04-30-2025 Ride

Had a very good night's sleep just got up once and went fairly quickly back to sleep. (<>) It wasn't as cold as the previous night, thankfully no wind as well. We got up and didn't have to rush with just a short trip to the campground located between Flagstaff and Sedona. Had bum's eggs and coffee for breakfast, and I started taking our campsite down. Then I started a load of laundry and had a shower. I finished packing up and putting stuff in the car while Ann had her shower, then we left a little after 10:00. Drove into Flagstaff and went to Walmart to stock up on groceries. After packing them in the car, we had lunch at a Mexican food restaurant on Route 66 that had been featured on Guy Fieri's TV show. Ann liked her meal more than I liked mine, tortillas didn't seem quite right. We drove a half hour down to the campsite at Cave Springs Campground in the Coconino National Forest. It's beautiful, with lots of trees and nice temperatures. But they were having some problems with the water, nothing to get super worried about yet. After setting up camp (Coleman lantern, installed new mantle again) without the vestibule, I filled up the water jug, then got ready for a bike ride. Headed out to State Rte 89A and rode south, which was almost uniformly downhill (although not too steep) and a fun ride. The road is narrow with no shoulders, but there weren't a lot of cars and they were courteous. I rode down 6+ miles before deciding to turn around and ride back up. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, so I kept going north after passing the entrance to the campground. Rode up to the point where the road was going to get steep with lots of switchbacks, and that's where I turned around and headed back to camp. This was a fun ride, best one of the trip and most beautiful as well.

Avg speed = 16.1 mph (16.2 mph). Total mileage = 17.7 mi

Avg power = 123 W. Weighted avg power = 151 W

Total elevation gain = 1030' (1140')

Avg heartrate = 123 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 26 (27)

Training Load = 55

Intensity = 60%

https://www.strava.com/activities/14344540152

When I got back to camp, Ann wasn't hungry, so we decided to snack and then have apple crisp in the Dutch oven. I read a tiny bit and had a satisfying nap before getting up and helping make the dessert. Peeling the apples was a chore but the results were worth it. This was probably my favorite Dutch oven dessert, cooked to perfection. After cleaning up the dishes, we bundled up and went to sleep. 

04-29-2025 Trail Run/Hikes

Woke up after the coldest night on this trip, wore a beanie and gloves until I took the gloves off in the early morning. Got up to pee in the night and then in the morning a little after 6:00. When I got back, Ann was getting up too, so we broke camp without eating breakfast and were on the road by 7:30. We had a long day ahead. I drove, uneventfully. Stopped for coffee west of Albuquerque, Ann got some when I checked the oil level and added a quart, a little more than we needed. Then we drove to Gallup, got gas there, and went on to the northern entrance to Petrified Forest NP. On the northern side is the Painted Desert. The visitor center was nothing to look at, but we ate an early lunch, knowing that driving through the park was going to take time. Stopped at nearly all the vista sites on the way. On one, I did a short trail run up to the Painted Desert Inn and met Ann, who drove from the previous site. The array of colors and geological strata was amazing.

Avg pace =9:32/mi

Total distance = 0.43 mi

Elapsed moving time = 4:07

https://www.strava.com/activities/14325165915

We finished with that part of the park and drove south, across I-40, to where the Petrified Forest section was. I didn't know what to expect, but it certainly exceeded my expectations. The colors in the wood sections, and the sheer amount of petrified wood, were both incredible. At a couple of stops, there were petroglyphs from the Pueblo indigenous people, and at the Newspaper Site, the amount of petroglyphs was staggering and very interesting to see, albeit from such a distance that we used my binoculars to see them up close (no pictures would do them justice). We hiked down into the badlands by Blue Mesa as well. I wasn't sure Ann was going to try it, since the paved path was very steep. But she did, and the walk around the loop down there was a treat. We also did loop hikes around Crystal Forest and Rainbow Forest, by this time the clouds had rolled in and the wind picked up. I was a little chilled and getting tired, especially at that last stop. But from there it was only another half hour to the KOA campground in Holbrook. Ann had reserved a deluxe tent site, and it was nicely appointed, with electricity, WiFi, a nice tent pad, and trees. It was still windy when we arrived, but the fence surrounding the site made putting up the tent go quickly. No vestibule. As the evening came on, the wind died down, so we had a nice calm evening again. Ann made stew and then we baked biscuits on top using the Dutch oven. This was a keeper recipe, although I think I liked it more than she did. Did the dishes in the kitchen sink, then sat by a fire using wood left by the previous occupants (that was nice of them). 

04-28-2025 Run

Travel day. It was really windy in the night, both of us were hoping the wind would die down but it didn't. I had trouble getting to sleep because of the noise, we got up around midnight to pee. I was able to get some sleep after that. We broke camp and were on the road, with Ann driving, by about 8:40. Through Carlsbad and on to Roswell, where the entire downtown area seemed to be alien-themed. The reason we went downtown was to get to a Walmart. Bought groceries for the next couple of days there, as well as a new wash bin and more ice. Packed it all up in the parking lot and continued on, with me driving. We drove to Turquoise Creek Campground, a nice private one, with WiFi and showers, outside Albuquerque. I missed the exit the first time and had to circle back. Got there late afternoon, around 3:15, and we did an abbreviated camp setup, no vestibule or Coleman lantern. It was at around 7000' elevation, warm and sunny with just a breeze. After setting up camp, I went for a run, first around the park, which didn't take long, then out to the highway and heading north. I got to a private road and turned there to run up it for a while before turning around and essentially retracing my route. No records on this day, I could definitely feel the effect of the altitude.

Avg pace = 8:56/mi

Total distance = 4.54 mi

Elapsed moving time = 40:33

Avg heartrate = 137 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 27

https://www.strava.com/activities/14316888100

The shower after the run felt really good, and my legs didn't really feel stressed from the run. We made tacos for dinner, they were tasty. We didn't really eat much during the day, just yogurt and toast for breakfast and sandwiches when we got to the campsite. A quick cleanup and tidying of the site, then a walk around the RV area, whee it was really quiet. before going to sleep. We bundled up in anticipation of temperatures in the high 30s.

04-27-2025 Hikes

No high winds or lightning during the night, but in the middle of the night Ann got up and made a lot of noise doing so. After she went to the bathroom, I headed there as well and ended up sleeping until about 7:00 (<>). It was breezy in the morning while I made pancakes and coffee for breakfast. I then rearranged the items in the cooler, and later we walked over to the visitor center for a short ranger program (Ranger Leah from Spring) about the park (noted for fossils, Guadalupe Mountain as highest peak in Texas, second windiest place in the US). We walked back to the campsite and gathered gear for a hike, then drove to Frijole Station. From there, we hiked past the old Smith family homestead to Manzanita Spring. This was a short distance, so we continued up to Smith Springs. It wasn't super hot, but it was windy with strong gusts. The trail led generally upward and was a workout for Ann, who was really feeling the heat. We got about 2/3 of the way up to the spring spot, and she wanted to turn around. I showed her where we were on the map, and she decided to keep going, albeit slowly. I was also hiking slowly, looking for fossil evidence in the rocks, with limited success. We did make it up to the grove of trees by Smith Springs, and there was a pool with running water. This spring was at about 5800', which really surprised me when Ann told me. We sat there for a while, then we walked down the trail on the other side of the old creek bed. This was an easier route, but we still took it slowly. We got back to the homestead and had a quick walk through the little museum. Then we grabbed stuff for lunch out of the car and walked back to a picnic area outside the house. Ranger Josh came out after a bit and chatted with us, that's got to be a job for a solitary person. We talked about pioneering families in the early 20th century as well as about survival reality TV shows. Then we headed back to the car and drove to the campsite, with a short stop at the ruins of an old Butterfield stagecoach stop along the highway (not much to see there). It was a lazy afternoon, trying to keep cool and dealing with some really strong wind gusts. This was testing the capability of our tent, keeping fingers crossed. I finished The Dark Forest. It was decent, very much suspension of disbelief fiction, then listed to music in the shade that Ann had found. Around this time was where the fun really began. I decided to try the sprayer out as a shower. Poured it half full and then added some hot water I had heated on the stove. The mist is quite fine, but it got to be warm enough. Soaped and rinsed, then washed my hair as well. I think I got fairly clean. Ann did a similar thing, and she told me the top zipper on the tent entrance wasn't working. I read about some possible solutions on the web and tried pinching the zipper together manually, got it to close (I think) by moving the slider carefully and pinching the zipper behind it. Later, I tried a similar approach with the bottom zipper, including using pliers to hold the two sides together, but had no luck. Ah well, fixing that zipper might have saved the camping trip, at least we got another night in. I also used two more tent stakes (ones I had found) to tie the side of the tent down that seemed to be getting buffeted more by the wind. The gusts in the afternoon were pretty intense. Our neighbors in the next campsite lost their shade cover in the morning and came back to their site in the afternoon to an apparently ruined tent. They ended up packing and leaving. The wind appeared to die down a little after the sun went behind the hill, but it wasn't calm in the night. I made stir fry and rice for dinner and that was a nice period. We started getting ready for sleep after doing the dishes, and as I was gathering my gear I couldn't find my tablet or my earbuds. Looked all over for the tablet, and Ann found it beneath the sleeping bags, in its case where I had also put the earbuds. So I could go to sleep after all. Long day with definitely some adventure, but we made it through.

04-26-2025 Hike

Didn't sleep super well. There was some pretty impressive lightning in the distance during the night, and we got a tiny bit of rain. We were bundled up against heavier weather, so all was good. Oatmeal, berries, and coffee for breakfast. Then we got stuff together, stopped by the visitor center on the way out, and drove to Carlsbad Caverns NP. Got there around 10:10 and walked over to that visitor center to pick up our reserved tickets for 10:30. Tickets were free with my pass. It was busy but not overwhelming. We decided, correctly, to hike down through the natural entrance. This is about 1.25 miles down to the Big Room, and there is plenty to see on the way down. Ann was walking slowly, the ramp was steep in many places, damp in some as well, and not well lit throughout. But the way down was really interesting and had a lot to see. It took longer than I thought it would to get to the Big Room. This area has a looping path around it and lots of interesting formations. Not very brightly lit but certainly navigable. We walked the entire loop and then took the elevator back up to the top. Once we got there, we walked to the car and got some stuff for lunch, then sat on a shaded bench and ate. After that, we wandered around the visitor center, which has the usual displays about the caverns as well as the surrounding land and people. We were waiting around for a talk about bats, and it was interesting, although I dozed off for a bit (was tired from not enough quality sleep). It was two scientists, the first one was more of a traditional animal biologist while the second one was more into genetic mapping of bat microorganisms. The first scientist brought out a couple of small bats for people to see, that was interesting. After the presentation, we walked back to the car and drove to the campsite. While we were at the visitor center, the rangers were warning of severe weather, including a tornado watch, mostly off to the east and north of us. It was windy but manageable. I made pasta with pesto and leftover pizza sauce for dinner. In the evening and the night, there was quite a bit of lightning but no thunder. I'm guessing we were seeing the effects of the big storms off to the northeast. We had some wind, a very little bit of rain, but generally a quiet evening.

04-25-2025 Run/Hike

This turned out to be a decent travel day. We got up fairly early, then Ann went back to sleep while I went for a trail run. It was just light, but the sun hadn't come over the hills nearby. Ran to the Jasper trail at Rockhound State Park, which generally trended down and was really gravelly for most of it. It ended near the visitor center, and I ran back to the start, then took the Thunder Egg Trail up and around the park. Running up steep grades on rocky trails isn't something I'm used to doing, and it was a chore. Same with the downhill runs on similar terrain. But I made it back to the campground and ran back to our site.

Avg pace =10:41/mi

Total distance =2.89 mi

Elapsed moving time =30:56

Avg heartrate = 119 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 8

https://www.strava.com/activities/14281642272

Ann was just getting up, so we had pancakes and coffee for breakfast, then hiked the same Thunder Egg Trail, this time going much slower and looking for interesting rocks. We really didn't know what to look for, but it was a different perspective on the same trail. Back to the campsite, where we gathered our stuff and drove down to the showers to clean off (no showers at the next stop, where we will be for three days). Then it was time to break camp and hit the road, which went smoothly. Drove to Las Cruces and stopped at a Walmart to stock up on groceries and ice. We got gas there ($2.26/gallon with discount) and then I drove us all the way, without further stops, to Guadalupe Mountains NP. A fair amount of of climbing and descending, and we got to the campsite around 3:25. I was tired and a little irritable from the drive, and we had to carry our gear a little distance to the site. No water nearby, and the toilets are also a hike away from our site. But the site is situated well, and setup went fine. I needed to unwind after we got our water jug filled up. Had a couple of beers, and chopped vegetables for dinner, Sloppy Joe's, which were tasty after a long day (for me). Then we prepped the campsite for possible weather in the night, and relaxed before settling down for the evening.

04-24-2025 Ride

Slept all the way through the night for the first time in quite a while. Got up early (early sunrise) and went down to the bathroom to have a wash by the outdoor sink. Washed my hair and cleaned up pretty well, then I went back to the campsite (<>). We had a light breakfast, then Ann went to clean up while I broke camp and packed everything up. Was a little frustrated that she didn't help, but oh well. We were on the road by 9:00, not much gas but we found a gas station okay and filled up. I drove for the first 2+ hours, fairly monotonous terrain. There was a lot of truck traffic for the first hour or so, then it thinned out. We stopped at a rest stop after a while and switched places, then Ann drove the last hour and a half. Got to the campground, Rockhound State Park, around 2:00 and were able to get to our campsite before the 4:00 check in time. Ate some lunch and then set up camp without putting up the vestibule. After that, I chilled for a bit then went for a bike ride at about 4:30. Had to fix a flat on my front tire first, which was annoying. The ride was on fairly bumpy roads. I rode out toward a nearby state park but turned around when it got really steep, the bike is not so stable with aero bars on, going downhill, and dealing with a crosswind. It was windy and that made the riding difficult. I turned around at about 8 miles and took a shorter way back. This desert riding is harder than I thought.

Avg speed = 16.3 mph (16.3 mph). Total mileage = 12.4 mi

Avg power = 134 W. Weighted avg power = 155 W

Total elevation gain = 550' (660')

Avg heartrate = 125 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 20 (23)

Training Load = 40

Intensity = 70%

https://www.strava.com/activities/14290912215

Got back to the campsite, rested for a bit, had a margarita, and took extraneous gear off my bike for the drive tomorrow. I've decided to stick the foam pads to the pad holders and just take the pad holders off when moving the bike, avoiding the risk of the pads flying off. Ann tried to make pizza for dinner but couldn't control the grill temperature for the crust. So we had pizza bread with dipping sauce, cheese, and vegetables. It was fine, a little charred but tasty. Was hungry from a long day. Evening was nice, late sunset and a mild breeze, ideal temperature.

04-23-2025 Hikes

Got up early, sunrise here comes sooner. We wanted to see the sights in Saguaro NP before it got too hot, Ann's idea, and it was a good one. Had oatmeal and coffee to get things started, then we cleaned the site up and drove over to the visitor center. It wasn't open yet, but we walked around the little paths nearby, they were pretty decent. Next, we drove to the Bajada Loop, which is a 5-mile gravel road taking you into and around a dense population of desert vegetation. We stopped a couple of times, one for pics and the other to hike a short trail to a vista point overlooking a valley. After the drive, we stopped at another half-mile marked path to learn more about the desert ecosystem. Back at the visitor center, we listened to Ranger Brian tell us some more about the desert plant life, some pretty interesting facts. Saguaro cacti live for 150-200 years, have a woody skeleton, develop arms after a very long time, and have quite shallow root systems. A lot of desert plants are legumes, which was surprising to me. Drove back to the campsite after that and had a relatively big lunch, grilled burgers. It was hot there, no shade, so we decided to drive into downtown Tucson and look around. Parked by the old courthouse and visited the visitor center there, which was little more than a listing of things to appreciate about the city as a tourist destination. We walked to get ice cream, then headed back to the car and drove to the Pima County Fairgrounds. Got there right as it opened, and wasted some time trying to find the good stuff. We saw a very entertaining bird show by a lady who owns the camel dairy in Ramona, then we found the arts and crafts hall. It was more interesting that the vendor halls but not very sophisticated in the items on display. From there we headed to the livestock arena and learned something about how to show a pig in the ring. That was quite entertaining. The livestock hall had chickens, pigeons, rabbits, Guinea pigs, and goats, and that was also enjoyable. Finally, the reason we decided to go to the fair was the free concert by Switchfoot. Ann had seen that the fair was in town, with Switchfoot as one of the performers, and I found that it was on a night when we could go. It was a little chilly, since I had lost my hoodie, probably at the Saguaro NP visitor center. But the show was decent and not too long. We went to a Walmart nearby after the show and bought more ice and a new hoodie for me. Back to the campsite, some late-night food packing in the cooler, and then sleep.

04/22/2025 Ride

Slept somewhat fit fully and woke up around 4:00. I ate some yogurt for breakfast and started gathering the last essential items for our trip. I put my stuff in the car, and Ann packed up the cooler. Some final cleanup, loading the bike, and we were on the road a little after 5:30. I drove for the first shift, stopped at a rest stop after a couple of hours, then continued on for a while until Ann took over. We made it into Tucson and stopped at a Mexican food restaurant for lunch a little after noon. The food there was decent but the service was slow. We weren't in a hurry, so it wasn't a big deal. Another half an hour or so, and we got to Gilbert Ray Campground. It's pretty sparse but close to the western section of Saguaro NP. Setting up the camp was more of a chore than usual, perhaps because it was hot and dry. Got it done, but the lower zipper on the tent isn't working again (Ugh!). I sat for a while, walked a little bit around the campground, then decided to go for a short bike ride. It turned out to be an out-and-back, and it was a blend of tough little climbs (I had no energy on this ride) and nice slight descents, with a couple of of steeper drops. The road quality was pretty bad on the smaller roads I was on, it was bone-jarring at times. There were some nice stands of saguaro cactus that I rode through. Unintentionally, I rode back exactly the way I  had ridden out.

Avg speed = 14.4 mph (14.5 mph). Total mileage = 14.0 mi

Avg power = 116 W. Weighted avg power = 142 W

Total elevation gain = 970' (1020')

Avg heartrate = 124 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort =27 (27)

Training Load =45

Intensity = 65%

https://www.strava.com/activities/14257983289

I was worn out at the end of this ride, forgot to bring water and that was a big mistake. I was dehydrated at the end, had some water and, later, a beer that really hit the spot. Later, we had cheese, grape leaves, and margaritas for dinner, and that helped to relax me. The evening progressed better after that, no need to bother with a campfire since they aren't allowed here. 

04-21-2025 Rides

I had noticed some coolant on the garage floor the previous day, also saw that the coolant level had dropped. So I drove over to Jesco in the morning to have them look at the car before our trip. Dropped it off and rode home, taking the path by Kit Carson Park and then the freeway. I had to fix a rear tire flat right after I started, which was a minor inconvenience.

Avg speed = 16.0 mph (16.6 mph). Total mileage = 5.6 mi

Avg power = 122 W. Weighted avg power = 160 W

Total elevation gain = 230' (270')

Avg heartrate = 108 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 4 (5)

Training Load = 23

Intensity = 73%

https://www.strava.com/activities/14243703581

This was a relaxed day, where I got things ready for the trip, including packing my stuff. Did a fair amount of reading and watched some TV during the day. I also helped Ann weed the front rock path, adding more pea gravel as well. More work needed there. Cleaned the kitchen counters and trimmed back the big bush in the front yard, watching out to keep from getting stung by all the bees. Peter called in mid-afternoon to tell me the car was ready, so I rode back there and picked it up. 

Avg speed = 15.3 mph (15.9 mph). Total mileage = 5.8 mi

Avg power = 147 W. Weighted avg power = 167 W

Total elevation gain = 460' (520')

Avg heartrate = 120 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 7 (7)

Training Load = 24

Intensity = 75%

https://www.strava.com/activities/14246541984

No charge for them to tighten up the hose clamps and pressure-test the system. Ann ran errands after I got home. In the early evening, I drove over to Home Depot and picked up a garden sprayer to use as a makeshift shower while camping. When I got home, after dinner, I packed the car up, it was pretty full for the long trip. Finished the bulk of my packing and then turned in fairly early, knowing it was going to be a long driving day on Tuesday. 

04/20/2025 Run

Had a nice early awakening on this Easter Sunday (<>). Got ready for a run, then went on the home loop route. Was planning on a slow run but had a moderate pace throughout, with each succeeding mile faster than the previous one. It's going to take some time for me to build up my endurance so I can run uphill quickly, especially in the early going of a run.

Avg pace = 8:11/mi

Total distance = 3.52 mi

Elapsed moving time = 28:51

Avg heartrate = 134 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 17

https://www.strava.com/activities/14233203960

After I got home, I had some cereal for breakfast and then shaved and showered to get ready for church. It was nice seeing some people (Charlie and Ruskin Landreth, Lindsey Swoboda, Karen Kalisek) that I hadn't seen in a while, and Earl was there as well, wearing an eye patch and looking okay. The music was pretty good, but Pastor Lisa's sermons don't do much for me. Got gas for the trip on the way home, then the day was a light one. I read a little, did some computer file clean-up and back-up, which took a lot of time due to the size of the back-up (my old work PC files) and the slow media that I transferred it to. In the afternoon, I found another SRAM flat top chain quick link and used it to put the chain that had the bent link on it back on the bike. Replaced that bent link with a quick link, so now the chain has two of them. I went for a short ride to test it out. Headed through the neighborhood and all the way around Matinal Circle to Matinal Rd and then to W Bernardo Dr. Past the WWC and then right onto Poblado Rd, taking it up to Capilla Rd, where I turned and climbed back up to Matinal Rd. Then to RB Rd and next the extended route through the 4S Ranch neighborhood. I kept going on Paseo del Sur to Potomac Ridge Rd, turning left there and then right onto Nicole Ridge Rd to get to Camino San Bernardo. From this point, I had the aid of a tailwind coming from the coast. I rode back to Camino del Norte and turned right there, taking it up to Bernardo Center Dr. Then it was home via W Bernardo Dr, taking it to Aguamiel Rd before turning. The day was warm and breezy, pretty nice weather for riding as long as you weren't trying to push it too hard.

Avg speed = 15.2 mph. Total mileage = 13.1 mi

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

Total elevation gain = 810'

Avg heartrate = 116 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 13

Training Load = 43

Intensity = 70%

https://www.strava.com/activities/14237028079

Got home and read for a while before dinner. After dinner and cleaning the dishes, Ann and I went through the camping list and got stuff organized to be packed into the car tomorrow evening. I read some more before going to sleep.

04-19-2025 Ride

Woke up early, but I'd fallen asleep fairly early, so I had a good night's rest. Ate a light breakfast and then got ready for the ride. It was cool at the start, 46, so I wore my long-sleeve jersey and vest. Through the neighborhood and then the short route through the 4S Ranch neighborhood, with a climb up to the top of Four Gee Rd thrown in. Perse and Ray were already there when I arrived. Others trickled in. At the start of this ride, we had: Perse, Ray, James, Fritz, Arnold, Jed, and Nel. We rode an extended route through the 4S Ranch neighborhood in reverse, just staying on Ralphs Ranch Rd until we turned onto Alva Rd. Over to RB Rd, then down the hill to W Bernardo Dr. We turned left there and met up with Jhonar and Rob at the Duenda Rd corner, then we continued on down the hill, past the park and to the lake, getting onto Pomerado Rd. I had planned the route, so I was out front most of the time or working to get to the front so we didn't miss a turn. On the gradual climb up Pomerado Rd, it was me and Fritz out front, with Arnold not too far back. I hadn't ridden this stretch as fast as this in quite some time, and my legs were tested. We rode up to Stone Canyon Rd and turned left there, taking this climb up to Martincoit Rd. That was a small challenger. We rode down to Rostrata Rd, turning right there and then left onto Orchard Bend Rd to get to Espola Rd. On the climb up to the high school, it was me and Fritz out front, but the others weren't too far back. Down the hill to Twin Peaks Rd, where we turned left and took it to Community Rd. Jhonar kept going straight to get home, while we turned left and rode over to Metate Ln, using it to get back to Pomerado Rd. To Stowe Dr, and around this time Aaron caught up with us after sleeping late and starting behind us. We turned there and rode up to Danielson St. This is a more gradual climb than Scripps-Poway Pkwy, was a nice pace on this stretch as everybody was saving energy for the Purple Monster climb. We turned onto Scripps-Poway Pkwy and rode down to the start of the climb. Arnold, Fritz, Perse, and Aaron were out in front of me, so I settled into a rhythm and tried to catch up. Eventually, I got onto Fritz's wheel as we left the others behind. He and I rode together for about halfway up, then he couldn't keep up the pace and dropped back. I was all in on this climb, pushing myself to the limit, and still I finished 30 seconds slower than my PR. But I didn't let up, kept pedaling as hard as I could to the top. I didn't stop, rode to the 67 and took a U-turn to ride back down. The ride down was fine, no wobbling as a headwind slowed me down a bit and I occasionally pedaled to keep going straight. I waited for the others at Danielson St, and they eventually showed up. Rob got a flat on the climb, fixed it, and then turned around to start heading back. I rode with Aaron and Jed back down the hill to Pomerado Rd. Talked to Aaron about his cycling, which is in a completely different league from mine. We took a break at the gas station on the corner there and then continued back toward the starting point via Pomerado Rd. Again, I was leading out on much of this stretch until I slowed to let others pass and then sat at the end of the line for a while. We turned left on Twin Peaks Rd to get to El Camino Norte. Fritz was pushing the pace on this little climb, and Aaron was there at the front as well. I put in a big effort to catch and pass them, then sat up to coast down to Paseo Lucido, where Rob turned off to ride home. Similarly past the light, Aaron and Fritz took off and I tried to stay with them, at one point even pushing to pass them. Then my legs told me it wasn't going to happen, and I had to back off. So it was me, Ray, Perse, and Arnold in a group then, riding together to try and catch up with them. We were riding hard, with Ray and Arnold at times attacking and keeping the pace high. We caught the others at Dove Canyon Rd, then the rest of the ride was a series of attacks by riders to get out in front. I couldn't participate in this, my legs were basically out of attacks. Back to the starting point, where I rested for a bit to make sure everybody finished, including James. Then I rode home via the new normal route, slowly but not so slowly that I would jeopardize lowering my average speed. Legs didn't cramp on this ride, but they showed me the difference putting in a lot of consistent miles can make when called upon to give an extra effort.

Avg speed = 16.0 mph (16.2 mph). Total mileage = 50.8 mi

Bisikleta route avg speed = 16.3 mph

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

Total elevation gain = 3470' (3760')

Avg heartrate = 133 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 127 (141)

Training Load = 240

Intensity = 80%

https://www.strava.com/activities/14226101676

I was tired when I got home but also hungry. Ate a small lunch and then snacked while I watched an episode of Grantchester. I had a shower, and then Ann gave me a haircut, which I needed. It was time after that for a nap, so that's what I did. In the evening we went over to Emily and Caleb's place and had dinner with them, Jen, and Nick as a thank-you for helping them pay for Max's surgery. The food was very good, but Jen is a gossip, and listening to her yammer on about people I don't really care about was taxing. It went on for a while after dinner (the lemon squares were very good), and we probably stayed too late, given that Caleb had to get up early on Easter morning. Left there around 9:00.

04-18-2025 Run

Slept longer and better than usual, it was another busy day on Thursday, with no opportunity for much rest. When I got up, I had some cereal for breakfast and cleaned the kitchen, then I vacuumed the upstairs and downstairs. Took a short break after that, then I headed out for a run. I originally planned to run down to the park and around it but forgot to start my Strava until I got to the bottom of the hill. Kept a moderate pace, not super fast but not lagging either. I ran around the park three times, then headed back toward home, running until I got to the part of Aguamiel Rd that starts to tilt up more steeply. Walked the rest of the way home in a drizzle that got heavier as I went.

 

Avg pace = 8:04/mi

Total distance = 4.63 mi

Elapsed moving time = 37:21

Avg heartrate = 137 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 22

https://www.strava.com/activities/14215074540

Had a shave and a shower when I got home and felt better after that. Didn't do so much other than that. Ann and I went to Charm Thai Kitchen for lunch, then I rested some more while she went to May-Jongg. I rode over to a dermatologist appointment with Mark Vierra, nothing major but a need to apply the skin treatment cream to my arms. Read for a while when I got home and had a restful afternoon. Watched some basketball in the evening, not much else.

04-17-2025 Swim/Basketball/Ride

Got up a a little after 6:00, pretty good sleep. I took some time to order Ann's photos into folders, then got ready for a swim at the WWC. It was overcast and a little chilly on the ride over, but the swim went okay. I was slower than the previous time I swam two 750s but faster than Monday. My stroke was more even, although it got ragged near the end. Here are the splits: 14:12, 14:21. After the swim, I changed and shot some baskets for about a half hour. Then I rode home and had some toast for breakfast. Cleaned the kitchen, then hung out and relaxed around the house. I changed the pads on my disc brakes, needed to recenter the calipers to keep the pads from rubbing on the rotors. After that, I went out in the front yard and finished up weeding the front bed near the house. Then I started in on the other bed, which needs a fair amount of work as well. Was out for nearly an hour before heading in and getting ready for a bike ride. I wore a short-sleeve jersey, which turned out to be a mistake. Headed over the normal way to HP, where I met Paula. We rode over to Camino del Norte and turned left. I'd forgotten that she's not a fan of riding on busy streets, so some of this route was misguided. We followed the reverse of the time trial route until we got to Poway Rd, where we continued straight until turning right on Springhurst Dr. Up this little climb to Springbrook Dr, turning left and riding up Angelique St to the top. I rode back down and we continued our route on Cypress Canyon Park Rd, taking it to the top of Pomerado Rd. Then it was down to Stoneridge Pkwy, where we turned right and took it all the way to the end. I stopped at one point and waited for her to catch up, then we rode the last climb together to the top. Stopped there for a break before heading down Via Santa Pradera to get to Beeler Canyon Rd. She was cautious on this descent, choosing to walk her bike down part of the way. I took my time and waited for her at the gate across the road. Then we continued on. It was around this time that I started feeling chilled. We got on Creek Rd and thus back to Pomerado Rd. She was slowing down by this point, and I tried to dial back my pace to match hers. We rode to Bernardo Heights Pkwy and up this little climb. She had to stop after the steep part and eat something. We took the rest of the climb slowly, then descended to Bernardo Center Dr. That was chilly for me. Left turn there, and one last climb back to the HP parking lot, where we turned and rode around the perimeter until reaching her car out front. I didn't stay too long, it was getting late, so I rode home the normal way.

 

Avg speed = 13.1 mph (13.3 mph). Total mileage = 30.3 mi

Avg power = 112 W. Weighted avg power = 145 W

Total elevation gain = 2390' (2580')

Avg heartrate = 108 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 33 (35)

Training Load = 124

Intensity = 66%

https://www.strava.com/activities/14208846913

 

Was glad to get home and warm up. New brake pads worked well, although they are somewhat noisy. I think they are semi-metallic. Had some dinner without reheating it. Earl was still at the hospital getting tested to find out why his eye was acting strangely. They didn't keep him overnight, but I'm sure it's worrying for them both. Watched some TV in the evening and then called it a night. <!>

04-16-2025 Swim/Run

Woke up after having some vivid dreams, but slept pretty well, got back to sleep early in the morning, which is not common. I ate some cereal for breakfast, then got ready to head over to the WWC for a swim and a run. It was cool out, ideal weather for running and not bad for swimming. But when I got in the pool, the first 10 lengths or so were brutal. I felt like I had forgotten how to swim properly. Eventually, I recovered some of my form and got back to 20-stroke pool lengths, but I was still slow. Really need to concentrate on swimming in the upcoming days before we leave for our camping trip. Here are my split times for the 1600 yds I swam: 9:39, 9:53, 10:02, 1:57. After the swim, I changed and got ready for a run. This time, I was more intentional about getting out to a faster start, and it helped. Did the normal 5k circuit from the WWC, and here are my splits: 7:45, 7:31, 7:07, 6:40. This was the fastest time I have run this circuit, and I feel like I could have run faster in the first couple of miles.

Avg pace = 7:26/mi

Total distance = 3.13 mi

Elapsed moving time = 23:17

Avg heartrate = 148 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 29

https://www.strava.com/activities/14195494519

Had a little time before I needed to get ready for my volunteer shift, so I went out in the front yard and did some more weeding of the bed near the house. I'm getting pretty close to done with it, not difficult but kneeling on the rocks and moving them to get at the weeds is cumbersome. Went in and had a shave and a shower, a light lunch, then headed over to the hospital. I had french fries, a Coke, and a Klondike bar as my snack, might have been a bit too much processed food. The shift went fine, was really slow at the beginning, as there was a housekeeper making sure to clean the rooms and a Pathmaker, Aiki (?), who was also helping out. But later they left, and I was busier after that, kept pretty busy the rest of the day and ended up staying a little late to finish a room before I left. Then I rushed home, changed, and rode over to Kit Carson Park to meet Emily, Caleb, and Jen for the first Couch to 5K workout. It went okay, no need here for me to push it. I'm hoping that they all stick with it all the way to 5K readiness in a couple of months. On the ride back home, my garage door remote fell out of my pocket, which was a bummer. Will have to order another one, not urgent. I had a pleasantly low-energy evening after a busy day.

04-15-2025 Ride

Was a pretty good day, with one minor glitch. I woke up and had a little breakfast while I cleaned the kitchen, then I got ready for a bike ride, along with a drive up to San Clemente with Ann to meet Pat. The drive up there was uneventful other than a real traffic jam on the I-15/78 interchange than I ended up avoiding by getting on Mission Ave and bypassing it. Traffic on the 78 picked up after I got on it, and the rest of the way it was smooth sailing. I had inadvertently turned my mobile data off on my phone, which was a minor annoyance that was easily fixed once we got to the San Clemente Pier parking lot. He showed up a little after we did, which was good because we were running a little late due to the traffic jam. I won't attempt to map out the roads we took. Pat was leading based on a route that he copied from somebody else. We never got too lost. We did end up riding up to two of the tallest points in the area, with water towers located there to indicate the significance of their altitude. I was able to put a little distance on Pat on the steeper climbs but not so much. We are in about the same shape for this kind of ride. Lots of climbing in the first half, more downhills in the second half, which took us down to the San Juan Creek trail and then to Dana Point Harbor, where we stopped for a brief bathroom break before getting on paths running alongside PCH. Back to San Clemente, taking a maze of surface streets (was glad I had my Wahoo guiding me) back to the parking lot. Legs held up pretty well, given that I haven't ridden nearly as much as the last time I rode with Pat.

Avg speed = 13.9 mph (13.9 mph). Total mileage = 33.0 mi

Avg power = 138 W. Weighted avg power = 177 W

Total elevation gain = 3020' (3180')

Avg heartrate = 122 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 58 (62)

Training Load = 165

Intensity = 80%

https://www.strava.com/activities/14188418160

After the ride, we drove into San Clemente village and had lunch at Sonny's, a place that Charlie and Leslie turned us on to. Food was decent, conversation was better. We talked about going to Europe in the fall to ride bikes, do some sightseeing and wine-tasting. Pat is ready to go, so we will start planning it out, including Mark and Karmi, who are also in on it. Drive home was fine, no traffic. I took care of some easy tasks when I got home, had a short nap in the afternoon, and read quite a bit. Then I talked to Ross and Ben about the concept of moving the caregivers' hours for Mom from 10 down to 8, still 5 days a week. I think we are now all aligned on the concept and how to respond when Mom brings it up again. In the evening, I watched some basketball and ate a light dinner.

04-14-2025 Rides

Woke up (<>) after getting up in the night (caffeine) and eating a bowl of cereal. Then I got ready to take the car to Jesco to have it looked at. Drove over there, and there were some homeless folks hanging out in front of the shop. No problems. I dropped the car off and rode back home at a casual pace.

Avg speed = 14.6 mph (14.9 mph). Total mileage = 5.6 mi

Avg power = 100 W. Weighted avg power = 136 W

Total elevation gain = 220' (250')

Avg heartrate = 96 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 3 (4)

Training Load = 16

Intensity = 62%

https://www.strava.com/activities/14175462164

When I got home, I had some coffee and started arranging Ann's photos. This is going to take a while. I went in the front yard and continued weeding the front bed by the house, which is also going to take time. Worked on it until it was time to get ready to go over to HP and meet Hongwei for lunch. We walked over to Viktor's and ate lunch. She talked a lot about the recent OD&S, which appears to have significantly changed the organization she works in. It was a good time, I hope I offered her some useful insights. When I got home, I relaxed for a while before going back out and continuing weeding. Ross called me after a while, and I ended up talking to him for almost an hour about Mom's current state and our attempts to influence her for the good. Then I hurried up and rode back to Jesco before they closed at 5.

Avg speed = 16.8 mph (16.7 mph). Total mileage = 6.0 mi

Avg power = 180 W. Weighted avg power = 190 W

Total elevation gain = 460' (510')

Avg heartrate = 136 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 15 (14)

Training Load = 32

Intensity = 86%

https://www.strava.com/activities/14184538299

Home again for a short time before I drove back into Escondido to have dinner with the Leos (Ben, Steve, Scott, Marty, and Gary). It was enjoyable, headed home after that, watched some TV, and went to bed. 

04-13-2025 Run

Woke up around 6:15, having gotten up only once in the night to pee and getting right back to sleep. Even though I figured it was going to be a busy morning, I went for a run, heading north to the end of the campground, then running south all the way to the other end before turning around and running back to our campsite (and a little beyond, to ensure I got 5k in). Not fast, but it wasn't intended to be, and each successive mile was faster than the previous.

Avg pace = 9:16/mi

Total distance = 3.17 mi

Elapsed moving time = 29:26

Avg heartrate = 122 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 6

https://www.strava.com/activities/14166141435

Charlie was just getting up when I arrived back at the site, and Ann was not far from coming out of the tent. I put water on for coffee, then started breaking camp while Ann made breakfast. It was a more leisurely pace for taking camp down, we talked with Charlie while eating breakfast, and then with Cam's wife just as we were finishing packing up the car. It was their first time camping in a long time, but she was asking about us four camping together some time in the future (Camp Richardson Resort up in South Lake Tahoe). That could be a fun trip. The drive home was uneventful, and I had time to unpack and store our camping gear, then have a shave and a shower before riding my scooter down to meet Eric Sweet at Loving Hut for lunch. Our conversation was a good one, we talked about whale watching (he had just gone, unsuccessfully) and the situation with Americans and diets (including ramifications of the new GLP-1 regulator drugs). Food was good as well. I rode back home and had a little nap in the afternoon, not doing much after the eventful weekend. I did put oil in the car and more air in my scooter tires. Talked to Mom at length in the late afternoon and was more direct with her than I have been in a long time. It was a decent conversation, cleared the air about how we both feel. She wants to reduce the hours of the caregivers some more, I don't see a major problem with it as long as she is okay with the higher probability of Ross coming home from work and discovering that she has died. Will see how this plays out with the other brothers. I think Ross is okay with it, at least that is what he will say. Easy evening, watching a little TV before reading.

04-12-2025 Ride

Woke up after a decent night's sleep for first night camping (<!>). We got up and I made breakfast of eggs and leftover grilled vegetables, was pretty tasty. We hung around the campsite until, finally, the Bisikleta riders (Arnold, Jed, Fritz, Joey) showed up, after having ridden down to Jed's house in Oceanside. We chatted with them for a bit, then I rode with them for part of the return, taking PCH down to Via de la Valle and then El Camino Real to San Dieguito Rd. It was flat, so our pace was pretty high. I turned on El Apajo while they continued on, and I rode to Calzada del Bosque and used it to get back to Via de la Valle. Was on my Fuji with the aero bars installed (did this on Friday), and I practiced getting into and out of aero position. Need to be extra careful here, since the bike is decidedly less stable when I'm in this position. Back to PCH, that road is no place to practice aero riding. But on the return back to the campsite, I had several occasions to be in aero position. Seems faster, but it is also more stressful on my body to be hunched over. I had a little bit of a tailwind to help me along going north, which was beneficial. I was pedaling for almost the whole way, since there were very few hills to coast down.

Avg speed = 18.5 mph (18.6 mph). Total mileage = 30.5 mi

Avg power = 160 W. Weighted avg power = 169 W

Total elevation gain = 590' (1010')

Avg heartrate = 134 (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 62 (59)

Training Load = 110

Intensity = 77%

https://www.strava.com/activities/14159804263

Was the first one to get back to the campsite, but it wasn't too long after that Ann showed up. We had sandwiches for lunch, then we enjoyed an easy afternoon. I read, listened to some music, and took a little nap. Later in the afternoon, we walked down to the area by The Camp Store to listen to another band, The Role Models. They were not as good as the previous evening's band, so we didn't stay so long before heading back to make dinner. Instead of Dutch oven enchiladas, we mixed all of the ingredients into a dip and used the toaster to toast up some tortillas. It was pretty good, maybe a little to runny but definitely a good flavor. While dinner was cooking, we made berry camping cake and played Mexican Train, a dominoes game, with Charlie and Leslie. It was a nice, chill evening, and we all enjoyed the berry camping cake when it was done. Later, Charlie made a fire, and we sat by it and chatted until it was time to go to sleep. Must have been a really busy day, since I got to sleep quickly and slept deeply, through the karaoke and party sounds that were coming from the campsite several places down.

04-11-2025 Run

Had planned on getting up for an early morning run, and I woke up a little earlier than expected (cat was jumping around and being annoying). Got my stuff together and rode down to the park for a flat, longer run. I forgot my earbuds, so it was a quiet run on this day. First mile was slow, and I was wondering what was going on, since I felt like my pace was decent. Then the succeeding miles were significantly faster, and I was feeling better about my effort. Around the park 6+ times, turning back on the sixth loop to run back to the starting point.

Avg pace = 7:46/mi

Total distance = 6.41 mi

Elapsed moving time = 49:51

Avg heartrate = 143 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 50

https://www.strava.com/activities/14146227496

After I finished, I talked for a bit with a guy who was wearing an Israeli National Parks ballcap. He went there on a touring visit with his sister, enjoyed it but would have liked to explore the country a little further. I rode home after that, enjoying the cool air after a fairly intense workout. Got home and found that I had set a PR for a 10k (48:12), which was really gratifying, given how slow that first mile had been. So, that made my day. Showered and then headed over to HP to meet John Stoffel for coffee, wishing him well on his upcoming retirement. He seems more relaxed, has a pretty good sounding plan for what he wants to do with his time after he leaves HP. I briefly saw Emilio Lopez, Jessica Fletcher, Britt Christenson, James Kiang, and Jason Swei while I was there. James has a new Canyon Endurace, pretty looking bike, and I encouraged him to let us get together for a ride soon. An enjoyable little visit, then I rode home and cleaned the kitchen. Packed up most of the stuff in our the car for the beach camping weekend, then took it easy until after lunch, when we finished packing and headed down to South Carlsbad State Beach around 1:45. Not too much traffic to contend with, and we got there a little before 2:30. Charlie and Leslie were already there at the campsite we shared, finishing their setup. It took us about an hour to get things situated, then we relaxed. Andy stopped by the site and chatted for a bit.  We decided to take a walk down to the beach, and on the way we saw Jhonar and Edson setting their camps up. The day was overcast when we had arrived, but it cleared up in the late afternoon and was really nice. We walked down the beach and then decided to stay and listen to some free music by the camp store. Charlie and Leslie joined us later. Music was decent, although we were sitting behind the stage and so it was more like background music for us. We headed back to camp and made dinner, grilled vegetables, tofu, and chicken. The others used their camp stove to make dinner. Food was good, then Charlie and I walked down to see the others. Gideon, Luchi, and Liam had showed up, camping for the first time in a while. It was the same for Cam and his wife, more than 10 years in their case. We had a couple of tequila shots then headed back to the campsite to sit by the fire. It was a very good day overall.

04-10-2025 Swim/Hike

Woke up after a fitful night of vivid dreams. Must have been the Pepsi I had for lunch the previous day, along with a veggie burger at the hospital cafeteria. I ate a bowl of cereal and a banana for breakfast, then got ready for a swim at the WWC. Saw Ken there for the first time in ages. He mentioned that the ocean temperature is 55 deg now, pretty cold. Yikes! I hope it warms up before early May. Didn't feel all that smooth in the water on this day, not sure why. I ended up swimming 1700 yds, then an additional 250 with a pull buoy. Here are the splits for the 3 500s, the 200, and the last 250: 9:26, 9:54, 10:01, 3:57, 4:41. Generally kept my stroke count to 20, but I was gliding into the turns frequently, which is not efficient for time. Had some coffee when I got home and relaxed for a bit. Then I headed out into the front yard to start weeding there. Lots of weeds in the rock bed near the house, and I worked on it for about an hour, with still more to do. Then I came in and had some chill time. Ate lunch, and had a little nap, then Ann and I got the camping gear down and went through the list to gather stuff for the weekend trip. In the mid-afternoon, I went for a walk/hike, down to the hiking trails near the house. I originally intended to hike down to the lake, but on one of the trails I saw a rattlesnake right in the middle of the trail. It's funny that I had just been thinking about Ann seeing the snake on a similar part of this trail a long time ago, and there another one was! Turned around there and walked on the trail that leads up by the little waterfall instead, then surface streets back home. After dinner, we drove down to UCSD to see the 65th anniversary Second City touring group at the Epstein Family Amphitheater. It was moderately entertaining, some of the bits were funny but none uproarious. There were six cast members, and each one was funny in their own way but no superstars in the bunch. It was probably the first time that we had seen a comedy show in an outdoor venue. I was still tired, yawned a lot during the show, not sure why this was such a low-energy day for me. Drove home and pretty much went straight to sleep.

04-09-2025 Ride

Woke up before 6:00 (<>) and had an easy early start to the day. Got ready for a bike ride, which included loosening the wax from my chain and putting it back on the bike. Was rolling at 7:40, headed through the neighborhood in a different way, via Duenda Rd and side streets to get to Matinal Rd. Then I took the extended route through the 4S Ranch neighborhood, including the ride (in the saddle the whole time) up to the water tower gate. I also rode to the top of Camino San Thomas. To keep the climbing going, I rode to the top of Four Gee Rd and then up to the top of Camino Santa Fe, since the gate was open. Then it was down into the Del Sur neighborhood via CdS and Garretson St to Potomac Ridge Rd. I stopped there at the park and took out the brake pads on my rear wheel to push the pistons back in. It all went well, but it was kinda slow working on the bike in the park. Then I rode Potomac Ridge Rd until it ended at Tanner Ridge Rd, turned right and took it to Babcock St to get to Paseo del Sur. No brakes rubbing against the rotor, which was nice. Then an easy pace back to CdS, this time staying on it past the 56 and turning left onto Carmel Mountain Rd. From there, it was up to Black Mountain Rd, turning left and riding to Oviedo St, where I turned right and started heading uphill. I veered off on Oviedo Way to get up to Hilltop Community Park, there is some steepness to this little climb. On the way down, I took McEntee St to Oviedo St and rode back to Black Mountain Rd that way. Some nice, fast downhill sections. Slowly back home from there via Carmel Valley Rd, Dove Canyon Rd, RB Rd, and the regular route via W Bernardo Dr. This ride ended up having not so much distance but a fair amount of climbing, including several steep segments.

Avg speed = 13.7 mph (13.7 mph). Total mileage = 28.4 mi

Avg power = 114 W. Weighted avg power = 152 W

Total elevation gain = 2290' (2440')

Avg heartrate = 111 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 32 (34)

Training Load = 104

Intensity = 69%

https://www.strava.com/activities/14117032968

Ann was gone (to lunch with Kay) when I got home, so I had some cereal and got ready to head to the hospital for my volunteer shift. There were two new RNs on the floor, Gabi and Greg. I got the chance to introduce myself to her but not him. The day was quite busy, not sure if I've seen the ED as hopping as it was. A lot of the energy was associated with a lady who came in complaining of severe headache and ended up having a burst aneurysm, which was a life-threatening emergency that got lots of people involved. I was steadily occupied with tasks, and the time passed fairly quickly. The evening was quiet, watched a little TV.

04-08-2025 Ride/Hike

Woke up a little after 5:00, after getting up in the night and eating a bowl of cereal to help settle down a coughing fit. I left early, about 6:30, for a bike ride. Took the extended time trial route, including the little jog up to Oak Knoll Rd. Wasn't super fast on this ride but tried to keep a steady pace. I could feel tiredness in my legs, cardio was not perfect but okay.

Avg speed = 16.4 mph (16.6 mph). Total mileage = 19.7 mi

Avg power = 150 W. Weighted avg power = 171 W

Total elevation gain = 1100' (1210')

Avg heartrate = 118 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 22 (22)

Training Load = 78

Intensity = 78%

https://www.strava.com/activities/14117032968

Didn't have a lot of time when I got home to get ready for my dental cleaning. Used electric razor to shave and then flossed and brushed my teeth before heading over to Carmel Mountain Dental Care on my scooter. Ann was still asleep when I left. The cleaning went fine, dentist looked at my mouth and at the x-rays and didn't see anything notable, which was good to hear. Was back home around 10:10. Had a light mid-morning and early afternoon, I rewaxed the chain on my Canyon bike because it seemed to be making a lot of noise on the morning ride. Also watched the last episode of the first season of Andor, in anticipation of Season 2 starting in a couple of weeks. Then I got ready to go hiking with Andy. I drove his house and picked him up around 2:30, then we drove to the Iron Mountain Trailhead parking area up at the top of Poway Rd. The hike up was a little slower for me than the one up Mt Woodson, so Andy and I stayed together the whole time. A little shorter and not as steep. We stopped at the top for a break and ate some food before turning around and heading back down. Weather was pretty cooperative, although it was a little warm at times in the direct sun. Not so much of a problem on the way down. Got home and ate dinner alone, watched a little TV later. Microwave oven is acting up again, ugh!

04-07-2025 Swim/Run

Slept well again, even though it wasn't a very strenuous day on Sunday. I got up, had some pancakes for breakfast, then cleaned the kitchen before getting ready for a swim and a run. Weather is really nice these days, cool in the morning and warm in the afternoon. Swim was broken up into two 750s with about 3 minutes to recover in between. Here are the splits: 14:01, 14:06. Not too bad for the fall-off on the second 750, but I would like to be significantly under 14 minutes for this distance before the upcoming sprint tri. After the swim, I changed into my running clothes and went for what turned out to be a slow run. Just didn't have a lot of drive in my legs, although my last mile was significantly faster than the first two.

Avg pace = 8:14/mi

Total distance = 3.09 mi

Elapsed moving time = 25:28

Avg heartrate = 144 (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 26

https://www.strava.com/activities/14107949032

I switched my tires back to the usual ones, away from the significant ride tires I use. Ann went to several stores and stocked up on dry goods in anticipation of rising prices. Rode over in late morning to have lunch as Mama Cella's with Howard and Yi-Hua. He is 4 weeks removed from back surgery to repair a bulged disc. Yikes! He was feeling numbness in his lower extremities and couldn't sit for long periods of time. Other issues as well. Now he is feeling better but still in recovery mode to allow the scar tissue to stabilize the area around the disc. I also heard a little of their origin story. Watched a little TV in the afternoon, then went out in the back yard and weeded for about an hour. It was pretty warm in the sun. I talked to Mom in the afternoon, she was in a pretty good mood. Evening was quiet, I'm now reading Cixin Liu's The Dark Forest, second in the trilogy. It's a little slow at the start, I'm trying to see where the main storylines will be. Was pretty happy when the Gators won the men's basketball championship. They weren't dominant during the tournament, but they were resilient and refused many times to give up when down by significant points.

04-06-2025 Walk

Woke up with the intention of hanging around the house and going to church with Ann. I blogged about the century ride, waiting for her to get up. Eventually she did, around 8:00. So, we didn't go to church. <!> It was a great lazy Sunday morning. I did talk at length with Ben about a good conversation he had with Ross regarding Ross's dental issues, as well as his concerns about Abigail. In the afternoon, we drove over to Rancho Guajito Winery off the 78 in the San Pasqual Valley and shared a bottle of wine while listening to a cover band, Cadillac Fringe. They were acceptable, the guitar player was actually quite good, the lead singer was typically ostentatious and out there. We were lucky to find places to sit in the shade until the sun started creeping in on Ann's side during the second set. That's when we left. Tried to talk to Mom in the late afternoon, but she was resting, so I ended up having a good, somewhat tense conversation with Ross, who seemed to be on the edge. But he didn't go over it, and I got a decent picture of how Mom is doing, from his perspective. After dinner, I had a lot of steps to get in, so I went for an 80-minute walk down around the park and across the pedestrian bridge, listening to podcasts along the way. The sun set while I was walking, was glad to get home on legs tired from the previous day.

04-05-2025 Century Ride

Woke up to my alarm, got dressed, and had some cereal and a banana. Filled one bottle with water and the other (a big one) with electrolyte drink. I was running a little late for the planned 6:45 meeting time. It was a little chilly on the downhills and across the lake to the Via Rancho Park n Ride. Of course, I was late and still the first one there. Joe showed up soon after, and Mike went to the wrong starting location before coming there. I loaded the route into my Wahoo, and away we went. Up Via Rancho Pkwy to Felicita Rd, taking it to Escondido Blvd, turning right and then left onto Sunset Dr. Up and then down to BVP, where we turned and headed up to San Pasqual Valley Rd. A jog over to Citrus Ave, taking it back to BVP. We were all pretty much riding together on this initial stretch, other than the little climb up BVP, where Mike and I realized it was going to be a long day. We took BVP out to Valley Pkwy, turned right and rode up to Beven Dr, where we turned left. Then we took a short section of the Escondido Creek Trail to El Norte Pkwy, turning right there and riding together down to Broadway. I was keeping my pace steady, knowing there were a lot of miles to come and that I hadn't trained for this distance. We took Broadway out to Jesmond Dene Rd and then rode up to the top. Here, Mike and I got out in front of Joe pretty significantly, so we waited for him to catch up before going to Centre City Pkwy. Headed out toward Champagne Blvd, enjoying that long downhill. Thankfully, it was warmer by this time. We stopped at a little market off Lawrence Welk Dr, had coffee, snacks, and a break at about 20 miles. I stopped to pee there and somehow Joe got ahead of me and Mike, and away he went. Eventually he realized that we weren't in front of him, so he stopped and waited for us to catch up. No big deal, we were back together soon. We rode to Camino del Rey and started heading west. It was early enough in the day that, initially, we didn't have much of an offshore breeze to deal with. Riding was smooth, and, initially, Joe was able to stay with me and Mike. But he started slowing down, as he was correctly looking to conserve his energy. Once we got to Mission Ave (aka the 76), my map for the route started to act screwy. This was the portion of the route that I had edited extensively to try and lower the total elevation gain, and I think some of the edits created little loops and other issues. Mike knows this area pretty well, and he was a big help, but we probably lost a couple of miles of the route on this stretch (more on that later). I made one wrong turn, but Mike helped correct that, and we found our way onto the San Luis Rey bike path. The two of us would get out in front of Joe, then either slow down or stop to let him catch up. This happened several times around here, was the roadmap for the rest of the ride, it turned out. We stayed on the bike path, which had a nice gradual descent, until we exited it using Bennet Rd to get back to the 76. Took it a short distance to Canyon Dr, where we turned left and rode up a short little climb, dropping Joe again. Turned onto Eagles Crossing and we were in the condo complex where Mike lives. Rode over to his place, left our bikes in the garage, and had our second break there. I met his girlfriend Jen, and we all chatted and rested up for the next segment. The original route had us riding into downtown Oceanside, but the Half Ironman competition was going on, so Mike routed us through neighborhood streets to Cassidy St via Bush St, Canyon Dr, Crouch St, Grandview St, and Hunsaker St. Then we took Ditmar St to Vista Way and thus to PCH. At this point, we had a breeze coming from the northwest, and it was really beneficial on the long ride down the coast. I was hoping it would blow Joe along and speed him up, but he kept his pace moderate, as he should have. Mike and I rode together for nearly all of this section, getting ahead and stopping periodically to wait for Joe. We made decent time through Carlsbad, Leucadia, Encinitas (took the little jog to avoid riding through the central part of town), and Cardiff. Again, I wasn't pushing hard, just going at high Zone 2 / low Zone 3 pace for the most part. We rode into Solana Beach, at this point I had gotten out in front a bit, was a little frustrated at our overall slow pace I guess. We stopped for lunch at Pizza Port, where I had a slice and ate one of my Clif bars. I had eaten a banana with my coffee at the first stop, then I had another banana and a tangerine at Mike and Jen's place. But I was feeling hungry when we stopped in Solana Beach. We took a long break here, Mike and Joe had pizza and a beer. It was a good recovery stop. From there we rode up through Del Mar and then turned onto Carmel Valley Rd, taking it to El Camino Real and heading south. Another little climb there, we dropped Joe and waited for him at the top. Right on Carmel Mountain Rd and over to Vista Sorrento Pkwy, taking it down to Sorrento Valley Blvd, which we used to get over to the beginning of the bike path on the west side of I-5. This was a nice way to get up onto the mesa, gradual and not too long. Joe dropped back, and we waited for him a couple of times. He was tiring out now, both physically and mentally. And I was in the mindset to get this ride done already. Up to Pepper Canyon Dr, using it to get over to Gilman Dr, where we turned left and got onto Medical Center Dr (never been there before). Through the UCSD Medical Center, then a right onto Athena Cir, which dropped us right at Eastgate Mall. This is a nice little section to consider for future rides, much easier than taking Torrey Pines Rd. We rode on Eastgate Mall over to Miramar Rd and turned left. Here on this 4+ mile stretch, we again had the benefit of a tailwind. I rode at slightly elevated pace and again got out in front a little bit of Mike and a lot of Joe. All the way to Kearny Mesa Rd, where we crossed the street and stopped for our last break at a gas station. I ate my second Clif bar, and we refilled our water. Joe was pretty tired by this point, but he hadn't had any twinges from his leg muscles, so he massaged his feet, we rested for a good bit, then we continued on. Up Pomerado Rd to the top, and that was really slow going for Joe. We waited for him several times, but he made it up. He said later that, near the top, he felt his legs twitch a bit, but he dialed it back and was able to finish the little climb. Down the hill and over to Metate Ln, where we turned and took it to Community Rd. Rode over to Twin Peaks Rd and turned right. All this time, Mike and I would get out in front and wait for Joe to catch up at the turns. We took it up to Espola Rd and turned left, our last little climb for the day. Thankfully, the breeze was neutral for us, maybe even a little bit beneficial. It took a while for Joe to get to the top, but he made it, and I knew we would be able to finish the ride together. Down the hill, then down Espola Rd to Pomerado Rd, and that was a nice little section, even if it was into a headwind. Turned right on Pomerado Rd and took it down to the lake, riding across the pedestrian bridge and over to the mall. We still needed a couple of miles to complete the century, so we ended up riding twice on the outside loop around the mall, the last time coming to Via Rancho Pkwy and riding this road back to Del Lago Blvd. Mike and I both still had decent strength left in our legs, and we motored to the finish point. Joe was over the moon at being able to complete the century, and he thanked both of us for supporting him in his effort. We drank beers, including a nice Tripel that Mike had bought for the occasion, and chatted about politics for a while. I was happy that Mike offered to drive me home, could have ridden it but it would have been dicey.

Avg speed = 15.3 mph (15.4 mph). Total mileage = 103.7 mi

Avg power = 118 W. Weighted avg power = 137 W

Total elevation gain = 4230' (5120')

Avg heartrate = 124 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 150 (157)

Training Load = 315

Intensity = 62%

https://www.strava.com/activities/14092518673

The ride took the entire day. I had hoped to keep our breaks a little shorter and our pace a little faster, but all in all it was a very good day. No mechanical issues, nobody had any mishaps, and the weather and route both contributed to a fine ride. I wasn't super hungry when I got home, had some spaghetti and snacked while watching some TV to unwind. It wasn't too difficult to fall asleep at the end of this day.

04-04-2025 Walk/Ride

Had another good night's sleep, even better than the previous night (<>) I think I'm basically done with my cold, although it will take some time to recover my cardio, I'm guessing. Went for an hourlong walk in the morning (it was in the low 40s) to get some steps in. For at least half of the walk, there was another lady following me at my pace, it was kinda weird. Saw Jim getting ready to go to work and said hi. I ate some breakfast when I got home, relaxed for a while, then changed out the tires on my bike to the ones I use for my significant rides, the planned century tomorrow in this case. Then I rode through the neighborhood and to the Starbucks off Dove Canyon to meet Paula for a short lunchtime ride. I went up Calenda Rd for a change. We took Lone Quail Rd from there back to Camino del Sur and turned right. Rode down to Artesian Rd and turned right there as well, taking it all the way to the bottom and the water crossing. Turned around there and rode back up the climb, slowly. Once we got back to Camino del Sur, we turned right and took it back to the neighborhood past San Dieguito Rd that I had recently explored. We rode a similar route through that neighborhood back to Camino del Sur and started heading back from there. Back to Paseo del Sur, where we turned right. Another right onto Haaland Glen, and we stopped while I attempted to adjust the cleat on her cycling shoe. That took about 10 minutes, then we continued on. Turned right onto Paseo Montenero, then over to Kristen Glen (stopped to look at the valley off to the south) to get back to Paseo del Sur. From there, we rode to Potomac Ridge Rd and Nicole Ridge Rd to Camino San Bernardo. Back to Dove Canyon Rd and our meet-up point. She told me about Organ Pipes National Monument, then I headed back home the new normal way. Ride wasn't that stressful, but it felt good to be out and at times to put my legs under tension.

Avg speed = 13.0 mph (13.2 mph). Total mileage = 22.9 mi

Avg power = 104 W. Weighted avg power = 134 W

Total elevation gain = 1710' (1860')

Avg heartrate = 111 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 26 (27)

Training Load = 78

Intensity = 61%

https://www.strava.com/routes/3343018198122770986

When I got home I charged up my derailleur batteries and my bike taillight for the Saturday ride. Then I put gas in the mower, and it started right up. Mowed down the long grass and weeds in the back yard, then came in and changed my dental cleaning appointment. The rest of the afternoon was restful, watched some TV and did a fair amount of reading. Had a relatively light dinner, hoping that's enough calories and carbs to get me through the big day tomorrow.

04-03-2025 Swim/Walk

Had my first good night's sleep since I got sick. Moved back into our bed in the early morning, maybe that helped (<!>). Then I got ready for a swim at the WWC, aiming for 2000 yds. Streets were wet but I got there without getting rained on. Had a decent workout this time, better than last time but still not close to where I was before our trip. I was able to keep my 20-stroke count throughout. I finished the primary workout and added in another 250 with the pull buoy, was around 18-strokes per length. Here are the splits from the workout (500, 500, 500, 500, 100, 250): 9:23, 9:47, 9:58, 10:08, 2:00, 4:42. Afterwards, I showered and rode to HP for coffee with Gary, John, and Brooke. I left a little early to head home and suited up for the long scooter ride down to Mission Valley Mall to meet Charlie for lunch. I thought I knew where I was going but missed a turn when I was on Sandrock Rd and had to backtrack, phone wasn't getting a good cell signal either, which was a problem. I rode down to very close to the mall but ended up riding around the area for about 10 minutes until I finally figured out how to get to the mall. Of course, I ended up parking on the opposite side of the mall where were I was meeting him, so more delay. He was very gracious about it. We had lunch at Havana, a pretty good Cuban restaurant for being in a mall, was his choice and a fine one at that. Didn't get lost on the way back, but it ended up taking me about an hour, with walking and riding. Thankfully, I didn't get rained on, although I was dressed in preparation. When I got home, I watched some TV, had a very short nap, and then caught up on blogging and Strava route investigation for the Friday and Saturday rides. After dinner, I talked to Laura for about an hour about her job situation and career trajectory, offering some specific examples from critical decision points in my career. I hope it was helpful for her. I then set up the last of the chocolate chip cookies for baking and went out for a short walk to finish getting my steps in. Had several conversations in the evening about Saturday's ride, and now it looks like we are going to attempt the century. I edited our original planned route to take out a fair portion of the elevation gain, now we are at about 4000' for the century. Hoping for good weather on Saturday to make the attempt.

04-02-2025 Ride

Woke up after an actually decent night's sleep, only interrupted by waking up a couple of times but getting back to sleep. It had rained through the night, and the streets were really wet. I took the normal way over to John's house, not too fast due in part to the wet. It drizzled several times on the ride there, and I was concerned about getting into a rainy ride. Got to John's house, and Jayden and Vivian were outside. We headed up to the top of Pomerado Rd, me going at John's pace for the most part. Then we rode down to Kearny Villa Rd and took it to Clairemont Mesa Blvd. This stretch was fast, had a quartering tailwind. We turned left and then right onto Murphy Canyon Rd. Down that nice descent, then up to Santo Rd via Aero Dr. A left turn there, and we started heading back, riding to Clairemont Mesa Blvd and taking it to Chesapeake Dr, using this road to get back to Kearny Villa Rd. The ride back on this road was challenging, as we had a headwind to contend with. I tried riding with John but ended up getting ahead of him, waiting at the turn onto Pomerado Rd. Retraced our outbound route from here, and I stayed at his pace pretty much all the way, waiting when I got ahead of him. We didn't get rained on during our ride, and the streets were wet only until we got to the bottom of Pomerado Rd. I talked briefly to Vivian when I got to his place, she's was working from home. They are going to Pennsylvania next Wednesday to see family. Didn't stay long, as it was cool and I wanted to avoid getting rained on if possible. Ride home was a retrace of my earlier route, and it was slow going on Pomerado Rd due to the wind. But I wasn't pushing it either. Ann was gone when I got home.

Avg speed = 15.0 mph (15.1 mph). Total mileage = 45.1 mi

Avg power = 133 W. Weighted avg power = 153 W

Total elevation gain = 2720' (3130')

Avg heartrate = 125 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 69 (71)

Training Load =165

Intensity =70%

https://www.strava.com/activities/14060781950

Had some soup and bread for lunch, showered and shaved, then got gas on the way to the hospital. I got there early and had a Dr Pepper and onion rings, which were a little too greasy. Shift was steadily busy, particularly so in the last hour or so. There is a new nurse resident, Leana, and Ashley is also one. Both will be residents for a year. Rode home from there, then changed and rove with Ann over to where Emily was pet-sitting in Scripps Ranch. We walked around the neighborhood with the dogs, then had dinner at the Mira Mesa Best Pizza n Brew. Talked some politics, family and church stuff, and books/movies. She drove us back to our car, and we drove home to a quiet rest of the evening, where I watched a little TV.

04-01-2025 Ride/Run

Had a pretty good night's sleep cold-wise, coughed a lot less but worried more about my disagreement with Ann. My head was whirling on this topic in the early morning, and I couldn't get back to sleep. Weather was dicey for rain but looked clear early on, so I headed out for a short bike ride, hoping to get it in before being rained on. Through the neighborhood to Matinal Rd, taking it over to W Bernardo Dr. This was an easy-paced ride for me. I rode up to RB Rd, turning right there and taking it up the hill to get to the 4S Ranch neighborhood. Extended route through that area, then I stayed on Paseo del Sur and took it down to Camino del Sur, turning left there and riding up the CdS bump slowly. Then I turned right on Via Azul to ride through that neighborhood. Another right on Via Inez, but this road dead-ended, so I backtracked to Via Presta and turned there. Right on Camino de la Rosa and left on Camino de la Luna, looking for a way to get deeper into the neighborhood, but many of the roads had security gates across them. The latter road went downhill and dead-ended into some kind of water treatment facility, where I turned around and rode back up to Camino de la Rosa, turning right there and then right again on Lazanja Dr, which got me back to Camino del Sur. From here, it was the old normal way home via RB Rd and W Bernardo Dr. It took a long time to get through that intersection due to morning traffic patterns. The rain did indeed hold out, I think there was one brief period where I got a little sprinkling. However, the roads were consistently wet until near the end, and that also slowed me down a bit.

Avg speed = 14.2 mph (14.3 mph). Total mileage = 20.7 mi

Avg power = 119 W. Weighted avg power = 148 W

Total elevation gain = 1360' (1480')

Avg heartrate = 121 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 29 (30)

Training Load = 70

Intensity = 67%

https://www.strava.com/activities/14049257996

When I got home, I did the dishes (there were a lot from Ann baking bread and making soup), then I went out into the backyard for another weeding session. Focused on cleaning out the rest of the other wood chip bed as well as the decomposed granite bed, and I got most of them both weeded, still work to do on the latter over by the fountain. I moved some of the soil I had taken from the raised bed onto the latter bed, and then I also weeded the raised bed near the fence and added some soil to even it out a little bit. Lost track of time a little bit but finished in time to have a shower and get ready for lunch with Linda and Gregory to talk about our Japan trip and offer some pointers. The ride to and from the restaurant with Ann was totally silent. Spent most of the afternoon reading in the office bedroom, took several little naps. I had finished M.R. Carey's Infinity Gate the previous day; this was a surprisingly good read from an author I hadn't heard of. It's the first in a series, and I'm looking forward to when the next book is published. I started 88 and 1 by Timothy Bourret, about the 88-game UCLA men's basketball winning streak, which is still an amazing accomplishment that will never be equaled, at least in men's basketball. The UConn women's streak of 111 games is also flat-out amazing. The book is basically a rehash of box scores with a couple of interviews thrown in, far from being even a good sports book. I talked myself into a run in the late afternoon, wasn't inclined to do it but persevered. Took the old neighborhood route from home, including the right turn onto Matinal Circle and Hohokum Way. Started out slow as it was uphill, but each succeeding mile was faster. Felt pretty good on the long gradual climb up W Bernardo Dr, and that set me up for a strong finish. Got a little help from having to wait for the light to change at Duenda Rd. It was quite breezy, and the wind direction appeared to change as I ran, wasn't clear where it was coming from. Felt cool at the start but hot and sweaty at the end, first time in a while that I finished a run this way.

Avg pace = 7:57/mi

Total distance = 3.48 mi

Elapsed moving time = 27:45

Avg heartrate = 144 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 28

https://www.strava.com/activities/14053874509

Went back and looked at my past running history to see how fast I was back in the day. In late 2014 and throughout most of 2015, I was running 3-4 miles at about 7:30 pace, sometimes faster. Still, it feels good to be 10 years older and just a little bit slower.