A Year In Review Safe Routes to School Gilroy

Safe Routes to School (SRTS) had another successful year in Gilroy.  The Gilroy Bicycle Pedestrian Commission (#GilroyBPAC) along with Santa Clara County Public Health (SCCPHD) took a leadership position in getting all the stakeholders in the City to come together to form a Safe Routes to School Task Force. SCCPHD secured funding to lead us through the formation of our action plan, which will guide and sustain the program for the long term. 

We presented our 2018 work plan to City Council and SRTS is our top priority.  One reason why is the economic benefits that spill over into the City when we stay local and play local.  When you engage the youth to walk and ride to school they become more comfortable with their streets, neighbors, and surroundings.  Suddenly walking and riding to Downtown, Gilroy Gardens, Sports Park, Nob Hill, The Patio, and the newest Hecker Pass Ag-Tourist project along the Bike/Ped path seem a lot quicker and easier than driving in your car. Shifty Cycles has free bike valet for Downtown Live, Tamal Festival, and Bonanza Day Parade.  Look for more Bike/Ped oriented open streets events.

The Gilroy BPAC plans on introducing a resolution to City Council to recognize Walk & Roll each Wednesday. Rucker Elementary will have their first Walk & Roll Wednesday in October. We reached out to each High School last year to participate in the Silicon Valley Clean Energy Bike to the Future Event which was held at Gilroy Gardens, and several students that have been leaders in their middle school SRTS programs are moving onto High School.  Our Gilroy BPAC April Monthly Award recipient Karina Rodriguez plans to start a SRTS Committee at Gilroy High School. 

The Specialized Foundation Riding For Focus program began this year at Ascencion Solorsano Middle School. We helped P.E. Teacher Anthony Fucella apply for the grant and we wrote a letter of support for this great program. 

I’m excited to announce that getting a bike park located in Gilroy has made it farther than ever when City Council unanimously approved direction to staff to draft a Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Gilroy and Garlic City BMX so that Garlic City BMX can proceed with site evaluation, project development, and fundraising activities for the construction of a proposed dirt pump track at Christmas Hill Park.  Having places like this that are open to public year round in our parks support our efforts for biking to school and playing local.  You will be able to access the pump track from the current bike/ped trails.

SRTS summary reports for residential developments are in the packets for Planning Commission and City Council now.  This is information for them to see what the strengths and weaknesses are for current infrastructure.

We encourage you to nominate someone for our monthly award within Gilroy that strives to make Gilroy a better place in regards to biking and pedestrian activities.   Come to one of our meetings on the 4^th Tuesday of each month 6pm at the City Council Chambers, or email any of us.  http://www.cityofgilroy.org/280/Bicycle-Pedestrian-Commission  We are constantly advocating for Complete Streets, Safe Routes to School, and bicycle/pedestrian friendly infrastructure. 

The youth in our community will shape the future, but its up to us to show them the way.  Like Mark Fenton has famously said lets create a community full of “free range children”!  If you are looking for ways to get involved then look to the schools that need parent volunteers and join a City of Gilroy Commission.  The Bicycle Pedestrian Commission will have one open seat this December.

Role of a City Commissioner

The role of a City Commissioner is one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Commissioners are appointed by the City Council after an application and interview process in the public view.  They provide direct feedback to the City Council in areas that they study and advocate for. They set goals each year based off what the City Council's goals are.  They work for the City Council, and align with them.  They create work plans and bring fresh new ideas to the table. Being a Commissioner means that you put the needs of the Community before yours. 

It's up to those in the Community that want to get involved, go get involved. You can't come in last minute and expect change to occur. To be apart of the process is more than just showing up to a few meetings and missing others. It's about watching and reading minutes from all involved. I do feel that the City should enhance their transparency by providing audio/video recording of select Commissions.  Reading minutes and agendas isn’t the best way to enhance transparency and get engagement of the Community.  Going LIVE on social media and other outlets would be ideal.  As a Commissioner you should know the direction of the Council and watch a project go through the process. You can see the current projects on the City’s website under Community Development.  Projects go through months and years of planning, and every step of the way gains public comment that is used. 

Commissions have historically provided a platform for those that want to run for City Council and Mayor because you can gain experience with the process from a different point.  You get to know the City Staff, City Council, and developers from meetings.  It’s a position for you to show the voters what you can accomplish and build a trust with the Community.  It’s your duty to act professionally while representing your Commission locally and regionally.

  

Safe Routes to School in Gilroy

I wrote this back in September 2017 at the beginning of the school year.  So much has happened in the current school year that I am working on an end of school year wrap up as well.  Thanks for reading.

September 2017-

With another school year underway the Safe Routes to School program is in full swing.  As I’m writing this Luigi Aprea Elementary and Rod Kelley Elementary both have hosted Family Bike Night’s at their schools.  Walk & Roll Wednesday’s will soon begin at all the schools.  There is a Bike Fest planned at the Gilroy Library featuring the City of Gilroy’s first free fix-it bike station on Sept 30, and October 4^this International Walk to School Day.  El Roble is planning their first Walk & Roll Wednesday for October 4^thand I will be leading one of the two bike trains to school.   We will be meeting at Uvas Park Dr/3^rdSt and making our way down 3^rdSt with several stops at the intersections before we make it safely to El Roble Elementary.   All the schools will be asking Gilroy Police and Gilroy Fire to get involved with the walking school buses and bike trains.  How cool would it be for the kids to get an escort from them to school!

Safe Routes to School are important for our youth today.  More children and parents are getting out of the cars for walking, biking, and rolling to school.   Just a simple 1-mile of walking each way to school equals 2/3^rdof the daily recommended 60 minutes of physical activity.  When children access school this way they learn their streets, neighbors, and reduce the traffic congestion around schools.  

You can expect to start seeing walking school buses and bike trains.   One of the best ways to attract more kids to walk/bike to school is through events at the schools, and then sending home material to the parents.  The kid’s become the biggest advocates to letting them walk/bike more and especially to school.

Building a network of Safe Routes to School is something that the City of Gilroy Bicycle Pedestrian Commission Gilroy (BPAC) takes very serious and we advocate for it.  Santa Clara County Public Health is a major partner too.  They have secured grants for Gilroy Elementary, Middle, and High Schools for the next several years.  Santa Clara County’s Measure B will provide funding annually to the City of Gilroy that is allocated for bicycle and pedestrian education.  Gilroy Police Department recently received a grant from the Office of Traffic Safety that includes education for bicycle and pedestrians.   

Our schools are strategically located and planned for the neighborhoods.   It really starts during the development of neighborhoods.   It makes a huge impact when advocates encourage developers and planners to put in the biking and pedestrian infrastructure. We should be able to freely get around the neighborhood while connecting to the current walk/bike network and schools.   In the past City Staff would present City Council with a section on “transportation to schools” from a development by car.   The Gilroy BPAC reached out to the City of Gilroy Planning Department and shared the Safe Routes to School alternative.  We are hoping from here on that City Staff present the Safe Routes to School along with transportation via car.

You will be seeing Santa Clara County Public Health, Gilroy BPAC, and volunteers with clipboards around the schools in the morning.  They are conducting walk/bike audits, which help prepare suggested Safe Routes to School maps for each individual school.   This will be a great feature to hand out to the kids.  

The Gilroy BPAC encourages you to nominate someone for our monthly award within Gilroy that strives to make Gilroy a better place in regards to biking and pedestrian activities.   Come to one of our meetings on the 4^thTuesday of each month 6pm at the City Council Chambers, or email any of us.  http://www.cityofgilroy.org/280/Bicycle-Pedestrian-Commission We are constantly advocating for Complete Streets, Safe Routes to School, and bicycle/pedestrian friendly infrastructure.  

The youth in our community will shape the future, but its up to us to show them the way.  Like Mark Fenton has famously said lets create a community full of “free range children”!  If you are looking for ways to get involved then look to the schools that need parent volunteers and join a City of Gilroy Commission.  The Parks & Recreation Commission will have two open seats at the end of the year and the Bicycle Pedestrian Commission will have one open seat.

Cat's Hill Classic Race

Zachary Hilton
Cat's Hill Classic Race
Category 35+ 4/5

Los Gatos, CA 
Place: 8th in Cat 4's
Teammates: None

Weather:  56 Degrees, Partly cloudy, not cold
Start Time: 12:00 pm

Total Time: 00:41:28 
Power: 221 W avg, 727 W max, 238 W NP  

Average Speed: 19.4 MPH, Top Speed 34.2 MPH

Average HR: N/A Max HR: N/A
Elevation Ascent: 978 ft

Training Peaks Data

I'm riding a 2015 Specialized S-Works Tarmac with Ultegra 6800 53/39 11 speed group set with an 11/28 for this race. I have a pair for Race Rim carbon tubular 32's for this race. I'm wearing my Race Suit from Jakroo Custom Apparel, and my S-Works Prevail helmet. I follow Hammer Nutrition's Steve Born on many pre-race strategies.  Hammer Nutrition's Fully Charged is on the menu before the race too.  

My goals for this race are to start getting some short intensity racing conditioning.  It's important to have this is your tool box for longer races.  This race is a fan favorite and my family always comes out to enjoy it.  Avery has her own tradition now too.  If I finish the race we all deserve Gelato Ice Cream down the street from Mike's Bike's in Los Gatos.  

We line up on the start line and we are off!  It's not a large group which means this is going to be a fierce battle because this course does not suit me, but I am up for the challenge.  Each time up the hill I was in the middle of catching up in the back.  My fitness felt great and finally with 8 togo I wasn't getting pulled from this race which has happened in the past.  I managed to chase the group around the course and finished 8th.  Overall you can't get this type of intensity in a regular training day.  The race promoters and fans are always awesome here too.

Time to recover with Hammer Nutrition's Recoverite and get a good night sleep.  Don't forget to recover during your sleep and take some Hammer Whey to boost that HGH.  I've also added Hammer Nutrition's Chromate, and Super Antioxidant to the recovery mix.  Both have great recovery ingredients!  

Next race will be Mt Diablo Hill Climb TT June 23!

Thanks for reading!

Thanks to Hammer Nutrition!

Thanks to Nature's Bakery!

Thanks to RaceRim!

Thanks to iRC Tire USA!

Thanks to SJBC Race Team!

Sea Otter Classic Road Race

Zachary Hilton
Sea Otter Classic Road Race
Category 35+ 4/ Combined with the 45+ 4

Seaside, CA 
Place: 10
Teammates: None

Weather:  56 Degrees, Partly cloudy and windy
Start Time: 3:35 pm

Total Time: 02:35:54 
Power: 212 W avg, 787 W max, 203 W NP  

Average Speed: 15.9 MPH, Top Speed 42.8 MPH

Average HR: 161 Max HR: 205
Elevation Ascent: 3,743 ft

Training Peaks Data

I'm riding a 2015 Specialized S-Works Tarmac with Ultegra 6800 53/39 11 speed group set with an 11/28 for this race. I have a pair for Race Rim carbon tubular 32's for this race. I'm wearing my Race Suit from Jakroo Custom Apparel, and my S-Works Prevail helmet. I follow Hammer Nutrition's Steve Born on many pre-race strategies.  Hammer Nutrition's Fully Charged is on the menu before the race too.  

My goal for this race is to try continue to build this season.  My riding is becoming more consistent and training for these specific climbing races.  

Group start and we are off.  Finally a decent group since we are combined.  The course is the same as last year, and there is a neutral feed zone as well.  We had 4 laps to complete before climbing back up to the finish line.  I fell to the back of the group during the first climb, but we had several that stayed together and each lap we brought the front group back in.  Accept for the 4th time up the hill.  I was cooked along with several others.  We started to spread apart and I was sticking with my group and we were working well together.  As we approached the final climb at 1K togo my right shifter cable broke and I was stuck in the 11th cog and the big ring at that!  I walked the final 1K just to not get a DNF.

Time to recover with Hammer Nutrition's Recoverite and get a good night sleep.  Don't forget to recover during your sleep and take some Hammer Whey to boost that HGH.  I've also added Hammer Nutrition's Chromate, and Super Antioxidant to the recovery mix.  Both have great recovery ingredients!  

Next race will be Cats Hill Classic!

Thanks for reading!

Thanks to Hammer Nutrition!

Thanks to Nature's Bakery!

Thanks to RaceRim!

Thanks to iRC Tire USA!

Thanks to SJBC Race Team!

Copperopolis Road Race

Zachary Hilton
Copperopolis Road Race 
Category 35+ 4/5's 

Milton, CA 
Place: 8
Teammates: None

Weather:  72 Degrees, Sunny and Warm
Start Time: 11:00 am

Total Time: 02:35:55  
Power: 189 W avg, 1149 W max, 187 W NP  

Average Speed: 10 MPH, Top Speed 25.3 MPH

Average HR: 163 Max HR: 184
Elevation Ascent: 3,304 ft

Training Peaks Data

I'm riding a 2015 Specialized S-Works Tarmac with Ultegra 6800 53/39 11 speed group set with an 11/28 for this race. I have a pair for Race Rim carbon tubular 32's for this race. I'm wearing my Race Suit from Jakroo Custom Apparel, and my S-Works Prevail helmet. I follow Hammer Nutrition's Steve Born on many pre-race strategies.  Hammer Nutrition's Fully Charged is on the menu before the race too.  

My goal for this race is to try something new.  I've never raced here before, but I was prepared by some video and teammates past reports on conditions.

Like most races in the District the past few years the field is way to small.  It's getting harder and harder to find that group of racers you can stay and compete with.  Group start and we are off.  The first section was bumpy and that led to a climb.  The views in this race are awesome.  I stayed with the group for the first two laps. Struggling a little on the hills.  I need this intensity racing right now, in order to survive for the coming races.  

Overall I want to do this race again next year.  I'm still focusing a lot of the Gilroy Bicycle Pedestrian Commission activities and that's taking a little time away from writing.  I am catching up on these races right now, and it's not fun!  I promise myself to write the week after the race happens.  

Time to recover with Hammer Nutrition's Recoverite and get a good night sleep.  Don't forget to recover during your sleep and take some Hammer Whey to boost that HGH.  I've also added Hammer Nutrition's Chromate, and Super Antioxidant to the recovery mix.  Both have great recovery ingredients!  

Next race will be Sea Otter Classic!

Thanks for reading!

Thanks to Hammer Nutrition!

Thanks to Nature's Bakery!

Thanks to RaceRim!

Thanks to iRC Tire USA!

Thanks to SJBC Race Team!

San Bruno Hill Climb

Zachary Hilton
San Bruno Hill Climb
Category 35+ 4/5's Combined with 35+ 1,2,3's

Brisbane, CA 
Place: 5
Teammates: None

Weather:  48 foggy down below, sunny up top, roads were wet in areas 
Start Time: 10:34:00 (delayed 30 min)

Total Time: 00:21:55  (My results 4th fastest time since 00:19:20 in 2012.  I'm behind 00:02:35)
Power: 260 W avg, 535 W max, 263 W NP  

Average Speed: 10 MPH, Top Speed 25.3 MPH

Average HR: 176 Max HR: 186
Elevation Ascent: 1,181 ft

Training Peaks Data
Flyover by Relive

I'm riding a 2015 Specialized S-Works Tarmac with Ultegra 6800 53/39 11 speed group set with an 11/28 for this race. I have a pair for Race Rim carbon tubular 32's for this race. I'm wearing my Race Suit from Jakroo Custom Apparel, and my S-Works Evade helmet. I follow Hammer Nutrition's Steve Born on many pre-race strategies.  Hammer Nutrition's Fully Charged is on the menu before the race too.  

My goal for this race is to simply start the season off fresh.  I'm overweight for this race and under trained.  Last season sucked after I crashed at Cat's Hill Classic.  SBHC will make you put all that behind you and jump start the season.  You will have one race more than most in the fields for the season.

The race starts with a group start at the bottom.  Anxious to start the New Year off several hundred   experienced and new racers show up to the start line.  The fields are combined in waves.  I'm the 2nd wave to go through and combined with the 35+ 1,2,3's.  There are 17 of us together and each numbered in our categories but I never bother checking to see who's in my category.  You just go with the flow and stay with the led group and within your power range that you can sustain.  I stayed with the lead group until the first stop light just sitting in the back hurting with the pace but it was about the flatten out.  There are several sections where it flattens and you can pick up some time.  I didn't train at all fo this race and it's showing.  I have markers for time, and I'm already off them.  It's still a beautiful morning and putting in this effort feels awesome.  My lungs are feeling great and legs aren't giving out. My max heart rate is a little lower than what I can normally hold for a hill climb.  The roads here are consistently the same since my first time here in 2011.  The road after the parking booth shack and to the top are the worst sections.  There's one rider ahead of me that I'm keeping pace with.  The road is closed going up so I will work to catch him on this section.  As long as no group or rider is coming up fast from behind I imagine winding hill climb roads as a straight line.  Taking the shortest line to the next turn.  This seems to always allow me to catch a few riders who stay to the right side of the road and don't pay attention that they are taking the long way.  At 1K togo I ride up next to the rider and then he tucks in behind me for 100 meters for a break.  With 500 meters to go I stand up to accelerate and put in an effort to drop him and it works.  Finished across the line in less time that last year and that's a small battle with myself that I won!  Thanks to Pen Velo for driving all our warm gear to the top.  It's freezing riding down when your wearing just a race suit and sweating.

We had plans to travel on New Year's Eve and I was planning on skipping this race.  I reached a point after the crash in 2017 that I would say yes to plans that came in the way of training and racing.  For years I let the training drive my schedule.  I love the feeling of accomplishment with cycling and pushing myself.  I wasn't burnt out by it but I gave racing the back seat for a while.  It definitely out me in a place I didn't like though.  I would go on group rides where I normally excel and keep up and I was being dropped when I shouldn't.  Racing keeps me fit and ahead of the curve.  I'm happy to be back at it, and secretly I was craving it!

Time to recover with Hammer Nutrition's Recoverite and get a good night sleep.  Don't forget to recover during your sleep and take some Hammer Whey to boost that HGH.  I've also added Hammer Nutrition's Chromate, and Super Antioxidant to the recovery mix.  Both have great recovery ingredients!  

Next race will be Central Coast Circuit Race January 27th!

Thanks for reading!

Thanks to Hammer Nutrition!

Thanks to Nature's Bakery!

Thanks to RaceRim!

Thanks to iRC Tire USA!

Thanks to SJBC Race Team!