Training Log Archive: tommyturbo

Grand Ridge-Water Tower Loop 3x "Hit it, dude" I caught three guys about half my age and as skinny as me at the start of a climb on the WT trail. They were all riding very fancy bikes and dressed in their best Saturday morning kit. When they didn't seem in any hurry to let me by, I asked politely. As I went by the third rider, he said, "Hit it, dude!" I guess he thought I must really be going for it if I was able to pass his group. In reality, I was at about RPE7. I did turn it up to an 8 after I got by, just in case they decided to "not let the old guy drop us."

Target-Safeway-library-TM ride home

Redmond-Kirkland-Medina-Cedar River: Chilling start to the last hot summer ride-somebody likely broke the law, but for certain one person died. There is a white ghost bike where the East Lake Sammamish Trail crosses NW Sammamish Rd, site of last Friday's fatal car-bike accident. I've ridden through this intersection literally hundreds of times. I've always thought of it as inconvenient (long light) and potentially hazardous, though not outright dangerous. I don't see how the collision could have occurred unless both parties were in the wrong, and very sadly a cyclist was killed. Todays' 88 degree high makes it back to back 80+ days. Given forecast highs in the 60's for the next week, I think it is likely that we won't be seeing 80 degrees again in 2017.

GR-Duthie-Soaring Eagle: Mild (but not Raging) River hangover. I felt yesterday's very hard ride at Raging River that had 5000' of climbing. The legs were tired, but I felt good enough to pay attention to what I was doing.

Raging River extra credit Time has expired and that ship has sailed-it's Fartlek season. I'm done and dusted for 2017 as far as going hard on the really long climbs of RR, Tiger and Olallie. Since July, I've headed to these areas about twice a week with the goal of climbing hard. I've picked up some KOM's and a bunch of Strava top tens.That's all well and good, but I have hit the wall. I tried to motivate myself today to PR the long climb and find the few seconds I need to bump Martin A down the leaderboard, but it didn't work. Oh well, he'll probably go faster anyway. On the plus side, if I don't lower my times any more in 2017, that will make it easier to PR in 2018. For extra credit, I did the last part of the big climb a second time, and that resulted in an almost uninterrupted 9.5 miles of downhill back to the TH. Fun!

Team HPC Meet the Team Ride. Tracy was with me to Eastgate. I then rode to Enatai to meet the team and guests. We were 30 strong so we broke into three groups. I spent time with each group as we rode through Medina, Kirkland, and on to Marymoor Park.

Wildwood-Creekside loop