03-30-2014 Ride

Time trial ride with Jim.  Easy pace for most of it.  I pushed a little bit on the last stretch of Pomerado Rd, and I rode fairly fast on the Sabre Springs Pkwy section.  Other than that, it was a steady pace.  Finished in 1:05:30.

Total distance = 17.9 mi
Avg heartrate = 126 bpm
Total elevation gain = 600'
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/381563604

03-16-2014 Ride

Time trial ride, no details.

Total mileage = 17.9 mi
Total elevation gain = 1060'
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/373702807

03-15-2014 Ride

Solo ride in the morning over to John's house.  It was really dark, with very little light at the start.  I used my headlight and a taillight that I bought the night before at Sports Authority.  Headed over to Pomerado Rd, keeping a decent pace but not pushing it.  On Pomerado Rd, I rode up through a fog bank, then down out of it, then into another one.  Standard route to John's house, where it wasn't really all the light when I got there due to the overcast.  Jim rode with us too.  We headed up to the top of Pomerado Rd and down to Kearny Villa Rd, which we took to Ruffin Rd and then turned left on Clairemont Mesa Blvd.  We then turned right on Murphy Canyon Rd, which parallels the I-15 freeway, and rode down to Qualcomm Stadium.  Around the stadium in the parking lot, exiting at the main entrance and turning left on Friars Rd.  We took this road over to Mission Center Rd and headed up.  There is some serious steepness on this road on the last half-mile before it connects with Murray Ridge Rd, where we turned left.  I took it steady but couldn't have ridden much faster.  We took a left on Sandrock Rd and then another left on Aero Dr to get over to Kearny Villa Rd, which we took back toward John's house.  Standard route back from here.  Jim was fading by this point, and John was riding steady but not super fast.  I kept my pace about the same as John's, slowing down when I got too far ahead.  We generally rode together up Pomerado Rd, with separation occurring near the top at the two little steeper inclines.  Back to John's house, where I took a brief rest before heading home via Pomerado Rd.  I took RB Rd over to W Bernardo Dr, not willing to do the little climb on Duenda Rd.  Had a good finishing ride home, my legs felt just fine, just a little tired during the day.

Avg speed = 17.4 mph. Total mileage = 53.3 mi
Avg heartrate = 136 bpm (estimated, didn't capture much of the ride on my heart monitor)
Total elevation gain = 2720'
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/373164423

03-12-2014 Ride

Solo ride in the afternoon at the end of the day from work, planning on a steady pace but no high level of exertion.  Headed out Bernardo Center Dr to Carmel Valley Rd, taking these little climbs in stride.  I felt really good any time I had to get out of the saddle.  Riding into the wind on the way out, until I turned back on the 56 bike trail.  I made decent time here and could have ridden really fast, but I kept it dialed back a bit.  Back to work via Camino del Sur.  I was riding steady until some Ranchos rider passed me on the little climb by Del Sur.  I jumped on his rear wheel and had to put in a very high effort to stay with him.  I could keep up with him but not pass him except for a brief period after we slowed for a light.  I turned off at RB Rd and headed back to work the normal way, again riding okay but not killing it.

Avg speed = 18.4 mph. Total mileage = 21.3 mi
Avg heartrate = 137 bpm
Total elevation gain = 1670'
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/371716775

03-09-2014 Ride

Planned easygoing ride from downtown Solvang over to Los Olivos and back, riding with Joe, Roger, and Connor.  We took it easy on the ride over, which was mostly a slight uphill.  Connor and I traded leads for the others, and I worked to keep my pace the same with them.  When we got into Los Olivos, we looked around a little bit for a breakfast place but couldn't find anything open, so we headed back.  On the way back, I opened up the pace a little bit, then Connor responded, so I stayed on his wheel.  At some point, Roger pushed it a little bit, so I dropped the hammer and put some distance on.  I waited for Connor, then he and I rode for a time, trading leads until I pushed the pace again and split.  We waited for the others at the turn back into Solvang, then I gave it one last push into downtown, feeling good about how my legs were doing.  We had breakfast at a Danish bakery, then split for the drive back home.

Avg speed = 17.6 mph. Total mileage = 12.3 mi
Avg heartrate = 130 bpm
Total elevation gain = 420'

https://www.mapmyride.com/workout/502178077

2014 Solvang Century

We had planned on leaving from the starting line in Solvang at 7:00, so we headed out a little before 6:00.  Stopped at a McDonald's for Joe to get a cup of coffee and breakfast sandwich.  Drove over to Solvang and parked, no problem, which was somewhat surprising to me.  Prepped the bikes and headed over to the corner near the starting line where we met up with Roger and Connor.  We got started around 6:45 and set a fairly good pace from the start.  There were some climbing sections on the way over to the first sag stop in Lompoc, but nothing really major.  I rode fairly well and warmed up quickly.  We took a break at the first stop, and I used the restroom.  We all gathered up and headed out toward Santa Maria.  There was a small climb coming out of this area, and Connor and I got some separation on the others.  We waited for them near the top of the climb but lost sight of Joe passing us by.  So we connected up with Roger and waited for Joe to come up, even though we found out later that he was ahead of us.  After waiting for a bit and Connor riding back to see if he could find Joe, we kept on going.  Connor and I rode ahead, and at one point I slowed and waited for Roger to catch up.  Then I rode hard to try and catch up with Connor, and we then waited together after one of the turns for Roger.  This section was up and down, and I tried to keep up with Connor, but he got ahead of me on one of the climbs when I got stuck behind a long pace line.  We all met up at the next sag stop, and Joe was there as well.  So it was all good with the four of us together.  On the next section, I was basically riding on my own until I caught on with a pace line that I could keep up with.  I rode with them basically all the way into the third sag stop, around the same time as Connor.  The others came in, and we took a break before heading for about 14 mi to the fourth sag stop.  On this section, I had a good ride and finished ahead of the others.  There was a little bit of climbing but nothing major.  Now we were at the 70 mile mark, which was where Joe and Roger had gotten a lift the last time they rode.  We were in much better shape, although Joe's feet were giving him some trouble.  I spent some time while waiting for them to massage my thighs and try to keep them limber.  This next section was some of the best riding I've done.  I was able to keep up with Connor as we both rode really fast, passing everybody.  I took the lead for awhile, keeping it after we turned onto Foxen Canyon Rd and the road started to slope upward.  I was working hard to set a fast pace and kept in the lead until the road got steep.  Connor led out then, and I couldn't respond.  He got out ahead of me by 100 yds or so, and at one point I had to stop and pull my jacket out of the rear wheel when it came loose from under my jersey.  It was hot here and I was working hard, sweating a lot and having it sting my eyes.  After the top of the rise, I was able to ride fast and catch Connor on the downhill before we got to the final sag stop.  My legs were starting to feel the effects of the exertion.  I also didn't benefit from the extended stop here while we waited for the others to show up.  I ate a lot and refreshed my water bottles.  We continued on, getting to the last extended climb, which wasn't anywhere near as hard as it looked at the bottom.  I got worried at the start of this climb when my hamstrings started complaining, so I dialed it back and resigned myself to not being able to ride with Connor on this last section.  I stayed within sight of him until we got to an intersection at a highway, where he and his group made it across before the police let the traffic pass through and held up the cyclists.  After this brief rest, we had to make a short, steep climb that I didn't remember from the last time.  After that, it was basically downhill all the way into Solvang, and I rode pretty fast all the way in, keeping up a steady cadence to help prevent my legs from tightening up.  Finished in 5:20 riding time, first to complete it of the four riders, since Connor had ridden back for a bit to see where Joe and Roger were.  He came in a couple of minutes after me, and then we waited for about 5-10 min before the others finished.  I was really proud of Joe's endurance and ability to persevere in completing this challenging century.  We had a good lunch (about 45 min wait in line), and the beers were most satisfying, before we rode back to the car and headed back to Lompoc.

Top ten day on the bike for me.

Avg speed = 18.7 mph. Total mileage = 100.2 mi
Avg heartrate = 147 bpm
Total elevation gain = 5890'

https://www.mapmyride.com/workout/502177187

03-07-2014 Ride

Shakedown ride in Lompoc after driving up from San Diego for the 2014 Solvang Century.  We were staying at the Inn of Lompoc, which used to be a Days Inn, on H St.  We headed up to the 246 and turned right to ride into a very stiff breeze, at least 20 mph.  I led the whole way out, about 5 miles right into the headwind until we turned around at Union Sugar Ave.  The ride back into Lompoc was super fun, very fast with the stiff breeze at our backs, and I was feeling good.  We headed back to the motel, stopping at a Von's for Joe to get some decongestant, and we met up with Roger and his son Connor to plan for dinner.  I was feeling good about the next day, just hoping that the weather would cooperate for a good ride.

Avg speed = 17 mph. Total mileage = 12.3 mi
Total elevation gain = 120'

https://www.mapmyride.com/workout/500517329

03-05-2014 Ride

Solo ride over lunch to check out the shifting on my repaired bike.  It worked just fine, no real issues with the rear derailleur, although the front derailleur still doesn't shift well into high gear.  Headed over to Camino del Norte via the normal route, then took it up to Carmel Mountain Rd.  Took Rancho Carmel Dr and Sabre Springs Pkwy over to Poway Rd, where I had the benefit of a tailwind helping me back to Pomerado Rd via Oak Knoll Rd.  I was keeping a decent pace but not killing it, riding steady.  On Pomerado Rd with a good pace all the way down to the freeway, then riding back to work on W Bernardo Dr, keeping my pace above 11 mph on these climbs and feeling pretty decent at the end.

Avg speed = 18.1 mph. Total mileage = 19.8 mi
Avg heartrate = 144 bpm
Total elevation gain = 1080'

https://www.mapmyride.com/workout/498836909

03-02-2014 Ride

Ride over to Joe's house on a Sunday morning, skipping church and enduring wet roads and an occasional light mist.  I was riding on my old bike because the new one was at Centre City Cycles getting the right shifter cable replaced.  I was also wearing my old cycling shoes and a rain jacket to try and keep dry.  I had put plastic bags around my socks in an attempt to keep my feet dry; it was partially successful, but there's got to be a better way.  I took the fast route to Joe's place, then we essentially retraced the route back toward my house, staying on W Bernardo Dr and taking it up to RB Rd.  It wasn't raining much until we got back into this neighborhood, then it was misting for awhile off and on, maybe an hour or so.  The seat on my old bike is really hard, and my butt was starting to feel it.  Also, the shifters were slightly out of alignment, so I couldn't get the rear derailleur to keep it in gear without slipping, very annoying.  Finally, I was having difficulty clipping into and out of my pedals.  But other than that, things were great!  We headed over to Dove Canyon Rd and down to Carmel Valley Rd, taking it up the hill to Black Mountain Rd.  Then we headed over to Miramar Rd, stopping for a restroom break and a little breather.  We took Miramar Rd and La Jolla Village Dr over to Torrey Pines Rd.  On this last little climb, I blew out the heel of my left shoe, not good.  We rode over to the top of the descent down to the ocean and stopped for another break.  Then it was down into Del Mar and along the coast highway all the way to Oceanside.  Joe was slowing down by this point, so I dialed it back a little and waited for him after the separation got too much.  The weather had cleared up by now and was pretty nice for riding.  We got into Oceanside and stopped at a convenience store at the corner by Oceanside Blvd.  We were behind schedule, so Joe called Cathie to let her know he was going to be late, and I adjusted our ride to get us back as soon as possible.  We headed up Oceanside Blvd and Bobier Dr to E Vista Way.  I was getting sore in the saddle and having to work hard to pedal with the busted shoe and cranky gears.  We took E Vista Way over to Civic Center Dr and onto Santa Fe Ave, staying on this road until it connected into Mission Rd.  Joe was working hard to keep up a decent pace but was slow.  I felt badly because I knew he was trying to get home in time for Cathie's Oscars party.  We took Mission Rd over to Woodland Pkwy and connected to Country Club Ln via El Norte Pkwy.  Then it was back to his house, where we got there around 4:30.  I stopped briefly, then rode home in discomfort and not willing to do anything more than survive the final miles.  Got home and soaked for awhile in the spa, and that was a true relaxation.  This was a tough ride, one of the toughest training rides I've had to endure.

Avg speed = 16 mph. Total mileage = 95.6 mi
Avg heartrate = 131 bpm
Total elevation gain = 4620'

https://www.mapmyride.com/workout/496776379

03-01-2014 Ride

Solo ride on a Saturday morning after a rainy night.  The weather looked decent, so I headed out for a planned shorter ride, going through the neighborhood and onto RB Rd, heading out to Camino del Sur.  After I made the turn, I started having trouble with my right shifter, until it completely froze.  Of course, it froze in the highest gear, so I had to take it slowly back home, taking RB Rd down to W Bernardo Dr and on home.  So it was an abbreviated ride.

Total mileage = 8.0 mi. Avg speed = 16 mph
Total elevation gain = 570'

https://www.mapmyride.com/workout/495615949