I just need to do more climbing this year. Most of my past rides are mostly flat land with less than 1,000 feet of climbing. I mapped out this route the night before to make sure I climb more than 2,000 feet. Before the ride, I warmed up my legs on the trainer for 10 minutes. It was an easy spin and I kept my heart rate under 125bpm. I think this surely helps when you know you have some hills at the beginning of the ride.
Riding through Vallejo is always a challenge. You really have to watch out for cars when they are about to make a turn from the street ahead of you. Usually I catch people not looking my direction so I have to slow down until they see me. On top of that, drivers around here are not bike friendly and most do not give you space when they pass you. Seriously, I do not want to get hit by your side rear view mirror.
Conditions were pretty nice. I can't complain of the nice sun and temperature we have. It was a bit windy at the peaks. It was my first ride up Rose Dr. with my Garmin so I can actually see my stats. I rode Rose Dr. before with my Trek and I had to stop once or twice to catch my breath. This time I just plowed through with no stopping. The wind really got to me at the top but I finished within the top 10 on Strava.
The ride through Benicia to Martinez and off to Crockett was good. When you pass through the shade, it felt really cold but when you get back into the sunshine, you could feel the heat on the skin. Passing through the Vallejo waterfront, you could tell that the construction of roads and the parking garage near the ferry is near completion. I am happy that they put an nice wide bike lane in that area.
I really liked the challenge of the ride. I felt that once I did that big Rose Dr. hill, I could blast up any other hill in my path. I think I would do this ride once, maybe twice a month. I need to beat my time up Rose Dr!!
My recovery food. Muscle Milk Whey Protein, Cytocarb, Amino Energy, and 2 hard boiled eggs. That's just over 500 calories.
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