12-20-2025 Run/Ride

Woke up around 5:45 and got up shortly after. I had some cereal and a banana for breakfast, then I got ready for the Charlie Brown Christmas 5k Run at Kit Carson Park with Caleb. It was cool and foggy when I left the house, the ride across the freeway was a little chilly. We got there early enough that parking was no problem, chatted for a while about recent parties and events attended. Avi found us in the crowd, and we talked to him and Dawn for a while and ended up starting the run around the same time as them. It was a slow shuffle at the beginning, lots of people crowding onto narrow sidewalks. We ran for a while, then Caleb got out of breath and we walked. A little more running, then a longer walk as we climbed a number of hills on the course (there was a total elevation gain of 230', which is a fair amount for this distance). Some intervals of jogging followed by walking until we were about at the 2.5 mile mark. From there we jogged the rest of the way in, and Avi snapped some pictures of us at the finish line. Easy pace for me, Caleb was huffing and puffing from the exertion, since he didn't train much for the run. Still, it was a nice time, hoping to do more of these events with him. It was a bummer that I didn't start my watch as we began the run, even though I thought I hit the button. But I got the pertinent information from the race website, so not a huge loss.

Avg pace = 14:51/mi

Total distance = 3.15 mi

Elapsed moving time = 46:46

https://www.strava.com/activities/16796839073

I chatted briefly with Avi and Dawn after the run, then Caleb and I headed over to Chito's Taco Shop off Via Rancho Pkwy for a late breakfast / early lunch, which was my Christmas present from him. Was a nice conversation, and the huevos rancheros platter was surprisingly good. I got home around 10:00, made some coffee to help me warm up a bit. I watched some TV and then did some minor chores, including scanning, sizing, and mounting my latest Bisikleta certificate in the cheap picture frame I'd bought the previous day. In the afternoon I had a longer nap, kept waking up and falling back asleep. Not sure why I was so tired. I decided to go for a short ride in the afternoon, partly to offset the nap. Headed down by the park, then up Pomerado Rd to RB Rd, turning left there. At some point I picked up the tempo and made it more of a workout. I set a Strava PR (8:53, 227 W, 140 bpm) for the segment from Valle Verde to Poway High, which I've done a bunch of times. It was also the third-fasted time ever for my age group. Pushed harder on the second half taking Espola Rd to Twin Peaks Rd and then back to Pomerado Rd. Home the normal way from there, via W Bernardo Dr. I'm not sure if I'm going to feel the effects of the harder push on tomorrow morning's ride.

Avg speed = 17.5 mph. Total mileage = 17.0 mi

Avg power = 166 W. Weighted avg power = 192 W

Total elevation gain = 930'

Avg heartrate = 125 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 25

Training Load = 80

Intensity = 87%

https://www.strava.com/activities/16797970826

Got home and had time to swap out the tires on my Canyon for some old 23 mm Gatorskins that look like they have a little life left. Around dinner I watched some TV, then put together a birthday email for Dennis Martin, who turned 73 today. Had a shower after that and read for a bit in the evening.