After my previous adventure along Valencia's sole unlighted bike path, I decided this time around I would stick to my original plan and not fall for any road-sign traps. After passing the sign that almost led me to my doom two nights earlier, I stayed on the road and onto the bridge that goes over a dry river bed.
This is when I realized that the bike path sign wasn't a trap at all. In fact, it was a much better alternative to the bridge, on which the road narrows and the bike lane is non-existent. Of course, I could have just hopped up the curb and gotten Ito the sidewalk, but that would only slow me down, and I've got a race to win!
So I held my breath and pedaled over the bridge and fast as I could, safely reaching the sidewalk on the other side and gasping for air. I made the turn at the next light and made my way up the small incline to the next turn. Now I was on the street that turns into the final hellish hill climb I face at the end of every ride, but at this point of the route I had a nice downhill section and was able to let gravity do most of the work.
Unfortunately, my timing sucked and I hit the traffic light just before the start of the hellish hill and had to wait. On the plus side, I was able to catch my breath and rest for a minute in anticipation of what I was facing. In order to change things up a bit, about halfway up the hill, I made a left onto a street that loops around and eventually becomes the crest of HH (Hell Hill).
However I quickly came to the realization that Hell Hill was a misnomer. At the very least, it shall now be known as Son of Hell Hill, because that left turn put me on a long, slow uphill climb that took me a little by surprise and had me cursing left turns. But I knew this was all in the name of progress, so I pressed on and after several "resting turn-offs" (turning onto flat side streets and riding to the end and back to catch a breather) I finally made it to the top.
By the time I was breathing normally again, I considered it another small victory for Team Engel. On paper, this ride looks almost identical to my last one (Day 7), but I felt like it was a much more challenging session. Or maybe I was just more tired going into this one, and consequently felt more tired after. Either way, it was another good training ride.
So I held my breath and pedaled over the bridge and fast as I could, safely reaching the sidewalk on the other side and gasping for air. I made the turn at the next light and made my way up the small incline to the next turn. Now I was on the street that turns into the final hellish hill climb I face at the end of every ride, but at this point of the route I had a nice downhill section and was able to let gravity do most of the work.
Unfortunately, my timing sucked and I hit the traffic light just before the start of the hellish hill and had to wait. On the plus side, I was able to catch my breath and rest for a minute in anticipation of what I was facing. In order to change things up a bit, about halfway up the hill, I made a left onto a street that loops around and eventually becomes the crest of HH (Hell Hill).
However I quickly came to the realization that Hell Hill was a misnomer. At the very least, it shall now be known as Son of Hell Hill, because that left turn put me on a long, slow uphill climb that took me a little by surprise and had me cursing left turns. But I knew this was all in the name of progress, so I pressed on and after several "resting turn-offs" (turning onto flat side streets and riding to the end and back to catch a breather) I finally made it to the top.
By the time I was breathing normally again, I considered it another small victory for Team Engel. On paper, this ride looks almost identical to my last one (Day 7), but I felt like it was a much more challenging session. Or maybe I was just more tired going into this one, and consequently felt more tired after. Either way, it was another good training ride.
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