Diablo Summit – 25 miles”

I got to the Gate with good legs a little before 5:30. Amanda and Nicole had left early because they wanted to do the Summit. There was a good group from work coming but we didn’t manage to meet up before the Diablo Cyclists came by. Actually Adam and Leif and a few guys rode by first while I was stretching. Then a small pack of DCers, then another small pack of DCers so I joined up with them. After a short distance though a couple of us sprinted up to the first group, and then Mark came zooming by just at the double dips so a couple more of us rode with him and bridged up to the Leif and Adam gruppetto. I really turned it on over this stretch, thinking I could back off when I got to Adam but of course when they saw Mark they both attacked. Leif wanted to do some attacking practice so he blew Mark away, then settled, then attacked again, and then I never saw either of them until the finish.

The riders were strung out all over the mountain in groups of one, two, or three. I passed June (see Scotty’s Fall Century blog entry) and her friend below the bump but they later passed me back and stayed away (but within sight) until Junction. I passed quite a few people all the way up, and a few others passed me but not many. It was a fun ride because there were people ahead of me that I couldn’t quite catch, and people behind me that I was determined to stay in front of. I dug in hard for the last couple of miles and finished with an ET of 38m31s.

There was a little re-grouping at the Junction but most folks went down one side or the other. Erik and I decided to do the Summit, and Nicole and Amanda came up too, but far behind us. Erik and I took it real easy and he made some apologies for slowing me down but I was enjoying getting to know him and giving him little training tips. By the time we got to the bottom of the Wall I was totally rested so it was the easiest trip up the last 270 meters I’d ever done.

On the way back down we passed Amanda and Nicole near Devil's Elbow coming up, looking exhausted but determined. Must have been dark by the time they got back down.

Happy birthday Clark!