Stats:
DST: 46.6 mi
AVS: 13.9
MXS: 37.4 (omg)
Ride Time: 3:20
Total time: 3:50

Route: 34-mile route with Foothill to El Monte and Cañada to 92 extensions.

I was pretty beat after getting back from Portland and didn’t start the ride until 1pm. This turned out to be a good reminder of why I ride in the mornings most of the time: the wind was pretty brutal, especially on Cañada between Edgewood and 92. At least I got the benefit of it being at my back on the way home.

It wasn’t a bad ride overall — a bit slow, just a struggle to keep going some of the time. I really started feeling the distance after a while, just a feeling like “Why am I not home yet?” I didn’t get to take a day off this week because of the way my Portland trip was set up, and my Portland routes were much hillier than my usual weekly rides, so I also started out a bit drained in that regard.

I had a lot of soreness in my legs and glutes, as well as feeling more weirdness/soreness than expected in my hands and feet, and stretched for a while at the top of Cañada while enjoying the view. The fog was starting to creep in over the hills up there, which was neat. The view of Mt. Diablo from Edgewood was surprising and cool, and realizing I was going 37.4mph (on a straightish section) was absolutely terrifying and yet awesome. Am I becoming a speed freak? :-) I hit 30 again on a descent on Alameda and had a hard time stopping at a stop sign. Perhaps I should use my brakes a bit more wisely.

I also saw a wedding or some other fancy party in progress in Atherton — with valet parking. You know you’re stupidly rich when you have valet parking at your house.

The lowlights were pretty much the usual: struggling up hills. I stopped twice to get more water (there’s a water fountain on Arastradero at Purissima, and one behind the store in Woodside) and ate most of the peanut butter-honey gunk I had brought at Woodside and then at Cañada. This is a brilliant concoction suggested by a friend of mine, and was a lifesaver today when I didn’t have anything else in the house due to being away.

I also got a bit of saddle chafing again. I think it may be time to replace that saddle with a Butterfly. Mike’s Bikes is having a sale this week, so maybe I’ll do the new helmet and new shorts and jerseys and stuff now too. I thought I was going to get new stuff from Terry, but I ordered it and the two pairs of bottoms both have seams up the inner thigh (wtf? why would you do that?) and the jersey just has too many seams, period. So I guess that’s not going to work.

En fin, I also had some knee pain while I was in Portland. I think it was because the bike I was riding didn’t fit me quite right and had too much cleat float, and on top of that I had the saddle a little low to start with, and then I was climbing steep hills (including up to the Rose Garden) and all that. I thought it would go away, but I’m still getting what I hope are just after-effects. It seems to happen at kind of random times, not necessarily when I’m climbing hard.

This is definitely a week for carefully monitoring my physical condition and taking good care of myself, and hopefully I’ll be back in good shape for the Tour de Menlo next Saturday. I haven’t decided how I’m going to ride today — I don’t want to end up more chafed.