11-30-2024 Ride

Woke up (<>) and had to rush a little bit to get ready for the Bisikleta ride. It was a little colder than I expected at the start, but it warmed up quickly as I rode over to the starting point. Headed through the neighborhood and then the short way through the 4S Ranch neighborhood. Not a large turnout on this morning, at the start there were: Ray, Rob, Charlie, Connor, and Aaron. We rode down Camino del Sur to San Dieguito Rd, then took it down to El Apajo. That downhill section was a little cold, but I was still wearing my full-finger gloves. Over to Via de la Valle and up the little climb to get to the start of Stud Loop, where Aaron split off to head to his son's soccer game. We kept a steady pace on the next section, not hitting it too hard, and the rode on El Montevideo to Via de Fortuna. I was in the lead for almost this entire ride, mainly because I had mapped out the route. We stayed on this road until turning left onto San Elijo Ave and taking it to Via de la Cumbre, where we turned right. Over to Avenida de Acacias, which we used to ride into downtown RSF. Connor is a big car guy, so we took a break there while he rode down and admired the cars parked along the main street. After the break, we rode on Linea del Cielo to Lomas Santa Fe and then down toward PCH. Just past I-5, we stopped for another break at the gas station before continuing on. Down to PCH, turning left and riding over to Del Mar, where we followed neighborhood streets closer to the beach, as per Charlie's wish. This allowed us to skirt the downtown section and end up just before Carmel Valley Rd. We rode down the hill toward the beach and stopped for a final break at the restrooms before the inside route climb. I had a pee here. Romeo had joined us around Del Mar, and he rode with us up Torrey Pines. I had a good ride on the inside route, outpacing the others, but for some reason I didn't follow the Strava segment and therefore didn't record a fast time for the inside route. May need to head down there next week and try to set a new PR. I was probably close on this day. Connor and Romeo were a little further back, and then the others came in as well. We gathered up and then rode back down the hill on the outside route and over to Carmel Valley Rd. Romeo kept on PCH to head back to Oceanside, while we turned right. At this point, I decided to dial my own pace back a bit, I could tell that Charlie was slowing down, and the others were feeling the effects of the ride as well. We rode to the start of the 56 bike path and took it up to Carmel Valley Rd, turning left there and using this road to get back to Camino del Sur. We were at a little slower pace but still dropping Connor and Charlie, so we would periodically wait for them to catch up. There was an offshore breeze that helped us on the return route, where we turned onto Paseo del Sur and rode through that neighborhood to Templeton St, which took us back to the 4S Target. Throughout this section, I was riding in front for the most part and trying to set an aggressive but not killer pace. Ray and Rob were working hard to keep up, so maybe it was a little too fast. I didn't stay too long before heading back home the normal way via Camino San Bernardo, RB Rd, and W Bernardo Dr. I was a fair bit slower on the ride home, having put a lot into this ride, especially being out in front for much of it.

Avg speed = 16.6 mph. Total mileage = 53.1 mi

Bisikleta route avg speed = 17.0 mph

Avg power = 149 W. Weighted avg power = 181 W

Total elevation gain = 3570'

Avg heartrate = 131 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 120

Training Load = 265

Intensity = 84%

https://www.strava.com/activities/13018118215

Got home, and I was hungry from the workout, so I had some of the dressing from Thanksgiving, and that hit the spot. It was chill for a while, Joe and I watched a little football, then the four of us drove down to Torrey Pines and went for a walk along the beach. They are renovating the north parking lot, so we had to scramble to get down to the beach. Was a nice day and a decent walk. We found a better way to get back to the car. I had a short nap when we got back home (Ann drove), then we chatted a little before dinner and had a fire in the fire pit after dinner, along with making S'mores.

11-29-2024 Entry

Got up early and went for a walk around the neighborhood, for the first time in quite a while. I knew I wouldn't have much chance to exercise later, so this is how I got most of my steps in. I got back, had some pie for breakfast, and hung around the house until it was time for me, Laura, and Joe to drive down to the Midway. We left around 9:15 and got down there well in time to park in the lot right next to the ship. No line to wait in, so we walked right on. We spent a little time on the hangar deck, then a lot more time in the Below Decks portion, which was really interesting. It was curious how many different mess/galley set-ups there were. This ship had a complement of 4500 sailors on it, and it was effectively a little city on the water. Was never used in WWII, but it saw action in Korea, Vietnam, and Operation Desert Storm. We also toured the island portion of the ship, and that was cool as well. The admiral's and captain's quarters were pretty deluxe. All in all, it was an excellent museum tour. We headed home after that (Laura drove) and had a late lunch. Joe and I watched a little football before we had hors d'ouvres for dinner. It was a pretty quiet evening after that.

11-28-2024 Ride

Woke up nicely (<>) and hung around the house for a bit, wondering if this was going to be waffle day. Nope. So I ate some breakfast and went for an easy-paced bike ride. Down by the park and across the freeway, then up BVP. I turned on Canyon Dr to see where it went. It heads gradually up and dead-ends at a cul de sac. Rode back to BVP and took it up to Sunset Dr, turning left there and riding up the hill to turn right onto Juniper St. Took it to Chestnut St, where I turned off and rode through an Old Escondido neighborhood to get to Grand Ave via Date St. Used it to get back over to BVP and took this out to Valley Pkwy. I rode out for a while to Beven Dr, looking for a park because I needed to pee. No luck, so I rode on the bike path by the waterway to El Norte Pkwy, turning right there and taking it to Citrus Ave, using that road to get back to Valley Pkwy. I rode to Midway Dr and turned left, heading back to BVP. Was riding pretty slowly by this time, no drive in my legs and I still had to pee. I rode back to Kit Carson Park and found a restroom, then continued toward home, riding through the mall parking lot as a shortcut. Then it was home via the freeway, again slow on the pace.

Avg speed = 15.2 mph. Total mileage = 24.3 mi

Avg power = 115 W. Weighted avg power = 143 W

Total elevation gain = 990'

Avg heartrate = 105 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 18

Training Load = 77

Intensity = 67%

https://www.strava.com/activities/13004125421

Once I got home, the others were up. Not so much longer after, we started the charcoal, and the cooking began in earnest. I didn't have so much to do, Laura and Ann were helping out a bunch by cleaning along the way. I had a short nap before showering and shaving. Emily and Caleb arrived at 2:30, and we chatted while the last of the Thanksgiving food preparation occurred. Dinner was duck, stuffing, Caleb's potatoes, Emily's rolls, Laura's grilled vegetables, with pumpkin and apple pie for dessert. Ann forgot to bring out the cranberries. After dinner, we played a couple of games, it wasn't too bad. Joe and I watched the second half of the Packers game, he's a big fan. Then it was to bed. 

11-27-2024 Ride

Woke up, we were keeping Yofi in our bedroom because she had been yowling and hissing at Joe the previous evening. She was really anxious to go out, but no can do. I puttered around the house for a little bit, wondering if we were going to make pancakes or waffles, but both Laura and Joe were working, so that idea was nixed. I did fiddle around a little bit with my Ubuntu Budgie installation on the laptop, adding Audacity and Spotify to the installed programs. Then, I went for a bike ride. Temperature was just about right, not too cold or warm, sun was behind overcast skies. I headed down to W Bernardo Dr, then rode up to RB Rd and turned left there, getting onto the old time trial route, up Espola Rd to Poway Rd. I had waxed my bike chain the previous day, and it performed very smoothly. Probably went too long between chain waxing this time, I'll have to pay more attention to the accumulated cycling mileage. I wasn't going all out on this stretch, could feel the previous day's run in my legs. I was steady climbing Poway Rd to the 67, a little bit slower than the previous time but not too back. Turned right at the top and rode over to Scripps-Poway Pkwy. There is a downhill section on this road that is sketchy for me, and I slowed down a lot to keep in control. Climbed back up to the top and stopped to eat a banana before riding down this grade. I was able to make it basically all the way down the hill without braking, although a van passed me pretty close and the wind buffet was scary. I continued down the hill until I got to Pomerado Rd, turning right there and riding back to Poway Rd. I turned left there and rode over to Rancho Penasquitos, staying on the road until it turned into Carmel Mountain Rd. I took it to Black Mountain Rd and turned right there. On this next stretch, Dan Winkle caught up with me, and we chatted for a couple of minutes until our routes diverged again. He's a nice guy, I wish I could get him to ride with the Bisikleta group regularly. I rode up to Carmel Valley Rd and turned right, headed home via Dove Canyon and RB Rd, taking the route through the neighborhood to get back. Felt okay on this ride, but my legs were sore from running, and I wasn't super motivated to go into the pain zone.

Avg speed = 15.2 mph. Total mileage = 32.0 mi

Avg power = 138 W. Weighted avg power = 174 W

Total elevation gain = 2620'

Heartrate = 122 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 55

Training Load = 142

Intensity = 80%

https://www.strava.com/activities/12996757470

I had some lunch when I got home, then Ann and I made the two pies. She did the crust and topping, while I peeled and sliced the apples, then made the filling for the pumpkin pie. I ate a light lunch. I the afternoon, while the others went to see Wicked, Joe and I went to Kelly's Pub, intending to play some pool. But the tables were taken after he played one game against another player, so we played shuffleboard. It was pretty fun and ultimately a better choice for us. I saw Britt there as well, and we chatted a little bit. We then met the others at Urban Thai for dinner and a fun conversation. Then it was home from there. 

11-26-2024 Run/Swim/Hike

Got up early and went for my first run in quite a while. I started slowly, but each succeeding mile was faster than the previous one. Down to the park and around it a couple of times to reach 5k distance. Felt fine during the run, was huffing and puffing on the climb back to the house.

Total distance = 3.20 mi

Avg pace = 8.55/mi

Elapsed moving time = 28:33

https://www.strava.com/activities/12987802814

When I got home, I had a little bit of time before going over to the WWC for a swim. Swam 2000 yds in just under 40 minutes, felt good about my stroke count, which was consistently at 20. I could have put more power into the stroke, that's the next thing to work on, initially at intermediate distances like a 500. I got home and vacuumed the carpets and rugs, then tacked the entry mat in the laundry room down to the floor. I had glued and clamped a loose strut on one of the kitchen chairs the previous day, so I put it back in the kitchen. Took my bike chain off and waxed it as well, then put it back on. Laura and Joe showed up a little after 1:00, and we got acquainted over sandwiches for lunch. Hung out and talked for a while, then we all drove over to the park and went for a short hike. Weather was really nice. Back home, Ann made dinner and we talked some more. After dinner, the three of us went to Von's to get some last-minute grocery items for the big Thanksgiving cooking. Then it was a quiet evening, both of them were pretty tired out from their long traveling days.

11-25-2024 Swim/Ride

Woke up a little early (<>!) and had some time before I headed over to the WWC for a swim. Swam 1500 yds, the first 500 as a warmup, then 5 100s at tempo pace, followed by a last 500 with the swim buoy. I was generally able to keep my stroke count at 20-22, it was higher when I was swimming hard during the 100s. I did the first and last 100 in under 1:45, the middle ones in 1:45-1:50. Felt decent, although I could sense that my stroke quality degraded during the 5 sets. The first and last 500 were completed in 9:15-9:20. Now I just need to build some endurance in so that I can hold this pace for a longer time. When I got home, I had some breakfast and a cup of coffee. Ann was heading out to the store, so I took the opportunity to clean out the garage and arrange it a little better. I found the plastic bin with some miscellaneous bike stuff, including the spare cut-out pads for my aero bars. I've been looking for these for quite some time, so it was great to locate them. I finished up there and then went on the back patio and swept it clean. It also looks a lot better. I cleaned the kitchen counters next and then wet-mopped the downstairs floors. Ann went to a class in the early afternoon, and after I was done I got ready for a bike ride. Headed through the neighborhood to Matinal Rd, which was blocked off to the west, so I headed to W Bernardo Dr and rode up to Poblado Rd, turning right there and taking Capilla Rd up to Matinal Rd and then over to RB Rd. Through the short way in the 4S Ranch neighborhood to get to Camino del Sur. I took this road to San Dieguito Rd and then down to the flats, where there was a little bit of a headwind to contend with. When I made that turn, I had decided to try and put in about 30 miles, more than my original thought of riding 20 miles or so. Over to El Camino Real, turning left and riding up into Del Mar Heights. I set a PR on this little climb (3:11, 294 W, 160 bpm), pretty close to my max effort for this distance, and kept pushing hard until I got to Del Mar Heights Rd. Turned left there and dialed the pace back just a bit, riding over to Carmel Valley Rd. I took this back to Camino del Sur at a little less than tempo pace, then pushed harder once I made the turn. Rode to Paseo del Sur and turned right there, taking it through the Del Sur neighborhood, turning on Potomac Ridge Rd and then Nighthawk Ln to get to Del Sur Ridge Rd. Over to Lone Quail Rd, and from there I followed RB Rd route using W Bernardo Dr. I kept pushing pretty hard toward the end, was probably also helped along a little bit by a tailwind. Had a strong finish, was tired on the last little climb.

Avg speed = 17.5 mph. Total mileage = 31.3 mi

Avg power = 163 W. Weighted avg power = 190 W

Total elevation gain = 1760'

Avg heartrate = 130 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 62

Training Load = 145

Intensity = 88%

https://www.strava.com/activities/12983660777

I relaxed for a bit when I got home, watched a little TV and had dinner. It was a quiet evening.

11-24-2024 Ride

When I woke up, it was wet outside, so I decided to pause on starting a ride. I had some breakfast and coffee, and eventually I got out on the bike, heading through the neighborhood to Matinal Rd and then to W Bernardo Dr. Up to RB Rd and over to Bernardo Center Dr. I turned right and then left onto Lomica Dr. Through that neighborhood to get to Avenida Valencia, continuing straight up to Del Norte, where I turned right. Up to Stone Canyon Rd, which I used to get to Pomerado Rd. I turned left and rode up to Twin Peaks Rd, turned left, and took it to Community Rd. Then it was up to Metate Ln, turning there to get back to Pomerado Rd. From there, I rode back home via the RB Rd and Bernardo Center Dr route. I thought a little bit about lengthening the ride but decided not to. My pace on this ride was casual.

Avg speed = 15.8 mph. Total mileage = 18.6 mi

Avg power = 137 W. Weighted avg power = 149 W

Total elevation gain = 1010'

Avg heartrate = 108 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 14

Training Load = 69

Intensity = 73%

https://www.strava.com/activities/12975059127

Chilled out when I got home, reorganized the dishes and glasses in the cabinets. Later, while the sun wasn't too fierce, I put a second coat of paint on the exterior trim of the side garage door. Looks decent now. I did some weeding in the path in the back yard after that, and that was my list of chores for the day. Talked to Ben for about an hour during the day and ripped some CDs as well. In the evening I watched some football.

11-23-2024 Ride

Had trouble sleeping in the night, so I got up and watched some TV for an hour and a half, ate some food too. It was cold in the morning when I got up, and overcast as well. I bundled up pretty well and headed through the neighborhood and then the extended route through the 4S Ranch neighborhood, including the little climb up to the top of Four Gee Rd. Nel and Charlie were there when I got there, and we ended up being the only ones to start from the 4S Target. The cold hadn't let up, so it was kinda miserable for a while. To Paseo del Sur, then Four Gee Rd and the reverse of the short path through the 4S Ranch neighborhood to get over to RB Rd. We headed down the hill, and that was really cold. Over to Pomerado Rd, turning left there and meeting up with Andy. It was still cold on this stretch down to the lake, and on the way Edson joined us as well. Across the lake via the pedestrian bridge, enduring the cold and suffering through it. Then we rode over to behind the mall and through Kit Carson Park to El Ku Ave, taking it up to Escondido Blvd, then using Brotherton Rd to get onto Centre City Pkwy. We followed this road through Escondido, and it started getting warmer at this point. Fingers were still numb but feeling better. I was keeping a slower pace than usual, hanging with the other riders on this day. On the little climb past Country Club Ln, Edson's friend Anthony joined us. We gathered at the top, then rode down to Ivy Dell Ln, turning right and heading over to Jesmond Dene Rd. Took this road back to Centre City Pkwy, including the little climb at the end. We stopped at the Circle K for a break, and after the break Edson started heading back while we continued up to Deer Springs Rd. It was a little sketchy riding down that hill, a fair amount of car traffic to contend with. We kept a decent but not hard pace on Twin Oaks Valley Rd, taking it all the way in to Barham Dr. Left turn there, and Anthony split off as we passed Woodland Pkwy. We rode over to Mission Ave and took it into Escondido, turning right onto Quince St and riding up to 13th Ave, where we jogged over to Centre City Pkwy. From here, we reversed our earlier route until we got to the mall, taking a shortcut through the mall parking lot before staying on the earlier route back to W Bernardo Dr. Andy split off once we crossed the pedestrian bridge, then it was just me, Charlie, and Nel riding back to the starting point. I took them on some different roads through our neighborhood, including riding by Gideon's house, until we got back to RB Rd and followed the straight shot path from there. Nel was cramping a little bit near the end but made it back safely. I stayed at the finishing point just for a little bit before turning around and heading back via the now normal route. Legs were just fine at the end of this ride, I didn't push myself at all throughout the ride.

Avg speed = 15.2 mph. Total mileage = 54.0 mi

Avg power = 128 W. Weighted avg power = 154 W

Total elevation gain = 2880'

Avg heartrate = 112 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 53

Training Load = 168

Intensity = 64%

https://www.strava.com/activities/12967459464

Ann was out shopping when I got home, so I had some lunch and hung out for a bit. When she got home, I helped her unload the stuff from the car, then I set about rehanging the patio lights. It took some doing, but I eventually got them hung up okay, not super great but serviceable. After that, I trimmed some of the cuttings in the green waste bin and got everything ready to paint the trim on the side garage door. I used the same accent color as on the wood trim by the front door. This paint turns out not to have great hiding ability, so it will need two coats. Painted it with a brush, and it took a while, as detail work usually does. I think it will end up looking okay. After the first coat of painting was done and the brushes were cleaned, I watched a little bit of TV and caught up on my blogging.

The other night, I finished reading Floating Hotel. It was a little disjointed, essentially consisting of a number of different sub-plots interwoven into the main novel. Don't think I need to read any more books by this author. I then started The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride. Right away, I could tell that this book is well written and much better flowing. It concerns the Jewish owner of a grocery store in a predominantly Black neighborhood of a small town.

11-22-2024 Swim

Woke up, got ready for a swim at the WWC. The ride over on the scooter was cold! I swam 2000 yds in right around 40 minutes, paused a couple of times shortly during the swim. My stroke was consistent throughout, 20-22 strokes/length. When I got home, I made some coffee to warm up a little bit. Did the dishes and prepped the side garage door for painting. I didn't have any small rollers, so I ended up going to Home Depot in the late morning to pick some up. When I got home, the carpet cleaner was there, so to avoid the noise and mess I painted the outside of the side garage door. It went pretty smoothly. I gave it two coats, figuring that this door sees a lot of direct sunlight. Ann did some yard clean-up. After the second coat of paint had dried, I put the door hardware back on, then we drove to Walmart and Aldi. Ann got some things at Walmart, which was all charged up in Christmas shopping mode. We drove home from Aldi, and the rest of the day and evening were quiet.

11-21-2024 Ride

It was cold when I woke up but warmed up quickly (<>). I probably overdressed for the bike ride but never felt too hot with my layers. Through the neighborhood, then the extended route through the 4S Ranch neighborhood to get to Camino del Sur. From there, I set a good but not scorching pace, heading out to San Dieguito Rd and turning there. Down the hill (it was warm enough by this time) and onto the flats, where I kept a good pace throughout. Over El Camino Real to Via de la Valle, taking it down to PCH, where I turned left. I rode up through Del Mar, again at decent pace, and got to Carmel Valley Rd. At this point, my average speed was over 17 mph, and I figured I would end up with a speed in the 16s. But I had a decent stretch back on the 56 bike path and just kept it going. Back home using Camino del Sur to RB Rd, pushing hard at this point to keep my speed above 17 mph. Home via W Bernardo Dr, and a strong finish.

Avg speed =17.5 mph. Total mileage = 40.8 mi

Avg power = 149 W. Weighted avg power = 175 W

Total elevation gain = 2200'

Avg heartrate = 124 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 58

Training Load = 126

Intensity = 72%

https://www.strava.com/activities/12953182192

I had a shower when I got home, along with a short break, before heading over to Pailin Thai Cafe to meet Blair for lunch. He was excited about his trip to Boise, where he liked what he saw, found a house, and signed a contract for it. So he will be moving to Boise in early 2025. I'm happy for him but sad for me that he will be moving. It's the right career and personal decision, though. In the afternoon, I read some and had a chill time. Ann and I talked about Japan travel options after dinner, and she is pretty excited about it. We're thinking 3 weeks there seems about right, including travel days. Quiet evening, watched some football.

11-20-2024 Ride

Travel day. It was cold again when we woke up but warmed up rather quickly. I got up and got the dishes out, started the water for the coffee and began packing things up, including the vestibule. Once Ann got up, I started on the tent but stopped for breakfast (yogurt, cobbler, coffee, toast). The camp teardown went smoothly, although it appears that the grill cover than Ann made got blown away at some point. We were on the road before 9:00, which had been my target. Full tank of gas, so we drove all the way without stopping. We ran into traffic delays, obviously, as I drove on the LA freeways. It was off and on until just about Anaheim, then it cleared up and stayed clear all the rest of the way. Put our stuff away when we got home, and I took a little break before getting ready to get some riding miles in. I got some beer for my birthday from Emily and a little care package from Mom with a god-awful shirt. That one is not going to get worn by me. Before the ride, I tried an adjustment on my new bike, on which I had previously installed new brake pads. The front pads were rubbing against the rotor, so I cracked open the bleed port by the shifter and pushed the pistons in as far as I could. This appeared to do the trick. I headed down by the park and then up Pomerado Rd to RB Rd, and from there I followed the time trial route. Kept up a steady pace although at times I slowed down a little bit because of tired legs. Still, I had a strong finish, which included hitting some traffic lights just right. I rode down W Bernardo Dr to Aguamiel Rd and rode up that little climb to home. Brakes are working really well, very responsive and no rubbing as far as I can tell.

Avg speed = 17.3 mph. Total mileage = 19.8 mi

Avg power = 152 W. Weighted avg power = 175 W

Total elevation gain = 1100'

Avg heartrate = 127 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 33

Training Load = 63

Intensity = 72%

https://www.strava.com/activities/12948100578

Had a shower and a shave when I got home, it felt good to be clean again. After dinner, I drove over and picked up John, Vivian, and Jayden to take them to the airport for a trip to see family in Pennsylvania. The trip to the airport and then back home was uneventful, but the evening had a nice finish (<>!).

11-19-2024 Hike

It was colder in the night than the previous evening but not as windy. Not sure why, but I had to get up a number of times to go pee. We had a leisurely breakfast and sat out in the warming sun for a while, then we decided to go for a hike. I probably would have driven up to Gaviota State Beach and hiked from there, but Ann said there was a hike/bike trail linking our camp with El Capitan State Beach. So we took that hike. The trail was paved and in decent shape initially, but it kept getting more overgrown until we came to a fence blocking further access. We decided to go around the fence and continue, and we found that the concrete path had been washed away by flooding. There was still enough path to continue if we were careful, so we kept going. Got through that part and back onto a disused trail that eventually took us to the western end of El Capitan State Beach. That part of the park was deserted, so we found a picnic table and ate the sandwiches we had brought. We met a cyclist from Poland who had started his trek in New York. He was looking to camp there for the night. Continued on into a part of the park where the restrooms were open, then we walked the same way back. The return hike seemed a lot longer than the outbound segment. We got back a little after 3:00. I had thought about going for a bike ride in the afternoon, but I was pretty tired from the hike, so I skipped it. We ended up hiking a little over 5 miles at an easy pace. Had some hot spiced rum with tea when we got back, and it was pretty tasty. Then we made dinner, jackfruit sloppy joes and bok choy, also good. After the dishes were cleaned, it was starting to get cold, so Ann proposed going into Goleta and getting some donuts. We did, at SloDoCo, they were also good but not great. Ann and I played Yahtzee, and she creamed me, with two Yahtzees. Depressing. Back to the campsite (she drove both ways) and to sleep.

11-18-2024 Ride

64th birthday, and it started off well (<>!). We had oatmeal, yogurt, and coffee for breakfast. Original plan was to make cherry cobbler the previous evening, but it was just too windy. During the night, the wind at times had to be 30+ mph. The tent held up well, no issues there. After cleaning up the breakfast dishes, I went for a bike ride. Headed out of the campground and north on the 101. I was worried about the wind effect, and it was noticeable, but only occasionally did it become bothersome. I rode along the ocean and turned toward Gaviota State Beach when I got there. This is where the 101 heads inland and up, and the gusty winds were too much for me to deal with on this day. There was a service road that I followed, staying along the coast for a little bit until it led me to the entrance to Hollister Ranch, some kind of resort I guess. I turned around there and rode back to the 101 and south from there. On the return, it was much more common that the wind was helping me along, and it was a fun ride. I still had some time when I got near the campground, so I rode up Refugio Rd for a while until it started to get steeper. The road conditions are generally bad and really awful at times, which slowed me down on the return descent. Somewhere around here, I must have lost the screw for my head unit mount, which is a little unfortunate.

Avg speed = 16.1 mph. Total mileage = 30.2 mi

Avg power = 133 W. Weighted avg power = 156 W

Total elevation gain = 1530'

Avg heartrate = 119 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 34

Training Load = 81

Intensity = 64%

https://www.strava.com/activities/12932703884

Got back to the campsite, had a little bit to eat and a short rest, then I changed clothes and we drove to Solvang for lunch. Ann found us a place with new-age Mediterranean fare. It was just okay, pretty expensive for what we got. We walked around Solvang for just a little while, that was enough for me. Drove back, getting gas in Buellton. Once we got back, we started preparing the cherry cobbler in the Dutch oven. It wasn't as windy, and the air temperature was quite pleasant. Finished making the cobbler and started getting dinner ready, grilled tofu and vegetables. The fire was too hot and I didn't put the grate far enough away from the charcoal, so some things got a little charred. It was still very good. Ann made a fire while I did the dishes, and we sat by the fire for a while before eating cobbler for dessert. This was probably too much food for me, my stomach was aching. I sat by the fire a little longer and then got ready for sleep. Felt better after I laid down. The wind was blowing nowhere near as hard as the previous evening, at least as I was reading and getting ready to go to sleep. 

11-17-2024 Ride

Got up early to go for a ride before driving up to Refugio State Beach. It was 38 at the start, so I bundled up pretty well, only my hands were significantly cold. Started on the time trial route, up to Poway Rd, where I kept going straight. I thought briefly about riding to the top of Pomerado Rd but turned on Scripps-Poway Pkwy instead and power climbed that little hill. The downhill on Springbrook Dr was brisk. Onto Sabre Springs Pkwy, taking it up to Morning Creek Dr, where I turned right. This is a short steep climb and rapid descent back to Sabre Springs Pkwy. I followed the time trial route for a while after that, it was warming up by this time. I stayed on Camino del Norte to Camino San Bernardo, then took that road to RB Rd. Home through the neighborhood from there. It was a nice little 20-miler.

Avg speed = 15.2 mph. Total mileage = 20.4 mi

Avg power = 143 W. Weighted avg power = 167 W

Total elevation gain = 1550'

Avg heartrate = 117 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 24

Training Load = 67

Intensity = 69%

https://www.strava.com/activities/12923181521

When I got home, I cleaned the kitchen dishes and wiped down the counters while making coffee. Then I loaded the gear into the car and finished packing my stuff. We were on the road a little after the 9:30 target. No major traffic jams on the way up, although we did run I to a slowdown on the 405 around the airport. Stopped for lunch near Simi Valley at Fusion Grill and picked up some beer afterwards. Then Ann drove the rest of the way to the campsite with no interruptions. Setting up camp was a little bit more trouble than usual, I couldn't figure out why the tent wouldn't go up. Eventually worked it out and finished camp setup, then an and I walked on the beach before sunset. She walked a lot longer than me, just a little beach is enough in my book. Dinner was stew and toasted rolls with a cheese ball. The wind started seriously kicking up during dinner, so I rushed to secure the campsite and get into the tent, making it an early evening. Bundled up in anticipation of a cold night.

11-16-2024 Ride

Woke up, started getting ready for the Bisikleta ride. It was on the colder side, so I wore my shoe cap covers for the first time and had full-finger gloves as well. Stayed warm enough on the ride through the neighborhood. As I rode by Capilla Rd, I saw Gideon in front of me, so I caught up with him, and we rode together the straight way to the meeting spot. On this ride, there were: Gideon, Jed, Eric, Charlie, Rob, Fritz, Jed A., and Perse. I had mapped the route, we headed down to San Dieguito Rd and then down the hill to El Apajo, turning right there and riding it and Via de Santa Fe up to Via de la Valle. We turned left there for a change and rode downhill first and then on the flats until the little climb and descent just before El Camino Real. A right turn there, taking it up (gradual first, then a little steep near the top) to Linea del Cielo, where we turned left and took Lomas Santa Fe down past the freeway. We turned right on Solana Hills Dr, which climbed up to the entrance to the bike path that runs on the west side of I-5. Followed this bike path up to Birmingham Dr, where we turned and lost all of the elevation gain we had made in the last couple of miles in less than a mile. Down to San Elijo Ave, which is a pretty nice road to ride on, taking it into the outskirts of Encinitas, where we jogged on a bike path over to PCH by the Self Realization Fellowship. The last stretch over to La Costa Ave was pretty fast, a powerful cyclist passed those of us out front, and I decided to get on his wheel and try to hang on. That sped us up, and Fritz and Jed were also pushing hard. U-turn at La Costa Ave and a break at the normal 7-Eleven, where we saw Romeo, who had driven there. After the break, we rode back PCH to Via de la Valle. At one point just past Cardiff, I was riding behind Fritz, who was pulling hard, and I bumped his wheel with mine. Totally my fault, and thankfully both of us stayed upright, although it certainly gave us an adrenaline rush. Left on Via de la Valle and then the normal way back via El Camino Real and San Dieguito Rd. We had a very fast pace line on the flats of San Dieguito Rd when Jed A. was in the lead. I was working pretty hard just to stay in the line, as were the others who were able to hang on. I went back and saw that on this section I was putting out an average of about 260 W when he was in front. We stopped for a break at the gas station before Three Witches, then continued. I intended to take this climb more slowly, and that's how it started. But some VeloNutz riders passed me and Fritz like we were standing still, so I upped my tempo a little bit. I couldn't catch them, but I closed the distance on the last rider and passed him near the top of the climb. For that reason, I had a pretty good climb but could have gone harder. When I got to the top, I waited for the others to show, then turned around and rode back the way I had come, down to Las Olas in Cardiff to meet Ann and the church hiking group for lunch.

Avg speed = 18.0 mph. Total mileage = 53.1 mi

Avg power = 158 W. Weighted avg power = 184 W

Total elevation gain = 2160'

Avg heartrate = 132 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 113

Training Load = 197

Intensity = 76%

https://www.strava.com/activities/12916350506

I got to the restaurant about 10 minutes before she showed up, and we were both there another 10 minutes or so before the others drove in. The restaurant has changed its layout and added servers and a new menu, not as chill as it was before. There are fewer tables, it seems, and the place feels more crowded. Still, it was a nice lunch conversation, me talking mainly to John about camper camping and their adventures. We drove home from there, stopping at the library for Ann to drop off her campground pass. When we got home, she finished making the stew for the trip while I went into the garage and checked off the camping supplies. She also wet-mopped the floors, saving me from doing that task. In the evening, we drove to San Marcos UMC for a chili cook-off dinner and Potluck. Ann's vegetarian chili was the only entry in that category, so she won a coveted golden spoon. After dinner, we played Rummikub with a new church couple, Scott and Karen. They are nice, mild mannered folks, and it was a pleasant diversion. 

11-15-2024 Swim/Virtual Ride

Cat woke me up earlier than I wanted. I got up and went into the garage to look again for the missing foam pads for my aero bars. No luck. Then I ate some breakfast and got ready for a swim at the WWC. I swam a warmup 250, then did a pyramid out to 250 yds, starting the next stage on the minute. I finished it, but my stroke was pretty ragged throughout, not as smooth as the previous day. So I finished with another 250, this time with the pull buoy helping me to practice a lengthened stroke. When I got home, I had a little more food before heading into the garage to ride on the trainer. After a couple of fits and starts, I got everything to work, playing music from my Bose unit and staying cooler with the fan. Rode a very flat course around Bruges on MyWhoosh, out to 10 miles. Finished averaging over 21 mph.

Avg speed = 21.7 mph. Total mileage = 10.1 mi

Avg power = 207 W. Weighted avg power = 208 W

Total elevation gain = 0'

Avg heartrate = 143 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 29

Training Load = 43

Intensity = 97%

https://www.strava.com/activities/12908133977

Not a lot done through the rest of the morning. I had lunch (I paid) with John at The Stand in CMR. The burger was decent, a veggie burger patty. We compared notes about our mothers and their fixed ways. Home in the afternoon, again a relaxed day compared to the week. Later, I played around with recording some music and wrote thank-you notes to Ben and Mark about their efforts to clear up the WF account statement issues. It was a quiet evening. I watched a little TV, went for a walk to get my steps in, then ate dinner and watched a little more TV before reading. 

11-14-2024 Swim/Ride

Woke up especially early (<>), had a couple of donuts for breakfast, then headed over to the WWC for a swim. I kept a steady stroke throughout the 2000 yds, all freestyle without aids, finished in just under 39 minutes. Next step is to keep the stroke steady but increase its power through the water. When I got home, I finished up the painting job for the stair railing. Painted the tops of the rails twice to try and make it last longer. It turned out looking pretty nice, definitely better than before. I needed a break afterwards, so I watched the first episode of Endeavour on Amazon Prime. I've seen this series before, but it was a really good one and worth re-watching. I had some lunch while watching TV, then I got ready for a bike ride. Originally wanted to ride for a longer distance, but my legs were pretty sore when I started, so I lowered my expectations. Headed down by the park and onto Pomerado Rd, taking it up to RB Rd and turning left there. I rode up to Martincoit Rd, and this time I rode it all the way up to its end, then turned right onto Orchard Gate Rd, trying to find another way out of the neighborhood. No luck there, so at its end I had to turn around and climb back up, not so fun. There appears to be a way through, according to the map, so I'll have to try again another time. Back down the hill to Stone Canyon Rd, taking it down to Pomerado Rd. Then I turned left and rode down to Twin Peaks Rd, turning right. I didn't relish this little climb, not much but enough on tired legs. I stayed on Camino del Norte past 4S Ranch until I got to Four Gee Rd, where I turned right. Up to its end, then back down and taking the reverse long route through the 4S Ranch neighborhood. That got me to RB Rd, and from there I took the normal way home via W Bernardo Dr. Was glad to finish this short ride, which had a fair amount of climbing in it.

Avg speed = 15.2 mph. Total mileage = 22.6 mi

Avg power = 125 W. Weighted avg power = 160 W

Total elevation gain = 1660'

Avg heartrate = 121 bpm

Relative Effort = 32

Training Load = 67

Intensity = 66%

https://www.strava.com/activities/12902507591 

In the evening, we drove down to Convoy St area and had dinner at Noodlicious. The noodles were made in-house and excellent. My spicy oil noodles were good but didn't have enough vegetables to go with. Afterwards, we had soft serve at Somi Somi, which was very tasty (too much food for Ann). Then we drove downtown, parked in a garage ($28!) by the old Horton Plaza, and walked over to a new comedy club, National Lampoon's Yellow Door, to see some comedians. The headliner, Wendy Liebman, was quite good, although she used the show to try out some new jokes, and not all of them were winners. There was a funny bit before the show started, when the emcee, Felicia Michaels, was announced but she was nowhere to be seen. Eventually, they located her and the show started. It 46was mildly enjoyable. Home from there with no issues.

I also started reading Floating Hotel, a sci-fi novel by Grace Curtis, after having finished the Elon Musk biography a couple of days ago. This latest book is a little hard to get started, possibly because I've been pretty tired at night with busy days. It's about a spaceship hotel that travels around the galaxy. More details as I read on.

11-13-2024 Ride

Woke up early on World Kindness Day and drove over to Krispy Kreme, where they were giving away a free dozen donuts to the first 500 customers. Then I drove home, did the dishes, and had a couple of donuts and coffee. Afterwards, I got ready for a bike ride on my Canyon, to test out the rear brakes. Headed up Aguamiel Rd and then over Duenda Rd and Bernardo Center Dr to RB Rd, where I turned left. I was generally making up the route as I went. I rode up RB Rd into the sun, and it wasn't easy to see because of the glare. Then over to Twin Peaks Rd, turning right there and riding down to Community Rd. I took this road over to Metate Ln and turned right there to get to Pomerado Rd. Left turn and the climb up to the top, which started slow but finished better. I kept going on Spring Canyon Rd, looking for potential future Bisikleta routes. This road connected to Scripps Ranch Blvd, where I turned left and rode up the little climb, then a nice descent to Mira Mesa Blvd, watching for morning commute traffic. I turned right and took it to Westonhill Dr, where I turned right again. Over to Capricorn Way, where another right turn got me to Black Mountain Rd. I turned left there, rode down the hill (it was chilly at the bottom) and then up to Park Village Rd, turning left. I climbed a little more and then enjoyed the nice downhill to Camino del Sur, where I turned left and rode back to the 56. I had intended to take the 56 bike path, but it was closed, so I rode up to Carmel Valley Rd and turned left there instead. Over to Rancho Santa Fe Farms Rd, turning left, enjoying the nice downhill and suffering up the short steep climb to Rancho Diegueno Rd. Left turn there and the really fun downhill that got me to near the base of the Three Witches climb. I did it in decent time, far from my PR but a good effort nonetheless. Back to Camino del Sur, and from there I followed the generally normal way home via Camino San Bernardo and W Bernardo Dr, except I rode down to the bottom and came back up Aguamiel Rd. Felt fine at the end, I put in a little bigger effort than the previous day, and my legs held up okay.

Avg speed = 16.5 mph. Total mileage = 40.9 mi

Avg power = 155 W. Weighted avg power = 187 W

Total elevation gain = 2900'

Avg heartrate = 130 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 90

Training Load = 161

Intensity = 77%

https://www.strava.com/activities/12893157857

I had a little time after I got home before I needed to get ready for my volunteer shift. Had some food, showered and shaved. It was steadily busy during the shift, nurses are asking me to do more non-routine stuff, which helps keep me involved. There was a new nurse, Terrance, who was probably overflow staff. I rode home and talked to Mom to wish her a happy birthday. She was is a pretty good mood. She is hopeful that the WF banking problems have been resolved. Me too. After dinner, I went out and bled my rear brake again. This time, I took care after closing the rear piston block port, to pressurize the system and pull vacuum a couple of time to remove any last air bubbles. I put a little pressure on the system before closing the clamp and disconnecting the syringe. This time some DOT fluid leaked out, indicating the lines were completely full. I put the screw back in and installed new brake pads just on the back brake for now. After putting the wheel back on, I had to adjust the piston block position because the pads were rubbing against the rotor. After this adjustment, the wheel spun freely, and the brake lever action was much more immediate. I hopeful that I got it right this time.

11-12-2024 Ride

Woke up and got ready for a ride on my old bike, Canyon still out with a rear brake problem. I hoped to leave before 7 but a number of delays kicked in, and it wasn't until closer to 7:30 that I was on the road. Through the neighborhood to Matinal Rd and then over to W Bernardo Dr, taking it to RB Rd. Up the hill and through the long route of the 4S Ranch neighborhood to get over to Camino del Sur. I felt a little bit of a tailwind pushing me, tried to ride harder than the previous day. Down to San Dieguito Rd, taking it down and through the flats to El Camino Real, where I turned right. Over to Via de la Valle, where I turned left and rode down to PCH. Some morning commute traffic but not too bad. I headed north on PCH for just a little bit before turning right onto Lomas Santa Fe. Up the short steep climb and staying on this road through another couple of climbs until I got to the outskirts of RSF on Linea del Cielo, then rode into the village and onto Paseo Delicias. I took it through RSF and eventually onto Del Dios Hwy. Stopped before the climb and ate a small granola bar. I was steady up the climb but not very fast. It had been a while since I rode this route. I took this road to Via Rancho Pkwy and, from there, took the standard way back toward home. Riding at moderate pace, not pushing too hard. I stayed on W Bernardo Dr up to Duenda Rd, turning right and riding fast up to Corazon Pl, which I took to its end. This is an obscure Strava segment, and I need to shave another 30 seconds off my time to get a KOM. It's probably doable. Home from there, felt good at the end.

Avg speed = 16.6 mph. Total distance = 40.1 mi

Avg power = 142 W. Weighted avg power = 176 W

Total elevation gain = 2480'

Avg heartrate = 126 bpm

Relative Effort = 72

Training Load = 137

Intensity = 73%

https://www.strava.com/activities/12885126251

Garage door keypad didn't work, but I used MyQ to get in. I had some food, then got to continuing painting the stair railing. I worked on it for a couple of hours. Afterwards, I rode over to Gideon and Lutchi's house and borrowed his brake bleed kit, then had a shower and some food before Ann came home. Not too long after that, we drove over to meet Aysha Williams at the Charles Schwab offices in RB. We talked with her for about 90 minutes. She's nice but stays at a pretty high level in her advising. We drove home after, and I set to working on my brakes. Gideon had the right bleed port adapter that I had been missing, and after reading through the procedure and watching the video, I followed the instructions and was successful in purging the air from my brake lines. What a relief, will test the bike out tomorrow. I also replaced the front tire tube, which had a very slow leak. The rest of the day was pretty quiet. I had a long phone call with Ross around dinner time, tried to keep him cool about the WF stuff, but he's still on the edge there and thinks Mark is the main culprit. He wanted me to commit to taking Lillie in when Mom passes, but I'm not ready to do that.

11-11-2024 Swim

Woke up and got ready for a swim at the WWC. Even though it was a little bit chilly, there were a surprising number of people there for swimming. I did a 500 as a warm-up, in about 9:30, then 5 100s, each at a 1:45 pace. I finished up with another 500 using the pull buoy. My stroke length was pretty consistent throughout, about 22 in the first 1000 and closer to 20 in the last 500. At times, I felt like I was actually swimming like I'm supposed to. After I got home, I started preparing the railing on the stairs for getting repainted, as it has been looking ragged for some time. Masked some areas off, then I started painting. It went fairly slowly, as there is a lot of detail work. I painted for a while, then I took a break as Ann and I drove down to Home Depot and H Mart in Mira Mesa. We bought some gardening stuff at the first place, including 1x2s to use as supports for the plastic garden fencing we bought and which I had put up the previous day. Some general Asian food supplies at the latter place, including a fair amount of processed and prepared food. We drove home, and I spent the afternoon cutting the wood into 4' lengths and pounding them into the ground to support the fencing. Ann went to the Leah circle meeting after dinner, so I put a lot of light around the stairs and did a second round of painting. At the end, I estimate that I am about 2/3 done.

11-10-2024 Ride

Woke up but, for a change, decided not to ride in the morning. Instead, I looked again at bleeding the brakes on my bike and found tat I still don't have an adapter for the bleeder port on the piston block. Dang it! I went out into the backyard instead and put the protective plastic fence around the perimeter. It needs to be staked up, but that should be fairly easy. I hung around the house for the rest of the morning, then after a light lunch went for a bike ride. I hoped to borrow a bleeder port adapter from Gideon, so I rode through the neighborhood to his house after texting him, but he didn't reply. I kept on riding up to RB Rd, and after climbing to the top he got back to me. I rode back to his place, and he showed me the bleed kit he has. It was too big to carry for a long distance, so I told him I'd stop by on the return. Back up to RB Rd, then over to Camino del Sur, taking it to the 56 bike path. This was a recovery ride day, so I dialed the effort way back. It was a nice time to be riding, warm but not hot, not as dry as previous days. There was an offshore breeze, so when I turned left onto the bike path it helped me along nicely. I rode up to Salmon River Rd, then jogged over to Paseo Montalban to get to Black Mountain Rd. Again, an easy pace here to Carmel Valley Rd, taking the little climbs at lower speeds. The downhill to Dove Canyon Rd was fast with a tailwind, then I rode back over to RB Rd and headed to Gideon's house again. He and Lutchi had gone to Costco, so I missed picking the kit up. I rode down the hill and over to W Bernardo Dr, then home from there. It was nice to ride a shorter route at easy pace. 

Avg speed = 14.5 mph. Total mileage = 22.7 mi

Avg power = 114 W. Weighted avg power = 150 W

Total elevation gain = 1600'

Avg heartrate = 115 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 28

Training Load = 67

Intensity = 62%

https://www.strava.com/activities/12871553334

Not much activity in the afternoon. I put the new strike plate for the deadbolt on the side garage door, had to chisel some extra space for it to fit. We went over to Emily and Caleb's place for our birthday dinner, Mexican food and chocolate cake. There was a lot of discussion about their cats. Max still isn't drinking enough water, and they are picky about their food. But they came out after dinner and played around a bit before we left.

11-09-2024 Ride

This turned out to be a good day on the bike. I had planned for a Bisikleta ride up the East Grade toward Mt Palomar, and this was the day for it. Rob came over, and we drove to the starting point at Lake Henshaw together. I was riding my old bike since I hadn't figured out how to bleed the brakes on the new one. Perse and Gio were there when we got to the Cafe parking lot, and it was cold, particularly in the shade. Others started trickling in and getting ready. I had hoped to get started around 8:30 (even though I told everybody we were starting at 8:15), and we were pretty close to this target. On this ride at the start, there were: Rob, Perse, Jed, Gio, Fritz, Zac, Joey, Nel, and Eric. There is a little shaded downhill on Hwy 76 right at the start, and I was shivering a lot until we turned onto East Grade Rd and started climbing. I put my head down and tried to keep consistent power, was largely successful throughout the climb, although there were numerous points where I was in my lowest gear, even though the grade never really got above 7%. Generally, it was 4-6% in the ascending sections, and there are a couple of spots where the gradient drops, even some areas where you have a slight descent for a bit. Was stronger on the first half of the climb, but unlike the last time my back didn't start aching, and I had a decent finish. I set a Strava PR for the East Grade climb (1:03:03, 211 W, 151 bpm). I rode down to Mother's Kitchen, then turned around and rode back to an intersection to make sure nobody took a wrong turn. Zac was about 4 minutes behind me, he had ridden the first half at modest pace and then put in a bigger effort on the second half. We gathered a little past the summit of the climb. Nel ended up having to turn back because his hip was giving him trouble. Everybody else made it to the top. Then we rode over to Mother's Kitchen, had a short biobreak, and all decided to ride together up to Boucher Lookout. We met another rider, Elmer Maniti, from Orange County, and he rode with us as well. On the stretch to the Lookout, Fritz and I got out in front, and he pretty much stayed with me until just past the really steep section on the access road to the overlook. I set a PR for the section from Mother's Kitchen to the State Park (11:18, 151 W, 129 bpm) as well as for the climb up Boucher Rd to the lookout tower (4:40, 229 W, 152 bpm). Another break at the top before we started heading down, taking care on the steep descending and curving road. Again, Fritz and I were together in front on the return, and he stayed with me the whole way. After a short break to allow everybody to gather up again, we rode down the South Grade. I was again out front on the descent, and it was exhilarating and a little scary. Set a PR for the descent (12:53, 56 W, 112 bpm), the Fuji handled pretty well. I heard later that Elmer took a turn too wide and almost got hit by a car. Luckily, he got back into his lane and no harm was done. Once we got to the bottom, we headed back on the 76 toward Lake Henshaw. It was much warmer by then. I was feeling the effects of the climbing, so I didn't have a lot of push left for the relatively small amount of climbing left. The last 5 miles or so were uphill, not steep but energy-sapping. Jed and I got out in front, and Jed hung on my wheel until the last little climb. He would have traded leads but was doing everything just to hang with me. I was glad to come around the final bend and see the cafe ahead. The others trickled in over the next 5 minutes or so, and most felt the same way about the finish of the ride. Zac and Joey brought out cookies that they had baked the previous evening, and the energy boost from eating a cookie was pretty great.

Avg speed = 15.0 mph. Total mileage = 37.7 mi

Avg power = 169 W. Weighted avg power = 190 W

Total elevation gain = 4220'

Avg heartrate = 140 bpm

Relative Effort = 155

Training Load = 182

Intensity = 82%

https://www.strava.com/activities/12862511151

A little bit of socializing after the ride, then Rob and I drove home. We had good conversations on the drives, it sounds like he is handling his stressful job pretty well, not letting it get to him, although he's more susceptible to getting sick (probably due to stress effects). Curiously, I wasn't that hungry when I got home. I was a little jazzed from drinking a Pepsi after the ride but not wanting a lot of food. We spent the afternoon hanging out and getting our outfits ready for the dinner party. Borrowed some stuff from Caleb and Emily on the way, along with picking up the gifts I had ordered from Amazon. The restaurant was nice, food was good, service was quite excellent. I got stuck at the end of the table but still had a fine time. The others enjoyed the quiz questions before and during dinner, and it generated a fair amount of humor and funny lines. So, mission accomplished. The gift exchange was a little disjointed but went okay as well. All in all, a nice evening out with the opportunity to dress up.

11-08-2024 Swim

Woke up (<>) and had a little breakfast before going to the WWC for a swim. It was still Santa Ana conditions but not so windy, chilly on the ride over there. I swam for 2000 yds with no aids and no stops, finishing in under 40 minutes. Felt like my stroke was consistent, I didn't push too hard, just attempted to keep my stroke count down. I rode home after that, and Ann and I decided to run some errands in San Marcos. So in a while we headed out, went to Costco to get memberships, then we stopped at Home Depot to return some caulk and buy stuff to protect the garden. Finally, we looked at coffee tables at a couple of furniture stores, prices were pretty scary. Will consider other options, including buying something unfinished and finishing it myself. We had lunch at a ramen place in San Marcos, was decent, although vegan ramen is just not as good as the real thing. Then we headed over to east Escondido to look at thrift stores for clothes to wear to the dinner on Saturday evening. Scored a couple of good finds. We headed home after that, and I had no success in bleeding my rear brake. So, I'll ride my old bike tomorrow and ask some of the riders for advice, and perhaps additional fittings, on how to bleed the brakes. I talked to Mom later, after Ann and I went for a walk, and the conversation was cordial until she started venting about the Wells Fargo bank statements. I listened for a bit, then encouraged her to trust her sons with getting it resolved. We'll see if I bought some time for Mark to get back to her and settle her down with the information he has learned.

11-07-2024 Swim/Ride

Woke up, after sleeping fitfully in the office bedroom, and had some breakfast. Then I got ready to head over for a swim at the WWC. Saw Howard there, we hadn't seen each other in quite some time. He and Y-Hua are back from a vacation in Japan. I swam for 1500 yds. Finished the first 500 yds in about 9:20, then I swam 5 100s, each in under 1:45. Felt pretty good about that. I wrapped it up with another 500 yds with the pull buoy, I think I was under 10:00 for that last 500. Shoulders felt the effects of the 100s. When I got home, I went into the backyard and looked at the area with the sprinkler leak. Needed to clear out the roots around the sprinkler line and push the drip riser back into the hole. After also replacing the spray head, it was working fine. I had some lunch and watched a little TV after that, then took the aero bars off my old bike to get it ready for a short afternoon ride. I then used this bike for the ride, taking it down by the park and over to Highland Valley Rd. I rode on the flats, pretty much into Santa Ana winds, then just partway up the hill before turning around and riding back. It was much faster on the return, but I could certainly feel the effects of the last two days' long rides. To Pomerado Rd, where I turned left and rode up to RB Rd, following the time trial route for a time from there. Wind was swirly on this stretch, while on Poway Rd I had a tailwind and made good time. I turned right onto Carmel Mountain Rd, and the new pavement is really nice. Past the schools on Paseo Lucido, then onto Bernardo Heights Pkwy to get to Bernardo Center Dr. Home the normal way from there, past the library. It was really dry, I could tell from my needing to drink water, which is not something I usually think much about. Higher than usual heartrate given my power output suggests that the dry weather and higher temperature had something to do with it.

Avg speed = 16.2 mph. Total mileage = 25.4 mi

Avg power = 136 W. Weighted avg power = 160 W

Total elevation gain = 1390'

Avg heartrate = 126 bpm

Relative Effort = 42

Training Load = 81

Intensity = 69%

https://www.strava.com/activities/12848138525

When I got home, Ann and I sat down and talked through what happened the previous evening. It was very productive, and I believe that things can be much better moving forward. Now comes the hard work of making this happen. It was a quiet evening, watched a little football and read.

11-06-2024 Ride

John said he was riding, so I got up and got dressed to ride to his place. My rear brake had been making noise at the end of the previous day's ride, so I took a look at it before leaving. One of the pistons was extended, so I lubricated its edges and used a brake tool to push it back in. On my way, but the brake was still not feeling right. I took the traditional time trial route over to Springhurst Dr, and before the turn onto Poway Rd my rear brake started grabbing the rotor. It was really bad on the climb up to his house, noisy and slow. When I got there, I borrowed some of his tools and pushed the piston back in. Then I tried to extend the piston on the other side, which appeared to be stuck. When it finally went, it popped and apparently popped out because after I pushed it back using a screwdriver, I had lost braking action. I decided to ride the ride with only my front brake, taking it easy and braking way in advance. So we headed up to Scripps-Poway Pkwy, turned right and rode down past the freeway and on Mercy Rd over to Black Mountain Rd. Up this gradual climb to Mira Mesa Blvd, turning right there and following the Scripps Ranch Old Pros' July Fourth route until we got down into Sorrento Valley. That last descent was a little sketchy, but it went fine. Then we rode over to the bike path on the west side of I-5 and took it up to Voight Dr, turning left there and riding back to Genesee Dr. We turned right there and rode past UTC to Nobel Dr, turning left there and then heading over to Miramar Rd. Bike was working okay, just no rear brakes so I had to be a lot more careful and aware of surroundings. There is a gentle climb on Nobel Dr, nothing major, then it was essentially flat back to the base of Pomerado Rd. I slowed down on the climb and basically stayed with John. As we got near the top, the Santa Ana winds started to make themselves known, and we were riding into the wind. Back to his place the normal way, where Vivian made us smoothies and we talked a little bit. His hernia operation is this Monday, it will be outpatient surgery. I'll give him, Vivian, and Jayden a ride to the airport in two weeks when they go back to visit his family in Pennsylvania. The wind was picking up, so I started heading home, and it was slow going. On Pomerado Rd, I was essentially riding into the wind, so I just took my time. Home via RB Rd to W Bernardo Dr, with enough time for a short break before getting ready for my volunteer shift.

Avg speed = 15.9 mph. Total mileage = 48.1 mi

Avg power = 138 W. Weighted avg power = 158 W

Total elevation gain = 2610'

Avg heartrate = 122 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 60

Training Load = 180

Intensity = 73%

https://www.strava.com/activities/12838730679

I had enough time to put the alarm sensor on the side garage door, using double-sided foam tape, and adjusted it to get it to function properly. I also replaced the battery on the front door sensor so it registered, and everything is working better now. Then it was off to the hospital. I met Aubrey, a new volunteer working on Wednesday mornings. It was a group of the regulars other than that. When I got home, we talked a little bit about the disastrous election over dinner, then Ann got angry with me for encouraging her not to go down the rabbit hole of doom-scrolling that could happen when Trump is president again. She thought I wasn't willing to listen to her opinions, and my reply was that it wasn't healthy for me or her to obsess about what is going to be a tough four years. I also confronted her about her drinking and let her know how upset it made me feel. Not sure how she took that, since we didn't speak the rest of the evening. Trouble falling asleep with all that's going on.

Talked with Mark about Wells Fargo financial statements, and he has, from talking to Brenda Falk, appeared to have gotten resolution of the issue. Had to do with statements being attached to PO Box address, which can't be linked directly to a SSN.

Agency account statement (high-yield uber savings account) - monthly

IRA and irrevocable trust account statements - quarterly

11-05-2024 Ride

Woke up early with the intention of going on a longer ride. I mapped it out in Strava first, then got ready. Probably didn't take enough food with me, but I didn't bonk during the ride. Headed down to the park and across the pedestrian bridge, then through the mall parking lot and up Beethoven Dr to cut through Kit Carson Park and get to Escondido Blvd. I rode on it for a time then moved over to Centre City Pkwy to ride through Escondido. Stayed on it out to Deer Springs Rd and then down the hill, eventually turning left on Gopher Canyon Rd. There is a short, steep climb after the turn, and I took it fairly easy. Lots of traffic on this narrow road, which was a little unsettling. I took it all the way to the end, turning left onto E Vista Way. I was going to stay on this road for quite a while, into Vista and beyond, dealing with more morning commute traffic. There is a place in Vista where you need to turn onto W Vista Way, but I had loaded a map of my route, and it gave me ample warning. I was riding down toward the coast, not sure if I've been on this road before, probably not. Rode down to College Blvd and took a left. There's a little climb, not too much, after the turn. Rode down to Cannon Rd and turned right there, taking a little jaunt to get over to El Camino Real. I'm pretty sure I've never ridden on this stretch of the road. It's nice, took me by the airport, then past Poinsettia Ln and La Costa, until I turned onto Olivenhain Rd to get to Rancho Santa Fe Rd. Ridden this a lot of times in the other direction. I stayed on RSF through the turn and then had a gradual climb up El Camino del Norte, not too bad in the shade, as it was warming up. I rode up to Lago Lindo and used this road to get over to El Montevideo and thence to Paseo Delicias. I rode toward downtown RSF and turned left onto Via de la Valle, riding down the hill until turning onto Via de Santa Fe to get over to El Apajo and the bottom of the Three Witches climb. Let's just say that this was not a PR day for me. I took it at modest pace, focusing on getting up the hill on tiring legs. To Camino del Sur, turning left and riding over to Paseo del Sur. I rode through the neighborhood, taking the route that got me onto Camino San Bernardo. It's a gradual climb on this road until it gets a little steeper just past Dove Canyon Rd, and I slogged up this last stretch. Over to Camino del Norte, taking it to Bernardo Center Dr and turning left to ride into the RB village. I turned on Lomica Dr and rode through that neighborhood to get to Higa Pl and then Pomerado Rd. Home the normal way, via Bernardo Center Dr, from there. Legs felt fine at the end, I was hungry but not too sore from the ride. Probably benefited from the frequent stops while I was riding through Vista and then toward the end.

Avg speed = 16.3 mph. Total mileage = 62.7 mi

Avg power = 147 W. Weighted avg power = 173 W

Total elevation gain = 3800'

Avg heartrate = 128 bpm

Relative Effort = 115

Training Load = 240

Intensity = 75%

https://www.strava.com/activities/12830846673

I got home in time to have something to eat before the door installation guy showed up a little before noon. I thought he was something of an odd duck, but he ended up doing a good job on the installation. He reminded me that we needed new door locks, so I waited until Ann got home before heading over to Home Depot to pick them up. This is when the mini adventure started. They only had the ones I wanted at the west Escondido store, so I drove over there. Got them, but the guy who is able to key the locks had just left, so I stood in the store calling around the other Home Depot stores to see if their person was still there. No luck, so I started home. On the way, I called Ann to ask her to look for locksmiths in RB who might re-key the locks. She found a couple of places but they weren't open. In the meantime, I drove toward the RB town center, thinking there was a place nearby. I was able to locate the kiosk, Champion Lock & Key, and - miracle of miracles - somebody was there. When I showed her (Kim) the locks I bought and our key, she told me they were incompatible, I needed Schlage locks. So, rushed over to Home Depot in CMR, returned the ones I bought, and bought a new Schlage lockset instead. Then I rushed back to the kiosk and had Kim re-key the locks. She was done in about 15 minutes, and I drove home. Lock installation went fairly smoothly, although the hole in the doorframe for the deadbolt doesn't match the strike plate on the lockset that I bought. It's fine for now until I figure out what to do. I got home from this adventure in time to head over to the library and drop my vote packet off, then it was a quiet rest of the day and evening.

I finished the book Those Beyond the Wall and switched back to the Elon Musk biography. The former book was a little too scattershot for me, and it was fairly cavalier about the violence it portrayed. It was enough for me not to read any more books by this author.

11-04-2024 Run/Swim

Woke up, it was a little chilly but lighter earlier, so I went for a run, following the old neighborhood route at a modest pace. Felt fine, not too cold although my hands were chilled. Finished stronger than I started, legs and cardio felt fine.

Total distance = 3.41 mi

Avg pace = 8:52/mi

Elapsed moving time = 30:15

https://www.strava.com/activities/12821282434

After I got home, I ate a little bit of breakfast, then got ready to head 0ver to the WWC for a swim. Was a little busy at the opening, but I got a lane and swam 2000 yds in under 40 minutes, keeping my stroke more efficient throughout. No aids in the swim for the first time, it felt decent. When I got home, it was time again for chores. I tried to reset my Indy earbuds but can only get sound from the right side. Then I wrote a note to Linda and later wrote a birthday card to Mom, including the photo of us with Kaye. I also read up on the propositions to inform my voting decisions. Cleaned up the kitchen and then tightened the faucet. Later, we drove over to El Plantio and got some seeds and plantings for the garden. When we got back home, she planted the plants and I cleared the weeds out of the path that had grown from the leaking sprinkler line. Cleared out the pea gravel and the dirt around the turn in the path, then I cleaned the gravel before putting it back in. Last chore I had on my list was to put air in the scooter tires. We talked to Laura after dinner and caught each other up on our travels as well as reviewed plans for the holidays.

11-03-2024 Rides

Daylight saving time ended (<>), so I was able to ride a little sooner with the time trial guys. The streets were still damp from some evening precipitation, but it didn't turn out to be a problem. We met at Jim's house at 7:00 and did the normal time trial route. John was still recovering from a bout with the flu but seemed pretty much back to normal. Nothing special about the ride, I was a little faster than normal in the first half but slowed down in the second, as the exertion from the previous day's ride caught up with me.

Avg speed = 16.4 mph. Total mileage = 17.6 mi

Avg power = 150 W. Weighted avg power = 163 W

Total elevation gain = 1030'

Avg heartrate = 121 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 21

Training Load = 69

Intensity = 71%

https://www.strava.com/activities/12814860428

I got home in time to get ready for church and go with Ann. It was a mildly pleasant experience, was sad to see all of the people, on All Saints Sunday, who had died over the past year. Nice, short conversation with Paul Gerard and Dirk Reschly on the patio afterwards, then we drove home. After getting something to eat, we went out in the backyard and worked on our garden. I tilled the amendment we bought into the soil, then we pulled some of the compost out of our old compost bin and added it in as well. Next, I ran the soaker hose lines from the sprinkler head into the bed and created four planting rows. When I tested the lines, they worked, but I found two other drip sprinkler heads that had popped off, so I fixed those as well. Ann planted some herbs and vegetables, while I planted two little sections of radishes. We will see how it goes in the next couple of days, as the seeds are expected to sprout. I read a little bit in the afternoon and had a short nap. I watched a little TV before dinner, then decided to ride on the trainer after dinner. Couldn't get Peacock to load, so I rode a route in MyWhoosh. Got it all to work this time, including Kickr response to gradient on the virtual route. I still need to figure out how to play music while I'm riding in MyWhoosh. Rode for 10 miles.

Avg speed = 20.1 mph. Total mileage = 10.1 mi

Avg power = 187 W. Weighted avg power = 192 W

Total elevation gain = 140'

Avg heartrate = 139 bpm (Coospo)

https://www.strava.com/activities/12817919104

It was quiet for the rest of the evening.

11-02-2024 Ride

Turned out to be a harder riding day than I thought it would be. It was cold enough for full-fingered gloves and double socks at the start, as I headed through the neighborhood and then took the extended route through the 4S Ranch neighborhood. I couldn't see anybody else in the parking lot when I got there, so I took a short loop through the Del Sur neighborhood before showing up. On this ride, there were: Ray, Jed, Kamal, Jamil, Rob, Fritz, Nel, Arnold (my first time riding with him since his accident), Zac, Joey, and James (arrived late, he had forgotten his helmet). We headed out Camino del Sur to San Dieguito Rd, and Kamal and Jamil pushed the pace pretty hard on the CdS bump, so I worked to catch up to them and get past them. I kept the pace high after the turn and powered down the hill, trying to keep ahead of the others. Down to El Apajo, turning right and waiting for the others to catch up. We then rode to Via de Santa Fe and up to Via de la Valle, turning right there. I started late and had to push it to catch up with Fritz and Joey out in front, then I kept going fairly hard to the turn onto Paseo Delicias. We gathered up there again and rode out to El Camino del Sur, turning onto this road and taking it to Rancho Santa Fe Rd. I was near the front on the downhill section, where, near the end, Kamal and Fritz got out in front. I saved enough, just enough, to pass them and get to the stop sign first, but it took an effort. We gathered there and then stayed on Rancho Santa Fe Rd through the turn and up the gradual climb toward San Elijo Hills. Rob was out front, and I followed him for a while before pulling ahead. I put my head down and kept pedaling and, when I looked back, saw that I had distanced the others. Waited for them just past La Costa Ave, then I got out ahead again on the more gradual climb to the summit before it dropped down to San Elijo Rd. I waited for Rob, and we rode down the hill and turned right, heading up to San Elijo Hills. I got to the gas station sag stop first and waited for the others to show, including Romeo, who had been riding to meet us. He ended up turning around there and riding back to Oceanside after he got a text from his daughter. The rest of us decided to ride up to Double Peak. I wasn't involved in the discussion but wasn't so thrilled, since I had been riding hard up to this point and was worried I wouldn't have enough left in the tank. With that said, I had a good ride, setting a PR on the section from Elfin Forest Rd all the way to the top of Double Peak (19:20, 229 W, 156 bpm). I was out in front with Zac on the section up to the turn onto Double Peak Rd, and I probably could have ridden this section faster, was feeling pretty good. After the turn, he left me behind and I didn't have a response. The combination of my decent fitness and having a bike with more low gears allowed me to push harder on the steep sections, so I was second up to the top. We stopped and waited until the others showed up, had a break and took some pics, then rode back down. I also felt good on the downhill, not riding the brakes as much as in the past. We retraced our route back to Elfin Forest Rd and turned left there, taking it to Harmony Grove Rd. I pushed out in front, and a select group of riders followed me, including Ed (Romeo's friend, who had also ridden from Oceanside). He and I were riding hard and trading leads, so that by the time we made the turn and rode up the first little climb we were alone. We kept pushing each other hard until I stopped to wait for the others at the Citracado Pkwy turn. He kept going, intending to loop back home. The others gathered up, and a few of us - Ray, Jamil, Kamal, and me - decided to cut our ride short. I was still leery of riding down Del Dios, so it was an easy decision for me. We rode together up to Del Dios Hwy, the others turned, and we continued on up to Scenic Trail Way, near the dead end, turning right and getting over to Gamble Ln, where we turned left. We had to walk our bikes past a gate and take care on the poor road quality on the steep downhill section before the pavement improved and we were able to get down the rest of the hill without incident. We stayed on the road as it turned into Citracado Pkwy, then rode up the short steep hill before descending toward Centre City Pkwy. We turned right on Escondido Blvd and took the normal way through Kit Carson Park to Beethoven Dr, then rode through the mall parking lot to get over to the bike path. Normal way over the pedestrian bridge from there, with me out in front and the others not too far behind. Once we got onto W Bernardo Dr, I rode pretty slowly up the first little hill, my legs were telling me it was close to be done for the day. After the climb, Jamil powered past me on the downhill and flats, but I figured, correctly, I would catch him on the climb up to RB Rd. Passed him and didn't stop from there, gapping the others as I rode solo back to the 4S Target, I had to turn my brain off and just keep riding rather than turning to head home. I waited for the others in my small group to show up before I headed home. Kamal was also gassed, and he had turned toward home earlier, so it was just Ray and Jamil who showed up. I rode home pretty slowly, following the new standard route, although again it was a challenge to add any distance or elevation to my ride by this time. I got home okay, but there were some warning signs from my leg muscles that they were in a pre-cramping state. This was, qualitatively, the hardest ride I have ridden in quite a while.

Avg speed = 15.6 mph. Total mileage = 54.4 mi

Bisikleta route avg speed = 15.9 mph

Avg power = 158 W. Weighted avg power = 189 W

Total elevation gain = 4430'

Avg heartrate = 136 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 166

Training Load = 268

Intensity = 82%

https://www.strava.com/activities/12807320559

Not much else to report on this day. I didn't do much else, was pretty wiped out. I had a nap in the afternoon and read some and watched some TV. It was a quiet evening.

11-01-2024 Entry

This was a busy day but one without any vigorous exercise. I went for a hour long walk around the neighborhood when I got up and then started on my to-do list. I called Mark to get his take on the broken relationship between Ben and Ross, and to catch up in general. It was a good call, helped me center my thoughts better. Then was the easy stuff, putting wax on the zipper of my overnight bag to see if I could keep it from unzipping, apparent success. Then I reinstalled the head unit mount on my old bike. Next I tackled the difficult one, stopping the gas range from clicking. I cleaned the igniter elements and the surrounding areas, it made things better but didn't completely stop it. Then I used IPA to clean around the switches, and that seemed to work. Occasionally, it clicked once or twice through the day but the clicks got less frequent. I'm hoping it's fixed. One of the gas flow switches is clearly damaged, but that looks to be a major undertaking to repair. I tightened up the shower connectors in the guest bathroom, then I removed the tub spout, which was corroded and not completely diverting water. It's a screw-on type, easy to remove by turning it with a wrench once you know that. I then took off the grate by the intake for the house air, to see if there was any evidence of water or odor from when we had the water heater leak. Nope, but I decided to put new moisture absorber bags in there. So Ann and I ran some errands, to CVS, then the post office to mail letters from me and Mom to Kaye. We headed to Walmart to get a couple of items including the moisture absorbers. Finally to Home Depot to get a replacement tub spout, some sprinkler supplies, seeds for our latest attempt to plant a garden, and some more foam insulation tubing for use in packing up my bike when traveling. I took a break when we got home, had a short nap before putting the moisture absorbers in the crawl space and putting the intake grate back on. Ann and I went in the evening downtown to this industrial area, the Garten, below USD to a place where they had Pizza Cassette along with Lost Cause Meadery, Oddish Winery, and Deft Brewing. She thought a blues band we had seen before was going to play there, but it was a different band, Gypsy Sally. They were a blues trio that was decent. The mead was not to either of our liking, so we can check that off the list, although the guys next to us who were drinking mead were super nice, even bought us a taster of the more authentic stuff, which turned out to be worse than the others we tried. We were home a little after 7:30.