country classic.  Enjoy!