3x3

Got a later start on today's ride, rode to the top of the shorter/steeper DeCew for 10:45 and spun around til 11 when De Cal arrived after a flat tire. Thought we had a third guy to ride with when we thought we saw Etzl headin for the descent, I called out "Etzy" and he came over to us. Wasn't Etzl. We took off on what would become an epic 5.5hr day on the bicycles.

The wind had us riding at a quick pace in to Smithville where, strangely, we saw the real Etzy. Then some crosswinds as we headed North to Grimsby. As we were approaching the first of the three climbs, Woolverton, I was getting a little nervous for the descent. Some flashbacks of last years mishap where I ended up in the guard rail were going through my mind. After some reassurance and sick tips from De Cal I was having the best descents I've ever had. Man can that guy go down a hill in style.

The plan was to do 3 reps of each of them then head home. The first one was tough, but the second and third were a bit easier. I was digging pretty deep to try and keep him somewhat close. After the third climb I was done with Woolverton as well as my first bottle. Next was Fifty which is in the outskirts of Hamilton/Stoney Creek, the three reps there went by pretty quick since it is the easiest of the 3. I was getting more confident with descending everytime I went down, using the brakes less and less, still nowhere near De Cal.

We rode the top out to McNeily and I had a pretty sketchy descent, just missing the outside guard rail. I wasn't confident going in to the super steep and sketchy U-Turn as the result showed. After the first climb I was pretty pooched, this is the funnest one to go down making it the toughest one to go up. My second climb up it ended up being my best climb of the day, reassuring me that the next climb would be even better. I pushed hard and as I made the final U-turn I raised my hand as climbing intervals were over, as was my bottles.

We rode out to the convenience store (after De Cal decided to do one more rep up Woolverton) and refilled our bottles and our tummies. The ride home was pretty tough, at times I was battling the headwind alone and others he would drop back and tow me for a whlile. There were a few more climbs as we had to get over the escarpment, but nothing big.

A detour led us to a pretty good leg burner up Ninth and we parted ways shortly after that. I was contemplating either riding out to DeCew and taking a longer but easier climb then having to deal with some rollers on Cataract OR taking more of a band-aid rip approach and climbing Saylor's. Band-aid rip it was. As I got some more fuel in and mentally prepared for it I realised that I could take Sawmill or Sixteen and have a flat ride home. But no, once you start preparing for the rip, you're going through with it. I was pretty cooked at the bottom but once I got to the top climbing was done for the day, and so was I.

After taking a layer off and lying down on my driveway for a little nap and to soak in some sun I realised how fortunate I was to ride with a guy as fast as De Cal. To get faster you have to ride with faster people, they make you find limits you didn't know you had, they push you to a point you never thought you could make it to. On a solo day I would have probably opted for an easy ride out and climb them each once and thought that I had put in a big day.

Tomorow is either going to be the St.CCC club ride or some mountain biking. It's not supposed to rain until the afternoon.