05-31-2026 Run/Swim

Slept pretty well, even with the coffee, I think because I didn't get a lot of sleep the night before. I woke up around 5:30, read for a while, then got ready for a run. Went down by the park and did my usual 5k route, walking the rest of the way up the hill to get back home. I stretched before the run and kept my pace steady but not too fast.

Avg pace = 8:19/mi

Total distance = 3.18 mi

Elapsed moving time = 26:29

Avg heartrate = 123 bpm

Relative Effort = 6

https://www.strava.com/activities/18729956772

Got home, did a little work on the computer, then I got ready for a swim at the WWC. It was really busy at the opening, but the pool wasn't too busy to begin with. It got more crowded soon after I started, but I had my preferred lane. I swam the first 1000 yds, took a little pause, then swam another 200, another break, followed by a 300 to get to a total of 1500, with the following split times: 9:23, 9:39, 9:25. I didn't select the right workout type on my watch, so this one wasn't recorded, other than on video.

Avg pace = 1:54/100 yds (Video, not counting pause)

Total distance = 1500 yds

Elapsed moving time = 28:27 (Video)

https://www.strava.com/activities/18732040784

Had some cereal when I got home, then I chilled for a while. Ann, Kathy, and Heather drove down to Coronado, walked around in the afternoon and watched a concert with a Fleetwood Mac cover band at Spreckels Park before heading home in the evening. I stayed home and decided to try and remove my crankset to lubricate the bearings. This turned out to be an adventure. First I removed the Dub cap on the drive side crank using the tool I had bought when I got the cap in the first place (it didn't come with the bike). Then I loosened the 2 mm Allen bolt on the pre-tension wheel on the non-drive side. Next I used an 8 mm Allen wrench to loosen the bolt holding the crank on. Lots of videos said this bolt could be very difficult to loosen, but I didn't have any problems. When I removed it, I couldn't get the crank off. I went back to look at other videos, looked up the serial number for my bike to get the exact model of the crank, still no luck. I went into the garage and out a number of times, resolved to take it into Poway Bikes and have them show me how to remove it. At this point I found another video that mentioned extracting the crank, and I thought about the olden days, when you needed a crank extractor tool to do this job. This other video mentioned the need to have the Dub cap on while loosening the bolt, since this cap then effectively serves as the crank extractor. So I put the crank back on, tightened the bolt somewhat, then put the cap back on. Then, when I loosened the 8 mm bolt again the crank came off. Success! I had figured it out myself, with lots of help from videos. Got the crank off, then a couple of taps with a rubber mallet loosened the other side and allowed me to remove it too. As far as I can tell, I found that the bearings are sealed and can't be opened up. So I applied grease to the areas where the bearings were rotating, in the hope that some of this grease might make it into the bearings. Then I reinstalled the non-drive side arm (it took a couple of times before I could get it to seat), and reattached the spider assembly on the drive side, using a torque wrench to tighten it to specifications. I put the Dub cap back on and manually tightened the pre-tension wheel finger-tight, then backed off a tiny big before tightening the little locking bolt with the 2 mm Allen wrench. Had taken the pedals and chain off for easier access, so I reinstalled them as well, lubricating the pedals before putting them back on. Everything seems to be put back together, may need a shake-out ride to verify proper operation. The rest of the day and evening were fairly quiet, I had leftovers for dinner, nothing major to note (<>).

05/30/2026 Ride

This was an annoying, and short, night. We got home from the theatre after 11:00, and I didn't take too long to get to sleep, even though I dozed a little bit during the show. About 1:30 I woke to the sounds of the smoke detectors beeping. As usual, I couldn't easily localize which ones were beeping, so I ended up having to disconnect both wired smoke detectors and put them in the garage to get them to stop annoying me. Took a while to get back to sleep after these antics. My alarm woke me at 5:15, and I had time to get ready for a bike ride, meeting James and Rob T along the way. Left the house before 6:00 and rode through the neighborhood to RB Rd, then took CdS to San Dieguito Rd, which took me less than thirty minutes. There I waited a couple of minutes for James, who was early to this meet-up spot as well. We rode down the hill to wait for Rob at the corner of El Apajo. He was a little late to this spot but eventually showed up. Then the three of us rode loosely together over to Rancho Diegueno Rd, turning left here an riding up this short, steep climb. James was riding his Tomassini, which isn't geared for this type of gradient, but he made it up okay. Over to Ranch Santa Fe Farms Rd, turning right and taking it to CVR, where Rob and I waited for James to catch up. Then it was over to the 56 bike path. Rob missed the turn to get to the bike path, and I had to ride back to the branch-off and call him to get him back on track. James got way out ahead of us, so the two of us rode down the path to ECR, where James was waiting. We rode together over to CVR and took it to PCH, heading north and avoiding the TP climb that had been discussed. Down the coast for a while, initially having to chase James down, then Rob and I kicked in the jets and got ahead of him. We gathered back before La Costa Ave, turning right here. Across the flats back to ECR, where we split from Rob and turned right. The two of us rode to the outlet mall nearby and found a café to stop for coffee. Service took forever, not sure why, but we had a good conversation, and it was pleasant. We continued on ECR to Olivenhain Rd, turning left and riding up to RSF Rd, where we turned right. I had dialed my pace back to more closely match James, and we rode basically together onto El Camino del Norte. I got ahead of him on this gradual climb, even though I was taking it easy. Right turn onto Via de Fortuna, following it to El Montevideo, where we turned left and rode over to Paseo Delicias. Right turn here, down towards RSF village and a left turn on VdlV. Then it was back to El Apajo and up Three Witches to the CdS intersection. James turned right her to head home, and I turned left. Back the new normal way via W Bernardo Dr from here. Legs felt just fine at the end, I had an easier time of it on this ride than a normal Saturday workout.

Avg speed = 15.4 mph (15.6 mph). Total mileage = 53.8 mi

Avg power = 122 W. Weighted avg power = 154 W

Total elevation gain = 2980' (3030')

Avg heartrate = 116 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 63 (66)

Training Load = 199

Intensity = 70%

https://www.strava.com/activities/18719109845

Got home earlier than usual, had time to shower and relax a little bit before driving down to the airport with Ann to pick up Kathy and Heather. We didn't have to wait too long in the cell phone parking lot before they were walking to the arrivals area. Drive home was uneventful, we had some lunch when we got back, talked a lot throughout the afternoon and evening. I chatted with Heather about her job and the impact of AI tools on her coding responsibilities. I watched a little TV after they went upstairs, then I went to bed as well.

05-29-2026 Swim

Slept okay, woke up around 5:00 and lay in bed, read for a while as well. I got up and did a little more updating of my riding blog entries with my own cycling analysis data. Then I got ready for a swim and headed over to the WWC to meet Avi. We did some intervals and chatted in between sets, was pleasant as usual.

Warmup 250

    4:35

6 100s at 2:00 intervals

    1:39

    1:41

    1:41

    1:43

    1:44

    1:41

5 50s at 1:00 intervals

    0:46

    0:47

    0:48

    0:47

    0:43

Cool-down 250 (with pull buoy)

    4:42

Avg pace = 1:43/100 yds (Video, not counting pause)

Total distance = 1350 yds

Elapsed moving time = 23:17 (Video)

Avg heartrate = 169 bpm (nope)

Relative Effort = 101 (again, nope)

SWOLF = 41 (included rest period when I forgot to pause the workout)

Avg stroke rate = 19 bpm

Avg pull distance = 2.53 yds

https://www.strava.com/activities/18703787411

Got home, avoided riding while it was sprinkling, and had some cereal for breakfast. Later in the morning and early afternoon I went out and investigated the sprinkler line for the upper beds in the front and back yards. Didn't find any obvious leaks, but this line uses a lot of water. I increased the flow to the peach tree and decreased the sprinkler time overall. Also chopped a couple of low shoots off the tree in the front yard, which were blocking the sprinkler flow. I replaced one of the sprinkler nozzles with a lower-flow version, not sure if it made a huge difference. Cleared out the areas around the sprinkler heads in the back yard and pulled out some of the overgrowth, including cutting down the pepper tree shoots. Working in that back upper bed is definitely no fun. Caleb came over a little after 3:30, and we drove down to Emily's office to pick her up from work. Had dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant off Mira Mesa Blvd, food was decent, then we ate ice cream at a shop next door. Drove downtown to the Civic Theatre, no traffic to speak of, and parked in the lot right by the theatre, Google Maps directions to the entrance to the parking lot weren't great, but we eventually found it. We saw The Sound of Music on stage. It was cute but dated, lots of familiar songs. I was tired, so I dozed at times through some of the dialogue. Before the show we were standing in the lobby talking about funny family songs, and a lady from one of the bars joined in our conversation, it was kinda strange but okay. Emily kept coming back to the meme of the night: Mervyn's, The Musical. That was probably the best part of the evening for me. Drove home and got back a little after 11:00 after dropping Emily and Caleb off at the parking lot by her office.

05-28-2026 Run/Ride

Slept okay, woke up early and had some cereal. Thought about going for a swim, but I decided to run in the morning and ride in the afternoon instead. Got ready, then rode my scooter down to the park and ran the one-mile loop four times, finishing with my fastest mile in a while. I stretched before the run, and that seemed to help, although my hamstring was a little tender throughout the day.

Avg pace = 7:42/mi

Total distance = 4.01 mi

Elapsed moving time = 30:53

Avg heartrate = 141 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 26

https://www.strava.com/activities/18689381017

Got home, cleaned the kitchen from the previous evening's dishes. Later in the morning I went out and cleaned the back patio, including sweeping the pavers and wiping all the patio furniture down. Had a bigger lunch than normal, then in the afternoon I went for a ride, heading through the neighborhood and taking Matinal Cir all the way around to get over to W Bernardo Dr. Then I rode up by the HP site (those buildings won't be HP's much longer) and over to Bernardo Center Dr, turning right and riding into a fairly steady headwind. Over and down the hill to Carmel Valley Rd, making the climb at moderate pace, then descending to CdS. Left turn there and over to the 56 bike path, where I headed west down to CVR again, turning right there. On this stretch I had the benefit of a tailwind and seemed to make pretty good time back to CdS. I worked hard on that last little climb but didn't have enough juice for a PR, even with the tailwind. Took CdS and CdN all the way back to Camino San Bernardo, then followed the new normal route home from there via W Bernardo Dr. I could feel the effects of the earlier run on my legs, didn't have huge push when I needed it.

Avg speed = 16.5 mph (16.7 mph). Total mileage = 25.1 mi

Avg power = 147 W. Weighted avg power = 171 W

Total elevation gain = 1590' (1640')

Avg heartrate = 123 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 34 (34)

Training Load = 99

Intensity = 78%

https://www.strava.com/activities/18694682566

Did some more dishes when I got home, then in late afternoon I went to Phil's for happy hour with HP and ex-HP folks. Evening was quiet after I rode back and had dinner. Ann and I watched some TV.

05-27-2026 Ride

Slept somewhat fitfully and woke up hungry in the early morning, so I had a bowl of cereal and some bread. Then I got back to sleep for a while, waking up around 5:30 and reading for a bit. Then I got ready for a bike ride with John. Was a little cooler than normal. I headed over the normal way via W Bernardo Dr, keeping a slightly faster than usual pace. Got there around 7:25, John was adjusting his headset, and Jayden was out front with him. Vivian also came out to see us off. We headed up to Scripps-Poway Pkwy and turned left, riding down the hill and then climbing up to Danielson St before descending to the turnoff for Sycamore Canyon Rd. We took this down to Grade Rd and then over to Poway Rd, following the reverse of the old time trial loop for a while from there. My legs were feeling good on the climbs, I can tell the effects of my recent riding in improving my fitness. Back to Pomerado Rd, turning left and taking it up to the turn onto Old Pomerado Rd (my idea) to get back to Scripps-Poway Pkwy. We rode up this little climb and then took the normal way back to his house from there. Had smoothies and chatted with him and Vivian about their upcoming trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton NP. They also told me about Dave's upcoming marriage to a woman he recently met. It's a weird story, I'm hoping that all turns out well for them. I rode home the normal way (perhaps a little faster) from there via W Bernardo Dr. Legs still felt pretty solid at the end of the ride.

Avg speed = 16.0 mph (16.0 mph). Total mileage = 40.1 mi

Avg power = 135 W. Weighted avg power = 158 W

Total elevation gain = 2340' (2440')

Avg heartrate = 119 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 51 (52)

Training Load = 154

Intensity = 72%

https://www.strava.com/activities/18677887018

Got home and had a little time to relax. I did some more updating of my cycling blog with my own analysis numbers, then shaved and showered to get ready for my volunteer shift at the hospital. Got there early enough to eat lunch in the cafeteria. On the shift there were two new nurses, Masha (on loan from Esco) and April. It started slow, but I got busy and stayed that way pretty much until it was time to go home. Was a little warmer on the ride back. I watched some TV and dozed through the episode. After dinner Ann and I watched the final episode of Season 1 of Untamed. The rest of the evening was quiet.

05-26-2026 Swim

Slept pretty well after a workout day, even though I had a short nap after getting home from the Palomar ride. I ate some coffee cake for breakfast, had a little time to keep updating my 2026 cycling blog entries with data from my own analysis program. Then I got ready for a swim at the WWC. Was cloudy and looked a little like rain off to the west as I rode over. I swam 2000 yds, the first 1000 without stopping, then a short break followed by a third 500 at decent pace. I swam the last 500 with the pull buoy. My stroke felt good out to about 1250 yds, then I started to struggle more to stay smooth and pull strong in the water. Here are the splits for the four 500s: 9:28, 9:33, 9:23, 9:25.

Avg pace = 1:53/100 yds (Video)

Total distance = 2000 yds

Elapsed moving time = 37:49 (Video)

Avg heartrate = 150 bpm (possibly)

Relative Effort = 59 (possibly)

SWOLF =36

Avg stroke rate = 19 bpm

Avg pull distance = 2.61 yds

https://www.strava.com/activities/18662740097

Then I shaved and showered to get ready to go for a new dentist visit at Bernardo Dental Care, by McDonalds in RB. The dentist, Dr Ramanujan, was nice enough, suggested that a molar with a large filling needed a crown sometime soon. Not great news, but I'll hold off for right now. Had to wait a while after the x-rays until the dentist showed up. She also was the one who gave me the dental cleaning. Office is smaller, with correspondingly fewer staff. Seems like a decent, lower-cost setup. Got home and had cheese and crackers and chips and salsa for lunch. I don't know why I was so tired, but I had a longer nap in the afternoon. After that I worked on fixing a couple of minor issues with the cycling analysis program, organized the data files somewhat, then re-ran the cycling database creation program, with updated metrics and data entry rules. 

05-25-2026 Palomar South Grade Ride

Woke up before 4:00, not much sleep after a somewhat late night seeing a play the previous evening. I went down and had some cereal for breakfast before getting ready to head out to La Jolla Trading Post for a ride up South Grade Rd toward Mt Palomar. Had packed most of my stuff in the car, so all I had to do was get dressed and pack some drinks and snacks for the ride. I saw some very light mist on my windshield on the drive there, arrived a little earlier than anticipated (about 40 minutes in the car, arrived around 5:35), but it worked out okay, since I needed to use the Porta Potty a couple of times before Paula showed up around 6:00. I was mostly ready by the time she arrived, and we were rolling a little after 6:10. We headed west on the 76, it has some modest climbing sections in the 3.5 miles to South Grade Rd. We stayed pretty much together for this portion of the ride, stopped for some pictures at the bottom of the climb, then we were off. I rode with her, at her pace, for a while, not wanting to get too far ahead of her. Then I decided to ride ahead for a little over a mile (it turned out to be about 1.4 mi), then turn around, ride back down to where she was, and start climbing again. I did this four or five times throughout the climb. It actually helped me as well, since it broke the climb down into smaller segments, even though I ended up climbing more (about 400') and riding a greater distance (about 2.4 mi). I was fresh all the way to the top, even though this is always a challenging climb. We rode through a cloud bank to clear skies above. Up to Mother's Kitchen, where we stopped and took a break, chatting for a bit and deciding what to do next. We ended up riding on the S7 out past the entrance of Palomar Mountain SP, getting to the bottom of the road up to Boucher Lookout before turning around. Then we rode back, staying on the S7 as it turned into East Grade Rd, which we used for the descent. Near the top of the hill, before we got to seriously descending, there were a lot of cars zooming up and down this section of the road. It turned out that there was a photographer at one of the bends in the road, taking pictures of the cars as they roared by. Just past this point was an overlook with a pit toilet, so I stopped there before continuing the descent. Went down pretty fast this time, taking more speed around the turns and using my brakes less. The descent was chilly, particularly so when we rode back down through the cloud layer. I had a jacket but had packed it into my rear pocket, so I gritted it out and rode through. Down to the bottom, the descent seemed a little easier than when I had done it recently. I waited about 4-5 min for Paula to get to the intersection with the 76, then we both rode together, Paula in the lead, for the six miles back to our starting point at La Jolla Trading Post. She got colder than me on the descent, stopped to put her jacket on, but still her hands were really cold at the turn and stayed that way for the rest of the ride  . We were both glad to see the parking lot.

Avg speed = 13.1 mph (13.1 mph). Total mileage = 36.4 mph

Avg power = 145 W. Weighted avg power = 169 W

Total elevation gain = 4260' (4190')

Avg heartrate = 124 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 79 (81)

Training Load = 180

Intensity = 77%

https://www.strava.com/activities/18651976188

Put our gear up, then we went into the store and got something hot to drink. The coffee was pretty good for a $1.50 20-oz cup. We chatted for a while at one of the tables while we drank our drinks, then headed out after that. I was concerned that we might have to detour around Valley Center due to a parade for the holiday, but the signs I'd seen earlier were gone, and it was smooth sailing on Valley Center Rd. A little bit of traffic coming into Escondido, but nothing to really slow me down. I got home a little before 11:30. Had some lunch, then in the afternoon and evening I did a couple of tasks. Went out in the back yard and fixed a number of bubbler leaks, replacing the bubblers that had gotten clogged and blown off the spaghetti line. I also measured the water flow rate up to station 6, which has quite a high flow, even though I couldn't see any leaks. So I came in and placed an order for new spray heads with adjustable flow. Next, I tackled the cycling analysis code display issue for showing selected segments. Had thought about what must be causing the incorrect display, and it turns out that I was correct. But it took me a while to figure out how to solve the problem, it was rewarding when I got the display to work properly. Then I tackled some blog updating, including the data from my own cycling analysis program in comparison with data reported by Strava. I changed the window average size for smoothing out the elevation data, then re-ran the batch program to recalculate the values and put them in the database. At some point, when I was making modifications and trying to clean up the batch program, it started throwing off errors when I tried to run it. I eventually worked through those errors, but that took a while too. Then I started entering my cycling analysis numbers into the blog entries, beginning with 2026. These entries will take quite a bit of time to input. Watched TV in the evening before calling it a night.

05-24-2026 Swim/Run

The previous day was a busy day with no nap, so I ended up sleeping well, no reading in the night this time (<!>). Got ready for a swim and a run at the WWC, emptied out the dishwasher first and had a bowl of cereal. It was pretty busy with holiday parties and some of the regulars, but I got my preferred lane in the pool. Swam three 500s, the first two without stopping and the third with swim fins. My stroke was more consistent in this workout, still feeling like I need to improve my sustained power throughout the longer workout. Here are the times for the three 500s and a last inadvertent 50: 9:25, 9:37, 8:47 (swim fins), 0:52 (swim fins). But I am regaining some of my form from before our Italy trip.

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

Total distance = 1550 yds

Elapsed moving time = 28:41 (Video)

Avg heartrate = 144 bpm (possibly)

Relative Effort = 31 (possibly)

SWOLF =35

Avg stroke rate = 19 bpm

Avg pull distance = 2.66 yds

https://www.strava.com/activities/18637631551

Got out of the water, dried off in the locker room and changed into my running gear. I couldn't get my phone to start the workout properly, even after restarting it, so I recorded the workout using my watch. Did the normal 5k route starting and ending at the WWC, beginning slow but building pace throughout. I should have stretched my hamstrings out before the run because I could feel a little tightness in my right leg. So I dialed back my effort just a little bit. I did run the last mile in under 8 minutes.

Avg pace = 8:22/mi

Total distance = 3.11 mi

Elapsed Moving Time = 26:02

Avg heartrate = 157 bpm (Amazfit, I don't think so)

Relative Effort = 49 (Nope)

https://www.strava.com/activities/18637631663

Got home and relaxed for a bit. Watched some TV (Giro d'Italia), then worked on my cycling analysis program for a bit, making some minor improvements and trying to track down a display issue that occurs when I identify a segment for detailed analysis. Didn't resolve it, after some detailed investigation. But I did successfully re-wrap my Canyon handlebars, which had a couple of worn spots. We left a little after 3:00 to head down to a Fringe Festival show, Don't Kill Daisy, at the School for Creative Careers in Old Town. It was a one-person show performed for the first time at this festival by Soleil Kohl. She had some good physical comedy talent and expressions of conspiracy with the audience. The show was energetic, but she didn't know how to resolved the ending. Still, very enjoyable and very fringe. We walked after the show to a nearby Mexican food restaurant, El Agave. Too high-brow for me and not enough good vegetarian menu options. Service wasn't so attentive either. Ann did all the driving on this date, so after dinner we drove to UCSD, parked in the theatre district, and went to see the play Purpose at the Mandell Weiss Theatre, part of La Jolla Playhouse. It was excellent, powerfully acted, comedic and dramatic at times. The stage was also pretty incredible. Good times. Finished at 10:00,and we were home, with a little parking lot traffic, by 10:45.

05-23-2026 Ride

Was a pretty good cycling day. I woke up in the night and read for about 40 minutes, trying to finish the current book before I need to return it. Got up around 6:15 and started getting ready for the ride. Packed up food and put Gatorade in one of my water bottles, then I started riding to the meeting spot. Through the neighborhood and the short way to the 4S Target. I was expecting a low turnout due to the holiday weekend, but we had more riders than I thought we would. I got a 50:50 coffee when I arrived early. On this ride there were the following riders: Jed, Arnold, Fritz, James, Nel, Kamal, Charlie, Ray, and Paula. We left a little late (Fritz and Kamal), took the reverse extended route through the 4S Ranch neighborhood to RB Rd, then down the hill to W Bernardo Dr. Down to Lake Hodges and across the pedestrian bridge, turning left on Via Rancho Pkwy. Here is where the lead riders heard that James had gotten a flat. I started riding back, found a Porta Potty and used it. Then I saw Paula, who gave me an update. He showed up soon after, then we rode up to Felicita Rd and took it to Gamble Ln. Left turn there, wait for the others and hearing that Charlie had broken a derailleur cable and called an Uber. From there we rode up the steep section of Gamble Ln. Fritz and Arnold attacked, Fritz on his old bike with gravel tires, but I caught them both before the summit. It took a big effort, though. Waited for the others, then got onto Citracado Pkwy to take it down to Harmony Grove Village Rd and then to Harmony Grove Rd. On this stretch, Arnold and I were trading leads, turning the corner onto Elfin Forest Rd together. I started climbing at a steady tempo, and he ended up staying with me almost all the way to the top, passing me a couple of times in attack mode. He cracked on the last little climb, then we rode to Calistoga Way and stopped to wait for the other riders. Jed needed to ride ahead and not stop to get home sooner, so he continued. The others showed up, and some started climbing. I was near the back when I started, caught up with them, including Jed, on this climb, which involved Genoa Way, Baylor Dr, Questhaven Rd (including a little downhill section that I hadn't remembered), and Attebury Rd. We stopped at the pond and waited for everybody to gather for a picture, got most of them but not Kamal, who was lagging behind. Then we continued up to the parking lot that got us over to the descent on Twin Oaks Valley Rd. I was at the back, and the descent was fast, as usual, but I kept feathering the brakes to stay at the back. Down the hill, stopping at a Shell convenience station by the 78 for a quick break, where I ate some dates, a banana, and drank fluids. I think Jed  had continued on at this point, so we were down to eight riders. Over to San Marcos Blvd, turning right and using it to get to Mission Rd. Our pace moderated somewhat on this flat stretch through San Marcos, but we sped up after we passed Auto Park Way. Stopped for everybody to gather at the turn onto Washington Ave, which we stayed on into Escondido. To Quince St, turning right (Fritz and I were in the lead here), taking it to 13th Ave and thus to Centre City Pkwy. I got out in front again and led the group to Citracado Pkwy, turning left there and following the route by the back side of the mall over to the bike path. Across the pedestrian bridge, we started climbing. I was in the back, so I had to ride a little harder to catch up to Fritz and Ray out front. Arnold got on my wheel and stayed there as we climbed up W Bernardo Dr. I thought it was Fritz until I saw him as we made the turn onto RB Rd. No stopping on this ride, I powered up that little climb and even pushed the pace on the slight descent back to the starting point. Arnold stayed with me pretty much all the way, pretty impressive. I stayed at the parking lot until everybody showed up (except Kamal, who rode directly home). Just a little time to chat, then I headed home the new normal way via W Bernardo Dr. Legs felt generally strong on this ride, had the push when I needed it. Arnold's effort really caused me to not let up, especially on several climbing segments.

Avg speed = 15.3 mph (15.5 mph). Total mileage = 51.2 mi

Bisikleta route avg speed = 15.5 mph

Avg power = 135 W. Weighted avg power = 172 W

Total elevation gain = 3230' (3240')

Avg heartrate = 127 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 105 (119)

Training Load = 243

Intensity = 78%

https://www.strava.com/activities/18625502954

Got home and had some lunch. I was a little more hungry after a ride than usual. Took some time to relax in the early afternoon before heading over to Nick and Jen's house to meet Nick, Emily, and Caleb at 3:00. I drove us to K1 Speed, where Emily and Caleb had gotten us race passes (and t-shirts) for Christmas. I'd done this before on a teambuilding outing with the LEP folks, but it had been a while. The racing was fun, the first heat was better, since there wasn't as much jostling from the other riders. All four of us had fun in the two heats, nobody got involved in any serious collisions. After this excitement I drove us to Draft Republic in Carlsbad for dinner. The others' meals looked and probably tasted better than my Margherita pizza, but there weren't a lot of vegetarian options on the menu. It worked out. The beer tasted good. Drove them back to Nick and Jen's house after dinner, then I headed home. The rest of the evening was quiet, I did a fair amount of reading (had also read in the afternoon) before my eyes started closing around 9:00.

05-22-2026 Swim

Slept pretty well, I did wake up in the early morning and read for about 45 minutes, but I got back to sleep. Woke up and read some more before getting ready for a swim at the WWC. I met Avi there, and we were able to get adjacent lanes. Did four 250s with rest periods in between. My stroke felt sluggish, and I wasn't generating the power in my arms that I have been doing in recent workouts. So it was more of a cardio exercise than an arm strength-building workout. Here are the splits for the four 250s: 4:27, 4:30, 4:31, 4:31. In each of them I sprinted in the last 25, for whatever that was worth.

Avg pace = 1:48/100 yds (Video)

Total distance = 1000 yds

Elapsed moving time = 17:59 (Video)

Avg heartrate = 117 bpm (too low)

Relative Effort = 5 (too low)

SWOLF =36

Avg stroke rate = 21 bpm

Avg pull distance = 2.40 yds

https://www.strava.com/activities/18610235518

Had some more breakfast (after banana) when I got home, did some blogging, cleaned the kitchen, made coffee, and went out in the back yard to look at the drip head that was acting up. I just pushed the brown spaghetti line further onto the ports, and they appeared to hold. Also replaced one drip head that had clogged and been shot off the spaghetti line. Looks to be back in business. Took a short nap on late morning, then in the afternoon I had a light lunch and watched some TV. Rode to Poway to get some gas, buy a pick set at Harbor Freight, and shop at Aldi. I didn't have a lot of time after I got home before heading over to Angelika Theater for a screening of the new Star Wars movie, sponsored by Jeff Ross. It was okay, first movie I've seen in a theater in a very long time, maybe ever. I'm glad I didn't have to pay for it. Headed home (was a little cold on the scooter) and had a late dinner, watched a little NBA before going upstairs (<>).

05-21-2026 Ride

Bike Anywhere Day. Aaron had sent out a reminder to the WhatsApp group about this event, so when Rob backed out of our proposed Palomar ride I decided to visit some of the SANDAG booths set up for the day. Before that, I had to get up at 4:15 to take Mark to the airport for his early flight. The drive down there was smooth, no traffic or road work at this hour of the day, and I dropped him off at about 5:15. Again, no traffic on the way home, where I had a little time to relax before getting ready to ride. Left the house just after 6:18, heading through the neighborhood to RB Rd, then taking Camino San Bernardo (CSB) to Dove Canyon Rd. Down the hill and over to Carmel Valley Rd, which I took up and then down to CdS. Left there and over to the 56 bike path, where there was a nice booth already set up, handing out food and t-shirts. I got a shirt and ate a muffin, talked with a guy who claimed to have just gotten back from Vietnam, where he had participated in the IronMan event in Da Nang. Maybe. Then I headed on the 56 bike path to the exit for Salmon River Rd, taking it to get to the RP Public Library, where another booth was set up. The librarians weren't really prepared, food was just some light snacks, but I got a bottle of Gatorade and headed back to the bike path. Took it all the way to Sabre Springs Pkwy and turned right there, staying on this road all the way to Springhurst Dr, which I used to get to Poway Rd. Took it past Pomerado road, looking for another booth by a boxing club. I rode past it and backtracked until I found it. Got a fruit bar there and then rode back to Carriage Rd, using it to get to Oak Knoll Rd and thus back to Pomerado Rd. Home the normal way via Bernardo Center Dr from there. Was a little less mileage than I'd wanted but still a good ride.

Avg speed = 15.9 mph (16.0 mph). Total mileage = 25.8 mi

Avg power = 136 W. Weighted avg power = 165 W

Total elevation gain = 1600' (1650')

Avg heartrate = 122 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 39 (42)

Training Load = 111

Intensity = 75%

https://www.strava.com/activities/18596515312

I had a little nap after getting home (was up early), then got ready to ride to Convoy St to meet Charlie for lunch at RakiRaki. Food and conversation were good (we split the bill), then I rode home. Riding long distances on the scooter is tiring. Hung around the house in mid-afternoon, then I rode over to Karl Strauss to meet James. Had a Pepsi and we talked about life (skiing in Japan in January) and work (EER, working for Josh, Rainbird red flag). Left a little after 5:00 and got home. Talked to Ross before dinner, then Ann and I watched some TV after dinner. The rest of the evening was quiet.

05-20-2026 Ride

Leisurely wake-up in the morning (<!>). I came downstairs, Mark was already up and enjoying the nice, cool weather out on the back patio. I made pancakes for the three of us, they turned out well. We all chatted some after breakfast, then Mark and I got ready for a ride down along the coast. We drove down to the Moonlight Beach parking lot after packing the bikes and gear. When we got down there, Mark realized that he had forgotten to put his helmet in the car, and he was bummed about it. I was ready to buy another helmet at a nearby bike shop, but he had the idea of finding a nearby Walmart to get one. So we drove to the store in inland Leucadia, where he went in and bought a cheap helmet. We drove back to the parking lot and started from there, riding through the neighborhood to PCH and then heading north. I took care on all of the little climbs to slow way down and not put him into the hurt zone. We rode through Leucadia and into Carlsbad, where I found a nice little cafe to stop at and have coffee. We had another long, enjoyable conversation about various topics and stories from the past (a lot about Mark's motorcycling days). Had a restroom break at the end, and he seemed ready to keep going further up the coast, so we rode PCH into Oceanside, turning left on Vista Way to get to Broadway St, taking it to Cassidy St and turning left there. We took Myers St to Pacific St and rode by Jed's neighborhood until we were forced to make a detour east due to road construction. Got past the construction and back onto Pacific St, taking it all the way to Harbor Dr and following that road to its end. All good up to this point, but when we turned around and started heading back I could see that Mark had slowed down on the flats. So I slowed down accordingly. We rode back the way we came, dropping down to The Strand road to avoid the construction and stopping at its end for a picture before using Wisconsin Ave to get back to Pacific St. We retraced our route from there back to Broadway St and then got onto PCH via the usual Eaton St. From here it was fairly slow going. I dialed my pace way back to keep together, and we rode back through Carlsbad, stopping at a public toilet on the little climb up before South Carlsbad SB for a restroom break. I passed him an energy gel at this stop, he looked like he needed it. He was pretty tired by this point but was a trooper, and we kept going. Slowly back up into Leucadia and through this town. I was happy to see the descent to Encinitas Blvd, and we rode up the subsequent climb slowly, turning right on D St. We were essentially done by this point, so I took him over to show him the house with the two boats out front. Then we rode back to the parking lot to finish the ride.

Avg speed = 14.1 mph (14.2 mph). Total mileage = 29.2 mi

Avg power = 94 W. Weighted avg power = 105 W

Total elevation gain = 640' (760')

Avg heartrate = 105 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 21 (19)

Training Load = 54

Intensity = 48%

https://www.strava.com/activities/18590426666

Got back in the car after loading the bikes and gear and started for home, taking the freeway initially but getting off at Del Mar Heights Rd to avoid traffic on the 56 and I-15. He was quiet on the return trip but started to recover his energy, so all was good. We got back home, and Ann had started the charcoal for grilling. I changed quickly and then grilled the vegetables, chicken, and tofu before grabbing a shower. Emily and Caleb came over for dinner, it was Caleb's first time meeting somebody from my side of the family. We ate on the patio, and it was a very nice time, funny stories and catching up among everybody. Emily made chocolate peanut butter squares, and they were fantastic. They left around the usual time because of Caleb's work schedule, and I sat with Mark for a while before turning in myself. He recovered quickly from the ride and was his usual self in the evening, which I was glad about.

05-19-2026 Ride

Woke up and helped Ann make lemon scones with dried cherries for breakfast. I drank regular coffee, and that jazzed me up for the day. Nice leisurely pace to breakfast, then Mark and I got ready for a short bike ride. I had set up my Fuji for him, put his pedals and his smartwatch mount on, and away we went. We rode down by the park and then over to Highland Valley Rd, where I thought the relative lack of cars and flat terrain would be suitable. He was a little freaked out by the lack of a bike lane as well as the large number of blind curves. We rode to the base of the first climb, turned around and rode back to Pomerado Rd. He was working hard on that last little climb up to the stoplight, so we paused after the turn for him to catch his breath and get his heartrate down. I tried to get him to stay in a low gear and spin on the uphill sections, and as we rode up Pomerado Rd he started to get it (it took some time to adjust to this riding style). We rode up to Twin Peaks Rd, where I planned to stop at the Starbucks by Target, but it has closed. So we looped through the parking lot, got back on Pomerado Rd, and took it down to the corner of RB Rd, where we pulled into that parking lot and stopped for coffee at that Starbucks. Was a nice break, good conversation, very light and rich with shared and sharing experiences. We spent a fairly long time there before riding back home the standard way via Bernardo Center Dr.

Avg speed = 13.8 mph (13.9 mph). Total mileage = 18.0 mi

Avg power = 97 W. Weighted avg power = 115 W

Total elevation gain = 860' (870')

Avg heartrate = 105 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 13 (13)

Training Load = 41

Intensity = 52%

https://www.strava.com/activities/18572366090

Got back and had sandwiches for lunch with Ann. We chatted in the early afternoon, then took a break during mid-afternoon to rest up for the evening. Left for the Padres-Dodgers game around 5:00 and ran into unexpected traffic, which was kinda frustrating. We parked at Horton Plaza and walked to Petco Park, which was quite crowded. Got up to our seats as the Star Spangled Banner was being sung, so we didn't miss any of the game. It was a good game, but the better team won, unfortunately. Took quite a long time for us to get out of the ballpark, and even then the streets were crowded until we got several blocks away. Traffic out of the city wasn't as bad as we ran into after the P!NK concert. Got home before 11:00, straight to bed after a long, very good day.

05-18-2026 Run

Slept well and a little longer than usual, mainly because I went to sleep early. Got up a little after 6:00 and rode down to the park for a run. I had negative splits until mile 4, then ran my fastest mile at the end. Stretched a little bit before the run, could have stretched more. Right leg was okay, but I was cautious about stressing it, especially on the little climb up to the stoplight.

Avg pace = 8:13/mi

Total distance = 5.01 mi

Elapsed Moving Time = 41:12

Avg heartrate = 131 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 17

https://www.strava.com/activities/18555144203

Had a little time after I got home. Took a shower and got ready to drive down to the airport to pick up Mark. Ann came with me, which was a nice surprise. We got down there a little after 9:00, waited in the cell phone lot by Terminal 2 until he was off the plane, then we drove over (only one loop around while waiting for him) to Terminal 1 and got him. Drove home after that, he got settled in. A little later we went out to lunch. I was planning on going to Sab E Lee, but Ann found it was closed on Mondays, so we went to Urban Thai instead. Food was okay, service wasn't so great, and my mock duck pieces were overcooked. After lunch Mark wanted some coffee, so we went to Mostra, where she and I had hot chocolate. Then we drove home and chatted throughout the rest of the afternoon about a lot of topics. Spaghetti for dinner, then more lighthearted talk and laughter in the evening.

05-17-2026 Ride

Woke up early, around 5:00, with just enough sleep to be ready for a ride with Paula, who drove over to the house to start from here. I also cleaned the kitchen before I left, more breakfast dishes waiting for me when I got home. She showed up and we had a quick look at her bike to see what might be causing the chain skipping she occasionally sees. I adjusted the position of the rear derailleur, and we got ready to leave. Down by the park, across the pedestrian bridge, then taking Via Rancho Pkwy west to Bernardo Ln, turning right there. I'd never been up this little climb, and it turned out to be not as steep as I thought it would be. We then rode down Bernardo Ave to Gamble Ln, turning left and riding up into the neighborhood at the top of the hill. This road has a couple of quite steep pitches near the top, but we made it okay. We used Scenic Trail Way to get over to Citracado Pkwy and took that west, past Valley Pkwy and down to Harmony Grove Village Pkwy. Used that to get to Harmony Grove Rd, then enjoyed the general downhill ride to the turn onto Elfin Forest Rd. We stayed together on this stretch, then I got out in front on the climb up toward San Elijo Hills. I waited at the top of the climb for Paula, then we rode together into the village, turning on San Elijo Rd and riding down just past the gas station, stopping there to take a picture by the fountain. We continued on to RSF Rd, turning left and riding up this little climb. Near the top, we turned off onto a gravel path that got us over to Old RSF Rd, which has been turned into a bike and pedestrian path. This got us down to La Costa Ave, where we turned left and rode to Calle Timiteo, turning right and taking it to Camino de Los Coches, where we turned right and got back to RSF Rd. Left turn there and then a right on Calle Barcelona, followed by a right on Paseo Almendro. We then took a bunch of neighborhood streets to get over to ECR, where we turned right at the turn where Catalin had crashed into Eric on a previous ride. We rode up to the entrance to the La Costa Omni resort and turned right, riding through the main resort center to get to Estrella de Mar Rd, which we took through the neighborhood, across Alga Rd, and then to Poinsettia Ln. We stopped briefly before this turn, then continued on up to Melrose Dr, turning left and then taking a right on Rancho Bravado followed by a left on Paseo Valindo to get to Palomar Airport Rd. A right turn there and a short stretch up to White Sands Dr, where we turned left and stopped shortly after for pictures and another break. This road descends, then climbs at 7-8% until a left turn onto Coast Ave, where the climb continues at 8-9% until the summit. Then we descended to Island Dr, which dropped us back onto RSF Rd. We rode up to the right turn on Camino del Arroyo Dr, which took us into the Lake San Marcos neighborhood (a favorite of Paula's). Left on Hermosita Dr and then another left on San Marino Dr to ride over the bridge across the lake to get to San Pablo Dr, where we turned left. A subsequent right turn to stay on San Pablo Dr until we turned left on La Noche Dr to get over to McMahr Rd, where a left turn got us to Discovery St. We took this to Barham Dr, past CSUSM, turning right on La Moree Rd to do the little climb and descent on this road and get back to Barham Dr. We turned right there and took it to Mission Rd, another right turn and then a third right onto Auto Park Way. We climbed up to Citracado Pkwy, turned right there and continued the climb past the hospital, then stayed on this road until turning right onto Valley Pkwy. Paula was slowing down more than I was by this time, so I was creating gaps whenever we were climbing. We turned right and rode down to Via Rancho Pkwy, then rode home from there the normal way via the pedestrian bridge, stopping briefly at the Chevron station for a break where Paula had something to eat before tackling the last two little climbs back to the house. Was a good ride, just about ideal temperature. The sun also basically stayed behind the clouds, which was helpful. Still, I was tired the previous day, so I didn't set many records on this ride.

Avg speed = 13.6 mph (13.7 mph). Total mileage = 45.8 mi

Avg power = 116 W. Weighted avg power = 154 W

Total elevation gain = 3720' (3590')

Avg heartrate = 109 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 49 (54)

Training Load = 185

Intensity = 70%

https://www.strava.com/activities/18546290655

Got home, had a few little snacks and watched some Giro coverage before using the wet-vacuum to clean the downstairs floors. I also did a second kitchen cleaning. That took me to lunchtime, I was more hungry by this time. Relaxed and had a little nap in the early afternoon, then I went out in the front yard and tracked down three broken drip sprinklers and a fourth non-operational one. I also respliced the electrical wires for sprinkler line 1. That was enough sprinkler maintenance for one day for me. Later, I cleaned and rewaxed chain #2 for my Canyon. Watched more Giro coverage before dinner, then some TV as well. After dinner I did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen counters. I also figured out how to reconnect my electronic shifting to my Wahoo so it displays the selected gear. Had a shower as well, it was about time. The rest of the evening was quiet.

05-16-2026 Ride

Woke up after decent, albeit shortened, sleep. I woke up earlier but got back to sleep until about 6:00. Got ready for a Bisikleta ride where I was the route planner. Through the neighborhood, saw Rob walking near his house (Isabelle is in Canada traveling with Juliette) and stopped to chat with him. He looks washed out and said he was working through health issues, unspecified. I took the Ralph's Ranch Rd route through 4S Ranch, got to Target and Rob T had just arrived. Others started showing up, Kamal was late. On this ride we had the following riders: Jed, Arnold, Rob T, Fritz, Nel, Charlie, and Kamal. So, a decent turnout for a challenging ride. We rode CdS to Dove Canyon Rd, took it to RB Rd, then used Matinal Rd to get to W Bernardo Dr. Down by the park and over to Highland Valley Rd, where we turned. We were basically together to the base of the first climb, which separated us. I got to the top first, but Arnold and Jed weren't too far back. We gathered there, then continued. I decided to ride to the normal stopping point from there, Arnold was about two minutes behind me. The others followed, and Charlie commented on the challenge of this climb. Felt okay on this climb, I tried to After everybody got there we rode to the 67, Fritz and I out in front. We turned left and rode into Ramona. I thought my route led us to a coffee shop but it didn't work out. I eventually turned around and led the group back to the liquor store where we had stopped when we did a similar ride in 2024. Break was longer than I wanted. Was near the back when we started retracing our route, but I caught up and got out front to make sure we all made the turn back onto Highland Valley Rd. Charlie was complaining of a cramp, so I hung back with him while the others rode away. Did the gradual climb on the way back, Nel had a chain issue on the last little climb, so I waited as he cleared it up. Four of us - Kamal, Nel, Charlie, and I - were at the back, generally together as we started the descent. I passed them and then waited before Cordiano Winery to make sure all were okay. Then we rode down to the flats, and again I waited for all to show up. I rode with these four riders back to Pomerado Rd, where the others were waiting. Again I hung back to make sure the riders with tired legs were supported. Caught up with the other riders on the climb to the park, where Rob had to stop for a bio break. He and I were in the back of the group as we climbed up W Bernardo Dr and RB Rd. I caught up with Nel, in the lead of the trailing group as we crested that last climb, and I waited at Via del Campo for Charlie and Kamal. When Charlie showed up he and I continued until we saw Rob stopped on the side of the road past Camino San Bernardo. His over layer had fallen out of his jersey and jammed into his rear wheel, and he went over the handlebars. He was banged up but surprisingly not significantly injured. He bike was also basically okay. Kamal had shown up, so he waited with Rob while Charlie and I rode back to Target to pick up Rob's car and bring it back to him. Fritz and Jed also drove back with us to check on Rob. His left shoulder had taken a big hit without breaking his collarbone or causing a separation. No head contact with the pavement, another lucky occurrence. Jed checked him out and gave him the green light to drive. Fritz stayed with Rob for a while to make sure he was okay, while the rest of us split. I rode home slowly, adrenaline rush over.

Avg speed = 15.4 mph (15.5 mph). Total mileage = 49.2 (+2) mph

Avg power = 139 W. Weighted avg power = 170 W

Total elevation gain = 3490' (3410')

Avg heartrate = 124 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 86 (98)

Training Load = 216

Intensity = 77%

https://www.strava.com/activities/18533390144

It's never good when a rider goes down on one of our rides. I'm so glad that this wasn't worse than it ended up. Had a quiet afternoon, including a little nap. In the late afternoon we drove down to Logan Heights to the Logan Multicultural Complex to see a couple of Fringe Festival shows. BTW, this venue had three theaters going, along with free snacks, so it was a winner. The first show, Lady Satan, featured Peyton Ashby, a trans woman who used a mixture of burlesque dancing, narrative, and audio/video clips to state her case about the rights of trans people, focusing on trans women. It was a little amateurish in the dancing, but she warmed up during the show in the message she was conveying, and it was overall an interesting and worthwhile experience. Then we saw GULP!, starring Prith Khalsa. This was a more renowned show, extremely innovative and weird in its presentation of a man who falls in love with a banana, telling their life story through narrative, comedy, and physicality. It had its weird moments, but Mr Khalsa really knows how to work an audience, and they were quite participative (lots of other Fringe Festival performers in the audience). It would be hard to describe to others, but the experience was well worth it. Ann was tired of sitting after this show, and I was ready to go as well, so she drove us home. Didn't take long for me to get to sleep.

05-15-2026 Swim

Slept okay, although I did wake up during the night and read for a bit (<>). Got ready for a swim at the WWC and headed over there. Swam 1500 yds basically without stopping (brief pause after first 500), and here are the splits for the three 500s: 9:16, 9:30, 9:31. I kept my stroke count under 20, was 18 for the first 500 and then 19 for the last two. Tried to keep my form consistent throughout the swim, was modestly successful.

Avg pace = 1:53/100 yds (Video)

Total distance = 1500 yds

Elapsed moving time = 28:17 (Video)

Avg heartrate = 148 bpm (could be)

Relative Effort = 35 (possibly)

SWOLF = 36

Avg stroke rate = 19 bpm

Avg pull distance = 2.55 yds

https://www.strava.com/activities/18519198464

Came home and had some pretzels and yogurt for breakfast. Then I cleaned the kitchen dishes and made some coffee. Did some computer clean-up work in the morning. After lunch I went out in the front yard and trimmed the large bush on the western side of the property. This is never a fun job. I also trimmed the two bushes by the garage. Then I took my Fuji off the trainer, gave it a cleaning, and adjusted the seat height to be more suitable for Mark. Continued some clean-up of Google Photos to reduce the space they are occupying. Had a little nap in mid-afternoon. In the late afternoon we drove down to Mira Mesa to have dinner at a banh mi place. It was just okay, a pale imitation of the places in Vietnam. The French fries were good, too many in the order for one person. Then I drove us downtown to the P!NK Curebound concert. The show started a little late, but there was no opening act, and she hit the ground running. A very fun show. Our seats were partially obstructed, and the stage was quite far away. So we ended up watching the concert mainly from the big screens. Her two acrobatic routines during the show were pretty amazing for a 47 year-old. I recognized nearly all the songs from my listening to her top hits playlist on Spotify. Good show. It was slow getting out of Petco Park because of the crowds, and traffic out of downtown was also congested. We got home around 11:40, didn't take long for me to get to sleep.

05-14-2026 Ride

Planned another longer ride, leaving pretty early (a little before 6:00) in an attempt to get miles in before meeting John and Brooke for coffee. Through the neighborhood and then the extended route through the 4S Ranch neighborhood, pushing steadily but not super hard. To CdS, which I took to the 56 bike path. Then I followed the bike path down to CVR and then to the coast. On this stretch I was debating whether I would have time to get to the top of Torrey Pines before I needed to turn around. I decided I would, took the outside route and put in a pretty good effort. Still, I was over a minute slower than my fastest time ever, so I am definitely slowing down as I get older. Sobering. Got to the top and turned right around to ride back down and retrace my route all the way back to the turn onto CVR. I made decent time on the flat section, then slowed down as I started climbing up to Black Mountain Rd. I had less energy than I thought I would. Go to the top of this climb and decided to try and ride home instead of meeting them directly at the HP site. Down the hill and up Dove Canyon Rd to get back to RB Rd. I was still slow here, rode back home through the neighborhood and got there around 8:45.

Avg speed = 16.1 mph (16.2 mph). Total mileage = 42.3 mph

Avg power = 132 W. Weighted avg power = 164 W

Total elevation gain = 2710' (2680')

Avg heartrate = 117 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 51 (56)

Training Load = 155

Intensity = 75%

https://www.strava.com/activities/18505783489

Time for a quick change, then I rode my scooter over to the site. Of course, I was early, since the meeting time was 9:30, not 9:00, as I thought. Oh well! I got a coffee and relaxed there until they showed up. John brought donuts, which was a nice little surprise. All of the time was devoted to Brooke giving us updates about the site move and EER (Phil, Paul B., Fereshteh, Tayo, Donna). I am so glad I didn't have to deal with any of that noise. Had lunch and a quiet early afternoon, watching some TV. Then I did some bike maintenance: sorting out and throwing away old worn-out disc brake pads, installing a set of pads on my front disc brakes with a little life left in them (some rubbing), deflating and reinflating my rear tire to seat the tire bead better, taking the aero bars off my Fuji, and charging a derailleur battery. In the evening, after dinner, I reinstalled chain #3 (with two QuickLinks) on the Canyon.Was a quiet evening after that.

05-13-2026 Swim

Slept okay, although I did get up early and read for a while (<!>). Got ready for a swim at the WWC, there were a lot of people waiting to get in, and I ended up swimming in lane 4. I did four 250s at tempo pace, with about a minute of rest between each one. Here are the splits for the 250s: 4:19, 4:21, 4:26, 4:29. Gradually longer, but on the last 250 I felt like I got into a rhythm that I could have continued for a while. This is a workout I need to include more often in my swims.

Avg pace = 1:46/100 yds (Video)

Total distance = 1000 yds

Elapsed moving time = 17:35 (Video)

Avg heartrate = 145 bpm (could be)

Relative Effort = 27 (possibly)

SWOLF =35 (!)

Avg stroke rate = 22 bpm (higher frequency, faster swim)

Avg pull distance = 2.43 yds

https://www.strava.com/activities/18492508828

Got home, was planning to go for a short bike ride, but I had a rear tire flat that I needed to change, so I decided to skip the ride and go longer on Thursday instead. Lucky I did because the carpet-cleaning guy showed up early, while Ann was at the gym. I had patched my tube and set it up to dry, and he showed up around 10:15. I got him set up for the job, no real issues there. Shaved and showered, then got ready for my volunteer shift at the hospital. I went to Optimum Pharmacy and picked up my skin cream prescription before the shift, still had enough time to eat lunch before getting to the ED. The shift was perhaps a little slower than usual, nothing else remarkable about it. Got home and had dinner, than Ann and I talked to Laura for a while. Lots of stuff about the wedding and work (Joe's job is very tenuous), she's feeling the stress. The rest of the evening was quiet for me, not much TV watched on this day.

 

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 (14.8 mph). Total mileage = 41.5 mi

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

Total elevation gain = 3920' (3940')

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 the following 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 (15.0 mph). Total mileage = 22.8 mi

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

Total elevation gain = 1270' (1290')

Avg heartrate = 118 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 27 (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 (15.5 mph). Total mileage = 50.3 mi

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

Total elevation gain = 2970' (2970')

Avg heartrate = 127 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 91 (96)

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 (15.2 mph). Total mileage = 40.5 mi

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

Total elevation gain = 3020' (3050')

Avg heartrate = 124 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 78 (79)

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 (14.1 mph). Total mileage = 31.0 mi

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

Total elevation gain = 2020' (2030')

Avg heartrate = 124 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 53 (55)

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 great, 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.