Day 6 - “I’m not going to hang around”

October 04, 2018

Day 6 - “I’m not going to hang around”

Having had the customary meal in Ventura we sensibly followed this with 2 pints of lager and a late night “In and Out” Burger. I‘d heard somewhere that this was the same diet that Chris Froome followed during his inaugural tour de France win . Strangely I woke up feeling less than fresh, more than a bit concerned over whether fitness and the aching knees would hold up. This was the guest day, and around 15 riders joined us for the final push. We cheered our support crew again and left en masse. The train riding out of Ventura was impressive, and the sheer energy and joy of riding with such a big group made the morning rush by. There was lots of chat and laughter, the nervousness evaporating this close to home. There was no way we would fail now.

Almost there

We got back on the PCH and the pace suddenly quickened. I bridged the gap to the leading group and clung on to the back, cranking furiously so as to not get dropped. 10 miles later the left turn came for Mulholland Highway. This was where the climbs began. Dave and I waited for Charlie as he’d flatted a few miles back.

Tara and Dave at the bottom of Mulholland

We grabbed some fuel and set off, pretty much everyone else already on the climb. For Dave and Charlie this was the final test. The duel where they would finally discover who was the stronger. I had somehow fooled myself that I could be “In the mix” here, and followed the two of them. Within 300 metres they’d left me behind and I was on my own. Still, with no real need to conserve energy I pushed myself as hard as I could and wound my way up Mulholland. Thankfully the clouds came over and the temperature dropped. About a mile up I passed Dave Lawson. Flew right by him. I should point out that he was stuck on the side of the road with a chain issue. The reckoning never happened. In a way this seemed the perfect culmination to this chapter of the cycling bromance between Dave and Charlie, a perpetually unanswered question that only the cycling gods can answer.

The 2018 day 6 route had been made harder by our own particular cycling overlords. Rather than dropping back on to the PCH as we’d done in 2014 we kept on Mulholland for much longer, adding many more climbs and descents along the way through rocky canyon roads As I got the the top of Mulholland I met Simon, a quiet and friendly English guy who I’d chatted to a lot in the past 5 days. We slurped some Coca-Cola and slowly set-off together. Feeling revved up from the Mulholland climb I blithely told him “I’m not hanging around”. This comment had an amazing effect on Simon. My cockiness unleashed the sleeping demon within him and he suddenly attacked the rolling climb with an unheralded aggression. He was like Lance Armstrong after a double-dose of EPO and a full blood transfusion. I did my best to hold on but he gapped me and proved his point. I like to think I know how to motivate people. The down-hills here were amazing, miles of winding road, feeling the weight of the bike shift below you, trying to find the racing line to allow you to flow along the tarmac.

Midway we came upon some drama as Danny, a lovely English guy, had come off his bike. He was white as a sheet and the guys were icing his shoulder. He had broken his collar bone, fatigue leading to a simple lapse in concentration as his wheel overlapped another rider. He was whisked off to hospital by Louis our medic.

ouch

We rejoined a small group and I attacked “7 minute hill” with Charlie. I went as hard as I could up the hill, thanking the training I’d done on my stationary bike that had forced my legs to spin faster. This allows you to use aerobic power over pure muscular power to generate watts. I realized about half way up that Charlie was slowing down to match my limit and then pushing slightly beyond it. He encouraged me up the last section whilst I started to pant like an asthmatic dog on a hot-afternoon. My legs screamed. I did 7 minute hill in…8:58 . Balls. (maybe without the cheeseburger I could have shaved some time off). The truth is I’m never going to get much faster than this in my life. Accepting the limitations of physiology, age, and how much time I really want to spend in the saddle is something akin to maturing. Truth is, I did feel strong on this day and know when the climbs come I can keep going with most of them. It was hard earned and I won’t pretend not to feel proud of that.

Lunch was at Pedlar’s Fork in Calabassas, a great bike stop with a place to hang your steed and an amazing spread of salads, roasted vegetables and tacos for us. This was turning into a fantastic final day, capped off by seeing Aiden, an old Firefly friend from 2014, who was laying road markers for us. The mood at lunch was so relaxed and convivial I didn’t want it to end. Each table was full of great characters all of whom I’d come to appreciate over the past 6 days. We’d got this far and it felt good. We raised some money and some people found a lot more too. I bought Charlie a beer by way of thanks for helping me up the climb.

The best lunch

We headed back to the PCH on the hair-raising descent of Topanga canyon road. The wind whistled in my ears as I followed Chris Page down the hill, praying that cars would not try to overtake on the busy mountain road. I didn’t want to buy it this near the end.

And the rest is history, a few beers in Playa Del Mar and a warm welcome at 72 and Sunny.

Danny made it back with a sling on and got the loudest cheer of the day. What an adventure.

The funniest/saddest message on the Whatsapp rider group came from Bruce and Tara..this was day 7...