Average speed = 18.0 mph. Total mileage = 61.3 mi.
Total elevation gain = 2860'
Average heartrate = 155-160 bpm
Total elevation gain = 2860'
Average heartrate = 155-160 bpm
Sunday, October 4, 2009
2009 Tour de Poway
Rode this ride with John and Dave. I was a little nervous before the ride, thinking I would really have to work to keep up with Dave. The weather was cool at the beginning. We watched the Century riders go by, and I cheered Kevin on with his Team in Training group. We were lucky enough to get to the starting line right before the beginning of the ride, and we were near the front of the pack. Started off the ride fairly fast, riding together until the beginning of the climb up the Poway grade. I kept the pace pretty high on this climb, with my heartrate staying at or above 170 bpm for nearly all of the time going up. Got to the top with some energy to spare and waited for Dave and John to catch up. We rode together until the small climb up to the pass by Mt. Woodson, where I separated again and rode essentially solo on the long gradual downhill to Dye Rd. Waited for them to catch up, then we rode together through Ramona, using an alternate series of roads that put us out onto the 78 via W Haverford Rd. The downhill was fast, and Dave was really going fast, too much for me to keep up. We kept together on the 78 after Dave waited for us to catch up, then separated on the hill out of San Pasqual Valley. Regrouped again and rode together until the small uphill section on W Bernardo Dr. Went across the Lake Hodges pedestrian bridge for the first time. The path on the north side of the lake to get to the bridge is rough and hard on the tires. Sag stop at the park, where we had some food and fluids. Took off and stayed together up most of the climb to Rancho Bernardo Rd, when we separated again on the climb. I kept going, hooking up with a guy who was riding a Bianchi at about the same pace as me. Went all the way to the turn onto Camino del Sur, where I waited for the guys to catch up. They weren't too far back. Rode together for awhile, then we separated again on a gradual climbing section, where I caught back up with the Bianchi guy and another guy. We ended up riding together for a good portion of the ride on Camino del Norte. I met another guy after the turn on Pomerado Rd who noticed my HP jersey and asked whether I ever did the Tuesday/Thursday rides. The early ride has a 25 mph pace line, so I don't think I'll be joining that group any time soon. He wasn't in the Tour, just out for a morning ride, so we hung together on most of Pomerado Rd. He was gracious enough to slow his pace down a little in order to allow me to keep up. I waited for John and Dave to catch up at the turn onto Metate, and I was really feeling it. My left hamstring had started to tighten up by this time, so I was ready to coast on in to the finish. We tried to get a picture of all three in the same frame but missed it. On the final stretch on Community, I was just hanging on for the end, nursing my twitching leg. Dave had a sprint burst just after the Poway Rd crossing, but I couldn't keep up. He ended up slowing, since his leg started twitching too. Finished the ride in 3:24:30 riding time, and I felt tired but really good, at least as soon as I stopped pedaling. The weather was fairly cool throughout, and maybe that factor contributed to the slower pace that I ended up riding. I sure didn't feel like I had a lot left in the tank at the end of the ride.
