Tag Archives: california

Travel Tuesday: San Francisco (Golden Gate Overlook)

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A series of stories & tips about training & traveling. 
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Four miles from my house in the heart of The City. It’s easy to draw inspiration in San Francisco.

Travel is great for so many reasons –  expanding our perspective, trying new things, learning about other ways of life, adventure or relaxation. But sometimes the best way to recharge is with a solid staycation. And that’s exactly what’s on tap for Travel Tuesday this week.

I’ve lived in San Francisco for over seven years now, as many years as square miles in the city. I’ve covered most of that by bike or foot and let me tell you, a lot happens in that 7x7mi space. World class parks, like Golden Gate, Presidio and Crissy Field, provide a wealth of gorgeous outdoors almost impossible to imagine in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the city.

And that’s precisely why there’s no reason someone visiting San Francisco should go for a run in a stop light interrupted, overcrowded street outside their hotel. Heck, sometimes it’s easy for residents to fall into their routine and forget how fulfilling it is to run in these parks!

If you have time for one run in San Francisco, incorporate the Golden Gate Overlook on the Coastal Trail into your mileage. I recommend this because if you run shorter distances, it’s easier to park a rental car or get a Lyft to the Golden Gate Bridge parking lot. If you’re looking for a longer run, it’s a 5mi one way from Union Square via Crissy Field. My favorite is to start from gate at Presidio and Pacific and enjoy The Presidio on one of its signature mystic mornings. I’ve linked that route here:

Presidio run to Coastal Trail (8.7mi)

While it’s true that the views and San Francisco are tough to beat, anywhere I’ve lived or traveled to, I’ve found favorite tracks that put my mind at ease as I cruise through. What are some of your favorite “back pocket” runs in your hood? Leave a reply below!

Race Report: Ironman 70.3 Santa Rosa (DNF)

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I charged my battery, but that’s none of my business

Can you write a race report if you only get 27% of the way through the bike before pulling out? Maybe this is more of a race blurb. Or perhaps I could write a sonnet. Well, whatever  this is, it’s pretty short and sweet, but plans moving forward are at the end so read along to get the latest!

This past Saturday morning, circa 7:03am, I knew I was in trouble. I’d just completed the swim in the cold, but way more bearable than expected, Lake Sonoma and run up the crazy steep, even longer than expected, transition to my bike.

I’d taken measures against the 45 degree air by putting a long sleeve jersey over my wet body.

I took my first few pedal strokes and my legs felt ready to roll, not to be taken for granted after a swim.

And then, after the small hill out of transition, I clicked my electronic shifter to shift over to “big ring.*” Nothing.

I clicked again and again and the bike wouldn’t shift. I, of course, charged the bike before the race, so I was shocked at the first sign of a low battery, a dead front derailleur. Especially after working with mechanics to diagnose and fix battery draining components weeks prior.

This was the internal thought process that led up to the decision to drop, for this blog post narrated by Morgan Freeman:

0.25mi: “Ok, the next two miles are down hill. Tuck, bomb, get to the bottom and get off the bike to change it with your hands.”

2.25mi: “I don’t think you can change electronic derailleur with your hands.”

2.26mi: (click, click) “Ok, time to spin your legs as fast as you can to keep tension and salvage a bike split and deliver yourself to the run.”

4mi: (going up hill) “Not so bad, maybe this is possible!”

5mi: (going down hill) “Crap. Most of this course is downhill or flat.”

15mi: “Yeah, spinning like a maniac and watching the race pass you is kind of dumb. At this rate I’ll be done about 30min slower than expected. Last option, does this aid station have mechanical support? No? Time to pull the plug.”

And with that pun, I rolled with my teammate Brad KS who’d dropped with a chest cold, to the next town where a gracious family of spectators gave us a ride back to Santa Rosa.

I’ve learned a couple of reasons why my battery could have drained in 36 hours. I’ve put them at the bottom of this post.

While it’s a major bummer that when I was fit and ready, I wasn’t able to race this big local race against such a talented field and my teammates, I realize things happen and like the cramping at Oceanside a month prior, it’s all part  of racing. It was great to cheer so many teammates onto podium performances.

But since we’ve had a tough start to the season with duds at the first two races, I’ve made the decision to race Chattanooga this Sunday, May 21. We’ll have a lot of guys there, it’s the site of 2017 Worlds and it’s a chance to put this fitness to work. Hopefully I’ll be smiled upon by the racing gods for good race luck.

Thanks to everyone for the kind messages, sponsors for the support, Dani for being in my corner and all my teammates for the inspirational finishes to light that fire.

 

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Podium studs enjoying some suds

*******

 

Reasons Di2 electronic could have lost charge:

  • How the bike was stored in the back seat of the car
  • Break cabling work week before race could have knocked something loose
  • Cold temperatures over night
  • In transition, something pressed or if the bike was knocked over ttriggering  the system response to freeze the gearing

Travel Tuesday: Santa Monica Mountains (guest feature, David Cruz)

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A series of stories & tips about training & traveling. 
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This week’s edition of Travel Tuesday takes us down (the?) I-5 to the mountains of Santa Monica. On a recent trip I brought my bike and to be honest, I probably would have just gone out and back on the PCH. But I was lucky to catch resident and Every Man Jack teammate, David Cruz. Local knowledge ftw!

I’ll be honest, the limited riding I did between Santa Monica and Pacific Palisades fit right into the stereotype of heavy LA-area traffic so when David mentioned the “Santa Monica mountains,” I was definitely pumped.

David dropped some serious knowledge on this ride, and I thought it would be really cool for anyone visiting or living in the area looking for roads to read his tips firsthand. So, take it away, David!

The riding outside of Santa Monica is very unique to anywhere else in the country.  Being next to the Santa Monica Mountains, gives you many different options.  If you want great TT efforts, you can simply head out onto the PCH and although its a little dicey in the beginning, the roads open up past Malibu, especially in farm country, with no lights, wide shoulders and an incredible view of the ocean the whole time.  And of course, if you are into climbing there are plenty of canyons to venture into: Decker, Encinal, Mulholland, Yerba Buena and a few more which all head into the valley. 

We climbed Latigo (home of Laird Hamilton) which is a very long and famous climb into the SaMo mountains.  What makes this area great is that you can connect so many different climbs together that an 8k elevation gain is all possible 10 miles from my apartment.  From Latigo most people descend on Mulholland down to Rock Store, we stopped a little further down at the “Old Place“.  If you are tired, the only downside of climbing into the valley is that you need to climb out of it in order to get back home.  We climbed Stunt which is a solid 4 mile climb back over to the top of the SaMo mountains. Piuma is a little longer and the views are nicer.  We then descended Tuna Canyon which is pretty famous for skateboarders heading down since its only one way road.  

4 hours fly by just bc you are having fun… long rides never feel like a chore here since you have so many people willing to go far and just ride.   

I can confirm everything David writes about the canyons, including the epic one way descent of Tuna Canyon. I’ll leave you with this harrowing video of longboarders BOMBING down is insane road! I’ll stick with the bike, thanks much.

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