Breathless Agony Is Exactly That

Before I tell my sad story, I want to apologize for being delinquent on my posts. I need to simplify my life since I've got so much going on that updating this blog keeps getting put on the back burner. However, I enjoy telling my stories, it seems to permanently ingrain it in my mind. I'll try to be more timely for future updates.

So I trained and trained and then I trained some more. I posted about some of my training rides but mostly kept quiet about most of them. My goal was to train, vacation, train some more and go for all four passes.

After fourteen weeks of good solid training, I had planned a fantastic vacation aboard a small catamaran in the Caribbean with trade-winds.com, a time share I absolutely love. So between the vacation and a side trip to Connecticut I was going to be off the bike for two weeks.

Little did I know that fourteen weeks of training would go out the window in fourteen days of vacation. My first ride after returning home was a very strange feeling. My legs felt like jello that had fallen out of the mold and just flopping around on the counter. I had only two weeks to get back in shape for Breathless Agony and things didn't look too promising.

Let's cut to the chase since this isn't really anything to brag about. I started promptly at 6:30AM and cruised along for the 5 or miles. Then it began... first Live Oak Canyon, then a respite. Jack Rabbit Trail is barely that. The pavement is so broken up that the potholes, are almost connected to each other. Navigating this maze was like trying to play one of those games where you have to get the ball bearing from A to B without falling in a hole. That was next to impossible and when you did manage to circumvent some potholes, you had to avoid sharp rocks on the little of pavement that was left. I wonder why anyone ever paved this "trail" to begin with. Jack Rabbit Trail was also un-nerving. It required total concentration because of all the hazards. At the end of the climb my back, shoulders and hands were more tired than my legs.

The scenery was like something I had never seen before and reminded me of a small version of the badlands of South Dakota but with dry brush everywhere. I could picture Hop Along Cassidy, The Lone Ranger and any number of wild west heroes chasing villains. The terrain was even fitting for a few episodes of Sky King. Am I dating myself or what?

From Jack Rabbit there was a short drop and suddenly we were on Hwy 60 heading for Palm Springs. There's nothing like tractor trailers just a few feet off your left shoulder to bring you back to reality.. pay attention or become road kill.

Now the real climbing began. Oak Glen Road is a very difficult climb. However it was made even more difficult because most of the road is under construction. Unlike Jack Rabbit Trail, Oak Glen Road had absolutely no pavement for quite some distance. The average grade was almost 7% with a few sections hitting over 11%. Add to that the construction vehicles moving about, one lane sections, etc. and Oak Glen was really tough.

From there a really fast drop to the second rest stop and then on toward Angelus Oaks. Angelus Oaks climb isn't all that tough by itself being an average grade of 4%. But after what I had gone through AND considering I wasn't really ready for a difficult ride like this, it proved to be my nemesis.

I soldiered on for a little over five miles and decided to call it quits when I was barely turning the pedals. Averaging only about 130watts for the last mile it would have taken me another six hours for the few remaining miles so I surrendered. It's not often I throw in the towel, but to continue on was just plain silly. The nice thing is when you decide you've had enough, you merely cross the road and downhill you go, all the way to the start.

OK, so next year I'll have to do a better job of coordinating, vacations and some of the tougher rides I plan. I am planning to do Breathless Agony again next year. You have to always get back on the horse.