Solo ride from home on the Fourth of July. I knew I would start by riding up Highland Valley Rd to Ramona. It was the first time I'd tried it on my new bike, and it went pretty well. I didn't push the pace that hard and didn't have any real problems other than some lower back stiffness (it was a little sore throughout the ride) on the longer climbing sections. While I was riding up to the 67, I decided to head toward Santa Ysabel and see how things went, both from my fitness and based on the weather. It was overcast all the way up into Ramona, and it's longer than I remembered to get into the old downtown portion of Ramona from Highland Valley Rd. I passed through and turned right on 3rd to connect with Old Julian Hwy. After the initial climb up to the left turn at the 2-mile marker, it's up and down for a little while, then there is a longer climbing section of about 3 miles. It doesn't have any really steep sections. I think I had a little bit of a tailwind going out. I got to the junction with the 78, and I still hadn't put in 30 miles, so I decided to ride out to Santa Ysabel and get some snacks and sunscreen for the ride back. The sun started to come out around here. Not much traffic on the 78, and it generally has a nice shoulder in this section. I was riding okay, trying to keep a steady pace on the two longer uphill sections. When I rode into Santa Ysabel, not much was happening. I stopped at Don's Market and got a Powerade, a candy bar, and a small tube of sunscreen. I also had a banana and a small energy bar I'd brought along, so I rested for about 20 min and stretched my back and hamstrings out. The ride back to Ramona was decent, although there was a steady breeze coming from the west that slowed me down on the downhill sections. I had good energy for the little climbs, which really aren't much to speak of. Back in Ramona, I headed back toward Escondido on the 78, not wanting to do the longer climbs on Highland Valley Rd. I was slower on the gradual climb to that big church, and the descent went fine. I couldn't get much speed going due to the headwind, but I didn't have any problems with traffic. Back down in the San Pasqual Valley, it was a slog, as my energy level was waning and the wind was a little stiffer. I headed back home via the Old Milky Way route and was glad that this is such a gradual exit from the valley. It was a steady ride back home, although I had enough juice left in my legs to pass a group of four fit cyclists on the little hill before the park and leave them behind. I finished with strength remaining in my legs and no real soreness there. Cardio is in good shape, and my riding endurance is solid. Now to try some rides with a goal of higher average speeds, after the last two hill-climbing expeditions.
Avg speed = 16.9 mph. Total mileage = 67.0 mi
Avg heartrate = 141 bpm
Total elevation gain = 3360'
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/109795907
