Category Archives: Ride reports (not Tu/Th)

Ride reports for everything *but* the Tuesday-Thursday morning ride

Sunday, To the Sea! But a lot more of me showed up Tuesday

Ride reports (not Tu/Th), Tues/Thurs 7:45am ride

Sunday, there really wasn’t a choice. It’s been weeks, maybe over a month, who knows how long, since I’d ridden out to the coast. I’ve been hanging out on “this” side of the hill, sometimes due to weather, sometimes due to having to ride solo and not feeling like I wanted to be “over the hill” with too many thoughts to myself. Lots of reasons. But Sunday I finally got out with three others (Kevin, Kevin, JeffH) and did the LaHonda/San Gregorio/Pescadero loop. It wasn’t pretty; I was the weakest link all along the way. But I survived, saw the creek flowing on Tunitas, and yeah, it was slow, JeffH waited for me at the Grassy Knoll (where the steep part of Tunitas ends) but I didn’t mind that it took just over an hour. }

Tuesday was another thing entirely. No idea why a different version of me, one I hadn’t seen for a while, showed up and actually wanted to climb. That first steep pitch on Kings, yes, it still hurt, but I got over the top of it and didn’t feel 100% dead like usual. Kept up with Kevin, for once, and by the time we got to the first creek crossing I was gapping him, able to put in a minute or so hard effort, then throttle back and wait for him to catch up. Actually able to keep that up all the way to the top. Don’t know how fast I’d have been if I’d just kept it up, but looks like I’m going to have to re-calibrate the rate of my decline and actually raise my FTP, which I’d just lowered to a pathetic 210 watts.

Tomorrow… who knows what version of me shows up tomorrow. Film at 11.

Another Solo Sunday

Ride reports (not Tu/Th)

It was supposed to be a ride with Kevin. We knew it wasn’t going to be a warm day, but Sunday morning Kevin decided it was nicer to stay in bed than get up and turn the thermostat on. I waited… and waited… and waited for him to finally get moving and convince himself to ride his ebike from his place in Foster City to my place, where he switches bikes and gets out for a ride on a “real bike.” But after two hours it became clear he just wasn’t going to ride in the cold (it wasn’t THAT cold, but never got above 51 I think?). I’m sure tomorrow morning (Tuesday) it’s going to be a lot colder, and he’ll be riding with me then, but that’s different, I guess, because it’s supposed to be cold at 7:30 in the morning but on a Sunday, a couple hours later, it should be warmer.

The original plan, before it was going to be cold, was Pescadero/Tunitas. A bit much to chew off right now, but sometimes that’s what you need. The modified plan was San Gregorio/Tunitas. But riding by myself, I really didn’t feel up to being out there on quiet roads. Yeah, doesn’t make sense does it? But with so much going on, I didn’t want to risk going into fully-introspective mode.

So… stayed on “my” side of the hill, looping down to Los Altos (again), this time altering the course a bit, heading up into the Foothills some more, taking one or two roads rarely ridden. Coffee and berry cream scone at Peet’s near our old store, verification that location still isn’t rented (it’s not), and then back home by the usual route (Foothill/Sand Hill/Canada Road).

One difference on the return. Instead of heading over Jefferson, tried to wreck myself by going over Godetia. Got some cool photos of either Llamas or Alpacas (obviously I don’t know how to tell the difference).

It was an OK ride, would have been nicer to do more than 42 miles. I have to get back to the regular routine, I have to not let taking care of my wife get in the way of keeping myself in one piece, both mentally and physically. That’s going to be a big challege these next few months. Ultimately, she’s the number one priority right now, over the business, over my own physical shape. But I’m no good to hear if I’m a mess myself, or so I’ve been told by my own doctors.

Tomorrow morning, Kevin will definitely be out there with me. Hopefully ahead of the rain! But if it does rain, it’s not going to stop us this time. Sure, I could get on the trainer, but Kevin won’t, so maybe it will be our first wet ride in a while. Hope not though! I need a challenge, but not that much of a challenge.