Sat June 28, 140 K

[barton bourassa]

Here is my plan for Saturday. Leave Disco Coffee at Menzies & Michigan at 7 AM.
The Goose
Burnside
Prospect Lk Rd
Munn
Left on Willis down to the water
back up again and down to Wallace
W Saanich
Prospect Lk Rd
Munn Millstream Ross Durrance again but turn Right this time back down to Wallace
To the Observatory for 9:30 and Observatory Repeats for a couple hours with Kate's group, about 10 reps at 12 min each plus or minus!

But wait there's more!
W Saanich to Willis
Up to the top of Willis (about 6 K from Wallace past Ross Durrance)
Back down and home. Should be very close to 140 K.

I have paid an embarassing amount of money and signed up for the Whistler Gran Fondo Forte, Sept 6. 152 K with a little side trip up Cypress, about 15 K up and +- 734 m of climbing. So yes I have a focus for all of this!

Hope to see you out on Saturday.

Barton.

[John D]

>Hope to see you out on Saturday.

You've got to be joking.

[DavidB]

You've got to be joking.

Glad to see that I'm not the only one who thought this was satire.

[barton bourassa]

One of the TS folks asked about the pace of this ride. My response:

"It is going to be a brisk outing. I don't think there will be much slow about this one. I would like to see us warm up to Munn then hammer thru there individually up to the top. We will come back down for anyone behind us. I strongly encourage the stronger riders to come back down to the last person up the hill rather than standing around at the top getting all rested and antsy to go then hammer it hard when we do get going. Some of the regular Saturday riders actually listen and do!

So, give it a shot. We are not going far from town. You can peel off and go home at many points in the ride. It should be pretty silly after the 7th or 8th time up the Observatory!

Come on out tomorrow and see how it goes for you."

We ride together to Prospect; come back down or wait up at the top of Munn; again at Ross Durrance and Willis; again at the bottom of Willis (water side); at the top again of Willis; roll together back to Prospect; wait up at Prospect / Munn; repeat!

These rides are all about the hills, and distance, but mostly the hills. Remember, "Hills are your friend!"

Come one Come all. Do some Do all!

By the way DavidB, this is not satire!

[chrisb]

Any chance of an earlier start? I'm needing to be home around 9-9:30-ish...

[AJ Neale]

Thanks for setting the ...... um......challenging route Barton. I'm somewhat sorry that I couldn't join you for the Observatory repeats but sanity and breakfast were calling me. See you next time.

Andrew

[katew]

I spotted Barton on the Observatory, the only person besides me in TS kit (I wore my baby blues just for him), and thought,

"He finally pushed them over the edge."

He still looked strong and hale as he headed off for additional idiocy.

[barton bourassa]

And you looked marvelous in your baby blue, Kate!

Andrew, Kengi (sp?) and I started out. By the time we reached the Observatory we had completed 70 K and close to 1400 m of climbing. Kengi and Andrew headed home and I headed up, again and again until I had reached 2200 m of climbing. Kate passed me with a smile on her way up for the 8th time! Are you serious about Hurricane on Tuesday Kate? Go!

I headed off to climb Willis again, in the pouring rain! That last hour and a half were tough mentally and physically. Finished with over 2600 m of climbing thru 132K. this is the kind of elevation I hope to get in every Saturday (except for the odd period of rest) until the end of August. The Whistler Forte is 2500 m. I will be ready but for not, I am bagged!

I saw a lot of TS riders out there. Chris M and Sig and one other on Willis, Mike and a few others on what looked like the Oak Bay ride heading the opposite direction as I went back to Willis, and Lisa on her speedy new bike on the Observatory. And a couple others whose names I cannot remember as the three of us rode up Munn the second time!

Very Challenging indeed, and not a lick of Satire all the way!

See you tomorrow,

Barton.