Parentals, God's Beautiful Green Earth, Deer, 3 Flats All in a Great Week

Overlook


Holy smokes! Tons to report! My riding started last Sunday with an hour in the brutal wind! Legs were a little tired after the day at the Fillmore skate park opening! Monday I needed some solitude and headed out to Sycamore Canyon for a 3+ hour ride. The goal was to not cook myself early and shoot for 4 hours. Legs felt really good, there was a slight cool breeze and there was almost no one out! I dropped into the hill, flew down 2 Fox trail and then headed up Guadalajasco then down Backbone trail. From there I headed out to the beach for a look at the waves and a refill of fluids and Hammer Perpetuem. As I started up Overlook I was surprised that they had been bulldozing it and it was as wide as the 405! Overlook is a 6.8 mile fireroad climb that is a nice steady grind. The bulldozing was about 5.5 miles up and it made some sections BRUTAL. It was like riding uphill in sand! After a while, I was at the top and had the reward of descending Guadalajasco! So much fun! I started out Wood Canyon and headed up the backside. I was entering the pain locker after the deep dirt climb and decided to head out instead of the one last climb I had planned. So dropping the last single track trail I came around a corner a little to fast and almost washed out! When I looked up I had two beautiful deer were staring me in the face. Cool! I still had he gnarly witch to climb back up to my car and I was quickly deteriorating. I made it and I had logged 3 hours and 40 minutes with 4025 ft. of climbing over 31 miles! Close to the 4 hours! I was a blast and I was destroyed. I had stopped by a bike shop to get a packet of recovery drink and they had no packets! Hmmmm, In and Out is in the parking lot! Double Double was on tap and it was GOOD! About 5 minutes after inhaling that I started to feel a serious rumble and thought, hmmmm, maybe not the best idea! It passed!

2 Deer


Tuesday I headed up to Oxnard to go on a ride with the parents. With the heavy wind at the beach we decided to ride to Ojai and back! Mom took off like a rocket as usual so Pop and I tried to keep up. Legs were tired but fared very well for the 30 mile ride! At one point my Dad through down a little speed challenge so I took off only to watch him BLOW by me moments later! What?!?!?!?!?! He hammered me! We hadd a greeat ride and it was awesome to spend some time with them!

Mom and Pop


Wed. was an early morning photo shoot for Honey at the new skatepark! The grand opening was so crowded we decided to hit it early in the morning on a weekday! It was a blast!

Fillmore Skate Park


Mike had been dying to ride so Thursday morning we hit an early loop in Simi Valley! Legs felt suprisingly good and we HAMMERED up Lajas Canyon and then I suffered up the connecting climb to Chumash! Another great ride with beautiful weather!

Friday I did not expect to ride but after arriving home from a funeral (Welcome Home Mitsu Lankford!) I had about an hour to spare and decided to do a race loop through Chesebro. I managed to keep a pace that was at about 90% to 105% effort! I was pleased with the pace and the legs felt pretty good! I can't say that they felt all that great later in the evening though!

Guadalajasco


This morning Mike had the idea to get in a 3 hour ride in Sycamore Canyon. Now I loves me some hours in the saddle but I know that Mike was going to want to climb....a lot! I was a little worried but of course down to give it a shot! We met at the trailhead at 8 and there were probably 30 cars! Mike waited until we had dropped into the canyon before telling me what he had on tap! First trail was normal...but then...he uttered two words that I hate to hear! Coyote Trail! Ohhh crap! Coyote trail is about 900 feet of gnarly technical climbing with some short rises that are about 30% grade! Then after all the climbing there is ultra tech downhill that opens up into a GREAT flowy section that drops out onto Two Foxes. From there we headed up Sage Trail (more climbing) then down into Wood Canyon. They had done some bulldozing so you had to pay close attention! Next we climbed Guadalajasco at a great pace and then started our FLIGHT down Backbone. Right after passing two slower riders I heard PHSSSSSHHHHH! Flat! Bummer. Put in a new tube and jumped back on the bike only to hear PHSSSSHHHHHH 100 yards later! Two flats in 100 yards! Yikes! The mosquitos ate us alive as I changed the flats! From there we headed out both pretty destroyed! Up the witch and we were back at the car! Chipotle to refuel and a beautiful end to a great week of saddle time!

Grace and Peace.

3 Days

3 days of riding! So awesome! Thursday afternoon I climbed Dead Cow Trail spending a little over an hour on the mountain bike. Friday was finally a day for some hefty mileage. I drove over to Pacific Coast Highway with the road bike and parked at Leo Carrillo State Beach. The plan was to ride to Venice Beach about thirty miles down the coast and then back. It was a little chilly but that worked to my benefit I'm sure! The beach was beautiful and the waves were pumping pretty good! There was a slight headwind (I thought) and I was looking forward to turning around and having a tail wind. (I wished!) From where I parked there is about 900 feet of climbing on the way out and 1100 feet on the way back.... after 50 miles!

It was great to get to Santa Monica and pass the pier and finally get on the bike path! Lots of interesting people! Venice was also an eyeful! I finally turned around at the end of Venice and I had traveled a little over 30 miles in 1 hour and 39 minutes. As soon as I turned around I knew that I was in trouble! The wind had picked up considerably and was coming off the ocean directly at me! Holy smokes! About 5 miles into this I started feeling cramps form! I said a few prayers and stopped to fill up my bottles. I downed a bottle and after refilling I headed back out. I was able to keep a pretty steady pace but the wind had dropped my speed by about 3 MPH. Whenever I was right along the water the wind just drilled me. So much so that my first big descent that should have been 40+ MPH, was like 25! I tried to stretch as I rode and just continued to pray that God would help me make it the 20 miles I still had left!

I was feeling OK and got to the last 6 miles that I would have to climb close to 1100 ft. As I hit the first big hill passing Zuma Beach I stood up only to have BOTH of my legs lock up so bad that I almost fell over! I sat/fell back to my seat and picked an easier pace. Another prayer and I managed o make it up the hill. I was really starting to worry about getting back to my car and having to step off of my bike! Slowly but surely I came around the corner from my car and was relieved! As I stepped off of my bike I had no issues (thank you Lord!) It had taken me 30 minutes longer to ride back than it had to ride out! Super fun! A little over 3 hours and 45 minutes. Sweet!

This morning I felt better than I thought that I would which was good because a ride with my Dad and Justin was on tap after the mens breakfast at church. My Dad and I rode from the church out to Malibu Creek State Park where we met up with Justin. It was pretty freaking cold but we had a blast. On the way back to the church my Dad and I rode up Mulholland to Cornell which was a great climb! Another two hours on the bike and it felt great! Hopefully I can keep it up! It felt good to ride for so long yesterday!

Climb Hard,
Lucas

Honey On The Hill