Well, this was an interesting ride. I intended to ride a little longer, given the forecast of rain in the latter part of this week. So I headed out by the park and over the pedestrian bridge to BVP, taking it up to Sunset Dr and turning there to get to Juniper St. Lots of commuter traffic on BVP, and there was road construction by San Pasqual HS. I took Juniper St to Valley Pkwy and then over to Broadway. All the way out to Jesmond Dene Rd, turning there and taking it to Centre City Pkwy. That little climb to the top of Jesmond Dene Rd was a challenge, as always. Rode downhill and past the Lawrence Welk Resort, staying on Old 395 past Gopher Canyon Rd and Camino del Rey. The climb from there is about 1.5 miles, averaging 6% grade. It was particularly steep on the stretch crossing over I-15, then it got more gradual. When I got to W Lilac Rd, I turned right initially, rode across the bridge over the freeway, then turned around and took it down toward Bonsall. This is a steady descent with just a single little uphill stretch. The wind was swirling, so I watched my speed and didn't try to push it too hard. When I got down to Camino del Rey, I turned left and rode back to Old 395. I had forgotten that this stretch has a slight uphill gradient, and my back was feeling it on that stretch. More climbing when I got back to Old 395, first to get to Gopher Canyon Rd and then to climb back toward Deer Springs Rd. There was a flat section before Lawrence Welk Resort, and then it started up, first slightly and then more. It was a fairly long climb, >2 miles, but not so steep for very long. I rode back to Jesmond Dene Rd and then took Broadway back to Country Club Ln, turning left there. Rode up to Ash St, turning right and heading up this little climb before dropping down to El Norte Pkwy, where I turned left to get some more miles in. Up to this point, the ride temperature and conditions had been close to ideal, overcast and cool. As I started heading up El Norte Pkwy, some intermittent raindrops started falling. By the time I got to Valley Pkwy, they were more regular, and when I turned onto BVP, it was raining. I stopped and put my lightweight jacket back on, this time to protect me from rain rather than cold. All the way on BVP, I got rained on, and it was steady for much of this section. Not great. On the descent toward Sunset Dr, the road condition was terrible, and I slowed way down, front wheel was wobbling from me shivering, most likely. I took it really easy from then on, poor riding conditions and I was chilled and really wet. Back over the pedestrian bridge, by this time the rain had let up and I was just dealing with slick roads. Home the normal way, and I was really glad to be done here. Shoes and socks were completely soaked, as were my legs. My jacket helped keep me relatively dry up top, but even still I was quite wet. Legs held up, and other than the section on Camino del Rey my back was generally fine. But my legs were tired after the ride.
Avg speed = 16.4 mph. Total mileage = 53.4 mi
Avg power = 146 W. Weighted avg power = 176 W
Total elevation gain = 3020'
Avg heartrate = 131 bpm
I finished the latest book I've been reading in The Expanse series, Cibola Burn. This one was about colonization of the first world accessible through the Ring artifact that was generated by the protomolecule. Two competing factions, some Belter settlers and a UN-approved corporation ship, are in conflict with each other, and the crew of the Rocinante get in the middle of it to try and help resolve things. Books are pretty well written, although the characters are fairly one-dimensional. Stories flow pretty well. I checked out Michael Wolff's The Fall, about the intrigue at Fox and the bickering among members of the Murdoch family - Rupert, Lachlan, James, and Elisabeth - along with some of the notables at Fox News, including Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson. None of them is portrayed in a flattering light, and the book is scathing in its portrayal of the television industry in general, and news channels in particular.
I'll also capture here some details of the previous book I was reading, Abaddon's Gate, another one in The Expanse series. In this one, a number of ships pass through the Ring formed by the protomolecule, including the Rocinante. Holden and crew are involved in making peace among these ships, including a major conflict that breaks out on the Behemoth, which was what the Nauvoo was renamed. Another decent read, with more than its share of fight scenes.
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