10-27-2013 Ride

Solo ride from home over to church in the afternoon.  I was rushing because I needed to get there early enough to check whether I could find my charger for the Touchpad (I did).  Took the Sunset Dr route.  Then I met Joe, and we headed over to Juniper St and then to Idaho Ave, which has a really steep section to get over to the 78.  Then we headed out to San Pasqual Rd and jogged over to Old Milky Way, connecting back to the 78.  The wind was at our backs going out, which made it easier riding.  I was still a little worn out from the previous day's ride.  Out to Bandy Canyon Rd, which we took back to Highland Valley Rd.  On this section, I met a guy who was a triathlete, just recently back from the Hawaii Ironman.  Lucky him, he is retired and spends much of his time training and enjoying it.  Up the grade there, slowly, where I waited at the top for Joe.  We stayed together down to I-15, then he split off to head back to church, and I rode home to make dinner for Ann's birthday.

Avg speed = 16.3 mph. Total mileage = 26.8 mi
Avg heartrate = 143 bpm
Total elevation gain = 1060'

https://www.mapmyride.com/workout/420228945

10-26-2013 Ride

Solo ride in the morning, after getting back from Israel on the previous day.  I had slept through the night, felt pretty good as a result.  It was foggy at the beginning of the ride.  Headed over to Highland Valley Rd, where it was pretty cool as well.  On the first climb, I felt okay but not super strong.  Still, I powered up the climbs here as best as I could.  By the citrus grove, the fog was gone, although the weather was still cool, a fine October day.  I kept a decent, not great, pace on the flats after coming down from the high point.  Out Dye Rd and over to San Vicente Rd, where I turned right, intending to add mileage.  I kept on this road all the way to its end.  It serves as the access road for San Diego Country Estates, and this was the first time I had seen this community.  It looked pretty nice.  Headed back, staying on San Vicente Rd and then following the same route through Ramona that the Tour de Poway takes, getting onto the 78 and heading downhill.  I felt good on the initial slight downhill section and kept it together when it got steeper, only braking once or twice on the sharper left curves.  It felt like the wind was working against me in this section.  I got to the bottom and stayed on the 78 until turning onto Old Milky Way, taking it over to San Pasqual Rd and out of the valley.  My legs were feeling just fine, a little surprising since I hadn't done really any riding (other than a 1 hr stationary bike workout) in almost 2 weeks.  Headed home by taking the route behind the mall and then standard way home.  Again, the last little climbs went well, not super fast but I didn't feel like I had to struggle up them.  I would have preferred to have some more elevation in this route, to be ready for the greater challenge next week.

Avg speed = 17.0 mph. Total mileage = 51.6 mi
Avg heartrate =144 bpm
Total elevation gain = 2150'

https://www.mapmyride.com/workout/418012473

10-18-2013 Ride

Stationary bike at work for 60 min in the morning at work, watching an Alias episode and listening to music on my phone. I rode at level 14 and felt pretty good, although it's a different workout, more muscle-building than cardio.

Level = 14
Avg heartrate = 153 bpm
Calories burned = 790
Distance = 21.8 mi

10-13-2013 Ride

Time trial route, starting from home.  I had initially planned on not riding too fast, but Dave was feeling good and setting a fast pace, so I kept up.  John rode as well.  I just tried to stay with them and create separation on the climbing sections.  Was able to keep it above 10 mph on the climb up to Poway Rd without feeling totally gassed at the top.  I had a pretty good stretch on Sabre Springs Pkwy, where I climbed the first part above 15 mph.  Then I dialed it back.  The rest of the ride was pretty standard, not much push in my legs at the section by the hospital, and we cruised at the end, nobody really going for an all-out sprint.  Finished in 54:17.  This may be the last time I do this time trial route with the others, since Dave is moving in a couple of weeks.

Total mileage = 23.1 mi
Avg heartrate = 144 bpm
Total elevation gain = 960'

https://www.mapmyride.com/workout/408272353

10-12-2013 Ride

Initial solo ride around the neighborhood, going up Azucar to Duenda Rd and over to W Bernardo Dr.  I took it to RB Rd and back over to Duenda Rd, looping back to W Bernardo Dr and taking it down to Aguamiel Dr, then back home.  It was light enough that I didn't really need my front light.  John was there by then, and he and I headed by the park over to Highland Valley Rd.  A guy from HP, Stuart Altman, was also riding this way, and we rode generally at the same pace to the first climb, when he took off.  I was able to stay with him for about the first third of the climb, and I kept him in my sights for the entire climb, although I was really working hard.  I waited for John at the top, and we rode together to the next climb, with me keeping a lower pace to not get too far out in front.  I kept it really dialed back on this short steep climb and waited for him again at the top.  We rode together until the last climb in this section.  Again, the wait at the top and continuing the ride.  Through this part, we kept going through foggy areas, then it would clear, then get worse again.  We stayed together down to the 67.  He was riding pretty well.  Same thing on the 67 until the start of the climb to the pass by Mt Woodson.  I kept it above 10 mph but didn't push the pace.  My bike was working and sounding just fine after I tightened the bolts holding my rear dropouts onto the frame.  Together down to just before Poway Rd, where I pushed it a little bit and created some separation that stayed until the bottom of the first descent from Scripps-Poway Pkwy.  I motored up and waited for him at Stowe Dr, then we stayed together down to Pomerado Rd and over to Escala Dr.  On the downhill, he got out in front, as I was riding the brakes at the steeper section.  It has a short, steep uphill section followed by a longer gradual incline, and it was a challenge at the end of this ride.  We made it okay, then back home the normal way.  Even though it wasn't a high-intensity workout for me, I had a good ride and felt fine the rest of the day.  In the afternoon, Ann and I went down to Mission Beach and rented beach cruisers to ride around for a couple of hours.  Nice time.

Avg speed = 17.1 mph. Total mileage = 43.0
Avg heartrate =141 bpm
Total elevation gain = 2230'

https://www.mapmyride.com/workout/408256839

10-11-2013 Ride

Stationary bike at work for 60 min in the morning at work, listening to music on my phone. I felt able to maintain a pretty high output level throughout the workout with the level at 13.  I think I'm ready to push it up to 14 again.

Level = 13
Avg heartrate = 155 bpm
Calories burned = 800
Distance = 22.7 mi

10-08-2013 Ride

Solo ride over lunch from work, heading over to Camino del Norte and taking it to Carmel Mountain Rd.  I was feeling pretty good, it was one of those days where it always seemed like the wind was at my back.  Over to Rancho Carmel Dr/Sabre Springs Pkwy and out to Poway Rd.  I wasn't trying super hard to put in a big effort, but I was moving along pretty well.  Down to Oak Knoll Rd and onto Pomerado Dr.  Here, it seemed like the wind was really helping me, and I kept up a good pace all the way down to the freeway.  Then it was slower as I climbed back to work.  I slowed down more than I would have liked on the last climbing section, but otherwise I felt good about my effort.

Avg speed = 18.6 mph. Total mileage = 19.6 mi
Avg heartrate = 144 bpm
Total elevation gain = 690'

https://www.mapmyride.com/workout/406862059

2013 Tour de Poway Metric Century

We'd been having Santa Ana conditions, so I was worried about the wind and dryness.  It turned out that the wind seemed to help more than hurt, but the heat and dryness were definitely a factor for me.  Rode it with John and Dave, and we all parked by the Smoothie King, then rode over to the start at Old Poway Park.  Start was good, it was a little chilly at the beginning.  I felt good on the climb up to the 67, nobody passed me this time, and I recorded 15:36 as the time from Espola Rd up to the top of the climb just before the turn. Waited for John and Dave to get there, then we continued.  I kept a pretty fast pace up to the the top of the grade by Mt Woodson and waited for them again.  On the downhill, they got out ahead of me and into a group with a tandem, and I couldn't close the gap.  I tried, mightily, to make it up, but I was riding solo and just didn't have enough juice to close it.  It stayed there after the turn onto Dye Rd and around to Warnock Dr and San Vicente Rd.  We turned right on Hanson Ln, then left on Ashley Rd, whicdh connects into 7th St.  We rode to Elm St, skipping the first rest stop and keeping on to W Haverford Rd, taking it over to the 78.  Down the 78, both John and Dave got out ahead again, I just can't keep with them on the downhills.  I was slower on the turns, still not wanting to get into a situation where I was carrying too much speed and having to make a sharper turn.  They stayed out ahead until I reeled them in on the flats before Bandy Canyon Rd.  We stayed on the 78 and rode together until the base of the hill climbing out of the valley.  My cyclometer had quit reading my speed for a second time, so I don't know how I did on this little climb.  It felt okay but not super fast.  I waited for them at the top, then we continued down to BVP, taking it to Beethoven Dr and using the route behind the mall to get to Del Lago Blvd and onto the freeway.  I had put space between them again on the little climb over the freeway, then some more on the climb before the park.  We stopped at this rest stop, where they were just opening up.  Refueled with a couple of cookies and some Gatorade, then we continued on.  Up W Bernardo Dr, where I was slowing down due to the heat. low humidity, and starting to feel tired.  Turned on RB Rd and rode over to Camino San Bernardo, again out on my own.  Then it was down to Dove Canyon Rd and onto Carmel Valley Rd.  I was able to keep my speed above 10 mph for this climb, but it was a struggle.  I waited for them to catch up at the top, then we rode together on the downhill and around to Camino del Sur.  As soon as it started to climb a little, they fell back, so I dug in and rode solo up to Camino del Norte, where there were a couple of 50-mile riders.  I turned onto Pomerado Rd and waited for them.  We rode together down Pomerado and through the turn onto Metate Ln.  Around this time, my left inner thigh started balking a little bit, and I got worried that it might get worse.  I dialed it back a little bit, slowing up to the turn onto Community Rd.  We rode together to Poway Rd, then I kicked in for the last stretch to go for the best possible time and benefiting from a tailwind and a slight downhill.  Turned on Aubrey, then another turn on Midland Rd to the finish, completing the ride in 3:25:03.  I left it pretty much all out on the course (see heartrate below!), but my legs held up until the end without cramping, just barely.  After a short rest, we headed over to Smoothie King, where Ann met us for some much needed cold refreshment.

Avg speed = 18.0 mph. Total mileage =61.4 mi
Avg heartrate = 157 bpm
Total elevation gain = 3020'

https://www.mapmyride.com/workout/402653443

10-05-2013 Ride

Solo, easy ride in the morning to loosen up my muscles in preparation for the Tour de Poway.  Headed down by the park, then up Pomerado to Oak Knoll Rd, not really pushing the pace at all and just keeping things steady.  The Santa Ana winds kicked up during the ride and were pushing me on this initial section.  They helped a little bit on Poway Rd, then I was riding into the wind on Sabre Springs Pkwy and Rancho Carmel Dr.  I slowed down here and worked into the wind.  Over to Carmel Mountain Rd, then home via W Bernardo Dr.  It was a nice ride, no super exertion but feeling good to be out on a nice day before it got too hot and windy.

Avg speed = 16.9 mph. Total mileage = 20.1 mi
Avg heartrate = 132 bpm
Total elevation gain = 690'

https://www.mapmyride.com/workout/402004419

10-03-2013 Ride

Stationary bike at work for 60 min in the morning at work, listening to music on my phone. It had been awhile since I did this kind of workout, so I kept the level at 13.  Felt generally fine, perhaps a little stronger in the first half than the second.

Level = 13
Avg heartrate = 152 bpm
Calories burned = 780
Distance = 22.1 mi