Well it's been over three months since my last post here. I took a job in Reno at West Hills Hospital. I worked as a Psych Nurse for three months. I met a great deal of nice people and some people who were...well...less than nice and I'm not refering to patients when I say that. I learned the hard way just how poorly an RN could be treated in todays world. Luckily for me I was able to find out about a great opportunity in Sacramento from a former classmate and friend (thank you Feuy) and was able to get hired as a nurse at Sutter General Hospital in Sacramento.
I've since moved back to Carmichael to an apartment community which I've resided previously and have worked for the last month almost in Sacramento. Things are going well, I've been dating a wonderful woman and have been really active both at work and with my cycling. My hope is that the coming year brings many more wonderful things. Hopefully, now that I'm settled or nearly settled I can post more updates etc...
Oct 14, 2011
Jun 15, 2011
I'm in Reno now
I've been in Reno since Friday. So far I've been out cycling 3 times and the cities surrounding area looks quite nice. There is a loop around the city which is about 25 miles in length which I plan on riding later today with the addition of some extra miles to get about 35 miles in. So far the altitude and hills are taking a toll on my legs though and for the first time in months I'm feeling more mortal than usual. I've attached some photos of the areas which I've explored so far.
Jun 7, 2011
Reno here I come
And so it begins:
Almost a month ago I was offered a position as a Registered Nurse at a small Behavioral Health Hospital in Reno Nevada. The pickings for a new graduate RN have been incredibly slim. I've applied for hundreds of jobs and have had less than 5 interviews during that time. So, when this opportunity came about I jumped at the offer. Now I'm a few days away from moving to Reno and this coming Monday I'll begin my career as a Registered Nurse.
The position that I've taken may not have been my first choice however it is an opportunity to start my career and I'll look at it as a chance of personal growth not only as a Nurse but as a person. The thought of working as a Psych Nurse had crossed my mind while I was working on my degree. I think I was one of the few people in our class who truely enjoyed our Psych Rotation. With that being said maybe this is what I was ment to do with my degree. I am sure I'll learn quickly if this was meant to be. I'm hoping it is and that it will lead to greater opportunity in the future.
Almost a month ago I was offered a position as a Registered Nurse at a small Behavioral Health Hospital in Reno Nevada. The pickings for a new graduate RN have been incredibly slim. I've applied for hundreds of jobs and have had less than 5 interviews during that time. So, when this opportunity came about I jumped at the offer. Now I'm a few days away from moving to Reno and this coming Monday I'll begin my career as a Registered Nurse.
The position that I've taken may not have been my first choice however it is an opportunity to start my career and I'll look at it as a chance of personal growth not only as a Nurse but as a person. The thought of working as a Psych Nurse had crossed my mind while I was working on my degree. I think I was one of the few people in our class who truely enjoyed our Psych Rotation. With that being said maybe this is what I was ment to do with my degree. I am sure I'll learn quickly if this was meant to be. I'm hoping it is and that it will lead to greater opportunity in the future.
Jun 1, 2011
5,176.31
That's 5,176.31 miles ridden. Nearly to my total mileage of last year of just over 5400. I'm guessing I'll be there in a week or two. Now I'm more than half way to my goal of 10,000 miles. The remainder of the year will frought with obsticles though as I will begin a new job in a couple of weeks which involves a move to Reno Nevada. Hopefully the move goes well, I get settled quickly and my riding time stays somewhat stable. If it does I think my chance of hitting 10,000 miles is really good.
May 1, 2011
I did it!
At 5am this past Saturday I began what I can say was the most difficult Double Century (200 miles by bike in one day) I've ever attemted. We started from the San Ramon on the outskirts of Mt. Diablo. After a mass start and dodging some pretty skittish riders I made it to the base of Mt. Diablo and the first big climb of the day. It was a cold morning and the wind was blowing as I ascended the 10.5 mile climb rising 3200 feet above the start to an altitude of 3800 ft. The climb itself went well for me. I'd descended this side of Diablo the week before so I was well aware that the climb would be consistant until the top where it pitches up for a few hundred yards. As I made it to the top and the first rest stop I was greated by gusty winds in excess of 40mph and a temperature of 37 degrees. I hurried to get my bottles filled. Took a bite of a bagal and quickly got my gear in order for the descent. The descent was a technical affair that was made more tiring due to the cold, the wind and my hands which quickly became numb. I was however greatful that I decided to go with wool gloves under my cycling mits.
At the bottom of the descent we headed through Walnut Creek with just a few minor climbs as we headed toward Morgan Territory. As advertised "The Morgan Territory Road climb is mostly tree covered and quite beautiful." The road was free of traffic which was a good thing as it was only a single lane for all traffic. The climb was gradual at first but as we made it to the second check point we hit some switchbacks and the gradiant increased to over 10% by my estimation. At the top I again filled up my bottles but this time took in more solid foods as I hit the fruit and some red potatoes. Once I was ready to head out I was told by one of the staff that a rider had gone down just past the stop on the descent. It turns out that the rider was pushed off the road into some loose gravel by a gust of wind. As I continued past I was cautious as the gusts would blow from left to right and as you went by a covered corner it would hit you hard. I could see how this rider ended his day the way he did. As I descended further I stopped to let an emergency vehicle pass and than continued to the bottom.
At the bottom of the descent we began to work our way toward Livermore and the Altamont Pass. Altamont was interesting as you pass through a large wind farm strewn with windmills which buzzed as they generaged power. The wind made this stretch a bit difficult as it blew diaginal across the lane hitting me from left to right. Once I made the turn though to Patterson Pass the wind finally became a non-factor for the remainder of the ride.
Patterson Pass is pretty much in the middle of no where. It dips and dives through the hills of brush around Altimont. It had warmed up at this point but not so much that it was a bother. As I came to mini check point I turned a hard right and realized I still had a big grind to go to get to the top. The stop was well worth it as I needed to top of my bottles anyway as I was now going through a bottle every 20 miles. Once I made it to the peak of the last bit of Patterson I was greated with an exciting descent down to the third rest stop.
From the third rest stop it was still nearly 45 miles to Mt. Hamilton. To get there though you needed to ride up the long gradual climb up Mines road. This climb was 25 miles long with another 2000 feet of gain that brought us to the lunch stop at the Junction Cafe. This 25 mile stretch was by far the lonliest stretch of the ride as I didn't see another double century rider until the stop for lunch.
At lunch I had a chicken sandwich made at the cafe and a coke which got my pep up to snuff again. My shoulder had started to ache from standing on some of the steeper climbs so I took some Ibuprofin to quench the pain. It kicked in by the time I left the stop and didn't bother me after that.
Leaving lunch you head out on one of the few flat sections of the ride. This gave me a chance to warm my legs back up before ascending Mt. Hamilton. After 10 or so miles I hit the base of Mt. Hamilton and began the climb. The side of Mt. Hamilton on this ride that you climb is just 5 miles and takes up up another 2000ft in climbing. The summit is at 4200 feet and the view was one of the more breath taking I've seen. After pasing the observatory and few scattered houses the descent began. The drop lasted for over 15 miles. Unfortunately, the descent was narrow and had many hair pin turns which limited my ability to push my speed to much.
At the end of the descent the route flattened back out and took us to Crothers road where our next rest stop was. This was at a private residence and the accomodations were excellent. I made sure to fuel up at this rest stop as the next big challange Sierra Rd was less than 6 miles down the road.
The ride description describes Sierra Road as a BEAST! That is pretty accurate as you climb 1800 feet in just 3 miles with the majority of the gain in the first half. Several times my mind tried to convince me to dismount and walk but my will won out and each time I forged ahead even when my speed dropped to only 3 miles per hour. Finally, after nearly an hour of riding over 3 miles I made it to the famouse rest stop known as "Pet the Goat", named for the goat pin at the edge of the stop.
After petting the goat, putting on some extra clothes and mounting my lights I headed out. The next 4 miles descended about 1000 feet and than we rode counter clockwise around the the Calaveras Reservour. This rode alternated between flat to descending over the next few miles as we road into Sunol and the last rest stop at mile 181.
At this point I was starting to really feel the climbing in my legs and whatever body heat I'd been able to store up throughout the day had left. This made the first few miles out of the last rest stop a cold teeth chattering affair. Luckily or unluckily there were still two small climbs left. I didn't want to climb any more but was happy to be warm while climbing. I ascended Palomares Canyon in good form but not at the zippy pace I'd enjoyed early in the day. I expected this would happen so just knowing I would finish regardless was enough to keep my legs turning and the road slipping away beneath me. At the top of Paolomares I again descended and again became chilled as I turned on Crows Canyon toward the last climb. Finally at mile 203 I hit the last climb on Norris Canyon. I thought the climb would be longer but it was shortish and only gained 500 feet in 2 miles. Once on top the last 3 miles was a descent back into San Ramon and the finish.
I pulled into the parking lot at 11:27 after leaving at 5:03. I missed a turn which added 5 extra miles during the day and my guess 15 to 20 extra minutes as well. All in all I'm extremely satisfied and proud of myself. This ride was incredible and I do hope that in the years to come I can find the fitness to ride it again. The way I see it the Devil deserves to be whipped more than once.
Stats 205 miles over 20,000 feet of elevation gain in one day!
At the bottom of the descent we headed through Walnut Creek with just a few minor climbs as we headed toward Morgan Territory. As advertised "The Morgan Territory Road climb is mostly tree covered and quite beautiful." The road was free of traffic which was a good thing as it was only a single lane for all traffic. The climb was gradual at first but as we made it to the second check point we hit some switchbacks and the gradiant increased to over 10% by my estimation. At the top I again filled up my bottles but this time took in more solid foods as I hit the fruit and some red potatoes. Once I was ready to head out I was told by one of the staff that a rider had gone down just past the stop on the descent. It turns out that the rider was pushed off the road into some loose gravel by a gust of wind. As I continued past I was cautious as the gusts would blow from left to right and as you went by a covered corner it would hit you hard. I could see how this rider ended his day the way he did. As I descended further I stopped to let an emergency vehicle pass and than continued to the bottom.
At the bottom of the descent we began to work our way toward Livermore and the Altamont Pass. Altamont was interesting as you pass through a large wind farm strewn with windmills which buzzed as they generaged power. The wind made this stretch a bit difficult as it blew diaginal across the lane hitting me from left to right. Once I made the turn though to Patterson Pass the wind finally became a non-factor for the remainder of the ride.
Patterson Pass is pretty much in the middle of no where. It dips and dives through the hills of brush around Altimont. It had warmed up at this point but not so much that it was a bother. As I came to mini check point I turned a hard right and realized I still had a big grind to go to get to the top. The stop was well worth it as I needed to top of my bottles anyway as I was now going through a bottle every 20 miles. Once I made it to the peak of the last bit of Patterson I was greated with an exciting descent down to the third rest stop.
From the third rest stop it was still nearly 45 miles to Mt. Hamilton. To get there though you needed to ride up the long gradual climb up Mines road. This climb was 25 miles long with another 2000 feet of gain that brought us to the lunch stop at the Junction Cafe. This 25 mile stretch was by far the lonliest stretch of the ride as I didn't see another double century rider until the stop for lunch.
At lunch I had a chicken sandwich made at the cafe and a coke which got my pep up to snuff again. My shoulder had started to ache from standing on some of the steeper climbs so I took some Ibuprofin to quench the pain. It kicked in by the time I left the stop and didn't bother me after that.
Leaving lunch you head out on one of the few flat sections of the ride. This gave me a chance to warm my legs back up before ascending Mt. Hamilton. After 10 or so miles I hit the base of Mt. Hamilton and began the climb. The side of Mt. Hamilton on this ride that you climb is just 5 miles and takes up up another 2000ft in climbing. The summit is at 4200 feet and the view was one of the more breath taking I've seen. After pasing the observatory and few scattered houses the descent began. The drop lasted for over 15 miles. Unfortunately, the descent was narrow and had many hair pin turns which limited my ability to push my speed to much.
At the end of the descent the route flattened back out and took us to Crothers road where our next rest stop was. This was at a private residence and the accomodations were excellent. I made sure to fuel up at this rest stop as the next big challange Sierra Rd was less than 6 miles down the road.
The ride description describes Sierra Road as a BEAST! That is pretty accurate as you climb 1800 feet in just 3 miles with the majority of the gain in the first half. Several times my mind tried to convince me to dismount and walk but my will won out and each time I forged ahead even when my speed dropped to only 3 miles per hour. Finally, after nearly an hour of riding over 3 miles I made it to the famouse rest stop known as "Pet the Goat", named for the goat pin at the edge of the stop.
After petting the goat, putting on some extra clothes and mounting my lights I headed out. The next 4 miles descended about 1000 feet and than we rode counter clockwise around the the Calaveras Reservour. This rode alternated between flat to descending over the next few miles as we road into Sunol and the last rest stop at mile 181.
At this point I was starting to really feel the climbing in my legs and whatever body heat I'd been able to store up throughout the day had left. This made the first few miles out of the last rest stop a cold teeth chattering affair. Luckily or unluckily there were still two small climbs left. I didn't want to climb any more but was happy to be warm while climbing. I ascended Palomares Canyon in good form but not at the zippy pace I'd enjoyed early in the day. I expected this would happen so just knowing I would finish regardless was enough to keep my legs turning and the road slipping away beneath me. At the top of Paolomares I again descended and again became chilled as I turned on Crows Canyon toward the last climb. Finally at mile 203 I hit the last climb on Norris Canyon. I thought the climb would be longer but it was shortish and only gained 500 feet in 2 miles. Once on top the last 3 miles was a descent back into San Ramon and the finish.
I pulled into the parking lot at 11:27 after leaving at 5:03. I missed a turn which added 5 extra miles during the day and my guess 15 to 20 extra minutes as well. All in all I'm extremely satisfied and proud of myself. This ride was incredible and I do hope that in the years to come I can find the fitness to ride it again. The way I see it the Devil deserves to be whipped more than once.
Stats 205 miles over 20,000 feet of elevation gain in one day!
Apr 29, 2011
The description of the Devil Mt. Double from the QuackCyclist website
The Devil
The course starts and ends at the San Ramon Marriott Hotel. Two miles into the ride you will encounter some small hills and large rollers that take you to the base of Mt. Diablo. The mountain rises 3200 feet in 10.5 miles to a height of 3849 feet. The last two tenths of a mile are known as "THE WALL". It's only twenty miles into the ride, but this will already by testing your strength. The first rest stop is at the summit, and the view is spectacular on a clear day. The descent is some of the most fun you can have on a bike, but be careful; it's technical with lots of blind corners.
After leaving Mt. Diablo it will be a few miles and some minor climbs before you reach your next major challenge. The Morgan Territory Road climb is mostly tree covered and quite beautiful, following beside a natural creek that should be flowing strongly as you pass by. This part of the ride will likely be a little chilly due to the abundance of trees covering the road. The road rises 1500 feet in 7.4 miles and is VERY steep in a few spots. Just shy of the summit, you will find the second rest stop at mile 53. Going down the backside of Morgan Territory, known as "The Plunge", is fast and major fun!
Now you will start to work your way over the Altamont to Altamont Raceway, and then back over Patterson Pass Road. One mile below Patterson Pass, will be a mini-stop/checkpoint, from which you can look up to the famous "Oh-My-Gosh" summit. Along the way you'll see many cows and a lot of windmills, before coming to rest stop number 3 at Mines Road. At this point, you have covered a little over 91 miles. Shortly after leaving rest stop number 3, you'll begin the long gradual climb up Mines Road towards the backside of Mt. Hamilton. This climb takes 25 miles to rise above 2000 feet through some beautiful country. If the rains have been on schedule, there will be many wildflowers and flowing streams along the way. Then it's a nice and easy 5-mile descent into "The Junction" and lunch at mile 116.
After a great lunch, you can warm back up with 14 miles of mostly flat and occasionally descending road before beginning your assault on the eastern side of Mt. Hamilton. In just 5 miles, you will rise over 2,100 feet to the 4209-foot summit. Be sure to enjoy the far-ranging view of the Silicon Valley while you are at the top of its highest peak. Now you will be descending almost constantly for over 16 miles (watch out for cows standing in blind corners) to the next rest stop. As in 2008, the rest stop will be staged at the legendary Crothers Road venue. Just beyond Joseph Grant County Park, you will climb about 2 miles, then be rewarded with a fast descent to Crothers Road at the base of Mt. Hamilton, around mile 150.
You will definitely want to refuel and take full advantage of this rest stop because in just five quick miles you are going to hit "SIERRA ROAD"! This sucker's a beast! In only 3.2 miles it shoots up 1800 feet! This will be your biggest test; not only is it incredibly steep, but you will already have over 155 miles in your legs! Once you have tackled this monster, you will face a rapid descent of about 1000 feet over 4 miles at which point you will skirt the Calaveras Reservoir while riding on primarily flat to descending roads into the next rest stop in the small town of Sunol, at mile 181.
After leaving Sunol you will descend Niles Canyon, turn right under an old railroad bridge and begin your climb up Palomares Canyon. You will climb a little over 1000 feet in about 4.5 miles and descend almost the same amount in the next 7 miles before turning right and beginning your climb up Crow Canyon, which leads you to your last tough (but short) climb over Norris Canyon Road. The Norris Canyon climb rises 530 feet in 2.1 miles to the summit at 910 feet. From there, it's just 3 miles of descending and flats back to a triumphant finish at the San Ramon Marriott! That is 206 miles and over 20,000 feet of elevation gain in one day!
The course starts and ends at the San Ramon Marriott Hotel. Two miles into the ride you will encounter some small hills and large rollers that take you to the base of Mt. Diablo. The mountain rises 3200 feet in 10.5 miles to a height of 3849 feet. The last two tenths of a mile are known as "THE WALL". It's only twenty miles into the ride, but this will already by testing your strength. The first rest stop is at the summit, and the view is spectacular on a clear day. The descent is some of the most fun you can have on a bike, but be careful; it's technical with lots of blind corners.
After leaving Mt. Diablo it will be a few miles and some minor climbs before you reach your next major challenge. The Morgan Territory Road climb is mostly tree covered and quite beautiful, following beside a natural creek that should be flowing strongly as you pass by. This part of the ride will likely be a little chilly due to the abundance of trees covering the road. The road rises 1500 feet in 7.4 miles and is VERY steep in a few spots. Just shy of the summit, you will find the second rest stop at mile 53. Going down the backside of Morgan Territory, known as "The Plunge", is fast and major fun!
Now you will start to work your way over the Altamont to Altamont Raceway, and then back over Patterson Pass Road. One mile below Patterson Pass, will be a mini-stop/checkpoint, from which you can look up to the famous "Oh-My-Gosh" summit. Along the way you'll see many cows and a lot of windmills, before coming to rest stop number 3 at Mines Road. At this point, you have covered a little over 91 miles. Shortly after leaving rest stop number 3, you'll begin the long gradual climb up Mines Road towards the backside of Mt. Hamilton. This climb takes 25 miles to rise above 2000 feet through some beautiful country. If the rains have been on schedule, there will be many wildflowers and flowing streams along the way. Then it's a nice and easy 5-mile descent into "The Junction" and lunch at mile 116.
After a great lunch, you can warm back up with 14 miles of mostly flat and occasionally descending road before beginning your assault on the eastern side of Mt. Hamilton. In just 5 miles, you will rise over 2,100 feet to the 4209-foot summit. Be sure to enjoy the far-ranging view of the Silicon Valley while you are at the top of its highest peak. Now you will be descending almost constantly for over 16 miles (watch out for cows standing in blind corners) to the next rest stop. As in 2008, the rest stop will be staged at the legendary Crothers Road venue. Just beyond Joseph Grant County Park, you will climb about 2 miles, then be rewarded with a fast descent to Crothers Road at the base of Mt. Hamilton, around mile 150.
You will definitely want to refuel and take full advantage of this rest stop because in just five quick miles you are going to hit "SIERRA ROAD"! This sucker's a beast! In only 3.2 miles it shoots up 1800 feet! This will be your biggest test; not only is it incredibly steep, but you will already have over 155 miles in your legs! Once you have tackled this monster, you will face a rapid descent of about 1000 feet over 4 miles at which point you will skirt the Calaveras Reservoir while riding on primarily flat to descending roads into the next rest stop in the small town of Sunol, at mile 181.
After leaving Sunol you will descend Niles Canyon, turn right under an old railroad bridge and begin your climb up Palomares Canyon. You will climb a little over 1000 feet in about 4.5 miles and descend almost the same amount in the next 7 miles before turning right and beginning your climb up Crow Canyon, which leads you to your last tough (but short) climb over Norris Canyon Road. The Norris Canyon climb rises 530 feet in 2.1 miles to the summit at 910 feet. From there, it's just 3 miles of descending and flats back to a triumphant finish at the San Ramon Marriott! That is 206 miles and over 20,000 feet of elevation gain in one day!
Apr 27, 2011
The Devil
Since my last blog post I've been riding a great deal. Well over 3800 miles for the year in fact. For comparison sake I only rode 4150 miles the year I was hit by a car. I've also managed to strip over 35 pounds off my frame. This has lead me to push myself into riding tougher rides than what I've done in the past. The biggest challenge coming this weekend at the Devil Mountain Double.
The Devil Mountain Double climbs over 18,600 ft in 207 miles. Of the climbs on the ride I'll be going over both Mt. Diablo and Mt. Hamilton. But, those are not the worst climbs on the ride. The ride includes Sierra Rd at mile 156. It climbs 1800ft in 3.6 miles with an average grade well in excess of 10% with a max grade around 25%. This ride sounds scary and as of this writing my nerve's are flaring up pretty bad. But, as I said it is a BIG challenge and I'm looking forward to seeing how I fare. I'll be doing a write up sometime next week regardless of the outcome.
The Devil Mountain Double climbs over 18,600 ft in 207 miles. Of the climbs on the ride I'll be going over both Mt. Diablo and Mt. Hamilton. But, those are not the worst climbs on the ride. The ride includes Sierra Rd at mile 156. It climbs 1800ft in 3.6 miles with an average grade well in excess of 10% with a max grade around 25%. This ride sounds scary and as of this writing my nerve's are flaring up pretty bad. But, as I said it is a BIG challenge and I'm looking forward to seeing how I fare. I'll be doing a write up sometime next week regardless of the outcome.
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