^{PLACE & TIME:} 

The New Year's Aqua-Bike Challenge is an expansion of our yearly Page Mill Hill Climb.  This time we're getting friends together to swim AND bike on New Year's Day.  Our club, Mountain View Masters, has a special New Year's Day workout where you swim an interval every 1-1/2 minutes 100 times!  How far you swim each interval and how many intervals you do is up to you.  I'm hoping for about 8000 yds.  Every 1000 yds buys you 1 minute off your hill climb time.  3 hours after the swim we'll gather at the bottom of Page Mill Rd to race the 8.5 miles to the top of the Santa Cruz Mtns.

Troy and I arrive seconds before the swim repeats start.  For some reason I'm thinking I might actually do all of the 100 repeats!  Coach Chris starts everyone and I jump in.  I didn't bother putting on my goggles.  I didn't want to get behind so I swam the first 75 without them.  I'm swimming with Laura and Jami, my competitors;) 

Laura leads our group through the first 1/3 or so of the swim.  She's doing a great job letting us know what's coming next...75s, 100s, stroke, free, IM.  As the time ticks away, as we get tired and as the lane leadership changes, it gets harder for us to keep track of the yardage.  It seems like we're randomly doing 100's.  Jami and I struggle to keep it all straight.  After a while we're just guesstimating. 

I get out around repeat 89.  I've done what I think to be 7000 yards.  Time for breakfast, a little rest and the CLIMB! 

I'm doing 100s each interval and keeping an eye on Sherwick.  He's also doing 100s.  Every 10 intervals I sit one out to rest and stretch or use the restroom.  I'm feeling pretty good and dream of maybe doing 8800yds, a double Ironman distance!  But after 7000 yds it's really a struggle.  My arms don't seem to be working right.. and I'm getting stiff all over.  I'm resting a lot and going pretty slow.  But I get to 8000 yds and call it quits.  Sherwick does the same amount so we'll be starting together on the Hill Climb.

We enjoy a great breakfast with Jami and Sherwick at the Country Gourmet.  Troy & I order big breakfast burritos. When Team JaS questions our choice of meal we get a little nervous about how heavy it is before a climbing event.  We all caravan over to Bicycle Outfitters to get ready.  Once we get there Troy and I take a 15 min catnap.  Now we're ready to go!

Also rolling to the start is Dale Jackson, David Ridder, Carl Hekkert, and Laura Schuster.

Notes for ride:

Starting Altitude - 249 feet

Ending Altitude - 1993 feet

I'm the first one to go today.  Laura has gone on ahead to get started and cheer us on our way up.  Our starting positions are based on the swim yardage.  I have a big, hungry crowd behind me.  I just hope I can stay ahead for a good chunk of the time.  Troy has my virtual partner set on my new Garmen Edge...a new toy that my dad gave Troy and I.  I notice that I have to average 10.3 mph to beat Jami's course record of 47:15.

I'm off!  8.5 miles of climbing to go!  My legs feel pretty good surprisingly.  I realize that I forgot to program my Garmen to show the virtual partner and other vital stats.  Oh, well, at least I can see my average pace.  I'll just keep that as close to 10.3 mph as possible.

I'm tempted to look back to see who's coming.  I opt to look down a level as I head up the many switch backs.  That's not really looking back right? (;  I see Laura around Mile 2/3.  She says I'm doing good and I'm in first place...for now...

Just seconds later I hear her say "good job Jami, you're in first place!"  Everyone is in first place(=  It's only time until Jami catches me.  Just focus on pushing the hills and take advantage of the flats and slight downhills...anything to get my average back up.

The miles fade away and I realize that I'm approaching the summit.  I haven't seen anyone yet.  I keep listening for voices and sneaking peaks.  Just toward the top there's a fast slight downhill section.  I pedal hard and do little breaking.  Now a short climb to the stop sign.  I think I'm going to make it alone.  Wow, thanks God!  I'm now at the top and done...whew!  It's over, the challenge is done or is it?  There's still 20 more miles back to home...ouch!  I look forward to a friendly ride with the gang(=

Sherwick & I start and begin working together immediately.  It helps us stay ahead of the Carl and David, both fast bike racers, who start a couple minutes back.  But my main challenge is Sherwick and he's a strong climber.  I know he's strong towards the end and my sprint isn't very fast so I opt to break off early and try to go it alone.  I make the break and try to use perfect form to climb the mountain without going totally anaerobic.  I have a good gap on Sherwick and now I also see Carl & David behind.  I just keep going like crazy, trying to utilize the flats and downhills to their fullest.  Carl is catching up to me.  On the steepest section he passes me.. sitting down!  Then I see him pass Jami ahead.  I go by Jami also, breathing so hard I can barely say hi.  I finish almost a minute behind Carl, but my swim yardage was more than his relay partner, Laura, so I actually finish first.

CLICK HERE FOR RESULTS

The Dinner Celebration