Ha. Sorry it took me until I got back to the states to update this thing. When you are in a different country, the time flies, and besides that, I didn't have great internet access there. I once wrote a post and then when I went to save it, the internet crashed and I lost the whole post. I don't even remember what I was writing anyway because I was probably too tired at the time. When the internet quit after writing a really long post, I was just like, "Well, what ya going to do?" and walked off. That's how carefree I was in Spain. Ha, either that or I was too tired to waste effort caring.
So I guess I wrote on Monday, yeah the knee was giving me trouble. Well Tuesday I finished out the whole ride...not too sure why my knee hurt so intermittently but I will go to have my bike fit for me at the shop next week. I can't be having knee pain all summer. Anyways, if I can recall correctly, Tuesday was so-so weather. It's weird in Spain...it's gorgeous, sunny and high 60's. Once you go over the mountain and around the range, it's raining and 40. Then you are shivering going down a decent and hoping your back wheel doesn't fly out on you. That's the truth. It's nothing to descend down these mountains for 10-15 minutes going 30-50 mph!!! You are either going UP UP UP in Spain or DOWN FAST! I had some guts I didn't even know existed. I was the one of the slowest descenders too. I'm not ashamed to hit the brakes if it means preventing a fall down a cliff into the olive grove below.
Anyways, Tuesday's ride was probably 50+ miles and we did the Time trial this day. I was did really well, or at least I was impressed with myself. I really like racing against myself because I'm the only person I have to worry about, not girls bumping my elbows and fighting for positioning. After the time trial, I put on the puffer jacket from the sag wagon and descended with the group into this rinky dink town where we got some java. The place was so coooool. It was old enough to have a jail cell from the 1800's. A tad scary actually.
Wednesday: Granada
Our day off since it was pouring, we traveled an hour into Granada. It's known to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world (I found this out after I started to read some literature in a store). We were supposed to go to the Alhambra, located in the central part of the city. This is an old fortress/castle with beautiful gardens and ornate insides. Tourists weren't allowed inside that day (don't know why), so the only option was to tour the gardens. Well since I had to buy an umbrella for 5 euro to keep preserve anything I could from getting equally as soaked as my hair and shirt, paying 15 euro to walk around old gardens all day just didn't strike my fancy. The guys, of course, weren't too keen on that idea either. So, we found a bar/restaurant. I ordered a couple bottles of the red house wine (amazingly good), vino de la casa --I was sure to order the correct thing so our tab for wine alone wouldn't be 300 bucks. I was quite popular in the bunch of guys who couldn't read the 8 page Spanish menu. Also, with choices of wine topping 100 euro, making sure my Spanish was Correct was even more important. Anyways, we drank good wine and ate REALLY good food and then headed out into the rain again. The city was really beautiful and the sun did finally come out for a 1/2 hour or so. I'll try to post some pics.
Thurs/Friday
Each of these days had variable weather. I rode each for 1/2 days (2 hours or so each day). The guys killed themselves on these days. Getting out the last Spain bug equalled 60+ miles each day of hard riding. Ha, it was really fun to watch them hammerfest up mountains and down descents. You can learn a lot from just watching elite riders. My knee didn't mind the break either. Thursday night, we all went out into Villanueva del Rosario, the town where we were staying. We had I don't even know how many bottles of wine and pitchers of beer. The tapas just kept coming and each place was better than the next. Tomatoes with mozzarella, candied mushrooms, really good chicken, Spanish tortillas, shrimp, mussels clams, paella like personal plates, Ah I can't even remember all the goodness we had.
I don't think I ever ate poorly even one day in Spain. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if I never even lost a pound of weight even after cycling 300 miles or so. Ha
Anyways, back safe and sound now. I am feeling hung over at the moment, considering it's approx 5am Spanish time as I write this. I should probably go to sleep now.
Thanks for reading everyone and I'll post some pics later on. The group shot 1000+ all together so I'm sure I can pick out some good ones once I get the cd collection.
Cya,
Sara
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Weekend and Monday
This weekend was not your typical Easter weekend. Saturday's ride was a little over 50 miles (53 I think). We went through some of the the most gorgeous areas of Spain imaginable. I was thinking of my parents riding their motorcycle out west because the cliffs I saw are just like the ones in their pictures. The switchback around and down each mountain just keep going.......you think you are done the climb but no, you have another 5-6k to go. Each stop was in one of the white villages that look like postcard snapshots. I can't really take a picture going 45-50 mph down a hill but I did take a few during the breaks. The cafe con leche, a little glass of coffee with steamed milk, was something we stop for during each ride, usually about 1.5-2 hours in. I have been practicing my Spanish at these places but vocabulary in a coffee shop doesn't have a big variety. Anyways, Saturday was a solid day on the bike and the weather was gorgeous. I was proud of myself for completing each climb just a few minutes behind the main Bike Doctor group.
Sunday's plan was a 70 mile ride. It really only came to be about 60 in the end but that includes 6500 feet! of climbing. One climb alone was this: switchback after switchback for 11K...that's a little under 7 miles. At the top, this town called Zaffaria, we looked out into the valley where you could basically see the road on which we rode...winding steadily up up up. Motorcycles with 3 wheels, trucks, tiny cars, other bikes all passed us on the way. The other bikes were going downhill. Total time was 45 minutes up. Lunch never tasted so good. Ted said he was so exhausted at the top that he didn't even know what was in his sandwich. Ha, it turned out to be an egg sandwich with lettuce and tomato but who cares when you are really really hungry.
Sunday's ride had another huge hill with a headwind just after a little tiny downhill out of Zaffaria. I rode most of that one alone b/c a few of the guys stopped for a "biobreak." In other words, to let out the water they sucked down and it's a good thing the sag wagon has toilet paper. At the end of that climb all through the quarry section, we stopped and for the next 30-40 minutes it was flat/downhill---That's how big these mountains are!!!
Back at the villa (the place is called Idlebreaks and I believe it's at Idlebreaks.com), I drank all this recovery drink the guys swear by and chowed on this amazing Easter meal. Sorry I didn't call/write home on Easter but I just couldn't find the energy to do anything but feed my face and lay flat. Remember, Dad, the night after snowboarding for the first time, when I couldn't raise my fork?? I felt that way last night.
Monday: Day 5
This was supposed to be our recovery ride day. I joked about it for awhile because the plan was to have a 20mile ride to the Time Trail spot. The time trail spot, a place called Puerto Del Sol, is a 7K climb that ends at a lookout of the valley. A time trial is where John, our sag/driver dude whose THE MAN, starts the clock at the bottom of the mountain, and then stops it at the top. You do everything possible to get a score faster than the ones on the wall back at the villa. Then the rest of the ride (no, the recovery ride is not over yet) was back home another 20 miles or so. THIS is the kind of people I'm with. They are much crazier than me. It's good for me though. I guess. SO, instead of doing this, weather.com told us that our only 2 good days for the upcoming week are Monday and Friday. So, everyone decided to do a long ride this day (monday) instead of the recovery ride. So, the long ride plan is to a town called Rute and back. You know, just 70 miles. Total climbing for that ride would be about 6500+. HA! So anyways, I started off great, clicked through about 35 miles until lunch. My knee (actually both knees) started to give up. I felt great but going up hills with 2 bad knees is not something I really enjoy. Thank God for Sag. I hoped in the van, sort of unwillingly but it proved to be smart in the end. I hope that I can ride tomorrow for it. Just 5 minutes after getting in the van, we stopped for an ice cream, some of the best I've had, and it was called Magnum, strawberry with white chocolate coating, plenty filling of course. What was really great was eating this in the 70 degree sun beaming through the window and watching the 7 guys climb 2 other deadly hills. Greg gets to the top and yells the John (the sag/driver and Ironman finisher x3 or 4 times)...I know where you live man and you better lock your doors b/c that hill was the from Satan. And they were gritting their teeth. All the way up the hill, my knees thanked me.
So here I am, back at the villa in the sun (finally good sun!). My body is feeling great all except for my knees. Even after an ice bath on the knees, they still feel like crap. I hope they will mend by 10am tomorrow!!! I'll knock down a few glasses of wine, sleep well, pop Motrin in the a.m. and get on. Tomorrow's plan is the recovery ride. Ha, hope I can handle it.
What's everyone doing at home? I heard it's raining? You can reply to these messages if you'd like. If not, that's cool too. I'll try to write tomorrow.
Sunday's plan was a 70 mile ride. It really only came to be about 60 in the end but that includes 6500 feet! of climbing. One climb alone was this: switchback after switchback for 11K...that's a little under 7 miles. At the top, this town called Zaffaria, we looked out into the valley where you could basically see the road on which we rode...winding steadily up up up. Motorcycles with 3 wheels, trucks, tiny cars, other bikes all passed us on the way. The other bikes were going downhill. Total time was 45 minutes up. Lunch never tasted so good. Ted said he was so exhausted at the top that he didn't even know what was in his sandwich. Ha, it turned out to be an egg sandwich with lettuce and tomato but who cares when you are really really hungry.
Sunday's ride had another huge hill with a headwind just after a little tiny downhill out of Zaffaria. I rode most of that one alone b/c a few of the guys stopped for a "biobreak." In other words, to let out the water they sucked down and it's a good thing the sag wagon has toilet paper. At the end of that climb all through the quarry section, we stopped and for the next 30-40 minutes it was flat/downhill---That's how big these mountains are!!!
Back at the villa (the place is called Idlebreaks and I believe it's at Idlebreaks.com), I drank all this recovery drink the guys swear by and chowed on this amazing Easter meal. Sorry I didn't call/write home on Easter but I just couldn't find the energy to do anything but feed my face and lay flat. Remember, Dad, the night after snowboarding for the first time, when I couldn't raise my fork?? I felt that way last night.
Monday: Day 5
This was supposed to be our recovery ride day. I joked about it for awhile because the plan was to have a 20mile ride to the Time Trail spot. The time trail spot, a place called Puerto Del Sol, is a 7K climb that ends at a lookout of the valley. A time trial is where John, our sag/driver dude whose THE MAN, starts the clock at the bottom of the mountain, and then stops it at the top. You do everything possible to get a score faster than the ones on the wall back at the villa. Then the rest of the ride (no, the recovery ride is not over yet) was back home another 20 miles or so. THIS is the kind of people I'm with. They are much crazier than me. It's good for me though. I guess. SO, instead of doing this, weather.com told us that our only 2 good days for the upcoming week are Monday and Friday. So, everyone decided to do a long ride this day (monday) instead of the recovery ride. So, the long ride plan is to a town called Rute and back. You know, just 70 miles. Total climbing for that ride would be about 6500+. HA! So anyways, I started off great, clicked through about 35 miles until lunch. My knee (actually both knees) started to give up. I felt great but going up hills with 2 bad knees is not something I really enjoy. Thank God for Sag. I hoped in the van, sort of unwillingly but it proved to be smart in the end. I hope that I can ride tomorrow for it. Just 5 minutes after getting in the van, we stopped for an ice cream, some of the best I've had, and it was called Magnum, strawberry with white chocolate coating, plenty filling of course. What was really great was eating this in the 70 degree sun beaming through the window and watching the 7 guys climb 2 other deadly hills. Greg gets to the top and yells the John (the sag/driver and Ironman finisher x3 or 4 times)...I know where you live man and you better lock your doors b/c that hill was the from Satan. And they were gritting their teeth. All the way up the hill, my knees thanked me.
So here I am, back at the villa in the sun (finally good sun!). My body is feeling great all except for my knees. Even after an ice bath on the knees, they still feel like crap. I hope they will mend by 10am tomorrow!!! I'll knock down a few glasses of wine, sleep well, pop Motrin in the a.m. and get on. Tomorrow's plan is the recovery ride. Ha, hope I can handle it.
What's everyone doing at home? I heard it's raining? You can reply to these messages if you'd like. If not, that's cool too. I'll try to write tomorrow.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Day
Day 1: Arrive in Malaga
So, my PDA internet connection isn't working right now. Maybe it's because I'm not tech savvy. I am going to have one of the guys here take a look so that I can use my own device to update. Anywho, Spain is GORGEOUS! We arrived at the villa at 3 or so (8am US east coast time). So, we are running on 2 hours of sleep I managed to grab on the 2nd flight from Paris to Malaga. I'm a little delirious but not quite enough to say no to the "recovery" ride that day. We unpacked the bikes (no damaged note by the way), and headed off to the hills. Recovery ride for these BikeDoctor guys still means fast. Luckily, Andy, our host, caught on to my smarts and said, "Look, Sara, don't worry about being slow because at least you know you won't burn out by day 4." I felt a little better, then, about being 200 meters behind the rest of the crew. But it's basically beautiful here and riding is VERY challenging. The towns have white stucco walls with old Spanish men standing at every corner watching the wind blow by. The restaurants have quite a few people in them and I'm looking forward to some happy hours later on in the week. YES. Dinner was spectacular, salmon, potatoes and salad. This massive salmon...I couldn't even imagine finishing it. I don't know how they breed them here but they taste good too.
Day 2
I slept for 12 hours, without an alarm, I didn't even wake up until Ted came knocking on my private room. Oh, forgot to tell you that I have my own little cottage complete with a full bathroom and views of the pool. This is the advantage of being the only girl on a trip with 7 guys. I could have slept until noon but then I would have slept through the first half of the ride. We ate breakfast and coffee (of course feeding the coffee addiction doesn't stop when I leave the States) and left for the ride a little after 10am. It was cloudy with rain in the distance. I didn't take long before we reached the distance (and the rain). It was wet, cold. The 2 first ascents we each 15+ minutes. I might be exaggerating but I don't think by too much. I am happy that I am not a stranger to hills thanks to riding in Harford County. Although Harford has wicked hills, they really don't even compare to Malaga province. Dude, they are long, steady, twisted. We rode through several villanuevas and each has a different feel to it. All are crammed into the mountain side, and I really can't even tell it's there until you are going through it. Cobblestone roads, beautiful tall orange and white walls and lots of walking villagers staring like they've never seen a band of bikers in their life. We did stop 2 hours in at a restaurante for cafe leche. Best coffee I've ever had, and I told the bartended that. I think he may have had a crush on me because he kept wanting to entertain my poor Spanish speaking skills. Ha, I'm just getting used to wisping away the language cobwebs. Maybe by tomorrow I'll feel more comfortable making a fool of myself.
We are hanging out now, it's sunny of course. I ate 1/2 of the ham hoagie Andy's wife made for each of us. If I ate all that she prepared, I might gain about 5 pounds. I downed a little recovery drink as well because the guys here said I should. I am learning the ropes of real bike training since I've never done something like this before. Next stop, the massage table.
I hope life's well back in Maryland...Talk soon.
So, my PDA internet connection isn't working right now. Maybe it's because I'm not tech savvy. I am going to have one of the guys here take a look so that I can use my own device to update. Anywho, Spain is GORGEOUS! We arrived at the villa at 3 or so (8am US east coast time). So, we are running on 2 hours of sleep I managed to grab on the 2nd flight from Paris to Malaga. I'm a little delirious but not quite enough to say no to the "recovery" ride that day. We unpacked the bikes (no damaged note by the way), and headed off to the hills. Recovery ride for these BikeDoctor guys still means fast. Luckily, Andy, our host, caught on to my smarts and said, "Look, Sara, don't worry about being slow because at least you know you won't burn out by day 4." I felt a little better, then, about being 200 meters behind the rest of the crew. But it's basically beautiful here and riding is VERY challenging. The towns have white stucco walls with old Spanish men standing at every corner watching the wind blow by. The restaurants have quite a few people in them and I'm looking forward to some happy hours later on in the week. YES. Dinner was spectacular, salmon, potatoes and salad. This massive salmon...I couldn't even imagine finishing it. I don't know how they breed them here but they taste good too.
Day 2
I slept for 12 hours, without an alarm, I didn't even wake up until Ted came knocking on my private room. Oh, forgot to tell you that I have my own little cottage complete with a full bathroom and views of the pool. This is the advantage of being the only girl on a trip with 7 guys. I could have slept until noon but then I would have slept through the first half of the ride. We ate breakfast and coffee (of course feeding the coffee addiction doesn't stop when I leave the States) and left for the ride a little after 10am. It was cloudy with rain in the distance. I didn't take long before we reached the distance (and the rain). It was wet, cold. The 2 first ascents we each 15+ minutes. I might be exaggerating but I don't think by too much. I am happy that I am not a stranger to hills thanks to riding in Harford County. Although Harford has wicked hills, they really don't even compare to Malaga province. Dude, they are long, steady, twisted. We rode through several villanuevas and each has a different feel to it. All are crammed into the mountain side, and I really can't even tell it's there until you are going through it. Cobblestone roads, beautiful tall orange and white walls and lots of walking villagers staring like they've never seen a band of bikers in their life. We did stop 2 hours in at a restaurante for cafe leche. Best coffee I've ever had, and I told the bartended that. I think he may have had a crush on me because he kept wanting to entertain my poor Spanish speaking skills. Ha, I'm just getting used to wisping away the language cobwebs. Maybe by tomorrow I'll feel more comfortable making a fool of myself.
We are hanging out now, it's sunny of course. I ate 1/2 of the ham hoagie Andy's wife made for each of us. If I ate all that she prepared, I might gain about 5 pounds. I downed a little recovery drink as well because the guys here said I should. I am learning the ropes of real bike training since I've never done something like this before. Next stop, the massage table.
I hope life's well back in Maryland...Talk soon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)