08-31-2023 Ride

Swam in the morning at the WWC, all with the snorkel, 40 lengths with swim pads and 30 without.  Finished in 40 minutes, so maybe I'm getting a little bit faster.  I got there just as they were opening the gate, and wouldn't you know it there were a bunch of people ahead of me.  Was able to get the last swim lane, but about halfway through my swim another guy got in next to me and was crowding me for a while.  Not a big deal but not so cool either.

For the afternoon ride with Blair, I rode through the neighborhood to Via del Campo and then took the long way around the campus to get to the back parking lot.  We headed out Bernardo Center Dr to Camino del Norte and stayed on it and Camino del Sur all the way to the 56 bike path.  Throughout this ride, I kept my pace modest, riding with him and hearing how things are going.  We headed up the bike path until Salmon River Rd, then took that over to Paseo Montalban and then to Black Mountain Rd.  Easy does it up to Carmel Valley Rd, turning right and riding the last little climb before the exhilarating downhill, with a tailwind to boost our speeds.  Left on Dove Canyon Rd, taking it to RB Rd and the normal way back to the site from there.  Home the normal way.  This was a nice, low-impact ride, started out hot and humid but cooled down and got cloudy during the course of the ride.

Avg speed = 14.6 mph. Total mileage = 25.2 mi

Avg power = 109 W. Weighted avg power = 142 W

Total elevation gain = 1590'

Avg heartrate = 109 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9759358366

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/58236103614

08-30-2023 Ride

Solo ride over to the Park n Ride by Ted Williams Pkwy, taking the Bernardo Heights Pkwy route and staying on Carmel Mountain Rd until turning left onto Rancho Carmel Dr.  It was still a little dark when I left home, we wanted to get the ride in before it got too hot.  I met John at the light by the parking garage, and we headed back Rancho Carmel Dr to Carmel Mountain Rd.  I tried using the loaded GPX file to guide the route, and it generally worked, although it took time to load and I didn't start it until John and I joined up.  Over Carmel Mountain Rd to Camino del Norte, turning right there and taking it, and Twin Peaks Rd, up to Espola Rd.  John was keeping a slow pace, and I kept getting way out in front of him.  I dialed my pace back as well, particularly after we turned onto High Valley Rd and started the serious climbing.  I kept it easygoing, waiting for him before the turns near the top of High Valley Rd, and turning onto Markar Rd.  Some more climbing, not as steep, then a turn onto Eastvale Rd and another one, a left onto Kingman Rd.  The next turn onto Skyridge Rd was marked as a private drive with no outlet, so I initially missed the turn but caught it quickly.  It looked like the road ahead dead-ended into driveways, but we checked the maps and it said it went through.  Very steep section, 15-20%.  We kept going and paused for a bit when we saw No Trespassing signs.  But a lady walking a dog said the road went through, and we kept going on her notice.  We had to ride past a gate across the road, which was Quail Mountain Rd (I actually saw some quail around this point).  More climbing, including another short section of 20% grade that was made easier by the gearing on my new bike, I was able to power up it pretty quickly.  Turned into Coyote Creek Trail, and we then followed it to Running Deer Trail, which took us to the 67, part of the way down from the high point near Mt Woodson.  Calling the start of the climb at the turn onto Espola Rd, it was about 1000' of net elevation gain in 3.3 miles.  After a brief rest, we headed over to Scripps-Poway Pkwy, and this downhill run after Poway Rd was fast and a little sketchy, with a crosswind and a very narrow shoulder.  It was also fast going down Scripps-Poway Pkwy, and I hit something in the road near the bottom and flatted my front tire.  John was out in front, so I sent him a text and fixed the flat fairly quickly, tire came off the rim much more easily than the rear tire, and the CO2 cartridge worked just fine.  All the way down to Pomerado Rd, where we turned right and headed over to Oak Knoll Rd to get to Poway Rd.  Time trial route from there, and I was taking it slowly.  John rode with me back to our meet-up spot, then I continued on, following the time trial route the rest of the way home but not riding it at time trial speeds.  Came in home via Azucar Way.  So, we found out that this route can get us to the 67 on a bike, but I don't think I'll be taking it any time soon, just too many short, steep sections and sketchy conditions on the 67.

Avg speed = 14.0 mph. Total mileage = 36.7 mi

Avg power = 116 W. Weighted avg power = 148 W

Total elevation gain = 2990'

Avg heartrate = 112 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9750253131

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/58188476287

08-29-2023 Entry

Finished the book Doom by Niall Ferguson.  Premise is an overview of disasters that have befallen mankind in the course of recorded history, including pandemics, wars, political dangers, natural disasters, etc.  He spent some time reflecting on the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, taking something of a conservative approach to its effects and government reactions.  Had a lot of good things to say about the democratic government in Taiwan and how they have handled the pandemic.  Obviously wasn't in favor of universal lockdowns and restrictions on mobility.  Started re-reading the book A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute, which I must have read in the past but didn't remember the beginning.

Ann is going in for her colonoscopy today, hoping all goes well.

Went for a morning swim, mixing it up with half of the time using swim pads and half of the time using the snorkel.  My stroke seemed a little more even when I was swimming without the snorkel, compared to the previous day.  Swam for a total of 80 lengths of the pool, divided into 20-length sections with different conditions.  Finished in about 50 minutes, and my arms were feeling the effects afterwards.

08-28-2023 Simulated Sprint Triathlon

I started thinking the previous day about trying out a Sprint Triathlon, using routes that I devised to be similar to the actual distances.  So on this day I gave it a go.  To the WWC first, riding over there on my bike and in the pool swimming by a little after 7:35.  Only goggles, no swim snorkel, and so it was much more challenging.  I felt that my stroke was much more uneven and ragged during the 34 lengths of the pool that I swam, trying to get to 750 m.  Finished in about 17 minutes, which is faster than I usually swim.  Then I changed as quickly as possible into my cycling shorts and jersey and headed out to my bike.  It took about 10 minutes total for this transition to cycling.  Rode home initially to drop off my backpack, then I headed down by the park and onto Pomerado Rd.  Initially, I could feel the effects of the swim on my legs while riding, but it seemed to settle down after a while.  I tried to push the pace consistently but not go into the red zone.  Up to Twin Peaks Rd, where I turned around and headed back to RB Rd.  This route had much of its extended gradual climbing in the first half, which probably benefited me.  It seemed like I hit a lot of lights, and that was also a help, giving me time to catch my breath.  Took RB Rd to W Bernardo Dr and home the normal way from there.  As soon as I got home, I put the bike in the garage, put my running shoes on, and headed out, about 2 minutes transition time.  That first quarter mile, uphill, was tough, muscles adjusting to running.  Over to Smokesignal Dr from Azucar Way and Duenda Rd, taking Matinal Cir and Hohokum Way to get there.  I started to settle into a rhythm then and made it okay up to Alborada Dr.  Here, the downhill was a challenge, I couldn't run as fast down as I hoped, and the uphill was also a little workout, although not as hard as I thought it would be.  Then down Aguacate Way, steep downhill, to Aguamiel Rd and another downhill to get to W Bernardo Dr.  Here was another section where I slowed down, the gradual uphill just pulled on my legs.  And the temperature was rising.  Up to Duenda Rd and then Hada Dr over to Matinal Rd.  I found another rhythm on this stretch.  Back towards home on Matinal Cir to the little path that cuts through to Azucar Way.  The downhill at the end was a relief, again probably helping me overall to have it at the end.  Finished at 9:23, so I completed it in under 2 hours elapsed time.  I felt really exhausted at the end, had to sit down for a minute to collect myself, and throughout the morning and into the afternoon I was more tired than I would have expected.  Upper arms and shoulders were feeling the effects of the swim without the benefit of a snorkel.

Swim portion

34 lengths, 820 yds, about 17 minutes

https://www.strava.com/activities/9737501758

Ride portion

Avg speed = 18.2 mph. Total mileage = 13.4 mi

Avg power = 166 W. Weighted avg power = 178 W

Total elevation gain = 710'

Avg heartrate = 139 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9737280566

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/58180271139

Run portion

Total distance = 3.14 mi

Elapsed time = 28:56

Total elevation gain = 310'

Avg heartrate = 153 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9737478486

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/58180271140

08-27-2023 Ride

Time trial ride from home with Dave.  I took it really easy on this ride, spending time talking with him and catching up on how things are going.  Later on, we went to San Dieguito UMC and saw a bunch of FUMC Escondido folks who have been going there, including the Rasmussens, whose bluegrass family band performed during the service and was quite good.  Then in the evening, we went to see the musical 9 to 5 at Kit Carson Park.

Avg speed = 15.5 mph. Total mileage = 17.7 mi

Avg power = 129 W. Weighted avg power = 148 W

Total elevation gain = 1040'

Avg heartrate = 120 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9731467554

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/58134405860

08-26-2023 Ride

Solo ride over to Gideon's house, the normal way, where I met him and we rode up to RB Rd and Dove Canyon Rd, turning left there.  Up to Lone Quail Rd, where we turned right and then left onto 4S Ranch Pkwy.  Gideon wanted to see what it was like on this road.    To Dove Creek Rd, where we met up with the other Bisikleta riders.  On this day at the start were:  Andy, Eric (first time back in a while, after retina reattachment surgery), Ray, Arnold, Rob, Gio, Fritz, Jamil, Kamal, Aaron, Gideon, Cam, and Irwin.  We headed back up 4S Ranch Pkwy and then right on Lone Quail Rd to get over to Dove Canyon Rd, taking it down to Carmel Valley Rd and turning right.  Up the two little climbs here, Kamal and I were out in front and nobody caught up to us on the climbs.  Then it was fast down to Camino del Sur, Kamal can really fly on the downhills.  We took that road over to the 56 bike path and headed toward the coast.  Ray and I led out much of the way on the stretch to Carmel Valley Rd, and a number of riders pushed the pace near the end, with no response from me this time.  Kept on going down to El Camino Real, where we gathered again and then rode up to Del Mar Heights Rd.  By this time, Romeo had joined us as well, probably while we were on the bike path.  Past this point, Fritz attacked, but I was able to stay with him, along with Aaron.  We passed him on the downhill, and it was me and Aaron out in front on the flats by San Dieguito Rd.  Eventually, a small group of riders passed us, and I accidentally bumped into Aaron but no harm done.  We continued on over to El Apajo, where we stopped for a break before continuing on.  Up to Via de la Valle, with a small group of riders leading out on the little climb there.  Again, Fritz attacked near the summit, but I caught and passed him without getting out of the saddle.  Onto Stud Loop, where Aaron got out ahead and there was no way I could catch him.  I rode with Fritz and Arnold, who also rode out in front, but I caught and passed them before the last little climb.  Another gathering point on El Montevideo before we continued on, picking up Sammy, who we saw riding the other way, and he turned around to join us.  Around the lake to El Camino del Norte, where I was a little behind the leaders as we rode past our intended turn.  We turned around and got onto Via de Fortuna, here it was me and Fritz out in front, and we rode past the intended turn onto El Mirlo, waiting for the others to get there.  Then it was me and Aaron out in front on the nice downhill.  On to the La Bajada climb, where I was solo out in front and not completely sure where I was going.  Up to La Granada, taking it into downtown Rancho Santa Fe and, apparently, narrowly avoiding getting a ticket for running a stop sign just before we got to Paseo Delicias.  Aaron and I waited at this intersection for about 5 minutes, but nobody else showed up.  So, somehow we got separated from the group.  We weren't sure if they were ahead of or behind us, so we continued on the route that Aaron remembered, which took us to La Gracia, a fairly fast downhill with some sharp turns before we turned onto Via de Alba to get to Calzada del Bosque.  Took it over to El Apajo, and by this time we had completely separated from the others, who were nowhere in sight.  So we kept riding after I sent a text to let them know where we were.  Up Three Witches, quite slowly, as I was feeling the effects of having led out so much earlier.  Aaron was waiting for me at the turn onto Camino del Sur, along with a triathlon athlete, Vanessa, whom he talked to all the way back while I rode ahead.  She might join us on a future ride.  He split off when we got back near the 4S Target, and I continued on solo, heading back up to Dove Canyon Rd and then retracing my entry route to the starting point from earlier.  I thought about just riding home directly but wanted to see if the other riders had finished.  They hadn't, so I kept going back to Dove Canyon Rd and took the normal way home from there, pretty slowly.  Temperature was rising and I think I was feeling the effects of not having had an electrolyte drink before the ride.  Home through the neighborhood, and it was a good time to be done with that ride.

Avg speed = 16.3 mph. Total mileage = 52.2 mi

Avg power = 143 W. Weighted avg power = 173 W

Total elevation gain = 3260'

Avg heartrate = 124 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9726168020

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/58115094560

08-25-2023 Entry

Rough day for Ann, she wasn't feeling well the entire day, so it was pretty quiet.  I went for a walk and then swam for 1 mile at the WWC.  She was feeling poorly when I got home.  I fixed the flat on my new bike and, later, took the wheel over to Bike Bling to have them loosen up the rear cassette spline, which was successful.  I cleaned off the cassette (it's monolithic) when I got home and removed the plastic protector ring.  Picked up leaves by the avocado tree in the afternoon, more still to be done there.

08-24-2023 Ride

Impromptu ride with Gideon, after a busy day (see below).  I was about to sit down to dinner when he asked if I had ridden yet today.  So I rode over to his house after a quick bite, and we headed up to RB Rd.  Had to ride my old bike since I discovered my rear tire was flat.  We rode through the 4S Ranch neighborhood, the long way up by the water tower, and then through the Del Sur neighborhood.  It was getting close to dusk by the time we got back to Camino del Sur, so we turned right and headed up to Artesian Rd, where we turned left and rode for a little over a mile before a short break and turning around.  From there, it was a straight shot back to Gideon's house, and with a nice tailwind we made very good time.  A couple of PRs after we got onto RB Rd, as I was pushing the pace about as hard as I could, and Gideon was right there the whole time.  Both of us suffered.  After dropping him off, I rode home via W Bernardo Dr.  A short, but intense, ride.

Avg speed = 16.3 mph. Total mileage = 16.5 mi

Avg power = 153 W. Weighted avg power = 185 W

Total elevation gain = 1080'

Avg heartrate = 127 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9715604257

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/58114843752

Earlier in the day, we packed up a picnic lunch and drove down to Imperial Beach where we had reserved a Sea Doo for the day.  Got to the marina and found the kiosk where they were set up, we packed up the stuff we wanted to take with us in plastic bags and got a short intro to driving the Sea Doo.  It was pretty easy.  No wake zone for 5-10 minutes until we got out into San Diego Bay, which was more choppy than I expected.  Took it fairly slow until we got to the Coronado Bridge, and the water was a little calmer there.  We rode along the shore and saw the Rady Shell, the Midway, Seaport Village, and the Star of India.  Then we headed out into open water and rode over to Shelter Island, saw some sea lions and birds, and also saw an aircraft carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, coming in to port.  That was pretty cool.  Then we headed back to the starting point and took a break for lunch.  The wind was picking up, and we noticed it when we headed back out after lunch.  Oh, the no-wake zone canal took us right by the Russian oligarch's megayacht that was seized by the US government.  There were some whitecaps out in the bay and a lot more spray and bumps in the ride.  We headed over to calmer waters near the Silver Strand, and Ann drove the Sea Doo for a short while.  Then we took off and rode in the same general direction as before, past the bridge but not as far toward Point Loma before I could tell that Ann was getting ready to stop.  So we headed back, taking the long way over by Coronado and then coming in with the direction of the waves so it was a little calmer.  All in all, it was a good day, more tiring driving the Sea Doo than I thought it would be.  You have to pay attention the whole time, kind of like when riding a motorcycle.

08-23-2023 Ride

Solo ride over to the Park n Ride garage by Ted Williams Pkwy, going through the neighborhood to get to Via del Campo and then over to W Bernardo Dr.  Down to Bernardo Center Dr, then I took Camino del Norte to Carmel Mountain Rd.  Right on Rancho Carmel Dr, and it was a straight shot from there.  I underestimated the distance and got there right at the meeting time, where John was waiting at the corner.  We continued on to Poway Rd, where we took the bike path to the south of the road.  It's in pretty good shape, but there is some minor climbing that has to take place, initially to get to Scripps-Poway Pkwy and eventually to Scripps Ranch Blvd, via Erma Rd, which has a short, steep pitch just before the intersection.  We turned right and took this road down to where it turned into Carroll Canyon Rd.  Road conditions were sketchy here, and this was a hint of things to come.  Down to Black Mountain Rd, where we turned left and took it (also not great road shape) until it turned into Kearny Villa Rd.  On this flat stretch, my bike felt pretty good, we had to watch for road construction on this stretch.  Stayed on this road, through some turns, until we turned right onto Clairmont Mesa Blvd.  Again, sketchy road conditions periodically.  We turned right onto Genesee Rd, and things really got dicey.  Lots of traffic and active road construction, which put all traffic into one lane and made for poor riding conditions.  I am not a fan in general of this road, and it was much worse on this day.  We stayed on it until turning right onto Nobel Dr, which was a nice change, although it has a minor climbing section to get up to Miramar Rd.  John was starting to fade by this point, so I dialed my pace back somewhat on the Miramar Rd section.  Again, the new bike rode well, with a little bit of a tailwind to assist.  Back to Black Mountain Rd, where we turned left and seemed to hit all of the lights.  We kept going on this road, including the climb up to the 56 bike path.  This was perhaps the most challenging climb I've done on this bike, and it performed well.  I kept going at the turn onto the bike path until I got to Rancho Penasquitos Rd, where I stopped to wait for John.  I got a little unbalanced and fell over on my side while standing, but no apparent damage or scrapes, just a bruised ego.  John caught up, and we took Azuaga St back to the bike path and to the intersection with Rancho Carmel Dr.  John split off here, and I rode home, following the time trial route.  Legs were a little sore from the ride and from running the previous day, but all was good at the end.  Temperature climbed during the ride, and it was 88 deg when I got home, around 10:30.

Avg speed = 15.3 mph. Total mileage = 44.6 mi

Avg power = 129 W. Weighted avg power = 157 W

Total elevation gain = 2580'

Avg heartrate = 112 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9706805329

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/58066556830

08-22-2023 Entry

First true, sustained run in a long time.  I walked up the steep section of Aguamiel Rd and then started jogging when I got to the top.  Kept it going for about 3 miles, jogging through the neighborhood, including the stretch up Capilla Rd to get some grade running training.  Felt pretty good, my wind was good and legs held out fine.  I got into a decent rhythm, not pushing the pace and not pounding the pavement, just working to get my leg muscles accustomed to running without being sore the next day.

Distance = 3.38 mi (with initial walking section)

Time = 34.52

Pace = 10:18/mile

Avg heartrate = 143 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9698507731

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/58048041576

Afterwards, I went for a 1-mile swim at the WWC, again using the swim pads for 30 lengths and finishing in about 42 minutes.

In the afternoon, we drove down to Chula Vista, got some takeout Mexican food, and ate it in the parking lot, along with some drinks, while waiting to get into the Chula Vista Amphitheater (North Island Credit Union Amphitheater).  We sat in the lawn to watch Bastille, Nile Rodgers & Chic, and Duran Duran in concert.  Amanda Young-Gonzales and her friend were also there.  She appears to be doing well.  We waited in line to get in the line for the security check and then into the venue, where we hustled over to the steps up to the lawn section.  For some reason, we had to wait there for about 25 minutes, then they let us in.  I ran up and got a decent spot near the front, and it was made better when the people in front of us later, after having rented chairs that blocked our view, offered to switch places with us so our view wasn't obstructed (very nice).  The three acts were good.  Nile Rodgers & Chic put on a really good show, they performed a number of their hits as well as a bunch of songs that Rodgers collaborated on.  Duran Duran was good as well, they played more songs I didn't recognize than I would have guessed, but it was a high energy show with some annoying stage lighting.  We got to hear all the big hits, and Simon LeBon's voice is still good.  Right after the encore, we hustled out to the parking lot and hit some traffic getting out of the venue, but all in all it wasn't as bad as it had been in the past.  Still, there has to be a better way, we just haven't found it yet.

08-21-2023 Ride

Went for a 1-mile swim in the morning, using the swim pads for the first time.  They took a little getting used to, but I could feel they cause me to work harder in pushing my arms through the water.  Might make me a little faster when I use them, which I did this time for 30 lengths.  Also went for a walk before swimming, no real evidence of storm damage, just a lot of pine straw and downed eucalyptus tree branches.

After lunch, I sprayed the front path with Spectracide to see if it would help slow or stop the weed growth.  Will see how it works.

In the afternoon, I rode over to Rob's place to ride with him.  Took the normal route over to Bernardo Center Dr and then to his place via Bernardo Heights Pkwy.  I got screwed up on the time we were supposed to meet, so I ended up getting there an hour early.  I had adjusted my seat height upwards, turns out it was way too much, so I moved it down some.  I headed over Avenida Alcachofa and Calle Suacillo back to Paseo Lucido, then over to Carmel Mountain Rd.  To Rancho Carmel Dr and then the loop around Innovation Dr and Ave of Science.  Then it was down to Sabre Springs Pkwy taking it over to Springbrook Dr, where I turned left and rode up to Poway Rd.  Adjusted my seat down further at this point, as it was still not comfortable.  Was a little high after the adjustment, but I kept riding to see how it felt.  Retraced my route back to Paseo Lucido and Rob's place, where I talked to Isabelle for a while before he showed up ready to ride.  We followed the same route out to the intersection with Carmel Mountain Rd, where we turned right and headed up that little climb running parallel to the 56, it's short enough that I was able to power up the last, steeper stretch.  Stayed on Carmel Mountain Rd at the turn and rode over and down to Black Mountain Rd, where we turned right and took it to Carmel Valley Rd.  I was riding at Rob's pace for most of this stretch except for near the turn, where I put some space between us and kept it going on the continuing climb up past the park.  Downhill was fast, with a little bit of a tailwind to help us.  We turned at Dove Canyon Rd, and it was the same thing, staying with him until he slowed his pace while I continued.  Back to RB Rd, turning right there and taking it down to W Bernardo Dr.  Here, the tailwind effect was more noticeable, and I made pretty good time.  He kept going straight at that intersection, and I turned to follow the normal route home from there.  Felt good throughout the ride, took the first half slowly and rode faster, with Rob, the second half.  Not really tired or sore at the end.

Avg speed = 15.1 mph. Total mileage = 29.1 mi

Avg power = 132 W. Weighted avg power = 170 W

Total elevation gain = 2090'

Avg heartrate = 119 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9695481257

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/58051494072

08-20-2023 Entry

This was the day that Tropical Storm, downgraded from Hurricane, Hilary was supposed to come through San Diego County.  I got out early for a longer walk, expecting (correctly, it turned out) to be homebound for the rest of the day.  The rain was steady throughout the day, getting more intense in the afternoon and early evening.  Never saw much wind or any evidence of nearby flooding.  I took the opportunity in the afternoon and evening to repair a couple of inner tubes and replace the one on my back tire with the repaired one, which has a longer stem.  Was a fairly boring day overall, it would be quite difficult to have to stay inside day after day.

08-19-2023 Ride

Solo ride through the neighborhood, riding by Gideon's house to see if he was getting ready yet (no), and heading through the 4S Ranch neighborhood to Albert Ave and then 4S Ranch Pkwy, turning there and eventually getting misdirected through the Town Center until I was on Dove Canyon Rd.  So I took it over and down to Dove Creek Rd and over to the park, where I met up with the others for this ride.  On this day there were: Perse, Jed, Charlie, Sassan, Fritz, Andy, Arnold, Ray, Gideon, and Gio.  We headed back to Dove Canyon Rd and took it over to Carmel Valley Rd, turning right and heading up toward Black Mountain Rd.  I got a little piece of metal wire in my back tire and had a flat, and it took me two tries, and a lot of help from the others, to get back going.  After the first inner tube repair failed, I was ready to call Ann and let them go on, but they insisted on staying around an helping to repair it again.  Second time was a charm.  A number of the others kept on riding, so the group was separated, for the first time.  It turned out to be a theme on this day.  Feeling good after the tire repair, and I was in or near the lead with the smaller group for a while.  We turned onto Del Mar Heights Rd and took it up and down to El Camino Real.  On the little climb there, several riders got out in front, notably Arnold, but I was able to catch and pass them all before the top.  At the corner, Ray and Jed were waiting for us, and we continued on.  I didn't stop as we made the turn, and so I got out ahead of the others and kept it going up and then down into the flats near San Dieguito Rd.  Eventually, they caught up with me, and we continued over to Via de la Valle.  Romeo had joined us at this time, and he is a very strong rider.  We took this road up to Calzada del Bosque, turning left there and then taking a quick right onto Los Arboles.  By this time, we were all generally in the same area, but some of the others were slow to continue, so we spread out again.  Stayed on this road until turning right onto Via del Alba, the left onto La Gracia, which took us to La Flecha and into Rancho Santa Fe.  Brief break here for everybody to catch up, then we continued on over to Paseo Delicias, turning right and then right again on Via de la Valle to get to Stud Loop.  I was keeping near the front of the pack here, along with Ray, and a group of SDBC riders came by, fast, with Fritz, Perse, Romeo, and Arnold hanging on.  I kept back, probably couldn't have held that pace for long like them.  Eventually, I caught up with Fritz, as I was riding around the same pace as Jed.  We regrouped again on Paseo Delicias and rode up to El Camino del Norte, turning left there and taking this road all the way down to the stop sign.  This was a fast stretch, and I hung with the leaders and had enough left at the end to push in front of them, including Ray at the last second.  Left turn at the stop sign, onto Rancho Santa Fe Rd, turning at the light onto S Rancho Santa Fe Rd and heading over to La Bajada for a short stretch before turning right onto La Noria, which turns into El Camino Real.  I hadn't been on this road in a long time.  It has some climbing on it, and I wasn't near the lead here.  Near the stop sign for Linea del Cielo, Sassan got a flat and we stopped to repair it.  Meanwhile, Ray, Andy, Gideon, and Perse had stopped at a 7-Eleven for a break.  Even after we fixed the flat, they weren't there, so we continued on El Camino Real (a dicey crossing of Linea del Cielo, lots of traffic both ways and a blind corner as well).  This took us back to Via de la Valle, where we turned right, Fritz in the lead and me right behind, and then left onto El Camino Real to get over to San Dieguito Rd.  We had a pretty decent pace line on the flats here, everybody had a turn at the front, and Jed was last and pushed the pace.  We got over to the gas station before Three Witches and had another long break, where the other riders caught up with us.  Then it was up the climb, Fritz way out in front of the others, followed by Sassan and Jed.  We passed Aaron on the climb, he was out for a slow-paced ride.  Near the top, I was still feeling strong and made up some time on Sassan and Jed.  One last collection point at the turn onto Camino del Sur, then I led out and stayed out in front for pretty much the rest of the ride, feeling strong with gas left in the tank.  We headed up to Dove Canyon Rd, then back to the park the way I came earlier.  I stayed briefly there, then headed back home, taking Dove Canyon Rd back to RB Rd and then home the normal way through the neighborhood.  Legs were starting to feel it at the end, but they held out.  My new bike felt really good throughout, fast on the descents and quick-shifting to let me adjust my cadence to a comfortable level.

Avg speed = 17.3 mph. Total mileage = 51.3 mi

Bisikleta route avg speed = 18.0 mph

Avg power = 159 W. Weighted avg power = 189 W

Total elevation gain = 3300'

Avg heartrate = 126 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9680968973

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/57978973589

After getting back home, I went over to Vivian's condo and helped John and her with the upstairs painting.  Learned that Vivian is 45.  Was fairly easy work but it took a long time to paint the walls I took on, and I was tired out afterwards.  Then I went home and moved all of the patio furniture and trash cans into the garage in anticipation of windy conditions from Hurricane Hilary.  Yet another workout, and after that one I was ready to take it a little easier for the rest of the day.

08-17-2023 Ride

Up to HP site the normal way, second ride on my new bike.  It felt fine and responsive on the climbing sections on the way there.  To the back parking lot, where I met Blair and showed him the new purchase.  Then we headed out Bernardo Center Dr, generally into the wind although it wasn't feeling really breezy.  Bike was a little squirrely on the downhill to Dove Canyon Rd but controllable.  Then I took an easy pace up the little climbs, only getting out in front of Blair a little bit.  We continued down Carmel Valley Rd and stayed on it all the way to the 56 bike path, starting to head back from there and again staying together on our pace.  We stayed on the path to Black Mountain Rd and beyond, turning off at Salmon River Rd to get over to Paseo Montalban and then to Black Mountain Rd.  Steady pace on this stretch, and I got out a little bit ahead of Blair on the climb around the turn onto Carmel Valley Rd, but I kept it slow near the top and he caught up.  Fast on the downhill, with a little bit of a tailwind.  We turned on Dove Canyon Rd and took that road back to RB Rd, turning right and then another right onto Via del Campo (this road is in terrible shape) to get back to the site.  On the ride home, I took W Bernardo Dr all the way to Aguamiel Rd and then home from there, not exactly sure why.  The bike rode really well.

Avg speed = 14.8 mph. Total mileage = 26.1 mi

Avg power = 122 W. Weighted avg power = 156 W

Total elevation gain = 1810'

Avg heartrate = 112 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9669736558

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/57939266715

08-16-2023 Ride

Inaugural ride on my new bike.  I was able to get the batteries charged enough to run the shifters and test them out.  Put about 80 psi of air into the tires to see how it felt, and I installed my pedals on the bike.  Also put my saddle bag on, it was a tight fit with the aero seat post.  Then it was ready to go, even though I still don't have a holder for my Wahoo, which I carried in my back pocket.

Headed through the neighborhood to RB Rd, then through the 4S Ranch neighborhood all the way up Alva Rd and past the road to the water tower.  Back over to Four Gee Rd, staying on it as it turned into Paseo Del Sur and riding through that neighborhood as well.  At the light to get onto Camino del Sur, Aaron Holdaway pulled up beside me, as he was taking a short riding break.  We didn't stay together too long, as I continued on Camino del Sur while he turned left shortly afterward.  This bike feels pretty responsive all around, and it feels like it is measurably more efficient at translating my power into bike speed.  The shifting is seamless, and the pattern will take a little getting used to.  The braking is much stronger, it is easy to lock up the tires, so I will need to adjust to the new capability.  I took Camino del Sur down to near its end, where it now connects with Park Village Rd.  This route has a 1-mile uphill stretch, not too steep, and the bike just sailed up this grade.  Also felt decent on the steeper stretch on Black Mountain Rd to get to the 56 bike path, where I tested out some of the lower gears.  Turned east there and took it all the way to Rancho Carmel Dr.  That little climb just past Rancho Penasquitos Blvd was pretty easy on this bike, probably helped out by the tailwind out of the west.  From this point, I stayed on the time trial route, other than turning right onto Carmel Mountain Rd to avoid waiting at the light.  Not attempting to set any speed records but feeling comfortable at a decent pace.  It was over 90 deg when I got home, but I didn't notice the heat too much.

Avg speed = 16.1 mph. Total mileage = 25.6 mi

Avg power = 137 W. Weighted avg power = 173 W

Total elevation gain = 1650'

Avg heartrate = 126 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9661389037

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/57916193367

Later on, Ann, Emily, and I went to the contemporary worship service at St Bartholomew's Church in Poway, after having had Thai food for dinner.

08-15-2023 Entry

Started to incorporate running into my exercise routine, with a 3.5 mile combination of walking and jogging, picking two 1-mile stretches to jog continuously.  Felt a little tired at the start, since it was uphill jogging, but it felt better as it went along.  Later, I went to the WWC and had a 1750 yard swim.  Originally planned on going for 1500 yards, but at the last minute I went another 10 pool lengths.  Later that morning, I went over to Joe Swoboda's place and picked up his bike from Cathie to try and adjust his front derailleur.  As I got back home, the FedEx guy was dropping off my new bike!  I adjusted Joe's shifting first, a little more tricky since he has a triple chainring.  Got it to work pretty well by a combination of cable tension tightening and adjustment screw turning.

Then I started on unpacking my new bike, a Canyon Aeroad.  Paint job looks great, no obvious defects.  The handlebars are a little funky, in that the ends can be removed and need to be inserted with two torqued screws on each side.  Measured my old bike's distance from seat to pedals and used that measurement to set a similar value for the new bike.  Not too much assembly needed, I took off all of the reflectors that came with it.  The batteries for the SRAM AXS system came completely uncharged, and I ended up having the devil of a time getting them to charge initially.  Was eventually able to get them to charge, but what I did to accomplish this I am not sure.

In the late afternoon, Ann and I went to Moonlight Beach to hang out and watch the sunset.  Stopped at Trader Joe's to get some stuff to go with dinner, and it looked really overcast.  Was that way when we got there, which might explain the relatively small number of people at the beach.  We went for a walk north on the beach and turned around when the tide started coming in.  Dinner was really chill, temperature was very nice and the sun had started to peak out from the clouds.  We were set up next to a group celebrating a 16 year old's birthday, which was kinda nice.  Near sunset, we got some nice pics of the sun behind clouds, and it peeked out just over the horizon.  I am sure I saw a little green flash around the sunset point as the sun vanished behind some clouds just above the horizon.  Cool!

08-14-2023 Entry

Went for a swim in the morning, 1750 yds without any pause.  There were times when I felt like I was in a rhythm, but I'm still really slow in the water.  May need to start more interval training, although it's not something I'm looking forward to.  My hope is that the swimming will, over time, improve my overall cardio and show benefits in other exercise activities as well.  Did some more cleaning of the path in the front yard, one more stint before it's cleared up for now.  Filled up the tires and gas on the scooter after using it to have lunch with Julio Lopez at Tandoori Express.

08-13-2023 Ride

Solo ride across the freeway and via the back way behind the mall over toward Dave's house, staying on Escondido Blvd until Brotherton Rd, which I took all the way to Felicita Rd before turning around and heading over to his house.  From there, we took the time trial route, slowly.  He's got a lot going on right now, so we spent some of the time talking and the rest just riding together.  For the most part, I rode at his pace, other than the couple of climbing sections in the first half, where I got out a little bit in front.  Home the normal way until I got onto W Bernardo Dr, which I took up to Matinal Rd, turning there and riding to Matinal Cir and over to Smokesignal Dr, trying to get over 30 miles.  To Alborada Dr, Aguacate Way, and Creciente Way to get back to Azucar Way and home.  Was a nice little diversion at the end of the ride, but it slowed down my average speed.

After the ride, we went to the Sunday traditional service at Hope UMC.  Generally nice but nothing to really excite us.  The people were friendly, but the music was blah.  In the evening, we went down to CityFest in Hillcrest, and it was anything but boring.  Some decent music, some atonal blasting music, and a really bad solo singer.  Dinner at a Mediterranean place that was decent, huge portions.  Then we hung out and listened to several DJs while the party got started, and we people-watched.  Left just a little after the drag show started, it had been a long day.

Avg speed = 15.1 mph. Total mileage = 30.7 mi

Avg power = 119 W. Weighted avg power = 142 W

Total elevation gain = 1640'

Avg heartrate = 120 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9640684495

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/57840116877

08-12-2023 Ride

Solo ride, through the neighborhood past Gideon's house to see if he was riding, over to RB Rd, and turning onto Dove Canyon Rd to get up to Camino del Norte.  Turned right there and then left onto 4S Ranch Pkwy to head down to 4S Ranch Community Park, the Bisikleta starting point on this day.  The riders were: Jed, Fritz (new Canyon Ultimate bike, lightweight and designed for climbing, very nice), Arnold, Ray, Rob, Robert (new Sprinter camper van, also very nice), Perse, Aaron, and Charlie.  Andy was going to ride with us, but he couldn't get his front derailleur to shift up and down, so he bailed.  We headed out Dove Creek Rd over to Dove Canyon Rd, turning right and taking it to Carmel Valley Rd.  Up the little climbs to Black Mountain Rd and continuing on.  In the early stages of this ride, I was at or near the front for much of the time.  Fritz was strong with his new bike, and Aaron was strong as always, along with Jed.  All the way down to Del Mar Heights Rd, where we turned right, got back together, and continued to El Camino Real.  The little climbs on this road were a minor workout.  Right on El Camino Real, up the final part of the climb and then down into the flatlands, taking it to Via de la Valle and turning right.  Same leading riders here.  To Calzada del Bosque turning left and then right onto Los Arboles, where it was me and Rob out in front for a time.  We got to Via de Alba, and Rob thought we were supposed to turn left, so he and a number of other riders went that way while I waited at the intersection for Ray and Perse to catch up, they were taking it slowly as Ray was working through a frozen shoulder issue.  Once they got to the intersection, we had to figure out how to gather everybody back together.  While we were waiting, the others came back from their wrong turn, and we continued on Via de Alba to La Gracia, turning left and riding into Rancho Santa Fe, where the fancy cars were on display.  Again, we got separated as some of the riders missed getting onto Paseo Delicias heading northeast.  Aaron and I got to the beginning of Stud Loop and waited for the others to join us before continuing on.  I had a strong finish on this next section, a bunch of riders got ahead of me but I passed all of them except for Aaron and Robert, who I was suspecting used some power assist on this stretch.  We got back to Paseo Delicias and took it back into town, pausing here for a break, including a bathroom run for Fritz.  There is a water fountain in the park there, for future reference.  Then we headed out Linea del Cielo, and a number of riders got out ahead of me without me being able to respond.  So I rode with Jed, trying to stay on his wheel, and Rob caught up as well.  Then it was down toward Solana Beach, where we stopped at a Starbucks just past the freeway for a longer break.  From there, the route was a fairly common one, down to the coast and south on the Coast Hwy to Via de la Valle, turning left there.  I like to think of this section as one where I lead out, so I did here, taking us back to El Camino Real and over to San Dieguito Rd.  We paused here for everybody to get back together, then we had somewhat of a ragged pace line, at least for a while.  I tried to keep the pace down, since Charlie was suffering and slowing down, but it didn't work.  No stop at the gas station before Three Witches, and I was slow going up, not willing to push hard to extra minimal gain and wanting to save my energy.  Over to Camino del Sur, for a final gathering before heading back, this time using Paseo del Sur to go through the Del Sur neighborhood.  Right on Del Sur Ridge Rd, then another right onto Nicole Ridge Rd before turning onto Camino San Bernardo.  I was back near the lead in this last stretch, and Fritz was feeling the effects of the ride, just the beginnings of cramps.  Back to 4S Ranch Pkwy and to the starting point, where I hung around for a little bit before starting home.  Over Dove Creek Rd to Dove Canyon Rd, turning left and riding up that little hill, quite slowly, to get over to RB Rd for more slow riding to get back to the neighborhood.  On this day, I stayed on Matinal Rd until I turned onto Cabela Dr, and then Luz Pl, to get to Duenda Rd and home via Aguamiel Rd.  Legs felt fine on this ride, just not the late-stage drive that I hope will build up with more miles during retirement.

Avg speed = 16.6 mph. Total mileage = 49.1 mi

Avg power = 147 W. Weighted avg power = 172 W

Total elevation gain = 3260'

Avg heartrate = 124 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9634707618

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/57771163891

08-11-2023 Entry

A light day for exercise, walking in the morning and skipping swimming and cycling to give my body a chance to recover.  I did some yard work, continuing on cleaning up the path in the front yard and, later, going after the stump in the back corner near our fence line, on the other side of the fence.  That thing is a bugger.  I tried to cut away the areas where the sprouts had come out, but I don't hold much hope of it slowing down the growth.

Later in the evening, we went over to the Carmel Mountain Ranch shopping center and saw Cassie B and her band in concert outside the bookstore.  It was very entertaining, she's a talented singer, and the band was also pretty good.

08-10-2023 Ride

 Solo ride, through the neighborhood to Matinal Rd, to work and the back parking lot, where I met Blair in the afternoon for a ride.  It was a little breezy on the way over, so I decided on a general route that headed south first, generally into the wind.  We headed over to Camino del Norte, turned left and rode up to Carmel Mountain Rd.  I was feeling some of the effects of having gone for a mile swim in the morning, and my quads were still a little tender from the hike.  So, Blair pretty much matched my pace on this ride, except for a couple of the climbing sections, where he was only a little bit behind.  We headed to Rancho Carmel Dr, turning right there and taking it to Sabre Springs Pkwy, nice general downhill for quite a while.  Across Poway Rd, eventually turning at Springbrook Dr and starting uphill.  This is a 1-mile climb at about 5% grade, and I took it slow and steady.  Up to Scripps-Poway Pkwy, where we turned left and rode down, quite fast, to Pomerado Rd.  Turned left there and headed over to Metate Ln, where we turned right and rode up to Community Rd.  A left there, taking it to Twin Peaks Rd and then back to Camino del Norte.  Again, I kept my effort modest on the little uphill stretches here.  Then we retraced our route back to the starting point.  Was good riding with Blair again, he's getting stronger as he puts more regular miles in.  Home the normal way.

Avg speed = 15.0 mph. Total mileage = 22.6 mi

Avg power = 127 W. Weighted avg power = 154 W

Total elevation gain = 1620'

Avg heartrate = 119 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9623522883

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/57771257615

08-09-2023 Ride

Ride from the Park n Ride by Ted Williams Pkwy over to John's house, taking Poway to Springhurst Rd and riding up to its top before turning around and heading to his place.  I met him with Jaden in the driveway, and Jaden wanted to come too.  Not this time.  We headed up to Scripps-Poway Pkwy and then down to Black Mountain Rd.  For the most part, I kept my pace close to John's except for the longer climbing sections on this ride.  We took Black Mountain Rd over to Mira Mesa Blvd and then followed the old Fourth of July route for a while, over Camino Ruiz to Calle Cristobal/Sorrento Valley Blvd and down into Sorrento Valley.  It was intermittently sprinkling, and I was a little worried about my downhill speed on the descent, so I kept it in check.  Left on Vista Sorrento Pkwy, then another left onto Mira Mesa Blvd before making a right onto Scranton Rd to get to Carroll Canyon Rd/Carroll Rd, where we climbed back some of the downhill elevation.  Over to Miramar Rd, and the last stretch of this road was in truly terrible shape, to be avoided in the future.  From here, it was the normal way back to his house, up Pomerado Rd and back through the neighborhood.  Smoothies and a nice conversation there before I headed back, this time taking the standard Sabre Springs Pkwy route.  This was my first ride after the hike, and my quads were still letting me know about it.  Legs felt better later on.

Avg speed = 15.4 mph. Total mileage = 34.7 mi

Avg power = 124 W. Weighted avg power = 151 W

Total elevation gain = 2240'

Avg heartrate = 120 bpm

https://www.strava.com/activities/9616388088

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/57699488040

Later on in the day, we went to the San Diego Archeological Society Museum in the San Pasqual Valley.  It was a nice little 30-minute visit, not much more there, but it covered different theories - Beringia, early Clovis culture, Solutrean hypothesis - about how the Americas were originally populated.  I also learned, earlier in the day, that Elizabeth Garrett had been involved in a car accident and was grievously wounded.  This stayed on my mind the entire day.  Praying for her to make it through the next several days, where surgeries are needed to start putting her back together.

08-08-2023 Entry

Went for a 1500 yd swim when the WWC opened, 37 minutes to complete.  I walked there and back.  My legs were still sore from the Mt Whitney hike, but I could tell that my muscles were less inflamed.  Later, I met Emily at Lake Miramar and we hiked all the way around the lake, 5 miles.  Good conversation, but that was another workout, and I was feeling it at the end in my legs.  I had also cut back the bushes behind the fence in the backyard in the afternoon, since the temperature was moderated by the effects of the Pacific tropical storms.  One more to cut back, along with trimming the growth nodules of the one by the fence.

08-07-2023 Entry

Legs still quite sore from the Mt Whitney hike, but on my morning walk I could keep up a decent pace, unlike the previous two days.  We did a very retirement thing and went to see a movie - Mission Impossible, Dead Reckoning, Part 1 - with an 11:00 start time.

08-06-2023 Entry

On this day, I was having to go up and down the steps in the house gingerly, especially down.  Legs absolutely torched from the Mt Whitney hike.  I hope this muscle soreness starts to subside.  We did go to Lake Poway in the late afternoon to see Britain's Finest, a fun Beatles tribute band, in concert and have a picnic.  It was fun, but I was slow walking around the park.  I went for a walk in the evening after coming back from the concert, after a fairly sedentary day spent limping around the house.  It was a slow pace indeed, intent just to get to 10k steps.

Mt Whitney Hike 2023

Charlie Witherspoon had invited me on this hike, and I was excited/apprehensive about it, given its difficulty.  Justifiably so.  Up until a couple of weeks before the hike, the prospects of getting to the summit seemed very far away.  I regularly did my early morning walks with 14 lbs of weights in my backpack, and I bought Merrill boots that fit me better.  I arrived in Whitney Portal in the afternoon on a Wednesday and spent a while walking around the area to find out where the campsite was.  Found it, drove there, and unpacked the tent (I put it in the Jeep Grand Cherokee rental car as an afterthought, since the others were supposed to bring tents that I could sleep in).  I got a couple of little naps in before Charlie and his son Connor arrived around 10:30.  I helped them unpack and get set up, then went back to sleep, waking up but not getting up when Charlie's other son Ryan and his friend Hussein Elamin showed up at 1:30.  After getting up a little late and having a big breakfast, we drove over to Horseshoe Meadows and did a 5-mile warm-up hike, starting at around 10,000' and getting an elevation gain of about 500' in an out-and-back route.  Back to the campsite, where we spent the afternoon eating an early dinner (taco fixings left over from the retirement open house) and getting our backpacks ready for the hike.  Others were in their tents by about 5:30, but I knocked around for another hour or so before getting in mine and reading for a while.  I probably got about 3 hours of off-and-on sleep before we woke up at 11:15 to break camp and drive over to the jumping-off point.  There, we met Connor's friend Sam Beilman, who had driven in from Reno after working a night shift and sleeping during the day.  We started on the trail around 12:12 and made good time.  Temperature and conditions were ideal for a night hike, including a super moon 2 days past full that allowed us at one point to hike without our headlamps.  We made the first 4 miles in under 30-minute mile pace, and these included several stream crossings that were uneventful.  The trail and switchbacks on this section were well maintained and not too strenuous, especially at this elevation.  This brought us roughly to Outpost Camp and then Mirror Lake, after which we soon hiked above the tree line.  The next stretch of 2.5 miles had us getting onto snow fields for the first time, and it was initially dicey but doable.  It was significantly steeper as well on this stretch, which slowed our pace.  This brought us past Trail Camp, where we had a break, and up to the beginning of the 99 switchbacks up to Trail Crest.  We were here before sunrise, and this made the trail a little more treacherous, due to the large amount of water runoff from the snow fields that was frozen on the rocks.  It took us about 1:40 to get up the switchbacks, which involved 4 snow field traverses, one of which required me to put on crampons.  I had a couple of slips on the icy rocks going up but negotiated things pretty well and was feeling good at the top.  I had a couple of doses of Ibuprofen up to this point and wasn't feeling any altitude sickness symptoms.  But I could definitely sense the exertion level and my shortness of breath.  From Trail Crest, at about mile 9, the trail dips down about 150' to meet up with the John Muir Trail, and got out ahead of the others for a while before waiting for them to catch up.  Then the trail tipped up for the next 2 miles along the backside of the ridge to the west of this section of the Sierras.  We got to the point in the trail where a snowfield was preventing us from continuing, at which point we bouldered up to the peak.  Me, Charlie, and Ryan were in one group that went a little farther before getting onto the bouldering field.  This was quite difficult, both physically exhausting and difficult to plot the right route up through the boulders.  Charlie was feeling the effects of the altitude at this point, and he wasn't digesting the protein bars he had eaten earlier.  Which brings me to my nutrition situation.  I didn't manage this well.  Didn't eat and drink frequently enough for the level of exertion we were putting in.  Charlie and I got up to the top around the same time, just before 10:00, as I waited for him to follow me up the boulder field.  We spent more than an hour up at the top, where I ate some food and had some fluids.  Then it was back down through the boulders, at least as difficult, maybe a little more so, on the way down.  The adrenaline of having reached the summit was wearing off, and the group was a lot quieter on the way back.  To the trail and down, which was a welcome exertion of different muscles.  On the little uphill stretches back to Trail Crest, it was arduous, no other word for it.  My climbing legs were worn out.  There was some discussion about glissading down the snow field, but calmer heads prevailed and we took the switchbacks.  Several of the hikers were out of water, so Ben, Hussein, and Connor (who were also probably chafing at the slower pace of us older hikers) hiked faster down to the lake by Trail Camp.  I had drained my water bladder, and even though I had water in bottles in my pack I wanted to keep up with Ryan and Charlie, so I didn't stop to drink.  This was a mistake, as I got to Trail Camp dehydrated.  The crossing of the snow fields on the switchbacks was also dicey, since the snow was mushy and sticky, so much so that on the stretch where I put the crampons on, the snow pulled them off my heels and it was a mess to get across.  I also slipped a couple of times, including on the traverse by the cables that was a little scary.  We had a longer rest down at the bottom, and I used Charlie's water filter pump to refill my bladder for the rest of the hike.  The next section down to the treeline was tough, steep downhill, very hard on my legs, which jolted on each step down.  I had a minor fall, nothing major but a signal that I wasn't fully functional around my balance and muscle control.  This probably helped explain how I had a misstep on one of the stream crossings and ended up with both boots in the water.  We hiked a little bit after that, then I called for a break so I could change my socks.  This was just past Outpost Camp, and it was our last stop, 3.5 miles or so out from Whitney Portal.  For a time after this, I felt pretty good, maybe some of the calories and hydration had kicked in.  It lasted for about half of the distance, then I was in survival mode, just putting one foot in front of the other and trying to keep a decent cadence.  Charlie was leading out with a 20-minute mile pace, and it was a struggle for me to match it (I did, basically).  It was a blessing with the trail not having so many steps and rough parts as well as being in the shade much of the time.  When we got to the trailhead, I was completely spent, weaving on my legs so much that the others insisted that I sit down.  Didn't take too long for me to recover enough to walk up to the store and back to the car.  Charlie was kind enough to carry my pack to the car, and I really appreciated that gesture.  After a bit, we headed back to near our campsite, picked up our coolers from the bear lockers (Ryan and Hussein carried my containers to the car, super guys!).  Then we drove down to Lone Pine and had beers and dinner at a burger restaurant, which was pretty decent.  Felt really good to be done.  I don't think I could have hiked another mile at the end, I was that close to being completely done.  Even so, this was a signature accomplishment, one I don't need to repeat ever again.