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%
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.
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