A week ago I registered to ride in Levi’s Gran Fondo, a 101 mile ride with about 7000 similar lunatics near Sonoma, CA. The route includes over 9,000 feet of climbing, including an infamous route along King’s Ridge. I’m in reasonable condition now and could probably do the ride today, although I would feel pretty trashed afterwards. My goal is to be in good enough shape to have fun and enjoy the ride.
Here’s my training plan: Ride every day until Labor Day. After that, maybe taper off a bit. No daily plan for mileage or intensity, or intervals; no heart rate monitor, no Garmin bike computer, just ride and make it up as I go. Yes, some days will turn out to be long and hard, and in between those days I’ll ride easy to recover. Most of the rides will be on the short steep hills around Bainbridge Island, and I’ll need to throw in some long climbs, which require a very different type of riding. I’m thinking Hurricane Ridge, Snoqualmie Pass, maybe Steven’s Pass, maybe Tour de Blast. Living between the Cascades and Olympics, there’s no dearth of nearby mountain passes.
