Tour de LaDoe - The Final Chapter

The Tour ended Friday in Solvang, Ca.  Yes, I did achieve a PR on Mt Figueroa.  Despite some serious heat and a dismount for a dropped chain, my time was 1:18:53 (prior PR was 1:22:55 set in March of 2007).

The trip highlighted wonderful scenery along the Tour of California route, real camaraderie (my 5th tour with these guys), great food and 27.5 hours of serious on the bike time.

All this and an experience hard to describe.   I am 5 years into cycling and really 3 years into racing.   I have improved steadily but the last week can possibly be described as breakthrough?   Time after time, I seemed have 'another gear'.

Whether an 18 minute pull on Hgwy 101 or a 25 second bridge in Ballard Canyon, when I called down to the engine room and asked for more, by body responded.   It's a helluva lot of fun to feel like Superman!  I hope I can experience this often in the future.  

So, now is the time I ask myself, "How many more great trips does a guy like me have left?"  The answer is always the same: "All of them."

See ya out there.