My training continued this weekend for the upcoming 3CR 1000k — it’s just a few weeks away, eek! TBO was game to attempt his longest set of consecutive rides to date (in terms of total mileage) and tackled my friend Franklyn’s 205k permanent from Sausalito to Ukiah with me. It traversed through the usual roads in Marin (Mill Valley through Fairfax) then headed east to Petaluma. Then we made our way north towards Sebastopol on a route that was new for both of us, but we weren’t able to enjoy the novelty of the journey for very long. Intense heat and headwinds kicked in that plagued us for over 60 miles until we reached Cloverdale, slowing down our pace and making me feel terribly cranky. Still, we were able to pick some fresh blackberries and apples along the way and temporarily escaped the tougher conditions along the lovely West County and Rodota Bike Trails. By the time we reached CA-128, the sun was setting and we were able to enjoy the beauty of the final climbs along Mountain House Road at dusk. The next day, we decided to DNS the return brevet and took a flatter way back to Sausalito. (I was ready to hitch a ride back to our car via bus in Cloverdale as I was thoroughly done with the heat and headwinds, but as that would have taken far longer — we ended up riding the entire additional 120 miles as planned!)