Wowzer Wind!

43.5 miles with Jose today, 16.6 average speed which is real good I am going to say after facing some huge winds today. So the forecast said 5 mph winds but uhh I don't think so! Jose and I headed from Anaheim to Yorba Park in some big winds after Kraemer. While we were warming up, some dude passed us, cycling tats on legs, looked really fit. I don't know how far he was into his ride but he was looking pretty strong when he rolled by. I pulled the first 5 miles to warm up then right as Jose got in front, the wind kicked in!

A mile after that, we caught the dude that had rolled by earlier. Didn't look so strong at that point ha ha! Wind does that to people. But it was blowing so Jose sat on his wheel for a bit then rolled around after he got a little rest. Getting close to Yorba Park is that little bump in the road. Jose slowed way down and I almost had no choice to go around so I did. We had been doing 12.8 or so. I got up front and figured there is only a short distance to the park restroom where we turn around. I pushed really hard and held 14 for a bit. But then I felt my heart swell up to the size of a basketball ha ha! I never felt that before so I backed off. Got to the park and boy was I breathing hard. But the heart felt good at this point, more the lungs. The tat dude waved and thanked us for the pull  then continued on toward Green River (not sure where he was headed or started).

But that was cool because most people are just jerk faces, this guy was cool! So we rolled back to the beach to about Lincoln with a tailwind. When I spoke with Mark at the coast, he said he thought we have hit 30 MPH with the tailwind. I explained, many times I could but I never do. I actually conserve energy when I get the chance. Yes, we could have done 30 but I figured the wind would change somewhere as it usually does.

I remember a guy flying by me around Kraemer heading to the coast couple years back.  Later saw him at the coast. There he was asking me, "DID YOU SEE ME FLY AROUND YOU AT 30 MPH?!".  He was pretty stoked about it so I played along. He ended up leaving a few minutes before me on the return, like 15 minutes. But as I approached Warner, he was standing on the side of the road looking like he was going to cry. I am really really sure that I saw tears in his eyes! I was pushing hard, maybe holding 13 or 14 and I was sure tempted to stop and tell him, "I SEE YOU NOW!!!".  ;-)

 Well anyway, today we got to hang out with a few friends at the coast. Herb and Alyce, Mark and Jouquin. Checked out Herb's new bike.  From across the way, it looked orange. I walked toward it and it was purple, two steps to the right then it was green. Took a pic then it was blue and green, I dunno, but it's a trick paint job!

                                                                     Old Fart jersey

Jose looked pretty strong today

A frisbee tournament at the coast today, teams from all over the US

Herb and the new bike

Friends

For the people of other states, yes, SoCal Winter ha ha!

I was happy as I could raise my average speed up by .1 after Jose turned off, doing the last couple of miles solo with wind.

Yeah, that is me!

Team Fat Bastard (Me and Jose)

46 miles at 17.3 average speed. Started out with the two of us but after 23 miles, we ran into Joaquin who helped us out through the windy section since he was fresh. That helped ha ha!

Ran into Mark along the way. I can usually get out a little earlier if Gina doesn't ride ha ha, so we actually met Mark at the start of his ride today. He played the LONER today having been a little, not feeling so good last couple of days. Poor guy, I bet the wind had to be brutal for him today. But hey, it builds character!

But today imo was much better than last Saturday. Last week I was pushing hard toward Yorba Park doing 14.5. Today my average on the first stretch, same one as last week was 16 point something so much better!

Jose and I did the first 23 together. I think I pulled for the first 5 miles. That allows me to warm up at my pace, which I like. Then Jose did about 5 miles then we started to switch after every mile. Jose doesn't keep track of each mile too well so every mile, I give him a shout. If I feel a little devilish, I'll let him pull a little more, another .1 or so, maybe 2 ha ha! Hey, that is the price you pay when you have a short attention span ha ha! Today I didn't as he said he had too many tamales over Christmas ha ha!

Worked well and we had a 17.0 when we reached Edna Park (after 23 miles/ north to Yorba then double back, our usual). That was when we ran into Joaquin. He likes to do short mileage but at a good pace. Today he said he would pull us to the beach. Hey, I won't argue! He did at about 17-18. I don't think he could have gone any faster with the headwind today but it really helped us!

But dang it, if I ain't the only guy out there without aero wheels! Jose's back is all decked out now so I was worried about the aero benefits hoping these guys wouldn't drop me. Luckily, when we hit the short climb heading South after Moon Park (405?), Joaquin picked the pace up the short steep climb and Jose fell back. I thought maybe he made a bad shift but he said he was tired and just pooped out on the steep ramp. I was good with that. Usually that means one will not have a problem keeping up if the other guy is getting tired ha ha! We had planned to stay together so if the pace slowed, it would be for Jose. Phew! I escaped that one today ha ha!

Overall a good day on the bike. I felt good and my quad cramped on the last 1/2 mile. Well if I had done 45, I would have been good ha ha! But like they say about "IF". If my grandma had balls, she would be my grandpa ha ha!

I did do this little silly no doping sign ha ha! I get these crazy ideas sometimes ha ha!

            Sorry Aimee, you were my test subject this day ha ha! This is at the shack on GMR!                              FTR, I still think Lance is the best! I just like to kid sometimes but Lance still rules!

Jose and his revamped Red Machine!

Mark at the coast, crazy clouds!

Post ride meal, cucumbers and apple. Need to get back on it!

Mark captured us arriving at the coast

Flexing my FAT arm ha ha!

Well Gosh Darn the Wind

43.5 solo miles. And just when I thought it could not be any worse than last week, it was. Not a big wind but I swear, I pushed hard to the coast against a big headwind. Shorter time than usual at the coast so I thought I would get a tailwind back but nope! Felt exactly the same as heading to the coast. Oh well, my average sucked, 15.8 but hey, I got in some exercise and some day, some day,  I just might get a day without constant wind. Maybe if that Greta Dumberg can help us out here and change the wind ha ha! :-P

So anyway, pretty much gave it my all but being a Grump Old Bastard, I sucked ha ha! Did run into Mark at the coast. Snapped a couple pics, wished each other a Happy New Year then he was off to the pier area.



                                           With the wind today, the jersey fit the bill ha ha!

I'm not one of those, " do my gloves match my shoelaces and handlebar tap?" types. I just get on my bike and ride ha ha!

This smile was before I realized I was going to have a headwind on the return as well. :-(

I took the first pic then Mark asked me to retake the pic as he did not want the buds hanging from his helmet in the pic. OK, so you know I got to have some fun with it and enlarged the buds ha ha! His ears are not really that big inside ha ha!

OK, couple of real pics.