Ride up Azucar to Duenda, then over to and by Jim's house, out to the end of Pajaro, then back to Duenda and to Jim's, where I met up with him and John. We headed out through the neighborhood to RB Rd. Early on, I found that I couldn't shift into my lower chainring, so that slowed me down at the beginning. My chain came off a couple of times during the ride. It needs to be cleaned and probably replaced soon. My front derailleur also needs adjusting. I hadn't ridden since the Tour de Poway, so I paced myself throughout the ride. We headed out Camino del Sur over to San Dieguito Rd, then rode down into Fairbanks Ranch, turning right at El Apajo. We were all riding together here, onto Camino del Bosque and over to Via de la Valle. On the little climb up to Paseo Delicias, I again took a measured but steady pace. We gathered up, then headed up Del Dios Hwy. In the initial climbing sections, the wind was really working against me, and I was pacing myself anyway. A couple of other riders passed me, so I tried to stay with them. One of them was a little faster, so I used his pace as a goad to keep going. I waited for the others at the first crest, and we rode together for a little while until it started climbing again. On the last little climb up to Via Rancho Pkwy, I had a little bit of a tailwind and some strength, so I kept my pace above 12 mph the whole time, my strongest effort of the day. After that, I stayed with the others for the most part. John and I rode fast across I-15, and I pushed the pace even harder near the end, maintaining 32 mph for about 30 sec. Jim then split off to ride home while John and I headed up Pomerado Rd, at a reduced pace for me to stay with John, up to Bernardo Heights Pkwy. In the last gradual climbing portion, I pushed the pace moderately. The section on Bernardo Heights Pkwy is a gradual climb for longer than expected. We connected back near the top, then rode down to Bernardo Center Dr and back home the normal way, again keeping a moderate pace for me. I felt fine at the end, it was just a slow ride to get back into the groove of riding.
Avg speed = 16.6 mph. Total mileage = 34.2 mi
Total elevation gain = 1570'
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/145673881
