12-30-2017 Ride

Ride with Oren and Slavik from Netanya, taking the normal route over to Hwy 4 and heading north.  We got a little bit of a late start, and neither of the others was interested in riding either fast or a long distance.  We rode out to a little beyond mile 15, then turned around a retraced our route.  It was a little chilly at the start, and when we turned around it felt like we were riding into a headwind.  I kept my speed down for the most part, only riding out ahead a couple of times.  We started out slow and finished slower as well, but there were some times where we were making good time into the wind.  We avoided the rain, luckily.

Avg speed = 16.8 mph. Total mileage = 31.7 mi
Avg heartrate = 135 bpm
Total elevation gain = 700'
http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/2634809815

12-29-2017 Ride

Solo ride from home, heading by the stadium over to Ben Zvi and out the 44 to the 412, turning left and taking it over to the 461. then to the 40.  Headed north, taking a little ride up the 4623 until I found it dead-ended, then heading back to the 40 and riding north until the 483, where I decided on a whim to turn right and take it wherever.  Connected to the 444 heading generally south, which I stayed on until turning right on the 4613 and heading back toward the airport.  It fed into the 46 and then the 40.  I was feeling okay, so I kept on this highway until getting back to the 44, where I turned and rode home the normal way.  The wind was a little at my back and with the general downhill slope I made pretty good time on the ride home.

Avg speed = 18.1 mph. Total mileage = 48.8 mi
Avg heartrate = 145 bpm
Total elevation gain = 1260'
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/1898289944

12-22-2017 Ride

Solo ride in the morning after a late night at the Ulpan holiday karaoke party.  I decided to keep pace modest and distance down.  Rode up Jaffa St to Derekh Menachem Begin, all good.  Traffic was building but not bad.  Then I got onto Hwy 2 going north through the city before turning right onto HaShalom Rd, staying on it as it turned into Aluf Sade St and then Derekh Sheba.  Some surface streets through Kiryat Ono before heading north on Derekh Levi Eshkol to get to the 481.  Still, generally all good.  I got through Petah Tikva and Kiryat Sapir to connect to the 40, taking it south.  From here, my average speed increased.  Back to the Tayyasim Exchange to get onto the 461 heading west.  I then turned left onto the 412 to head toward Rishon LeTsiyon, and this is a nice stretch of road.  Turned right onto the 44 and headed back home the normal way from here, keeping a high speed and feeling pretty good.

Avg speed = 16.8 mph. Total mileage = 28.6 mi
Avg heartrate = 125 bpm
Total elevation gain = 820'
http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/2626421140

12-16-2017 Ride

Solo ride, starting a little after 6:30.  I was a little tired from the previous day's ride but didn't realize how much until later in the ride.  Out Kibbutz Galuyot to the 461 and then to Hwy 40, turning left and enjoying the generally flat terrain.  Out through Petah Tikva and then to Kefar Sava before turning around at mile 20.  The return ride, following the same route, was not as smooth as I expected, and I was really worn out after mile 30, basically coasting home.  I was also hungry and suffering from calorie deficit.  Made it back home okay but need to be better prepared for longer rides in the future.

Avg speed = 17.0 mph. Total mileage = 40.4 mi
Avg heartrate = 134 bpm
Total elevation gain = 770'
http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/2619209761

12-15-2017 Ride

Ride with Zvika.  We were originally going to ride from the Nachson Junction, but when we met there he realized he forgot his shoes.  So we drove back to his house and started from there instead.  Out the 411 to the 3, then turning left to get over to the 44.  A couple of climbs until we reached the 38.  Thankfully, we turned right.  Zvika was feeling the effects of a big, 200 km ride from the previous Saturday, so we skipped the major climbing.  Instead, it was another steady climb up until we dropped down to the turnoff at the 383.  This road is about 12 miles long, and it is generally downhill.  Here, Zvika put the hammer down and really pushed the pace everywhere it wasn't climbing, and I just tried to hang on.  Back to Hwy 3, which we took to the 411 and headed back to his place via the 40.  On this last stretch, he slowed down, and I slowed down accordingly, still picking up the pace occasionally and working harder on the climbing sections.  We slowed down to coast in the last mile or so.  It was a good workout for me, legs held out well and I got a good cardio workout.

Avg speed = 18.2 mph. Total mileage = 50.0 mi
Avg heartrate = 152 bpm
Total elevation gain = 2680'
http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/2618222035

12-9-2017 Ride

Ride from Netanya, with Oren, Slavik, Rotem (for a part of the ride), and two other riders: Uri and Serge.  It was cold enough at the start for my fingers to be painfully cold but not dangerously so.  We rode, starting at a modest pace, for about 5 miles before Uri had to turn back due to a mechanical gear-shifting problem.  Met up with Rotem later. Standard route over to Hwy 4 and then north to Zichron Yaakov.  I felt pretty good and pulled out ahead of the group a couple of times, riding toward the back at others.  At the ZY turnoff, I didn't see Oren and Rotem turn, so I kept riding with Serge for another 1.5 miles before getting a call from Oren.  The wind was working more against us on the way out, coming mainly from the east but with a quartering effect that seemed to be more beneficial on the way back.  Stopped in ZY for a coffee and a rest.  The ride back seemed longer, particularly the stretch on Hwy 4 before we headed west back toward Netanya.  My legs felt fine, maybe I was just getting bored of riding.  When I packed my bike into the car after the ride, I forgot to put my front wheel in, and luckily Oren found it in the parking lot later and saved it for me to pick up.  Maybe I was more tired at the end than I thought.

Avg speed = 16.5 mph. Total mileage = 45.6 mi
Total elevation gain = 1070'
http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/2611056292

12-08-2017 Ride

Solo ride, I brought out my heavier long-sleeve jersey for the first time.  Headed out Ben Tsvi to the 44 and then to the 412 to ride through Rishon Letzion and into Nes Ziona to Rehovot.  Down to the 410, through Rehovot and connecting with the 411 to get to the 42.  Started heading back, intending to take one way that didn't work out and caused me to head back into Rishon Letzion, eventually getting to the 441 and taking it toward the sea.  I then took a series of surface streets through Bat Yam until I connected with the street that turns into Yerushalaim, heading bsck home.

Avg speed = 16.9 mph. Total mileage = 33.7 mi
Avg heartrate = 133 bpm
Total elevation gain = 1080'
http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/2609958094

12-01-2017 Ride

Solo ride on a Friday morning after a late evening the night before, dinner with Sagie and Maya.  My stomach was queasy, so I left a little later than usual and didn't push the pace too much.  Out Kibbutz Galuyot to the 461, riding out to Hwy 40 and turning right, then left onto 4613.  Nice little stretch of road through farmland to get to Hwy 46, where I turned right and rode back until it intersected with Hwy 40.  To Hwy 44 at Ramla, turning to head back home.  I kept a generally steady pace but didn't kill it.  Traffic seemed more intense than usual, maybe I was just more aware of it.  Back home via Derekh Ben Zvi.

Avg speed = 17.8 mph. Total mileage = 30.6 mi
Avg heartrate = 132 bpm
Total elevation gain = 680'
http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/2600263660