05-12-2026 Ride/Hike

I'd been thinking about riding up the East Grade of Palomar, so I committed to doing it. Originally planned on waking up at 5:30, but I was awake and up at 5:00, allowing me to get an earlier start. Packed some food and fluids into the car, made coffee and took it with me. I drove to the La Jolla Trading Post, where I had started before. It was foggy on the drive, with even some light mist, until I descended into Funner, where it was clear and stayed that way. Temperature was about right at the start (I forgot to attach my HR monitor to my band, so no HR data), which featured a little descent before flattening out and then gradually climbing. It is longer to the East Grade Rd turnoff than you think, about six miles from this starting point, involving a net elevation gain of about 300'. I got to the turn in about 25 minutes, didn't stop, just started climbing. I spent most of the time in first or second gear, except where it flattened out or descended slightly. The first four miles is a steady climb, then the grade lowers and there's even a small descent before another six-mile climb with little descending and just a small stretch across a valley where the grade is lower. Total official distance for the Strava segment is right at 11 miles. My Wahoo kept track of the climb pretty well, since I didn't stop long enough for it to reset, as it has in the past. During the climb I had an annoying sound coming from my brakes, as if they were occasionally rubbing against the rotors. I got to Mother's Kitchen (closed) in about 1:35, it was only my third-fastest Strava time (out of five attempts) up the East Grade. I thought I would be faster, but I need to work on my fitness after not riding so much on vacation. Still, it was a top-20 time for my age group, hard to see how I can crack the top-10, but perhaps. And my average power for the whole climb was 193 W, not too bad. I didn't stop there, kept going to focus on continuing effort, heading up to Palomar Mountain SP. My time to the park was faster, fifth-fastest in my age group, which felt pretty good. I rode to the base of the road up to Boucher Lookout, wasn't interested in doing this steep little climb. On the return, I stopped a couple of times to take pictures, so my time wasn't anything special. I was a little concerned about the remaining climbs, but they weren't too bad. The little climb just past Mother's Kitchen was less than I expected, then the serious descending began. I hadn't ridden down the East Grade in a long time, and it was thrilling. If you are bold, you don't need to apply the brakes at all, but that wasn't me. I was cautious on the sharper turns as well as the sections of road in shade. I stopped just one time at a vista point to take a picture of Lake Henshaw, then zoomed back down to the 76. It had seemed like I was riding into a headwind on the way to East Grade Rd, but on the return I didn't really feel like I was getting any assistance from the wind. This stretch was generally flat to downhill, but my legs were tired, so the flat sections were more of a chore than they should have been. There was a little climb near the end to get back to the convenience store where I had parked, but again it wasn't as bad as I feared it was going to be. Got back to the car in less than three hours elapsed time, another accomplishment.

Avg speed = 14.8 mph. Total mileage = 41.5 mi

Avg power = 154 W. Weighted avg power = 178 W

Total elevation gain = 3920'

Training Load = 187

Intensity = 81%

https://www.strava.com/activities/18479331225

I stopped at the store after finishing and packing my stuff back in the car, bought a large Coke, and enjoyed it on the drive home. A little traffic on the way back, but I avoided rush hour. Got home, changed, and had a somewhat early light lunch and rested for a bit. My afternoon was quiet, Ann and I went to see Jeff Ross in mid-afternoon, his advice wasn't so helpful or knowledgeable, in my opinion. I got home and had just a little time before riding over to the park to meet Emily for a hike. For a change we walked up by the waterfall and beyond, a little longer than we typically hike. Came home and ate a large dinner, I was hungry from the day's exertions. My right leg was also tender from the bike ride, will have to pay attention to this potential issue. I watched some TV in the evening and read as well before calling it a night.

05-11-2026 Basketball/Swim

Slept well, no caffeine the previous and only a short nap in the early afternoon. Got up and took my time getting ready to go to the WWC. When I got there, Steve told me that he and Vargheez were going to play basketball, so I modified my schedule and played with them first for a little less than an hour. I was rusty but made some shots when my old form peeked out at times. V has a good set shot, and Steve can hit long-range bombs with a flat trajectory. After the basketball workout I went to the pool, where there were only a couple of swimmers, and got my preferred lane 3. Swam, slowly, for 2100 yds (I lost track of the laps near the end) without any aids, for the first time in quite a while. I could tell my arms and legs were tired from the earlier workout, and they got more tired as I swam. Here are the splits for the four 500s and the last 100: 9:45, 10:08, 10:16, 10:03, 1:59. Much more practice needed in longer swims to rebuild my endurance. I stayed around 20 strokes/length for most of the swim, but I just didn't feel like I was putting much power into the strokes.

Avg pace = 2:01/100 yds (Video)

Total distance = 2100 yds

Elapsed moving time = 42:11 (Video)

Avg heartrate = 168 bpm (nope)

Relative Effort = 124 (again, nope)

SWOLF =38

Avg stroke rate = 20 bpm

Avg pull distance = 2.41 yds

https://www.strava.com/activities/18466449327

Got home, and I was hungry. I ended up eating an early lunch (didn't eat breakfast) around 10:30. Later in the morning I went out back, intending to check the water line for the beds by the house in the back yard. Before that, I needed to clear out some overgrowth of plants by the magnolia tree. That stuff grows like weeds. Chopped a lot of it back, then checked the water line. I couldn't see any leaks, but there are a lot of spray heads, could probably reduce this number. Had a quiet early afternoon, then I went out and cleaned the garage a little bit. Also put aero bars on my Fuji, probably not a good idea in hindsight, since Mark will be here next week. I switched out bike tools with the Park tool I'd gotten the replacement parts for, after using steel wool to remove some of the rust and discoloration. By the way over the weekend I cleared out all of my old unread emails, using Outlook. Will try to keep it cleaned up moving forward. In the evening Ann and I watched the season finale of The Pitt. Arnold came over to borrow my bleed kit. I packed up my bike and gear into the car in preparation for the early ride tomorrow morning. The rest of the evening was quiet.

05-10-2026 Run/Ride

 Ann got up early to get ready for church and bell choir practice beforehand. I woke up as well, got ready for an easy-paced early morning run. It was short sleeves weather. Ran four miles using the route around the park at a target 9:00/mi pace, felt good. I stretched before I ran, and that seemed to help with any leg pain or soreness. Finished a little over four miles, then walked the rest of the way home to help cool down.

Avg pace = 8:54/mi

Total distance = 4.11 mi

Elapsed moving time = 36:35

Avg heartrate = 126 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 10

https://www.strava.com/activities/18452718701

Got home, there was no milk, so no cereal for breakfast. Instead, I rested for a bit and then got ready for a bike ride, again at an easy pace. My rear brake was rubbing just a little, even though I had adjusted it the previous evening. Rode down by the park and then up Pomerado Rd to Mirasol Dr, turning right there and then left onto Sencillo Dr. I followed it down to its dead end, turned around and rode back up to Sencillo Ct and started down that road until I saw it also ended in a cul-de-sac, so I rode back to Mirasol Dr and followed it generally downhill until turning right on Sintonite Dr, which took me by the driving range and the RB Inn, popping out into the main parking lot. I rode through it to Bernardo Oaks Dr and took it (this street is in rough condition) through the light at RB Rd and all the way to Lomica Dr, where I turned left and then right onto Rodada Dr to get to Nacido Dr, which brought me back to Pomerado Rd. I continued on until turning left on Oak Knoll Dr and riding up to Carriage Rd, turning there to ride to Poway Rd, where I took a left. I stopped for a couple of fresh donuts at Donutopolis, then continued on Poway Rd and joined the time trial route (although I wasn't riding at time trial speed). Slow paced it all the way home, just working on getting some miles in.

Avg speed = 14.8 mph. Total mileage = 22.8 mi

Avg power = 118 W. Weighted avg power = 143 W

Total elevation gain = 1270'

Avg heartrate = 118 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 27

Training Load = 69

Intensity = 65%

https://www.strava.com/activities/18455044603

Got home and chilled for the rest of the morning before eating lunch. It was a quiet early afternoon. I had a little nap, Ann came back from brunch with Emily. In the afternoon I swapped out the rear brake pads on my Canyon. Then I gave it a thorough wash, it was pretty dirty. It looks better now. Watched some TV later, did some reading as well. Ann and I watched TV in the evening.

05-09-2026 Ride

This turned out to be a decent riding day. When I started from the house I noticed that my front tire wasn't fully seated in the rim, so I turned around, let the air out, and reseated the beads. That did the trick. I was running a little late, so I took the normal way through the neighborhood and then the fast way to the 4S Target. Saw Paula on the way. I didn't know how many riders to expect, but we ended up with a good turnout: Ray, Perse (for the first part), Arnold, Jed, Fritz, Nel, Paula, Charlie, Cam, and Kamal. Several riders were late (naturally). I'd planned the route, so I led for much of the way, often hanging back to make sure everybody made the right turns, then pushing to get back to near the front of the pack.  To RB Rd and then through the neighborhood to Matinal Rd, turning left on Cabela Dr to get to Duenda Rd and then to W Bernardo Dr. I'd worn a light jacket to the meet-up spot but left it in Nel's car, didn't need it on this ride. We rode down the hill and then across the pedestrian bridge, taking the route through the mall parking lot, Beethoven Dr, and the path through Kit Carson Park to get to El Ku Ave (Romeo met us around here). Then it was up to Escondido Blvd and over to Centre City Pkwy at Brotherton Rd. We rode through Escondido and up to El Norte Pkwy, turning left there and stopping for a coffee break at Starbucks. Romeo. Nel bought coffee for me and Perse, so it's my turn next time. We kept riding (exited the parking lot from behind Von's and had to carry our bikes over the grassy median, Kamal said we looked like deer crossing the highway) up to Country Club Ln, turning left there. Romeo and Fritz took off at this point, I tried to chase them down to no avail, got stuck in no man's land between them and the rest of the group. We all reconnected at the right turn onto El Norte Pkwy, which soon turned into Borden Rd. I was hanging back with Paula on this section, we met up with the others as they were getting ready to turn onto Twin Oaks Valley Rd. I let them know that the route had us going up to Las Posas Rd, so we climbed that gentle climb behind Palomar College. Left turn onto Las Posas Rd, where a kid on an e-bike zipped through us and was mouthing off. Romeo fast-paced up to him and gave him the what-for. Was kinda hilarious in retrospect. We rode up to San Marcos Blvd, turned right, and took it up to Discovery St, where we took a left. We were riding as a group on this section, pretty much stayed together onto Barham Dr, then started to spread out with the little climbs past CSUSM. Ray stayed back with Paula, while I tried to make sure we stayed on route. Over to Mission Rd, right turn there and then another right after the little climb on Citracado Pkwy, with the sharper climb that followed. Cam and Fritz attacked that climb pretty well, I hung back, not wanting to burn too many matches while knowing that more climbing was coming. There was a long, gradual descent after that, followed by the little climb up to Valley Pkwy, where we turned left. I let the others continue while I waited for Paula, who was obviously slowing down by this point. We rode to Avenida del Diablo, turned right, then took a left onto Del Dios Rd to get to 11th Ave, where we took a right. There is a sharp climb just after the turn, followed by more gradual climbing, and I worked hard to catch up to the leaders (Fritz, Cam, Arnold), so that we avoided wrong turns. Another nice gradual descent to the gate, then the next short, sharp climb up Bernardo Ave followed by the rapid descent. We stayed on this road as it climbed into the neighborhood just north of Via Rancho Pkwy, this climb wasn't as hard as I had remembered it. A left turn onto Bernardo Ln, then a thrilling, fun descent to Via Rancho Pkwy, where Jed was in the lead and I was following his line. We gathered back up at the stop sign, turned right and rode over to the gas station past the freeway for a quick break (Fritz bought water, I ate a couple of dates and drank some water). After the break (Paula felt refreshed after eating something and having a rest) we retraced our route back over Lake Hodges and by the park, turning right on Aguamiel Rd and riding up by our house. From there, we followed the same route I had taken to get to the meet-up spot earlier, albeit more slowly. I knew that Paula knew the route, so I pushed and tried to catch up to the other riders. Was partly successful, as Jed and Arnold kept clear all the way to the turn onto Paseo del Sur. The temperature on this ride didn't get too high, was actually really pleasant riding weather for me. I stayed around for just a bit, then rode home the new normal way, more slowly than usual but feeling good that my legs held out without cramping.

Avg speed = 15.3 mph. Total mileage = 50.3 mi

Avg power = 137 W. Weighted avg power = 166 W

Total elevation gain = 2970'

Avg heartrate = 127 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 91

Training Load = 226

Intensity = 75%

https://www.strava.com/activities/18443140520

Got home, I wasn't hungry but really needed a shower. Cleaned off and then had some cheese & crackers for lunch. Afternoon was quiet. I finished a book, Henning Mankell's Faceless Killers, the first installation of the Kurt Wallander series. It was okay, very factual without a lot of color to some of the scenes. I might read future books but not right away. I have also finished The Smartest Guys in the Room, which was quite excellent and thorough in describing the ascent and rapid demise of Enron. Ann and I watched some TV in the evening, otherwise it was quiet there as well. I started reading The Making of the Atomic Bomb, by Richard Rhodes. So far, it is extremely well written but quite long.

05-08-2026 Swim

Woke up after sleeping okay but with numerous anxiety dreams about Indigo and missed opportunities there. Finished up one portion of cleaning up my old emails in Outlook, so I am making progress there and trying to stay ahead of the curve in reviewing all incoming emails and deleting the unwanted ones. Then I got ready for a short swim at the WWC. I basically had the pool to myself. Did four 250s about as fast as I could swim them, with a break in between to recover. Here are the splits for these 250s: 4:20, 4:20, 4:22, 4:18. This was a hard workout for me, that last 500 was tough, and I could feel it in my shoulders later. 

Avg pace = 1:44/100 yds (Video)

Total distance = 1000 yds

Elapsed moving time = 17:20 (Video)

Avg heartrate = 163 bpm (possibly)

Relative Effort = 58 (possibly)

SWOLF =35 (!)

Avg stroke rate = 22 bpm (higher frequency)

Avg pull distance = 2.41 yds

https://www.strava.com/activities/18427909311

After the freestyle workout, I also did a 100 backstroke.

Avg pace = 2:39/100 yds (Video)

Total distance = 100 yds

Elapsed moving time = 2:39 (Video)

Avg heartrate = 134 bpm (Zepp)

Relative Effort = 1

SWOLF = 54

Avg stroke rate = 21 bpm

Avg pull distance = 1.22 yds

https://www.strava.com/activities/18427909279

Rode home and had some oatmeal and coffee for breakfast. Then I went out in the back yard and cleared all the weeds from the side patio, swept it free of dirt as well. I also trimmed the ice plant back. My afternoon was quiet, I continued cleaning up my email inbox on Outlook, will see if it syncs correctly. I also swapped out inner tubes on my front wheel. Dinner and evening were quiet, Ann and I are on the outs for now. 

05-07-2026 Swim/Run

Slept pretty well, no getting up in the night and not being able to get back to sleep. I got up around 6:00, cleaned the kitchen, then repaired a couple of inner tubes. Caught up on blogging, then I got ready for a swim and a run at the WWC. Gathered up my gear and rode over there, was a little chilly. Talked to Steve about his '73 Corvette, which is a real beauty. He's a long-time car guy. In the water, I felt a little better than Monday, didn't pause between the first two 500s, and I used a pull buoy on the third 500. Form seemed to fall apart a little bit on that last one, although I was able to keep my stroke count below 20 for the entire 1500 yds. Here are the splits from my three 500s: 9:26, 9:27, 9:39. Was slower than expected on that last 500 with the pull buoy.

Avg pace = 1:54/100 yds (Video)

Total distance = 1500 yds

Elapsed moving time = 28:26 (Video)

Avg heartrate = 169 bpm (no way)

Relative Effort = 87 (nope)

SWOLF =36 (!)

Avg stroke rate = 20 bpm

Avg pull distance = 2.52 yds (used pull buoy on last 500)

https://www.strava.com/activities/18414202231

Finished the swim and got ready for a run, doing the typical 5k loop from the WWC. I was slow at the start and didn't feel like I had much energy, but I got faster throughout and ended up with negative splits and a respectable last mile. Couldn't get my HR band to work, so I skipped using it. Was sweating pretty good at the finish, even though it wasn't too hot.

Avg pace = 7:55/mi

Total distance = 3.18 mi

Elapsed moving time = 25:12

https://www.strava.com/activities/18414415127

Got home and had some cereal for breakfast. I'd eaten a banana while waiting for the gates to open at the WWC. Later in the morning I went out and tackled the review of the sprinkler system to see where it might be leaking. Found some leaks and faulty sprinkler heads on the line watering the plants near the house and repaired them. Had a quiet early afternoon, then I went for a dermatology check-up with Mark Vierra. Generally okay, just some spots that he froze, and he recommended another facial treatment. Rode home, watched some TV, then spent time cleaning up my old emails. In the late afternoon we went to Orfila Winery and met Mary and Ken, along with some of their friends (Judy, Brian, Blake, Audrey, Susie, ??) for trivia night. We did well in the first two rounds, were in first place until the final question, where our guess was incorrect and we didn't wager enough anyway. Was mildly entertaining, I was on the end of the table and not too involved in the conversations. Ann drank steadily throughout the evening, and I got upset that she wasn't able to drive when we were ready to leave. So it was a quiet evening after we got home.

05-06-2026 Ride

Woke up kinda early, did a little computer stuff, then got ready for a ride with John. It was cooler than usual, but with a long-sleeve undershirt I was fine. Up Aguamiel Rd and over Duenda to Bernardo Center Dr. I kept going straight here, up to Bernardo Heights Pkwy, to get a little more climbing in. That climb was okay, but on the flats by the golf club I hit something in the road and got a front tire flat. Fixed it about as fast as I could, but these Enve tires are really difficult to get back on the wheel. Over to Pomerado Rd, and I was pushing harder than usual, since I was going to be late. The normal route from there, except that I turned on Alpine Way to get to his house. We met up, I put a little more air in my front tire, and then we were off. I'd planned the route to be a hilly one, and the first half definitely was. We rode back down the hill to Poway Rd, turned left and then followed the old time trial route to Ted Williams Pkwy, staying on this road until we turned on Twin Peaks Rd (the only flat section of the first half of this ride). Up to Espola Rd, turning right and taking it back to Poway Rd, where we turned left. Then we did this climb, it was only the second time I'd ridden it since coming back to San Diego, I was about as fast, but I did stop at one point to pick up a penny, which slowed me down. Up to the top and then to the 67, turning right and waiting about 15 minutes for John (I was surprised it took him that long). Then we took the 67 to Scripps-Poway Pkwy, and that road is now not at all friendly to cyclists. The emergency lane is much narrower and non-existent in some places, and the breeze wasn't helping me to keep stable. So I rode the brakes quite a bit, John got way out in front. I caught up to him after the turn onto Scripps-Poway Pkwy, but he zoomed away on the descent there, where I was also battling wind and the jitters to keep my bike stable. Caught up with him on the little climb to Danielson St, where we turned right and rode down to Stowe Dr. Then it was down to Community Rd, where we turned right and took it down this steep descent (no problems here) to Metate Ln. Used that road to get over to Pomerado Rd, then Oak Knoll Rd to get back to Poway Rd. Back to John's house the normal way from there, with me climbing to the top of Briarleaf Way to wait for John to get there. I stopped for a smoothie and a conversation with John and Vivian about Jayden (his choir is going to sing the national anthem at a Padres game coming up) and our Italy trip (focus on the cycling adventures). Then I rode home, finding out I was gassed from this ride and had little energy left. I took it slow, standard route via W Bernardo Dr, and was glad to get home.

Avg speed = 15.0 mph. Total mileage = 40.5 mi

Avg power = 133 W. Weighted avg power = 165 W

Total elevation gain = 3020'

Avg heartrate = 124 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 78

Training Load = 174

Intensity = 75%

https://www.strava.com/activities/18402342672

Now I was pressed for time, so I baked the cookies, shaved, showered, and got ready for my volunteer shift. I rode all the way to the hospital before realizing I'd left my badge at home, so I had to ride back and get it. Luckily, I made good time on the return trip, got to the ED before my shift was scheduled to begin. It was very quiet at the beginning, then it got busy around 2:00 and basically stayed that way for the next two hours. The time passed pretty quickly. There is a new nurse, Frenchie, who is a nice guy, easy to work with. Folks were appreciative that I had baked the cookies and brought them in. Rode home after my shift, and I needed a break and some quiet time. Ann left shortly after to go to dinner and a musical at the Moonlight Amphitheatre with Kay. I watched a little TV, relaxed, and went to sleep early.

05-05-2026 Swim/Ride

Cinco de Mayo! I slept remarkably well for having napped and consumed caffeine the previous day. Did wake up in the night and read for a while but got back to sleep fine (<!!>). Cleaned up the travel entries in my blog, then got ready for a swim at the WWC. It rained during the night, but I was able to ride over there without getting rained on. Got my preferred lane, talked a little with Kevin about swimming before starting my workout. Swam 500 yds, took a short break, then swam another 550 yds before stopping, this time to put my swim fins on for the last 500. Here are the splits for the two 500s, the 50, and then the last 500 with the fins: 9:24, 9:40, 0:58, 8:38. Felt okay, my stroke wasn't terrible, I stayed below 20 strokes/length for the entire workout.

Avg pace = 1:51/100 yds (Video)

Total distance = 1550 yds

Elapsed moving time = 28:40 (Video)

Avg heartrate = 141 bpm (possibly)

Relative Effort = 27 (possibly)

SWOLF =37

Avg stroke rate = 20 bpm

Avg pull distance = 2.53 yds (helped by using swim fins for last 500)

https://www.strava.com/activities/18387451337

Got home, I was hungry, so I had some cereal. Hung around the house until I met Paula for a ride. We rode down to W Bernardo Dr and then took it up, fairly slowly, past HP and over to Bernardo Center Dr. Right turn, then left on CdN, taking it to Paseo Montanoso, where we turned right, then left on Corte Raposo, with a short descent using a fire access road to Andorra Way. Down the hill to Del Diablo Way, which got us to Penasquitos Dr. We took this over to CMR, turned left and rode up to stop at Mostra Coffee for a break. We talked about Andrea and Cătălin, as well as the bike rides on our Italy trip. Then we rode on CMR back to Rancho Carmel Dr, turning there and riding down to Evening Creek Dr, using it to get back to Sabre Springs Pkwy. We rode all the way to the end of this road, then took Springhurst Dr to Poway Rd. Right turn, then another on Oak Knoll Rd to get to Pomerado Rd. Right turn there, up to Stowe Dr, using it to climb to Danielson St and thus to Scripps-Poway Pkwy. We rode down to the turnoff to get to Sycamore Canyon Rd, then took it to get up to the trailhead. At the top of the road I got a rear tire flat, got it fixed and filled up pretty quickly. Then we headed all the way down to the end of this road and turned left on Garden Rd. Took it back to Poway Rd and then rode to Midland Rd, crossing over to Twin Peaks Rd. Paula was slowing down by this time. We rode back to Pomerado Rd, then followed the standard route back home via Bernardo Center Dr.

Avg speed = 14.0 mph. Total mileage = 31.0 mi

Avg power = 120 W. Weighted avg power = 147 W

Total elevation gain = 2020'

Avg heartrate = 124 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 53

Training Load = 114

Intensity = 67%

https://www.strava.com/activities/18391504620

Got back around 2:45, so Paula had time to get home for afternoon mom duties. I had a quiet afternoon, watched some basketball later and helped Ann make enchiladas for dinner. Also a quiet evening. I swapped out my Gatorskins for the Enve tires, since I was worried that the tire patch I'd applied was failing (it turned out not to be the cause of the flat on Sycamore Canyon Rd). I also charged my pump and derailleur battery. Made pumpkin rock cookie dough to make cookies for National Nurse's Week at the hospital.

05-04-2026 Run

Travel day. I woke up super early, couldn't get back to sleep, so I read for a while and just lay in bed. Got up before 6:00 and got ready for a run. Down to the water, following the path south until I got two miles, where I turned around and ran back basically the same way. Negative splits throughout, and my last two miles were at about the same pace, <7:30. I had stretched before the run, and my right leg felt okay under the faster pace. Didn't wear my HR band on this run.

Avg pace = 7:38/mi

Total distance =4.01 mi

Elapsed moving time = 30:42

https://www.strava.com/activities/18371909605

I was glad to see Ann up and getting packed up when I got back to the room. Had a quick shower and then packed my stuff up. We were out of the room before 7:00, I got coffee in the lobby, then we stopped for pastries at the same breakfast place we'd gone to the previous day. After that we were on our way. We essentially retraced our route to Monterey, with a little detour that was probably to avoid traffic congestion. Once I got on the 101 heading south I found a place to stop and check the tire pressure, since there was a warning light on. The light went off after I filled all the tires to the correct pressure. I drove all the way to the exit by Magic Mountain, we had stopped earlier for gas and a snack to eat in the car. Then Ann took over and drove the rest of the way, including through some traffic in LA. I napped a little during that part of the drive. We got home before 3:00. I unpacked and later installed the replacement battery for the Flume monitor. It took two tries, but I installed it correctly by the water meter. Ann went to the store, and when she returned I replaced the engine and cabin air filters as well as increasing and matching tire air pressure. I think we have a slow leak on the front left tire. Also talked to Mom in early evening, she was happy to know we were home, and she enjoyed seeing the pictures from the trip. Watched some TV as well, then read before heading to bed.

05-03-2026 Walks

This was a casual start to the day (<>). Ann found us a place to walk to for breakfast. We got there right as it opened, talked with the server Sunny quite a bit. Food was good, although I drank too much regular coffee. We got the car from the library parking lot and moved it close to the hotel. Relaxed in the room for a while, then we headed out for a walk. Down to the touristy boardwalk area, then on the path along the water. We saw water birds, a couple of otters, harbor seals, and some sea lions lounging on the rocks. We walked down to part of the Cannery Row area before turning around and walking back to the hotel. I watched some basketball for a while, also read, then we went back to the Mexican restaurant nearby and ate lunch. More chilling in the middle of the afternoon until it was time to get ready for Zac & Joey's wedding. We got to the venue a little after 4:30,the other Bisikleta folks started showing up. Audrey and her husband Rob showed up as well. She was using hiking poles to help her walk, as she is recovering from a bout of Guillain-Barre disease. She's putting a bright, optimistic face on her prospects for a full recovery, and I'm hoping it all works out. The wedding was outside in a pretty venue, was sunny but a little breezy. Their vows were sweet, they make a cute couple who are committed to each other. We got pictures of the Bisikleta group with the wedding couple, had a cocktail time, then headed to dinner inside. Food was decent, lots of vegetarian options (pasta 😊). The toasts were also sweet, and then the dancing began. Ann had a good time, it was okay for me. We did some group dancing with the other Bisikleta folks, Fritz and Gideon are good dancers. Stopped at the photo booth during the evening as well. The music stopped at 10:00, we said thanks to Zac, Joey, and their dads, then we drove back. In bed before 11:00, to sleep soon afterwards.

05-02-2026 Run/Hike

Slept okay again, caffeine interfered a little bit with my rest, and I was up again in the night (<!>). But I got back to sleep until waking up around 5:00. I read for a bit, then Ann woke up (surprising) a little after 6:00,and I convinced her to walk with me to Red's Donuts. It had just opened, so the donuts were fresh and pretty good. We had them with coffee (not so good) in the downstairs hotel gathering room, then relaxed for a while in the room. I was scheduled to meet Zac and Joey outside a nearby cage for an easy morning run at 9:00. Got there a little before then, no lady else was there, and I wondered if I had missed an update. Eventually people started showing up, including Zac and Joey. We probably had eight runners when we started, including Ray. I got the chance to talk with a number of them, including:Stuart, Matt and Marissa, Will, Zac and Joey. It was indeed an easy pace, we ran down along the shore on an out-and-back route, a little over five miles. No leg or ankle pain on this run.

Avg pace = 9:00/mile

Total distance = 5.44 mi

Elapsed moving time = 49:00

Avg heartrate = 162 bpm (Zepp, nope)

Relative Effort = 115 (again, nope) 

https://www.strava.com/activities/18349333685

Running statistics from my watch were wonky, even though they have been better on other runs. We ran back to the café, which was busy. Others joined us while we were in line, including Ann. Got coffee and croissants and ate them on the back patio, where I found that Matt knows Connor Witherspoon in Reno (truly small world connection). I also met Zac's great aunt Linda and her husband Aaron. She's a runner. It was getting close to 11:00, so I left to move the car and head over to the meet-up spot for the afternoon hike. My boots were in the car but not my socks, so I ended up stopping at a CVS to buy some socks, then at a Ralphs to get some food for the trail. I was running late by this time, didn't want to hunt for parking, so I got a spot on the highway about a mile from the trailhead and ran (in my hiking boots) to the spot. Thankfully, I wasn't the last one there. We did a round of intros, including Zac's two triplet brothers Matt and Gabe, his sister, and his dad John. On the trail I also talked to their friends Hong and Melissa, as well as an interesting guy who works for the National Parks Service. It was an easy hike, and others decided to cut it short from its original distance, I followed suit so I could get back to Monterey in time to say hi to Leslie Rickards. I jogged most of the way back to the car on tired (and a little bit sore) legs, then drove to downtown Monterey, parking by the city library for and walking the fairly short distance back to the hotel. It was like old times with Leslie, she is easy to talk to. We finished our conversation with her, then had some nice time to chill in the hotel room before meeting the Bisikleta riders and their spouses for dinner. Ann took a nap, I resisted the urge. The shower felt grest, and we were lucky that the place Ray picked was just around the corner from us. It was Gideon, Luchie, Ray, Anna, Perse, Lovely, Fritz, and Jonalyn. The restaurant was not great, food below average and service not used to handling a large group like ours. But the camaraderie was very good. I sat by Gideon and enjoyed our back-and-forth. Also talked to Lovely, who I hadn't really interacted with much in the past. Anna was across the table, so we talked about travel and other things. We were done with dinner around 8:15, and I was tired when we got back to the room. Didn't take too long for me to fall asleep.

05-01-2026 Entry

Travel day. I slept decently, although I did wake up in the night (<!!>), was able to get back to sleep. We got up and were down to the hotel breakfast not too long after it opened. It was okay, the oatmeal was maybe the best serving, other food wasn't hot (eggs) or cold (orange juice) enough. But it was filling. We went back to the room, I had a shower, packed up my stuff, and we still had time to relax before hitting the road a little before 9:00. We ran into just a little slow-down traffic on the 405, skipping the freeways through downtown LA. Then we were moving at spped all the way through the Grapevine, until we got stopped for about 10-15 minutes on the descent (must have been some kind of traffic break). Then we were moving again. Stopped at a rest area for a short break and, later, around the turn onto the 46, for gas. Into Paso Robles, where downtown was surprisingly busy and parking was scarce (never my favorite thing). Had lunch at a little Thai food place that was decent, definitely not fancy. Ann drove the rest of the way into Monterey. Pretty scenery as we got closer to the coast. We arrived around 4:00 and checked into the hotel, which is a historic building and nice in an antique kinda way. Rested for a bit, then we drove to a laundromat to do a load of wash (and have a Slurpee). Ann had found a coupon for a discount at Great Clips, only to discover that it was for the Monterey area. So we drove to Pacific Grove, and I got my hair cut at a salon for the first time since 2020. After we got back we had dinner at another non-fancy Mexican restaurant, and then that was the day.

04-30-2026 Walks

Travel day. I thought I would sleep better, but maybe it was too much caffeine. I woke up a little after 1:00 and had trouble getting back to sleep. Lay in bed for what seemed like a long time, and I eventually got back to sleep. Ann got up before 3:00, and that woke me up. Had a shower and some leftover pizza for breakfast, then I finished packing. We were out the door around 3:50 and walking to the bus stop, near the train station. Got on the bus fine (Ann had found a way the previous evening to buy tickets ahead of time) and we were at the airport a little after 4:30. The security line was especially bad on this day, thankfully we had time to spare before our flight boarded. Got to the gate boarded the transport bus, it was not a full flight, so no trouble finding overhead storage. Got to Munich Airport way before our flight was scheduled to leave, but this was better than having to rush through the airport, especially when we had to go through EES screening. That line wasn't so long, we were through in about 15-20 minutes. I ate some food in the airport while we were waiting, started feeling hungry from not taking in enough calories the previous day. The flight to LAX on Lufthansa was a long one, but I had a whole middle row to myself. So I was able to stretch out and not feel crowded, which helped me be more comfortable. I watched three Jason Bourne movies as well as Bohemian Rhapsody again. Got some little patches of sleep interspersed as well. We arrived in LAX a little early and got off the plane pretty quickly, since it was far from full. Over to immigration, where we just zipped through, they took our picture without need to talk to an immigration agent. Found our way to the pickup spot for the shuttle to the hotel parking lot where our car was parked. No issues there either, we got it and drove to a nearby Fairfield Inn in El Segundo, where we planned to stay overnight. To the room, where we had a short break and then walked to a nearby Mediterranean fast food place for a light dinner. I had a large salad, it was good to enjoy greens again. Back to the room (it was somewhat chilly on the walk back), where I shaved and cleaned up, feeling better after. Quiet evening, Ann turned in early, and I wasn't too far behind her in falling asleep.

04-29-2026 Ride/Walk

This was a tough day on the bike. It started out super early, as both of the other guys in my hostel room were loud snorers. I was able to sleep until about 3:30, then I listened to music to drown out the noise. Got up around 5:20 and gathered all my stuff to clear the room. I had some breakfast food, so I went into the common area and ate that. I took too long for breakfast and had to scramble to be ready to ride at 6:00. Checked out after waking the night clerk up to get my bike. When I went to load the route in, it wasn't in the list of rides on Elemnt. Couldn't figure out why, so I wasted about 15 minutes getting the route loaded (I'd originally mapped it as a run, not a ride). But I was glad I did, since the map on my Wahoo was much more visual and easy to follow than the verbal Google Maps directions. Got going a little after 6:15, and it was generally okay at the start. I had to pay attention to the map, since I wasn't getting turn-by-turn instructions on my Wahoo (don't know why). Headed out of Padua, had a little difficulty getting onto the gravel bike path, but with just a little backtracking I got on the path, which was gravel to begin with. The gravel part was about ? miles, then it transitioned into a paved path that was easily the best part ot the entire ride. I think there was another gravel section before I got into Vicenza. This is a spread-out city, and I was lulled into a false sense of being ahead of schedule by the signs upon entering the city. I stopped for a cappuccino, chocolate croissant, and banana at a nice little cage on the outskirts, debating whether to do the out-and-back to Campagnolo headquarters. I decided to do it, probably the right call but it ended up causing pain. Headed over there, and I missed a turn, causing me to backtrack, this time for more significant distance. Found my way and had to ride through an industrial area to get to the headquarters. I found it, took a couple of pics, including a memorable one with me in the foreground and the logo on a wall in the background. I wasn't even halfway done and could see that my energy level was going to be challenged. Retracted my route back to the outskirts of Padua, but it was a challenge. At some point I either got off-route, and my Wahoo wasn't updating me on progress on my route. I think this was after the route back stayed on roads through little villages instead of being on the bike path. Anyway, I tried to stay close to the projected route, and eventually I was able to get back on-route. Retraced the route on the same initial gravel path, which brought me into the vicinity of Padua (still a ways away). Here's where it got frustrating. I followed the route to a place where the bike path was blocked along a canal, tried riding on the other side of the canal but got to a point where it was obviously veering away from the intended direction, so I rode back and had to find my own detour (again!). I kept the planned route visible on my Wahoo map and found some surface streets that roughly paralleled this route. It took quite a while before I was able (it wasn't trivial, in this case) to get back on-route. I rode roughly the same direction as the previous day, but thank the Almighty that I didn't have to navigate those narrow gravel paths again. Nearly all of the time was on paced roads or bike paths, pretty good conditions. But I was running out of gas. All the way back I was riding into a northeasterly headwind whenever I was heading east or north, and I was riding, from Padua to Marghera, basically northeast. It was brutal stopped for a break by this fancy mansion along the Brenta River, ate the pastry I'd bought the day before, and that gave me a little boost. But my legs were toast, had to pedal softly and slowly just to keep moving for those last 18 miles or so. When I stopped, I think it was around mile?, and I 2as definitely counting the miles to the finish. By my calculation at that point, I thought I was going to ride about 80 miles. Sent a note to Gianluca at 12:20, saying I planned to be back around 1:00. He sent me  text soon after saying the office was closed from 1:00 to 2:30, so I really had to dig deep and try to make it back before 1:00. One last little backtrack to deal with, and I pushed to get to Teavel & Bike at 12:50.

Avg speed = 13.2 mph. Total mileage = 77.9 mi

Avg power = 137 W. Weighted avg power = 148 W

Total elevation gain = 670'

Avg heartrate = 136 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 245 (!)

Training Load = 288

Intensity = 67%

https://www.strava.com/activities/18304296784

Took the pedals and head unit mount off quickly, then I unloaded the stuff from the rear pannier. My voice was hoarse from dehydration (ran out of water around 12:30), so it was a chore talking to Gianluca. My legs had started to twitch in those last 10 miles or so, but I was able to manage it. Even still, as I was taking the pedals off I got a severe cramp that forced me to stand up and stretch it  out. The turnaround for the bike was pretty quick, I was out in front of the store with my stuff by about 1:00, so he could close the shop. He pointed out the bus stop, so I put my shoes on, packed up my bike stuff, and walked (slowly) down there. I had enough time to buy a ticket using their WhatsApp interface, it worked slowly but was ready just before the bus showed up. Initially I sat on the bus, but my two bags made it uncomfortable, so I stood instead. That might have been a mistake. It was a short bus ride, but about halfway I started feeling faint and mildly queasy. This was an after-effect of the effort I put into the last part of the ride, which really drained me. It helped to lean over and feel a cool breeze, and I was able to keep it together until the bus stopped near the Venice train station. Got off and walked carefully to a little stand, where I bought a larger bottle of Coke and went to sit down. I've probably had better Cokes, but I can't remember one hitting the spot so clearly as this one did. I did some more rearranging of stuff in my two bags, texted with Ann and Laura about their plans (this was really disappointing, they finished lunch and went directly to Murano, one of the reasons I had hustled so much during the ride was to get back in time to go with the, but apparently I didn't fit into their schedule). Then I walked to the Airbnb, taking in some of the sights on the way. Dropped my stuff off, had a very little to eat, then took a long hot shower to wash off the accumulated salt. That felt really good. Changed and then did a longer walk over to the Grand Canal (not easy to find by yourself, it helps to follow the crowds. I ended up at the Rialto Bridge, which is a central point in Venice. Took some pics, then went to find a beer to buy so I could sit by the water and enjoy it. That was nice, although it was cool with the breeze coming off the canal. From there I walked along the Grand Canal as far as I could, then meandered through the streets looking at sights. I ended up walking about three miles on tired legs, no fast pace on this day. Got back to the flat just before they returned from their afternoon sightseeing. Later we went out for dinner at a place nearby. I had a four-cheese pizza that was probably the best I've had this trip. Was a little agitated at the start of dinner but calmed down after a while. Back to the Airbnb, where we pack up most of our stuff, then I went to bed.

Some general highlight/lowlight comments from my first overnight cycling trip:

• The weather was just about ideal, not too hot, not too cold, no rain (although there was a chance in the forecast). For the future, I need waterproof panniers and a waterproof backpack or cover.
• Distance on day 1 was too short and on day 2 was too long. If the weather had been unfavorable on day 2 I might have been in a real bind about how to get back to the starting point. 40-60 miles/day for a bikepacking trip seems about right. I might be able to go longer if I stick in a long break somewhere in the middle, as long as I don't go too deep in the first half.
• Definitely stay away from using Google Maps audio directions. That was a nightmare on day 1, had to stop, look at the route on my phone, and backtrack quite frequently.
• Plan on an average riding speed of 12-14 mph for flat terrain, not including stops. I likely can't ride faster than that over a long period of time, especially on a route with lots of turns through cities and towns.
• Stop every hour for at least five minutes and have something to eat, also use energy/electrolyte drinks in water bottles. On this trip I got dehydrated and calorie-deprived in the second half of day 2.
• Keep your phone charged by having it plugged in to a power bank all the time. It's just too risky to be out in the middle of nowhere with a low-battery phone.
• A backpack is nice and portable but not a good solution for bikepacking. Much better to put all your gear in bike bags (panniers, extended saddle bag, handlebar bag).
• Travel as absolutely light as possible. I definitely took too much stuff with me,didnt use all the clothes I brought, took two bike locks and repair kits, etc. Every pound is another burden to move, especially if there is a lot of climbing (there wasn't on this trip, thankfully). This goes for the bike as well. My rental was robust but really heavy, especially in the rear.
• There is a dilemma to resolve about which tires to use. The terrain I rode on definitely needed gravel tires but perhaps not as wide or knobby as the ones I used. The max speed I recorded was about 20 mph, and I was regularly pushing steady power with few breaks (no downhills). That wore me out faster on day 2. There is something to be said for extensive training under the same kind of riding conditions that you will experience.

04-28-2026 Walk/Rides

Slept well, the best I've had in a while. I woke up before the alarm went off, spent some time trying to locate my bone conduction phones (they eventually turned up in Ann's fanny pack). Had some yogurt, a shower, finished packing, and took out the trash before we left the flat at 7:20. We walked to the train station and got to the platform with time to spare. The 90-minute train ride to Venice was uneventful. The train actually stopped at Mestre, near where 8 was scheduled to pick up my bike, but I decided to stay on it into Venice proper. It turned out to be a good decision. The train arrived, and I split from Ann and Laura at the exit to the train station. Was a little confusing to orient myself and walk toward the bus stop, but I figured it out. I did end up getting on the wrong bus, though, telling the attendant I wanted to go to Mestre, not Marghera, which is where I actually needed to go. So I got off the bus before it turned north and then had a long walk to the bike shop. It ended up working out okay because I got to the shop around 10:35. The door was closed, which caused me to worry about whether there was a problem with the reservation. I texted the shop, then walked across the street and bought some bread and a pastry. While I was walking back, Gianluca, the shop owner, showed up and unlocked the door. It was all good after that. Turns out I had planned to pick the bike up at 11:00, so that's why he arrived when he did. Got the paperwork taken care of, then he let me use the bathroom in back to change into my cycling clothes. The bike was brand new, never been ridden, and I had some difficulty getting the pedals off. As soon as I reviewed a video reminding me of the direction to turn the Allen wrench, a hard push loosened them up, and it was easy from there. Got the pedals installed along with the head unit mount, adjusted the seat height, then gave the bike a quick test ride. All good, another minor seat height adjustment, then he took a picture of me and the bike before I took off. I stopped a little afterward in the shade and finished getting ready, putting on the bike light (this bike actually had integrated front and rear lights, I later found out), my head cap, gloves, and inputting directions to the Hotello Padova. Then I was off. The main frustration of the trip was having to stop frequently and check Google Maps on my phone to make sure I was going in the right direction. The directions had A LOT of turns, staying of main roads as much as possible. It was all good until I missed a turn, backtracked, and found myself on a true gravel path. I estimate that I rode about five miles on gravel, most of it in one long stretch. There was also a point where Google Maps had me on a path that was under construction, causing me to backtrack again and find my own way (not too difficult) as a detour. Back on the gravel path and on route. Around this time I stopped to tighten up my handlebars, which probably weren't tightened enough at the factory and had slipped a couple of times when I hit a rough patch. I actually made pretty good time when I wasn't having to weave through streets and paths, but that weaving turned out to be a significant part of this ride. It became particularly tough when I got into Padua, where the route had me going on pedestrian paths with lots of walking traffic, slowing me down considerably. I was very close to the hotel when I lost my navigation, and it wouldn't come back readily. So I navigated manually to where the hotel was supposed to be, rode by the nondescript entrance once, then found it when I retraced my path.

Avg speed = 12.6 mph. Total mileage = 25.0 mi

Avg power = 109 W. Weighted avg power = 118 W

Total elevation gain = 150'

Avg heartrate = 122 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 36

Training Load = 68

Intensity = 54%

https://www.strava.com/activities/18291031389

Gave my information to the desk clerk (Marco), then I headed out on search of a place to eat lunch (was pretty hungry by this time). The hotel is located in more of an industrial zone (not too far from a main bus terminal), and I couldn't see any decent places to stop. So I googled for pizza near me and found a place less than 10 minutes away. Unfortunately, it sent me back into the crowded pedestrian area, but I got through there and, with some fits and starts, found my way to the place. Had a pizza and a Coke, taking my time, then I rode back, a little more efficiently but not by much, to the hotel, where my room was ready.

Avg speed = 7.5 mph. Total mileage = 4.6 mi

Avg power = 44 W. Weighted avg power = 54 W

Total elevation gain = 40'

Avg heartrate = 105 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 5

Training Load = 4

Intensity = 24%

https://www.strava.com/activities/18292129148

Got my room key, paid the city tax of €2, and put my bike in the secure luggage storage room before heading up to the room. It is simple and clean, should be fine for my needs, although I should have brought ear plugs. Rested for a bit before going out in the evening for a drink and some dinner. I rode to the Prato della Valle, a pretty, central area in Padua. Sat outside and enjoyed the early evening, watching the people on the piazza. I used Google Maps in auto mode to get there, it was quick and didn't have any sidewalk detours. The auto route home was much longer, so I switched to bike mode, which had me sharing a bunch of sidewalks and narrow alleys with pedestrians. At one point I got turned off route by a guard, no bikes allowed there. Found my way back on route and got to the hotel just fine, stopping briefly at an outside museum that didn't have much open for display in the evening. I used my Amazfit watch to record the ride, and it did a decent job, I think, although I'll need to check whether it synced with my power pedals (I don't think so).

Avg speed = 8.5 mph. Total mileage = 4.5 mi

Avg power (est) = 46 W

Total elevation gain = 90'

Avg heartrate = 109 bpm (Amazfit)

Relative Effort = 5

https://www.strava.com/activities/18294765098

I cleaned myself up and changed into clean clothes (felt much better), then walked to a nearby market to buy banana, water, and a beer to enjoy. Sat in the hotel common area to drink my beer, but it was really quiet. I was hoping for a more social atmosphere in this hostel, but it seemed more to be a way station for travelers, not a gathering point. Caught up on blogging, finished my beer and then got ready to sleep. Watched some TV before turning in.

04-27-2026 Run/Walk

Woke up really early, read for a while and was able to get back to sleep before getting up before 6:00. I was going to run and asked Laura if she wanted to join. Mapped out a simple-to-follow route in Strava, and this is what we took. It basically followed the main roads surrounding Bologna city center. We generally kept an 11:30 pace, lots of stops are street crossings. Laura slowed down a little toward the end but kept up her pace pretty well. It was super annoying to follow the route on my phone, Strava is not well suited for this. On the run, I didn't experience any discomfort from either my right foot or my right leg, which is great news.

Avg pace = 11:06/mi

Total distance = 4.52 mi (Actually 5.36 mi, from Laura)

Elapsed moving time = 50:12

Avg heartrate = 112 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 9

https://www.strava.com/activities/18274290992

Got home, had some crackers and coffee that Laura made using the Moka press. I'd shaved my goatee off the night before, it was getting itchy, but I trimmed some wayward whiskers in the morning. Later in the morning we went on a long walk, featuring a stop for more coffee (decaf for me) and pastries at this little stand inside a mini food court. We kept walking all around this part of the city, eventually making it to the clock tower, the Torre dell' Orologio, by the Piazza Maggiore. We bought tickets and walked up to see the clockwork from the inside as well as the clock face from close up. There was a balcony above the clockwork that had some nice views of the city. Stopped at a nice little bistro that Ann had found in one of her Bologna guidebooks, food was good. She had a charcuterie board for one that was impressively sized. Walked back to the flat for an afternoon rest after that. In the late afternoon Ann and I walked over to the Piazza Maggiore to visit the Basilica di San Petronio, the 10th largest by volume in the world (very high ceilings). It was impressive in size, but the chapels were fairly pedestrian, nothing special about the altar. It did have a cool meridian line as well as a sculpture of what Jesus' body might have looked like, recreated from the image on the Shroud of Turin. Also, it contained, in one of the chapels, the head and body of St Petronio. After this visit we walked to a nearby bar to meet Laura for drinks. She is starting to feel the stress and complexity of planning the wedding together with Joe. Stopped at a market for some dinner fast food and stuff for breakfast before heading back to the flat. I had a lot of steps on this day, and my feet were ready to take a break when we got back. Did some sorting and packing for tomorrow's bike ride, then read before getting to sleep.

04-26-2026 Walks

Slept okay, read some in the night but got back to sleep. Woke up feeling a little worn down, wondering if I have caught Ann's cold. We packed our stuff up, I had a shower and some bread and water for breakfast, and we were moving by 8:00. Laura stated, correctly, that our likely best bet to get to the train station on time was to walk there and avoid the risk of missing a bus. So we did, eventually entering the station at a high point and taking lots of stairs down to the actual station. I was hoping to get a coffee in the food court nearby but no luck. We were able to get seats, not together, on the train back to Firenze. It got really crowded during the 90-minute ride, I updated my blog and watched the landscape pass by. Off the train, just a short wait, then on a new train to Bologna for a fairly short ride. This was a bullet train, reaching speeds up to 270 kph (165 mph). A lot of it was underground. Trip was quick, we arrived in Bologna around 11:15. Walked over to the neighborhood where our Airbnb was, it was a little sketchy on the way over, but the neighborhood itself is fine, just on the edge of better areas and apparently in the midst of improvements. We ate lunch at a Greek place close by, pita sandwiches were very good, and cheap. We toasted the day with grappa, which really provided a kick. The Airbnb itself is very nice, well laid out, pretty, and tidy. I was tired, needed a little rest, so I took a nap. Meanwhile, Ann and Laura were discussing where to go in the afternoon. We ended up walking over to a main piazza (Piazza Maggiore), a more upscale area. There was a protest going on pleading the case of the Palestinian people. We went to a Gelateria near the square, my pistachio was delicious, good flavor and creamy. We kept walking, but I started feeling a little out of sorts. Kept back from them and just focused on making it back to the flat. We ended up walking about three miles. I started feeling worse when we got back. Head started aching, maybe it was a headache from missing caffeine in the morning. I eventually took a couple of ibuprofen. Ann and Laura went out to dinner, but I wasn't up to that, so I stayed back and focused on not getting sick. Eventually the ibuprofen started kicking in, and I felt better. I watched an episode from second season of Young Wallander, then went to get a pizza for dinner after they returned. The delivery place I went to was doing a booming business, it was interesting to watch the comings and goings of the food delivery guys. The pizza, however, was terrible. I ate it just to get the fuel, but it was the worst meal yet on this trip. Felt much better after eating, no congestion and headache was gone. So, the end of the day was a good one.

04-25-2026 Run/Walk

Again slept okay, up in the night as usual but slept into morning. Laura was up when I got up, and Ann was up soon after. Little chat, then I went out for a morning run. Weather was good, but these streets were unfamiliar to me, so I had a number of times where a ran down a street or alley only to turn around and run back. Found a football stadium and ran around it, then I located some kind of old walled Citadel with a generally nice path around it. I did two loops, then started heading back. With the exception of one detour, I made it back to the flat pretty well, didn't really get lost. Very slow in the first mile, but I had a fairly fast third mile.

Avg pace = 8:55/mi

Total distance = 3.22 mi

Elapsed moving time = 28:46

Avg heartrate = 130 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 11

https://www.strava.com/activities/18246874039

After the run the three of us walked to a chain coffee and pastry shop (I didn't know it was a chain); the pastries and cappuccinos were fine, actually pretty good. Back to the flat via another route that took us through a major nearby piazza, where we plotted out the day. We walked over to the Duomo, the local cathedral, and bought tickets for the complex, which came with an audio guide. I couldn't download mine, Laura's downloaded right away, and Ann's took a very long time (don't know why) to download. I went into a nearby church while I waited, hear a nun singing, slightly off-key, and accompanying herself on a guitar, out of tune. Could have been beautiful, but I couldn't listen to it very long. We eventually gave up on downloading the audio guide and went into the main cathedral building. It was pretty, nothing very special about it to my taste. There was an interesting little library area with large old music texts. Other than that, fairly standard decorations. The crypt area had some frescoes depicting Jesus on his way to the cross, and the baptistery was also mildly interesting. After that, Laura directed us to a pizza restaurant that actually ended up not having pizza. This place was on some lists as a good restaurant in Siena, maybe that's why she picked it. We had a large cheese plate and Artichoke pie for appetizers, both were good. My gnocchi was okay, a little too much pesto flavor. Then it was back to the flat for an afternoon rest. I read and had a nap, felt refreshed. Later in the afternoon, Laura and I went to a wine shop not too far away for chianti and red wine tasting. Ann's stomach was upset, so she stayed back at the flat. The wines were decent, the server was nice and descriptive of the way the wines were made. Chianti wines are mainly made with Sangiovese grapes, I learned. Laura paid for the tasting and a bottle of wine we brought back to the flat. When we got back Ann was feeling better, and a little later we walked over to a place where Laura thought there was a rooftop bar/restaurant, ostensibly to watch the sunset. However, she couldn't find the entrance, so we ended up walking over to the large piazza near the flat and having drinks and light snacks at a high-priced place with a decent view. We walked into the piazza just as a celebration of Liberation Day was wrapping up. Back to the flat after that, and a very light dinner of crackers, cheese, and the wine from the shop. That wasn't filling enough for Laura, so later she went out for a late dinner while Ann and I turned in for the evening.

04-24-2026 Walk

Travel day. Slept decently, with vivid dreams, probably from eating late. Woke up early and couldn't get back to sleep, so I read for a bit. Got up, cleaned the Airbnb, had breakfast, showered and shaved, and packed up. We left about 7:20 and got to the train station in plenty of time to catch the 8:14 to Naples. This train was crowded, but we got to the station and the platform early, to ensure we had seats with room for our backpacks. The train trip was uneventful, and we arrived in Naples in time to have a coffee and a pastry. Went outside the central station found a clip joint for breakfast, food okay but way overpriced. Inside the station there was a Toast House. They announced the platform for our higher-speed train to Firenze (Florence) with just a couple of minutes to spare. We had assigned seats, and this next leg of the journey was also uneventful, although it was a longer journey. The train went through Rome and actually switched directions, which was unusual. Into Firenze station, where we had a short time to make our connecting train to Siena. Got on the train, no assigned seats but we got adjoining seats. This was a nice train, but it took a roundabout way to travel the 30 miles to Siena, about an hour and a half. We arrived around 3:45 and waited for Laura to get in. Got some water and snacks at the Pam supermarket in the mall adjoining the station, then we walked all around to try and find the bus stop. We found one but it wasn't the right one. Connected with Laura when she got in, and we successfully located the bus stop (not very well marked). Caught the bus to our neighborhood and walked a little bit to find the Airbnb. It was a pretty nice layout, well equipped. After settling in we walked to a nearby place for a drink. Ann got upset with me for not being nice, so she was frosty for a while. We walked to a restaurant that Laura had found and ate dinner. Got there just before the rush. Dinner was good, I had a thick noodle dish (Pici) that apparently is a local favorite. Back to the flat after dinner, and that was basically the day.

04-23-2026 Walks

Went to sleep early, I guess it was a longer day for me than expected. I got up in the night for a fairly long time before getting back to sleep. Ann's alarm woke me from deep sleep at 6:45, and we had breakfast before walking down to the port to catch a ferry to Capri. Big crowds to get on, including several large tour groups, but we were there early enough to get on the boat and get decent seats with a view. The boat might have been a hydrofoil, was a smooth ride in somewhat rough seas. We left around 8:30 and docked a little after 9:00. Then we walked to the dock for the smaller boat ride that would take us around the island on a viewing tour. We sat in front of a family with an annoying kid who was being constantly placated by the parents, especially the dad. Seas too rough to go into the blue grotto area, unfortunately but not surprisingly. The other three grottoes were mildly interesting, water color beautiful by the green grotto. The tour guide was hard to hear, so we didn't get very much of what she said. She pointed out a large "castle" villa that had been owned by Mussolini, mentioned something about the connection with Dolce & Gabbana. We rode by the three rocks jutting out of the ocean, with an arch in one of them. Two-hour tour was actually just a little over an hour, I guess because we didn't stop at the blue grotto. Ann got a little queasy in the rougher seas as we approached the dock, so she found a place to sit and settle her stomach after we got off. Very, very touristy, this place. We took the funicular up to the main city, which was basically shops and restaurants. Walked over to Augustus Garden, where it took 25 minutes to use the website to buy tickets. They essentially gave us a couple of nice views of the coastline, not much more. We walked partway down the Via Krupp, which apparently leads to Marina Piccola. From there we walked back to the upper village, and Ann found us a relatively inexpensive take-away restaurant for lunch. I had Ravioli Caprese (aka in the style of Capri), her salad was bland. I felt a little bit energized after the food, but this place was definitely not my vibe. I didn't want to go further up the hill, so we walked around the village through a neighborhood leading up to the Arco Naturale. Didn't make it that far before we had to turn around because of time constraints. Back to the funicular and down to the marina area, where we sat at an overpriced cafe while Ann had a limoncello spritz. Then we walked to the ferry back to Sorrento and got on. Ferry ride was a little rougher on the way back, but I dozed for a couple of minutes before it launched. Back to the Airbnb before 4:30, time for a rest. I did go to the store and pick up a few things before calling it a day. Here are a couple of bullet point notes from our excursion:

• We saw our first Swarovski store of the trip, right after I had seen a pair of custom sandals decorated with Swarovski crystals
• There's a mild obsession with the people of Naples regarding Diego Maradona. Apparently, he played for Naples for a period of time and led them to their first and second Serie A titles
• At the lookout point in the Gardens of Augustus (aka Krupp Gardens) there were a number of locks attached to the iron railings, like we've seen before on selected bridges
• On the Via Krupp, I heard two young women discussing the best photo look. One of them said to the other, "You could show more belly, just pull your skirt down a little." The other lady really didn't need to do that, IMHO
• I saw my first mobile toilet cart ever in Capri city, which has narrow alleys and, apparently not enough facilities. Ann wasn't paying attention, and she came a little close to getting hit by the toilet cart, which certainly would have made for an entertaining story
• Capri certainly isn't my kind of place. Too many tourists, too many tourist shops, upscale fashion junk, just a few nice vistas to walk to and see from a boat

04-22-2026 Run/Walks

Slept okay, although I was up reading for a long while. Got up after 7:00 and got ready for a morning run. It had been a while, and initially I was slow both in pace and in having to avoid pedestrians. Picked up the pace in the succeeding two miles, running negative splits throughout

Avg pace = 8:51/mi

Total distance = 3.23 mi

Elapsed moving time = 28:55

Avg heartrate = 123 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 7

https://www.strava.com/activities/18207508126

I stretched before, and that seemed to help with right leg tendon tightness, both during the run and through the day. Still, I'm slow and need more speed work to get faster. Back to the Airbnb, and Ann was up. I was sweaty, had a shower and felt better (<!>). Then we went out to find some breakfast. I found a good bakery, where got some bread and chocolate croissants, but they didn't have coffee. So we walked over to a restaurant, Radical, recommended by the baker. It was a breakfast place, so we ended up eating breakfast there (pretty good shakshuka) and saving the croissants for later. Then we explored the downtown area more fully, visiting the local cathedral, stopping at a church with some wonderful photographs by Rafael Celentano, including an iconic one of nuns on a swing (nice little selection of photos of Mother Teresa as well). We walked through several tourist alleys, stopping at a place that made their own limoncello, talking to Andrea, the guy who handed out the free samples. We bought a small bottle for Laura, then walked back to the Airbnb. Had a break for a while, then in the early afternoon we went out for another walk, seeing a small waterfall with a little altar nearby, then walking up a serpentine road that really led to nowhere but was supposed to provide good views of the city. Mildly interesting, one decent vista. Back to the flat, where I had a little nap and read for a while before we walked in the late afternoon to get a gelato (chocolate and banana, very good). We walked down to a seaside viewpoint, then through other parts of the downtown shopping area. Back to the flat, stopping to get food for breakfast and a bottle of wine for our own happy hour in the flat (watching Young Wallander) prior to dinner. Ate at a vegetarian/seafood restaurant, Green Wave, that has only been open four months. Food was decent, service was good (free little appetizers but a €10 cover charge), prices were a little high for what we got. Still, enjoyable. Back to the flat after that, and a quiet rest of the evening.

04-21-2026 Ride/Walk

Well, this was an epic day, great in nearly every regard. I had reserved a bike from a shop in downtown Sorrento for the day. Started packing my backpack the night before and woke up early to make sure I was prepared for the adventure. I started walking to the shop around 8:35 and got there with several minutes to spare before they opened at 9:00. The mechanic put my pedals and head unit on, and one of the other staff adjusted my seat for me. I had brought everything I needed except water and the key for the bike lock. I texted Ann to bring the latter (didn't end up needing it after all). Rode through town, after initially getting sent east on a one-way road that had no connectors to let me turn around. Eventually I just turned around and rode carefully back into town, then got on streets going the right way, toward our Airbnb. It took a little time for me to get used to the saddle position, my left glute was a little tender but didn't end up being a problem. Right leg was fine throughout the ride. I won't list the roads I rode on, will just summarize. Before I left town I stopped at Jolly Market, bought a bottle of water, put on my gloves, head covering, and bike light, and started climbing. This first climb ended up being a little over four miles and almost 1500', occasionally steeper, particularly around sharp turns. But the general gradient was very manageable, even enjoyable. I stopped several times to take pictures, once when I realized I still had my gym shorts on over my bib tights. Got to the top of the climb about an hour after I started the ride, made decent time for the most part. After that came a six-mile general descent, never very steep but with a lot of sharp turns and sweeping curves. I was very cautious, no real scares. The cars, trucks, and motorbikes were pretty manageable for the most part on this section of the ride. The road eventually brought me along the coast, and it was flat-out gorgeous. Once on the coast the road became more undulating, with generally gentle climbs and descents, not so many flat sections. I arrived in Positano before 11:00 and texted Ann. No reply. Tried to call on WhatsApp. No reply. Sent her a conventional text. No reply. I ate a banana while I waited for her to pick up. Eventually I called her and got through. She was still on the bus, surprising to me, but it was running behind schedule (fairly common on these roads). She got off the bus around 11:15 and sent me the address, so I rode down (thankfully) to where she was. We had a drink together at a bistro, and I also had a coffee to get some caffeine. Also had a GU gel. I got back on the bike a little before 12:00 and decided to ride along the coast some more,aiming to make it to Praiano. This part of the coast road seemed more narrow, particularly as I got further east. It too was undulating, with ups and downs that were generally not too steep. I got into an area with no cell signal right around Praiano, as far as I could tell. Near what I thought was Praiano, my Wahoo showed me off-route, so I backtracked and took a road off the main coast road. Turns out it was one-way the other way, and with no cell signal I couldn't tell where I was. Legs were still feeling good, so I figured I would keep going until I was at about 25 miles, then see where I was. More undulating roads with tunnels at times and lots of sharp turns. At one point. T close to my turnaround point I stopped to do a recon, crossing the road to where there was a wider gravel patch. When I hit the gravel I very nearly went down, just barely held on to keep from tumbling over ignominiously. I eventually got to another coast town, which turned out to be Lone (I didn't know it at the time, just figured it was appropriate to turn around here. In reviewing the map later I saw I almost made it to Amalfi. So I turned around and started retracing my route. Turned my route tracking on the Wahoo off and made my way back through Praiano and Positano. There was a lot more traffic by this time, and with larger busses occasionally clogging the way I had to stop a number of time before the vehicles in front of me could continue. It was warming up as well, not uncomfortably hot but noticeable. There was a fairly long and steady climb, the last major one of the day, that started just before I got into Positano. It was about 6.5 miles, but there was a descent section in there, so it wasn't all uphill. At some point I stopped and had a guy take some pics of me and the bike (a BH Ultralight with mechanical shifting and rim brakes, incredibly light and fairly responsive, although I hadi or issues with brakes fading on the long descent into Positano). At this point I also took my thermal undershirt off, felt cooler after that. A little more climbing after this short rest break, then I turned off the coast road and took one that headed toward Meta and Piano di Sorrento. I think, after making this turn, the road started descending steadily. This was another fun part of the ride, although I had to pay close attention to lots of sharp turns. It helped during the descents to have my Wahoo on map mode, so I could judge the upcoming turns more easily. The route took me down into Meta, where there was this crazy little loop that had a short, very bumpy large cobblestone section that I had to navigate. Due to poor cell reception, my Wahoo wasn't letting me know when turns were upcoming. Instead, it would signal when I was off-course. This happened on the cobble as I was climbing, so I got a little extra cobble action to enjoy. Back on route, closi8loop and then heading into Piano di Sorrento. This was a steady, fairly gradual descent, fun to ride but limited in enjoyment by the heavier traffic. Through Sant'Agnello, although I didn't know it at the time. I was just following the route and hoping it would drope into Sorrento. This happened soon after, I knew I was close when I saw the railway bridge over the road sporting the word Sorrento. It dropped me onto the street by the bike store, but they were closed until 4:00. Stopped my ride here, it significantly exceed what I expected it to be, nearly all in good ways. Traffic management was about as expected, rarely scary but occasionally mildly frustrating. The drivers were generally courteous, no issues there, thankfully.

Avg speed = 13.2 mph. Total mileage = 45.7 mi

Avg power = 112 W. Weighted avg power = 143 W

Total elevation gain = 4100'

Avg heartrate = 131 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 145

Training Load = 166

Intensity = 65%

https://www.strava.com/activities/18196863642

I debated sticking around but decided to ride back to the Airbnb instead. Restarted my Wahoo for the extra couple of miles. I got back to the flat around 3:00, it felt good to sit and reflect on the day's ride. I watched a little TV (Mr Mercedes, first episode), then rode back to drop off the bike.

Avg speed = 10.6 mph. Total mileage = 2.3 mi

Avg power =  74 W. Weighted avg power = 95 W

Total elevation gain = 140'

Avg heartrate = 113 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 2

Training Load =  5

Intensity = 43%

https://www.strava.com/activities/18385635077

That went smoothly, and I walked to the Airbnb to have a shower, which felt awesome. Later, I walked back to the town square to meet Ann for dinner. She took the ferry back from Amalfi, a much better choice than the sketchy (because of schedules) bus service. It was about 20 minutes behind schedule, not too bad. I walked down to the central Piazza and met here there, then we walked to Capri Blu for dinner. Simple, delicious pizza for me, seafood ravioli for Ann. Meal was quite tasty. We walked back to the Airbnb after that, and the rest of the evening was quiet.

04-20-2026 Walks

This was an interesting tourist day. We had tickets to get into Pompeii when it opened at 9:00, so we got up early and were walking to the train station before 8:30. Train was crowded, but we were able to get two of the last seats together. As one would expect, the entrance was crowded. I thought it might be less so, given it was a Monday, but no. It took a while for the opening crowd to get through the entrance gates, and then we were in the compound. Highlights included:

• Temple of Apollo - worship area
• Baslilica - hall of justice, with two naves separated from central hall by brick columns, similar to future church designs
• Central Forum - main gathering place, open area with shops to the east
• Temple of Jupiter - aligned with Mt Vesuvius in the distance, head of old statue of Jupiter visible
• Forum Baths - very cool and well-preserved, with dressing room and cold, medium, and hot bath areas
• House of the Tragic Port - with mosaic tile work showing Cave Canum (around here is where we started to run into tour group crowds)
• House of the Faun - largest house in Pompeii, with cool little bronze statue reproduction, nice grounds, some fine mosaic reproduction as well (Alexander vs Darius)
• House of the Small Fountain
• House of the Large Fountain - right next door
• House of the Vettii - very popular spot, owned by two brothers, with beautiful wall frescoes, some of them erotic
• House of the Golden Cupids - I couldn't find the statues here, pretty internal garden
• House of the Wounded Bear - with cool "HAVE" mosaic in front
• Amphitheater - oldest known one from the Roman Empire, could hold up to 20000 people
• Plaster casts - created by filling voids created when people were burned in the lava and ash from the eruption

There was more to see, but we had reached the end of the incomplete Rick Steves audio tour, and Ann was ready to leave. We walked back to the train station and got on a very crowded train to Sorrento, standing room only for about 2/3 of the trip. Ann found us a sandwich shop that was open in the afternoon (I had my first Aperol Spritz). Food was a little weird, quite messy. Then we went back for a rest in the afternoon (<!>). Evening was quiet, we walked to the market, got some curry rice for dinner and food for breakfast. I spent some time packing up gear into my backpack for the Amalfi Coast ride. Agreed to meet with Ann during the ride. To bed fairly early.

04-19-2026 Walk

Slept okay, about five hours before I woke up and could get back to sleep. I read for a while, had some cookies, and then willed myself to sleep, waking up when Ann's alarm went off at 6:45. We showered, packed our stuff up, ate a light breakfast (including gelato we had bought for the previous evening), and left the Airbnb around 8:15. A little over 2 minutes to walk to the Roma San Pietro train station, which was easy to find. Our train to Naples left on time at 9:13. No issues on the train ride down, I had a very short nap. We got to the central station around 12:10 and dropped our backpacks off at a nearby pharmacy, where Ann had made reservations. I found us a really fine little family-owned pizza restaurant, Nonna Anna, where we had a nice lunch. Then we headed toward the Naples shopping district. I was watching my stuff, but somehow someone picked my pocket and stole my power bank out of my cargo shorts Velcro pocket. Pretty amazing and frustrating, but at least it wasn't anything important. That incident bugged my happiness for sure. Ann was guiding us to supposedly cool areas of Naples, but I was unimpressed. It was gritty, somewhat dirty, and filled with tourist shops, stands, and restaurants /bars. We walked to another train station, found a gelato place and had some, then Ann had some digestive issues that had to be attended to. She considered finding a Metro station and getting back to our starting point, but it was not clear where to buy tickets or where to pick up the Metro. So we ended up walking back, slowly and carefully watching for pickpockets. Got back to the pharmacy and picked up our backpacks, then we took a Metro to the ferry dock area. We got there early but it was a nice afternoon to sit outside. The ferry ride was uncrowded, we didn't have to pay extra for oversize bags, and the view from the left side of the boat was beautiful, including some nice pics of Mt Vesuvius. Got to Sorrento and had to climb a bunch of stairs from the shore up to the town, that took some effort. The town itself is pretty, quaint and upscale touristic. I was tired by this time, ready to find the Airbnb and relax for a bit. We did, after a little trouble following the directions to the building. We rested a while and then I found a nearby place for dinner. I was 50:50 about eating but was totally glad we went. We ate at a very small place (mentioned in Rick Steve's travelogue), Addu Mamma, in the kitchen. It was excellent, perhaps the best gnocchi I've ever had. Lots of lightly smoked mozzarella mixed in the sauce made the dish for me. We talked through dinner with a nice guy from Switzerland who was also traveling through Italy. Ann and I shared a bottle of wine over dinner. We were really tired after the long day and glad to rest at the Airbnb.

04-18-2026 Walks

This was a very busy sightseeing day. We had an early start, given that we didn't go to sleep until around 2:00. I woke up at 5:30, did some sleuthing about how to get to the Vatican Museums as well as a pastry shop to have breakfast beforehand. Ann got up at 6:30, and we were out the door by about 7:15. Coffee and pastries were good at the place we went to, then we walked to the museum entrance, where the lines were pretty huge, especially for those folks who needed to buy tickets. Still, we didn't get into the museum proper until about 8:30, it opened at 8:00. We walked directly to the Sistine Chapel, Ann didn't stop much on the way. I took my time a little more, the galleries on the way to the chapel were mildly interesting. The chapel itself wasn't at all what I expected, was rectangular, and the Creation of Adam central fresco was smaller than I thought it would be. It was still very impressive to consider that Michelangelo spent four years painting the frescoes on the ceiling. We slowed down after that and walked generally back to the main entrance, including the iconic octagonal courtyard, which was cool. There were some beautiful paintings by Rafael, fine sculptures as well, including works by Bernini. The grounds were also impressive, although we didn't explore them too much. Spent about three hours in the museum, then Ann and I were ready to take a break. We walked back to the Airbnb, which is up four flights of stairs. Took a little break, and I had a refreshing 30-minute nap. Ann found a sandwich shop nearby, and we walked over. Took 15 minutes before we got a table, but the sandwiches were decent and the right amount of food. From there we walked over to St Peter's Square, saw another long line to get into St Peter's Basilica. Once we got in the line it took us maybe 45-50 minutes to get into the basilica itself. In the line, we talked to a family, originally from India, visiting from Boston. The basilica was consistently impressive, sculpture by Michelangelo, main alter by Bernini. Many former popes are entombed there, and the underground grotto area was interesting to walk through. Crowds were annoying but not overwhelming. Used a mediocre audio guide for the Tour. It worked okay but didn't have enough stops to talk about. After the tour we took the elevator up to the plaza by the dome of the basilica, then it was about 200 challenging steps to get up to the walkway near the top of the dome. The views were worth it, very impressive. Walking back to the upper plaza was easier, Ann took the elevator down (longish line) while I jogged down the ramped steps. That gave me a few more minutes to walk through this impressive basilica and take some additional pics. We were pretty much walked out (so we thought) by this time, so we found a little cafe near our Airbnb and had a drink. Stopped at a Carrefours Express after that and got some snacks and light food for dinner, then headed back. We were all ready to settle in for the night when we got a surprise text from Laura, saying she was staying overnight in Rome after her flight from home. I debated whether to get up and meet her, but we decided toeet in the middle, near the Parthenon, about 15-20 minutes away. We got dressed and walked over there, and she showed up about 1 minutes after we did. Found a restaurant nearby and had drinks and dessert. I told the story of our travel adventure, which has some comical elements that make it entertaining (now that it's over). Split up after that, but we both ended up walking, separately, over to the Trevi Fountain to see it at night. Lots of folks out and about on the way over, but the walk back to the Airbnb from there was sparsely populated and through a lot of dark streets. We didn't feel unsafe, but we were both definitely ready to lay down at the end of this long day. Took a little more than a half hour to get back, I was super glad when we made it. It didn't take long to get to sleep after three extended walks during the day.

04-17-2026 Walk

Continuation of travel adventures 

We had a layover in Istanbul for about two and a half hours on Saturday evening, after our flight arrived at the gate around 7:15, after a seemingly interminable taxis to the gate. It was okay, we had time. We were in row 15, so we got off the flight (seats were somewhat cramped) and found a place to sit at one of the gates in a largely deserted but fancy terminal. I took another longish walk around the airport terminals near us. Got on another full flight to Rome okay, there was a fair amount of confusion in the boarding process, and some minor chaos around line formation and cutting. We were toward the back of the plane on this flight. It was about two hours, another long taxi to the gate, then we ended up taking an airport bus to the customs area. It took us about 20-25 minutes to get through customs, no issues with the new EU policy, which apparently was turned off at the time we went through. We got out of the terminal and, after an initial misdirection got to the place where we could pick up our Lyft taxi. Less than 30 minutes to get to the Airbnb, driver was moving fast. We arrived just a little after 1:00, and a non-English speaking guy let us in and showed us the flat. I was in bed and reading by 1:30, asleep not too long after. I ended up logging 14k steps, unexpectedly, during our long travel experience.

04-16-2026 Walk

Well, this was a crazy, frustrating travel day, maybe the craziest ever. We got up early, packed our stuff into the car, and left home around 6:45. Ran into just a little traffic until we got into LA. But we were early to the area near LAX, so we stopped for breakfast at a Norm's. Food was okay, I ate my huevos ranchers and half of Ann's French toast (turned out to be a good plan), had made full-strength coffee for the drive up, so I was caffeinated. We got to the airport parking garage around 9:50, so we made great time. Right on the shuttle, a United rep helped figure out why my ticket wasn't showing TSA pre-check and fixed it, and we got to the gate with lots of time to spare. I ended up walking through Terminals 6, 7, and 8, just to pass the time. On the plane, and this is where the fun began. Before we were scheduled to leave, the captain let us know that there was a mechanical problem with the plane that they were fixing, so maybe a minor delay. Not too long after, he got on again and said it would take longer than expected. That's when I told Ann we should get off the plane and start figuring out out to rebook our flight. The gate agent, Jill, took some time to get us on a Alitalia flight that left really soon, but check-in was closing soon and it was in the International terminal. I was able to get Ann checked in but not me, and we missed the bus to that terminal. So we walked back and asked the gate agent what to do. I was really anxious by this time. She said to get to the gate and plead our case, so we hoofed it back to the shuttle bus stop only to just miss the shuttle. I was carrying my bag as well as Ann's, and I tried to get the guy to let us on the bus, no luck. We weren't going to make that flight, so we again walked back (I was walking quickly to get a better place in line) to the original gate. She tried for about 15 minutes, off and on, to find us a flight, without success. So she told us to have a seat, and Ann started checking SkyScanner for flights. She found a Turkish Airlines flight that looked promising and went up to show it to the gate agent. Voila! After about 10 minutes, Ann came back with a reservation code but no tickets. We walked all the way over to the gate, but there was no Turkish Airlines agent. When I tried to check in online, after a few attempts we got a troubling message that this flight was going to be canceled. Yikes! Checked online for flight status, and all looked good, so we decided to walk down to the ticket/check-in area for Turkish Airlines. Turns out you can just walk downstairs in this terminal (I have no idea why not), so we had to walk back to Terminal 4, where the shuttle bus had dropped us, exit the terminal, and walk from the outside back to the departures area for the International terminal. Took us about 15 minutes. We found our way to the Turkish Airlines check-in counters, and I got in line for Economy class, while I asked Ann to see from one of the Business class agents (shorter line) if we were in the right place. That agent (Maheshi) was able to convert our reservation code into two tickets and check us in. Whoohoo! Back through security, with a very short TSA Pre-check line, and to the gate. We had burgers (not bad) using the meal voucher from United to cover 3/4 of the cost. I also got a sandwich for the flight, since it was unlikely I could get a vegetarian meal on the plane. Still, it was better, much better, than it might have been. I was already resigning myself to at least one night in LA or San Francisco before we would be able to get on a plane. Very late arrival in Rome will cause some issues, but I don't think there will be anything money can't solve.

04-15-2026 Ride

Woke up after a somewhat fitful night's sleep with vivid dreams. I packed my pedals, wrenches, and bike lock in a plastic bag to take. Also took my back tire off and applied a patch to the inside where the screw went all the way through. We'll see if it holds up. Then I got ready for a bike ride with John, heading over to his place the normal way. I initially made decent time but slowed down on the last climb up to his place. I was a little early, so I did a short loop around his neighborhood before arriving. Jayden and Vivian were out to see us off, and we headed up to the top of Pomerado Rd, turning right on Spring Canyon Rd and climbing a little more before turning left onto Sunset Ridge Dr. Took this to Scripps Lake Dr and turned right, taking it down to the entrance to Lake Miramar. This stretch was up and down, never flat. We rode two loops around the lake, heading clockwise. I initially rode behind John through the more winding parts of the path around the dam, until it widened up, then I rode ahead. Set a PR (17:41, 142 W, 124 bpm) for the reverse loop of Lake Miramar the first time around, and I was perhaps a little faster on the second lap, but I stopped short by the parking lot and waited for John. We rode back following our outbound route until after the turn onto Spring Canyon Rd. Made a left turn on Blue Cypress Dr, took that fun little descent, then climbed back to the top of Angelique St on Cypress Canyon Rd. Then it was back to his place the normal way.

Avg speed = 15.6 mph. Total mileage = 38.8 mi

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

Total elevation gain = 2150'

Avg heartrate = 120 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 46

Training Load = 136

Intensity = 70%

https://www.strava.com/activities/18120546962

I didn't stay for smoothies this time, headed home to get ready for the trip following the usual route using W Bernardo Dr. Some time to relax, I kept gathering stuff for the trip according to my airplane travel list. A lot of stuff for the bike rides. Did my volunteer shift at the hospital, nothing special to note. It was busy at the beginning and end, time seemed to pass more quickly. I talked to Melissa about her family trip to Japan, which was very different from ours. Headed home, talked to Mom briefly after I got there, then chatted longer with Ben about his trip. The rest of the evening was low-key, finishing up gathering my things for the trip. I gave the kitchen an extra cleaning as well. In bed and asleep easily.