Cheri Goes Flat

Early this morning, Odessa, Cheri Shoults, and I started out with a big breakfast at Hanks Creekside. We stuffed ourselves with omelettes, pancakes, and coffee. It was a chilly morning and we departed enthusiastically for our hill climbing adventure. The three of us smoked up Chalk Hill together as if it were a mere inconvenience. In order to keep warm, we maintained a brisk pace until we hit the base of Red Winery Road. We stopped for water and a "hit" of Gu before beginning our climb up Pine Flat Road. The sun began to shine as we steadily ascended, the view getting more beautiful with every mile. After we hit the six mile marker, the grade increased (along with our breathing) and we continued until a plateau of burnt out forests. The sounds of nature, incredible weather, and level road make this section of Pine Flat seem like paradise. How deceptive; the next few miles were the most grueling and after hitting the ten mile marker, we decided to head back and save our energy for the rest of our Vineyard Tour ride. The descent was awesome and we headed towards the Jimtown Store, where we chatted with other cyclists (even a couple riding Tandem from Calistoga). We kept a steady 20 mph pace as we made our way into Healdsburg for Foccaci sandwiches and cookies- YUM! On our way back home, Cheri got 2 flat tires (with her mountain biking background, changing a tire was no problem; what a stud). Even though it was a tough ride, we all felt good (thanks to the non-stop eating). Today we climbed over 3,000 feet and cycled 66.1 miles. Way to go, kids!

Welcome to the Peloton, Cheri.