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Not the July I'd planned for, but hanging in there Sunday Kevin (younger Kevin, not ex-pilot) and I did a loop through the upper-foothills to Los Altos and back. Less challenging than what we'd planned for, which was our old classic Pescadero/Tunitas loop. We bailed on that because, well, the coast wasn't clear, and we wanted to stay warm. Tuesday we did a shorter version of the regular morning ride, lopping off West Old LaHonda because Kevin had to get back early for a haircut. And this morning? Just me and ex-pilot Kevin, doing a pretty easy Thursday-morning ride. I expected to be in some trouble, since I forgot to use my inhaler prior to the ride, so lung function would be even worse than normal. Fortunately it wasn't as issue as ex-pilot was particularly fast today, and there were multiple stops as he took off and put back on clothing as the weather changed. At the start it was a bit cool and foggy, but got pretty nice as we climbed towards Skyline, then cooled off again descending west 84 towards West Old LaHonda. We finished very late, the final delay pictured above (they're working on clearing vegetation along the sides of 84). It's tough knowing I'm not going to France this year for the 'Tour. I'm so used to watching the morning coverage and getting a feel for what Kevin and I would literally be flying into, in just over a week. I watch as the race goes through small towns and mountains and it's not a "you are there" feeling but rather "I'll be there soon!" I'm thinking about the final preparations for the Bike Friday travel bikes we use, which I actually built up well ahead of time, a few weeks ago, when the trip still seemed likely. The first stage we would have ridden would have been Ventoux, which unfortunately falls on a Tuesday... I'd love to be able to watch it live. Yes, it's tough. That trip to France is something I look forward to, starting no more than two months after coming back from the last one. It helps get me through the tougher times at the shop, and at 69, I'm willing to admit that working 6 days/week is a bit much. But there is a plan B; if things work out, Kevin and I will head to Italy on August 21st and catch up with the first four stages of the Vuelta. That's right, the first four stages of the Tour of Spain will be in Italy. And then, head a bit further east and kick the Stelvio off the bucket list. Rest assured I am not done with the 'Tour. I'll be back next year. How many more, tough to say. This year I seem to have stopped and even reversed slightly the declining average power I can deliver to the pedals. It's unlikely I can keep that decline at bay for very long though! |
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Post date: 2025-07-10 23:47:00 Post date GMT: 2025-07-11 06:47:00 Post modified date: 2025-07-10 23:47:00 Post modified date GMT: 2025-07-11 06:47:00 |
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