Shorty & Slim Pickin's On The Road!

Today's route via Garmin Stats

Big heat wave coming and I'm not missing this one, tendonitis or not. Inland HEAT ADVISORY today with highs near 100F. Sounds good to me. I fired up the SOMA and hit the start at 0621. Reese all the way @ 20 cents for me. One bottle loaded and the other with some Gatorade Endurance in it. Stuff is still too sweet for me. I'm riding north under cool temps with arm warmers and a "homemade thermal vest" under my fitting C.A.R.E jersey. 54 degrees actual start temp. Cool riding past a few dog walkers as I turned onto Nutmeg St. The temp soared up to 64F within 100 feet! Must be a temp inversion or the pollution level. Warmer still at the top of Deer Springs but cooled off on the downhill past Lawrence Welk. The road to Bonsall is always cool and it was today too with temps in the 50's along Camino Del Rey. I stopped at AM/PM and got the usual receipt with a head stop.

Must have been a little Santa Ana east wind already for I was cruising along 76 to the SLR at 27mph! I was doing a spin job today to ease up on the left tendon pressure. Didn't have any more gears and time was waning. I wanted to meet up with the OFR Gruppo at Magee at 0830 and it was almost 0800 now. I opted for a straight run along 76 alongside heavy westbound traffic. I was flying and trying to miss the glass and trash. Took Coast Hwy. through Oceanside. 0815 as I noticed several riders cut in ahead of me. It was Dee and Paul, so I hooked up for the ride to Magee Park. Their little gruppo was there waiting... around 7 riders. Didn't see old guy Alan or Kiwi Stu, so I rode south with the other group, chatting along the way. The turned off at LaCosta Ave and were going to some Bakery in Rancho Santa Fe for a snack. Need to find out that place for sure. Took a Advil to ease the tendon effort some and added a little "White Flower" to the leg. Cranked 'er up and hit Swami's on time.

Nice group of 15 riders there. I rolled into the BR and then went over to stretch out. They left in a hurry and I followed along behind chatting with Idaho Dale and Navy Ben. I was just tagging along and holding their draft. They went the coast way through Del Mar and I opted for straight through. I paced along till they caught up just before the SR-56 Bike Path. Al, Jeff and Troy led the way up the path. Soon "Pirate Jimbo" pulled up and we chatted about Bill and Mac's Surf City last weekend. Good job by those guys to finish up. Soon it was Jimbo, me and Troy pulling away up the gentle climb. We did a "box in" Jim so Troy could get around him. Just more fun on the road. They turned to Peet's and I went to Circle K for my receipt.

Bike Lane "DIF"

After my 10 minute stretch out break of IC Sandwich and GU, followed by a bottle refill of iced water, I was good to go. I put the last of the "White Flower" on and spun up Camino del Sur. No one around today so I just spun up the hills. At San Dieguito Road, a girl on a new Obrea carbon pulled in behind me. Mmmmm. She was drafting good till we hit the climb past Artesian Way. She dropped like lead balloon there. Just before the Rancho Bernardo turn I noticed a bottle in the bike lane. I turned around and picked it up. A new bottle of "DIF". I stuck in in my HB bag as Ms. Obrea blasted by, feeling good that she caught me. I chatted at the light, but she didn't have much to say.. just thinking "I'll drop this old dude on a heavy steel bike." Sorry, not to happen even at tendon level today honey. I was stuck to her like glue on the climbs. She was a good rider on a light bike, but didn't have the climbing legs (no def on the calves at all, looked like Sams calves!) She soon cut off onto another road, tired of me.

Took Martinel Road cut off past the Elementary School and on to Bernardo Centre Dr. to the Pedestrian Bridge over Lake Hodges. Temps in the high 90's now. Bike path to El Ku and I thought about the nice Gamble Lane climb and short cut, but opted out for less stress on my left ankle. Had a hot tailwind up Centre City Pkwy. Turned past the Transit Centre and took the Inland Rail Trail back to San Marcos and the cool relief of 7-Eleven!

Look like a 3/5 for me today, finishing up feeling good. Got my Reese Piece receipt and cycled home to near 100F temps with some wind blowing. Looks like a hot one tomorrow and Saturday too! Disappointing day for road trash with only a few caps and panties roadside. I did drop off the DIF spray bottle at the Mule Hill Chevron for someone to use. Guess I did my good deed for the day.

Clear skies all day long
Hi: 90's     Lo: 54 early
81 miles

-randorides