We got up early, with even less sleep due to moving to DST. I didn't sleep all that well, neither did Ann, in the middle of the night. Up at 6, then getting ready to walk over to the Grote Market, where the cycling teams participating in the Tour of Flanders were introduced. We got there around 7:30 and were very near the front. The festivities started around 8:15, and shortly after that the teams were announced. I took a lot of pictures, recognized 10-15 riders' names. Then we walked over to where the starting line was and got there just before the gun went off. I got a decent video of the peloton riding by. Then we walked back to the Airbnb, at a much more leisurely pace. We planned our next steps, where there was supposed to be less walking, but it didn't turn out that way. We were going to ride the tram back toward the cathedral, but I had trouble locating where to buy tickets and where the tram stop was. Turns out that Antwerp has subway lines in addition to busses and surface trams. A bus driver clued us in. We went down to the subway platform and caught a train back to near the Grote Markt area, where the first order of business was to eat some frites. We got them at Frituur Nr 1, they were tasty, but I don't think I need any more fries for a while. Then we headed over to the cathedral, intending to take a tour, but the Easter service was running long. I didn't want to pay 15 Euros for a tour, and Ann was okay with skipping it too. So we walked over to the Het Steen castle, which made for a nice photo and was mildly interesting. It started to sprinkle a little bit around this time. We headed back toward the cathedral, intending to get a drink at a notable nearby café, Elfde Gebod, but they weren't taking folks without reservations. So we booked a reservation for Monday and decided to head over to De Koninck brewery. I had a fair amount of trouble, this time, with figuring out the Google Maps directions, and I wasn't helped by the rain that was falling. Eventually, I got it right and we took a surface tram over there. Found the brewery OK and had a beer each, me an amber ale and Ann a sour beer. Both were tasty, and it felt good to sit down. Our last planned activity of the day was to head over to Cogels Osylei, a street renowned for its Art Nouveau architecture. We ended up walking, since the bus was going to arrive later. Got to the street around the same time as the bus, but the walk was fine. While we were walking on that street, the rain picked up. But both of use stayed pretty dry. From there, we found a tram that took us back to the stop near the train station. We walked over to a Chinese food market and got some more stuff for dinner, the walked back to the flat. It was a long day! Quiet evening after the day's adventures.
Sunday, March 31, 2024
Saturday, March 30, 2024
03-30-2024 Walk-Run
I got up early, after having been awoken during the night by rain on the roof. Had originally thought about going for a morning ride, but the rain stopped me. I went for a walk instead, into Linden a little bit, it's a bunch of houses and not so many businesses. Near the turnaround point, I started jogging slowly and kept it up all the way back to the Airbnb. Ann was up, and we got ready to leave. Our host Remco gave us a ride to the tram stop, which was great since it had started to rain again. I had some sprinkles on my walk but didn't get too wet. When we got to the tram stop, Ann had a brief moment of panic when she looked at travel times to Schiphol and saw it would get us there right before our train was supposed to leave. But I saw a shorter route suggestion, and we got some useful info from the guy on the tram who sold us the tickets. Got off at Lelylaan station and transferred to the Sprinter, which kept us from having to go all the way to Amsterdam Centraal. We got to the train station in plenty of time, and we boarded the Eurostar train on time, at 10:33. The ride to Antwerp took a little over an hour. The Antwerp train station is quite beautiful. We parked our stuff in a locker and started walking in the neighborhood near the station. After about 15 minutes, Ann heard back from our Airbnb host that the flat was available. So we headed back, got our stuff, and walked the 10 minutes or so to the Airbnb. After unloading our bags, we decided to walk over to the Plantin-Moretus museum of printing history. The weather was blustery, but we didn't really get rained on, although it was damp. The museum was interesting, and the audio tour was worth it and informative. Toward the end, it got a little repetitive, and we were both ready to leave. We walked back toward the flat and stopped at a place for shawarma and falafel. Food was decent, but I was hungry later, since that was our late lunch. We stopped at a supermarket near the train station before heading back to the flat. Quiet evening there, watched a little BBC and had some snacks, including stroopwaffel.
Friday, March 29, 2024
03-29-2024 Ride
This time, I logged both rides on Strava. I got up a little before 7, slept pretty well and was able to get back to sleep after waking up in the night. I updated my blog entries in detail for the previous two days, read a little bit, had some breakfast. Ann was still sleeping, so I had a short morning nap, and we both woke up around 10:45. We ended up eating brunch, then decided to go to Haarlem for the day. I mapped out a route from Halfweg, so we rode our bikes over to the train station about two miles away. The ride over was wind-aided. Got to the station, and Ann bought the tickets for the train. I also helped a Russian-speaking guy buy a round-trip ticket to go to Amsterdam Centraal. Then we got on the train and rode two stops to the Haarlem central station. All went well, and we got off the train and started walking toward where the Haarlem market was located. We found it okay and played typical tourists. On the way there, it was like the open mall scene we experienced in Amsterdam, lots of popular stores. There was a church on the way, but we didn't pay the entrance fee to go in. Through the market area, then we found something like a small farmer's market and bought a couple of chocolate pastries. Ann mapped out how to get to the cathedral, and we walked over there. We bought tour tickets which told about the building and stained glass. It also allowed us to go up the stairs to the ring at the base of the dome, where we were able to walk around. That was cool. A small choir was practicing below while we were up there. When we walked down, a Good Friday service was beginning. Fortunately, we were near the end of our audio tour, so we finished up and left. Walked back the way we came to the central square, then we decided to walk over to the windmill. The wind was strong enough when we got to it that it was spinning. On the way back, we stopped at a little bar and had a drink. They were setting up a going-away party for some neighbors while we were there. Then we walked back to the train station and caught the train back to Halfweg. The bike ride back, also captured on Strava, was winder and slower, although I don't think the wind was as strong as on the previous afternoon. Quiet evening in the Airbnb flat, where we had dinner using the supplies we bought at the market the previous evening.
Thursday, March 28, 2024
03-28-2024 Ride
This was a long day. The flight to Amsterdam worked out better than expected, we got to share 3 seats in the middle of the plane. I watched Asteroid City, a Wes Anderson film, with lots of good actors in it but a strange, disjointed plot. Not my favorite. I did get a little sleep during the evening flight, Ann was restless and kept changing positions. She said she got some sleep too, but she was definitely not firing on all cylinders during the early part of the day. We got off the plane, it was a traditional jet ramp down to the tarmac on a wet morning. Into the bus to the terminal, where we walked through a huge array of gates and duty-free shops before coming to a pinch point at the escalator down to the entry point for the Netherlands. The line took us about half an hour to get through, no issues. Then we were in the airport proper, where we stopped to pee and decide on a plan for the day. We decided, correctly I think, to head into Amsterdam via train. That ride was smooth, including buying the tickets. We got to Amsterdam Centraal station and had some trouble finding where the luggage lockers were. The locker storage was not easily marked from where we were, but had we exited the train platform a different way they would have been right there. The process for the lockers made sense after the fact, but it was very confusing the first time. Got it sorted out and exited the station into downtown Amsterdam. It looked vaguely familiar, so I started heading us towards the town square. I couldn't believe how many stores there were, all worldwide popular brands with a distinct American influence. After walking around, we decided to find a place to eat, as I was getting hungry. We decided on Indonesian food and I found a place opening at noon. Walking over there, we saw a big motorcade taking off from the royal palace, with some apparent royalty in a limousine. Then we headed over to Rembrandt Square, found that the Indonesian place was pricey, and decided to keep looking. We found a bar/pub on the other side of the square and ate there instead. I had a toasted cheese sandwich with sweet ketchup on the side. The ketchup was a different take, not recommended. Then we started heading back to the train station, I was sufficiently oriented that, with a little help from Google Maps, we got back directly. Found the lockers and retrieved our stuff. There were several options for how to get to our Airbnb in Lindjen, but we decided on the Metro. After some difficulty in determining how to buy Metro tickets, we'd went down the escalators and I bought them easily at an automated kiosk. There was a transfer to a surface tram that we made smoothly, the 17 stops out to the Matterhorn station, which was pretty far out into the suburbs. It was quite windy when we got off the tram, and Ann took some time to get her bearings of how to walk to the Airbnb. We started off, she was moving slowly, carrying her heavy backpack. After one false directional move across a busy throughway, we trudged (that's the right word) the rest of the way. She was walking really slow, and I kept getting way ahead of her. The walk seemed like it took a long time, but it was about 45 minutes from the tram stop. I waited at the address, on a road next to a rural-looking canal, until she got there. I was tired too, frustrated at her pace and ready to sit down. After a little bit of trouble finding the unit, we met Remco, one of the hosts, and got into the place. It's small, maybe the smallest one we have stayed in, no kitchen to speak of, just a hot plate, mini fridge, and microwave oven. A short nap, then we talked about what to do for dinner. Remco had mentioned that there were shops and a market in nearby Zwanenburg, so we got on the Airbnb bikes and rode into this village center. Took us about 10-15 minutes to get there, and we had the benefit of a tailwind heading out. We found the market, it was a nice one, and got some stuff for two dinners and breakfast. Then it was the return trip. The bikes weren't in great shape, and pedaling into the wind on the way back was a chore for Ann. I kept getting ahead and stopping to wait for her. The road had two bike lanes and a center car lane for two-way traffic, which got dicey when there were cars coming both ways. But we made it back safely, and dinner prep and eating went well. Cleanup was mildly strange, since there was no kitchen sink, but I managed. Early to sleep, aided by melatonin. Throughout the day, it was blustery and mostly overcast, but we successfully avoided getting rained on. The most impactful element of the weather for me was the wind on the long walk from the tram station. Otherwise, it was a generally fine day, much better weather-wise than it could have been.
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
03-27-2024 Entry
Travel day. I got up early and went for a long walk, mostly in the dark, to make sure I got my steps in. Got home, had a big, for me, breakfast, including coffee, and helped Ann finish house prep for Emily, with some last-minute cleaning. Then I unpacked everything and checked to make sure I had everything on my list. I'm carrying a lot of weight in my backpack, probably more than I should. The Uber drive to the airport went smoothly, and we got to the gate with no trouble other than, for me, an extra long wait going through security. I was surprised at the length of the line on a Wednesday morning. The flight to Chicago left on time and arrived a little early. The plane was completely full, and we were in Zone 5, but we were both fortunate to have overhead space for our backpacks. I used the T Mobile 1-hour free Wi-Fi for this flight, which was a minor nice option. Listened to some music as well, and reread the end of Persepolis Rising, to familiarize myself with the storyline in The Expanse series before starting the next book, Tiamat's Wrath. Walked around ORD while waiting for our flight to board. It was the first time an airline used biometric screening to allow us on the plane. Was glitch for others but worked smoothly for us. The flight was not full, again we were in the back of the plane, and we were able to switch seats and sit together across 3 seats in the middle. That gave us both room to stretch out, which made the long flight easier. Being used to longer flights to Israel, this one wasn't so bad, although I had trouble finding a decent body position to get some sleep. Fell asleep eventually, probably got a net of 2-3 hours over the flight.
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
03-26-2024 Ride
Got up and got ready for a planned longer ride, 45-50 miles. I rode through the neighborhood to Matinal Rd and took it over to W Bernardo Dr. There was a fair amount of traffic around, which was a theme for the early part of this ride, since it was during rush hour. I took RB Rd over to Pomerado Rd and started the gentle climb up to the hospital. I was not interested in the same high-intensity ride from the previous day, instead preferring to ride normally at a more modest pace and mix in periodic HIIT sections. Took this road all the way to the top, keeping a steady pace on the 1-mile climb and finishing a little bit slower than last week when John and I rode it. Then it was down the hill, paying a lot of attention this time to debris in the bike lane, since I didn't want to get another flat. I saw some rocks in the bike lane that might have been what I hit last week. When I got to the bottom, I decided to keep going on Miramar Rd rather than head further south. The road quality and traffic were both tough on this section, but I slogged through it. Out to Eastgate Mall, where I turned to get over to Genesee Ave. After I made the turn, I started to feel a few raindrops, then it got a little heavier. I stopped for a bit and had a granola bar, and by the time I started going again it had let up. So, it didn't last too long, and by the time I turned right onto Genesee Ave it was done for good. Headed from there over to Torrey Pines Rd, taking the little climb past the freeway up. Around this time, another rider passed me, and I decided to push harder and try to keep up with him. I caught him, briefly, then he rode away from me again. On the downhill, the wind was somewhat gusty, and I wasn't looking to be a hero. I did catch the guy again on the climb up to Carmel Valley Rd, but he ran the light and got out ahead again. This time, I pushed again to close the gap and caught him near a stoplight. He rode away again, and I decided not to keep this game up. Got over to Via de la Valle using Jimmy Durante Blvd, and from there it was very familiar roads. Up to El Camino Real and then over to San Dieguito Rd, where I stopped just beyond the turn and took another short break, eating some dates. I kept up a steady pace on the flats, could feel the wind out of the southwest. It wasn't as helpful as on the previous day. Up the Three Witches climb, I was steady but not so fast, pushing a little bit harder near the top. Then I took Camino del Sur over to Paseo del Sur, turning there and riding through that neighborhood to get over to Four Gee Rd, where I continued on and rode the reverse extended route through the 4S Ranch neighborhood. That brought me back to RB Rd, where I turned and followed the normal route via W Bernardo Dr back home. Legs felt fine on the ride, but I sensed the effects of the previous day's workout.
Avg speed = 16.6 mph. Total mileage = 46.4 mi
Avg power = 143 W. Weighted avg power = 168 W
Total elevation gain = 2520'
Avg heartrate = 127 bpm (Coospo), 132 bpm (Fitbit)
When I got home, after a quick breather, I went into the garage and moved the scooter, then cleaned out that side of the garage so Emily can park her car there while we're gone and she's staying here. Put some of the stuff in my office room, including my new bike. I also gathered up the cycling gear I'll be taking. I packed my stuff into a backpack, seems like it will fit just fine, as long as I wear a lot of layers. Later in the afternoon, I had a refreshing nap. In the evening, I finished up packing and checked off the items I had listed to take along.
Monday, March 25, 2024
03-25-2024 Swim/Ride
I talked to Michel Assenheimer in the morning, to catch up on what's going on with him and his family and to get tips on what to see in Belgium. Here are my notes from the conversation:
- Bar and Omer are both getting married, Bar in May and Omer in June/July
- Stopped Judo, got cracked or broken ribs from a kick to the chest and decided he didn’t need to have that kind of pain anymore.
- Moved away from Nikon to Olympus, smaller sensor and therefore smaller lenses. If I follow Michel on Facebook, I can see his wildlife pictures, some of which he showed me, and they are spectacular.
After the call, I walked over to the WWC and went swimming. Did 2500 yds in 48:44 following standard protocol. I was watching out for my right shoulder, since I had some neuralgic twitching in my fingers over the weekend. It felt fine, and the twitching appears to have dissipated and is going away. Still, I felt pretty strong during the swim. First 2000 yds was done in about 38:40. Then I walked home. When I got there, I ordered my tickets for visiting the Auschwitz Museum while we are in Krakow. Then I went out into the backyard and drained the rest of the water out of the spa. I'd turned the pump off a couple of nights previous. After lunch, I decided to go for a ride, using my old Fuji bike with the aero bars installed. I rode through the neighborhood, heading up the Capilla Rd route to Matinal Rd, then onto RB Rd. Once I got onto relatively flat roads, I started getting into aero position whenever possible. I made some adjustments to the aero bars several times during the ride, and they are still not quite right/tightened down. But they are good enough. Headed out to Camino del Sur and then down to Carmel Valley Rd. I had a PR on the section of Camino del Sur from RB Rd out to Carmel Valley Rd, 16:51, averaging almost 20 mph. Everytime I wasn't either climbing or descending, I was in aero position. At one point, I made the mistake of trying to look behind me while in aero position, and I almost crashed. Don't do that! From then on, I was more careful about coming up onto the brake hoods near stoplights and unknown/bumpy road conditions. They were paving Camino del Sur beyond Carmel Valley Rd, so I turned right and took Carmel Valley Rd down to the 56 bike path. Then I rode back to Rancho Santa Fe Farms Rd, taking the overpass there back to Carmel Valley Rd. I'm glad I did, because it would have been a mess with the road paving on Camino del Sur. My reason was to get more time on the aero bars, and that also worked out okay. There was a pretty stiff offshore headwind on the way out, and it helped me a lot on the way back. Carmel Valley Rd back to Camino del Sur, then I retraced my route back to RB Rd. On the section from Carmel Valley Rd to Artesian Rd, I had another PR, 10:31, averaging over 20 mph, wind-aided. I also had a PR on the section from Carmel Valley Rd back to RB Rd, 16:20 moving time and again averaging about 20 mph. Took Camino del Norte up to Dove Canyon Rd and then over to RB Rd, heading home from there the normal way via W Bernardo Dr. This was the fastest I have ridden solo since the time trial, and I felt pretty good out there, no lower back issues from being hunched over. I could tell near the end that my legs were feeling the effects of the effort, but they held out okay.
Avg speed = 18.6 mph. Total mileage = 26.4 mi
Avg power = 171 W. Weighted avg power = 190 W
Total elevation gain = 1680'
Avg heartrate = 143 bpm (Coospo), 116 bpm (Fitbit, watchband was a little loose)
Sunday, March 24, 2024
03-24-2024 Entry
This was a fairly light workout day. The weather was rainy off and on for much of the day. In the late morning/early afternoon, the weather cleared enough for me to go out in the backyard and take another chunk of weeds out of one of the beds. I listened to A Confederacy of Dunces while working. Then, in mid-afternoon, the weather was still holding, and I needed more steps, so I went for an hourlong walk around the neighborhood. Spent some time going through Google Photos and deleting unnecessary ones, to free up space for more pictures during the Europe trip. I called Mom in the late afternoon, but she was in an off mood, so we didn't talk for long. Did have a quick chat with Ross, he's going camping Easter weekend up near Tyler, going to take his kayak as well. I watched the first half of the SDSU-Yale basketball game, it was really no contest.
Saturday, March 23, 2024
03-23-2024 Ride
The weather forecast looked okay when I woke up, so I got ready for the ride. It did seem at times like I was getting ready in slow motion, but eventually I got it all together and headed out. Through the neighborhood and over to the 4S Target via RB Rd to Camino del Sur. On this ride, there were: Gio, Perse, Arnold, Jed, Joey, Zac, Robert (Fritz's friend), Fritz, James, Eric, and Charlie. I told Perse that I would be the sweeper, so I kept toward the back of the group for almost the entire ride. We headed out Camino del Sur to San Dieguito Rd, taking it down to El Apajo and then Via de Santa Fe over to Calzada del Bosque. We stayed on this road to take the climb up to Linea del Cielo, and here I pushed the pace and passed everybody from starting in back to finish in front. I got a Strava PR on this climb, 4:25. Then we rode into Rancho Santa Fe and made our way over to La Granada, heading downhill and then up that short, sharp climb before dropping down toward Encinitas Blvd, where we turned. Then we turned left again, onto Manchester Ave, taking it until it teed and we turned left to continue on the same street. We stayed on it as it merged into San Elijo Ave, riding up to Chesterfield Dr and using it to get to PCH. Here, we had a brief discussion about routes and decided to keep heading north into Leucadia. So we rode through Cardiff and Encinitas, with something of a tailwind helping us along, eventually turning around and stopping at the usual 7-Eleven. A relatively short break there, then we continued, trying to get the ride in before the weather came through. From here, it was the usual route back using Via de la Valle, El Camino Real, and San Dieguito Rd to get back to Camino del Sur. We had a marginally good pace line on the flats, including a couple of riders who we passed along the way, with some success. Another short break at the gas station before the Three Witches climb, and here I kept at the back and rode with Charlie up to Camino del Sur. Then I waited for James to catch up before we continued on, with everybody else in front except Jed, who had to take a phone call. I ended up riding this stretch solo, faster but not super fast. Everybody got back safely, and Robert made cappuccino for those who wanted one, since he had brought his cool RV. Maya is getting better, her bike wasn't too damaged, and her scrapes are healing up now. I rode home via Camino San Bernardo to RB Rd and then W Bernardo Dr, taking it down almost to the park to get enough miles to be over 50 for the day before turning around and riding back up Aguamiel Rd to finish it off. Felt fine on this day, a little tired after the ride but legs were good. I did forget to check the battery level on my Fitbit, so it didn't record the ride.
Avg speed = 16.0 mph. Total mileage = 50.2 mi
Avg power = 136 W. Weighted avg power = 164 W
Total elevation gain = 2430'
Avg heartrate = 123 bpm (Coospo)
Had a little nap in the afternoon after I got home. Because my Fitbit didn't count any of my ride as steps, I ended up going for a walk in the afternoon, after it stopped raining, down by and around the park. Watched a little March Madness.
Friday, March 22, 2024
03-22-2024 Swim
Went for a swim when the WWC opened, just me, Cathy, and Terry at the start. I took the pace easy on this day, swam for 2500 yds in about 53 min, with the first 2000 yds done in 42:27. I may have eaten too much right before I went for my swim. Felt loaded down and a little queasy, and I had some minor discomfort in my lower back at the start. It didn't really amount to anything during the swim. When I got home, I had a second breakfast, then I got to work cleaning out the garage in preparation for letting Emily park her new car in the garage while she's staying here when we go to Europe. Rearranged the leftover camping stuff into a smaller box and threw some of the stuff away. I also drained the gasoline out of the lawn mower, will need to stay that way until I find the time to replace the leaking gasket by the carburetor fuel body. Then Ann and I drove over to Sab E Lee to meet Ed and Susan Hume and have lunch. The food was decent, pretty spicy for Level 2, and the conversation was fun and engaging, as always. They are heading off to Europe pretty soon too, going to Vienna, Prague, and Budapest. Janet is married and living in the DC area, while Eddie is living with a girlfriend (it's not a smooth relationship) and her son in Miami Beach. We stopped at Nordstrom Rack on the way home, and I bought a pair of running shoes to take with me to Europe. It was a quiet afternoon after that, I took a brief nap. In the late afternoon, I went out for a walk around the neighborhood for about 40 minutes, didn't track it on Strava. I started listening to the audiobook A Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy Toole. I've read this book before, it's about the trials and tribulations of one Ignatius J. Reilly, a true tragicomedy. Am considering whether this could be a book club selection. Then, after a light dinner, Ann and I drove down to La Jolla to see a folk music concert featuring Banjer Dan Mazer, Gregory Page, and Jack Tempchin. I was tired from the day, and week, of exercising, so I don't know if I got the whole experience. Gregory Page was really good, but neither Banjer Dan nor Jack Tempchin were good singers. Banjer Dan's songs were pretty bad, although he can really play the banjo when he is in the groove. Jack Tempchin wrote Peaceful Easy Feeling, and his other songs were also lyrically good although structurally simple. He was accompanied by John Barlow Jarvis on the piano, and that guy is just a fantastic musician. The Athenaeum in La Jolla, where the concert was held, is one of a very few private subscription libraries in the US, themed around music and the arts. The concert area was a pretty small library room, but we were there early enough to get decent seats. We had something of a hike from where we parked, and parking in La Jolla is one of my least favorite things to do.
Thursday, March 21, 2024
03-21-2024 Swim/Ride
Went for an early-morning hourlong walk around the neighborhood, then I headed over to the WWC for a swim when it opened. Finished 2000 yds in a little over 39 minutes, not pushing super hard but trying to be consistent. Then I worked in the backyard for quite a while in the late morning, getting the lawn mower to work, mowing the lawn, clearing out most of the weeds in the side yard, and then starting to tackle the beds in the backyard. That one's going to take a while. I want to get the level down to where I can bring in a RotoTiller to churn everything up before laying down the ground cover.
Then Blair texted me and asked if I wanted to ride in the afternoon. So we set up a plan to meet at 4:15 in the HP back parking lot and head out. I drove over, after replacing the battery in my right paddle shifter (it was showing very low battery power left). We headed out Bernardo Center Dr to Carmel Valley Rd, feeling a pretty stiff breeze that seemed to be coming from the southwest. So, no flying down the hill this time. We climbed up to Black Mountain Rd. Blair is getting ready for a charity ride, Padres Pedal for a Cause, and he is just getting back on the bike and putting miles in. So he was slow on the climbs, and I dialed my effort back to match his pace on the flats and downhills. Over Black Mountain Rd to the 56 bike path, where we turned right and rode down to Camino del Sur before turning right and starting to head back. I pushed it a little bit on the climb up to Carmel Valley Rd, then I sat up in the saddle and rode at his pace the rest of the way back. We rode Camino del Norte to Camino San Bernardo, turning left and heading over to RB Rd to get to Via del Campo and back to the site. It was a good ride, fairly low output but a workout for Blair.
Avg speed = 14.4 mph. Total mileage = 17.6 mi
Avg power = 110 W. Weighted avg power = 139 W
Total elevation gain = 1140'
Avg heartrate = 110 bpm (Coospo), 118 bpm (Fitbit)
Then I drove over to RB Town Center to meet some of the other Bisikleta Board members - Gideon, Andy, Perse, and Ray - for dinner and a planning meeting, along with a welcome for me joining this group. It was pretty chill. We talked generally about the culture of helping others, mentioned the challenge of getting everybody at the meet-up spot in time for leaving on time, discussed the upcoming Palomar Ride a little bit, talked about how/whether to work on increasing the size of the group. I mentioned that one way would be to have a split and develop a group focused either on new or slower riders. We'll see whether this idea goes anywhere. I doubt it, at least for now. There was also discussion about planning other event rides, including the possibility of arranging an international ride. Perhaps before that adventure, we could plan something a little closer first. A mention was made of a ride in the wine country, either up by Napa County or in Central California near Paso Robles. We could rent an AirBnB that would serve as the central meeting spot for such a ride. Andy is really busy these days getting his house ready to rent. He hopes to sell the apartment building that his Mom owned, so he can split the proceeds with his other siblings and use that money to buy them out of her house in Seven Oaks, where he wants to move. And he is planning to retire at the end of this year, which is exciting.
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
03-20-2024 Ride
Got up a little early and got ready for a ride with John. I looked all around for my HR monitor band but couldn't find it. Got dressed and loaded up with some snacks, then had a last look around the spare bedroom, and I located the band, by my backpack. Put it on and got my bike ready, then headed up Aguamiel Rd to Duenda Rd, then over to W Bernardo Dr. Up to RB Rd, then onto Bernardo Center Dr to get to Bernardo Heights Pkwy. It was cool but not cold at the start. Up that little climb, then I took Paseo Lucido to Carmel Mountain Rd and then left onto Rancho Carmel Dr. I met John at the Park n Ride, and we traced a part of the old time trial route, starting up Ted Williams Pkwy and then Pomerado Rd to the neighborhood by Dave's old house, which we cut through to get back to RB Rd. I was riding at John's pace to this point. When we started up Espola Rd, I got out ahead of him a couple of times and waited for him to catch up. We took it all the way to Poway Rd, that last little steep climb was tough as always, then we rode downhill (mostly) to Pomerado Rd, turning left there. Up to Scripps-Poway Pkwy, then we continued on up the 1-mile climb to the top of Pomerado Rd. I set a Strava PR on this climb, finishing it in 5:59. Didn't start too fast, but I found a rhythm with fairly high cadence and stuck to it all the way to the top. We gathered back up after the turn, then headed down Pomerado Rd into Scripps Ranch. On the downhill, John got ahead of me, and I hit something in the road that caused my rear tire to go flat. I stopped and repaired it fairly quickly, it was easy to get the tire off and back on the rim, since it's been stretched out a couple of times. Manually pumped it up with my Park Tool pump, which takes a lot of strokes but does a good job of minimizing the amount of force needed to pump it. It takes about 250 pumps to fill the tire. Then I rode down to meet John, who was just starting to come back up the hill. We turned on Scripps Ranch Blvd and stayed on it after the turn. Past the high school, and then I saw the RE/MAX sign and decided to stop and see Emily at work. I had the wrong building, the old one, so I called her and she directed me to the right street. We rode over there but didn't see any RE/MAX signs, so I asked her for the street address. Then we found the building and went in to see her, Lindsey, Walt, and another lady, Bev, who works in the escrow office. It's a pretty nice office building, and their space is open and well-designed. John and I continued on, taking Scripps Ranch Blvd to Erma Rd and riding down to get onto the bike path that parallels the freeway. We took it all the way back to Poway Rd, then we rode up to Sabre Springs Pkwy to get back to our meet-up spot. I followed the new time trial route home, taking it easy for most of the way.
Avg speed = 15.3 mph. Total mileage = 40.3 mi
Avg power = 134 W. Weighted avg power = 160 W
Total elevation gain = 2840'
Avg heartrate = 120 bpm (Coospo), 124 bpm (Fitbit)
In the late afternoon, Emily stopped by and showed us her new car, a Corolla Hybrid. It's pretty nice, a definite upgrade from the old Accord. We drove to RB Community Park and hiked the normal trail that takes you down by the lake. It was a quiet evening after we got back.
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
03-19-2024 Swim/Ride
Went for a swim at the WWC when it opened, swam 2000 yes in under 38 minutes for the first time. On this day, I was intentional at times about using my legs more, with a faster kicking frequency. It also drove me to stroke faster. I could tell my effort level was higher, so I couldn't sustain the higher level for as long. It was just me and Howard in the pool, not sure where the others were. Got home and had a cup of coffee, hung out until a little after 11:00, when I went for a more casual-paced ride. Through the neighborhood and up to RB Rd, then through the 4S Ranch neighborhood to Hunters Ridge Pl, turning left there and then right onto Ralphs Ranch Rd. Normal way over to Camino del Sur from there, where I turned right and headed over to San Dieguito Rd. It was here that I noticed a steady breeze coming from the northwest. Down the hill, taking a right on El Apajo and riding over to Calzada del Bosque. Over to VÃa de la Valle, turning left there and taking it to El Camino Real. I was somewhat shielded from the wind and made good time. The climb up to Del Mar Heights was steady but slow, and the gradual downhill after that was fun. Over to the 56 bike path, where I had the benefit of a tailwind helping me all the way to Camino del Sur. I didn't push the pace too much, just rode with the wind. Rode back to Paseo del Sur, turning right there and using it to get back to Camino del Sur. Home the normal way from there via W Bernardo Dr. Felt good on the ride and after.
Avg speed = 15.9 mph. Total mileage = 36.9 mi
Avg power = 136 W. Weighted avg power = 166 W
Total elevation gain = 2090'
Avg heartrate = 127 bpm (Coospo), 128 bpm (Fitbit)
In the afternoon, I got to watch some March Madness on MAX, which was fun. Then we went to DQ after dinner for free vanilla cone day.
Monday, March 18, 2024
03-18-2024 Swim/Ride
Got up and rode over to the WWC for a swim when it opened up. The usual busy Monday. I swam 2500 yds, normal protocol for this distance, in about 50 minutes. Thought I had swum faster, especially the first 2000 yds, which I finished in 39:37. But it might be that on earlier, supposedly faster swims I miscounted the number of pool lengths. This time I was pretty sure I got the count right. I rode home, had some breakfast, then got ready for a short morning ride. Rode down by the park, then up Pomerado Rd to Twin Peaks Rd, turning right there and heading on Camino del Norte over to RB Rd, where I turned and rode home the normal way (via W Bernardo Dr) from there. At times, it felt pretty good on this ride, taking slight grades at a brisk pace. But I could feel a little tiredness in my legs, either from the Saturday ride or from the earlier swim.
Avg speed = 17.1 mph. Total mileage = 15.2 mi
Avg power = 156 W. Weighted avg power = 183 W
Total elevation gain = 990'
Avg heartrate = 130 bpm (Coospo)
After I got home, I showered and rode over to Mama Cella's for lunch with Howard and Yi-Hua. It was nice, not sure how regularly we could meet, maybe every 3 months or so. They are heading to Taiwan, with Laura, to see her family in about 2 weeks. Afternoon was quiet. I went for a short walk to get my steps in, avoided getting rained on. There were supposed to be thunderstorms coming through, but we never saw any evidence of them at our house.
Sunday, March 17, 2024
03-17-2024 Entry
Went for an hourlong walk in the morning, then that was it for official exercise on the day. I thought about going for a bike ride later but eventually didn't go. I cleaned two 10-speed cassettes, the one I'm going to give to Maher Mekdade with a 28-tooth low gear (that I took off the Kickr trainer) and the one I put on the trainer instead. Then I started the big job of cleaning out the backyard, weeding the side yard by the patio first and then tackling the old garden bed. Lots to do here, will try to make a dent in it before we fly to Europe. I had a little nap in the early afternoon, then Ann and I went to the store, got some snacks, and then met Anna and Ray Lagman at Mia Marie Winery for conversation, eating, drinking, and listening to music. The artist, Sean McCole, was decent, but his music served as background, we didn't really listen all that closely. In the evening, I talked to Mark about getting ready for the MS150, and I helped Maher change out the cassette on his rear wheel.
Saturday, March 16, 2024
03-16-2024 Ride
This was a good day on the bike. I had packed up most of the bike stuff in the car the previous evening, so I loaded the cooler in, along with my backpack, and got on the road around 6:45. Made it to Charlie's house about 7:20. It was cool but not cold, so I decided (correctly) to go just with short-finger gloves and no vest, jacket, or headband. On this ride, there were: Ray, Perse, Cam, Jed, Nel, Fritz, Charlie, Zac, Joey, Eric, and Gio. We headed down Puebla Dr to Avocado Blvd, turned left and rode downhill. That was chilly, and I was riding the brakes, trying to keep from shivering, and avoiding the grates in the bike lane. Down to Fury Ln, where we turned left and took it downhill (not as steep, it seemed, but still cold) until we turned into the back side of a shopping strip. We went through the parking lot and over to Willow Glen Dr to get to the start of the Great Western Loop. This was fairly flat, perhaps a slight upward gradient, but we got in a pace line and held it pretty well onto the turn on Dehesa Rd and then over to a gas station on the Sycuan reservation. We took a fairly short break there, then turned to stay on Dehesa Rd as it started to climb. This climb was about 3 miles up to the intersection with Japatul Rd. I kept a steady pace and left the others behind. Was a little surprised that nobody was keeping up with me. Zac was back riding with Joey. I got to the intersection and captured video of the riders coming up the last part of the climb. We stopped for another gathering break here, Zac adjusted his saddle height, and Eric tended to a scrape he got on his knee when his tire got caught in a rut and he went over. Nothing serious. We finished the rest of this climb, about 0.3 mi, on Japatul Rd, then we had a general downhill section of a little less than 2 miles before the Japatul climb began. This climb is a little less than 5 miles, although there are some small flat and downhill sections near the end. Again, I got up to the intersection with Lyons Valley Rd ahead of the others and shot video of them finishing the climb. The weather was nearly ideal for riding, not too hot, just chilly enough on the downhills to keep my sleeves rolled down. We turned onto Lyons Valley Rd and climbed a little bit more before reaching the top point in the ride and starting our descent. There is also a climb on this road, a little less than 2 miles long, just before the intersection with Skyline Truck Trail. I got to the top first and waited at the intersection to point the riders in the right direction. We stopped for a longer break at a little country store a couple of miles from the intersection, I had a pee and a rest before we continued on. Just past this stop was the corner that I had missed in our last GWL ride, so I was riding the brakes. My front brake was noisy and chattering when I applied it, so that caused me to be even more careful. This descent is steep in places and very winding, so I was definitely tuned in to avoid making any mistakes. After the steepest part of the descent, we had a climb of 2-3 miles with some slight downhill sections, and I got to the stop sign first, with Fritz not too far behind me. I took some more video, we gathered up and continued on. What followed was a 6 mile descent, steep in places, where I was watching my speed and riding the brakes to keep it steady. That descent included our time on Jamul Dr, where I missed the turn and had to switch back to catch up with the others (Ray waited for me). Jamul Dr teed into Steele Canyon Rd, where the grade flattened out as we rode back to Willow Glen Dr to complete the loop. Then it was a retrace of our outbound route, with a short stop at the shopping center to gather everybody together before the last two climbs. My legs were good at the end, no real problems there, although I was spinning at a higher cadence than normal. Fritz tried to stay with me on the Fury Ln climb but couldn't match my pace. I also had a good last climb up Avocado Blvd, stopping at the turn onto Puebla Dr to capture video of the riders finishing off their last climb.
Avg speed = 15.4 mph. Total mileage = 48.5 mi
Avg power = 160 W. Weighted avg power = 191 W
Total elevation gain = 4410'
Avg heartrate = 138 bpm (Coospo), 127 bpm (Fitbit)
After the ride, we had a nice BBQ at Charlie's house, where his friend Dan helped, and Ryan stopped by as well. The beer tasted particularly good, given the effort we had put into the ride. I talked to Eric a little bit about what retirement life is like, although he still has some time before he gets there. The rest of the day was pretty low-key.
A couple of follow-up comments about how I felt during the ride. First, and most importantly, no back or neck pain. And that's saying something, since there were a couple of long (>3 mile) climbs. I was in my two lowest gears for most of that time, and I did a decent job spinning without getting out of the saddle much. I was a little faster than the last time on the Dehesa and Japatul climbs, but Jed was definitely slower, so I didn't have the option of trying to chase him up those climbs. The weather also helped, as it was cooler this time than last. And I fueled up a little better, having a granola bar, Clif Bar, GU, and a banana over the course of the ride. Could have drunk more water during the ride, but I didn't sweat so much. It was gratifying on the last two climbs to be able to keep my power consistently above 230 W. And my front wheel brakes didn't rub at all, but they did squeal and shudder on the long downhills on Lyons Valley Rd.
Friday, March 15, 2024
03-15-2024 Entry
This was intended to be a light workout day, and it worked out that way. I did go for a longer than usual walk through the neighborhood in the morning, then the rest of the day was light duty. I rode over to Auto Zone in Escondido and got some motor oil for the scooter, then changed the oil when I got home. It went pretty well, no major issues. Later in the afternoon, I drove to Von's and got some beer for after Saturday's ride, then I cleaned off the rotors and brake pads on my front brake, including using a tire lever to try and push the pistons back. It seemed to give me a clear, free-rotating wheel, but we will see how it works on the ride.
I also finished Chaos Kings. It got long-winded and repetitive in the end, the author seemed like he was trying to bring other high-volatility events (global warming, COVID-19, crypto, etc.) into the book, but he didn't give them as much attention as the treatment of Marc Spitznagel, Nassim Nicholas Taleb, and their risk mitigation-based hedge funds. I started Walter Isaacson's Elon Musk, and so far it looks like Isaacson lives up to his reputation of being an excellent biographer.
Thursday, March 14, 2024
03-14-2024 Swim/Ride
Went over to the WWC for a swim when it opened. I swam 3000 yds, first 2000 in about 42 min, and overall I finished in a little under 1:05. I didn't have the stamina on this day as the previous two days this week, and my time showed it. Arms held up for the whole time, and I actually felt pretty good on the last 20 lengths. But I wasn't ready to go any further. Went home and noodled around the house for a while. I asked Blair if he was planning on riding in the afternoon, and when he said no, I texted Avi and told him I would meet him at his office for the lunchtime ride. Left here around 11:00 and got there a little before 11:30. Took W Bernardo Dr to RB Rd, then Bernardo Center Dr to Bernardo Heights Pkwy. The climb there was not so bad. Turned on Paseo Lucido and followed the normal way from there to his office. He was on the ride along with Jose Doval and another co-worker, Gary. We headed over to Carmel Mountain Rd and turned left to get to Twin Peaks Rd, which we took over to Pomerado Rd. A left turn there and a ride up to the hospital. I kept a steady, not scorching, pace, but I still separated from the others, so I waited for them to catch up and slowed down. We rode over to RB Rd and turned right there, taking it up to Bridlewood Ln. On the initial gradual climb, I got out ahead of the others and waited for them again, then I rode with them up to the turn. Avi and I got out ahead, turning right on Summer Sage Rd and riding up to Lake Poway Rd, where we turned right and rode a little bit before turning around and riding back to Summer Sage Rd to catch up with Jose and Gary. Over to Espola Rd, turning right there and riding by the high school before the downhill back to Twin Peaks Rd. We turned right there and rode to Midland Rd, turning left. The wind was generally coming from the northeast, so it was a pretty fast stretch for me on this road, turning on Hilleary Pl to get over to Community Rd. I waited for the others to catch up after turning onto Community Rd, then we rode over to Poway Rd and turned right. I stayed with the other riders for this next stretch down to Sabre Springs Pkwy. Gary and I got out ahead of the others, then I rode ahead of Gary as we followed the time trial route back to their office. After I dropped them off, I headed home the same way I came over, except I stayed on Bernardo Center Dr when it turned into Duenda Rd and home from there. Legs felt fine, no significant effects from either the morning swim or the run a couple of days ago.
Avg speed = 15.2 mph. Total distance = 28.5 mi
Avg power = 132 W. Weighted avg power = 161 W
Total elevation gain = 1730'
Avg heartrate = 121 bpm (Coospo)
In the afternoon, I played around with some video I captured during the ride, and I read a little bit about Chloropleth plots for my GPX analysis program. Then I rode over to a happy hour at CPK with some current and ex-HP folks, including Andre, John Godden, Avi, Britt & Bill Christenson, Rob Chohan, Oliver Woitke, Dave Pereira, and Stephen Glass. I spent most of the time talking with John, a little bit with Avi, Britt, and Andre. Was a nice little interlude, but I was kinda chilly on the scooter ride home, needed a warmer jacket. Then, in the evening I finished catching up with going through WhatsApp videos to determine which ones to keep.
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
03-13-2024 Swim/Hike
I think this is going to be a big step day. Went for an hourlong walk in the morning, it was still dark when I started out around 6:20. Then I had a quick breakfast (French toast from the previous evening's dinner that I made, it turned out well) and went over to the WWC for a swim. It was busy, all of the lanes were occupied. I swam 2000 yds following the usual protocol, finished in just over 40 minutes, and I wasn't trying super hard, just focusing on being consistent in effort. Later on, I rode over to the hospital and did my volunteer shift in the Emergency Department. There wasn't anything special about this day, but just about every bed was occupied, and we had a couple of pretty busy periods. I kept myself occupied throughout the shift and then rode home to meet Emily and Ann for a hike around the neighborhood. We walked for a little over 1.5 mi, then we drove to Tandoori Express for dinner. We were basically the only customers in the restaurant for most of the time, the wait for the food was a little long but not too bad. The guy behind the counter, who I always see there, is Mr Singh. He is most likely a Sikh. I'll have to ask him in the future where he is originally from. Food tasted very good, so the restaurant selection was a thumbs-up. I was really tired at the end of this day, logging over 25k steps.
Tuesday, March 12, 2024
03-12-2024 Run/Ride
Got up with the intention of going on a climbing ride, but I postponed this idea when I saw that the weather was wet and the roads were slippery. So I decided to go for a run instead. I walked down the hill on Aguamiel Rd and started running when it flattened out. Ran over to the park and looped around it a couple of times on a fairly flat route before heading back toward home and stopping my run around the same place I stopped it. I was surprised at how I felt during the run and my ability to keep a pace under 8:00/mile.
Total distance = 2.82 mi
Total time = 22:04
Avg pace = 7:48/mi
Total elevation gain = 129'
Avg heartrate = 161 bpm
In the afternoon, the weather had cleared up. I'd been working on selecting WhatsApp videos to keep as well as updating the GPX file analysis program to enable the data to be overlaid over a street map. I think I have the method figured out now, at least for plotting location points on the map. Next step is to color-code them, and there appear to be instructions on how to do this that I've run across. So I went for a ride, heading down by the park and over to Highland Valley Rd. I took this up past Cordiano Winery, along the false flat just beyond until it started downhill, where I turned around. The climbs didn't appear to be as hard as in the past, probably a combination of having lower gears and better fitness. I didn't really feel the effects of the earlier run, other than my leg muscles feeling the effort a little more. Back down the descents and across the flat to Pomerado Rd, where I turned left and rode up to RB Rd. Home via W Bernardo Dr from there.
Avg speed = 15.8 mph. Total mileage = 18.6 mi
Avg power = 161 W. Weighted avg power = 191 W
Total elevation gain = 1520'
Avg heartrate = 128 bpm
In the evening, I went over to Avi's house and met up with him and a bunch of guys for a beer tasting, where each of the guys brought beers to sample. I had bought a couple of beers from BevMo, a Polish one and one from Lost Abbey. Both of them ended up in the top 5 in taste preference, and the cheaper Polish beer was the third choice. From HP, there were Andre Garcia, Rob Davis, Mark Vaughn, Alex DeRegules, and Andy ??. Andy has been the one organizing these get-togethers. I also talked to Dirk (somebody's neighbor, originally from Germany), Jeff (runs a printing business, used the 50000 press from Digital Lizard in the past), and Walter (?, also a singer in a local funk cover band).
Monday, March 11, 2024
03-11-2024 Swim
Rode over to the WWC for a swim. There was a long line of people waiting to get in, so I was a little concerned that I had missed out on something. It turned out that they were waiting to sign their kids up for summer camp. So I got out of line and waited for the gate to open for the people there to exercise. Swam for 2500 yds, normal protocol, in under 49 minutes, maybe my fastest time at this distance. I was at 38:54 for 2000 yds, might have missed a lap there but I also had to fool with my goggles for a while, which kept leaking at the start and caused me to stop my flip turns. I spent time during the day cleaning out WhatsApp videos from my phone and then going through the videos on my PC to determine which ones to keep. This is a major effort, which will take parts of the next several days. Had lunch at A Delight of France with Earl, and we talked about family happenings (Jenny, Joey getting itchy for going out on extended hikes again, Kelly and Jason raising Ryan and Kelly having some concerns about her role in the church, Emily and Caleb getting engaged). We also talked about AI and its future prospects for good or evil. Earl paid for lunch, so it's my turn next time. We will talk about fat tails and how to manage our financial portfolios while knowing that volatile events can swiftly cause incremental gains to be wiped out in a short period of time. I went for a walk in the afternoon, about 40 minutes, to get my steps in.
Sunday, March 10, 2024
03-10-2024 Ride
Went for a time trial ride, solo, in the morning, leaving later because of the start of DST. None of the others were available to ride. I did make one modification to the route, riding through the neighborhood around Lomica Dr and coming out to Pomerado Rd via Higa Pl. No intention to push the pace hard, and I could definitely feel the effects of the previous day's ride in my legs. That ride had a lot more elevation gain, at high effort, than I've ridden in a while. The day was a nice one for riding, a little cool but warm enough for me to take my jacket off about halfway through the ride.
Avg speed = 15.9 mph. Total mileage = 18.0 mi
Avg power = 143 W. Weighted avg power = 166 W
Total elevation gain = 1040'
Avg heartrate = 120 bpm (Coospo), 130 bpm (Fitbit)
In the afternoon, we went over to Forgotten Barrel Winery (old Ferrara Winery site), bought a bottle of wine, and listened to a four-piece string band play music. They were decent. For me, drinking half a bottle of wine over the course of an hour and a half is too much. I was still a little buzzed when we left, which isn't a good thing. Drove over to Holiday Wines to get some beer for a beer tasting at Avi's house on Tuesday night, but they were closed. So we went to BevMo and got some there.
I need to catch up on books I've read recently. I read a short novel, The Graveyard Shift, by Jack Higgins (which is a pseudonym for Harry Patterson) about a rich police detective, Nick Miller, who tracks down a murderer, who happens to be a woman he knew when they were both growing up in a middle class neighborhood. He thought they were soulmates until he determined that she had murdered an ex-convict from the same neighborhood who had just gotten out of jail. It was okay, a typical British detective novel but a little dated in its treatment of the female characters. Then I just started Chaos Kings, by Scott Patterson, which is about the group of traders who look to profit from volatility and the essentially unstable elements of financial markets. It focuses on a guy, Mark Spitznagel, who started up a fund with Nassim Nicholas Taleb (author of The Black Swan) to try and take advantage of those times when markets take a sharp downward turn. The essential premise is that these downturns can easily and quickly wipe out the incremental gains made over a number of years. It's worth bringing this concept back to Brett (I have mentioned it to him in the past) and seeing whether there are funds like Spitznagel's Universa hedge fund that we could put a little bit of money into.
Saturday, March 9, 2024
03-09-2024 Ride
Got up to get ready for the Bisikleta ride, which involved significant amounts (at least for this group) of climbing for a change. I was a little concerned about how I'd do, but it all ended well. Through the neighborhood up to RB Rd, then the extended route through the 4S Ranch neighborhood to get to Camino del Sur, where I turned right and headed into the 4S Target parking lot via Garretson St. On this ride, which took a while to get going, there were: Arnold, Rob, Jamil (new used Trek Emonda, really pretty), Kamal, Maher (using Kamal's old 10-speed bike, which he is considering buying, only had a 25-tooth gear in back), Jed, Ray, Fritz, Charlie, Eric, Robert and Maya (Fritz's friends, Robert had the Specialized e-bike before he sold it and bought a nice Pinarello, Maya rides an e-bike), Zac and Gio (these two joined us later). We headed down Camino del Sur, and I was in the lead for much of this first section. Felt pretty good on the sustained efforts on this ride, for the most part. We headed down to the 56 bike path and turned left. Just after this turn, we stopped so I could help Rob replace on of the batteries on his paddle shifter. It went quickly, and we were rolling again soon. We rode up to Black Mountain Rd, with me in the lead again, Jed and Fritz not too far behind. We gathered there, then turned to head down Black Mountain Rd. Down the hill and over to Mercy Rd, where we turned left and climbed up to the freeway. Jamil had ridden ahead, but I was in the lead of the others on this climb, putting some distance on them on the steeper, later stretches. Just past the freeway is where we met up with Gio and Zac, with Jamil waiting with them. We gathered here, but I didn't notice that we didn't have everybody when we continued on. Eric and I were in or near the front on the next gradual climbing stretch up Scripps-Poway Pkwy. On the downhill toward Angelique St, I hit a pothole and lost a water bottle, but I didn't get any flats, thankfully. I stopped to retrieve my water bottle and then followed the others down to Pomerado Rd, where we turned right. I met up with the group and then headed back to the intersection to flag down the later riders to make the turn. It took Fritz a while to get there, and when he did he let me know that Maya had crashed on the Black Mountain Rd downhill. She had some road rash, and her bike took some damage. So she and Robert were waiting for a ride to pick them up and take them back. The rest of the group decided to ride up Pomerado Rd to Stonebridge Pkwy. Ray, Zac, Fritz, and I made up the last group to make the climb. We turned left there and rode some rolling hills until we got to the last climb up to the top of the road, which is about 2 miles long and steady, not ever super steep. I led for most of the way on this climb, with Arnold right on my wheel, and then near the top Zac came out of nowhere and passed me. I put in a big effort to catch him but could only close the gap a little bit. So, Zac is back on form, although he's not in tip-top cycling condition yet. Eric also put in a good climb on this stretch. We all gathered at the top, where there is an entrance to Mission Trails Regional Park. Then we headed down Via Santa Pradera (some nice houses in this little subdivision) until we could get onto Beeler Canyon Rd. This initial stretches of this road are super steep downhill, >15% at times, so we all rode the brakes down this stretch. It was a good move, since there was a gate across the road that would have been a disaster to come upon at high speed. We walked our bikes around it, then rode down this road until it turned into Creek Rd, which intersects with Pomerado Rd. Had our single extended rest stop at the gas station on the corner of Pomerado Rd and Scripps-Poway Pkwy. It was starting to warm up by this time. During the break, Arnold took me aside and asked me if I was willing to sit on the board of directors for Bisikleta. I was pretty happy and a little surprised to be asked, and I told him yes. Will see what it all entails, but it will be good to have a more formal voice in setting the actions and vision for the club. After we started back up, we rode up Scripps-Poway Pkwy, which I've done a bunch of times in the past, but I think only once with Bisikleta. I led out on the initial climb, as I think others were conserving their energy for the Purple Monster climb coming up. A group of riders were relatively close to me, and Romeo had joined us by this time, riding up Pomerado Rd to meet us from Oceanside. Jed was near the front, and Zac was also around there. We took the downhill to the bottom of the climb pretty fast and then were onto it. Not too long after that, Zac rode out ahead of me and set an aggressive pace for me to try and hang on to. I was able to stay with him for about 2/3 of the way up before he started to pull away and I didn't have a response. He finished the climb in around 9:40, and I was at 10:26. I don't think any of the others were faster than we were. I think I put just about everything I had into that climb, was glad when it was done. We rode down to the 67 and did a U-turn, riding up the little climb to the crest of the climb, where Romeo joined us. It's not often that I am able to ride a section faster than Romeo, so that was pretty gratifying. We waited there quite a while, eventually rode back down to the intersection, where the rest of the riders were waiting for Jamil and Maher. We sent them ahead, and Kamal and I waited for the last two. It turns out that Ray had had a sidewall blowout and had to take an Uber, and Jamil and Maher waited with him for a bit before continuing on. We headed downhill, and I watched my speed to keep in control. On the little climb to the water tower after the downhill, I got out ahead, then I waited for the others, flagging Jamil and Kamal on while I waited for Maher. He and I rode back down to Pomerado Rd together, where the others were waiting for us. A very short break there, then we continued on Pomerado Rd over to RB Rd. I think I was in the lead for almost the entire stretch here, until Romeo passed me on the downhill and I didn't respond. He kept on Pomerado Rd at the turn onto RB Rd, while we headed back to the starting point. I led the way on this stretch until Kamal and Jamil came up and were in the lead for a period until I caught and passed them. Through the intersections and past the freeway, where Ann drove up in the car and said hi to us. On the last climb up to Matinal Rd, Rob passed me and I matched his pace until he slowed and I passed him. Then I led the remaining riders (Maher had turned off at Twin Peaks Rd, while Kamal turned at Dove Canyon Rd) back to the starting point. In the latter part of the ride, I felt a few twinges from my right quad, but they didn't turn into anything serious. On the ride home, I stayed on Camino del Norte up to Camino San Bernardo, then took it over to RB Rd, heading home via W Bernardo Dr. Although my average speed wasn't so high on this ride, I felt good about my effort overall. No neck or lower back pain to speak of, and my legs felt fine at the end.
Avg speed = 15.7 mph. Total mileage = 55.8 mi
Avg power = 150 W. Weighted avg power = 181 W
Total elevation gain = 4300'
Avg heartrate = 138 bpm (Coospo), 131 bpm (Fitbit)
In the afternoon, I worked on my front brakes in an attempt to get them fully functional. I had remembered that one of the hydraulic pistons didn't appear to be extending when I changed the brake pads, so I removed the pads, used a clamp to hold the functional piston in, and engaged the brake lever. The other piston came out, and after that I used the block in my brake bleed kit to push both pistons back in. Then I put the pads in and loosened the bolts to try and center the brake pads on the rotor. Minor success, but there was still a little bit of noise. I'll see how they work on my next ride.
Friday, March 8, 2024
03-08-2024 Ride
Went for a walk for an hour+ in the morning, it was a little chilly (wore sweatpants) but not too cold. Then I went for a bike ride, not pushing so hard this time as on Tuesday. I could still feel the effects of running on Wednesday, mostly in some groin tightness. Headed through the neighborhood up to RB Rd, then the extended route up by the water tower through the 4S Ranch Neighborhood to get over to Camino del Sur. I took this all the way down to the 56 bike path, not going so hard on the little climbing sections. Used the bike path to get over to Black Mountain Rd, where I turned and took it over to Carmel Valley Rd. Again, fairly measured pace up to this turn and then up to the crest of the hill before the nice downhill. Rode Dove Canyon Rd over to RB Rd, then home via W Bernardo Dr. Nothing special to note about the ride, felt good to get some miles in.
Avg speed = 15.6 mph. Total mileage = 23.1 mi
Avg power = 135 W. Weighted avg power = 170 W
Total elevation gain = 1580'
Avg heartrate = 122 bpm (Coospo), 133 bpm (Fitbit)
Around 11:30, Ann and I headed over to a vegan Mexican food restaurant, Phatties, in Escondido. The food wasn't so great, edible but not flavorful. And it took quite a while to get the food. We won't be going back there. After we got home, I put up the other camping box (everything was dried out), checked the oil in the car, and then put the aero bars back on my Fuji bike. The latter task took a lot longer than I had hoped. It was pretty easy to put the foam pads on, I just drilled a hole in each one and fed the attach screw through. Then I used some double-sided foam tape to hold the foam onto the pad rests a little more firmly. Will try this setup out next week. I have it in mind to train some with the aero bars, then head down to Fiesta Island to do my own 3-lap time trial. Will see how that idea matures. In the evening, I continued modifying the Python cycling GPX file analysis program to incorporate HR data analysis, adding a function that shows HR vs. elapsed distance on the ride. Next step looks like I will need to incorporate, finally, an overlay function of the data over a street map, so that I can eventually select segments on the map and see how my power and HR data are represented.
Thursday, March 7, 2024
03-07-2024 Swim
Went over to the WWC in the morning for a swim, thinking I might ride later in the day. So I only swam 2000 yds in a little over 41 minutes, following the normal protocol. I got rained on a little bit near the end. Took a quick shower, then I rode over to HP to have coffee with John and Brooke. She is back from Costa Rica, had a great vacation with her family (she has an older brother who also went), although Stephen had pulled a back muscle in mid-February and was not in full form. He's getting better. I rode back home and hung out in the morning until riding over to Charm Thai Kitchen at noon to meet Blair for lunch. He had a rough February, caught RSV probably from his mom and was home for the better part of two weeks. Then a young guy rear-ended him in his new pickup. Sounds like fairly minor damage, it was in the shop for about a week but is back. He also recently sold his Mini, was worried that the next engine failure would have a big price tag, so he got out from under it. Blair continues to be frustrated at work, where he's not able to get things in gear for Beskar and is just helping out others, not seeing a lot of strategic planning or leadership from either Emilio or Mariya. It was a quiet afternoon, I did some file space cleanup on my phone and on Google Drive, still more work to be done there. Then, in the evening, I started modifying my Python program for cycling analysis to incorporate the new HR data that are captured. I was able, fairly easily, to figure out how to include these numbers in the dataframe I use for analysis in the program. Next step is to build out the ability to show HR curves. I should be able to tune my Zone 2 training more closely once I can define what my actual max heartrate is.
Wednesday, March 6, 2024
03-06-2024 Run/Swim
I decided to go for a short run after I got up. Couldn't find my phone holder (I found it later), so I ended up holding my phone during the run, which isn't so safe. Ran at a fairly slow pace down by and around the park. I could feel my left ankle complaining a little bit but not so much.
Total distance = 2.29 mi
Total time = 22:39
Avg pace = 9:51
Total elevation gain = 149'
Avg heartrate = 156 bpm
Then I went for a swim at the WWC when it opened, saw the usual Wednesday crowd, so it was busier than normal. Swam for 2500 yds following the normal protocol, including the last 500 yds without snorkel or swim pads. Finished in just over 50 minutes. Not a lot done for the rest of the morning. Then I headed over to the hospital for my volunteer shift. I'm getting better at figuring out things to keep me busy most of the time, including taking breaks when it looks like I'm caught up with current or pending tasks. I am talking to patients and visitors more and having some success in helping them out, usually by providing something to drink or eat. A couple of additional staff to mention are Sara (tall thin with dark hair, kinda standoffish), Kaitlyn (short brunette, friendlier), Victor (custodian, originally from Jalisco, Mexico and moved from Utah to SD about a year ago). I was able to get home before it started raining, only had some scattered raindrops fall on me. It was a quiet evening after that.
Tuesday, March 5, 2024
03-05-2024 Ride
After I got up, I decided to go for a ride instead of a swim, to test out my new Coospo ANT+ heartrate monitor I got from AliExpress. Down by the park and up Pomerado Rd to RB Rd, turning left there and riding up by the high school (a lot of traffic), then down to Twin Peaks Rd, where I turned right and ran into another block of traffic by the middle school. I stayed on this road through its transition to Camino del Norte, following it to Camino del Sur and then turning right on Four Gee Rd. Then I did the reverse of the extended route through the 4S Ranch neighborhood to get back to RB Rd. Home via W Bernardo Dr. I had a pretty good elapsed time, and the heartrate monitor seemed to work fine. For a while, I will post both HR data from the Coospo and my FitBit to see how the averages compare.
Avg speed = 17.3 mph. Total mileage = 22.7 mi
Avg power = 152 W. Weighted avg power = 179 W
Total elevation gain = 1440'
Avg heartrate = 122 bpm (Fitbit) and 127 bpm (Coospo)
After I got home and showered, Ann and I drove down to Balboa Park, intending to visit the Fleet Science Center on free admission Tuesday. But when we got there, we saw a ton of schoolkids waiting to get in and decided to skip it and plan for another day when we could avoid that rush. So we walked down to the Art Museum instead. It was a nice diversion, not super great in its collection but containing several interesting pieces. We drove home afterward and stopped at Krispy Kreme in CMR to get our two free donuts for voting on Super Tuesday. Lunch and a short rest afterward, then I went downstairs to have a snack. I made a little dish of ice cream and started unloading the dishwasher. While putting a couple of plastic containers in the cupboard, they fell out and knocked a bottle of soy sauce onto the floor, shattering it and creating a colossal mess. So, instead of doing some computer stuff I spent the next 45 minutes cleaning up this mess. Ugh!!! I was really frustrated. Got it all pretty much cleaned up, then I drove over to Carmel Mountain Dentistry for my initial visit and a dental cleaning. It all went well, they were extremely thorough in documenting the current state of my teeth. I met Dr Patel, and she didn't have any major concerns about and dental work needed. The actual cleaning went pretty quickly, MaryAnne, the dental hygienist, said I was doing a good job of keeping my teeth and gums in decent shape. Home after that, and getting caught up on my blog posts.
I finally finished Termination Shock. Stephenson brought many of the main characters together at the ranch in Texas where they were firing off sulfur rockets into the high atmosphere to create SO2 clouds up there and help reverse the greenhouse effect. The Sikh character, Laks Singh, ends up dying while trying to disable the rocket launcher. It was occasionally interesting, but in the end I didn't really relate to the characters all that much.
Monday, March 4, 2024
03-04-2024 Swim
I got up and went for a swim at the WWC, only 2000 yds following the usual protocol. Finished in a little over 39 minutes, and I could tell that my legs weren't fully recovered. During the rest of the day, I set up the tent in the back yard to dry it off fully and laid out the tarp and tablecloth in the front yard for the same purpose. I also replaced the tires on my bike to keep the "good" set ready for the next organized ride, and while I had the wheels off I gave my bike a good cleaning. Was disappointed to see some paint scratches on the right front fork, where apparently Joe's bike had rubbed against it on the transit to or from Solvang. Oh well. At some point, I'll try to see if I can get some touch-up paint made to match the color. I also rearranged the camping gear into the two bins and left the blue bin open to dry some of the items out a little better. In the afternoon, I went for a walk to get my steps in. When I got home, I opened up a number of packages from AliExpress and got some of the items I'd ordered, including the hydraulic brake bleed kit, a digital micrometer (no battery), cycling shoe toe covers, and an ANT+ heartrate monitor with chest strap. Then it was a quiet evening at home.
Sunday, March 3, 2024
03-03-2024 Entry
Felt fine the day after the ride. The rainy weather in the night began after midnight. I slept pretty well, as usual, right after I laid down, then I was up and listening to the rain for a while. Waited for a lull in the showers, then I jogged over to the bathroom and back, enduring the light mist but not getting rained on. Got a little bit of sleep after I was back in the tent. I got up around 6-ish, and Mike and Jason were already up and starting to pack up his camper tent (pretty cool design, sits on the top of his truck bed and keeps him off the ground). Joe was a little slower getting up and ready. I got the cooking stuff out, and Mike ended up doing the lion's share of breakfast preparation - pancakes (in the shape of Lake Cachuma), eggs, sausages, and leftover chicken/beans/rice from the previous evening meal. They all liked the French press coffee, I skipped it since it was not decaf. Had a banana, orange, yogurt, couple of pancakes, and some milk. Then we started breaking camp. The tent was really wet, and the tarp was wet and dirty. We shook the tent out as best as possible and let the tarp dry while we were packing up the rest of the stuff in the car. Both pairs of shoes I brought were wet, so I had to endure walking around (and driving home) with wet feet. It was a little frustrating to me that I wasn't as aligned with Joe on getting on the road as soon as feasible. I would be packing stuff up and looking over to him, and he would be talking with one of the others. But that's Joe. We ended up getting on the road around 9:45, not too bad but we could have been rolling at 9:00. We had some light rain showers while we were breaking camp, but the sun came out near the end and allowed us to dry stuff off. The sun shade Joe brought ended up being a Godsend, since we would have been miserable otherwise, cooking out in the open and eating in the tents. Some rain on the drive home but not so much. Joe and I, as usual, had a good conversation ranging across a number of topics, including the advantages/perils of fracking and the challenges of generative AI in education. Back to Joe's house, where Ann picked me up along with all of the camping stuff and leftover food. When we got home, it took a while to unpack and lay out the rain flap and tent, which were wet from the weekend. I spread them on the garage floor and hoped for the best in drying them out. It also took a while to unpack my personal stuff, including all the bike stuff and food. Then it was a quiet rest of the day and evening.
Saturday, March 2, 2024
2024 Solvang Century
It rained off and on for most of the night, generally light but occasionally heavier. I had to go pee but was able to get to the bathroom and back without getting so wet. The tent stayed dry (-ish), with some water getting in near the front tent flap. But we had put down a tarp there, and that seemed to help capture the water and keep it from going further. I was worried when I heard dripping sounds that Joe's sleeping bag was getting wet, but he was fine.
When I woke up, I knew this was going to be a memorable day. It rained off and on the entire night while we were camping at Lake Cachuma. I got some sleep, not the best sleep before a big ride I've ever gotten. Joe, Mike, Jason, and I headed over in two vehicles to the Marriott in Buellton, which was the starting and finishing point for the ride. I won't detail all of the roads we rode on, will instead try and capture my recollections. As we were driving over, the sky was overcast, but there were some clear areas, so we were hopeful that the day wouldn't be filled with rainy riding. We headed out of Buellton and over to Santa Rosa Rd, which winds through normally beautiful country but on this day was a gray, misty/rainy mess. The general condition of this road was awful, lots of potholes and cracks in it that made riding on it a mess. Fairly quickly, Mike, Jason, and I got ahead of Joe, and the three of us rode pretty much together for this section, with Mike and me in the lead and Jason usually not too far behind. There were a couple of little hills along the way, nothing more than a mile long and not too steep. I remembered the last climb up to San Julian Rd as being longer and steeper than it really was. We got a little bit of separation from Jason here, but not too much. At the tee, we waited to Joe to catch up so that we could judge how he was doing and not get too far from him if he experienced any bike issues. Once he showed up, we continued on into Lompoc. Initially taking a nice downhill run. I got behind the others here when I stopped to zip up my rain jacket. I didn't notice the wind at this point, and the rain had let up for a time, with gray skies still. Then we rode through some city streets to get over to Harris Grade Rd, which is about 1.5 miles long but again not steep. Partway up this climb was the first SAG stop, at St Mary's Episcopal Church, where there were bike-centric snacks (bananas, Clif bars, electrolyte powder) as well as donuts. I had a couple donut halves, a banana, and filled one water bottle with electrolyte drink. Had a pee as well. I'd also had a GU while we waited for Joe. Mike and I both had to lean on Joe to get him to eat, and he did. We continued, after the break, up Harris Grade Rd, then over to Hwy 1 on Burton Mesa Blvd. I remembered this stretch from 2014, where we rode the same main roads On Hwy 1, there were some ups and downs before we had a more extended climbing section, again not that steep, which continued after we turned, by Vandenburg SFB (Space Force Base), right to stay on Hwy 1, the Cabrillo Hwy. The three of us were kinda hanging together, I was a little in front and Jason was a little behind. We got onto San Antonio Rd and had an extended downhill, which was fast and which I took by riding on the brakes, since the road conditions were sketchy. Mike descended faster, so I had to work to catch back up to him. The weather was holding okay, but the wind was more noticeable. I think I got out ahead of the other two around this time, riding for a short while with a guy from Santa Ynez, who was quite strong. He had caught up with me, and I hung on for a time before he powered ahead. We got onto Graciosa Rd and headed north, and the wind was a factor here, since it was coming at least partly from the north. Also, the condition of this road was terrible, just teeth-rattling. Along Graciosa Rd was the second SAG stop, around mile 38. I came in and was followed shortly by Mike and then Jason. We waited for Joe to show up and talked with some of the others about the bad road condition. The weather was fair at this time, no rain. I fueled up some more while at the stop, had a pee, and then we took off. Jason and Joe rode out first, and I waited while Mike finished up a phone call. He was dealing with some issues back home involving his girlfriend and his stepson Tyler, who is battling addiction and alcohol abuse. We were briefly on Hwy 135 before getting back onto Graciosa Rd, riding north and dealing with wind. Then we got some slight downhill segments, and I rode out a little ahead of the others, who had gotten ahead of Joe as well. I won't describe the loop we rode around the Santa Maria Public Airport, but it involved another stretch along Hwy 1, heading northwest. This section had some headwind to deal with. I gradually got out of sight ahead of the others, until Mike and Jason caught up with me, I think along Skyway Dr. We rode through Orcutt on Orcutt Rd, then stopped at Orcutt Community Park for the third SAG stop. This one was well laid out, with lunch sandwiches, Cokes, Oreos, chips, and bike-centric snacks. I fueled up here, had a sandwich, a couple of packs of Oreos, a banana, and a Coke. Also had a pee, and tried to pee again before we left but without success. It took Joe quite a while to get into this stop, and he looked pretty tired. We encouraged him to eat. He told me later that this stretch of the ride was the most difficult for him, he didn't have a lot of energy and had to fight through it. While we were taking a break, a brief rain shower came through, but it didn't last. It was gone by the time we got on our bikes, at mile 60. Headed up Bradley Rd and then turned on Clark Ave, and it was at this time that Mike and Jason couldn't keep up with my pace. I'll say a little about my strategy for this ride. I was determined to ride at a decent pace and not chase the riders who passed me. I didn't want to bonk on this ride, so at every stop I ate something, even when I didn't feel hungry and got tired of carbs later on. After we got off Clark Ave, which had some little climbs to negotiate, we were more into back country, again on some roads were bad street conditions. As we were generally heading east, the coastal breeze was helping us on for the most part. There was a nice long downhill stretch through pretty country, which started on Dominion Rd and continued on Palmer Rd. This was just before mile 70. I got on Foxen Canyon Rd around mile 72. I was doing okay here, aided by a tailwind but generally climbing a shallow ascent. The fourth SAG stop was around mile 80, and I arrived a couple of minutes ahead of Mike, with Jason following shortly after. This was a small stop, but the volunteer there was super friendly. I had another Coke, a little brownie, another pee (actually 2, one at the start and one before we continued on), and maybe some more food. The wind was more noticeable, and we had gotten some intermittent showers on the way to this stop. Joe took quite a while to show up, and he was looking tired, saying his seat was hurting. We continued on Foxen Canyon Rd, and this next stretch was quite different from what I had remembered. I thought it was a moderately steep climb for much of the next 6 miles, but instead it continued to be gradual, with some occasional little bumps, until a little after mile 83, when it kicked up and got serious for about a mile, with 5-10% gradients. Just before this steep section was Zaca Mesa Winery, which I think we visited back in 1989 (?), when Pat and I rode the century. Then there was a nice little downhill run into the last SAG stop a little after mile 86, near the Fess Parker Winery. I got sprinkled on during this stretch, but it was actually refreshing after the climbing effort. Joe made it up that grade without having to walk his bike, like he did in 2014, and he was very stoked about doing this (it was a big reason why he wanted to do this ride again). He wasn't very far back this time, as it was only 6.5 miles from the previous stop. It was at this stop that I noticed my Fitbit battery was dead, having stopped around the previous stop. So the Fitbit data for the ride are not complete. We continued downhill, generally together, until mile 89, when the last big climb split us up. I got out ahead and felt pretty good going up, steady cadence but in low gear. It was a nice downhill run after that, but I couldn't mash the pedals too hard, legs were starting to feel the effects of the miles. But the weather was fine, just a little windy. Down to the Chumash Hwy, where there was a turn onto Ballard Canyon Rd and a short sharp little climb and descent just after the turn. The road was wet and windy on the descent, and I rode the brakes on most of it, didn't want to spill my bike so close to the end. Jason and Mike didn't make that turn, so they ended up taking a different route back to the finish line, as I found out later. One last little climb, then I waited around mile 98 for the others to show up, so we could ride to the finish line together. When Joe showed but not the others, I figured (correctly, it turned out) they had made a wrong turn. So Joe and I rode back to Mission Dr, the main road linking Solvang and Buellton. I tried to ride slowly but still got ahead of Joe, so I waited for him a couple more times before we finished the ride together at the Mariott. I missed the very last turn into the hotel parking lot, but we figured it out pretty quickly and turned around to finish it off. The weather held out until the end, and overall it wasn't so bad. Was terrible for the first 15 miles or so, and there was wind to deal with occasionally and to benefit from at other times. The biggest disappointment for me was the quality of the roads, which at times was quite bad. I won't ride this century again, mainly because of the poor condition of some of the main roads used each year. My body held up well on the ride. Some minor neck twinges at times, but they never became a problem. My fingers were stiff between miles 20 and 40. I had to stretch out my lower back in the middle section of the ride, but again it didn't get worse. Also, around 2/3 of the way, my groin muscles were giving warning signs, probably because of the constant pedaling action. The signs went away as I kept on pedaling and stayed determined to be consistent and not go into the red zone. My leg muscles held out the whole ride, and I was as fresh at the end of the ride as I have ever been after finishing a century. We were fortunate that none of us had any flats or mechanical issues, although Joe's front derailleur quit allowing him to shift onto his biggest chainring with about 20 miles to go, and Mike discovered when we were at the cars that one of his tires was flat. So, good fortune. I saw many people on the side of the road on this ride, most of them fixing flats. My guess is that the higher frequency of flats came about from a combination of bad roads and debris from all the recent rains.
Avg speed = 15.5 mph. Total mileage = 101.0 mi
Avg power = 148 W. Weighted avg power = 168 W
Total elevation gain = 5110'
Avg heartrate = 133 bpm
Joe and I drove back to the campsite, and we were both in a state of mild euphoria, glad to have completed this ride and looking forward to a nice evening. We got back and I started preparing dinner, making the rice and heating up / spicing up the chicken. Joe helped with chopping vegetables. We all had a beer and toasted the day. After the rice was done, I started the beans, adding some onions, fresh and canned jalapenos, and chile pepper spices. The resulting burritos were pretty good, according to the others' comments, although the beans were really hot (I didn't think they were so spicy). Mike had brought a Belgian craft beer (11% alcohol content) that he had been saving for a special occasion, and we each had a small cup of it. It was really rich, not my style but interesting to taste.
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