Gruppo Pumpkincycle: Metrics around Marshall Wall, Marin, and Memorial Ride, Benecia--Last Diablo Cyclist Rides with Toby

Usually I just post regarding seminal Century rides, but we just had two interesting but disparate metric rides. A week ago we had a beautiful ride around Marin--over my favorite part of the Mt Tam Double, the run in to the Marshall Wall. Yesterday we joined the Benicia Cyclist for a memorial ride when one of their members were killed when striking some wild turkeys on a downhill.

These were also the last two extended rides before Toby moves back to England. There were earlier "move back" false alarms--the last reprieve had him stay here so he could set a record on the Alta Alpina by doing 8 1/2 passes. His first double, but what the f--he once did 5 full triathlons in 5 days row. More importantly to me, bs'ing with him for the days leading up to the Alta Alpina took my mind off the event--which was good as it was the only ride remaining that I was a little intimidated by.

During our club rides he was our Fabian Cancellera--riding steady for a long time pulling the fastest people in our Club along and barking "get out my way, you're slowing us down" if I tried to help out chasing down a young kid who tried to get away off the front. Toby got Ward hooked on power meter training. Real positive on our long training rides--he'll be missed.

We tried to find out Toby's rigorous training secrets--his web site is just a cover. Ward and I got a few clandestine photos of Toby's secret training methods while he trained for the three parts of a triathlon--now we'll share his secrets.

Coach Toby shows proper crosstraining
(top) at Pt Reyes Station on his secret training course (WI animation)
(middle) high in the hills of the Gold Country on the Sierra Century course (WI animation)
(bottom) practicing palming basketball skills with Christine (Pumpkincomics)

Hicks Valley on run into Marshall Wall (top) Rebecca, (below) I'm with Toby (WI)

November 10, 2012-Marshall Wall Metric, Marin
November 18, 2012-Craig Elstins Memorial Ride, Benecia

Rain was predicted held off for our Marin ride. For some reason I started to fall apart after the Patterson Pass Double last week--leg vein issues morphed into back problems. Usually 1 chiro treatment is all I need, I screwed up my back so much, at this writing I'm sitting on my third chiro visit. If this ride hadn't been in Marin--one of my favorite loops as its the Mt Tam Double highlight course, I would have skipped it.

Good day where our group stuck together nicely on the flats and rollers. All hell broke loose on the climb to the Cheese Factory. We passed a large group around Nicasio and the fastest of that group took exception--so then it was a race to the Cheese Factory climb, and then up the climb. I'm happy to report Toby and Rebecca dropped everyone from the other Club on teh climb and I just hung in with the chasing group to the Cheese Factory. To paraphrase the great Servais Knaven--I don't care who wins as long as its a Diablo Cyclist. My back wasn't happy--especially on the rollers I usually love or when I tried getting off the bike, and luckily we had a relaxed pace ride for the rest of the day.

(Top) Rachel, (Middle) Jack, (Bottom) Eri & Ward, on the Marshall Wall climb (PC)

Toby coaching Renecca on proper technique on ringing the Peace Bell (WI)

(top) Rachel, (middle) Toby, (bottom) Rachel and Eri leading the paceline-all along Highway 1-Bodega Bay (WI)

Da Group at Pt Reyes Station (WI)

Toby by Nicasio Reservoir (WI)

Ward coming back over Big Rock--ready for the 23 curve hairpin descent. (PC)

Next week it stormed on Saturday--our usual long riding day. On Sunday we joined the Benecia Cyclists for a memorial ride for a cyclist who died in a freak accident. We started across "the river" in Martinez which necessitates a disgusting ride through (Christine coined this along time ago) "Perpetuem Factories" bellowing smoke, then trying to find the hidden bike tail that leads onto the bridge. Nice large turnout where our group tried to follow some Benecia Cyclists who were going hard--man, what a fast Club ride this is. Light bulb came on when we pulled into first rest stop--we had followed the fastest guys in their Club--much of the peloton rolled in 5 minutes later. The next rest stop got us into the agriculture belt outside Fairfield where the Benecia Club ride ended. Ward took us through bonus miles on a road mostly void of cars. Void of cars as a small bridge in the middle was closed and we had to trudge through the mud for a few hundred feet (cleats love this.)

Downtown Martinez (PC)

Toby on the bridge over the Carquinez Strait--soon he'll be riding over the London Bridge (WI)

We saw a guy with a cool Lion of Flanders helmet--this wasn't him. Is anyone missing a traffic light?(WI)

Toby meets up with a neighbor from the United Kingdom, which is something like England. Jack in the background is from the Commonwealth. Everyone has the Queen on their money. This only makes sense if you are from Great Britain. (PC)