Nose Bleeds and Breathless

"It’s a risky business being a cyclist in the UK, there are a lot of people who really dislike us. It’s the Jeremy Clarkson influence – we’re hated on the roads. We just hope people realise we are just flesh and bones on two wheels.”
Victoria Pendleton, gold medal winner in the women’s sprint at the Beijing Olympics, 2008

I've now been in the country for a week and managed to train from Saturday and after resting and adjusting to the weather and altitude. Leaving the road bikes at home I have opted to spend the next 6 weeks mountain biking around the area including some spectacular trails through the Sequoia National Park. This has to be the best resolution after a busy season and a chance for me to enjoy myself....or so I thought. Having a training plan means you have to stick to some form of training. 2hours on both Saturday and Sunday seemed reasonable (I admit Saturdays session was meant to be mid week but hey ho).

Starting of with a 60 minute easy jet lag run (it means I was up a stupid oclock and could not sleep)a quick breakfast and I was of up into the hills. After a few minutes I was reduced to walking up the hill after a combination of gradient, gears slipping and breathlessness, but then who said it was going to be easy on a 16% sandy climb in 95+ heat...certainly not me. Continuing on and enjoying the ride and getting used to the bike, finding all the technical problems now and fettling them out as best I could with twigs and rocks. I was exhausted afterwards and just crashed at the coffee house with a massive mocha sidewinder. Finding enough energy to return to the hotel I was soon changed and heading out to the golf course for a round in the heat of the day....how I survived I do not know, but at the end of the day I was happy to get some sleep.

Rising early again in the morning and having a more leisurely breakfast which included poached egg, pancakes, fruit, toast, cereal, fruit juice and coffee. This time we headed to Lake Izzy for the great setting of the day. Now navigation is not my best attribute and before long I was lost but then why do adventure training and follow guidlines and maps. Making it up as we went has proven to be a way of discovering some of the most amazing sights and settings known. Sunday I was Breathless again but this time not from the severity of the climbs but the scenery. Well all I can say is check it out for yourselves if you are ever in the area.

Now you might think this was an adventure well, now is the best bit on 1/4 of a tank of gas Me and Adventure Dave set of back to the hotel over 100miles away but instead of going back through the valley we would go over the top of the mountains. Starting at 3k we quickly passed 4,5&6. 7000ft opened out over the entire valley and 8 was even better however as the alt rose the tank emptied and at the peak of 9200ft we were on fumes and 65 miles away from home. Slipping into neutral and coasting then for the next 10 miles we began to produce gas and the tank filled. In the middle of the wilderness and only the bikes in the car we soon passed 30 miles and still dropping slowly and coasting comfortably we closed to 40 when the mountains covered in trees parted and below we could see a road resembling an alpine pass with multiple switchbacks down the mountain to the hotel. Panic over but now a challenge has been set how far can you travel in the red. I'm just thinking that next week it might be fun to get a roadie and climb up that road!

More adventures form the other side of the pond soon!