11-25-2012 Ride

Time trial route, starting from home.  It had been about a month since I rode with the others.  The morning was cool and foggy, but not cool enough to warrant wearing tights.  I was fine during the ride, just a little cold in my toes.  I was running late, so I pushed it on the way over, even still not doing all that great.  I got there just after 7:00, and we headed right off.  Jim was feeling good, so he pushed the pace right from the start.  It took me a little bit to catch up to him, then we rode basically together past the turn and little climb on Espola Rd.  I got a little bit out ahead of him, not too much.  We waited for Dave to catch up, then continued on, with Jim again riding at a faster pace.  On the climb up to Poway Rd, I had no drive, no cardio.  It was painfully slow.  We rode down into Poway together, basically all the way to Sabre Springs Pkwy.  There, I got out a little bit ahead of the others, which was the story of the day.  A little bit ahead, not much.  No drive or stamina by the hospital, and I couldn't keep with Jim or Dave when they accelerated past me near the finish going downhill.  Finished in 55:00, but I have a lot of work to do to regain my fitness.

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

11-24-2012 Ride

Ride over to Dave's house, using Azucar, where I met up with him and Jim.  We headed up Pomerado Rd to Ted Williams Pkwy.  I was feeling better than the previous ride, so I kept up a pretty good pace throughout this ride.  It was cool but not cold during the early parts of the ride.  We went over Ted Williams Pkwy to the 56 bike trail, then took it all the way down to Carmel Country Rd.  After Black Mountain Rd, this stretch is mostly downhill, with the slight uphill sections being ones that I could power through.  I really pushed the pace here, and the others basically kept up.  We stayed more together once we got off the bike trail, heading over to Del Mar Heights Rd.  We rode over to Carmel Valley Rd, again staying together for the first part.  Then I spotted a rider ahead of us and picked up the pace to try and catch her.  On this slight uphill, I made decent time.  We turned on Camino del Sur and headed back toward home.  There was another rider who was ahead of us, so I rode fast to catch up with and pass her, then worked hard on the slight uphill section up to Casey Glen.  We gathered together again and headed over to RB Rd, taking it over and down into RB.  Back to Dave's house, then home via Pomerado Rd to get another couple of miles in.  I felt pretty good on this ride, worked a lot harder and didn't seem worn out at the end.

Avg speed = 17.4 mph. Total mileage = 36.5 mi
Avg heartrate = 151 bpm
Total elevation gain = 1150'
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/155928785

11-22-2012 Ride

Solo ride from home after being off the previous week due to a serious bout with the flu.  I felt okay but didn't want to push it.  Headed through the neighborhood, normal route, to RB Rd, taking it easy.  Down RB Rd to Camino del Sur, enjoying the day and keeping a steady pace.  Took this all the way to Carmel Valley Rd, slowing on the little climb just before this intersection.  Went straight through and over to the 56 bike trail, heading east.  Not much cycling traffic on this cool Thanksgiving day.  Modest pace on the little climb to Black Mountain Rd, keeping things manageable and staying on the bike trail until it transitioned into Ted Williams Pkwy, which I used to get over to Pomerado Rd.  Turned left here and had a decent stretch, nowhere near pushing the pace hard, over to the hospital.  Then down Pomerado Rd all the way to the freeway and up by the park, steady and feeling pretty good.  Home after a total distance a little less than I originally hoped for, but I'll make it up in tomorrow's ride.

Avg speed = 16.4 mph. Total mileage = 24.0 mi
Avg heartrate = 143 bpm
Total elevation gain = 790'
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/155539799

11-10-2012 Ride

Solo ride from home, since nobody else was interested in riding.  I had just gotten the stitches out of my left forearm, and everything felt fairly decent.  Still, I didn't feel the need or have the energy to push the pace during this ride.  I headed down by the park, then up Pomerado Rd to RB Rd, taking a left and going up into Poway via the normal time trial route.  I kept my pace modest, enjoying the downhill section to Twin Peaks Rd, where I turned right.  It was starting to get nice here, sunny and cool.  I took this down to Camino del Norte, then headed up Camino del Norte to Carmel Mountain Rd, jogging over to Rancho Carmel Dr and taking it all the way to the 56 bike trail.  Stayed on this trail down to Carmel Valley Rd, keeping a steady pace but not burning it.  Started heading back at this point, going over to Camino del Sur and taking a left here.  Back to RB Rd at a steady but slower pace, noticing that they have opened the eastbound lane of Camino del Sur just before RB Rd.  Took RB Rd down to W Bernardo Dr, rough ride as always, then home the normal way.

Avg speed = 17.3 mph. Total mileage = 35.7 mi
Avg heartrate = 152 bpm
Total elevation gain = 1340'
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/152707823?

11-3-2012 Ride

Ride up to Jim's house via Azucar, my front derailleur still not working right.  We connected and headed through the neighborhood to RB Rd and over to Camino del Sur.  It was foggy at the beginning of this ride, and the fog lasted until the turn on Camino del Sur.  We headed over to Carmel Valley Rd and took it to the 56 bike trail.  Headed back on the bike trail all the way to Rancho Carmel Rd.  I rode the first hour of this ride harder than the second.  We went over to Carmel Mountain Rd and then to Camino del Norte and Twin Peaks Rd.  The conditions were really nice by this point, not too cool or too warm.  We headed up the gradual grade to Espola Rd, then back toward home.  This small climb is not steep, but the grade does increase near the top.  I made good time going up this grade, really pushing it to the stops.  We gathered back together at the top and headed down.  I didn't let up on the gas going downhill, so we were riding pretty fast.  All the way back to Bernardo Center Dr, then a right onto Duenda and back home the normal way.  Felt good on the ride.  I could feel my arm when I hit rough patches on the road but not when exerting myself.

Avg speed = 17.0 mph. Total mileage = 33.2 mi
Avg heartrate = 143 bpm
Total elevation gain = 1220'
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/150952545

11-2-2012 Ride

Stationary bike in the morning at work.  Level 9, classic hill route for 45 min. More moderate pace, although I was working hard and sweating at the end.


Total mileage = 15 mi
Avg heartrate = 145 bpm
Calories burned = 430