Solo 40 Fat Bastard

 Solo 40 at 16.5 average speed. Pico Rivera to Seal Beach and back.  Strange how 71 degrees can feel cold even with a base layer.  I guess after a few days of 100, everything else feels  cold. 😄 Ran into Sandra,  met Audrey after the ride and scored some cold water from Doreen who I met for the first time todayas well.   Seems Doreen was providing some support at the golf course for a ride today. 👍

Did run into Sandra at the end of my ride, Pico golf course. She was with another lady, Audrey. They were doing 73+ miles with a group. Sandra said she saw me heading to the coast, shouted my name but I didn't hear her. Of course wind and earbuds, I was enjoying some tunes ha ha ha!

Got a chance to meet Audrey for the first time. I told her that Sandra never invites me on group rides because she's ashamed of me, Sandra says she didn't think I'd want to join. I might join a ride or two just to see how it goes and be motivating to do some longer distances. Audrey asked if I could change a flat as many of the women would need help. She said flat out, she needs someone to help change flats. You mean you don't care about my feelings then she said no, just need someone to change fukking flat tires ha ha ha! Reminds me of Aimee, she said she didn't like me and the only reason she wanted to ride with us was because she couldn't change a flat ha ha ha!

So we'll see what happens. Did get a chance to chat with another lady named Doreen. After Sandra and Audrey took off, I rolled up to the patio at the golf course. Right away a lady asked if I wanted some cold water. SURE! Turns out Doreen was on the ride with the others but turned back early so she picked up some cold water meeting the group at the gc during the return section. Pretty cool deal and nice of her to do that for the group.

Then I did run into Strava buddy George C as he was returning from his ride. Got in a good little chat about cycling then he packed up and headed off. Always good seeing George. He rode up to Encanto Park then a little off-road on his cross bike (?).

Pretty cool deal. Found this jersey on ebay, $25 a Chinese seller but being slightly smaller, the dude said he would have his guy make the jersey a little bigger for me. Chest size 49 inch and mine are 51 inch 5XL. He suggested it so that's cool. Good rep on ebay so I ordered this one REAL MEN DON'T NEED MOTORS. 😄 Probably get beat up but it will be fun, haven't punched anybody in a while. 😁

If that one works out, I may order the other one that I like, I CYCLE SO I DON'T CHOKE PEOPLE. 😆

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Lazy Dog sucks! 🤣 Waiter asked when he greeted us asking had we been there before. I said like 10 years ago but I didn't say why. He said welcome back. Then as we were leaving he said, hope we see you again before another 10 years. We just smiled as we exited the restaurant. It won't be another 10 years, maybe 15. 😆😄😆 Good waiter but their food does nothing for us. Like frozen tv dinner quality. 🥴

Solo BM Tour 💩 & Mo' Strava PRs

 Solo BM Tour 💩..... No, not BM like poopie, BM as in base miles. 😁 Solo 34 miles. Pushed hard on a couple sections reaching 180 bpm as a heart rate. I think my max should be 157 but hey! Got 5 PRs, I'll take it. 👍 Beautiful day!

I did see Jason A on the trail again. About the 4th or 5th time I's seen him in about the exact same place as the other few times. Hadn't seen him in years but recently, several times. Funny though, we must both keep tight schedules because every time I see him, it's in the exact spot ha ha ha! He might not even recognize me as when we pass, the last couple times I shouted JASON and he looked back kind of puzzled. Today I shouted his name again then the second passing, I shouted MR. BEANZ ha ha ha! He was like number 5 for the longest time on the GMR segments till the Tour Of California hit town.  Met on the cycling forums back in early 2000s. Great climber. I remember he showed up late on a forum ride with about 30 people. I was riding sweep with Gina when he went by, stopped introducing himself then got back on his bike and passed everyone before they reached the village ha ha ha!

Funny thing was that there was some big mouth arrogant dude on the forums, think he went by something like EMD (?). His real name was Steve. One of the dude saying if you don' race or use a powermeter, then you're nothing. So I asked Jason if he used all that fancy stuff and all he said was that you don't need that stuff and he only uses a heartrate monitor. So he signed up for the Mt. Everest Challenge as an general population rider, forgot the term.  But he was ahead of the big mouth dude but flatted. So he got off, repaired his flat then got back on and passed the big mouth dude again finishing ahead of him by like 30 minutes or so ha ha ha! Love that story! But anyway, saw Jason again today.

Posers are out. Saw a rider that I hadn't seen in quite a while and really different stuff on Strava as far as activities. Of course being about that time of the year when the poseurs start coming out, she's out. Short rides but I will say, at least it's a ride even though I think the main purpose is to use big boobs to attract viewers. Maybe even one of those pay to watch chicks ha ha ha!

Now for the stupid truck driver. There is a bike crossing with a light and a crosswalk near the Santa Fe Dam at the top of the trail, Live Oak I think. There is a light to stop traffic but I myself don't see the sense in using the light stopping traffic. I mean stopping 10 to 15 cars, several semis to cross the road. What I do is wait till there is a break in traffic then go through. Most times it will be clear but every now and then I see another group coming so I will go through knowing I have plenty of time rather than push the button stopping another 10 cars. I feel for the semis, having to stop so a cyclist can use 5 seconds to get across.

So actually, I'm being considerate to traffic. But today, plenty of cars so I waited, never against a little break to catch my breath. I saw the opening, totally clear on one side then a semi about 75 yards away. So I ride my bike across the crosswalk within 5 seconds or so which is all it will take me to cross, I'm a fast starter from a dead stop having my technique down. But as I am in the middle of the crosswalk, the semi driver is about 75 yards away when I hear him step on the accelerator knowing so as I hear his engine gunning up. 

Uhhh, OK! I'm across then as he approaches, he starts honking his horn. OK, you know what mother fukker, take a good look at my finger ha ha ha! He's already passing but starts honking more after seeing my finger I am sure. Heck, wish he would have stopped so I could have choked him or used his face like a punching bag ha ha ha!

Well, actually I would have explained to the moron that he should be a little more respectful when someone is doing him a favor which was keeping him from stopping. He would have been fine just rolling through at a steady pace. Another truck behind him and hoping he knows the guy so he tell hem what an asshole he is knowing I did them a favor keeping them from stopping.

Well heck, next time I'll just push the button and stop a whole gang of cars and trucks. Maybe I'll push it twice just because the guy was an ass hole ha ha ha!

Got a little red lining in there today but a good effort and some strava PR's. 😁

Hey alright! I pushed myself on this segment just realizing it was a segment a couple weeks back.  Not bad for an almost 63 year Old Fart. 😆

Number 1 out of  30 in my weight class THIS YEAR

My HR was 146 on this segment but today, I topped out at 183 on a different segment. Had I planned it a little better, I could have pushed even harder on this segment. Now if I wait for a tailwind and push 180, I think I might move up some he he he!

Number 30 out of 900 riders in my weight class.

Sweet! I have this jersey from about 7 years ago but only worn it a handful of times. But it's my favorite and packed away in storage with about 6 other rather new jerseys. 2 units and I would not know where to start to find them. These jerseys worn maybe 3 or 4 times. But I found this one, Bone Collector jersey on the Primal website on sale for $20. Only had one and it was my size. I think I paid $55 back then 7 years ago, on sale. So this is cool, like getting my favorite jersey back for $20. By the time I get the rest of my other jerseys out of storage, they'll be collector's items. 😆

I will say this, time is flying by. Looking on my blog for an image of the jersey, it was 7 years back. I would swear it was only a couple years back. Wow!

I see so many motor cycle riders, I guess they call them e-bikes, on the road nowadays that I'm considering this jersey ha ha ha! Like I have told friends, I will NEVER ride a bike with a motor on it for recreation and/or exercise. I'd rather propel my self under my own power. That's just me! 😉

If I'm 90 years old without a license and can't drive any longer but need groceries, maybe but not for exercise. Sorry but some of the people I know riding motors nowadays were the types that avoid hills and wind. Me, that's part of the workout and if I can no longer ride a bike, I'll take up walking.

1502 BC Tour 🧌

 1502 BC Tour 🧌

No, nothing prehistoric 😁 1502 Burnt Calories 🔥 Solo 41 miles on the trail, Pico to the base of the Azusa mnts and back. Keeping active into my old age. 👊

Something really gross today, swallowing  a bug. Only a quick glance before it shot down my throat. Didn't have a chance to blink before it went down, straight down. I would think it looked like one of those black flying cockroach looking things, one of those long thin black bugs with wings and lots of legs.

So it went down straight as I felt it stick in my throat. I tried to spit it out but couldn't find it, tried to hack up and gag myself while still pedaling the bike. I swear I felt it stuck in my throat and it was not going down or coming up. I almost puked but nothing. I felt it in my throat at a certain point. So I drank a lot of water almost emptying a full bottle but it's still there. So I ripped a Lifesaver gummi in half and swallowed it with water. Seemed like it went down but a few seconds later, I felt it again. Oh fukkkk!!! So I swallowed the other half and tried to push it down again. For a few seconds then back up in my throat. Oh sheot! That was a creepy feeling. I drank more water and it would seem to go down a bit but then back up around the same spot.

I don't know but it was gross and really creepy. I was wondering if the thing could crawl back up. I thought it might if it hadn't died or suffocated yet. My mind was thinking some nasty stuff ha ha ha! I didn't think so but made sense it could. Finally it went down after about 10 minutes and several tries to wash it down. Finally but I did look it up on the net after my ride and a search says yes,  a bug can actually crawl it's way back up if it doesn't die on impact or manages to survive for a few minutes. Yuck! I was freaked out but sure the fukker is dead now  melting in a container of acid like he got caught by a mobster ha ha ha!

Did manage to meet some dude at the Mobility Hub. He was looking at the map then started axin' me questions about the trail. I explained plenty as he told me he was from out of state and visiting for 6 WEEKS.  I've met about 3 people now with the same story , being on special assignments from work and/or vacation. I can't help but think that it might be an ICE agent questioning the brown guy on the bike ha ha ha! Of course, chatting with me, I have no fear that there would be any thoughts of deporting my full  blown American brown azz ha ha ha!

But he had a cool story of being dead from heart failure then coming back around for a second chance and cleaning up his act to stay healthy for the past few years with no meds and plenty of exercise. Cool story, hope it's true and wasn't just trying to find out if I had a Spanish accent ha ha ha! Either way, if I was to talk bikes with anyone, they would surely know I was here born and raised before they were ha ha ha!

Love my Black Bib socks, only $10. Thick durable material and very supportive. I got my first pair having to spend another $10 for free shipping on the shorts. Like them very much so ordered more shorts and socks. But liking the socks so much, ordered another 3 pair. Very happy with them!

Yeah, I am a cyclist if that's what you call it. I consider myself riding a bike with no special labels other than always have been riding for health and exercise. But having participated in several sports, I would say that the cyclists are the most hypocritical of all the sports I've taken part. So many people on the net claiming to be a clean and non polluting activity but yet so many times I can see where morons open their stuff then just toss their sheot on the ground when there is a trashcan 10 feet away.  Yet they criticize so many others for being lazy. Heck, too many times at a park along the trail, too many cyclist too lazy to even lift a leg to flush the toilet. Morons! 

Not a bad HR today, not too hard of an effort.

Well, Gina has always loved flour tortilla chips, like nacho style type but rarely find places that make them. So a place that I visit at the mall once a week made them for me. I noticed the other day that they were frying their own tortilla shell bowls for their taco salad type items. So hey, do you do special orders?

I explained the sit-chiation and the said sure as long as it is in reason, they will do custom stuff. So tonight, instead of our usual Sizzler visit, we went to the taco stand at the mall. I usually get the S&M tacos (shrimp and meat).  But tonight Gina ordered the S&M quesadilla and I a sope combo. Along with the flour chips freshly made and still hot straight from the fryer. I have to say, they were good!

I like the tacos but actually thought Gina's quesadilla with the same ingredients was better. Too bad I avoid the flour tortillas while watching my glycemic intake. But I got a piece and it was good. So it was all good and the s guys that run it are super cool. When I got there, one of the guys knows exactly what I'm going to order and actually knows my order better than I do ha ha ha! So I just walk up, he orders for me, he gives me a 10% discount all the time then I pay  and eat ha ha ha! Funny as times I walk up and start to think of what I'm going to say then he just says, "oh, you want the S&M tacos with spicy sauce, regular pico instead of mango, green sauce on the side and a cold water that you'll pick up when your order is ready." Too easy ha ha ha!

Tonight, lots of food but I did my best to wash down the bug I took in on my ride.  🤮

Fried flour chips, special order for Gina.

Woke Up Feeling Icky Tour (more images video later)

 Solo 46 miles at 16.2 average speed. Woke up feeling a little dizzy, headache, anda little nauseated but I rode anyway figuring I could ride it off. Felt OK on the bike but still a little icky after the ride. Think I slept too much. 🤣 But got to chat with Alyce as well as Ron and Dixie. 👍 A bit breezy so I thought my HR would be higher but I'm OK with that. 😁

E-bike dude cracking me up. I felt like I was alone heading south to the coast most of the way. At one point I looked back, around the double dips, Warner I think. I saw someone on a bike behind me thinking it was someone on a road bike catching up to me. A little windy so I figured it would take some time before he passed me. A while later, I heard him coming up behind me, oh it's an e-bike.

He stayed a little behind as we rolled across the section south of Moon Park. Then we hit the steep little uphill and he flew by me like nothing. He pulled ahead pretty quickly but then started looking back at me like he was expecting me to race him. C'mon man, you got a motor. But for the next 3 miles he kept looking back at me like we were racing. Nah, I ride consistently trying to keep my pace as I do most times. But I noticed he slowed somewhat on the last underpass about a mile (?) before the coast and he was no longer looking back for me as at one time I was about 100 yards behind. I guess I was no longer A THREAT  to him ha ha ha! 

I wonder why these e-bike people fly by looking back like it's a race then later slow down. Do their batteries run weak? I dunno, never have and never will ride one because I'm all about the pedal myself. I know some friends that were passed by arrogant e-bikers just to have their batteries wear down causing them to slow and be passed after being a smart azz ha ha ha! SO I wonder if that is the cases that I have experienced a few times. Makes me wonder if the dude was running low, killed it on the steep hill then burned a little more on the last underpass where it can be a little steep and usually a headwind.

So I noticed I was catching back up holding my usual pace and he was no longer looking back  probably not having any idea I was somewhere close. I started wondering if his battery was low. But continuing to catch up, I figured if I could, I would pass him so I switched gears and cranked it up some. Heck, if he passes me on the hill wanting to look cool, I'll be just as happy to pass him while he's not expecting it ha ha ha!

I hit 19.4 according to strava on that section. Not bad considering I had been fighting the wind the entire way to the coast. So I rolled by him, as seen in the video. I was expecting him to twist the throttle and pass me back but he didn't. Kind of unusual so that's why I'm thinking his battery was weak. Not the same explosive rider without a motor ha ha ha!

The YT video

The really fast climber guy on an e-bike 😏

Alyce's new bike

The Chubby Girls Like Me Tour & Gina's Nightmare

 Tried to go easy on the heart rate but once I hit the upper side of the trail,  even looking down at the monitor raised it 6 beats. 🤣 But surprisingly felt really good and knowing what your body can do even in extreme conditions.  🔥  So this morning,  too hot and lazy to cook. Burger King breakfast knowing the sodium levels but have read they can be OK if you plan to burn off the sodium.  Yeah with this forecast! She gave me a lot of potatoes so I said thanks,  you're generous then she said,  I don't like to be stingy.  🙂 Then after my ride,  a gal came out of the golf course club house.  She said she used to ride but stopped gaining a lot of weight.  I told her that was my reason for riding now, trying to stay healthy into my old age. She asked so I said,  almost 63 then she shouted,  DAMN YOU LOOK GOOD!  I didn't want to argue or hurt her feelings so I just said thank you then listened to a couple more of her bike stories before she left. 😄

Not sure accurate the heat reading are. Average 95 on Strava and high of 111 on Bryton.  Forecast said it would be 98 degrees. 

Just about to reach the top of the trail right at the Azusa mountains.

Just started about 1/4 mile on top of one of the small dams next to Pico golf course. Just looking to the mountains, it already looks hot.

What a kick in the Balls! 🤣 I really need to stop using my GoPro recorder, I guess. Maybe I've made too many videos. But Gina had a nightmare last week where she screamed out in her sleep. I woke her up and she gave me the story. Then last night, she started to whimper in her sleep again so I woke her up before she could scream out. Kind of scary in the middle of the quiet of the night. 

So last night, after waking her up, I asked if she was ok, she said yes, just another bad dream. I asked what happened in her dream. She said, "some guy was trying to take my GoPro recorder, then two other guys showed up trying to help him so, I KICKED HIM IN THE BALLS!!!". 😲

I asked her the next day about her dream and she says she doesn't remember saying that but once I reminder her, she started laughing crazy. 😆😄😆 Always something to entertain me, that Gina! 😁

Oh yeah, she doesn't even have a Go Pro. 🤪

Tuesday Breakfast & More Gina Car Repairs

And here I feel guilty about the $6.99 breakfast special. 🤣 Yesterday Gina called me as she was on her way to work, 4:30 AM saying she had a flat. Had to get off the freeway and thrashed her tire so she got another one with her warranty, nice! But figured she'd replace the other 2 that were looking a little worn, $600. Then they put her window down and it wouldn't go back up, today another $140. Had them both done, driver and passenger sides about 2 years ago and again! 😫 Oh yeah, and her key fobs are acting strange so new batteries for both, another few bucks. Just a few bucks but her money pit it always, just a few bucks here and there, a few hundred.

So today, looked at the forecast and a high of 98 at 2 PM, I'll pass. So I went to breakfast instead then to the mall with a few CDs that I had. Downloading them into MP3 files then into the card on my cell phone which is my main source of music on the bike, in the car, and anywhere else I listen to music which is all the time. Pretty cool little CD from ebay with extra ports and stuff, about $25. Technology has come along way. So, nearly $800 in 2 days vs my $6.99 breakfast, heck I'm ordering some bike socks too! 😁

Ain't technology something else? I have about 300 CDs but nowadays, convert them to MP3 files on the computer and place them on the cell like a music player. I have about 500 songs on mine using an extra storage card that I listen to regularly, all for free other than the extra card in the cell, when I'm not using Pandora. And the card is only about 25% full. 

I give it another month and Gina's car will need another window motor. That's cool, I might get another pair of socks out of it. 😁

Oh yeah, screw it, I ordered 3 pair, that'll show her. Well OK, actually Gina suggested I order 3. 😁 But I spent money myself on breakfast. 😄

Cool little set up at one of the high top benches at the mall. So cool the little CD player thingy. About $15 on ebay with little usb ports to connect other devices as well. Good find.

$6.99, 55 plus senior breakfast served all day along with about 3 or 4 other dishes, sandwiches soup and other stuff. But breakfast, 2 eggs, potatoes of choice and toast. Not bad for $6.99 as other cafes charge about $14 for a similar dish. Drink not included. 

Best homestyle potatoes. I'm not a potato lover but these are good. And the baked potato Gina has had with dinners is really good. Very smooth, cooked nicely. I don't know how they do it but they do it, okay! 😄 John Leguizamo line from back in the day.