05-27-2023 Ride

Solo ride initially, getting going before 6:30 to put some miles in before meeting up with Bisikleta riders.  Down by the park and up Pomerado Rd to Ted Williams Pkwy, keeping a pretty good speed.  Turned right there and rode up and then down to Rancho Carmel Dr.  From there up to Carmel Mountain Rd, where I turned right and took it to Camino del Norte.  Left there, taking it over to Bernardo Center Dr and turning left to ride down the hill.  Up Dove Canyon Rd to Camino San Bernardo, turning left and then right onto Nicole Ridge Rd.  Over to Del Sur Ridge Rd, and to the 4S Target via Garretson Rd.  On this ride at the start, there were: Ray, Perse, Arnold, Nel, Kamal, Aaron, Sassan, Charlie, Fritz, Gio, Jed, Gideon, and ??.  We started the normal way, down to San Dieguito Rd and to El Apajo.  I was first up the little CdS bump but had to go all out to hold off several other riders.  We rode over to Calzada del Bosque, then turned before it started uphill onto Los Arboles.  This is a nice road, uphill with gentle grades.  Right on Via de Alba and then left onto La Gracia.Jog over to La Flecha, then a left on Avenida de Acacias.  Then we got onto La Granada / La Bajada and took it over to Encinitas Blvd.  I stayed with the leaders in the climbing sections, and it was a workout.  Aaron and I led the way up the climb on Encinitas Blvd, then we dropped down to El Camino Real.  At this point, Gideon and I turned back, as I needed to get back to help John move some of Vivian's stuff over to his house.  We retraced our route back into Rancho Santa Fe, and those little climbs put in a challenge.  Over to Linea del Cielo, which we used to get back to Calzada del Bosque, which has a really thrilling downhill section on bad roads.  We retraced our route back to the starting point, taking Three Witches up (slow for me on this day).  Not super fast on the return, but my legs were holding out okay.  I rode home the normal way through the neighborhood.  Legs held out fine while helping John with the moving, but my upper body and lower back certainly got a workout.

Avg speed = 16.2 mph. Total mileage = 48.2 mi

Avg power = 157 W. Weighted avg power = 191 W

Total elevation gain = 3510'

Avg heartrate = 131 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9153156800

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/56053353255

05-25-2023 Ride

Ride in the afternoon with Blair after having returned to San Diego from Israel in the morning.  I drove to work with my bike but forgot my jersey and bib shorts, so we ended up riding from our house.  Headed down past the park and up Pomerado Rd to RB Rd.  From there, we followed the time trial route the rest of the way.  No high-output sections for me on this day, just a nice steady pace for most of the time.

Avg speed = 15.3 mph. Total mileage = 19.6 mi

Avg power = 132 W. Weighted avg power = 159 W

Total elevation gain = 1120'

Avg heartrate = 112 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9141540753

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/56044492058

05-20-2023 Ride

Ride while on my last business trip to Israel.  We (me, Emilio, Mariya) had arrived very late on Friday night and I didn't get to sleep until around 2:00, so only 3 hours of sleep or so before getting up to meet Zvika and his riding team out by Pedaya, off the 44.  I was able to use the rental car, and I got there around 6:10, working with Zvika to set up his spare bike.  We couldn't get one of the pedals off, so I had to use his pedals instead of the ones I brought.  I did bring my Wahoo Elemnt, and that was helpful.  Group headed north until we turned onto the 424.  Initially, the pace was fast but not super fast.  The ride on the 424 was a very gradual climb for about 5 miles, and I was able to match the others' pace just fine.  Then a short downhill and the ride over to Latrun, where we turned onto Hwy 3 and took it all the way down to the 40.  This stretch had a lot of downhill sections on the way out, which meant slight climbs on the way back.  After the turnaround point at the 40 intersection, we rode in a two-line pace line for a while, and I helped out by taking my turn at being in front.  Other than this section, I tried to keep generally in the middle of the pack.  Back almost to the 424, we took a turnoff and included a climb, which had quite a steep finish near the top.  I pulled out ahead of the other riders here and got up to the summit second before turning around and riding back down to Hwy 3.  We stayed on it past the turn and rode to the next roundabout before turning around there and heading back to the 424.  Zvika's electronic shifter battery was low and it dropped him into his smaller front chainring, so he and I slowed down while the others kept hammering the pace.  I felt good through this part of the ride, keeping a decent pace and still having enough at the end, where there was a little gradual climbing to get back to the starting point.  Was perhaps my last ride with Zvika, and it was an enjoyable, challenging one.

Avg speed = 18.6 mph. Total mileage = 52.3 mi

Total elevation gain = 1960'

Avg heartrate = 134 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9104329052

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/55918529404

05-18-2023 Ride

Ride on a Thursday morning before flying out in the evening to Israel.  Through the neighborhood to RB Rd, turning left onto Dove Canyon and riding over to Carmel Valley Rd.  Up the two little climbs, then down to Camino del Sur and over to the 56 bike path.  It was Bike Anywhere Day, so I picked up a shirt and a protein bar at the entrance to the 56 bike path.  Then it was down to El Camino Real, where I turned and headed north, up and down until I got to San Dieguito Rd.  Turned right there and rode over to Three Witches, not such a good time on this climb, even though I was riding it on fresh legs.  Retraced my route back onto RB Rd, where I stayed on it until turning onto W Bernardo Dr.  To Duenda Rd, turning left and riding up to Corazon Pl, where I turned there and took it to the end and back, before heading home via Azucar Way.  Was a nice ride, decent but not fast pace.

Avg speed = 16.5 mph. Total mileage = 32.2 mi

Avg power = 148 W. Weighted avg power = 182 W

Total elevation gain = 1950'

Avg heartrate = 124 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9094654426

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/55874561072

05-14-2023 Ride

Solo ride on Mother's Day, getting out early on an overcast, somewhat humid day.  Simple route, difficult climb.  I rode over to Highland Valley Rd and then took it up to the 67 and back.  This was the first time, I think, I rode it with my Wahoo, so I could see the climb grades.  Lots of places where the grade was over 10%, some at 13-15%.  My Elemnt now has a feature that automatically recognizes climbs and tracks progress on them, pretty cool.  The climb up Highland Valley started at the first hill and went all the way to just before the little turnout that I typically stop at (I did on this ride).  Brutal as always.  The section into the outskirts of Ramona was more gentle rolling than I remembered, and the return climb is really not so bad, but I was worn out to the extent that I couldn't push hard on it.  Downhill sections on the return were nice, and I was slow on the last two little hills before home.

Avg speed = 14.8 mph. Total mileage = 30.8 mi

Avg power = 145 W. Weighted avg power = 170 W

Total elevation gain = 2540'

Avg heartrate = 130 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9070855216

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/55759497181

05-13-2023 Ride

Ride over to the Bisikleta starting point, going through the neighborhood and the extended route through the 4S Ranch neighborhood, up by the water tower but not to the top there.  On this ride, there were: Arnold, Perse, Gio, Jed, Audrey, Chris, Charlie, Kamal, Jamil, Irwin, Nel, Fritz, and a new rider, Sassan, who I met, along with the fast riders, at the top of the Palomar climb last Saturday.  This was a standard route, out Camino del Sur to San Dieguito Rd (fast for me down to the flats by El Apajo), pace line over to El Camino Real, then Via de la Valle to the coast.  Up the Coast Hwy to the 7-Eleven for a break before we turned around and headed back.  On the stretch into Cardiff, I again (it happens all the time) got isolated from the lead riders and had to work to get back with them, helped by some red lights.  A few of us - me, Audrey, Chris, and Jamil - turned off at Via de la Valle and retraced our route back.  Another small pace line with extended pulls at the front, and a brief break at the gas station before we all watched Audrey tear up Three Witches and set the all-time Bisikleta club elapsed time record!  My time wasn't terrible, but she absolutely rode away.  Back along Camino del Sur, I didn't set any records but had decent enough legs left, no cramping and no soreness in my right quad, which was good.  Home through the neighborhood.

Avg speed = 18.1 mph. Total mileage = 50.5 mph

Bisikleta route avg speed = 18.8 mph

Avg power = 163 W. Weighted avg power = 187 W

Total elevation gain = 2034'

Avg heartrate = 129 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9065515386

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/55756414046

05-12-2023 Ride

Solo ride before work, heading out at 6:00 and riding up to Duenda Rd, where I took a right and rode over on Poblado Rd to Harvest Dance Way and up to Carranza Dr.  Took it down to Pinzon Way and over to Matinal Rd.  Up to RB Rd, then through the 4S Ranch neighborhood the hard way, up to the water tower and then down and over to Albert Ave.  On Four Gee Rd, I rode up to the top before turning around and heading back to Camino del Sur.  Out to Babcock St, which I took over to Paseo del Sur.  To Potomac Ridge Rd, then on to Del Sur Ridge Rd via Nighthawk Ln.  Over to Lone Quail Rd and back to W Bernardo Dr via RB Rd.  Down to Aguamiel Rd, then I climbed up Aguacate Rd to Creciente Dr before heading home via Azucar Way.  Fair amount of elevation gain in a short ride.

Avg speed = 15.1 mph. Total mileage = 13.7 mi

Avg power = 150 W. Weighted avg power = 187 W

Total elevation gain = 1170'

Avg heartrate = 128 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9057751307

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/55702047696

05-07-2023 Ride

Time trial from home with John.  I was still feeling the effects of the previous day's ride, so no high output for me on this day.  Weather was really nice, cool but not cold.  Finished in about 1:06:30.

Avg speed = 15.8 mph. Total mileage = 17.6 mi

Avg power = 148 W. Weighted avg power = 170 W

Total elevation gain = 1060'

Avg heartrate = 117 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9028480805

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/55620026690

05-06-2023 Ride

This was a signature ride.  Drove out to Harrah's Rincon Casino and met up with the Bisikleta group to ride up the South Grade of Palomar.  On this ride there were:  Perse, Ray, Nel, Zac (his last ride with us before moving up to the Bay Area), his friend Keaton, Audrey, her friend Chris, Aaron, Chris Cantor, Jed, Gio, Jamil, Kamal, Cam, and Fritz.  Simple route, very difficult ride.  We headed out Valley Center Rd to Pala Rd, turning right.  That's where the fast riders took off.  Jed and I rode together for the first 3 miles or so on this road before he got ahead and I couldn't match his pace.  At the turnoff to the South Grade, he kept going, while I waited for others to catch up.  I ended up riding with Ray, Chris, Cam, and Fritz.  We were generally together, although Chris was initially out in front.  Eventually, they all passed me, as I was struggling to keep up a good cadence, my lower back was bothering me and I alternated between riding in and out of the saddle.  A little more than halfway up, I got past Fritz and later passed Chris.  The weather was really good for riding uphill.  The climb ends before the Mile 48 marker, and I was really glad to see the others cheering us on at the top.  A break at Mother's Kitchen, then Ray, Cam, Jed and I decided to ride up State Park Rd, which had a much more gentle grade and was going just fine.  Then Ray had a flat, so Cam stayed with him while Jed and I kept going.  We rode into the park, and then Jed and I started up Boucher Rd to the fire lookout tower.  That was brutal at the start, 9-14% grade, so I was just crawling up.  Eventually it lessened to 5-8%, and I made it to the top.  No Jed behind me.  Took a restroom break, still no Jed.  A couple drove up in a pickup and told me that he had a mechanical down near the bottom.  So I waited for Cam and Ray to show up, and eventually Cam did.  Ray got another flat and ended up turning around.  So after a short break, Cam and I rode back to Mother's Kitchen, riding the brakes down the other side of Boucher Rd and suffering (me) on the little climbing sections.  Everybody was gathered at the Country Store, and after another break and a couple of pictures, we all headed down.  The descent was nerve-racking with all of the switchbacks.  Eventually I just followed Fritz's line down and it was fine but exhausting.  Back on Pala Rd, we continued riding together and dealing with some wind gusts.  Eventually, Keaton passed us. and the downhill straightened out.  I was able to get past Fritz and ride behind Keaton for a while, then I eventually passed him as well, not too long before the roundabout that took us back to Valley Center Rd.  The stretch from Mother's Kitchen all the way back to the casino was nearly all downhill, and it was tiring in its own right.  Was glad to be done at the end, my legs held up but didn't have much left at the end.  I rode the first part of the climb, 5 miles from the roundabout to the turnoff for S6, in 37:36, averaging 215 W.  The South Grade climb is 6.8 miles and I rode it in 1:04:17, averaging 186 W.

Avg speed = 11.6 mph. Total mileage = 35.2 mi

Avg power = 159 W. Weighted avg power = 182 W

Total elevation gain = 5450' (!)

Avg heartrate = 121 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9023413642

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/55556860925