1-30-2011 Ride

Ride over to Dave's for the time trial loop with all four regular riders. The weather was overcast, which kept it from being very cold (shorts and long-sleeved jersey). I felt pretty good. Started out at a decent pace, not scorching. As the grade up RB Rd got a little steeper, I picked up the pace but nobody else followed, so I scaled back and waited for them. At the turn, I went out again and put distance on the others, slowing down for Jim to catch up after it flattened out. We rode to the top of the gradual climb, waited for the others, then rode downhill. I had a good climb up to Poway Rd, keeping my pace close to or above 10 mph throughout and having enough for a push after the turn. The downhill section on Poway Rd was fairly fast, with some pace line action but nothing organized. A fair amount of stops. I went out at the little climb before the turn onto Sabre Springs Pkwy and rode slightly hard. Felt a little winded near the first climb top, but I made another good push at the last part and was able to maintain it. Separated again on Ted Williams Pkwy, but the others caught up at the light. We rode as a group about 1/3 of the way up the gradual uphill to the hospital, then Jim and I rode out, and I eventually kicked it into high gear and left the others behind. On the downhill, I was out alone, and I was pedaling hard but no furiously. Finished in 52:50, a decent time given the number of stops. Again, I felt good, not totally spent, at the end.

Total mileage = 23.1 mi
Average heartrate = 156 bpm
Total elevation gain = 820'
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/4958719

1-29-2011 Ride

Ride up to Jim's house, where I met up with him and Dave for a ride out Del Dios through Rancho Santa Fe and a little beyond, to that high point about halfway between Rancho Santa Fe and Solana Beach. The ride out was fast. On the first climb up Via Rancho Pkwy, Dave was hanging on for a significant part of the climb, but he couldn't keep the pace up, so I dropped him. On the downhill sections, he and Jim easily outpaced me. I was wearing my windbreaker, and it was really slowing me down. They got pretty far ahead of me on the long downhill section, and I had to work to catch them on the following uphill. On the section through residential Rancho Santa Fe, Jim was hanging with me, which was pretty impressive. On the way back, we got spooked by a Porsche passing us pretty close while gunning his engine. On the climb up Del Dios, I felt okay but not great, certainly not the best I've felt on this road. It might have been because of the previous day's ride. I had a good pace at the last section before turning onto Via Rancho Pkwy that I felt good about. Pretty fast, steady pace for all from there across the freeway. On the little climb near the park, my quads were complaining. However, I made a good final push up to Jim's house, standing on the pedals for much of the second half of the climb. The smoothies at the end of the ride were really great, and my legs recovered very quickly, although I was tired.

Avg. speed = 17.6 mph. Total mileage = 34.9 mi
Avg. heartrate = 152 bpm
Total elevation gain = 1480'
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/27679008/

1-28-2011 Ride

Solo ride at lunch from work, extended loop out to Poway Rd and back. The day was a nice one for riding, with little wind to deal with. I felt pretty good and rode at a good pace. Of course, this route has no real climbs, which helps with the average speed.

Avg. speed = 18.6 mph. Total mileage = 16.5 mi
Avg. heartrate = 152 bpm
Total elevation gain = 620'
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/12265250

1-23-2011 Ride

Morning time trial ride with Dave, starting from home. It was really windy, with a strong Santa Ana condition going on. I didn't notice it too much on the ride over, just on the last section up to Dave's house. We took off and it was a little tough at the start, getting really bad on the climbing section just before the turn south. I was pushing hard in first gear, and the wind was just bad. It got a little better after the turn, and I made decent, but not great, time on this section. Waited for Dave at the top of the climb, then we rode downhill together. We separated on the climb up to Poway Rd, which had some pretty stiff breeze to fight through. On the Poway Rd section, we flew with the wind mainly at our backs. The Sabre Springs Pkwy section was slowed by a slight headwind, then it was tough slogging on Ted Williams Pkwy again. The Pomerado Rd section was slow on the initial part of the climb, as the wind was working against us. It moderated somewhat near the crest and wasn't so bad on the downhill, just requiring harder pedaling. For a slow riding time, I really worked hard on this one. Finished in 56:10.

Total mileage = 23.1 mi
Average heartrate = 152 bpm
Total elevation gain = 820'
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/san-diego/854917700575

1-22-2011 Ride

Ride with Jim, Dave, and John from John's house. It was about 40 deg at the start, and we headed down to Poway Rd, so things were cold. Dave was carrying weights to train for the Bulldog race in March. We headed over Rancho Penasquitos Blvd to the 56 bike trail. On this section, John and I pushed the pace and kept together, with Dave and Jim trailing. We had to take the detour for the bike trail, but we got back on it and headed down to El Camino Real. Turned south and headed up this gradual climb, turning right on Carmel Mountain Rd for a short jog onto Vista Sorrento Pkwy. We took this road all the way down to Mira Mesa Blvd, avoiding the steep climb on Sorrento Valley Blvd. We turned onto Scranton, which turns into Carroll Canyon Rd, then Carroll Rd. There is a steady climb up to the mesa here in a couple of stages. We took this route to Miramar Rd, then headed back toward Scripps Ranch. We stayed pretty much together, trading leads in a rough pace line. Past the freeway, we turned left on Scripps Ranch Blvd and started heading up again, this time with some steeper sections. I turned right on Spring Canyon Rd and kept climbing. By this time, I had gotten ahead of the others, and I started wondering whether I was on the right route. I made the decision to keep going and eventually figured out where I would end up, which was at the top of the hill on Pomerado Rd. We headed back to John's house from this spot via the normal route. I felt decent on the ride, with some residual tiredness in my legs from the previous week's exertions. John had a good ride, doing well in the climbs and leading well in the flat sections.

Avg. speed = 17.0 mph. Total mileage = 32.4 mi.
Avg. heartrate = 152 bpm
Total elevation gain = 1380'
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/27371354/

2011 Stagecoach Century

Riding the Stagecoach Century with Dave and John. Got to John's house at 4:40, loaded up all the gear, and we were on the road around 5:00. It takes about an hour and a half to get there. We arrived just as the parking lot was filled up, getting one of the last spaces. I registered at the event and waited in line for the bathroom. Definitely better to register beforehand and probably make a pit stop on the way to the event to avoid the lines. It left me about 10 minutes to get geared up, and that was a push to be ready. The day was just slightly cool, so I wore my lightweight long-sleeved jersey and was fine. We took off, and I set a pretty fast pace from the start, climbing up to the first rest stop and waiting for the others to catch up. The downhill section was fun. It's about 3 miles total, then there is a flat section where the wind was neutral and we were able to make good time. The tough early part of the ride for me was the gradual uphill stretch, which lasts from mile 15 to mile 25 at the rest stop. I was in a pack and not everybody was pushing the pace and willing to lead, so I took more than my share of turns at the front. It wore me out. After the rest stop, we had another 13 miles or so of uphills, with two steeper sections. I was really slow on the Campbell grade, particularly the early, steeper part. I also was slower on the final, gradual grade to the turnaround point. At this rest stop, my left toes were cramping up (uh-oh). We headed back, and the downhill sections were okay. Not really pushing the pace, just staying with John and Dave, mostly me and John leading out. On the climbing section, I got in a pretty decent groove with a couple of other riders, trading leads for quite a while. Two of us left the third one behind on the last, steeper section, then he and I traded leads until the rest stop at mile 64. I waited for the others to catch up and stretched, noticing that my left quad was dicey. Had a hammer gel and electrolyte drink while I waited. We rode together on the long downhill section back to the rest stop at mile 75. John and I traded most of the leads, and we were going pretty fast. I stretched and rested at the rest stop, knowing that the last stretch was going to be trouble. The wind wasn't helping us, and it seemed that it was in our faces at least part of the time. We rode in a group that built up over time, and I couldn't ride out in the lead for very long with this group. When we started going uphill around mile 87, I slowed down, knowing I would need my energy for the climb. It was fairly slow but my legs held out without cramping (surprise!). The part after the turn, the final climb up to the last rest stop, wasn't bad at all, not as steep as I had feared. I waited for the other two at the rest stop, drinking water and eating a couple of snacks. We did a final, small climb, then started the last section, which is mostly downhill on some really bad roads. John and I were trading leads, with Dave having fallen a little back. There is a part that's about a mile long that is just awful. After that, it smoothed out for the final finish, and I had enough at the end to "sprint out." My legs felt okay at the end, but my seat was sore and I was definitely ready to be done. We had a quick sandwich lunch, then headed back home, listening to the Steelers-Ravens playoff game on the way back. It was a good thing that the game was on the radio, because it kept me awake and alert during the drive. I've had better century rides and I've had worse, but all in all it was a fairly good time and a decent accomplishment for me.

Avg. speed = 17.2 mph. Total mileage = 100.0 mi
Avg. heartrate = 152 bpm
Total elevation gain = 4040'
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/13098422

1-9-2011 Ride

Ride from home over to Dave's house, where I met up with him and John for a time trial loop at a slower pace, since they were at the start of a 70-mile morning ride. The weather was actually pretty nice, cool enough for tights but not too cold. I kept up a steady pace but no pushing, mainly because my legs were still tired from the previous day's ride. Finished the loop in 59:25. Then we headed up Pomerado Rd together, and I rode with them until Scripps-Poway Pkwy, where I turned around. Headed back down Pomerado Rd. This road is good training for the kinds of grades we will see a lot of on the Stagecoach Century. Back home via the normal return route. My left leg muscle at the top of my knee was sore, probably because of the heavy use from the previous day.

Total mileage = 34.8 mi
Avg heartrate (time trial loop only) = 149 bpm
Total elevation gain = 1120'
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/26827694/

1-8-2011 Rides

Ride from home with Dave and Mike Sonnier, his first ride with the Saturday morning crew. He seems like a very nice guy. We headed over through the neighborhood to RB Rd and out Camino del Sur to Carmel Valley Rd. It was cool at the start but not really cold. Mike is just getting back into riding, so his pace was significantly slower than ours. As a result, Dave and I took it easy on this ride. Took Carmel Valley Rd to Del Mar Heights Rd and rode over to El Camino Real. Mike got ahead of me near here, so he ended up going straight at the light. I raced to catch up, and we did a U-turn at High Bluff and got onto El Camino Real. Headed over to San Dieguito Rd and across the flats. We paused before the Three Witches climb so that Mike could stretch out his calf muscles, which were cramping up. I climbed up to the top then looped back to climb the last section again. Turned on Camino del Sur and headed back. I did another loop between Casey Glen and Bing Crosby Blvd. Last section was on RB Rd down to W Bernardo Dr and then on home. My spare tire fell out around here, but Mike saw it, so I was able to put it in my pocket and not lose it. This was a good warm-up for the second part of the ride.

I then went solo down by the park and on Pomerado all the way to the top and down through Scripps Ranch. Felt okay on the 1-mile climb, not super but not bad for having ridden 40+ miles. Headed down Miramar Rd to Carroll Rd, the same road that John and I had ridden for the first time on the previous Monday. Right on Camino Santa Fe, which is definitely and up-and-down road. Took it to Calle Cristobal and headed east. This road is flat to slightly uphill, but it was easy to navigate. Turned left on Capricorn Way and cut through a neighborhood to Black Mountain Rd. Nice downhill here, but the climb after Mercy Rd was pretty slow going. Got onto the 56 bike trail and headed down to Camino del Sur, again a nice opportunity to rest. Took Camino del Sur to Carmel Valley Rd and headed back toward home. The first part of this climb is very gradual, and I slowed down on the second, steeper section. Turned left on Dove Canyon Rd after the nice downhill and climbed back up to Camino San Bernardo, turning right. This section is just a slight uphill, but I was pretty gassed, so it went slowly. Turned right on Camino del Norte and headed over to Bernardo Center Dr, then back home the normal way. Felt good at the end of the second ride, no muscle cramping and not too tired. My lower back was giving me some difficulty at times during the latter part of the ride, so I'll have to watch out during next Saturday's ride.

Avg speed = 15.8 mph. Total mileage = 72.6 mi
Avg heartrate = 141 bpm
Total elevation gain = 1090' & 1610'
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/26773872
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/26774328/

1-6-2011 Ride

Solo ride from work over lunch, heading down W Bernardo Dr and up Pomerado Rd all the way to the top. I felt okay in the early parts of the ride, the weather was a little cool but otherwise nice. The last 1-mile climb up to the top went reasonably well, as I was able to keep up a good but not great pace. However, after this part, I didn't have much energy for the rest of the ride, which took me downhill the normal route to Sabre Springs Pkwy, then to Rancho Carmel Pkwy. Turned right on Carmel Mountain Rd, and I didn't have much energy at all. Went back to work via Camino del Norte to Bernardo Center Dr to W Bernardo Dr. During the ride, my left leg, just above my knee, felt fine, which was a good sign given that it was sore at the end of my last ride.

Avg speed = 16.8 mph. Total mileage = 22.6 mi
Avg heartrate = 147 bpm
Total elevation gain = 1070'
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/26741502/

1-5-2011 Ride

Exercise bike at work, hill mode, level 10 for 30 min.

Total mileage = 10.5 mi

1-3-2011 Ride

Ride from John's house, just him and me. We had planned on a 7:00 start, but the weather was rough that early, so we ended up leaving a little before 9:00. The roads were wet at the start, but we didn't get rained on much. Headed up using the Angelique route to the top of Pomerado, then down onto Miramar Rd. Went all the way to just past the pyramid, turning right on Carroll Rd. Followed this road over to Camino Santa Fe and turned right again. This road is mostly uphill and downhill sections, connecting into Sorrento Valley Blvd. We got a few spits of rain here but not much. We headed down the fast hill and turned right on Vista Sorrento Pkwy, now tracing the 4th of July ride route. A jog on Carmel Mountain Rd, then onto El Camino Real. Here is where the first serious rain began. I put my jacket back on, and we continued on. It didn't last long as a steady rain, turning to light drizzle. We decided to keep going, heading up El Camino Real, then down into the flats, turning right on San Dieguito Rd. The rain was mostly gone by then, and we headed over to Del Dios Hwy using the normal connecting route. While the roads were wet, it wasn't raining as we headed up Del Dios, a nice relief. With the recent rains, the water level at the dam was about a foot and a half below the top of the spillway. I made okay progress up the climb, not going really fast but not running out of gas either. Decent finishing push near the light by Via Rancho Pkwy. Headed over to the I-15 and across Lake Hodges, where I was able to keep up with John. Shortly after we got onto Pomerado Rd, it started to rain, and this squall was the heaviest, and most miserable, of the entire ride. Luckily, it didn't last long in its heavy form. The weather got better as we kept riding south, so that once we got into Poway, the streets were dry, even though there were some spots where it was lightly raining. However, we were riding into a pretty stiff headwind, which wasn't welcome at that point of the ride. To get the distance up beyond 50 mi, we ended up riding to the top of Pomerado, heading back to John's house the same way we came up. I felt fine at the end, even on the last climb, keeping up a pretty steady pace and not gassing out. My back held out okay, although it felt good to stand up and pedal on the last climb.

Avg speed = 16-17 mph. Total mileage = 51.0 mi
Avg heartrate = 147 bpm
Total elevation gain = 2260'
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/26591936/