Diablo Bump de Bump – 37 miles

Today’s players: Rick, Nicole, Peter, JB, and me. We started pretty easy and early on I suggested to Rick that we go easy to the Junction, then go down South Gate Road to the Athenian School so he could get a good split for the Diablo Challenge. He agreed and Peter liked the idea also.

Nicole was off the back once we got past the double dips. The rest of us stayed together at a moderate pace and discussed the cold and the fog and the San Francisco Grand Prix. At the Upper Washout we were about 3 minutes slower than my PB pace from Wednesday; I noted that for the record but no one was really interested. Even though we were still at a conversational pace JB started to lose contact with Peter, Rick, and me.

I didn’t start to push until we got to Chainbuster and even then I didn’t think it was that fast but I rode away from Peter and Rick for a 40m51s Junction time. We all re-grouped at the Junction and Nicole got there too before we left so we told her about our idea and made plans to meet her again at Mia Café. JB turned around too and Rick, Peter, and I went down SGR. We were sweaty from the ride up, but it was still foggy so the ride down to the bottom was COLD!

Down at the school, Rick explained how the start of the Challenge is organized and where the actual start line is. We synchronized our stopwatches and launched our assault. It’s exactly a mile from the start line to the Boundary Gate but I haven’t kept track of my South Gate times very well. That first mile went by in 4m24s.

Comment: They have REALLY got to fix Diablo View Road – it’s in terrible shape.

From the Boundary Gate up, it’s called South Gate Road, it’s owned by the State Park system, and it’s in much better condition. Rick and I were pushing harder than Peter wanted to go so we opened up a pretty big gap. Just before the kiosk, a guy in a Peloton Pale Ale jersey with a red Cannondale passed us pretty handily. After the kiosk, Rick and I chased him down and I rode wheel to wheel with him for a while at a great speed. When we came to a place requiring an out-of-the-saddle push though, my quads melted and Cannondale dude dusted me. I still rode my own race pace and finished in 33m54s. Rick wasn’t far behind me this time and he claimed that 34 minutes is a 38 minute pace up North Gate and that sounds about right going by how it felt… maybe 39. Anyway, 34 minutes plus our 33 minute Summit split last week would give a 67 minute Diablo Challenge time and that would be plenty impressive.

I ain’t paying $50 to do it though. I’d rather get a new pair of bibs or something.