10-26-2026 Ride

Slept okay, woke up early enough to have a bowl of cereal for breakfast, then I spent a little time (not enough, it turns out) attaching my bags to the bike. I got ready and left the house a little after 7:00. Headed through the neighborhood to Matinal Rd and then took W Bernardo Dr to RB Rd, then to the parking lot in front of Von's. Hugo was already there, and Nel and Andy showed up shortly after. We chatted briefly about preferred routes to the coast and settled on the most common one. Took Bernardo Center Dr over to W Bernardo Dr and then to RB Rd. Up the hill (I had gotten behind the others and had to catch up here) and over to CdS. Around 4S Ranch Andy stopped to troubleshoot a rear tire leak, and that took 10 minutes or so. I had stopped here to tighten up my rear saddle bag, which has a tendency to sway back and forth as I ride. We took a steady pace, not as slow as last Thursday, and I was frequently out front, not super concerned about staying with the others. Instead I wanted to test out the feel of my bike. Over to San Dieguito Rd, down the hill carefully to account for the different geometry and weight distribution. We kept together on the flats over to ECR, took it to VdlV, and rode together over to PCH. There we headed north, ultimately deciding ronridento La Costa Ave before turning around. We rode back into Leucadia and stopped at Bump Coffee (Grace and Olivia) for a delicious pour-over, best coffee I've had out in a while. I tightened up my saddle bag again before we started back. We talked mainly about the trip and decided to stop at the Solana Beach train station on the way back to ask some questions about bringing our bikes on the train. I was getting used to riding with the extra weight. I doesn't seem to have a huge effect on the flats, I am slower when climbing, obviously. On the way back I kept getting out ahead mainly of Andy, who was concentrating on riding at his pace. We retraced our route. Nel and I got ahead of the other two on Three Witches, and Nel hung with me until he couldn't keep up the pace on the last climb. We gathered back at the turn, then I got out ahead of the others on the climb back to Del Sur. Similar result on RB Rd, taking it back to W Bernardo Dr. The others turned right on Duenda to get back to where we had started, and 8 headed directly home. Legs felt good throughout, not putting a lot of stress on them at the pace we were riding. I'm feeling good about my readiness for the trip, hoping we have generally good weather.

Avg speed = 14.7 mph. Total mileage = 50.2 mi

Avg power = 104 W. Weighted avg power = 137 W

Total elevation gain = 2170'

Avg heartrate = 110 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 49

Training Load = 155

Intensity = 62%

https://www.strava.com/activities/20741630253

Got home a little after 12:30,had some lunch and watched a little TV. Ann went to mah-jongg. I re-sent the routes for the trip to everybody, changed the proposed route for day 5, and sent out information about the two hotel stays I arranged. After some back and forth, I think we are now set for lodging, with the addition of Hugo. I talked to Mom in the early evening, she was in an okay mood but basically didn't ask anything about the wedding. Very depressing. Watched some TV after dinner, then settled down after that.

10-25-2026 Swim

Slept okay after the busy previous day. I got up after 6:00, put the table back in the office, and watched a little TV before getting ready for a swim at the WWC. It was a beautiful morning, a little chilly on the ride over but still really nice. My "waterproof" bone conduction phones appear to be working again (I had also used them, connected to my phone, on the long Thursday ride), which is really great. Hope they keep working. I ended up swimming 1500 yds, using the following protocol:

Initial 500

    9:30

Second 500, with swim pads

    9:22

250, with swim fins

    4:23

Cooldown 250

    4:48

Here are the overall estimated statistics.

Avg pace = 1:52/100 yds (Video)

Total distance = 1500 yds (Video)

Elapsed moving time = 28:03 (Video)

Avg heartrate = 161 bpm (nope)

Relative Effort = 69 (again, nope)

SWOLF = 28

Avg stroke rate = 24 bpm

Avg pull distance = 2.53 yds

https://www.strava.com/activities/20729414831

Need to find time to put in some longer swims and build up my stamina. I was okay at 1500 yds but could feel my stroke quality degrading later in the workout. Rode home and had some cereal and coffee for breakfast, emptied the dishwasher. I also reserved a car for the Houston trip in November through Expedia (Hertz). Had a quiet early afternoon, then in mid-afternoon we drove down to Pilgrim UCC to see Mohavisoul in concert. We had seen them a year ago, decent fiddle player (not sure it was the same guy as when we saw them last) and great banjo player. Guitar player had a good voice, other vocalist, who played the mandolin, was not good. Show was okay, we don't need to see this band again. After the concert we had ramen in Carlsbad, then drove home. I took some time to gather the gear I'll take on the bikepacking trip and put it in the two bags. With almost everything, the bags weighed a little less than 10 lbs. I put them in the garage, and retired for the evening.

10-24-2026 Ride

Slept okay, did get up early and eat some cereal for breakfast before the bike ride. I'd filled up my tires the night before, got ready the rest of the way, including cleaning up the last of the kitchen dishes. Then I headed through the neighborhood and then through the 4S Ranch neighborhood to Ralphs Ranch Rd, taking that route to get to the 4S Target. Andy and Hugo were already there, along with Aaron's friend Kain, who lives in Fountain Valley and is getting ready to ride the Tour de Tucson (he wanted to get some experience riding in a group before this century). Ultimately, we had the following riders: Andy, Fritz, Perse, Aaron, Kain, Nel, Paula, Charlie, and Hugo. Jed was originally going to ride with us and lead the group, but he backed out in the morning. So I ended up leading for most of the way, except for a stretch where we got separated (more later). We headed out CdS to CVR, turning right there and riding down to Solterra Vista Pkwy, turning left and using it to ride over to the entrance to the 56 bike path. Then we took the bike path over to Carmel Country Rd, exiting the path there and climbing up to Carmel Mountain Rd (CMR). I started out kinda slow but kept a steady pace on the steeper section of this climb. Aaron eventually caught up with me, and we essentially sprinted on the less steep section up to the intersection. We waited there for the others to show up, then Paula had us take a couple of pictures by the sculpture of the dog (?) riding a bike. We continued down the hill and turned left on Ocean Air Dr, where there is a little climb I'd forgotten about before a really nice winding descent down into Sorrento Valley. We turned left on Calle Mar de Mariposa and then right on Vista Sorrento Pkwy to ride back up to CMR. Left there and down to the bike path that took us over to CVR, which we used to get up to PCH. I was riding more toward the back of the group around this point but put in a bigger effort on the climb into Del Mar, getting out in front with Fritz and pushing him as well. We rode into Del Mar and stopped for coffee at Little Joy (Emma was the barista), where we've stopped before. We stayed there a little longer than Aaron wanted, so he got us back moving. The group spread out a little bit here as we got rolling again, but we gathered back up around VdlV. Continued north on PCH, and Romeo joined us coming from the north (this was the day of the Bike the Coast ride, lots of riders going the other way on PCH). He led a faster group, and they got separated from us without really knowing the route. The rest of us turned on Chesterfield Dr and then left on San Elijo Ave to ride on the east side of the tracks up to Santa Fe Dr. I think that the lead group missed these turns, so it took them some time to find their way to Santa Fe Dr. We climbed this road ahead of them and then waited for them after the left turn onto ECR. Romeo kept going north on ECR, and the rest of us gathered back together and rode down to Encinitas Blvd, turning right there and heading into RSF. We turned left on El Mirlo, and I ended up hanging back with Paula after she had a minor mechanical. She stopped to fix her chain and ended up doing a slow fall-over. She landed on her knee and side, skinned her knee and twisted it as she actually came out of her shoe. I helped her get back up and got her bike fixed up, then we continued to a right turn onto Via de Fortuna. The others were waiting for us a little further on this road, and we rode down a steep winding section to a quick stop at (another) San Elijo Ave, turning left there. Aaron and I rode out front together here for a bit. We turned right on Avenida de Acacias and rode into RSF village. A left turn on La Flecha and then a right on La Granada fed us onto the downhill on Via de Santa Fe, which we took to VdlV and then stayed on Via de Santa Fe and over El Apajo to the little shopping area at the corner of San Dieguito Rd. For some reason (bio break?) we stopped there. I waited around to make sure everybody was okay before riding up Three Witches with Andy, mostly at his pace until near the top, when I saw Hugo ahead and worked a little harder to catch up to him. We met up with the others waiting for us at the turn onto CdS (except Charlie, who had ridden ahead), and we rode in a loose line back to the Target via PdS and Templeton St. I hung around for just a little bit before riding home the new normal way, riding with Nel until CSB. Overall it was a decent ride, a little faster than I had originally planned (also with more elevation), but my legs held out fine. Andy did better than I expected, which is a good sign. Hugo also seemed to do okay on this ride, although he was getting tired near the end.

Avg speed = 14.5 mph. Total mileage = 51.0 mi

Avg power = 115 W. Weighted avg power = 156 W

Total elevation gain = 3340'

Avg heartrate = 114 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 67

Training Load = 210

Intensity = 71%

https://www.strava.com/activities/20716933897

Got home, and I had a list of things to get done before Ann's 65th birthday dinner. I had cleaned the upstairs bathroom before I went for my ride, so I vacuumed the hallway. I also cleaned up the dishes (for the first time on this day), moved the table from the office downstairs (involved taking the legs off the table), wiped down the kitchen table, and wet-mopped the kitchen floor. Ann also helped us get ready for our guests, which was really nice. I watched some NCAA football in the afternoon, which probably caused me to get a late start on making dinner. I cut the vegetables and put the salad together, then set it aside. Next I cooked the noodles and spinach, then put the lasagna together and put it in the oven to bake. While it was baking I cleaned the dishes and made the salad dressing. Had time for a very quick shower, and folks (Emily & Caleb, the Swobodas, Guys, and Landreths) started showing up right at 5:30. Caleb brought Ann some spice drops for her birthday, which was hilarious. Everybody we invited made it to the dinner. Emily made yellow cake with caramel frosting. I think the lasagna turned out well, some of the portions were kinda small though. We had nice conversations during and after dinner, including dessert. Party didn't last super long after dessert was served, which was to my liking. I'd cleared the dishes (with Caleb's help) and washed the salad plates to use them for dessert. After everybody left I finished cleaning the dishes and started the dishwasher, so I wouldn't have a big mess greeting me in the morning. Ann watched some TV, and after she came upstairs I went down and watched some TV to unwind as well. Then it was to bed.

10-23-2026 Swim

Slept okay, cat was wound up in the morning and interfered with me trying to get back to sleep after waking up around 4:15 and having some cereal. I ended up getting out of bed around 6:30, emptied the dishwasher and cleaned the upstairs bathroom, then got ready for a swim at the WWC with Avi on his birthday. It doesn't take long for me to get out of swimming shape, and I definitely noticed the effects of my layoff from swimming. I kept it pretty chill, doing four 250s with the following approximate results (I forgot to charge my video cam and didn't catch the last two 250s).

Initial 250

    4:37

Second 250, with swim pads

    4:36

Third 250, with swim fins

    3:54 (Est.)

Tempo 250

    4:34 (Est.)

Here are the overall estimated statistics, maybe a little optimistic for latter two 250s.

Avg pace = 1:46/100 yds (Video)

Total distance = 1000 yds (Video)

Elapsed moving time = 17:41 (Zepp)

Avg heartrate = 135 bpm (maybe)

Relative Effort = 20 (maybe)

SWOLF = 27 (low because it isn't counting the non-stroke time in my laps)

Avg stroke rate = 25 bpm

Avg pull distance = 2.46 yds

https://www.strava.com/activities/20704126968

Got home, changed, and started to make the spaghetti sauce for the lasagna, when I got a call from Andy about a cancellation of part of our train ride up to SLO. We got on a conference call with an Amtrak rep, and she was able to book us all a transfer to a train in LA that will get us up to SLO. Disaster averted. I watched a little TV while I finished making the spaghetti sauce. Then I wiped the kitchen cabinets down with conditioning spray, they look a little better. Cleaned the downstairs bathroom as well. Evening was quiet.

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.