knack-ered
[nak-erd]
adjective British Slang. exhausted;
very tired: He is really knackered after
riding Diablo today.
Can’t be certain of this but when the name Mount Diablo,
originally Monte del Diablo - Thicket of the Devil, was bestowed upon the
subject of today’s training ride I doubt it was considered that someday people
would voluntarily subject themselves to climbing to the 3,849 foot summit on
bicycles but it happens daily as this is one of the more popular rides in Northern California.
So popular in fact that it was just announced this week
that the 7th stage of the Tour of California will end at the
summit. Very cool! Those riders are concerned about beating
their competitors and their overall time.
When I ride Diablo I’m only concerned about getting home in time for
dinner.
It’s a fantastic ride and climbing 3,500 feet in 11 miles
presents its challenges but today was made easier because I was joined by my
riding buddy who encouraged me a year and a half ago to start riding. He is pictured here to the right of the
Junction Ranger Station. The Junction is where the road from the South, our
route, and the road from the North meet to form one road to the summit. It was great riding with him (as usual) although
this time, as we struggled up the mountain, he would shout out encouraging?
words like, “There’s still time to cancel your flight to Burundi!”. My laughter made me forget about my burning
thighs.
We made it past the Junction, about 7 miles into the 11,
and continued to the top. About a mile
from the summit is a hairpin turn called Devil’s Elbow. More like the Devil’s elbow jabbed into my
thighs. It marks the end of 3 miles of
pretty intense climbing where it is best to keep one’s eyes focused on the
pavement about two feet out in front and not look up to the road ahead.
If that weren’t enough, the last 300 feet, not elevation,
but distance, is a 17% grade that I have never been able to ride up. It’s a humbling walk to the top but that’s
the key phrase, isn’t it? To the
Top!! This sign is a welcome sight and
it’s literally all downhill from there as we rested a few minutes and enjoyed
11 miles of coasting to the valley floor!
Here’s the elevation profile to give you some
perspective of the climb.
It was a great day!!
If you’re new to the blog please make sure to click on the "introduction" button at the top of this page. There you can learn about what this blog is really all about. Also check out the links under the "Donate Here & Other Info" banner to get all sorts of cool information about the school for which we are riding and the person organizing the Tour du Burundi.
