10-22-2026 Ride

This was a good day on the bike with friends. It had started raining the previous evening, and the forecast for Thursday morning called for scattered showers. Because it rained steadily in the night, there was some doubt about whether to do this long ride. I advocated for trying it, and the others - Andy and Charlie - were game. I got up early and packed some stuff in my new bikepacking saddle bag and handlebar bag. Also packed a change of clothes and swapped out the pedals on my Canyon with the MTB pedals. Andy came to the house at 6:40,and we loaded my bike on the carrier and my stuff in the car, then he drove us down to the boat ramp in Shelter Island. Charlie showed up soon after. I put the bags on my bike, geared up withy bike stuff, and we were rolling before before 7:40. I won't describe all the turns we took. Essentially, we took Nimitz Blvd over to a area around the south shore of the San Diego River, took a bridge over the river, then rode out to the end of a quay that split the river from the entrance to Mission Bay. Some guys were fishing at the end of this jetty. Then we rode into Mission Bay Park, essentially skirting along its eastern edge until we got up to the north end of the bay. We rode across there and turned south to head toward Crown Point. Around here, we felt a couple of drops of rain, but the clouds weren't ominous, and no rain fell. Kept going past Crown Point and under the bridge to get to the bike path around the part of the bay that Ann have ridden around. We followed this path all the way around and over by the park by Belmont Park, stopping there for a bio break before continuing over the bridge and then back across the San Diego River. This got us back to Nimitz Blvd, competing our first loop of the ride. We took a route by the airport and on a combination of Harbor Dr and the sidewalks adjacent to it over to the area by the Midway. I had forgotten to transfer my riding food from my backpack, so I was getting hu8by this time. We stopped for high-priced donuts (which were pretty good but greasy) and coffee in Seaport Village before continuing south on Harbor Dr. Eventually we got on the Bayshore Bikeway, then the Sweetwater Bicycle Path by the new Gaylord Pacific Resort, then some surface streets, eventually stopping for another bio break at Chula Vista Marine View Park. Back on the Bayshore Bikeway, which took us around the end of the bay in Imperial Beach before it started to head north along the Silver Strand. Andy was tiring out by this time, so Charlie and I got ahead of him a couple of times. The wind was helping us a bit as we rode north towards Coronado. We stopped for brunch at Miguel's Cocina (decent food, waiter kept trying to upsell us) on Orange St, then rode the fairly short distance from there to the ferry landing. The ferry was just about to launch, so we got on and paid for our tickets on the boat. Short ride over to the Convention Center, where we got off the ferry, rode on some sidewalk paths until we got back to Seaport Village. Cut over to Harbor Dr, and again took it the parking lot driveways, and the sidewalks over to Harbor Island. The wind was starting to kick up, and I was getting concerned that Andy might run out of gas. Charlie had added in an out-and-back on Harbor Island to get us up to 60 miles, and we ended up doing that. We felt a few more rain drops on that stretch, but again they didn't turn into anything. Back to Harbor Dr and over to Scott St to get back to Shelter Island, where we rode to the end of the island again to get up to 61 miles (including the ferry ride) for the day. My legs were a little sore at the end (~150 miles in three days), but I still had some push left in them.

Avg speed = 13.2 mph. Total mileage = 61.1 mi (including ferry across the bay)

Avg power = 83 W. Weighted avg power = 101 W

Total elevation gain = 790'

Avg heartrate = 99 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 43

Training Load = 112

Intensity = 46%

https://www.strava.com/activities/20693610476

We packed up the bikes and gear, said goodbye to Charlie, then Andy drove me back to our house. It was a long riding day, similar, I expect, to the pace and schedule for our riding days on the bikepacking trip. I was pretty energized by the day, not too tired (had a couple of hits of caffeine as well). Some relaxation time before dinner, watched a little football before settling down for the night (<>).

10-21-2026 Ride

Ride with John from his house. I took the regular route over to his place, keeping a decent pace but not killing it. Got there with some time to spare, so I rode the little loop around the streets by his house. Jayden was out, then Vivian also came out before we started. We rode up to Scripps-Poway Pkwy, turned left on Candy Rose Way, then took a right on Evergold St to get up to Cypress Canyon Park Dr a new way, a little less climbing than the normal way. Up to the top of Pomerado Rd, then down through heavy morning traffic to Miramar Rd, followed by a left on Kearny Villa Rd. Decent pace for me and John on this next stretch to Ruffin Rd, where we continued straight. Down to Aero Dr, bike lane was kinda ragged here. We turned right and rode over to Kearny Villa Rd, turning right there. Heading north we had a modest aiding tailwind that took us back to Miramar Rd. I got a little ahead of John near the end of this segment, then we rode together for a while up Pomerado Rd. A couple of faster riders passed us, so I tried to stay with them. Was successful for a while, but I figured I couldn't sustain it, so I backed off. Up to the top, and I had enough time to ride around that little loop for five times before he got there. Back to John's house the regular way from there, where we enjoyed Vivian's smoothies. I rode home the normal way, via Bernardo Center Dr, from there.

Avg speed = 16.5 mph. Total mileage = 46.5 mi

Avg power = 130 W. Weighted avg power = 156 W

Total elevation gain = 2250'

Avg heartrate = 119 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 52

Training Load = 159

Intensity = 71%

https://www.strava.com/activities/20677848980

Had a little time to relax before I needed to shave and shower for my volunteer shift at the hospital. Previous time there had been really busy, and this day was similar. Seems that ED traffic will be higher now that they have closed the nearby urgency care facility. I met Rita from housekeeping and Thomas, a nurse I probably worked with once before. I was able to leave essentially on time, headed home in cool weather with a front moving in. Home, and it was a nice quiet evening. I did swap out my chains, putting chain #4 on my Canyon and taking the time to clean and rewax chain #3.

10-20-2026 Ride

Travel day #2. I had set my alarm for 4:00, and I actually woke up around 3:45. Got up just before 4:00, got dressed, and started loading things into the car. Ann had accidentally left one of the sliding doors open in the night. Thankfully, nothing was taken out of the car, but it could have been a disaster. We were actually on the road around 4:15, earlier is better when you have to drive through LA. Got over to I-5 and headed south. We drove all the way through LA and Orange County without running into any slow or stopped traffic, although there were times when the cars on the freeway were whizzing around, and I really had to keep my wits about me. I was watching the gas gauge, knowing that we'd have to stop for gas before we got home. Luckily, our gas mileage was pretty good (didn't need the A/C), so I was able to get all the way back to Escondido before we filled up, at one of the stations on the corner of Centre City Pkwy and 5th Ave. Drove home from there, essentially avoiding any heavy traffic the entire way. We got home around 6:40, and I thought I was early enough to meet up with the other Tuesday Coffee Ride riders. We unloaded the car, then I quickly got ready for the ride. Had run out of battery on my Wahoo (auto shutdown had been turned off again in the software, probably due to a software update), so I started the ride with it turned off and charging. Also had to pump up my tires, and the rear tire was soft and wouldn't keep the pump head on. Ann held it on while I pumped it up, and I was good to go. My right brake hood was still displaced from the adventure the previous Saturday, but it was okay to ride. With my narrow profile wheels on, I was getting a little brake squeaking when I got out of the saddle, but it was still acceptable. Headed through the neighborhood, pushing my pace a little harder than usual since I was running late. Up to RB Rd, taking it over to Dove Canyon Rd and using that road to get to CVR. Up the little climb (watching for the sometimes crazy traffic around the middle school) and then over Black Mountain Rd to the 56 bike path, where I was supposed to meet the others. I'd hoped to get there before them, but I ended up being just a couple of minutes late. Andy and Nel were waiting for me on the bike path, and we continued on that path all the way to its end. Once I joined them, I dialed my pace way back, we are practicing the speed we want to maintain during the bikepacking trip. They both had their saddle and handlebar bags on, only Nel's were packed with his gear. We got to the end of the bike path and then rode into Sorrento Valley to have coffee at Corner House Cafe, where we had stopped previously. Had coffee and shared a chocolate chip cookie (I could have eaten more), along with a longer conversation than usual, including discussion of preparations for what to take with us on the trip. After the coffee break they both wanted to put in more miles, so we headed on the bike path to CVR and used it to get up to PCH, riding through Del Mar up to VdlV. They wanted to keep going, but I was ready to start heading back, so we split up here. They ended up riding 60+ miles, including stopping for lunch in Solana Beach on the way back. I took VdlV to ECR and thus to San Dieguito Rd. Had a helpful tailwind on this return trip. I made decent time on the flats over to Three Witches, then I took my time riding up this climb, again focusing on conserving my strength and riding in such a way that it will be easier for us all to stay together. Back to CdS, taking it to PdS and turning there. I rode through the Del Sur neighborhood, then continued on Four Gee Rd to do a reverse route through the 4S Ranch neighborhood up to Ralphs Ranch Rd, then over Alva Rd back to RB Rd. Home from there via the W Bernardo Dr route. Legs were still fresh at the end of the ride. The basic stats below are from the Zepp workout data, which covered the entire ride. Power-related stats are from the Strava data downloaded from my Wahoo.

Avg speed = 15.2 mph. Total mileage = 40.7 mi

Avg power = 111 W. Weighted avg power = 153 W

Total elevation gain = 2180'

Avg heartrate = 115 bpm (Amazfit), 117 bpm (Wahoo)

Relative Effort = 48 (Amazfit), 51 (Wahoo)

Training Load = 131 (Wahoo, incomplete data)

Intensity = 70% (Wahoo)

https://www.strava.com/activities/20665023453

Got home pretty late, after noon, but it was not a hot day, and weather was still nice. I had a small lunch, wasn't super hungry, and watched a little bit of TV. Then Ann and I drove to the Enterprise car rental office and dropped off the car before heading to the store to get some groceries. Got home, and I relaxed for a bit, watching TV, then I went out in the garage and did a little bike maintenance. First I checked my brakes and saw that the front rotor appeared to need some centering between the pads. I did that, then I adjusted my right brake hood up a little bit to match the left side better. I also changed the MicroAdjust setting for the rear derailleur on my Canyon to a value of 8, which now allows me to get into my lowest gear (could do this only with great difficulty at the earlier setting, with the EliteWheels on, of 12). I did a quick wipe-down of the dirt from the frame. The bike is overdue for a chain swap, so I'll try and do that tomorrow evening. I also wet-mopped the downstairs, all except the kitchen. Ann had left the waste water in the mop, and cleaning it out was pretty disgusting. I cleaned all the parts after I was done mopping.

10-19-2026 Run

Travel day. I got up and decided to go for a run down by Lake Merritt, weather was pretty great but overcast for a change. Headed down there using a similar route to the one that Heather and I used earlier. I took a much more measured pace on this run, just out to get the miles in, not focused on running negative splits. Once I got down to the head of the lake I took the clockwise direction and ran a little more than half a mile before turning around and running back following basically the same route until I got to Broadway. Once on that road I stayed on it, it's a cleaner way (no tents of homeless people around the freeway underpass) of getting back. Ran to MacArthur Blvd and then used it to get to Webster St and thus back to the Airbnb. It was right at four miles.

Avg pace = 8:20/mi

Total distance = 4.05 mi

Elapsed moving time = 33:47

Avg heartrate = 116 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 7

https://www.strava.com/activities/20648143996

Got back to the Airbnb and had some breakfast, including a cup of weak Keurig coffee. I had a little time to shower and relax before we packed everything into the car, made sure the place was clean, and left to drive Caleb and Emily to Oakland Airport to catch their flight. We were past morning rush hour, so we made it to the airport with lots of time to spare for them. Dropped them off, then we continued on the first leg of our journey home. I drove east to catch I-5, then we headed down to Santa Nella. Put gas in the car there, then I drove some more before turning it over to Ann at a rest stop south of Coalinga. She drove the rest of the way into Santa Clarita, where we stayed at the Santa Clarita Motel (kinda far from the freeway but decently priced and quite comfortable). We got to the motel around 3:45 or so and relaxed in the room for a bit (I watched a little TV). Then we headed out to a nearby Thai food restaurant (Siam II) for an early dinner. Food was quite plentiful, and mine was suitably spicy. We stopped at a Ralphs for Ann to get some things for breakfast, then we drove back to the motel. I was pretty tired, even though I'd had coffee earlier as well as a short nap in the car. Went to sleep a little after 7:30.

10-18-2026 Run

I ended up sleeping pretty well after the big day previously. Got up later than usual and went out for a solo run at relatively easy pace to begin with, speeding up and ended with negative splits for the three miles. I ran on surface streets up to the green belt, then took Hudson St east to College Ave and down to Broadway. This section was fast, as it was slightly downhill, and there wasn't much traffic to worry about. I ran down to MacArthur Blvd and used it to get back to Webster St. Ended up running up to 40th St to get past 5k, then ran back to the Airbnb.

Avg pace = 8:06/mi

Total distance = 3.25 mi

Elapsed moving time = 26:21

Avg heartrate = 128 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 8

https://www.strava.com/activities/20637705256

Folks were up and moving when I got back. Had a shower and got ready to meet the family members for the brunch that Ann organized, at Laura's request. It was in Oakland, at Kitchen Story. This place is small. We picked Linda up from the hotel and we all drove over there in the minivan. I dropped them off and parked on a side street in the nearby neighborhood, then walked to meet them. We heard that Laura and Joe were going to be late, so we waited outside for them to arrive. Joe called me after about 15-20 minutes and asked where we were. He was in front of the restaurant and didn't see us. Turns out that he was by La Note, which was where Laura thought we were having brunch. Bad communication here, IMHO. So we waited another 20 minutes or so for them to show up, but thankfully we were able to get seated without them. The place was decent, service was a little spotty and our table was cramped. But the coffee was excellent, and the food appeared to be decent. Good conversation, I had the good fortune of sitting up by Joe and Laura and hearing some more details about their wedding evening. They went to an after-party after we left La Mer, and I think they didn't get back to their hotel room until after 1:00 AM. Oh, to be young again! Joe was looking a little wiped out, but he was fine. After the brunch we dropped Linda back off at her hotel and then went back to the Airbnb. I had a little bit of time, not much, to relax before I had to drive Kathy and Heather to a hotel by SFO, to make it easier for them to get to the airport for an early morning departure. Not much traffic on the way over, but it was a roundabout route due to the closure of 101-S. I dropped them off and headed up the 101 toward San Francisco. This went okay until I started running into traffic. Turns out they had closed a couple of northbound lanes around the southbound 1201 construction zone, and traffic crawled through that area. Very frustrating. Once I got past that backup it was full speed back to the Airbnb, no freeway traffic to worry about. Got back with, again, just a little time to chill before I headed over to meet Joe, Linda, Chris, and Debi at a BBQ place near their apartment. I dropped off the food from the wedding dinner and picked up Ann's sewing machine and related supplied, then I drove to the bar, Heads and Tails Barbecue. The others were eating barbecue, I stuck to a Coke and hung out with them as we watched the first half of the Packers-Cowboys game. Everybody was fairly quiet, it had been a very busy last few days. I said my goodbyes at halftime (they were leaving too), then I drove back to the Airbnb, stopping to get some gas (running on fumes by that time) on the way. The rest of the evening was, mercifully, quiet.

10-17-2026 Laura and Joe's Wedding Day

This was a very special day. No run for me, I didn't want to tempt fate. I basically chilled around the Airbnb in the morning, reading a little bit and watching YouTube videos about fixing up cars and working on small engines. Joe had invited me to his pre-wedding gathering at Zach's boyfriend Ryan's apartment, so Ann gave me a ride to the nearby BART station, and I took the BART into San Francisco. Got off at 16th and Mission station, and that was definitely a gritty area. Lots of homeless folks on the streets by my bus stop, so that wait for the bus to arrive was unpleasant. The bus ride itself was okay, and the stop was just a couple of minutes from Ryan's building. I walked there and arrived to the gather around 1:15. Was very chill, Joe had bought sandwiches, and I ate most of one while watching some college football (Old Miss vs. Missouri). We will went up to the rooftop patio and toasted Joe, others with scotch but I stuck to beer. I talked to Chris from Stonybrook, Connor (forgot his jacket at Ryan's), Luigi, and Ryan after the toast back in the apartment, then watched a little more football while the young guys and Linda helped Joe get dressed and ready for the wedding. I got myself dressed after that (no deodorant, oops), then Linda, Debi, and I took a Waymo (my first) to the restaurant at the Embarcadero. It was a little unnerving sitting in the front passenger seat with no driver. The driving algorithm was pretty interesting, I was impressed with its ability to navigate some complex city street scenarios. We got to the wedding venue, La Mar Cocina Peruano, a little after 3:30, we were the first to arrive, and Jennie (the wedding planner) set us up in the ready room. Debi's husband Chris showed up shortly after, he had dropped Joe off at the hotel to meet Laura and Sherlynn the photographer for some shots of them by a cable car. Kathy, Heather, Emily, and Caleb showed up around 3:45, Ann had dropped them off before parking the car. We chilled in the ready room, got a little anxious about Ann, who had bad Google Map directions to the parking lot and only showed up after 4:15. David and Christine were some of the early arrivals, others started filtering in. Laura and Joe showed up around 4:45, we were starting to wonder if they were going to make it on time. They were reasonably calm, Laura had gotten upset earlier in the day when the flowers weren't to her specifications. But she got them corrected, and all was good. Zach and Madison showed up around that time as well, and we put the boutonnieres and corsages on and got ready for the procession. The ceremony started a little after 5:00. Madison went in first, as the officiant, then Emily and Caleb, followed by Joe and Linda, with Laura flanked by me and Ann coming in last. Madison had some sweet words of welcome that centered on how she knew Laura and Joe and how special they were to her. Joe and Laura read their vows after that. Both of them mentioned Popsicle as well as Feynman diagrams. I got a little teary when Laura recited the classic vows at the end of her little speech. Then they were pronounced husband and wife, kissed, and recessed to the tune of "Mambo Number 5." We followed soon after and waited in an area set up by the bar for cocktails and conversation. Talked with David, Christine, Kay, Earl, and family (inclusing Parker and Lauren) until the five of us in the wedding party got called to meet Joe and Laura in the ready room. They were relaxed and happy. We all walked over to a nearby pier for photos, not an I ordinate amount of time there, which was good. Then we walked back to the cocktail hour, and everybody applauded the new married couple when they came in. All hung out there as drinks and hors d'oeuvres were passed around. Eventually they opened the area where dinner was to be served, and we all walked there. It had a nice view of the bay and was open-air. By the way, the weather on this day was crystal clear and mild, just about perfect. We were seated at the family table, all family along with Joe's good friend Chris and his wife Debi. I sat by them again. There were three courses in the meal, SO MUCH food! I had a completely separate vegetarian menu, and my portions and dishes were more modest. They were also pretty good, except the main course, which was eggplant-based and a little too sweet for my taste. During the dinner Chris and Emily gave their speeches and toasts, and Emily did a great job. As dinner wound down Zach gave his speech (just very slightly cringey for a moment or two), then I gave my speech (I think it went well) and toasted the newlyweds. Not too long after that, the dancing started. Laura and Joe's first dance was to Heart's What About Love?, a terrible 80's song that we all had a laugh about (apparently, I had made a comment while the three of us were in the car about what a bad song it was, and they remembered). Ann and I danced for most of the music, although for some of the less danceable tunes we just stood on the dance floor and chatted with others. In one lull I had another nice chat with Parker, and I also talked briefly to Earl about the earlier Cedar Glen players reference (he made the Chewbacca noise at the appropriate time during my speech). I was starting to tire out as well. The party was supposed to end around 10:00, but I think they extended it to 10:30, when the last dance was announced. We hung around as folks started to leave and grabbed all the bags of leftover food from the huge wedding dinner. We put them in the car, with a couple of other items that needed to be transported, then we said our goodbyes and headed back to the Airbnb. Chris and Debi had left earlier, and they gave Linda a ride to her hotel as well. It was a long, successful day, and I was finally glad to lay my head down. Unfortunately, I had a raging headache, I'm guessing from skipping caffeine on this day. That headache made it difficult to get a good night's sleep.

Partial list of wedding attendees that I interacted with at one point or another:

Zach and Ryan

Connor and Sam - very good-looking couple, he forgot his jacket, with his wallet in it, at Ryan's place

Matt and his wife - Scottish, he knew Laura from living near her in Koreatown, works now at SLAC

Brenda and Andy - Zach's parents

Kay and Earl

David and Christine

Chris and Debi - Joe's best friend from WashU, worked in IT, Debi is retired concert timpanist

Chris from Stonybrook - very smart and dry-witted, told good stories

Sonia, Raha, and Jessica - Laura's college roommates 

Elbow Emily and Stan - from Girl Scout camp

Logan - friend of Laura's, former student when she was a TA at Cal?

Kathy and Heather

Lauren and Parker

Luigi and Evan - Joe's boss and former chemist co-worker, along with his husband

Cherlyn Wagner - photographer

DJ Christie James and her assistant Paul

Jennie - wedding planner

10-16-2026 Run

Had some really vivid dreams during the night, after experiencing trouble getting to sleep (<>). Got out of bed just before 7:00, then Heather and I went for a run down to Lake Merritt. I only noticed that I hadn't started tracking my run on Strava when we got to the lake, so I was off in my recorded distance by about two miles. We lowered our pace somewhat, knowing we were going for longer distance. Ended up running about halfway around the lake (really nice path) before we turned off and started heading back. Heather got us over to MacArthur Blvd, and that road had some climbing that slowed Heather down. This stretch was through a not great part of town. We ended up following this road all the way back to Webster St, including a sketchy little section to cross under the freeway. Finished the run still going at our pace, so that was a success. Heather mapped it as just over five miles.

Avg pace = 11:10/mi (for the 3 miles I tracked on Strava)

Total distance = 5.03 mi (according to Heather)

Avg heartrate = 106 bpm (Coospo, for the 3 miles I tracked on Strava)

Relative Effort = 5 (for the 3 miles I tracked on Strava)

https://www.strava.com/activities/20609875789

Got back, and I chatted with Kathy for a bit about her adjustment to retired life. Seems like it is moving in the right direction, as she looks for ways to keep herself busy and get out of the house. Ate breakfast (Caleb and Emily went out), then relaxed for a while. The early afternoon was pretty quiet, we headed over to the Hilton Garden Inn in mid-afternoon to pick up Linda and drive over to Springer Gateway on the UC Berkeley campus, where we were going to do a wedding ceremony run-through. No parking nearby, so I dropped the others off and went looking for a spot. I found one on the street not too far away and parked the car. Ended up paying for it three times (Ann paid one of the times) because I initially forgot to change the license plate number. Headed back to the meet-up spot and met Jennie, the wedding coordinator. Laura, Joe, and Madison were late (delayed manicurist appointment for Madison), but we had plenty of time to go through the main details of the ceremony. I was stressing because I wasn't sure I had parked in a valid spot. After we were finished with the practice run, I headed back to the car to park it again and make sure it wasn't ticketed or towed. The others walked the fairly short distance to Jupiter Pizza, where the evening gathering was to be held. The car was fine. I got in and drove around the block to try and find a spot closer to the restaurant. No luck, so headed back to the original area and was able to find a place that was definitely legal. Parked it there and walked to the restaurant, finding David and Christine wandering on the street past the restaurant. We all walked back to the restaurant and met the others. This turned out to be a much bigger gathering, maybe 50 folks, than I had thought (I heard later that Linda paid for it). I had a little bit of food and a couple of beers over the course of the evening. Talked with David and Christine, then Linda, Chris, and Debi, and then with Parker for quite a while. That was the best conversation of the evening for me, we need to go and visit them in PA sometime. As the evening wrapped up, we headed back to the Airbnb (Linda got a ride to her hotel from Chris and Debi). Had a little snack, then I settled down for the night.