The Sacramento Valley is rather flat. The nearest legitimate riding hills are a good thirty miles away.  Until I graduate to making a sixty-mile round trip just to start riding hills, I have to cheat:

This ten story parking garage happens to be three blocks from my apartment.  Since today is Super Bowl Sunday, the garage was eerily empty.   Never one to pass up an opportunity, I snuck out there with my bicycle before the game and during half time to take a few laps – up to the top, back down, repeat.

Each lap was about 100 feet of elevation, one mile in total distance, and it took about three minutes to ascend and two to descend.  The first set of five laps went pretty well, but I started slowing down during the second set – proof that while I can hold my own on wide open flatland, I’ve got a long way to go before I’ll be ready for the hills along the California coast.

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Time/miles/elevation this trip:         1:00 /   11 /   1,000 ft
Total training time/miles/elevation:   12:55 /  177 /   1,000 ft