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These days when it calls for rain I head for Ft. Ord, which holds up really well. When I saw the snow covered hills of Toro Park I knew it was going to be cool. So I broke out the Gortex. With the temperature ranging between 39 - 42 degrees for most of the ride, and rain for about 5 1/2 out of six hours, it was indeed a cold and wet day. Many of the climbs were slick, slippery, and slow going (or unrideable), and some of the dirt fire roads were like freshly poured concrete. And I'm still recovering from that cold I had all week. So I decided to just relax and do some serious LSD (long slow distance), as we called it in the early days of the running boom. The goal is to just be on the trail at an aerobic pace for a long time, and not worry about the mileage. This type of riding builds the heart and lungs, mitochondria, capillaries for carrying oxygen to the muscles, and it helps burn fat.
I started from Creekside Terrace: 31 to 75, Red Rock Ridge, 43, down the Goat Trail, out to 47, down to the west end of 50, up Pilarcitos Ridge Rd., down 82 for the first time (which was nice), up 71, 49, 43, down the Goat Trail again, and back via 72 and 31. Lookout Ridge Trail from near the race track to Trail 50 was especially freshly poured concrete like. But I brought a water bottle and washed the front derailleur and re-lubed the chain at the top of 50. On the second ride down the Goat Trail my front tire sunk into some deep mud coming off a steep descent, but I miraculously turned a certain endo into just a fall to the side. After that I slowed down a bit. About the time I hit the parking lot the rain and wind really picked up and I got off the trail just in time. If you want trail names and numbers pull up my ride in Google Earth and also open this Google Earth file, which contains them.
I started from Creekside Terrace: 31 to 75, Red Rock Ridge, 43, down the Goat Trail, out to 47, down to the west end of 50, up Pilarcitos Ridge Rd., down 82 for the first time (which was nice), up 71, 49, 43, down the Goat Trail again, and back via 72 and 31. Lookout Ridge Trail from near the race track to Trail 50 was especially freshly poured concrete like. But I brought a water bottle and washed the front derailleur and re-lubed the chain at the top of 50. On the second ride down the Goat Trail my front tire sunk into some deep mud coming off a steep descent, but I miraculously turned a certain endo into just a fall to the side. After that I slowed down a bit. About the time I hit the parking lot the rain and wind really picked up and I got off the trail just in time. If you want trail names and numbers pull up my ride in Google Earth and also open this Google Earth file, which contains them.
