11-30-2025 Ride

Had another restless night of sleep, lots of loose congestion that was causing sinus headaches. I was up in the night, ate some food, watched some TV, read. Not great. I got up super early to make beignets for Laura and Joe for breakfast before they hit the road to drive back to Berkeley. They left around 5:15, and I went back to bed, caught a little sleep before getting back up and getting ready for a bike ride with John, Dave, and Jim. They showed up a little after 7:00, and I set my Fuji bike up to work for Dave, just a couple of seatpost height adjustments until he said it was good. We rode up to Jim's house, and I should have realized early on that I was underdressed for the weather. Jim wasn't outside when we got there, so we chatted for a bit until he showed up, then we all rode the time trial route. Everybody pretty much took it easy on this ride, although Dave was faster at the beginning and looked strong until we turned onto Sabre Springs Pkwy, where he slowed down. Jim hadn't ridden in over a year, so he was out of shape and slow as a result. I kept my pace similar to the others, getting out in front on the little climbs toward the latter part of the ride. But I was suffering with really cold hands. The weather was periodically foggy, with damp roads in the beginning. On the downhill from the HP site, I got really cold. We rode back to Jim's house, and I didn't stick around, needed to get home and warm up. Average heartrate below is likely higher than expected due to my ongoing cold, which isn't yet resolved.

 

Avg speed = 14.4 mph. Total mileage = 17.6 mi

Avg power = 113 W. Weighted avg power = 136 W

Total elevation gain = 1050'

Avg heartrate = 113 W (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 14

Training Load = 58

Intensity = 62%

https://www.strava.com/activities/16612320768

 

 Ann was at church when I got home, and it took me quite a while to warm up. Should have just jumped in the shower right away, but I didn't. Watched some TV instead. I dozed a bit during the late morning and early afternoon, read some as well. In the afternoon, I worked for quite a while on my cycling analysis program, did a "hard fork" reset to enable communication between the main routine, governing the primary data window, and a child window that displays stats about a segment selected from a displayed route. It took a while to re-format the code for this function and work through the kinks, but eventually it came out working pretty well. I'm guessing it needs a little more debugging, but the output window functions fine now. I had a quiet evening after that.

11-29-2025 Run

Had a better night's sleep, still congested but not achy. I just had to flip sides to drain my sinuses to the other side every once in a while. Woke up after 6:30, got up and did a little organizing of stuff. Laura and I went out for a run down to and around the park at modest pace. It was a beautiful morning, crystal clear and cool but not chilly. Around the park twice and back to Aguacate, where we stopped the run and walked the rest of the way. My phone somehow turned off during the latter part of the run, so I didn't get the full distance recorded, but Laura did. Her stats are below, we were at the same pace more or less.

Avg pace = 11:40/mi

Total distance = 3.18 mi

Elapsed moving time = 37:08

Avg heartrate = 103 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 4

https://www.strava.com/activities/16602026406

I had some of their coffee, very dark and rich, when I got home, then Ann made beignets, which were, as always, delicious. Cleaned the kitchen after that, trying to stay ahead of the cooking. Then I made the filling for the pumpkin loaf Joe and I were making, and he spread it on and rolled the loaf up. Ann made the apple pie and stuffing. Joe and I watched a fair amount of the Ohio State - Michigan football game, OSU was just too good for Michigan to keep up with. In the afternoon I went out in the garage and adjusted the front derailleur on my Fuji bike so it would shift into the upper chainring more easily. Had a lot of trouble getting the chain QuickLink to lock, I ended up switching it for another one, and that worked. Emily and Caleb came over around 3:15, was some nice family time, quiet, while dinner prep was finishing up. We ate dinner early, all the food was excellent, dinner conversation was cordial and nice. After dinner, I cleaned up the dishes while Ann put the leftovers away. Emily was playing the piano in her normal Thanksgiving way, and Laura was criticizing her in what she thought was a humorous manner. Emily got upset about it and went into the back yard to cry, which was a real downer. Laura went out and apologized and eventually it was all smoothed over. Desserts in the evening after some casual conversation. The apple pie was delicious, just a tad over-baked, and the pumpkin roll was good, although Ann thought it was a little gummy and could have used some more baking. Maybe it's the combination of the filling and the cake that gives it this texture, more work needed to perfect the recipe. Was a nice Thanksgiving dinner overall, other than the blow-up between the girls that, thankfully, didn't derail the entire evening.

11-28-2025 Entry

Had a really rough night, as my cold symptoms made me achy and congested. Had vivid and unresolved dreams that kept me from resting. Woke up in the morning to an expected busy day, worried that I wouldn't feel well. But after I got up I felt better. Waited for Laura, and then Joe, to get up, then we went to Mama Kat's for breakfast. We got there late enough that it was quite busy, had to wait about 20 minutes until a table freed up. The food was good, Laura talked a fair amount about some of the times that she has felt a lot of stress in her job, I shared some examples as well. After we got home, I had some time to rest and get ready for the remainder of the day. In the early afternoon Joe and I drove downtown (were originally going to park by Fashion Valley and take the trolley in, but that was a bad idea due to Black Friday), found a great parking spot near Little Italy, then walked to the boardwalk and down to the Embarcadero to go on a 2-hour harbor cruise. Weather was just excellent, Rusty the guide was encyclopedic in his knowledge about navy operations and ships, and we had a very good time. Stopped in the Berkeley gift shop on the way back to the car, and Joe bought Laura a postcard. We got home a little before 5:00, and Laura, Emily, and Caleb were there. Had dinner at the house before we drove down in two cars to see the improv show at the National Comedy Theater. It was pretty good, had some very funny moments, but some of the skits weren't so funny. Joe was in one where he played Louis XVI, and that was a funny one, as well as a musical improvised around taro root (was supposed to be tissue). Home after that, and to bed after a long, tiring day.

11-27-2025 Run

Woke up shortly after 6:00 after having gotten up early in the morning to watch TV and eat some breakfast. Got ready for the North County Turkey Trot with Laura. We, along with Joe, headed over to 4S Ranch Pkwy, parked there and walked quite a ways, maybe a mile, to the park where the starting line was. We got there with maybe 10 minutes to spare, a little too close for my comfort. Started near the back, having to dodge lots of walkers and kids who were also at the back. I jogged at Laura's pace as we ran over to Dove Canyon Rd and then down to Carmel Valley Rd. We headed over to Wine Creek Rd, turned there and shortly after got on a dirt path. This went up and down for a bit, then started gradually up for quite a while before we came around a corner and saw a short steep switchback to the crest of the run. Up there, Laura stopped briefly at the top for some water and to catch her breath. We ran through a neighborhood for a bit and then took another switchback down to the final stretch.

Avg pace = 11:22/mi

Total distance = 3.13 mi

Elapsed movie = 35:39

Avg heartrate = 166 bpm (Zepp, not to be believed)

Relative Effort = 97 (Not to be believed)

https://www.strava.com/activities/16583340447

Joe was there capturing a video of us near the finish, and Laura put in a final push to cross the line at speed. We hung around to hear the finish times of the runners, then walked back to her car and drove home, stopping at Donut Touch on the way (I didn't know that Ann had made beignet dough). Got home, had a donut that was pretty good. Later, I watched the Packers-Lions game with Joe, who is an intense fan for his team. Thankfully, they won. Had a quiet afternoon, read a little bit and briefly rested my eyes before getting back up and watching a little bit of the Cowboys-Chiefs game. I also chopped vegetables for dinner. Evening was quiet, did some reading and that was about it.

11-26-2025 Ride

Woke up and got up around 6:00. Ann was already up, which was unusual. I chilled for a bit, had some cereal and a banana for breakfast, then got ready for a bike ride. This was going to be one where I pushed myself steadily throughout. Through the neighborhood to RB Rd, then the old standard way to the 56 bike path and down to the coast. I tried not to let up throughout the ride unless I was coasting, and even then I was pedaling more than usual. Got to PCH and turned left, riding down to the entrance to the park and stopping for a biobreak. I was going to ride up the inside route until I remembered that they were doing road maintenance on it. Didn't want to get caught partway up and have to turn around, so I went back and rode the outside route instead. I didn't kill myself on this climb, focused on being steady and not letting up. To the top and turning around to ride back the same way I had come, at least to Carmel Valley Rd. On both outbound and return routes on the bike path, I avoided the flooded area where the ducks and turtles hang out. Took Carmel Valley Rd back to CdS and turned left there, then I rode back home the old normal way via RB Rd and W Bernardo Dr. I kept my foot on the gas as much as possible on the return route, and I think I was actually faster on the return than on the outbound route. Legs were starting to feel tired near the end, but I pushed through and finished strong.

Avg speed = 17.5 mph. Total mileage = 42.4 mi

Avg power = 164 W. Weighted avg power = 193 W

Total elevation gain = 2610'

Avg heartrate = 128 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 80

Training Load = 198

Intensity = 88%

https://www.strava.com/activities/16574271069/

Got home, had a little time to relax before heading over to the hospital for my volunteer shift. Nothing major to report, other than it was hopping. All beds were occupied essentially throughout the shift. Left right at 4:30 and rode home to change for a mystery event with Ann. She drove us over to Pitcher's in RP, where a number of my Bisikleta friends had gathered for a belated 65th birthday celebration. Perse and Andy planned it after Charlie's suggestion. Cam, Eric, Gideon, Fritz, and Perse were also there. It was a great thing that Perse and Andy coordinated, I think it's the first surprise party anybody has ever thrown for me. Home after that, where we sat out by the fire pit with Laura and Joe for a while before heading to bed.

11-25-2025 Run/Ride

It was in the mid-40s when I woke up, decided to go for an easy 5k run down by the park, around twice, and back, partway up the hill. Running around 9:30 pace to see how it will be with Laura on the Turkey Trot. Legs felt fine, not much stress on my cardio, but it was okay.

Avg pace = 9:21/mi

Total distance = 3.13 mi

Elapsed moving time = 29:16

Avg heartrate = 110 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 5

https://www.strava.com/activities/16563141134

Got home and had some breakfast, including French press coffee, while chatting with the others. Watched some TV. Later in the morning I went out with Ann in the backyard and cleared up the leaves by the side patio. Emptied the bins into green waste, but I didn't get the bin out to the street in time. I also used Ann's hoe to turn the soil in the bed next to the house. That works really well on damp ground. Finally, I cleaned off the back patio, which was a chore that needed a break in between while I ate some lunch. In the middle of the afternoon I went for an easy bike ride, down by the park and up Pomerado Rd to RB Rd, turning left and going up Espola Rd until I cut through the Bridlewood neighborhood. Used Summer Sage Rd to get back to Espola Rd, taking it down to Twin Peaks Rd and turning there. To Community Rd, using it to get over to Poway Rd, where I turned right and rode back to Pomerado Rd. Right turn there and home the normal way via Bernardo Center Dr. I was mostly in Zone 2 on this ride, just taking it nice and easy.

Avg speed = 15.3 mpt. Total mileage =20.4 mi

Avg power = 114 W. Weighted avg power = 137 W

Total elevation gain = 1020'

Avg heartrate = 104 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 14

Training Load = 56

Intensity = 62%

https://www.strava.com/activities/16567491201

Got home, took a shower, then helped Ann make the enchiladas for dinner. I had made the sauce earlier in the day. They turned out pretty well, although some of them had too many diced olives and were too salty as a result. Everybody enjoyed them. Laura, Joe, and I watched Uncut Gems after dinner, starring Adam Sandler. It was, to put it mildly, intense, and sad but well done and frenetic in its pace.

I'm currently in the middle of two Joe Scalzi books from the Old Man's War series. I started the latest one, The Shattering Peace, and there seemed to be elements of the timeline that I needed to refresh on, so I went back to the second novel, The Ghost Brigade.

11-24-2025 Swim

Woke up around midnight, wide awake, so I went downstairs, had something to eat and watched TV for about 50 minutes. Was able to get back to sleep and wake up around 6:00 (<>). I transferred our cash from selling the last of our HP stock out of the Merrill Lynch account to our savings account, deposited Mom's birthday check, and got ready for a swim at the WWC. It was moderately busy in the pool, but I was there early enough to get my desired lane. Forgot the camera, so I needed to rely on my watch to count laps. For some reason, it didn't register the first 11 lengths I swam, so I treated them as an untimed warmup and swam an additional 81 lengths. Not good form or speed on this day, it seemed to me like more of a cruising day. I ended up logging 2025 yds, and here are the approximate splits for the first four 500s and the last 25: 10:13, 10:00, 10:08, 9:34, 0:29. The last 500 was faster because I used the pull buoy. In that last 500 I did focus on longer strokes, and it generally worked, although I got tired near the end.

Avg pace = 1:59/100 yds (Zepp)

Total distance = 2000 yds

Elapsed moving time = 40:21 (Zepp)

Avg heartrate = 173 bpm (Zepp, not to be believed)

Relative Effort =  135 (not to be believed)

SWOLF = 39

Avg stroke rate = 22 bpm

Avg pull distance = 2.22 yds

https://www.strava.com/activities/16553899347

Will have to pay attention to how my watch tracks laps. It was frustrating to lose those laps. Had some coffee and toast when I got home. Paid my Medicare Part D insurance premium for December. Laura and Joe showed up a little after 12:30, so we spent the afternoon and evening talking with them. Joe and I went to Von's in the late afternoon to get some stuff, it was really crowded. Was a nice time to catch up on what they have been doing.

11-23-2025 Ride

Woke up early and started getting ready for a bike ride with Paula from our house. It was cool at the start, not cold, and I dressed warmly enough (long-sleeve undershirt and long-fingered gloves) to be comfortable. She had made the route, which contained some familiar roads and some new neighborhoods. Left the house around 7:00, taking Aguamiel Rd up to Duenda Rd and then over to Cabela Dr. From there it was to Matinal Rd and the normal way out of the neighborhood to RB Rd. Over to CdS and then down to San Dieguito Rd, taking it down the hill to El Apajo and Via de Santa Fe to get to Calzada del Bosque. We rode into RSF, taking Los Arboles to Via del Alba, turning right and heading up to La Gracia, where we turned left. We stopped at a place where we had taken a picture before to take several more, then took that road into the village via La Flecha. Left on Avenida de Acacias, then over to Linea del Cielo to head out of the village. We turned right on Ave Maravillas and then left onto El Secreto, which has a very nice winding downhill to Rambla de Las Flores. A right turn there, then over to La Granada, where we turned left and rode up the short climb to Los Morros. I waited for Paula at the turn onto La Bajada, and we dropped down to RSF Rd, turning there and riding to the Champagne Bakery for a break. I had a coffee, and Paula had a tea. Nice little break, it was a beautiful day. We took Manchester Ave the short distance to Encinitas Blvd and rode up to Willowspring Dr, turning right. Then we took a number of streets through this neighborhood, crossing Olivenhain Rd and eventually getting over to Calle Barcelona, where we turned right and rode back across RSF Rd, turning right on Via San Clemente and then right again on Camino Coronado, which wound around until we turned left onto Avenida Anacapa. Followed this road around until another left turn onto Calle San Blas, taking us to Calle Acervo, which I remembered from previous rides. A right turn there, a little climb, then we dropped back down to RSF Rd. I waited for her at the turn, then we continued on familiar roads. Down to El Camino del Norte, turning left and taking this climb, initially riding together until I passed her about 2/3 of the way up. I waited at the top of the climb and captured a video of her coming around the corner and stopping. We took a short break there, then continued on over to Del Dios Hwy, turning there and heading to Escondido. We stayed together up to just before the climb started. Had a nice tailwind helping us along. I was initially thinking about staying with Paula on the climb, but the tailwind encouraged me to push the pace and see how fast I could make the climb. I ended up setting two PRs, one for the first climb up to the dam (5:52, 254 W, 149 bpm) and one for the climb from the shallow part up to the spot just beyond the tree (10:18, 229 W, 146 bpm). I waited for Paula there, then we rode at the same pace to Rancho Dr, turning there and heading down the short steep hill to Lake Dr and along the lakeside. This is a really nice drive. We stopped for pictures with the Hodgee sculpture, then rode up to Via Rancho Pkwy. I took it easy, but if I pushed it I might be able to make it into the top 10 for this climb in my age group. Rode together up the modest climb on Via Rancho Pkwy, I passed her near the top so I could take the descent in front. Down to the freeway, and from there it was the normal way home via the pedestrian bridge. Paula was slow on the last couple of short climbs, I think it was a good distance for her to ride before she ran out of gas.

Avg speed = 14.4 mph. Total mileage = 42.4 mi

Avg power = 127 W. Weighted avg power = 167 W

Total elevation gain = 3510'

Avg heartrate = 113 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 51

Training Load = 198

Intensity = 76%

https://www.strava.com/activities/16546814355

We had some cookies when we got back home, she told Ann and me the crazy story of Ivana riding her e-bike in the dark down Twin Oaks Valley Rd. Yikes! Afternoon and evening were quiet on this day. I cleaned all of the downstairs floors as well as the kitchen. In the evening I finished Empire of AI, it was quite interesting if a little biased against OpenAI, Sam Altman, and the pace of AI development in general. But the author Karen Hao made some very good points about the environmental impact of the new LLM infrastructure, Boomers vs. Doomers, the attempted OpenAI Board dismissal of Sam Altman, and the premise of huge data input that modern AI chatbots are built on. Was tired from the day, so I went to sleep a little early.

11-22-2025 Ride

Another interesting Bisikleta ride. I got up around 6:20 and got ready for the ride, it was cool but not cold, so I wore my long-sleeve jersey and a light jacket. Through the neighborhood and then the extended route through the 4S Ranch neighborhood (I had originally planned on a shorter route but left home early and had the time). James, Andy, Ray, and Perse were all there when I got there, others started showing up soon after. In all, we had the following riders: Ray, Perse, Andy, Arnold, Fritz, Jed, James, and Charlie. I was surprised at the turnout, since there was light rain in the forecast. Just as we were leaving the Target parking lot, I started to feel some drops, but it was sporadic and the roads were still dry. Up Templeton St to Paseo del Sur, taking it down to CdS. I was in the lead here, but on this day my intention was to be in the middle of the pack and at the back. We rode to San Dieguito Rd and took it down to El Apajo, gathering up there and continuing over to Calzada del Bosque. Over to VdlV, turning left and heading toward the coast. I waited at the turn for Arnold, who was having trouble with his saddle bag staying on. We rode fairly hard to catch up to the others, got to James as he was slowing down to retrieve a dropped water bottle. I stayed with him, and we caught some of the others before we got to the right turn onto PCH. Arnold fixed his saddle bag there, and we rode to Lomas Santa Fe, me and James in the front since he zoomed out from the stopping point. We turned onto this road and took it up (not so steep as I remember) to Solana Hills Dr, turning left there and getting over to the bike path that parallels I-5. I had taken my rain jacket off just after the turn from VdlV, but it was starting to sprinkle, so I stopped to put it back on, and it stayed on for the rest of the ride. Rode to catch up with the others as they turned onto Manchester Ave and started heading inland. The rain wasn't too bad at this point. We stayed on Manchester Ave through the turn and stopped at Champagne Cafe & Bakery, which turned out to be a really good spot for a break and a coffee. I bought coffee for most of the others. We were there longer than expected because the sprinkle turned into rain and got the roads really wet. After this break the consensus was to shorten the ride and head directly back into RSF, so we did, via RSF Rd, La Bajada, and La Granada. I was sitting at the back by this time, riding with Andy, Arnold, and Charlie until the latter two gapped us on the initial climbs. I hung with Andy into RSF, where weather had cleared a bit and the group had decided to extend the ride. So, we turned on Linea del Cielo and took it back to Lomas Santa Fe and then PCH. The rain had subsided to an occasional sprinkle, but the roads were wet and kinda dirty. We stopped at the turn south onto PCH and decided on the route back to the meet-up point. They all ended up staying on PCH through Del Mar and taking the 56 bike path back. I didn't want that many miles, so I turned on VdlV and headed back the normal way from there. In retrospect, this was a dicey move, since I had forgotten my phone at home and would have been in a bind if I got stuck out on the road. I didn't encounter much rain on the way back, but it did occasionally sprinkle on me, and the roads were consistently wet all the way back into the Del Sur area. I had dialed my effort level back to conserve energy as well as to stay safe. Back home from there using the new normal route via Camino San Bernardo and W Bernardo Dr. Once I got back into RB the roads were essentially dry, and there was even a little sun occasionally peeking out. I was feeling hungry at the end, even though I'd gotten up in the early morning and had a bowl of cereal and a banana, as well as a banana during the ride.

Avg speed = 15.3 mph. Total mileage = 49.1 mi
Avg power = 135 W. Weighted avg power = 162 W

Total elevation gain = 2870'

Avg heartrate = 118 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 63

Training Load = 194

Intensity = 74%

https://www.strava.com/activities/16536705461

Had some cheese and crackers as soon as I got home, watched some NCAA football, then made ramen noodles and ate them as well. In the afternoon, I cleaned and rewaxed the chain on my Canyon, since it had seen wet and dirty road conditions. I also gave my bike a thorough washing to clean off the road grime. In the evening we drove down to the Olympic Training Center (a longer drive than expected, it's really out there) to see a drone show (Droneart). We packed sandwich stuff and snacks to take a long and brought a blanket we could sit on as well as a comforter to put on top of us. It was chilly, not super cold but definitely the comforter was needed. There was a string quartet playing music during the show, Vivaldi's Four Seasons and, as a finale, excerpts from Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. The sound cut out a couple of times during the show, probably were overloading the circuits, but they paused the show and got things back on track without too much difficulty. There appeared to be two sets of drones, a smaller set followed by a larger set, with three cycles of each in total. The drones showed a mixture of abstract and representational designs, and it was pretty phenomenal, well worth the drive down and the cost. It finished early enough that we were back home before 9:45.

11-21-2025 Swim

Day started out wet. I got up around 6:00 and noodled around the house for a while before getting ready for a swim at the WWC. I knew it had been raining but was unpleasantly surprised to have to ride over to the club in the rain. That wasn't as bad as having to wait in steady rain for the gates to open. Next time, I need to bring a jacket with a hood. Parked my gear under an awning to keep it from getting wet. I was originally going to swim for longer, but the weather convinced me to do a short workout and get home and dry. I swam 1000 yds, and my times for the two 500s were decent: 9:17, 9:26, total elapsed swimming time of 18:43. My stroke was fairly strong but not so long this time. Swimming in the rain was fine, the water felt really warm after standing in cold rain for a while.

Avg pace = 1:52/100 yds (Video)

Total distance = 1000 yds

Elapsed moving time = 18:43 (Video)

Avg heartrate = 178 bpm (Zepp, not to be believed)

Relative Effort =  66 (not to be believed)

SWOLF = 37

Avg stroke rate = 22 bpm

Avg pull distance = 2.24 yds

https://www.strava.com/activities/16525740461

Got home and ate a little food, drank some coffee to help me warm up. Had a light morning, went to renew my library card and then have lunch with Hongwei. Her kids are doing well, she's in a pretty chaotic position at work, a lot of divided responsibilities for the R&D programs she's involved in. Ate Indian food, it was pretty good. My afternoon was quiet, had a little nap and then worked on my ride analysis program to include stats from a specified segment of the ride. Ann went with Emily and Caleb in the evening to see Rent at a small theater in Carlsbad, I stayed home. Watched some NBA and read, had a quiet evening.

11-20-2025 Ride

Had a good night's sleep after a pretty busy and active day, even with the Dr Pepper at lunch (<>). I ate some cereal and a banana for breakfast and helped clear the stuff off the carpets that were to be cleaned. Pat showed up around 9:20 for a bike ride, just after the carpet cleaner guy started his work. He got ready, I was already ready to go. Ann came out to say hi to him, and then we headed out. Down by the park and up Pomerado Rd to RB Rd, turning left there. On Pomerado Rd, I got out in front of him a time or two, not so far. We rode together up Espola Rd, but I got out in front again as we rode up to the high school. He caught up without me stopping to wait, and we rode down the hill and then up to Poway Rd. A slightly larger gap formed here, so I waited at the turn onto Poway Rd, and we rode down together to Garden Rd. turning left there. Over to Sycamore Canyon Rd, taking it up to the Scripps-Poway Pkwy underpass. I started this little climb with a fairly hard push that caused me to run out of gas early, so I felt like I was slower on the last steep pitch near the end. Even still, surprisingly, I set a PR (3:26, 277 W) that was also a top-10 finish for my age group on Strava. No heartrate data for this ride because I forgot to attach my sensor to the elastic band. We rode over to Danielson St and used it to get to Kirkham Way, taking this less traveled road back to Scripps-Poway Pkwy. We turned left and rode down the hill before climbing back up to the turn onto Angelique St. I gapped Pat just a little bit on this climb, and a little more on the climb up to Cypress Canyon Park Dr. We took this back over to Pomerado Rd, turning left and riding down to Stonebridge Pkwy, where we turned right and took it all the way to the top. I didn't push the pace for the most part, although I put in a bigger effort in the last mile or so. Elapsed time from Pomerado to the end was just outside the top 10 for my Strava age group. He and I stayed together until the last climbing section, where I created another gap, waiting for a couple of minutes until he showed up. He stopped there for a biobreak, then we continued down Via Santa Pradera to Beeler Canyon Rd, taking this fire road down into the canyon and riding at steady pace over to Creek Rd and then back to Pomerado Rd. We turned right and took it to Oak Knoll Rd, turning left to get back over to Poway Rd. From this point, we stayed on the time trial route for a while. A couple of times, I got out ahead of Pat but not too far ahead. All the way to Camino del Norte, which we stayed on until it turned into Camino del Sur, taking a right on Four Gee Rd. Rode the reverse of the extended route through 4S Ranch to get back to RB Rd. From there, it was the standard way home through the neighborhood. Pat was slowing down near the end of the ride, a good indicator that I had picked the route and effort level just about right. Felt pretty good about my output level on this ride, given a harder ride the previous day.

Avg speed = 16.0 mph. Total mileage = 44.1 mi

Avg power = 147 W. Weighted avg power = 184 W

Total elevation gain = 3390'

Training Load = 214

Intensity = 84%

https://www.strava.com/activities/16518415504

Had a shower when I got home, then the three of us went to have lunch at Sab-E-Lee. I had a spice level 4 dish, and the heat was just right, as was the flavor. Drove home after that, and Pat left to battle the traffic back to Irvine. I had some time in the afternoon to start putting stuff back after the carpet cleaning. Ate some food before we drove to Encinitas to this tiny venue off Quail Gardens Rd for an unplugged acoustic concert with The Lonesome Roses and Sean Watkins. Weather was wet on the way down, I didn't enjoy the drive. We got there just as they opened the doors, so we had time to pick seats and then get something to drink and a snack at this strange little store/coffee shop/bar nearby. The concert was pretty great in an intimate setting. Sean performed with his wife Dominique, a couple of new songs and a couple of his Nickel Creek songs. Rhianna and Molly were excellent, great vocalists and harmonizers, pretty good songwriters as well. Ann talked to a couple of ladies who are into local music, particularly Switchfoot. I chatted wit a couple of ladies, one of whom went to Coachella to see Nickel Creek and skipped out on the headliner acts Rage, Amy Winehouse, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Very enjoyable all around. Drive home was a little less rainy and more well lit.

11-19-2025 Ride

Woke up early and got ready for a bike ride, leaving before Ann got up. It was about 45 deg when I left home, so I had on my long gloves and a beanie to keep my head warm. Still, my fingers got cold in the initial parts of the ride, which took me down by the park and across the pedestrian bridge, then behind the mall to the path through Kit Carson Park to El Ku Ave. To Escondido Blvd and then up to Felicita Ave, where I turned left and rode over to the freeway and beyond, turning right on Hamilton Ln, then left on Bernardo Ave (after an initial right and U-turn when I figured I was going the wrong way). Up and over the little rise, then the gradual climb by the freeway up to 11th Ave. Down to Del Dios Rd, turning left there and then right onto Avenida del Diablo to get over to Citracado Pkwy. I turned onto Harmony Grove Village Pkwy and then turned left onto Harmony Grove Rd. This next stretch was nice, although the fast morning traffic was at times a little unnerving. I rode to the turn onto Elfin Forest Rd and pushed pretty hard up the first part of that climb. Just after the turn a guy passed me going really fast, there was no way I could stay with him. On the climb I started to close the distance, but when it flattened out a little bit he was long gone. I rode up into San Elijo Hills village and turned left onto San Elijo Rd, again enjoying the downhill to RSF Rd. Another left turn here, taking it down to the subsequent left turn to stay on RSF Rd, dealing with a fair amount of morning traffic. I rode over to El Camino del Norte and turned left there, setting a PR (4:36, 254 W, 146 bpm) on the climb up to Via de Fortuna. Over to Lago Lindo, turning there and taking it to El Montevideo, where I turned left again and rode to the entrance to the reverse Stud Loop. I pushed my pace pretty good on this segment, not coasting so much and working on the little climbs. No PR on this day, although I kept my average power above 200 W. Took VdlV down to Via de Santa Fe and then the normal way over to San Dieguito, I stopped for a short break by the market near the turn off of El Apajo, then took the Three Witches climb at a slow pace up to CdS. Home the normal way via Camino San Bernardo and W Bernardo Dr, again, not pushing it too hard at the end of the ride. I could definitely feel the effects of the previous day's run, both in muscles that were a little sore and in some continuing tightness in the back of my right leg. Not really painful but noticeable.

Avg speed = 16.3 mph. Total mileage = 42.6 mi

Avg power = 145 W. Weighted avg power = 178 W

Total elevation gain = 2950'

Avg heartrate = 122 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 67

Training Load = 185

Intensity = 81%

https://www.strava.com/activities/16507111707

Got home in plenty of time to relax, shave, shower, and get ready for my volunteer shift at the hospital. I signed me and Laura up for the 4S Ranch Turkey Trot and bought the tickets for the National Comedy Theater show on Friday after Thanksgiving. The hospital shift was nothing special, I ate at the cafeteria, may need to pick something else as a regular option than the french fries, which tend to load me down. It was chilly riding over there, so I wore two jackets and my gloves on the return ride home. Watched an episode of Poirot before and after dinner, then read for a while before turning in.

11-18-2025 Run/Walk

65th birthday. Woke up (<!>) and had a nice, easy breakfast with Ann. Afterwards, I decided to go for a birthday run, originally intending to run about 5k. Down to the park and looping around, I changed my mind and ended up running 6.5 miles. Felt decent during the run, a little tightness in my right leg that seemed to loosen up. I felt the effects of not having run this distance recently toward the end and slowed down as a result. Walked the last little bit of the hill back home to cool down.

Avg pace = 8.03/mi

Total distance = 6.53 mi

Elapsed moving time = 52:41

Avg heartrate = 132 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 21

https://www.strava.com/activities/16496872598

Showered and got ready for my fun day with Ann, and we headed out a little before 11:00. I had predicted we were going to a movie, but when I saw we were headed to the La Costa area, I guessed I was wrong. Nope. We saw Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere at the Cinepolis near La Costa Ave. It was pretty good, the lead actor was fairly convincing as the singer. I didn't know the plot, which was about his bout of depression and soul-searching after wrapping up the concert tour promoting The River. After the movie, we drove down to UTC (not sure why we went here, I think it was originally tied to taking the trolley) and had lunch at a Chinese dumpling restaurant, Din Tai Fung. The dumplings were decent, the food was generally good, the prices were about what you would expect for a restaurant in a trendy mall setting. We had some time to kill after eating, so we walked around the mall for a bit, luckily no rain to deal with, then we drove down to UCSD and parked to see a women's volleyball match between UCSD (The Tritons) and Long Beach State (The Beach). Got there early, so we had a pretty long walk around the campus, got misdirected at one point by Google Maps, but still got to the arena in plenty of time to watch the teams warm up. The match itself was somewhat competitive in the first set, but Long Beach State was clearly better than the home team, and the last two sets were basically wipeouts. Still, it was fun to see the match, a really thoughtful gift that Ann came up with. We walked a short distance back to where the car was parked and got home a little after 8:00. I talked to Laura for about half an hour after we got home, some about her running and fitness routines, some about the upcoming visit to San Diego. It was a long day, and I didn't have much trouble getting to sleep.

11-17-2025 Ride/Swim

Woke up and went for an early-morning bike ride, since the weather was clear and looked like it was going to stay that way. It was chilly at the start, I had my long-fingered gloves and a light winter cap on for the first half of the ride. Not pushing the pace on this ride, for the most part. Down by the park and then up Pomerado Rd to Poway Rd. Along this stretch, I found three quarters, so it was my lucky day. Turned left on Poway Rd and rode up to Silver Lake Rd, where I did a U-turn and rode back to Donutopolis. Stopped there and had a couple of donuts and a cup of coffee for a morning break. Then it was back on Poway Rd, heading west to Sabre Springs Pkwy. By this time, I had to go to the bathroom, but I thought I could wait until the end of the ride. No luck. Stopped to see if there was a restroom at the Park n Ride by Ted Williams Pkwy. No luck. But at Carmel Mountain Ranch Community Park, on the other side of Ted Williams Pkwy, there was. Stopped there, felt much better afterwards. From there, it was the standard time trial route back home, again at modest pace (as evidenced by my average heartrate for the ride), enjoying the day.

Avg speed = 15.0 mph. Total mileage = 21.1 mi

Avg power = 123 W. Weighted avg power = 150 W

Total elevation gain = 1160'

Avg heartrate = 106 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 19

Training Load = 74

Intensity = 68%

https://www.strava.com/activities/16486111204

Had a pretty light day at home. Watched some TV, made a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch, and read for a while as well. I put the rewaxed chain back on my Fuji bike and did some rearranging of where I keep my spare bike tires. In the afternoon, Ann went to Mah Jongg, so I decided to go for an afternoon swim at the WWC. Weather was still nice, cool and not so breezy. I swam 4 500s. Initially intended to swim the last two 500s with my swim snorkel, but after one 500 where I labored with it on, I took it off and swam the last one without it. My stroke count and form were pretty good in the first 1000 yds but fell apart in the second, and you can see the result in my splits. Here they are for the four 500s: 9:16, 9:29, 9:43, 9:40. Total elapsed swimming time = 38:08. I'm getting closer to the form that will let me swim 2000 yds straight in under 38 minutes, which hasn't happened in a while.

Avg pace = 1:54/100 yds (Video, not counting pause between second and third 500)

Total distance = 2000 yds

Elapsed moving time = 38:08 (Video)

Avg heartrate = 173 bpm (Zepp, not to be believed)

Relative Effort =  130 (not to be believed)

SWOLF = 38

Avg stroke rate = 22 bpm

Avg pull distance = 2.24 yds

https://www.strava.com/activities/16489563915

The rest of the day was quiet, not much done.

11-16-2025 Walk

This was kind of a weird day. Ann slept in while I worked on the computer trying to learn how to use the Strava API, ultimately with no success so far. I did find out a little bit about how to create web pages, which could prove useful at some point. When it looked like it might be clear enough to go out for a ride, I got ready and started out. As soon as I was on the road, it started to sprinkle, and I decided to turn around, no desire to get wet again. As soon as I was back in the garage it started raining, so that was the right call. During the day, I took a deep dive into trying to get the power pedals to register on my Wahoo again. Pretty frustrating. I ended up fully charging them, calibrating them again, updating their firmware, and after several tries they appeared to sync with the head unit. Will monitor, but I don't have a great feeling about the long-term prospects of this solution. Ann also pointed out an above-ground sprinkler line that appeared to have been chewed through in the back yard. I repaired it with a splice, hoping it holds. The chain on my Fuji Read a fair amount during the day, current book is pretty interesting. Watched some TV in the evening. I also cleaned and re-waxed the chain on my Fuji, which was creaking after getting so wet on the previous day's ride. Went for an hourlong walk at night and listened to podcasts, just for a change.

11-15-2025 Ride

This was a memorable ride, in a couple of ways. The weather forecast indicated rain, so I wore my jacket and boots in an attempt to stay somewhat dry. Not really raining, just some occasional drops on the way over to the 4S Target, where I rode through the neighborhood and then took the new extended route through the 4S Ranch neighborhood. As expected, nobody else was at the meet-up spot. Aaron had indicated he was riding, and he sent me a text saying he was running late. Showed up a little after 7:30, and we were rolling around 7:37, likely a record for a Bisikleta ride start time. We headed down CdS, riding side by side and talking most of the way. As we rode, it started to rain and then got heavier. By the time we had turned onto San Dieguito Rd, it was coming down pretty good, enough that Aaron stopped to put on his jacket. We rode down the hill and onto the flats, and the rain was steady. My boots kept my feet dry until about halfway across the flats, and then the moisture started to seep in. Aaron got a great video of us riding in heavy rain just before the turn onto El Camino Real. Left turn there and up the hill into Del Mar Heights, where he was nice enough to ride at my pace rather than gap me on the climb. Then we rode down the gradual descent to the 56 bike path and turned there. My brakes were so wet that I had very little braking power, so I took it nice and slow as I approached every potential stop. Rode the bike path back to CdS, again pretty easy pace and chatting as we rode. The rain was steady and pretty heavy for SoCal, so that when we turned back onto CdS I proposed stopping at Peet's for a break and a coffee. That turned out to be a good decision because the rain let up somewhat while we were there. Roads were wet when we started riding again, but it was more sprinkling than actively raining. We rode back to Paseo del Sur and turned there, still in drizzle and light rain conditions. Back to Templeton St, turning left there and then left again onto Garretson St. Back over to CdS and toward home, stopping just past Sprouts for a pic before splitting up. I took the original way back home, not interested in going down the hill on RB Rd with limited braking power. As soon as we split up, the rain started back in again, so that it was pretty heavy by the end of the ride. I was pretty wet, shorts and shoes soaked, but my rain jacket protected my torso somewhat and helped keep me from getting too cold. Stripped down out of my wet clothes in the garage and went in to have a hot shower that felt pretty good, especially washing the road grime off my legs. I rode my Fuji bike, and the Assioma pedals once again failed to connect to my Wahoo. I think there is a fundamental issue here that needs deep troubleshooting. My effort level on this ride, given the distance and elevation gain, was quite high, maybe because of the drag from my jacket and the more frictional road conditions.

Avg speed = 14.5 mph. Total mileage = 36.5 mi

Total elevation gain = 2150'

Avg heartrate = 120 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 56

https://www.strava.com/activities/16467983633

Was happy to be home and warm, I watched some football and had a relaxing afternoon. Went to Baron's and got a little gift for the winner of the quiz, then wrapped it up when I got home. Got dressed and drove over to California English, arriving at 5:00, where several others already were. All the DB members except Rob showed up, along with Cam and Thom. Was a nice evening, food and drinks were fine, the Two Truths and a Lie activity was a great success, very funny at times. I made the quiz way too hard, so that was a downer. Drive home and got there about 9:30, watched some TV to unwind before going to bed.

11-14-2025 Swim/Run

Got up in the middle of the night, couldn't sleep, so I went down and ate some cereal and watched TV. Was able to get back to sleep after that, slept until after 6:30, then got up and got ready for a swim at the WWC. No Avi this time. It had rained during the night. No rain on the way over or during the swim, it was just cloudy and overcast. I was intentional about keeping my first 500 pace going for the second 500, was generally successful. Swam the last 500 with a pull buoy and the swim pads, again focusing on powerful, full strokes all the way through the water. I had to pause several times during the workout to adjust my goggles, which kept filling with water. Here are the times for the three 500s: 9:28, 9:33, 9:08, total swimming time of 28:09. Throughout the workout I tried to keep my arms moving more, not so much gliding.

Avg pace = 1:53/100 yds (Video, not counting pause between third and fourth 500)

Total distance = 1500 yds

Elapsed moving time = 28:09 (Video)

Avg heartrate = 173 bpm (Zepp, not to be believed)

Relative Effort =  95 (not to be believed)

SWOLF = 37

Avg stroke rate = 22 bpm

Avg pull distance = 2.26 yds (helped by last 500)

https://www.strava.com/activities/16457048087

In the afternoon, I changed out some of the batteries on our home alarm sensors and ordered some new batteries. I also talked myself into a run down to the park and back, following the standard 5k route and walking the last block home. Ran negative splits for the first three miles. My right leg was a little tender at the beginning but seemed to loosen up with time. Got sprinkled on a bit but no heavy rain. My shoes and socks were thoroughly wet by the end of the run, and that was uncomfortable but not greatly so.

Avg pace = 8:08/mi

Total distance = 3.17 mi

Elapsed moving time = 25:47

Avg heartrate = 132 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort =11

https://www.strava.com/activities/16458986840

After the run, I did some work on the computer. Had a little nap and read for a while as well. I watched a little NBA before dinner and some TV afterward before turning in.

I started reading Empire of AI, by Karen Hao. It's biased toward the anti view but so far is doing a decent job of describing the origins of OpenAI. 

11-13-2025 Ride

Woke up early but got back to sleep, with some vivid dreams to entertain me. I got out of bed around 6:15 and got ready for an early-morning ride. It was a little chilly right at the start but not uncomfortably so. Rode my Canyon bike, first time after shortening the chain to its proper length, and it worked well. Curiously, I still occasionally drop my chain when switching from my lower to upper chainring, not sure why. Rode through the neighborhood and over the normal way to CdS, turning right and taking it all the way to Carmel Valley Rd. I wasn't going all out, but I was pushing the pace consistently. Took Carmel Valley Rd down to Del Mar Heights Rd, turned right, and took this road down to PCH. On the way, I set a PR (14:30, 162 W, 124 bpm) for the stretch of Del Mar Heights Rd that includes the gradual climb, the sharper climb before the high school, and the climb after passing over the freeway. I was working pretty hard on the latter two climbs. Turned north when I got to PCH and rode with a guy on a fixie for a while. I couldn't keep up with him on the flats, he was moving well. I stayed on PCH until turning right onto Lomas Santa Fe and starting the more serious climbing. I rode strong on this section all the way into the outskirts of RSF, setting a number of PRs. Into the village and onto Paseo Delicias, taking it through town and over to El Montevideo, where I turned left to get a little extra distance in to make a 40-mile ride. To Lago Lindo, turning right there and pausing to open a granola bar that I ate while I was riding more slowly. Over to El Camino del Norte, taking a right and heading back to Del Dios Hwy. I hadn't been on this road in a while, took the climb at moderate pace and in lower gears, there was a modest headwind that I faced at times. I did a little better on the last section of the climb to Via Rancho Pkwy, buckling down and pushing hard to the turn. From there, it was the normal way, via the freeway, back home, nothing special to note. I kept a moderate pace throughout and finished feeling okay.

Avg speed = 16.3 mph. Total mileage = 40.3 mi

Avg power = 145 W. Weighted avg power = 186 W

Total elevation gain = 2800'

Avg heartrate = 123 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 68

Training Load = 181

Intensity = 85%

https://www.strava.com/activities/16447541892

When I got home, I did some minor bike maintenance stuff, including swapping out an inner tube on the rear wheel of my Canyon, changing the tires back to the Vittoria ones I've been running, charging my front derailleur battery, and relinking my Assioma power meter to my Wahoo Elemnt. Will see how long the link lasts this time. I watched a little TV and had a light lunch of leftover smoothie, tortilla chips, and peanut butter crackers. In the early afternoon we met with Jeff Ross, investments are generally looking good although today was not a good day. He suggested we look into structured investments as a means of perhaps increasing our resistance to big market dips in a tradeoff with an upper cap on investment yields. Will give it some thought. I worked on adding a route mileage summation feature to my program. Talked to an Alight reps to try and get answers to questions about changing my drug prescription plan. He was absolutely no help. I went through the questions as best I could and submitted the request to make a change. Fingers crossed. Later I called Mom and wished her a happy birthday I also talked to a Bay Alarm Medical representative about their billing practices and got my questions answered. Watched some TV just before and after dinner, then read before going to sleep.

11-12-2025 Entry

Travel day. Woke up on the early side (<>), I had gotten a fair amount of sleep but had a period in the night of not being able to get back to sleep. We got up and I got the bins out of the car to break camp and make breakfast. I got the coffee ready and then started taking the tent down. Put my bike up on the rack and then took down the vestibule. We had eggs and leftover grilled vegetables for breakfast, they were good as always. Finished packing up all the gear while Ann cleaned up the dishes and put them in the blue bin. We were on our way back by about 9:30 and home, with no morning traffic to deal with, by 10:40. We unloaded the car and put most of the stuff away except for the blue bin, where Ann wanted to wash some of the cloth holders. I had time to shave and shower, then pack some bread and cheese to take to the hospital for lunch, along with my french fries, Pepsi, and ice cream bar. In the ED, there were two nurses training with Lindsey and Johnny, I introduced myself to one of them, Emma. There was also a Pathmaker intern, Heidi, who is preparing to go to PA school after having raised three kids, pretty impressive. As usual, it got busy near the end of my shift, and I left a little bit late. Still got home before it was dark, so all was okay there. Spent a quiet evening at home, watched some TV to unwind. I did wake up around 11:20 and go downstairs to eat some cereal and watch TV, couldn't sleep so well. I read in bed after that and eventually got back to sleep.

11-11-2025 Hikes

Woke up around 5:30 and eventually got up around 6:00. I went for an early morning hike down to Doane Pond and then around the campground. Was nice and quiet, although our neighbors also got up the same time as I did. I had some bread and jam, then made some toast while listening to an old episode of This American Life. Ann was still in the tent at 8:30 when I roused her for breakfast. I made a bunch of steel cut oats and coffee, and we finished off the dessert from the previous evening. Cleaned up the campsite, then we went for a hike up the fire road. It was nice and shady for the most part but slippery with leaves in spots. I would get ahead of Ann and then stop to wait for her. After a little over a mile we turned around and walked back down, then over to Doane Pond again before heading to the campsite. All of our neighbors were gone by the time we got back and it was a very different vibe. Ate PB&J sandwiches for lunch, then I read in the tent and had a nice nap. Ann came in and napped a little too, after which we chopped the vegetables for dinner and set them to marinade in Italian dressing. I took the shade cover down, turns out we didn't really need it. The flies were annoying for a time on Monday afternoon (as well as on my ride up) and during the Tuesday morning hike, but they largely disappeared when the temperature cooled down. Ann made frozen lemon drops with her battery-powered blender, and we drank them in the afternoon. We grilled the vegetables, vegetarian sausage, and chicken over charcoal in the dark, it turned out pretty well. I had been cleaning the dishes along the way, so after-dinner clean-up was easier. Packed stuff back into the car and again got into the tent early, around 7:20. But I was still tired and went to sleep fairly quickly. I finished Adrian Tchaikovsky's Service Model, a dystopian story about a service robot and a human who go in search of answers to find meaning in their lives. It was decent, not great.

11-10-2025 Swim/Ride

Slept pretty well, no eating or needing to read in the night (<>). I got ready for a swim at the WWC before heading up to Palomar Mountain SP. Was a little chilly but clear on the way over. The pool was pretty full from the start, but I had a lane to myself for most of the swim, no need to dodge others. I kept the pace fairly steady, focusing on longer strokes. Did three 500s, the last one pretty slow, then I swam a fourth 500 with swim pads and a pull buoy, extending my arms and trying to improve my power through the stroke. Here are the times for the four 500s: 9:29, 9:46, 9:57, 9:18, total swimming time of 38:30.

Avg pace = 1:56/100 yds (Video, not counting pause between third and fourth 500)

Total distance = 2000 yds

Elapsed moving time = 38:30 (Video)

Avg heartrate = 171 bpm (Zepp, not to be believed)

Relative Effort =  126 (not to be believed)

SWOLF = 37

Avg stroke rate = 21 bpm

Avg pull distance = 2.40 yds (helped by last 500)

https://www.strava.com/activities/16415899931

Had some cereal and a banana when I got home, then I made a smoothie as well. In the morning I loaded the camping stuff into the car after finishing packing (but I forgot my hiking boots). Gideon called me about the DB dinner, I didn't want to deal with that. Loaded the bike carrier on the roof rack (backwards, it turns out), then put the bike on. We left the house around 10:50 and got to Lake Henshaw in less than an hour. Was windy (a generally favoring tailwind) and hotter than I had hoped for. I had a good start on the climb, on my Fuji, but in the second half of the East Grade climb I slowed down. Got to Mother's Kitchen, was surprised to see that the general store was open (probably because of Veteran's Day) but didn't stop. Slogged up the little climbs to the park entrance, then rode into the park and site #16. I got there in less than an hour and a half, better than two years ago, when I did something similar. It certainly didn't feel better, but maybe the tailwind helped. Felt that way at times, less resistance to going uphill than normal.

Avg speed = 11.5 mph. Total mileage = 17.0 mi

Estimated avg power = 171 W (power pedals disconnected again from Wahoo Elemnt)

Total elevation gain = 3080'

Avg heartrate = 145 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 113

https://www.strava.com/activities/16438690460

I waited about 10 minutes until Ann showed up (she had lunch at Dudley's). I was tired and a little irritable while setting up camp, including the shade cover because of the black flies, but I felt better after sitting down and having a couple of beers and listening to some music. Ann had made hot and sour soup beforehand, so she heated that up while we made cherry camping cake in the Dutch oven. The coals fired up quickly, and it baked in about 45 minutes. I was hungry from not eating much during the day, so I had a lot of soup. It was dark by the time dessert was done and cooled, so we sat by the fire she had made and ate most of it. I did the dishes and loaded the bins back into the car before getting into the tent a little after 8:00. Changed to sleeping clothes and read before falling asleep. It was noisy from our three neighbors, but that didn't stop me. Ann had more trouble getting to sleep, and her rustling around for so long was annoying. I got back to sleep after that.

11-09-2025 Walk

This was going to be an easy workout day for me. I got up around 6:30 and went for a 2+ mile walk around the neighborhood. When I got home, I had some cereal and a banana for breakfast, then I got the camping stuff down and stacked on the other side of the garage. Went to church with Ann, sermon by Lisa was about giving thanks, one of her better ones. Talked to Paul Lorson on the patio about his broken hand, Dave Peterson tried to get me to take over the church money-counting duties, but I'm not going to sign up for that. Emily, Ann, and I walked over to Esco Gelato and had gelato and a chat, then we drove home, getting gas on the way. Afternoon was quiet, watched some TV and avoided napping. Took the aero bars off my Fuji, repaired a couple of inner tubes, and removed the extra links from the new chain on my Canyon. I also worked on the computer for a while. Evening was also quiet. I started packing my clothes for the camping trip, not much else.

11-08-2025 Ride

Woke up a little before 6:00 and started getting ready for a bike ride starting down in Carlsbad. I packed my stuff into my backpack. In the early morning I had gotten up and eaten a little bit, so I wasn't too hungry. Andy showed up around 7:00, and I loaded my bike onto his bike rack, then we were off, driving to the Canyon store on Avenida Encinas. Perse and Arnold were already there, and Ray, Cam, Fritz, and Jed showed up as well. We signed our waivers, and I had a cup of coffee and some mini donuts. Paula showed up, after having ridden about 10 miles prior to the official ride, her intention being to complete a metric century (her first!). We got some pictures then started the 50-mile route. The announcements were so long that my Wahoo turned off, so I didn't get credit for the full mileage, starting it about a half mile into the ride. I got behind everybody when I synced the route to my Wahoo again, but they were all going fairly slowly, so I was able to catch up with them soon with an extra effort. We took Cannon Rd east until turning left onto College Blvd. This has a series of little climbs that gave me the opportunity to ride up to the front of the pack and hang out there. Stayed on this road until turning right onto River Rd and then taking another right shortly after to stay on River Rd. Somewhere along this road, which was poor quality, Perse hit a pothole and got a front tire flat, and Arnold and I stopped to help him fix it. That put us behind everybody, so when we were rolling I kicked in the jets and tried to catch up. A left turn onto Sleeping Indian Rd, which had a nearly 3-mile climb. On the climb, I caught and passed the trailing group, where Paula was riding. I waited near the top for Perse and Arnold, then we rode together to the right turn onto Burma Rd. Somewhere around here, we caught up with the others, who were waiting for us, Fritz with a message for Perse to call his wife, who was worried because she saw a crash warning from his phone or watch (when he was fixing his flat). This was after we turned left onto Olive Hill Rd. Along this stretch, Fritz was riding behind me and noticed that my chain was drooping. He mentioned it to me, and it took me a while to figure out why that was. Turns out that, when I replaced my chain the previous day, I used a new, waxed chain that didn't have the extra links removed. Just a plain dumb error on my part, which luckily didn't have any dangerous outcomes. We took Olive Hill Rd up to Mission Rd, turning left and then right onto Stage Coach Ln. The major climbing was done, but there were a lot of little ups and downs around here. We turned right onto Brooke Rd, rode down and missed our left turn onto Winter Haven Rd, but there was another rider directing us back, so not much time lost. It turned into Winterwarm Dr, which we stayed on until turning left on Alta Vista Dr, where this nice descent started and continued after a right turn onto Ramona Dr. Down to Pala Rd (the 76), where we turned right and took it a short distance to the sag stop at a McDonalds parking lot. A longer break here, then all of the 50-mile riders continued by taking Olive Hill Rd to Camino del Rey. I think I've been on this road before, but it's been a while. We took it over to Old River Rd, which I remembered. We crossed Mission Ave, and the road turned into Vista Way, where we started another climb that let me catch back up to the lead group. Right on Hutchison St, then a right onto Osborne St, where there was a nice descent that continued after we turned onto Santa Fe Ave. A left turn onto Mesa Dr, followed by a little climb. We stayed on this road for 6 miles or so. Just before the last little climb on the road, I got a rear tire flat, and Arnold stopped to help me fix it, again placing us both at the back end of the group of riders. I unwittingly tried to replace it with the inner tube I had put in my back pocket when Perse had his flat. Figured it out before I put in in the rim, and I used the tube in my saddle bag. Got it repaired, then Arnold and I started working hard, me harder, to close on the other riders. I waited for him at the top of the climb, then we pedaled hard back to Mission Ave, turning left there, right on Canyon Dr, and left on Bush St, which turned into Civic Center Dr after we crossed the 78. Right turn on Cleveland St, then a left on Surfrider Way and another left to get onto Pacific St. I was putting in a big effort, and Arnold was doing all he could to hang with me. Past Jed's house, turning left on Cassidy St followed by a right on Broadway St to get to Eaton St, which we used to get to PCH. I kept riding hard and dropped Arnold for a bit here, finally catching up with the sweeper group, where Paula was riding. I passed them and kept my foot on the gas while riding along the coast. Through Carlsbad and to Cannon Rd, where I took a left and caught up with Andy. Right turn on Avenida Encinas, which took us back to the Canyon store and the end of the ride. Legs held up all the way, felt just fine at the end, perhaps because the Ranchos riders who led this ride kept the overall pace at the head of the ride to a manageable level, not the usual Ranchos hammer time. Still, I was glad to see the end of the ride, Andy was even happier. He had a good ride on this day. I certainly pushed harder on this ride than on my usual rides, especially on the climbs.

Avg speed = 16.3 mph. Total mileage = 51.8 mi

Avg power = 149 W. Weighted avg power = 184 W

Total elevation gain = 3660'

Avg heartrate = 132 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 120

Training Load = 260

Intensity = 84%

https://www.strava.com/activities/16397717367

We met up with the others, and I had some cookies and a cola, which tasted pretty great. Andy was nice enough to leave a little early so I could get back home in time to head to Old Poway Park with Ann. We drove home, where Andy realized that he didn't have the keys to unlock his bike rack, so he took my bike home with him. I changed quickly, then Ann drove us to the park, where we took camp chairs and a light snack to the gazebo area to see Jeff Berkley perform. He was good, had some of the same songs and patter from the show we saw at The Athenaeum. After he played, Sara Petite performed, and she was really good, a fine songwriter who knows how to match clever lyrics with her music. I would definitely go see her again, she was better than Jeff Berkley. Ann drove us home, and it was a quiet rest of the afternoon and evening. I watched some football and TV shows, that was basically it.

11-07-2025 Swim/Run

Slept well, basically through the night for the first time in a while (<!>). Packed up my gear for a run after a swim with Avi at the WWC. Was overcast and cool when I rode over. I saw Cathy for the first time since she had surgery, she's been swimming for a couple of weeks now. Here is the workout we did, along with the times for the different intervals:

Warmup 250

    4:40

5 100s at 2:00 intervals

    1:39

    1:43

    1:44

    1:40

    1:39

5 50s at 1:00 intervals

    0:46

    0:44

    0:46

    0:47

    0:44

100 to recover

    1:46

2 100s with left arm, right arm, tap-to-touch, and regular

    2:08

    2:05

250 with pull buoy, focusing on long strokes

    4:47

Total distance of 1550 yds in 27:38 elapsed moving time.

Saw Howard getting into the pool as we got out. He's still recovering. I changed into running clothes after the swim and went for a relatively easy (at least, at the start) 5k, using the WWC loop with a slight modification to make sure I got credit for the full 5k with my watch, which can undercount the distance. Had significant negative splits throughout, so I was running near full speed by the end.

Avg pace = 7:52/mi

Total distance = 3.20 mi

Elapsed moving time = 25:37

Avg heartrate = 154 bpm (Amazfit, probably high)

Relative Effort = 43 (probably high)

https://www.strava.com/activities/16385811511

Got home had a little something to eat, then I rode back to pick up an overshirt that Avi had accidentally left behind. Got gas at the AM-PM while I was out, then rode back home. I watched a little bit of TV until Ann came home, then I went out into the garage and did some bike maintenance. Changed out my rear brake pads and recentered the pads around the rotor. Replaced the chain with chain #3, which was waxed and ready. I also cleaned and rewaxed chain #1 (the one with two quicklinks), although this will be a standby chain going forward, not for regular rotation. Finally, I swapped out my tires for the Gatorskins I use for more significant rides. Had something to eat. In the afternoon I didn't do much, had a short nap (want to try and avoid those) and got my old microSD card from my phone ready to be used for my action camera. We drove down to La Jolla around 2:45 to walk around the tide pools, since this was a very low-tide day. Parked up at the top of Ivanhoe, so it was a hike from there to get down to the shore, then a further hike south to where the tide had receded enough to expose the tide pools. I was walking slowly, a little discomfort in my right glute and hamstring from the run that I didn't want to aggravate before the ride the next morning. We got down to the tide pools, and I walked around for a bit before heading to the sandy rocks and sitting to people-watch. I heard a family speaking Hebrew and saw a seagull trying to eat a live crab that was fighting back. It was dark by the time we had walked back to our car, and we had traffic to deal with leaving La Jolla. But after we got past that traffic, it was basically smooth sailing all the way home. I watched some TV in the evening and then went to sleep.

11-06-2025 Ride

Woke up during the night and read for a bit before going back to sleep. I also woke up early and got back to sleep before getting up around 6:00. Got ready for a coffee ride with Andy and left the house around 7:40, heading up Azucar Way to see what the road construction guys had done the previous day. I was glad to see that they had repaved the road, which was now the plan for the section of road in front of our house on this day. Up to Duenda Rd, turning left there and riding over to RB Rd. Left turn there and over to Andy's house. We left his place a little after 8:00, took Rios Rd to Pomerado Rd and then up to Ted Williams Pkwy, at easy pace and talking a fair amount while riding together. We turned right and rode over to Sabre Springs Pkwy, a little faster so that Andy was working hard to stay up on the climbs. Then it was the gradual descent over to Poway Rd, staying on Sabre Springs past this intersection until we turned left on Springhurst Dr to get back to Poway Rd. Right turn there, riding up to Oak Knoll Rd and turning off to get away from some of the traffic. We rode up to Carriage Rd, turning left (it was blocked off for road maintenance) and getting back to Poway Rd. A right turn there, riding up to a little shopping center just west of Community Rd, where we turned in and had coffee (at Idego Roasters) and a good discussion about camping, cycling, and family. After this extended break, we took Community Rd over to Twin Peaks Rd, riding to Espola Rd and turning left to climb up to the high school, where we turned left again. Andy was in front on this climb and he again pushed himself into the red, but it was his decision. We took Titan Way to Riparian Rd, turned left and rode over to Lake Poway Rd, a right turn there. Then we took a left onto Summer Sage Rd and wound through this neighborhood until we turned left onto Bridlewood Rd to get back to Espola Rd. From here, it was a straight shot back to Bernardo Oaks Dr, where we turned left and rode back to the meet-up spot at his house. He took some time to show me his camper layout and setup, it's quite nice. I think we could make something like this work for us in the future. I rode home the normal way from there, they were repaving the street in front of the house, so it was messy.

Avg speed =14.4 mph. Total mileage = 23.9 mi

Avg power = 133 W. Weighted avg power = 152 W

Total elevation gain = 1290'

Avg heartrate = 113 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 24

Training Load = 95

Intensity = 69%

https://www.strava.com/activities/16376843802

Got into the garage okay and had some down time before the next event. We drove down to Convoy St for a late lunch with Charlie and Leslie, who are already planning a very busy 2026 for travel. Good conversation, decent food. We drove back after that and spent a quiet afternoon at home, where I read, talked for a while to Ross about Mom and the medical alert system, and watched some TV. In the evening I drove to Café Luna to have dinner with the BID guys, including Guangjin, who was in town for the information transfer from Mariya's group. Kyle and James were there as well. I heard a little more about Guangjin's planned move to Corvallis as well as the current uncertainty in this support model. Eric's oldest son Josh is now at OSU, so that might work out for him for a while. Kyle and James are still hoping to land somewhere in SD, Kyle hasn't had much success landing interviews for outside jobs. Drove home after the dinner, watched a little TV, and went to bed.

11-05-2025 Ride

Slept fairly well, woke up and got ready for a ride with John. I headed over to his house the normal way, leaving earlier than last time, so I wasn't as rushed. Jayden was out and being funny, Vivian came out as well. I'd planned the route, so we rode back down the hill to Sabre Springs Pkwy and took it to the 56 bike path, then down to Camino del Sur. I was riding at a faster pace than the previous week, John was also faster. We turned right on CdS and rode down to Park Village Rd. Near that intersection, for some reason I lost the route on my Wahoo. We turned right and rode to the end of Park Village Rd, doing a little loop on side streets at the end before riding back. We stayed on it up to Black Mountain Rd. This is a 1-mile gentle climb, and there were a number of these climbs on the day. Right turn here, taking that road to Westview Pkwy and turning left for a change. The climb there was steeper than expected, not sure why it seemed to be more elevation gain using this road to get to Mira Mesa Blvd. We kept going until turning right on Hillery Dr to get back to Black Mountain Rd. Left there, riding down to Carroll Canyon Rd and turning left to get across the freeway. This road turns into Scripps Ranch Blvd, and we stayed on it until turning left on Erma Rd to get over to the bike path that parallels I-15. We rode on this path over to Scripps-Poway Pkwy and turned right there, taking it up to Spring Canyon Rd, where we turned right again and took another gradual climb, about 2.5 miles, up to the top of Pomerado Rd. Turned left onto Cypress Canyon Park Rd and rode down to Candy Rose Way, taking it to the bottom near the intersection with Scripps-Poway Pkwy. I like this descent better, will try to get John to take it more frequently. From the intersection we rode the normal way back to his house. He held up well, still recovering from the flu but generally getting back in shape. Vivian made smoothies for us and came out to chat for a while before I rode home. I took Alpine Way to Springhurst Dr and, from there, the normal way home via Bernardo Center Dr. Legs are feeling some of the effects of riding every day for the last week, looking forward to a break on Friday.

Avg speed = 15.0 mph. Total mileage = 43.6 mi

Avg power = 125 W. Weighted avg power = 153 W

Total elevation gain = 2840'

Avg heartrate = 113 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 46

Training Load = 169

Intensity = 70%

https://www.strava.com/activities/16366272033

Ann was at the beach when I got home. I had a little time to relax before getting ready for my volunteer shift at the hospital. Made a couple of sandwiches with old hamburger buns from the freezer (not a great choice, in hindsight), and I combined them at the hospital cafeteria with french fries, a Pepsi, and an ice cream bar. It filled me up. The shift was busier than usual, especially the second half, where it seemed like I was constantly doing something, mostly cleaning rooms. Left a little bit late, after walking a patient's personal belongings up to the room she was going to be admitted to. I got home and changed quickly, then Ann and I drove over to OtB to meet Caleb and Emily for happy hour. Was fun, a good conversation that was mostly lighthearted and not full of gossip. We drove home after that and had a quiet rest of the evening. I watched some TV to unwind after a busy day.

11-04-2025 Swim/Ride

Slept well, did read some in the night (<!>). Got up and saw that my attempts to do a bulk file transfer to the new microSD card for my phone didn't work (of course). So I started moving the files over in smaller batches, then I got ready for a swim at the WWC. Was a day for intervals. Lots of fog to deal with, and it was cool as well. But when I got in the water it was fine. Another swimmer said her watch told her the water temperature was 75 deg. I did a warm-up 250, then a pyramid drill on the top of the hour, followed by a cool-down 250 with the pull buoy. Total distance of 1750 yds, total elapsed moving time of 30:45. Here are the splits:

Warm-up 250

    4:35

Pyramid Drill

    50    0:45

    100  1:40

    150  2:37

    200  3:32

    250  4:27

    200  3:33

    150  2:37

    100  1:42

    50    0:48

Cool-down 250 (with pull buoy)

    4:29

Avg pace = 1:45/100 yds (Video, not counting pauses)

Total distance = 1750 yds

Elapsed moving time = 30:45 (Video)

Avg heartrate = 159 bpm (Zepp, possible, but seems high)

Relative Effort =  75 (possible, but seems high)

SWOLF = 38

Avg stroke rate = 22 bpm

Avg pull distance = 2.25 yds

https://www.strava.com/activities/16354195453

This was the best I've felt in the pool in quite a while, certainly since returning from Europe. Was 2 minutes faster overall in this workout than when I did it with Avi in the middle of October. Stroke was a little ragged in the last several stages of the pyramid, but I focused on lengthening it in the cool-down 250. Had some coffee, cereal, and a banana for breakfast when I got home, then I got ready for a ride with Paula from our house. She showed up a little late, and we got started around 10:15. Down by the park and then over the pedestrian bridge to get to BVP, taking it to Beethoven Dr and turning right. We started climbing then, taking this road to the top, where I waited for Paula before we turned right and did the Sierra Linda loop in the clockwise direction. Then we took Sierra Linda Dr down to San Pasqual Rd, turning left and getting back to BVP. A right turn on Mary Ln, where I waited for Paula, who missed the turn and had to come back for it. Then it was the 1.5-mile climb to the top, not super steep but with some steady 7% sections. I rode back down from the top to where Paula was coming up the hill, then we rode back up and down to the intersection with Summit Dr. Stopped to take a couple of pictures there, then headed left and on a nice winding descent to get to San Pasqual Valley Rd. We crossed it and stayed on Summit Dr up to the top by Idaho Ave, turning left there and riding down to Citrus Ave. Right turn there and a gentle climb before descending, also gently, until turning right onto Reed Rd. Up to Falconer Rd, turning left there and riding over to Oak Hill Dr, taking a left and then a right onto Hayden Dr. When this intersected with BVP, I was supposed to turn left but turned right instead, recognizing my mistake early and turning back at Valley Pkwy. Paula was waiting for me, and we continued back on BVP to Citrus Ave, turning right there. We got on the Escondido Creek Trail, I didn't know where the entrance was, so I ended up riding in the middle turn lane for a while until I saw it. The trail path is in good condition, not very scenic for the most part. We rode on it for about 2 miles, saw a nice mural painted on the side of the concrete water channel. The bike path was closed off at Cedar St, so I modified the route by getting onto Valley Pkwy (not a good road to ride on), and we took it into town. We turned left on Juniper St and rode over to Grand Ave, taking it through town until we turned left onto Escondido Blvd. From there it was the normal way home via the route that goes behind the mall, across the pedestrian bridge, and up the last two little climbs. Not a fast ride for me, but the first part was hilly and the second park showed Paula some of the other sights of Escondido. She enjoyed it, especially the first half.

Avg speed = 12.9 mph. Total mileage = 25.3 mi

Avg power = 105 W. Weighted avg power = 152 W

Total elevation gain = 1670'

Avg heartrate = 110 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 32

Training Load = 104

Intensity = 69%

https://www.strava.com/activities/16356305688

I had a light lunch after I got home, read a little bit, then backed up more files to the new microSD card for my phone. Installed microSD cards in the two external security cameras, that went smoothly. In the back yard, Ann had been picking up the fruit and seeds from the palm trees in the back, and it was my turn. I ended up spending about an hour there picking up the fruit, two red buckets full. Was not pleasant work, there was more fruit than we have ever seen. I ended up picking nearly all of the remaining fruit and seeds off the ground and out of the plants, was really glad to be done with that chore. Watched a little TV, then later in the afternoon I rode over to the RB Inn and met Barak Rosenstein and Roman Katz for conversation about Indigo and Israel. Was a good conversation, I learned a fair amount about current issues, including some hints from Barak about why Blair was laid off. Back home after that, had dinner with Ann, then finished off the initial file transfer session for my microSD card and installed it in my phone. Watched some more TV while Ann was at bell choir practice, then it was to bed.

11-03-2025 Run/Ride

Slept well, no getting up in the middle of the night to eat something. I got up around 6:00 and got ready for a run. Headed down to the park and ran the extended loop around it five times, with a little bit at the end to extend the distance before running back to Aguamiel Rd and up to the first intersection. Intentionally kept the pace around 9 minutes/mile, since this was the first longer distance I've run in a while. Felt fine throughout, just noticed that I was tiring a bit near the end.

Avg pace = 8:56/mi

Total distance = 6.50 mi

Elapsed moving time = 58:02

Avg heartrate = 125 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 16

https://www.strava.com/activities/16342221284

When I got home, I checked out the TP-Link cameras to see which ones already had microSD cards and added some extra cards to my Amazon basket. I got ready for a short bike ride to meet Ann for breakfast at a little Ukrainian restaurant, Need to Eat Cafe, on Poway Rd. Was a little late in getting started, so I didn't notice until I got started that my handlebars were a little skewed and my front fork was still loose. I kept going, up Aguamiel Rd and over to Pomerado Rd via W Bernardo Dr and RB Rd. Was pretty foggy at times, not much mist. I got to the restaurant a little early, relaxed while I waited for Ann to show up.

Avg speed = 16.7 mph. Total mileage = 7.8 mi

Avg power = 136 W. Weighted avg power = 157 W

Total elevation gain = 330'

Avg heartrate = 119 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 8

Training Load = 26

Intensity = 71%

https://www.strava.com/activities/16345110959

The food was pretty good but somewhat pricey for what we got. I guess I should just expect this to be the case moving forward. We stopped at Walter Andersen Nursery while we were in the area and got a couple of vegetable plants, then headed home. When we got back, I tried, again, to adjust my front fork. This time, there wasn't any obvious play in the fork when I picked it up after tightening. I made sure to tighten the headset compression bolt and leave the special tool in place while I torqued the stem bolt to specified torque. I think this is the correct approach for my Canyon bike setup. I then went into the back yard and increased the water supply to the peach tree, which is looking wilted. Will keep an eye on it and see if the situation improves. May need to add some fertilizer to the soil as well. The rest of the day was quiet, spent at home. Avoided having a nap. I ordered the microSD cards and ended up getting them in the early evening. I started loading up the files into the new, larger card I got for my phone. Nothing else major done during the day.

11-02-2025 Swim/Ride

Slept pretty well, did wake up hungry in the night, went down and ate some cereal and a banana. Enjoyed the time change in the morning, but it won't be great that it gets dark so early now (<!>). Ann went to church early, so I had lots of time to get ready for my morning swim. I worked a little bit on my overlaid bike route display program, then headed over to the WWC. Was pretty foggy on the way over, but the pool ended up being crowded. I had to psych myself into swimming 2000 yds, wanted to stop sooner. My last 500 was with the pull buoy and swim pads. Here are the times for the four 500s: 10:00, 10:01, 10:09, 9:31. Total elapsed swimming time of 39:41. I slowed my stroke rate down on this swim, just taking it easy and practicing breathing. My stroke count was a little high, since I wasn't reaching as much in the first 1500. The swim pads help me lengthen my stroke, which is a good thing.

Avg pace = 2:00/100 yds (Video, skipping pause before last 450)

Total distance = 20000 yds

Elapsed moving time = 39:41 (Video)

Avg heartrate = 166 bpm (Zepp, not to be believed)

Relative Effort =  115 (not to be believed)

SWOLF = 38

Avg stroke rate = 20

Avg pull distance = 2.42 yds

https://www.strava.com/activities/16335096610

I rode over to Von's after the swim and got a couple of bagels, then rode home, toasted them, and ate them with coffee while I watched some TV. Was a nice early morning. I worked on the overlay program into the early afternoon and got it to run and plot all of the Bisikleta rides for 2025 so far. I used other DB riders' routes for those times I didn't ride with the group. The overlays turned out pretty well, might still need some formatting but I think the heavy lifting is done. I also think I solved the problem of the leaking downstairs toilet. I swapped back in the original valve assembly, and that appears to be working so far. Readjusted the front fork on my Canyon, this time tightening up the headset compression bolt before torquing the stem bolt. In mid-afternoon I went for a short bike ride and noticed that the fork needs some more tightening. Rode down the hill, realized I forgot my helmet and had to ride back home. Then it was down past the park and over to Highland Valley Rd, taking it part way up the first climb before turning around and riding back to Pomerado Rd. Left turn there and up to RB Rd, taking a right and riding home the normal way via Bernardo Center Dr. Was a nice day to ride, not hot and relatively little wind.

Avg speed = 15.2 mph. Total mileage = 13.5 mi

Avg power = 129 W. Weighted avg power = 153 W

Total elevation gain = 820'

Avg heartrate = 113 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 13

Training Load = 47

Intensity = 70%

https://www.strava.com/activities/16337273764

Had some down time when I got home, watched a little TV before dinner and chilled after dinner. Talked to Ross for a bit in the evening, nothing urgent going on. I also went into the garage and tightened up my front fork again, after it felt a little loose on the ride. Swapped out the inner tube on my rear tire as well to put the patched one in. That was enough for the day.

11-01-2025 Ride

Slept fairly well, got up and got ready for the Bisikleta ride, where Ray and others were leading. Through the neighborhood and then the short route through the 4S Ranch neighborhood. To the 4S Target on an overcast, misty day. But it was fairly dry there, a good sign. On this day there were the following riders: Perse, Ray, James, Nel, Fritz, Rob T., Rob, Jed, and Charlie. I was sweeping on a fairly low-energy day for me. Up Paseo del Sur to Potomac Ridge Dr and then to Nicole Ridge Dr to get to Camino San Bernardo. Over to Dove Canyon Rd and then down to Carmel Valley Rd, climbing up to Black Mountain Rd and then down to CdS. Over to the 56 bike path, where I waited for Fritz and Rob to catch up. When they came, we dropped the hammer and tried to catch the others. Fritz did, but I hung back to stay with Rob T. Fritz dropped back after we got to Carmel Valley Rd, so I waited for him, riding slowly on the bike path. Then the two of us rode to meet the others at the end of the path, and took Carmel Valley Rd over to PCH. Fairly slow up into Del Mar, although I did push a little bit to get near the front. Waited for James while the others got ahead. We ended up riding to La Costa Ave and stopping at the usual 7-Eleven for a break. The others were pushing pretty hard, I stayed back for the most part but at one point in Leucadia I put in a burst of speed to try and stay with Perse, who was doing the same. After the break, I was more at the back of the group for a while, along with Jed. I ended up stopping at Swami's Beach to take a pee and got behind the others, but Fritz waited for me at the turn onto Chesterfield Dr. We turned right immediately onto San Elijo Ave and took it to Manchester Ave, continuing generally east. Moving pretty fast with Fritz. Near the freeway underpass, a car that was turning came into the bike lane pretty close to me, gave me a scare. We rode up to the right turn to stay on Manchester Ave and took it to RSF Rd. We had caught up with the tail end of the group by then. Right turn there and then a left onto El Mirlo, starting the back-end loaded climbing in this ride. I was at the back of the group at the beginning of this climb, and I worked my way to the front, where Fritz was leading. He and I led all the way through the left turn onto Via de Fortuna to the top of the climb and waited for the others at the right turn onto El Montevideo. Down the hill, then I waited for Ray as we started to climb back up, after he dropped his chain. Similar situation, I was at the back as we rode over to do the reverse Stud Loop. Eventually I caught Fritz at the front, but it took some effort to get there. Waited for James at the turn onto VdlV, then the two of us rode from there the normal way to the corner store near the bottom of the Three Witches climb. We were there for a bit, and as we left the parking lot, me trailing with Jed nearby, I noticed that my rear tire was flat. I stopped to fix it and Jed stayed with me, which was very nice. Got it partially pumped up, then the two of us rode, slowly, up the climb, more at Jed's pace, as he was tiring out. We kept it slow all the way back to the starting point, where all of the others already were. No speed records on this day with the group. Rob and I took the fast way back to the neighborhood, and I rode back home through the neighborhood. Was tired and hungry at the end of the ride, not too sore. In the middle of the ride, I noticed, with frustration, that my heartrate wasn't recording. I think this was a new battery in my heartrate band, so that was disappointing.

Avg speed = 16.1 mph. Total mileage = 57.3 mi

Avg power = 136 W. Weighted avg power = 169 W

Total elevation gain = 2890'

Training Load = 240

Intensity = 77%

https://www.strava.com/activities/16324480468

Ann was just getting ready to leave with Emily to have lunch and do some pottery painting at the mall, so I had the house to myself. Ate a bigger than usual lunch and watched some football, also had a little nap. Later in the afternoon and into the evening, I worked on the program for overlaying multiple riding routes on a single street map. Eventually I was able to figure it out, with just a little help from Claude. It's pretty cool that the basic program works, don't know how I'll use it, but it was a fun exercise. I also watched some TV in the evening before having a shower and turning in.