Making guacamole

The weather was far too nice today to be inside. Daytona 500? Sorry, not my cup of Bud. The luge in Vancouver? Still rattles me after Friday’s tragedy. Valentine’s Day? Yes, we celebrated in style.

The party included a late a.m. rollout from the house for this year’s first ascent of “Guacamole Grinder.” This hidden beauty is just up the road from my neighborhood. I first tasted the section of avocado grove path in 2004 after introductions by a buddy. He and I once tried to kill each other on it at the peak of summer. We gave as good as each other could give. Back then, I rode a Specialized S-Works E5. The rig was so stiff, all it wanted to do was sprint or climb. If you know me by now, I preferred the latter (and still do).

Today’s ride called for the Specialized Tarmac Pro. For grins and giggle, I equipped it with the hand-built Open Pros, sporting 24mm Vittoria Paves. This setup is not the choice of climbers. But hey, it’s only February. Time to pay dues. Make guacamole. Test the legs and lungs. I’d write in greater detail about the climb, but I can’t remember much except the sound of my heart ready to bust through my sternum. Below is the short pictorial version. Some 700 feet of elevation gain in 1.2 miles. The photos include the base of the climb, then a look down at said base, next to a little pond. It was a good thing I was alone on today’s ascent. I could scream and frighten absolutely no one. It’s that secluded. No vomiting at the top, either. Just gravity doing what it does — putting you into anaerobic bliss. That little bump prior to Guacamole Grinder? It’s the first KOM of last year’s Stage 8 of the Tour of California, well in advance of Palomar Mountain. Which reminds me: We’ll be riding up Palomar on Feb. 27, as part of a SD tweetup. 10 a.m. start in Valley Center. Here’s a Garmin link to that ride. And here’s the full Garmin download on today’s fun.

Base of guacamole grinder. Pond just to the left.

Taking a peek back down at the start.

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Tagged as: bikecrave, climb to kaiser, cycling training, ultra distance cycling