Woke up after okay sleep on the air mattress, was comfortable enough. I got up earlier than planned, and we left the casita around 6:30. I didn't forget anything in the car but could have brought electrolyte powder for the ride. We parked nearby, unloaded our bikes, and got ready for the big ride. The only thing I forgot, and it was minor, was to put my bike light on. Was cool but quite tolerable early on. We got to the starting line and waited about five minutes before they let our group, the second one, take off. Started at easy pace out away from downtown Palm Springs, the three of us riding together. No wind to speak of. After a bit I got out in front and started to gap the others. Rode up to Dillon Rd on Palm Dr, which avoided the climb from previous years along with the following descent. Once on Dillon Rd we stayed on it for about 25 miles. At about mile 16, there was a water stop. I got there in about an hour and waited for the others to catch up. Nobody passed me in the first leg of this ride, which had about a third of the overall elevation gain. From there, it was net downhill, with some little modest climbs, all the way to Fantasy Springs Casino, the first major sag stop. I made good time here, again gaping the others, although James had left the stop before me and Andy, and on the downhill I had to push to catch up with him. At one point, right after a turn, I thought I had gotten a flat, but the tires were fine when I pulled over to check them. Got some real food - mostaccioli, mashed potatoes, PB&J, bananas - when I got there, and I had a pee as well. The others showed up a while later, James first and then Andy not so long after. We continued on the ride, again initially together, heading through Coachella and riding on back roads around this area. I caught on the tail end of a group of riders from Yorba Linda, Fenix, and they were riding at a fast but not scorching pace. Andy had told me that the next sag stop was at mile 56, so I got a little concerned as this group hammered past this waypoint without stopping. I figured they were skipping it and resigned myself to suffering until the next scheduled stop at mile 73 or so. Fortunately, the sag stop was at mile 62, a quite welcome sight when I came around a turn. Stopped there, had some more food and refilled my Gatorade bottle, still felt really good. There was a high school band playing there that was decent. James and Andy showed up, I had another pee, then we continued. I got out ahead, Andy was slowing down by this point. This stretch was the toughest for me. We rode over to the new CV Link concrete bike path, which parallels a drainage wash that runs along Hwy 86. It was hot on the path, and I was riding into the wind. People started passing me, I was looking for a group that I could ride with, didn't have much success. We stayed on the CV Link path, with a small detour, for six miles or so, back to Fred Waring drive. At this point, I was trying to hang onto a group but eventually got dropped, as my legs started cramping a little bit. I dialed it back and resolved to suffer for 10 miles or so until the last sag stop. Along the CV Path there was a small water station where I grabbed a water bottle on the fly and drank it and used it to cool me down. It was painful getting to the Lowe's parking lot at mile 89, I really needed this stop. Sat down in the shade, had some water (couldn't stomach more Gatorade), are more mashed potatoes and a slice of cheese pizza. James showed up, he was in good shape. Andy came in a while later, he was soft-pedaling by this point. We waited with him for a bit, but he needed more time to recover, so James and I headed out. He got in aero position, and I sat behind him as we passed a bunch of slow riders on the last 12 miles. I got out in front a couple of times but couldn't match the pace long enough. The last sag stop allowed me to recover enough to be able to hang onto James' wheel all the way to the end. Was very glad to see the finish line. My legs were revived enough at the last sag stop to make it to the end, but I can fairly say that I put the maximal amount of effort into this ride. Here are some stats for each of the splits, from one sag stop to the next:
Distance Avg Speed Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Power Weighted Avg Power
15.8 mi 15.8 mph 1073' -192' 167 W 173 W
22.6 mi 21.7 mph 525' -1870' 156 W 171 W
23.7 mi 19.4 mph 267' -276' 124 W 143 W
27.3 mi 17.1 mph 786' -413' 134 W 153 W
10.9 mi 17.7 mph 301' -159' 136 W 151 W
Avg speed = 18.0 mph (18.1 mph). Total mileage = 101.6 mi
Avg power = 141 W. Weighted avg power = 156 W
Total elevation gain = 1910' (2974')
Avg heartrate = 134 bpm
Relative Effort = 221 (206)
Training Load = 298
Intensity = 71%
We headed over to the beer garden and waited in a long line to get the beer, very inefficient service setup. By the time we sat down, maybe a little after, Andy showed up. I brought him a beer in the waiting line and he came and sat down with us. Was a very relaxing time there. I found a pair of Shokz phones and was able to reunite them with the owner. We stayed until the beer garden was wrapping up then drove back to Amy and Michael Karr's place. Hung out in the casita, took showers, then went and sat in the spa for a while with Michael. He's an interesting guy, turned his chiropractor practice into a very profitable enterprise. The pool was also nice. James and Andy tried to get the new telescope they bought to track objects in the sky, to no avail. Then the three of us changed and went for dinner to a burger lounge that was decent, not very busy on a Saturday night. Was a long day, and I was able to get to sleep not so long after we got back.
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