2014 Mt Hamilton Challenge

131 total miles, 8300 feet total elevation, 13:40 hours total (12:05 on the bicycle)

I wanted to try this ride for the fifth time.  I did not try it last year because I did not feel like I was in shape.  Well, I also did not feel in shape this year either.  This winter had only sporadic riding, and my spring training did not ramp up. But I am planning on doing Seattle-to-Portland again this year – this time in one day.  I need to increase my training to be able to do my first double century in nearly 6 years.

As usual I got up early, got ready, and got dropped off in time to make the earliest start time of 6:00am.  However, a quick inspection found that I had a loose headset.  A mechanic was on hand to tighten it for me, but it delayed my start.

6:20am, 0 miles, 0 feet  (start)

I kept a moderate pace to start, knowing that my energy level would not be as good as previous years.  It was relatively cold at the start – upper 40s.  The initial stretch was a familiar route through some of the more industrial part of Silicon Valley.  One new sight for me this year was seeing the nearly completed Levi's Stadium, which did not exist the last time I rode this event two years ago.

After riding the flat approach to the mountain and beginning the ascent, I warmed up enough to where I took off my jacket and switched to open finger gloves.  But before the halfway point of the climb,  we entered the mist of the cloud layer.  I expected to ascend out of this layer and see clear sky, so I kept the warmer clothes off for a while.  I overheard another rider state that his thermometer was reading lower 40s.  That combined with the mist and wind meant it was definitely cold.

I could not take the cold anymore so I switched back to full finger gloves and put my jacket back on.  I was surprised to find that we never left the cloud layer.  I did not see the observatory at the summit until we reached it.  I was even more surprised to see small patches of snow at the summit.  We have been having consistent Spring weather throughout the Bay Area.  We had a light rain a couple days ago, but the colder temperatures up here meant it fell as snow and stuck.

10:20am, 35 miles, 4300 feet  (rest stop 1)

I ate my snack quickly and continued on.  I did not want to linger since I was getting colder just sitting idle.


The start of the descent was cold, due to it being still foggy and windy.  I noticed that my left foot had gone completely numb.  However, after about 2 miles of the descent, I was back under the cloud layer where it was much warmer.

The route through the valley on this side of the mountains was as scenic as ever.  The recent rain had filled several roadside ponds.  Some of the meadows were seas of yellow wild flowers, while some others were a mix of yellow, orange, and purple.  The wind was a constant presence, often an annoying head-wind or side-wind.  But sometimes it was a pleasant tail-wind.

1:30pm, 62 miles, 6300 feet  (rest stop 2)

I reached the second rest stop and found it to be emptier than usual.  I asked the staff about the main pack and they said that the majority of riders had left a significant time earlier.  I tried to eat quickly and stretch.

The next route section is usually an easy gradual downhill, but here is where I experienced the most significant wind of the day.  What is usually a zero-effort, fast descent was this year a mild-effort, medium speed descent.  By the time I reached the valley floor in Livermore, the usually flat route to the next stop again turned into the wind and required more energy that I would have liked.  However, this stretch usually has a headwind, so it was no surprise.  It was, in fact, less effort than I expected considering how strong the wind was on the previous section.

4:00pm, 92 miles, 6300 feet  (rest stop 3)

Again as I reached the next stop, the crowd was thinner than I usually experience.  I noticed I had arrived only about 30 minutes before the stop closes.  This meant I really need to conserve time to be sure to finish before the cutoff.  This was the first time I had been so far behind.

I ate quickly, then gave a call home to report my status.  I headed out, knowing I should be monitoring my pace to ensure I return on time.  There was less wind on the rest of the route, and my energy level never dropped too low, so I made better time than I expected to.

6:25pm, 115 miles, 8000 feet  (unofficial rest stop)

As usual, I made a stop at Ed Levin Park.  Somehow, the distance between the Pleasanton stop and the finish is too long for me to go without a bathroom break.  The unofficial stop at Levin park is convenient since the facilities are just off the road.  It was a very brief stop.  The ride back through Silicon Valley was easy and familiar.

7:15pm, 129 miles, 8000 feet  (finish)
I arrived back at the finish and checked in.  A few riders arrived after me, and I heard one of the staff announce, "that's the last of them."  It was the first time I was among the last finishers.  Although, it was my latest finish time, it was not significantly later than previous years.  As usual, I decided to ride home rather than have someone pick me up.

7:50pm, 133 miles, 8000 feet   (home)

The ride seems to be a much-needed precursor to my later ride plans.  My legs had soreness for about a week afterwards.  That is much longer than what I usually experience, and indicates that they still need to be built up.  If felt good to do this one, but I probably need to do some more centuries to prepare for the double century.

Mt. Hamilton Challenge

133 total miles, 8000 feet total elevation gain, 

12 hours 45 minutes total (10 hours 45 minutes on the bicycle)

Well this journal has been empty for quite some time.  One reason for that is that I did not participate in any bicycle events over the winter.  There are very few scheduled that season because of the cold, wet weather.

But the primary reason was a lack of time.  Now with two small children at home, time has become even more of a premium.  Although I actually have been on some rides that were worth writing about, I just could not make the time to do the actual writing.

After having done the first event of the year, I am determined to write about it, even though this report is about a month late.  I hope to be able to add some updates of my activities of last winter.  The main purpose of this journal is for me to have a log of all my bicycle activities, so I want to get that information in, even if it is minimal.

Like most years, my first century was the Mount Hamilton Challenge.  It is a favorite of mine for several reasons.  First, it is a challenging ride of 200 kilometers with 8000 feet elevation gain.  Second, the route goes on roads that I do not ride on at other times.  Third, it is well organized but yet a cheap (only $15 entry fee) and low-key event.  The cost is kept down by having the riders provide their own food.

Although I had been fairly regular in my training over the winter, I had done minimal riding the month before the actual ride.  This was, of course, due to the fact that my son was born just 9 days before the event.  I thought my conditioning was at a sufficient level, but I would find out for sure only when I tried it.

6:00am, 0 miles, 0 feet (start)

I did most of my preparation the night before.  So after I got up at 5:00am, I got ready leisurely.  The plan was for my father to come by and drop me off at the start, and to bring with him a donut for breakfast.  Unfortunately, we did not realize that the local donut store does not open so early on weekends.  So I ended up eating a peanut butter jelly sandwich instead.

The registration for the event officially opens at 6:00am, and I wanted to get there at that time so that I could start quickly and finish that much sooner.  There were already a handful of other riders there before me.  I got registered quickly since the main crowd had not all come yet.

My father was amused that out of the roughly 15 riders starting at that time, it looked like I was the youngest.  At least a couple riders were close to my father's age.  Cycling is certainly an activity that one can continue doing into advanced age.  But the real reason for this observed age skew is that the younger, stronger riders tend to start later since they are faster and do not need as much time to finish.

The temperature was in the low 50's, which is cool but not too cold for me.  I did not need my heavier jacket.  Instead it was enough to wear the light rain jacket that I always keep folded in my bike bag.  This saved me the trouble of having extra clothing that I would need to stow and carry when it got warmer.

The ride up the mountain was pleasant.  Last year is was tremendously windy, but this year it was sunny and clear.  I did notice more car traffic going uphill than I am used to.  When I got to Grant Ranch Park at half-way point of the climb, it was apparent why there were so many cars.  There was some kind of event going on there, and it appeared to be a running event.  There were banners and loud music, which faded slowly as I climbed past.

I made sure to keep a slow pace.  Sometimes one unconsciously matches the speed of the other riders in the event.  Instead, I made a conscious attempt to go slower than I normally would in an event to conserve energy for the end of day.  The climb from the valley floor to the top of Mt Hamilton makes up half of the climbing for the whole ride.

9:40am, 35 miles, 4300 feet (Lick Observatory) [20 minutes break]

As usual, I reached the first rest stop and quickly searched for a sunny spot to eat.  It was warm in the sun, but a cool breeze was blowing.  I was still ahead of most of the pack so it was not as crowded here as I had experience earlier years.  I casually ate my food, then continued on.

The next section was a six mile descent.  After going over the summit, it is not at all apparent that I am still within 50 miles of a major metropolis.  There is no development on this side of the mountains, only some sporadic ranches.  It looks much more like the foothills of the Sierra Nevada than the Bay Area.

After the descent, the road is undulating with multiple small climbs and descents.  Here my fellow cyclists vastly outnumbered any other traffic.  Although there are extended flat stretches in this valley, there was a continuous headwind which significantly increased the effort to get through this section.  Still my conditioning was holding up.

12:15pm, 63 miles, 6300 feet (Arroyo Mocho) [35 minutes break]

The second rest stop is just a bare gravel spot by the road.  Earlier years, I had to sit uncomfortably in the gravel.  But I was still ahead of the main pack so there were fewer cyclists to compete for the good spots.  I found some space on a large log, which was much more comfortable than the ground.  I ate the food I packed (potato chips, cookies, and pasta) and chatted with a couple other riders.

The next section was primarily downhill, which mitigated the headwind.  Having not done any centuries in a while, my butt started getting sore.  I knew that I just had to bear it for a while, because it usually gets better after hurting for a while.  Anyhow, it is not a severe pain; it is more of just an annoyance.

The road led to the valley floor just outside the city of Livermore.  After being on the only road on that side of the mountains, it is now necessary to navigate the city streets to stay on the proper route.

With this being the fourth time I have done this ride, I was pretty sure I could navigate to the next rest stop just by memory.  But I decided to double-check with the printed route instructions we were given at the start.  This turned out to be a good idea because I had not realized that this year the rest stop is at a different park!

The park was not far from the previous one, so the way to get there was mostly the same.  But for the last couple miles, I was holding the partly-folded paper in one hand and checking each intersection to make sure I made the proper turns.

2:35pm, 92 miles, 6300 feet (Pleasanton) [40 minutes break]

The advantage of having a rest stop at a park is that we had proper picnic tables to eat at and a real restroom.  The majority of the climbing was done, but I know that I needed to prepare for the final climbs of the upcoming part of the route.  I rested here some extra time.  Since we were back in a populated area, I had cell phone coverage, so I sent a text message home indicating that I was doing good.

I ate the same food as the last stop.  I made sure to stretch my back and neck since they had gotten a little stiff.  When I felt fully relaxed, I continued on.

The upcoming climb is actually gradual and not particularly difficult.  It was just a matter of having enough energy and muscle power to do it.  I expected to be mostly spent, but found that I was having less trouble than I thought I would cranking the pedals.  A climb can feel endless when you have run out of energy, but this time it was over faster than I expected.

5:25pm, 115 miles, 8000 feet (Ed Levin) [3 minutes break]

Although it is not an official stop, I usually stop at Ed Levin Park each year for a bathroom break and some rest.  This year, I used the facilities but did not need to rest.

All the climbing was done and the next stretch was the descent back to Silicon Valley.  After that it was the final few miles of flat ground by moderately busy roads (not particularly pleasant, but not a problem).

6:20pm, 129 miles, 8000 feet (finish)

It felt good to reach the finish.  The ride certainly was not an ordeal, but I had no guarantee that it would be easy.  As usual, I declined to have someone come and pick me up.  I rode the 4 miles back home.

6:45, 133 miles, 8000 feet (home)
I proved that I kept my conditioning level up enough over the winter to stay in shape for this years centuries.  I certainly intend to do more this year.  The challenge will be to find the time train with my limited time.  I am sure that I can manage to do at least a couple.

Mt Hamilton Challenge

131 total miles, 8000 feet total elevation gain, 12 hours 25 minutes total time (10 hours 30 minutes on the bicycle)

It was time for my first big challenge in a long time. This was the third year I have attempted this ride, but I did not do it last year because I was not in shape enough at this point in the season. I am still not in my best shape, and have only found time for medium-length training rides sandwiched by annoyingly long stretches of bad weather and illness. In preparation, I rode an 80 mile, 6000 feet ride the previous weekend. Having done that without significant problems, I felt that my conditioning was in place for this one.

One problem I found on that previous ride was that my bicycle needed new tires. I got two flats in my rear tire, which I was able to fix because I usually carry two spare inner tubes with me. I also developed a rear flat at the end my last long ride. Getting frequent flats is an indication that the tire rubber has gotten too thin. Before this year, my last flat was almost two years ago. I have put on nearly 6000 miles on the current set of tires, which were the originals when I got the bicycle. This is much longer than most people hope to get from a set, so it was clearly time to change. I made sure to ride the bicycle to work the week before to ensure that the tire mounting was good.

6:15am, 0 miles, 0 feet

I woke up at 4:30am, got ready, ate a couple donuts, and had my father drop me at the start. I checked in, dropped off my packed food, and got underway. The morning air was a bit cool, but since the day was expected to warm up, I decided to shiver in my long sleeves for a while rather than put on my jacket.

Mt Hamilton Challenge

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The loop was ridden counter-clockwise.

The forecast was for clear, warm weather, and I had not noticed any prediction of strong winds. But, before reaching the first climb, we experienced some very powerful gusts. One blew me from the right side of the road completely to the other side, and almost off. I was about to dismount when it subsided. This did not bode well for the day, since fighting the wind can be miserable.

On the 4000 foot climb up to top of Mt. Hamilton, I made sure to pace myself. On previous rides I ran out of energy by the end, so this time I wanted to avoid that scenario. It was tempting to speed up while other riders were passing me at periodic intervals, but I forced myself to operate at about a 70% exertion level. (This is just an estimate since I do not wear a heart monitor.)

Still, the rest stop at the top was not as crowded as I had experienced previously, so I was ahead of the pack. It helped that I started before most riders also. I made sure to sit in the sun because the steady wind was cold on the summit.

9:50am, 35 miles, 4300 feet

The other side of Mt. Hamilton is much steeper, so it is usually a fast descent. I was most worried about wind here, because a sudden crosswind while descending at speed can be treacherous. Fortunately the air was much more still on this side of the mountain.

The remote, beautiful San Antonio Valley on the other side of Mt Hamilton.
Photo by Bill Bushnell.

This part of the route is the most scenic. The empty rolling hills and expansive meadows belie the area's proximity to a major urban center. With all the rain we received this past winter, everything was green and wildflowers were everywhere. Since there are no cross roads and no destinations besides several big desolate ranches, there is virtually no traffic. The only people on the roads were out for a scenic drive. There were many motorcycles, and there was one convoy of classic MG and Triumph cars.

12:35pm, 63 miles, 6300 feet

The second stop was at the halfway point. Most of the climbing was done. Although I had no problem eating at the previous stop, I had little appetite now. My digestive system usually slows down under heavy exertion. Still I did manage to eat the food I had packed. I had a hummus sandwich on white bread (simple carbohydrates and protein), potato chips (carbohydrates, fat, and salt), cookies (carbohydrates), and a soft drink (pure sugar). All of it was the "energy food" that I needed.

The stop was simply a small clearing by the road. Everyone leaned their bicycles against the barbed wire fence while they sat on the ground to rest and eat. At one point, a group of four of five large brown horses came running up to the fence and abruptly stopped. They sniffed all the bicycles on the fence near them, probably attracted to the salt of the riders' perspiration. They intently stared directly at the people near them who were eating, hoping for a handout. I was about ten feet away when one stood and stared at me for a while. When it became clear that I would not offer anything, it blew its nose at me. Fortunately I was upwind, so none of his mucus reached me or what I was eating.

2:50pm, 91 miles, 6300 feet

The next stretch was a long, mostly gradual downhill coast. This allowed me to relax and recover some energy. We descended from the hills down to the town of Livermore. Then we went along the city road west to the town of Pleasanton, where the last official stop was.

The wind was more calm here, and it was bright and warm. I finally took off my arm warmers. To this point it was too cool to be in just a short sleeve jersey. Now my appetite really was gone. Knowing that the next stretch contained the final climb, and that was where I previously ran out of energy, I knew I had to force myself to eat.

It did not help that all day the swirling winds had blown dust, pulverized leaf bits, and other grit in my mouth. This gave me a bad taste that I could not flush. Instead of the 15-20 minutes rest I took at the previous stops, I spent about 30 minutes here in the hopes that the relaxation would kick-start my digestion. I did manage to eat (most of) another sandwich and chips, but I packed the cookies for home.

5:20pm, 115 miles, 8000 feet

I paced myself in the flat section approaching the final climb to conserve energy. The gradual, 1000 foot ascent would normally be an "easy" climb for me, but the question was how many functioning muscle fibers were left in my legs. Surprisingly, there were more than I expected. Instead of putting in the lowest gear and crawling, I was able to keep a steady pace in third gear. Though not particularly fast (I passed no one, three riders passed me), it was much better than I thought. I had plenty of energy and my legs were functioning fine.

As usual, I stopped at Ed Levin Park. This is not an official stop but it has a restroom and I usually need to use it by this point in the ride. But it was just a quick in-and-out because I did not need to rest, and it was downhill and flat the rest of the way.

6:20pm, 126 miles, 8000 feet

I reached the finish feeling good. I was able to keep a relatively fast pace on the final flat section. I checked in, received my ride patch, and headed home. I opted not to have anyone pick me up at the finish since it is an easy 4 mile ride back home.

6:40pm, 131 miles, 8000 feet

I have to call my ride a success. I was worried about my conditioning but had no problems. My final time was very similar to the last two times I tried it.

Now I need to decide what other major rides to to this year. The only one I have signed up for is the Seattle to Portland ride this July. That one is 200 (mostly flat) miles over two days. I should have no problem staying in shape for that. I will probably do one or two local events before that.

Mt Hamilton Challenge

130 total miles,
8000 feet total elevation gain,
12 hours 10 minutes total time
(10 hours 20 minutes on the bicycle)

I decided to do my first century of the year. I did the Mt. Hamilton Challenge last year, and this year it fit perfectly in my schedule. The three weekends before and two after were not available due to travel. I could not pass up the chance to do this challenging ride since it fell on an open weekend.

But there were several obstacles in my way:

1. I have not been doing long rides regularly for months.
2. I was recovering from a sore hamstring.
3. I had been sick with a cold since a few days before the ride.

Number (1) did not bother me too much because I have been keeping in shape riding my trainer, so I knew I had the stamina. My concern with this is since I have not given my muscles this long a workout for several months, they could cramp.

I was not that concerned with number (2) because my leg felt good the night before the ride. I do not know how I injured it. It was sore from one week before the event. I had been careful to stretch it each morning and evening to get it healed and loose, so it had been getting better.

Number (3) was the main concern. I do not get sick that often, so I was annoyed that it would happen on the date that I wanted to do a century. I did not know if it would be possible to ride while sick, so I was hoping for a full recovery before the event.

I went about my preparations with the assumption that I would be fully healthy by the day of the ride. I planned all the details, and even cooked pasta Thursday night for the ride. (We have to provide our own food for this ride — I give them one bag of food for each rest stop.)

By Friday night, I still had congestion, runny nose, and a headache. My only hope was to continue preparing as though I would be recovered by the next morning. If that happened, I would ride. If not, I would cancel.

I went to bed early, but did not sleep restfully. I woke up once with body aches, and woke up several other times to blow my nose. I woke up at 5:00 am with a sinus headache. That was not a good sign. I optimistically drank my coffee and started my preparations, even though I could not see how I could do it.

Somehow, by 5:45 am, I felt a rush of energy. My sinuses cleared and my aches went away. Maybe it was just adrenaline, but I now felt that the ride was doable. I finished my preparations and had Vaishali drop me at the start in Santa Clara (4 miles from home).

6:50am, 0 miles, 0 feet

The start ended up being a half hour later than I had planned. I had taken extra time getting ready in the morning because I was deciding whether to go or not. There was a contingency plan in case I started feeling sick again — I could decide at the top of Mt. Hamilton whether I would continue or whether I would abandon and coast back down to the start.

I was planning on keeping a relatively slow pace up Mt. Hamilton. Even though I was feeling better, I was still a little sick, so I did not want to exhaust myself early. Plus, I did not want to strain my leg in case that problem would return.

10:22am, 35 miles, 4300 feet

It was a relatively cool morning, and I expected it to be cold at the top. However, because it was completely sunny at the summit, it was not too bad. I sat in the sunlight and ate the peanut butter jelly sandwich I packed. I had also packed a small bag of cookies for each stop so I could eat them on the bike if I needed energy. I ate a few of these and put the rest in my pocket.

I was feeling still full of energy. My leg was feeling normal. This was enough for me to decide to continue with the ride. I put my jacket on for the steep descent. There have been some late rains this season, so there were many wildflowers in bloom in the meadows on the other side of Mt. Hamilton.

1:08pm, 63 miles, 7000 feet

The second rest stop is at the halfway point. By this point, the majority of the other riders were ahead of me. They either started before, or passed me. This stop was less crowded than when I did it last year because I was in the trailing group of slower riders.

Here I ate some of the pasta I made. I could tell that I lost a lot of sodium because the potato chips I packed did not taste salty at all, and neither did the V8. I also ate the croissant I packed, and was totally full. I had finished the cookies in my pocket along the way, and replaced them with a new bag.

By this point, the majority of the climbing was done. It was all downhill or flat to the next rest stop. Along the way, I started feeling some tightness in my leg. I kept this under control by standing and pedaling (to stretch the leg more), and by rubbing the back of my thigh as I rode. I kept doing this periodically for the rest of the ride and the leg never became a problem.

The final 10 mile flat stretch to the next stop were actually quite difficult. We had to ride straight into a strong wind. This slowed me down quite a bit. Last year we had no such winds, but it was hotter. Each is a different difficulty, but I would probably pick the heat if I had a choice.

3:33pm, 91 miles, 7000 feet

I pulled into the third rest stop and immediately gave Vaishali a call. The roads are so remote that there was no cell phone reception at either of the previous two rest stops. She knew that if I had any problems, she would have heard from me earlier. Still, she was happy to hear me report that I was doing great.

I had the same amount of food packed for this stop, but was less hungry at this point. I needed the energy, but did not want to overstuff myself and cause a stomach upset. I ate most of the pasta and some of the chips. I pocketed the croissant and another bag of cookies (I ate none from the previous bag on the way here). I guessed that these would make it back home untouched.

I was just a little concerned about the final 35 miles back to the start. I still had a good amount of energy, and the route was not as challenging as the first part, but last year I totally crashed here. This year I rested for at least 30 minutes at each stop to allow the food to start digesting properly.

The few small hills on this part of the route were difficult in my weakened state, but I took them slowly and steadily. I handled them much better than last year.

7:00pm, 125 miles, 8000 feet

I rolled to the finish feeling very happy with my decision to do the ride despite all the issues. When I talked to Vaishali at the previous stop, I told her not to pick me up here. Instead, I would just ride the 4 miles to home.

7:25pm, 130 miles, 8000 feet

I came home feeling triumphant and exhausted. I cleaned up, ate some dinner, and went straight to bed. As my adrenaline wore off, my illness symptoms returned. I felt chilled when I went to bed, and I woke up feeling hot in the middle of the night. I had nasal congestion again the next morning. Basically, I was still sick. I could not say if the ride made the illness worse. But it did not matter — I was willing to pay that price for the accomplishment.

This was not the hardest route I had ridden, but all the circumstances and timing made it difficult. It was a good test of my core fitness, and it felt great to pass.

Mt Hamilton Challenge

125 miles, 8000 feet total elevation gain,
12 hours total (10 hours on the bicycle)

I made a late decision to do my first century of this year — the 39th annual Mt. Hamilton Challenge. I thought that this one would be good preparation for the Death Ride, since it is the same distance although only about half the elevation. It is definitely easier than the Death Ride, but it fits into my training plan nicely and it starts and ends very close to my home.

This is one of the more low-key organized centuries. They do not provide any food. Riders bring three bags of food to the start, and they transport one to each of the three rest stops on the route.

Click for an interactive map.

6:30am, 0 miles, 0 feet

I woke up at 5:00 to get ready, eating a few cookies to get some fuel into my system. Vaishali dropped me at Wilcox High School in Santa Clara (very close to our old house). I got signed in at 6:15. My friend Ravi (who I mentioned in my last report) decided to join me for just the first part of the ride, so I waited for him.

Click to see a larger picture.
This is Mt. Hamilton viewed from Wilcox High School (the start).
The white buildings on the summit are Lick Observatory, the location of
the first rest stop. It is 35 miles away from and 4100 feet above the start.

We left at sunrise (6:30) and most of the city roads were still empty at that time. We traveled through Silicon Valley for 10 miles to get to the base of the hills, and then started the climb of Mt. Hamilton. There were quite a few cyclists on the road. Some were doing the same century, but many were just riding on their own. We encountered two guys on a training ride who were Death Ride veterans, so I chatted with them about their experiences.

9:45am, 35 miles, 4300 feet

We reached the summit faster than I expected. I had kept a faster pace than I normally would have because I wanted to push myself. Since there was food and support along the route, there was no worry of getting stranded.

We rested at Lick Observatory at the summit and ate some food (I packed an orange, banana, and a few cookies). After a 20 minute rest, we parted. Ravi returned the way we came, and I continued down the other side of the mountain. This part of the route is very scenic and feels totally remote. There is no development along the road except for a few scattered ranches.

The biggest single climb was finished with Mt. Hamilton, but this part of Mines Road has several smaller ascents and descents. Although much of the road is flat, we were going directly into a steady headwind. I had not expected that, so I was using much more energy than I thought I would be.

12:25, 63 miles, 7000 feet

The second rest stop was set up on Mines Road at roughly the halfway point of the whole route. I was pretty tired when I reached this point, though not exhausted. I was told that the rest of Mines Rd to Livermore was all downhill. This meant that I did not have to take a very long break here since I would be using less energy for a while.

Video of rest stop #2.

I had been drinking plenty of water during the ride, but surprisingly I urinated very little. The day was fairly warm, and predicted to get to the lower 80's in Livermore and Pleasanton, so I needed to make myself drink even more to avoid dehydration.

Because I was so tired, I had no appetite. Still, I forced myself to eat everything I had packed (orange, pasta, few cookies) since I knew I needed the energy. I drank as much water as I could and filled my two water bottles. This time it was a 30 minute break.

2:45pm, 91 miles, 7000 feet

Mines Rd headed downhill for 18 miles to Livermore, then the route took us east to Pleasanton and was flat. This was the easiest stretch of the whole route. I even managed to keep a 20 mile per hour pace on the flat ground. I did not expect to have enough energy for that.

Two short (and very shaky) clips of Mines Road between rest stop 2 and Livermore.

This rest stop was at a city park, so we ate our food on picnic benches. Again, I had zero appetite but made myself eat all my food (same what I had at rest stop 2). And again, I barely urinated despite drinking plenty of water. When I reached this rest stop, I, and many other cyclists, had a layer of salt encrusted on our faces; evidence of how much water and salt we were losing.

The one thing I forgot to pack was pretzels. I planned on keeping some with me so I could use them to replenish my salt. But so far I had not been feeling any serious effects of dehydration.

Cyclist relaxing in the shade at rest stop 3.

Like at the last stop, I rested for 30 minutes. Upon leaving the rest area, I felt surprisingly tired. The majority of climbing was finished, but I still had 1000 feet of elevation gain on Calaveras road in the 35 miles remaining. Considering that that was a fraction of the elevation and mileage that I had already done, I was not too concerned.

The route to Calaveras Rd was mostly flat, and Calaveras has no steep slopes — it is a mostly steady ascent followed by a descent. Once I started climbing, I began feeling the effects of exhaustion. I had burned all my available energy stores, and the food from the last rest stop was not digesting. I had a headache, nausea, and felt light-headed. Drinking water was difficult because that increased my nausea. I was tempted to stop by the side of the road, but instead I just kept a slow pace.

5:45pm, 110 miles, 8000 feet

After the gradual descent, Calaveras turns into a steep descent back to Silicon Valley. I did not feel comfortable doing this descent while still feeling dizzy. I knew there was a park at the beginning of the steep descent, so I stopped there.

I found an empty picnic table and sat down with my head on the table. I rested like this for 15-20 minutes. That made all the difference. After getting back up, I did not feel the food sitting like a brick in my stomach like I had earlier. Clearly it had digested because I had energy again.

6:45pm, 125 miles, 8000 feet

The descent back to the valley was no problem. Now I had just 10 more flat miles back to Wilcox high school. I and a small group of riders got bunched together by the timing of the signal lights. The ride back to the start was uneventful.

7:15pm, 130 miles, 8000 feet

I called Vaishali when I finished and told her not to pick me up — I wanted to ride the extra 4 miles home. I had the energy, and after 125 miles, an extra 4 on flat ground is really nothing. I felt pretty good when I got home, but I was tired. I showered, told Vaishali about the ride and showed her some pictures, and drank a can of soda (to replenish blood sugar), then went to bed before 8:30.

It ended up being a very enjoyable ride, despite the battle with exhaustion. The mistake I made was that I should have rested longer at the last rest stop to allow the food to digest, and I should have consumed salt to replenish the massive amount of sodium I lost. The exhaustion may not have hit me (or at least not hit me as hard) if I had not become dehydrated.

I think my performance indicates that I am getting close to being in shape for the Death Ride. Of course that route is harder, but I would be keeping a slower pace that what I did on this day. I have plenty of time to increase my conditioning and I feel confident that I will.