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Devil Mountain Double Century: 206 miles and 18,000+ Vertical Feet
Related: Death Valley, Devil Mountain Double Century, double century, Everest Challenge, exercise, hard core, L-mount, ultra endurance exercise
This Saturday is the Devil Mountain Double Century at 206.0 miles and 18,000+ vertical fee of climbing. Here is the turn-by-turn route map. Devil Mountain is of course Mt Diablo, near San Ramon, CA.
The Devil Mountain Double (DMD) is an exceptionally challenging double century. A distance of ~200 miles takes its toll on even flat ground, but DMD is 206 miles, and the vertical ascent is harder than the first day of the Death Ride or the Everest Challenge.
Google map: part 1 San Ramon to Altamont / Grant Line Rd
Google map: part 2 from Altamont / Grant Line Rd back to San Ramon
The climbing is hard, but it’s the extra distance that really takes its toll, as I know well from the Death Valley Double and Solvang Spring Double. In truth, even as fit as I am, I do feel somewhat intimidated about those last 50 miles.
My main concern is some lingering knee (patella) pain and hamstring tightness from my recent minor injury from a change in bike fit. It is mostly resolved, but my knees are not entirely happy yet. Sustained climbing is hard on knees and feet, so I am treating myself gently this week, and tapering off my workouts all week.
I will definitely not be carrying a camera for photography for DMD!
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Past writing on double centuries (partial list):
- Comfy Tires for a Double Century
- Nutrition for a Double Century
- Death Valley Double Century As a Self-Supported Ride and Death Valley Double Century As a Self-Supported Ride — DONE! and Analyzing Power Output During the Death Valley Double Century and Power Output During the Death Valley Double Century — Possible Explanations
- Solvang Spring Double Century and Solvang Spring Double Century Analysis
Double centuries in 2012 (California)
As rigorous pre-flighting of the 2012 Everest Challenge (29,000' — September 28/29, 2012) which I aim to win in M45-54 Master category, I’ve signed up for several double centuries, starting with the no-so-hard but beautiful SSD:
- Death Valley Spring Double, 9000' — March 3, 2012. Completed.
Sold out, but I completed it self-supported on the same day. On the Moots Psychlo X RSL with 700 X 28C road tires. - Solvang Spring Double, 7500' — March 24, 2012. 193 miles. Completed.
- Devil Mountain Double, 18600' climbing — April 28, 2012.
- Davis Double, 8400' — May 19, 2012. Maybe.
- Sequoia Century 200K, ~10000' — June 3 2012. Local, will likely do this one.
- Alta Alpina Double 20,300' — June 30, 2012
- Trek To the Summit of White Mountain Peak (~15,000', MTB)—mid July.
After Alta Alpina, I figure training gets more and more specific and rigorous, so I have no plans to do any major road events after Alta Alpina and before Everest Challenge except that the Trek to the Summit of White Mountain Peak (mountain bike) is terrific high-altitude training that demands high torque and power output.
Clean air in the Sierra Nevada (usually) makes for wonderful riding
